35
It Starts with a Kiss
After this tender moment that passed between us he simply took my hand in his and said,
“I believe I owe you a date, my Queen.” Then he led us from the library after flicking his wrist and bringing back the door with a mere thought. We walked away from the bittersweet moment and now hopefully towards one that held just the sweet.
As we walked in silence back the way we came, I knew I wasn’t the only one with heavy thoughts resting on their mind. For me it was thoughts consumed by once more facing an unknown future with the man at my side. But for Draven?
Well, I could only imagine it was consumed by one single moment in time. One that would no doubt stay rooted within him for many years to come. A painful reminder every time he looked to the girl by his side who was now his wife and eternally bound to him. All I could hope for was a short time trying to find the light in the darkness so that he may finally make it out to the other side…not years of doing so, or even worse…a lifetime.
I knew my words had only helped sooth his guilty soul for a while, but knowing Draven as I did, I knew it wouldn’t last for long. And from the looks of that thoughtful expression, I knew it was a lot shorter than I had hoped for.
But then again, it was a traumatic experience after all and I knew from my own experience that those weren’t exactly easy to get over. It had taken me years to get over what Morgan had done to me, and even longer to stop caring about the evidence of such a time still left on my skin, like showing my scars to the world.
Hell, I can’t even remember the last time I had even been conscious of them being there. But this wasn’t like a scar on his skin that would remind him each time he saw it. No, this was far worse. This was like a scar on his soul, one he would feel deep within him every time he looked at me. Every time he saw me smile, laugh or moan in rapture. Every time he saw a hint of the girl he loved, he would forever be plagued by then seeing that life fade from my eyes by his own hand. And no matter how many times I tried to rid him of that guilt, he would simply hold onto it tighter.
So, the question was…
Would he ever let go of it?
As we approached the staircase that led down into the ballroom, I knew the answer to that question was one I would be asking myself for some time to come and that thought made me squeeze his hand tighter. He looked down at me and took my bitten lip as a nervous reaction to seeing all the people below and not the real reason I was feeling this way.
“You ready?” he asked me, and I found I could only nod in return, too afraid of what my mind would let slip with words. The second we started to descend the stairs it turned out that our entrance was to be a grand one, whether we liked it or not. Or should I say…whether I liked it or not.
Suddenly the band stopped playing and a ballroom full of people all paused and looked up at us before they started to clap. I felt my feet nearly slip on a step and I instantly gripped onto Draven tighter as if needing more than his mental support this time. The second he felt it he decided to take matters into his own hands…literally.
“Draven!” I shouted his name as I found myself being swept up into his arms. The crowd loved it and went crazy cheering for us. And I could hear Pip’s wolf whistle above it all, finding her easily in the crowd as a colourful beacon bouncing up and down like an excited child.
“Just in case you fall for me again,” Draven told me softly, making me grin up at him after first trying to bury my head in his chest to hide myself from the shame of being on show. In the end I had no choice than to just let Draven carry me down the stairs and across the grand banquet hall until we arrived at our royal looking seats.
“You know when I mentioned about going to a medieval banquet, I didn’t mean that I had to be the queen at one,” I teased as Draven took the steps two at a time to the raised platform where our long table was positioned at the head of the room. He chuckled at my comment and then let me down before waiting for the room to grow silent.
“I would like to thank you all for being here tonight in helping me surprise my beautiful…” ‘Say wife, say wife, say wife’ I repeated over and over in my mind.
“…wife,” he said looking at me as if he had heard my silent plea and I released a sigh in relief, which turned out to be premature. His tender smile soon turned into a bad boy grin when he then added,
“And my ravishing Queen! For she knows not the pleasure she grants me just by seeing her smile. So, once again I thank you all for aiding me in making that happen…To eternal happiness!” He shouted this last part whilst raising his glass as the whole room did the same. The rest of the room shouted out the same in chorus making the words ‘Eternal Happiness’ thunder out and echo in the huge room.
After this he pulled out my throne-like chair for me and the second I had sat down he nodded to the room, indicating they should all do the same. Draven was the last to take his seat and he rolled a hand in the air to signal to the waiters that food could now be served.
“So, what do you think?” Sophia asked nodding to the ballroom full of colourful life, as she was now sat next to me.
“I think it’s…”
“!” Pip shouted from next to her, making me laugh, as I was pretty sure that was pip code for ‘totally amazing’…well it was either that or she had a canvas shopping bag full of men’s chopped off balls under the table and thought her collection was amazing.
