“Oh, these are nothing yet. Just rough ideas. But hopefully I’ll be able to turn them into something more soon enough.”
“Nothing!” He sounded affronted. “Those aren’t anything, those are beautiful. You have a true gift.”
His kind words warmed her heart, and gave her a much-needed boost as she stowed the notebook and pencil and climbed out of the car. She walked into the hotel, still glowing from the compliment, and took the elevator up to the suite she shared with Archer. She was already dreaming of when he would join her. There were still a lot of surfaces they could explore besides the bed, and huge walk-in shower, which they had taken for a test run this morning. She could feel herself become wet with desire just at the thought of it. She blushed, thinking that he might be bringing his mother back with him to meet her, and walked around, tidying up the space just in case.
Of course when he returned, he was alone.
“You’re still here,” Kady said with a relieved smile. “Not in some prison cell, not dragged off by your mother?”
“Nope, I’m all yours for now,” he replied, although he sat down with a heavy sigh. “To tell the truth though, I was looking forward to them making up their minds one way or the other. Now we’re just stuck in this damned holding pattern all over again.”
Kady nodded. “There’s a way around that, you know.”
“Hmm?” he asked, as he drew her into his lap. “What’s that?”
“Stop thinking that life revolves around that judge or anything he has to say,” Kady suggested. “I’ve already made my mind up about where I want things to go with you.”
“Kady? I’m—what—um—damn, I can’t even talk!” he laughed, spluttering as he tried to find his words. “Tell me what you've decided, sweetheart.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Archer,” she told him then, staring him in the eyes so he could see the raw honesty shining in her own as well as all the other unspoken feelings and emotions. “No matter if they give you five months, five years, or five decades. That’s what I’ve decided.”
“If they gave me five decades, I would make you go,” he replied with a smirk.
“Well, good thing that’s never going to happen then, huh?” she answered with a smirk of her own. “Because who knows if your thirty year-old butt would even last that long.”
“Don’t you know I’m too stubborn to die?” he chuckled. “You’re never going to get rid of me that easily.”
“Well, enough morbid talk,” Kady said then. “I think it would be a lot more fun deciding on stuff to decorate the nursery.”
“Oh, now I see how you are,” he laughed. “You’ve decided to stay because you want to pick out the curtains for the nursery. I might have known, my lovely mistress of fashion.”
“Yes, it’s all part of my master plan to redesign every room in the house and refit you with an updated wardrobe. Something dazzling ought to do.”
“Dazzling,” Archer repeated, his nose wrinkling slightly. “What is it about that word?”
“What word?” Kady asked curiously.
“Dazzle,” he said with a shrug. “It’s been a bit overused lately, I think.”
“Mm, I wouldn’t know,” she said. “I applied to work at a place with that name, but I never made it to the interview.”
“I see,” he said with a curious nod. “Why was that?”
“I decided to come be with you instead,” she said, winking at him, and it had been the best choice she had ever made.
“Good choice,” said Archer, unconsciously mirroring her thoughts as he kissed Kady soundly. It didn’t take long for their passions to ignite after that. Archer lifted Kady up into his arms and carried her over to the bed, laying on it with her to continue what they had begun.
“Archer!” Kady breathed on a soft sigh as his fingers deftly began to unbutton her blouse, shedding it quickly as he found the hidden spaces he had been searching for. His lips sought and found her dark nipples, and he flayed each of them with his eager tongue, one at a time. Then he sucked one into his mouth while his free hand slid down her belly and under the elastic waistband at the top of her skirt. It was a tight fit, but he managed to push his hand inside her underwear as well.
“Silly, you could have just went underneath instead,” Kady said with a laugh, as she unbuttoned the back of the garment, enabling him to move more freely, squirming restlessly under his touch.
“What fun is that, always taking the easiest way?” Archer pointed out, his words little more than breathless whispers.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I don’t think I’ve ever managed to take the easiest way yet, so I’ve yet to find out.”
Archer’s face softened, hearing that. “I know things haven’t been very easy for you in life, Kady,” he said softly. “But if you’ll let me, I want very much to show you what taking the easy path sometimes is like.”
“Thanks, Archer,” she said with a wavering smile, as tenderness flooded through her at his words, twining with the red hot desire his magic fingers had evoked in her. “That really does mean a lot.”