Shiver : 13 Sexy Tales of Humor and Horror - Aurora Belle. Страница 18

Still no eye contact…I’m not hedging my bets. “Okay. Hit me with it.”

He finally turns toward me and grins. “I thought we could throw a Halloween party this year!” His voice is unnaturally high and his cheeks color as he waits for my reaction. When I don’t respond he pushes his glasses further up his nose and clears his throat. “Nothing extravagant…just a few of our friends.”

Nothing extravagant? Who’s he kidding? Nathan never does things half way. I know a big party would be a major undertaking and I can’t imagine how we’d fit it into our insane schedule.

“What are you thinking? What about your deadlines? You’re working seven days a week right now as it is.”

He plops down on the chair across from me and bobs his head. “I know, but I have an idea. I’m going to job out the inking and coloring for the B-Girl issue due first week in November.”

Whoa…he must really want to do this party if he’s finally agreeing to job out his precious comic book work. I immediately recognize the potential this provides for future weekend getaways. “…and you know I hate Halloween, handsome.”

“But I thought you liked the decorations and giving out candy to the kids.”

“I do but I always pay a price for the fun. You know my history with those huge Costco bags of mini candy bars when I hand out the treats: one for little Cinderella, one for me, one each for the two pirates, two for me.”

Apparently I have a problem.

He nods. “See that’s another good reason why we should have a party. We’ll be too busy to hand out candy. I’ll pay the neighbor kid to do it for us. He’s too old to trick or treat.”

“You’ve thought of everything.” My smile gives him a false sense of encouragement and he pulls a sketchbook out of the drawer.

“I have! Let me show you.” He flips several pages in and points to an elaborate drawing. “We can convert the garage into the Batcave.”

I lift the drawing up to examine it more closely. It’s got every detail I’d expect from Nathan including a glass case holding a full Batman costume to a simulated mission control desk, and Batphone. “And why a Batcave?”

His eyes grow wide with an expression you’d expect from a six year old. “Because it’d be so cool.”

“Indeed.” Overcome with curiosity I turn the page of the book and the next illustration has the Metropolis tower complete with a globe, rising out of the center of our roof. “Good lord. How are you going to do that?”

“I’ve already talked to Nick’s cousin about it. He does carpentry stuff and can build anything.”

Wow. He’s not joking around. I point to a drawing of what I assume was once our guest bathroom. There are spider webs everywhere. “Is this Spiderman’s bathroom?”

He nods, tapping his fingers on the tabletop as he watches me study the pages.

“I’m seeing a theme here.”

“Yeah. It’s a Superhero party!” His tapping speeds up until he finally stops and grips the edge of the table.

My stomach falls. “Does that mean what I think it does?”

“Everyone has to come dressed as a Superhero!” He says it like it’s the most epic idea ever.

“Even me?” I ask with an arched brow. “Is this some elaborate theme to get me back in that Wonder Woman outfit?”

His eyes narrow and his jaw clenches, giving him that incredibly irresistible sexy look. He gazes longingly at me like he wishes I was wearing that outfit right now. It’s been a while since I’ve worn it and the last time I had it on it didn’t stay on long. We were making Superhero love in record time. I smile at the memory but then snap back to reality. With all the stress eating lately I’m doubtful I’d even fit into that tiny costume now.

I fold my arms across my chest and shake my head. “I think I’ve developed an allergy to spandex.”

I know my man when he gets his mind set on something so I’m not surprised that he immediately disputes my claim. “No you haven’t! You practically live in those yoga pants and I know they have spandex in them.” He grins with a lascivious look. “That’s why they fit so perfectly.”

Busted. I try another tact. “You really want all your animation-comic friends to see me in that outfit? Do you remember how low cut that bustier is?”

He purses his lips together and scratches his head. “Good point.”

“I don’t really think I can take a whole evening of Andy ogling me.”

Nathan’s eyes light up. “But he has a big crush on another girl now. So she’ll be dressed up too for him to ogle! Everyone will be dressed up.”

I frown. That gives me zero comfort. Just imagining all the lumpy body shapes without the camouflaging comfort of clothes makes me want to reinstate my gym membership and share it with the others.

“Please, Brooke, please….will you do it for me?”

He asks me for so little and gives me so much. How can I not do this one thing that means so much to him? Certainly one of my friends can give me a Xanax or something to get me through the party.

“Okay,” I whisper just loud enough for him to hear. But then I wink at him to seal the deal.

He leaps out of his chair and rushes over, pulling me out of my seat. Next thing I know he’s holding me tightly as his hands wander the last places I would expect them to be early on a workday morning. I lean into him enjoying every touch.

“As for that revealing costume…I have to warn you, I’m a little curvier these days.” I slide his hand over my hip and then up to cup my breast, hoping he thinks the idea of that isn’t all bad.

“Are you kidding me? You know how much I love your curves. You’re going to be the sexiest Wonder Woman ever,” he says with a happy sigh. There’s a sincerity in his tone that makes me love him even more.

I lean my cheek against his chest and listen to his heart pound. I love that after all this time I can still get him worked up so easily.

When his hand slides down to my ass and he squeezes it lovingly, I cringe that he has so much to grab onto.

There’s no way around it… Zumba class, here I come.

Several weeks later I’m returning from my Saturday afternoon errands and grocery run when I notice a collection of neighbors in front of our house. I stop my car and lean my head out the window hoping to see what several of them are pointing at. When my gaze settles on the addition to our roofline I let out a long sigh. Metropolis. I forgot it was being installed today.

I park the car and get out, planning how I’m going to do damage control. Is there some kind of big-brother community policy against adding weird stuff to our house that we didn’t know about? It’s not like we painted the house hot pink or something. I stop and study the addition more thoughtfully. It’s handsome, rather art deco and design-y. Maybe we’ll just leave it up after the party. That’ll show ‘em.

Mr. UCLA guy with his poodle on a leash is scowling. This from the man who hangs school banners all over his house when there’s a big game. I pull back my shoulders and prepare for battle.

When I step up to the group, our next door neighbor Brian grins. “Is someone visiting from Planet Krypton?”

“How’d you guess?” I tease back.

“Planet what?” asks Mrs. Rogerson, the sweet old lady from across the street who now looks a little alarmed.

I give her a warm smile. “He’s joking, Mrs. Rogerson. It’s a reference to Superman.”

“Dearie, is that why there’s a doll hanging off of it?” she asks.

I cup my hand over my brow to shield the sun and look up at the structure. “What doll?”

She hands me her binoculars and points to the right. “The one dangling off the thing in the back.”

I take the binoculars and hold them up, wondering the entire time what else Mrs. Rogerson watches through these things. I have to scan and focus before I see what she’s referring to. A Superman doll the size of a Ken doll is extended from a wire off the main structure. Wow. Nathan isn’t holding back with the decorations…not even a little bit.