“What she said, only with less male parts,” I said making her giggle before moaning,
“Aww, but those are the best bits! You’re no fun,” she teased and Draven, overhearing this, grabbed my hand in his and raised it to his lips to kiss before informing her,
“I disagree…she was extremely fun moments ago.” This made everyone sat at our table laugh, which turned out to be for longer when they heard me growl at him despite my red cheeks.
“That’s adorable you know,” he told me, giving my fingertip a little nibble.
“Yes, well it won’t be adorable when I am growling whilst chopping off your balls and adding them to Pip’s Tote bag of Amazing bollocks,” I said making him a raise an eyebrow at my threat, but then Pip popped her head around Sophia and said,
“Uhh…my what now?” I laughed along with everyone else and Sophia, knowing my thoughts, nudged her and said,
“I will explain later.”
“Okay, but you know I collect beanie babies and condoms from around the world…right, not man dangler ball bits?” At this I burst out laughing and unfortunately snorted a few times with it.
“Oh dear, you set inner piggy free again, Pip,” Sophia said smirking when I shot her a glare, one she took about as seriously as a caged chihuahua wearing a tiara and pink tutu, baring its teeth.
“I must say I do hope that I can get that inner piggy to come out to play later?” Draven commented before taking a sip from his goblet looking mischievously at me over the rim. Again, I growled but quieter this time and just before I asked,
“Not unless there is something you’re not telling me?”
“Like?” he enquired taking the bait and lowering his cup.
“Like how you have a farmyard fetish and I should start calling you Farmer Dom?” I teased making him pause for a minute before slamming down his goblet as he burst into raucous laughter. I jumped at the sudden reaction and the room seemed stunned for a moment before they all started to join in the laughter. Although I was pretty sure that no one but those close to us knew why.
“Now that’s what I call bringing home the bacon!” Pip shouted slapping a hand to Adam’s back before she cackled out her own sweet sing song laughter. He just fixed his now crooked glasses that had also slipped further down his nose and smiled at his animated wife’s reaction to her own joke.
“Tell me, my dear one, for I am curious, but would this fantasy of yours include you naked and covered in mud?” Draven purred in my ear making me roll my eyes before telling him,
“I think you missed the point, Draven.”
“No, I think you will find that I…never miss the point,” he said whispering this last part and at the same time reaching under my skirt and skimming along my inner thigh. I shivered against his touch and looked down trying to hide my blush from everyone else. I only looked back up again when I heard a plate being placed in front of me and the smell of the honey baked ham nearly had me salivating. Okay, so now all I needed was fresh bread, some mayo, crisp lettuce, maybe a slice of cheese or two and a knife to put the beauty into action. Oh, and some sliced banana with a dollop of mashed potato and the whole thing dipped in Bisto instant gravy…oh yeah, now that would be…wait a second, that would be gross!
“Now that’s a thought I very much wish to know.” Draven’s voice brought me out of my inner food turmoil.
“You mean you don’t know? My eyes and expressive face didn’t tell you all you need to know?” I teased making him smirk.
“Well, if I were to venture a guess it would be that at first you were ready to devour the ham in front of you with gusto, but then it looked like someone had come along and dumped vomit all over it as you suddenly looked utterly disgusted,” he said making me wrinkle my nose at the thought.
“Eww,” I muttered before he carried on.
“Now, seeing as I am at a loss to know why or what caused this sudden change of heart, I am forced to surrender my weakness to the mistress of my answers and simply ask,” he said making my lips twitch at his chosen words.
“I like the sound of that…hey do you think we could upgrade me from Vixen to that? ‘Mistress of answers’ has got a nice ring to it I think,” I said humming to myself and tapping a finger on my bottom lip as if I was deep in thought.
“Now I think it is you that missed the point my dear,” he retorted making me drop a hand to his trousers at the same time as I sucked in my bottom lip looking at him. Then I grabbed his semi hard erection and gave it a squeeze, instantly feeling it grow as I repeated his own words back at him.
“No, I think you will find that…I never miss the point, Draven.” This time I was the one smiling at his deep rumbling growl, one that told me along with what was now over filling my hand, that it was a sound emitted from being turned on.
“Oooh spit roast! Slip me some skin, Baby Boo Bot!” Pip shouted excitedly, pointing now at the plater of roasted pork and crackling that was being brought around by a waiter dressed in a blue tunic.
