Page 4 of His Beautiful Revenge
He pushed the thought away and went to get his drink refilled.
Carmel gently took the headphones off her sleeping husband’s head. Orlando was stretched lengthways on their couch, his breath coming out in tiny snores. She kissed his forehead and smoothed a finger down his face. His arm, solid and muscular, slipped from his chest and hit the floor. He stirred, grumbled softly, and turned onto his side, still muttering. Carmel suppressed a laugh. She moved around the living room, picking up empty bottles, cups, sheet music, and student papers. It was a wonder any students got the correct papers back from their favorite music teacher. Orlando’s organization skills were not exactly a gift. Carmel stacked everything that looked school-related carefully on the small desk in the corner of the room, catching them as they slipped out of her grip.
As she tidied, she glanced out the window of their small home and froze. A movement caught her eye—someone moving away from the window. Their neighborhood was safe and it shook her to see that. Not least because, for the last few weeks, she had had a creeping feeling that she was being followed or watched. Carmel wasn’t a woman who scared easily, but it had been insidious, and whenever she had been alone, out in the city or on her way to work, she had become more paranoid. She hadn’t said anything to Orlando, not wanting to worry him until she knew for sure.
Now, though, if whoever was following her—if they actually existed—was coming to her house …No. No way, buster. Not with my daughter asleep upstairs.
She opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch, peering into the gloom. The street—which was tree-lined and still somewhere the kids could play outside—was empty, except for Jason, the elderly man down the street, who waved at her. She waved back, smiling. Jason was in a wheelchair and hardly likely to be peering in their high windows.
Satisfied she was being paranoid, she turned and went inside. Just for once, she locked both doors. She heard footsteps and turned. Orlando shuffled sleepily from the living room. He ran a hand through his short hair and grinned at her.
““Sup, babe, what you …” he yawned expansively, “ …doing out there?” He took in her face. She was frowning slightly. “What’s the matter?” He stepped toward her and slid his arms around her waist. Carmel blinked and her face cleared.
“Ah, nothing,” she said, not convincing him for a second. “Well, I just thought I saw someone watching the house. But there wasn’t. So.” He grinned down at her, cheeky and boyish. “Shut up.” She scowled at him, trying not to smile
“Watching the house?”
“Shut up.” She started to laugh. Orlando put a mock-serious look on his face.
“No, no, no, better to make sure. Want me to have a look …”
“…no …”
“…wouldn’t hurt to look.” He reached behind her and opened the door. For a second they both looked out. Carmel secretly hoped they would see …something.
Orlando turned to look at her. “Hmmm, strange ...” She wiggled away from him, swiping at him. Laughing, he gathered her up in his arms and buried his face in her neck, pressing his lips against her warm skin. He felt her body relax and, raising his head, tipped her face up to his. He kissed her gently on the mouth. Carmel sighed with happiness.
“Wanna go cuddle some?” He muttered, his lips moving against hers. She responded by kissing him harder. His right hand tangled in her hair as their kiss deepened, his left hand sliding down the curve of her back. She pressed her body into his, feeling the excitement build in both their bodies. She gasped for air as he broke away, sliding his hands under her buttocks and lifting her so her legs curled around his back. His dark brown eyes burned with desire as he bore her up the stairs.
He laid her on the bed and was undressing her when they heard it. “Ah,” said Orlando, sighing. “The walking, talking contraceptive device.”
Mommy!Carmel chuckled and disengaged herself from her husband. “Take a load off. I’ll go see what she wants.”
“There’s a reason you don’t have brothers or sisters,” Orlando yelled grumpily to his daughter and Carmel hushed him, giggling as she went to see what her daughter wanted.
Ferma was sitting up in bed, her hair in cornrows. “What is it, sweetie?”
“Monster.”
Carmel sighed. “Where, darling?”
“On my toes.”
“A monster on your toes. Okay.” Carmel sat down, pretending to look under the comforter. “Now, who would be so brave to go near your stinky feet, punkin’?” She lifted the edge of the comforter, then pretended to hold her nose. “Pooh! No, no monster, darling. No cheesy feet-eating monster.”
Ferma giggled and wiggled her toes. “My feet don’t stink.”
“They don’t?Okay, I’ll check again …pooh, arghhhh!” Carmel pretended to choke on the ‘stink.’ “Help, I can’t breathe …the smell! The smell!”
Ferma giggled uncontrollably and Carmel tickled her daughter. “Now look, kiddo, there are no monsters, okay? None that will get in here—not while I’m around.Okay, Snugglepuss? Sleepy time now.”
She settled Ferma back into her blankets, then went back to bed to find Orlando sprawled across the bed, snoring. “So much for love,” she muttered, grinning, then crawled into bed next to him and was asleep almost as soon as she closed her eyes.
Norah shut off the shower and dressed quickly. Lucian lay watching her, then, as she passed him, hooked her legs and pulled her down onto the bed.
“Stay, stay,” he said, pinning her down. She wriggled out from underneath him, annoyed.
“Quit it! Too much to do. Get off, get off.” She struggled to her feet and swatted his head, smiling to soften the snub. “Up, up. Time to do manly stuff.” Lucian rolled into a sitting position, yawned and smiled at her.
