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The Tessarae Inn |
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Dreams In Amber Refrains
CHAPTER 29 “Do you want another egg roll?” He looked at the plate she was holding in front of him that was loaded with egg rolls, steamed dumplings and small ribs then shook his head. He couldn’t eat right now. He was too full of other things. “Okay, more for me but no complaining later on if they're all gone.” He laughed as he looked at the coffee table that was almost covered with cartons of Chinese food. They had bought enough food to feed an army. Blair placed the plate back on the table, took an egg roll then went back to reading the papers in her hands. He pressed his spine against the sofa and took deep breaths then stretched his legs out under the coffee table. He glanced over at Blair whose head was bent in concentration as she nibbled on her egg roll. He was having moments lately of pure sensual pleasure that seemed to pop out of nowhere then flush over him in waves. Looking at Blair at that instant triggered off a rush. As soon as they got to the penthouse laughing, happy and loaded down with cartons of Chinese food, they rushed to set up things up on the coffee table. For some reason they were both starving and as soon they spread the food out, they raced each other to see who could open the most cartons. Blair was laughing so hard she knocked over one of the cartons and brown sauce and snow peas splashed on her dress. She grabbed a bottle of club soda and rushed upstairs to blot it on the stains. When she came back downstairs she had on one of the old dress shirts he left at the penthouse and a pair of his bulky athletic socks. Now sitting next to him on the floor leaning against the couch, with her long legs capped at the end by thick socks, and munching on an egg roll, he wasn’t sure when she’d ever looked sexier. “It’s over, Blair. You know that don’t you?” She looked at him and smiled. “It’s over and we won. Whoopee!” She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek then laughed. “Sorry, I just got mustard sauce on you. I’ll kiss it off.” He turned his head so her lips touched his then kissed her. She smiled then went back to reading the papers. He closed his eyes and tried to quiet his mind. This day had been some ride. He felt like he was supposed to operate like one of those superheroes that flew to the moon and back then sat down to dinner as if nothing extraordinary had happened. But he wasn’t a superhero and he couldn’t seem to let go of his awe over how things had turned out. He and Blair were supposed to split and crumble but instead they were more solid than ever and he couldn’t simply exhale and take that in stride. “This really is an extraordinary deal, Todd. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert but even I can see that.” “What can I say? Your man is good at working things to his advantage. But, I guess I can’t brag too much since it was never really about the team. DC was playing a different game all together and the stakes were higher than I let myself imagine.” “He knows a good thing when he sees it. But he can’t have you. Didn’t get you. Will never touch what we have.” “Put the papers down, Blair. It’s been a long day. Let’s call it a night. We’ll stay here.” She set the papers beside her and turned toward him. “Aren’t you mad? I feel like spitting bullets.” “Not enough to waste energy on it tonight. I’ll find a way to make him regret stepping into my life but the fact is he failed and that’s a pretty solid hit to a man like that.” “Maybe, but I want more. He came after what’s mine and he needs to pay for that.” “I’m yours?” “Oh, hell yes. You didn’t forget that quick did you?” “Not on my worst day.” He moved to pull her closer to him but she jumped up and started pacing. “I’m trying to figure this out. How can we twist the knife? I’m thinking that we need to come up with a plan to make him honor that contract.” “It was never about the money with him. The man has more money than God. He may like that team but it’s just one more toy to him. Besides, if we get the team then we’ll have to deal with him.” “Not really. We’d be principal owners. Other than an occasional financial meeting, which could be handled by someone we hire, I don’t see why we’d need to see him at all for the most part. Besides we have his number.” “Strange as that sounds.” Blair flopped in the chair by the fireplace close to the stairs. “That is strange isn’t it? I mean a master manipulator like that opened up to me and let me see what he was thinking and how his clock was ticking. He underestimated me but I suspect he was also for some reason not as much on guard as he would be normally. I think because of you.” Todd picked up an egg roll and fingered it lightly. “I’m not sure about that.” “Hunter got captured by the game. He started out to push your buttons and ended up pushing his own as well. I think he really did see you as the son he always wanted.” “Just my luck to find a father who wants me and he turns out to be a lying, deceitful, conniving bastard. All the things I excel at. Payback is a bitch.” “I’m sorry,” Blair said softly. “I will hate him to time ends for hurting you.” “He didn’t hurt me. Not the way you mean. He was setting me up to take away what matters to me the most—you. And I almost let him.” “That was not going to happen. He and you both miscalculated big time if you thought I was leaving.” He grinned at her. He couldn’t help it. “So, okay, he has a weak spot for you. Problem is that, if he doesn’t know already, he will find out quickly that he can’t manipulate you. He may like the idea of you as a son but not a rebellious son. He wants a me-two.” “He’s already lost that battle and he’s too smart not to know it.” Blair stood up and started pacing again. “So the money doesn’t matter to him. The team doesn’t matter to him. You matter to him but