“Oh, and the po ta ta as!” she added making me forgot Draven’s leg and swing my head to Sophia and ask,
“The what?”
“I think she means she wants potatoes, but then considering she also calls your breasts tata titties, then who the hell knows,” she said wryly with a shrug of her shoulders. But Pip hearing this informed us,
“No, they are now known as baby mama milking jugs, and yes I meant the potatoes.” Now I know when hearing this I should have focused on my new breast nickname. Or better still, even ask myself why she thought it necessary to have a series of nicknames for that part of my anatomy. However, this wasn’t what I went with, because my stomach demanded something more for me when I blurted out,
“Potatoes!” making Draven shoot me a look along with everyone else on the table, after just shouting this at the top of my voice for some weird reason.
“Can you pass them to me please!” I said way too forcefully, making Pip give me a quizzical look before dropping the serving spoon in the bowl with a clatter and passing the bowl to Sophia without taking her eyes from me.
“Uhh…yeah, sure thing Tootie bean,” she said in that ‘What the Hell’ tone.
“Thanks.” I said nearly snatching the silver bowl from Sophia and ignoring her comment of,
“Okay there, little Miss Grabby.”
“Sweetheart?”
“Um?” I answered Draven after piling the roasted potatoes on my plate making sure to only pick the big ones.
“You okay?” he asked making me just nod once before scanning the table for what else I was looking for. Okay, so I know I must have looked like a woman slightly possessed right in that moment, but I couldn’t focus on caring about anything else but my new mission.
“Yeah, could you pass the butter…over there… that’s it, can you pass it down please,” I said waving a hand to Zagan, who was sat at Draven’s side in place of his brother, which reminded me, where was he and Ari? Draven frowned as the dish was passed up to him but must have decided not to say what was on his mind and instead just watch this play out.
“What is she doing?” I heard Sophia ask her brother after a few minutes of watching me dissecting my potatoes.
“Is she building a tower like I did?” Pip asked with a long piece of crackling in her hand before she bit off the end with a loud crunch. I shot Pip a frown only to find that yes, she had indeed built a tower from potatoes and what looked like different condiments in between to act as the cement in this crazy edible construction. Okay, so I couldn’t talk about other people’s brand of crazy, not considering I had been the one not long ago to build a tower out of toilet rolls!
“No Pip, I am not building a tower, although I have to say, impressive,” I said waving to her food art with my fork. She gave me a wink before breaking off a piece of her sweet covered dress and using the lollypop to scoop up some of her food, which I think was a creamy fish dish. Either way it didn’t look like a great combination, but once again, who was I to judge.
“May I ask what they did to offend you so?” Draven asked nodding down to my plate and the fact that I had taken all the crispy skins off the roast potatoes and had scooped out the filling before mashing it up with the back of my fork.
“Oh nothing, just making mashed potato,” I said after dumping an unhealthy amount of butter on top and mashing that in there too.
“Okay…sweetheart if you wanted mash…”
“Oh hey! Excuse me!” I shouted to a waiter as he was going past us and completely interrupting my poor husband in the process.
“Who me?” the server asked looking startled.
“Yes you, would you mind doing me a favour please,” I said as he first shot a worried look to Draven who was no doubt an intimidating presence at my side, and one who was making his ownership known as I felt a hand on my shoulder claiming me. I rolled my eyes once, before continuing on.
“Do you think you could get me a banana?” I asked making Draven stiffen next to me and suddenly start coughing as if he had choked down a heavy swallow. I tried to ignore Sophia’s giggle which was followed quickly by Pip shouting,
“Oh, my giddy God’s uncle, did she just ask for a banana?!”
“Keira?” Draven’s stern voice was saying my name in question but come on, what did he expect me to do with it, wave it in the air and tell the room to excuse us, as we were leaving now to go and fornicate with fruit?
“Umm…sure, I think we have some in the kitchen.” The poor server, who at this point looked like he wanted nothing more than to just run away and hide, muttered nervously.
“Thank you, oh and if you could also grab that gravy jug when you’re on your way back, that would be wonderful,” I said nodding down the end of the table where Adam had been pouring it and stopped mid flow as soon as I said this, only to find everyone now staring at him.
“Sure thing,” the guy said before rushing off back to the kitchens.