he’s given up on that prize. I don’t care what he says he doesn’t give a damn about his daughters other than as puppets. Is there anything else we can use as leverage?” “I say living well. Forget Carl Shuttlesworth, Blair. Let’s get on with our lives. We can go to Creedyville tomorrow and get the kids. I’m sure JStarr needs you and have you even checked in at the TV station in the last two weeks? I’ll clean Shuttlesworth’s clock down the road when he least expects it.” “I can’t seem to let this go.” “Why?” Blair stopped pacing and squared her shoulders. “He messed with me and mine. He tried to destroy my family without giving it a second thought. He needs to be smacked back for that shit.” He stood up and walked over to her. She glanced down and rubbed her hands on her thighs. “Guess I sound a little obsessed. I was so scared last night, Todd. Scared of losing you and my family. Can’t let that happen again.” “Blair the Warrior Princess. I am the luckiest man in the world because you belong to me.” “Prince. Luckiest prince in the world. You’re my Dark Prince, you know. And there’s a disturbance in the realm.” “Then we have to handle it. Unleash the dragon.” Blair laughed. “What’s so funny?” “I just had this image of a fire breathing dragon and a damsel in distress tied to a pole like they always have in the fairytales. To bad we don’t have a damsel to wave in front of the dragon that would cause Shuttlesworth to rush out half-cocked to defend her honor. Then we could chop him off at the knees.” Todd cleared his throat and stepped back. Blair’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, you so better tell me what’s going on. I know you, Dark Prince. What are you keeping from me?” Todd shifted his eyes from side to side then walked over to the sofa and sat down. “Is there some woman Shuttlesworth is crazy about? Damn that would explain that extra vulnerability. Whoa! The man, who talks about how love makes you weak, is in love! Who is she? Spill.” “It’s not like it was my place to tell you.” Blair frowned. She stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Who is it, Todd? I’m getting that vibe that’s setting my teeth on edge.” “Cassie. He’s dating Cassie. Plans to marry her.” “Oh, hell, no.” She rushed toward the staircase. “Wait. Where are you going?” “To Cassie. I have to talk to her.” “It’s late. You’re tired.” “I can’t have that man around Cassie. How could you let this happen? I have to warn her at least.” “Call her if you must. If nothing has happened by now, it won’t happen tonight.” “What are you talking about?” “Just call Cassie. I’ll put some of this food away.” When he walked back into the living room, Blair was sitting with her legs stretched out on the couch staring out of the window. He sat at the other end, put her feet in his lap and rubbed her bare legs. “Cassie okay?” “She’s fine. Shuttlesworth told her that he has a big surprise for her day after tomorrow. She’s thrilled and glad you finally told me. Appreciated all of your reassurances.” “Blair.” “Damn, Todd. She’s my cousin. You know how much I love her.” “I was monitoring the situation. It’s not like I told her to date him or anything. She was already head over heels for DC by the time she asked my opinion. I just told her what she wanted to hear. I was just stalling for a couple of days.” “Stalling?” “I was on top of it, Blair. And if she really wanted to see, though, she would have removed her own blinders. There were enough people sending her signals about him. And be fair. Why weren’t you suspicious about her not telling you anything about the man she was dating?” “Why Cassie? Why that snake? Does he really care about her?” “Yeah, he does. And as mad as you are with me the fact is I think we’ve found our key. Her opinion of him does matter to him.” She drew her legs close to her body. “I told her that we’d come over to the Mill House first thing tomorrow and that we have some news.” “What are you going to do?” “Tell her the truth and take it from there.” He shrugged then stood up. “Let’s go to bed. It’s been a long night and I need my babe.” She looked up at him with cloudy green eyes that slowly cleared. She stood up, walked close to him and brushed her body against his slowly then walked to the staircase, and reached back for his hand. He took her hand and followed her up the steps. Suddenly she froze. He followed her gaze to the entryway hall and exhaled. “It’s okay, Blair.” “I’m sorry I just…” “You saw an image of me and Heather.” “I wasn’t even thinking about that and it just…” “For a long time without warning and long after I’d forgiven you, every now and then I would look at those stairs and see an image of you and Patrick.” Blair bit her lower lip. “Does the past ever leave?” “Maybe not but maybe we can replace it with something else that is stronger.” She looked down at him with a measure of guilt and confusion in her eyes. “What?” “Imagine that you are standing in the entry hall and looking at us now. What do you see?” “I see the handsomest man I’ve ever seen in my life and a woman whose whole body screams how much she loves him.” “Does he love her?” “Most decidedly.” “I see a man who loves his woman so much, he’d follow her to the ends of the earth and back again.” “Does she love him?” “Like he’s the air she needs to breathe.” For a minute they stared at each other then Blair leaned over and kissed him. When she pulled back and smiled at him, he could actually see some of the weight of the recent past and the distant past dropping away from them. He knew at that moment he would always remember that kiss as perfect. Blair turned, made a loud whooping sound and ran up the steps. She glanced at him over her shoulder and caught his eye. “First one in bed gets to decide what we do tonight.” He took off after her with a shit-ass grin on his face. Chapter 30 Dreams In Amber Refrains FAN FICTION
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