“Alright, what is with you?!” Sophia demanded, and I just shrugged my shoulders and said,
“What? I just fancied one after this,” I said nodding down to my makeshift pile of mashed potatoes now surrounded by discarded golden shells with little pools of butter in between the pale peaks.
“She can eat what she wants, Sophia,” Draven said firmly, making me smile up at him before kissing his jaw in thanks.
“Whatever,” she muttered in amusement, when I turned and stuck my tongue out at her. A few minutes later as I was just taking small mouthfuls of my potatoes, I saw the waiter coming back. I sighed in relief as for some reason it just wasn’t hitting the right spot.
“Here you go, Miss.” The young guy said handing me the bowl of fruit and placing down a new gravy boat.
“Mrs Draven!” my overbearing husband corrected making me roll my eyes and the waiter first looked fearful before I said,
“Thank you, that’s very kind of you.”
“Yes of course, Mrs Draven,” he corrected, now looking slightly less scared as he left me to my strange bounty.
“You know if you wish me to wear a sign around my neck saying ‘property of Dominic Draven’ so that you will relax and be less frightening to the common mortal man, then I am willing…you know, all in the name of peace and tranquillity and all,” I said looking back over my shoulder up at him making him raise an eyebrow at me.
“Mm, keep it up sweetheart and it won’t be a sign of possession you wear around your neck, but a chain I have wrapped around my fist that’s attached to the… collar around your neck.” He said this last part as a sexual purr down in my ear making him grin against my neck when he felt me shudder because of it. Wow, can anyone say wet panties, it felt like the buggers were melting off like pouring hot water on tissue paper!
Shortly after Draven’s BDSM bombshell, his attention was taken away by a question of business from Zagan and Takeshi and for once I was thankful for this. Now I had chance for my overactive mind to go on sexual overdrive thinking about me chained to Draven as he took possession of my body.
“Oh, by the Gods, what is she doing now?” Sophia said to herself after raising her hands up to the side of her face in a dramatic sigh.
“What?” I asked, pausing just before I took a bite of what was now a banana in my hand that had a big heap of mashed potato and gravy on the end.
“Gods Keira, what in Heaven’s name are you eating?” Draven asked now he had his attention brought back to me. I looked down at the banana that had been half eaten wondering to myself when I had even done that.
Pip suddenly burst out laughing before filling the rest of us in on what was so funny.
“Oh, watch out, it looks like the Tootie baby machine just hit the level CRAVE ME on the preggy scale!” Pip shouted after first clapping her hands and getting excited. I opened my mouth ready to deny it but looking down at what should have been the most disgusting combo in my hand, then really, was I in any position to argue? So instead I just shrugged my shoulders and said to Draven,
“What she said.” Then I took a big bite of my potato covered banana and moaned as my taste buds started to sing! Draven gave me a loving look as though the sight of his wife moaning around a banana dripping with gravy and mashed potato was the most natural and sexy thing in the world.
“She can eat whatever she wishes as long as it makes her and the baby happy,” Draven said softly, making me want to melt up next to him, especially as he rubbed a large hand over my belly in a tender loving way.
“Great, now he is going to make sure it’s on the menu of every restaurant we own, just in case you might want to go there,” Sophia commented dryly, only with one look at her and the wink she gave me, I knew it was said to tease her brother and not me. So, I decided to get her back as I leaned into her and said,
“Yeah, but it’s for a good cause…Aunty Sophia.” After I whispered this last part to her she shot me a look of shock as if she hadn’t fully realised until now what me being pregnant would mean and bring to her life…to all our lives. Her beautiful wide chocolate eyes went from being surprised to tearfully overwhelmed in seconds and it was when that full bottom lip of hers found her way into her mouth that I knew I had her.
She didn’t say anything but instead she grabbed my hand under the table and gave it a squeeze, telling me in that one gesture that we were sisters and we were in this together.
Draven being Draven hadn’t missed our exchange and he rewarded me by first giving me a warm tender look. This was swiftly followed with action when he hooked me around the neck and pulled me in for a kiss. I tried not to flinch as I felt him close to my birthmark, but I was too late.
I felt something there start to get hot. I sucked in a deep breath, holding it in as he continued to kiss me for fear that any minute now it was all going to go terribly wrong. As if I would knowingly be releasing a Draven Demon King Kong onto the world, and then later on, amongst all the rubble, there I would be,
Stood in the midst of it all saying the words…
And it all started with a kiss.