Chapter 5
“I.. I shouldn’t h..have been r..unning around.” She stared down at her lap as if uncertain where to look.
“Vicky…”
“Hmm?”
“Look at me, Baby.”
Apprehensively, she lifted her head and her breath was almost taken away looking into his brilliant sparkly grey eyes for the first time. They had such a sparkle that she could have sworn they were metallic. “This is your house. You must never feel uncomfortable. We should have closed the door, Baby.” His lips moved but she didn’t hear much of what he said. Instead, her eyes wandered around the kitchen feeling other eyes on her. Her lips quirked into a half smile when she saw the dog’s large doe eyes watching her.
“You should smile more often, little one.” Her eyes quickly flicked to Kraven, who was stood with his back to the sink, his azure crystal blue eyes on her. “You look beautiful.” His voice held a tenderness that it hadn’t before.
A full blown smile took over her, but she swiftly bit her lip trying to hide it and moved her eyes to avoid his.
“Yes,” Theo said in agreement, standing up and stepping beside his friend. “Not that you aren’t hot as hell all the time.”
Her eyes widened at his words and her face turned a burning red.
She, again, looked at her lap as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. She tried the think of something to say, but no words came to mind.
Another squeak left her lips and she held her head embarrassed.
**
They watch the petite blonde hide her face and heavy breath. Kraven frowned and elbowed Theo in the side. “Look what you’ve done,” He whispered harshly.
The shorter man frowned and walked over to her.
“Vicky…” She moved her hands and glanced at him nervously chewing her bottom lip. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” He paused, his eyes glued to the way she nibbled her lip. It was doing things for him but he wouldn’t tell her, not after her earlier reaction.
“And…” He leaned down in front of her and reached out, placing a single finger on her bottom lip. The tip of it accidentally slide into her mouth and she froze, wide-eyed, her eyes glued to him.
Kraven groaned and he knew that this was having the same effect on his friend as it was him. “This pretty pout…” He hooked his finger around her lip, not minding it in her wet mouth. “Does not belong between your teeth.” He easily pulled the lip free.
“No,” He stood up licking his finger absentmindedly, turned and glanced down to make sure his lust wasn’t too obvious. “Let me help you bring your stuff inside.”
Seeing she wasn’t following, he walked back and took her hand in his.
“Come on, Baby.” He went to walk but paused. “Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, Kray.” His friend looked at him expectantly. “Vicky said I am the husband and you are the wife.”
“Theo!” Her eyes widen. “Y..you weren’t m..meant to tell him that,” She whispered but Kraven heard her.
“That was obviously before she saw you riding me like a little slut,” He replied with a smug smile.
“Kray!” Theo said in a disapproving tone. “Look what you have done,” He indicated to a red-faced Victoria, who had inched her way behind him.
“I..I…I..” A deep breath and she continued. “I w..will call Mr Reeves,” She said looking at the ground and slipping her hand from his before reaching for his jacket and into her pocket, pulling out her phone.
“No.” Kraven plucked it out of her hand. “You are staying here.”
He frowned and placed the phone on the side.
“Have you forgotten what we told you already?”
She shook her head. “Good.” He kissed her forehead on instinct causing her to blush. “Go, get your luggage. I have aired your room out and the bedding is clean. So go ahead.”
She looked unsurely. “B.. B.. But-“
“No buts or arguments,” Kraven told her in a firm tone. “We are family. You have to stay with us and do as we say.”
Her brows furrowed. “Th.. That’s not a r… Real rule?”
“Are you sure about that? You don’t sound certain, little one?” He teased.
“Come on, baby, he’s bossy but right. You have to stay here.”
Okay, they weren’t real rules. But what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
She opened and closed her mouth before huffing and nodding to the door.
“She’s a cute little fish, isn’t she, Ozzie?” Kraven asked the dog as he watched the pair leave.
“I’m not a f.. Fish!” He laughed.
“No, you’re not.” Unable to stop himself he watched her backside before she disappeared from his sight.
“Lord, why do you tempt me so?!”
**
“Are these everything?” Theo asked seeing only one case and a sports bag.
“I don’t need much.” She leaned into the back of her truck and pulled out a laptop case and an urn.
“Is that…?”
“Mama,” She whispered looking at the object.
Sadness filled his chest at the expression on her face.
She looked ready to cry and was holding the object to her chest.
“She’s pretty,” He said trying to lighten the atmosphere. She looked up to see he indicate to the urn.
A giggle bubbled from her throat and he smiled, thanking God it worked.
“Pass me your laptop bag.”
She shook her head. “Your hands are full,” She said locking the car back up.
“Vicky,” He said in a warning tone.
“Theo,” She said in the same tone, grinning at him backing towards the house.
“Ah. Is that the game?” He said with a raised brow and a small smirk.
She giggled and retreated back into the house.
“First on the right,” He heard Kraven call to her still stood in the kitchen.
“I’m going to get you, baby,” He called following her giggling which has disappeared up the stairs.
His friend stuck his head out the kitchen door and looked at him with a raised brow.
“I’m on the hunt for a naughty little girl,” Theo said with a grin and disappearing up the stairs on her trail.
“Where are you, baby?” He called at the top of the stairs already knowing.
But loved the sound of her laughs.
Oh, cue a giggle floated from the room he knew was hers.
‘Kraven must have told her,’ He guessed.
Entering the room, he placed her cases on the floor and walked around the large bed to find her sat on the floor hiding, her hands now empty.
“Thought you could hide, hey, baby?” He asked with his hands on his side.
“I’m a good girl,” She defended with large eyes.
He couldn’t help but chuckle. “You are cute, but are not good.” He knelt down in front of her. “I told you to give me the bag and you ran off. And earlier you paid for the shopping when I told you I was paying.”
She stared at him with those huge eyes and failing to hide a grin.
“You have to be punished.”
A flash of fear showed in her eyes but quickly disappeared as his hands found her sides and relentlessly began to tickle her.
“Theo,” She said breathlessly between laughs. “Please…”
“Hmm, I don’t know,” He said grinning and straddling her legs.
“Are you going to be a good girl and do what I say in the future?”
**
Walking into the bedroom with Ozzie, Kraven was surprised to find Victoria laid on the floor, Theo straddling her legs and her laughing uncontrollably.
But what happened next shocked him even more.
“Grrr.” Theo froze staring at the dog wide-eyed and Victoria stopped laughing looking a little scared.
“Ozzie!” Kraven scolded, grabbing the dog by the collar and dragging him from the room, closing the door behind him.
“Don’t be scared, baby. He was growling at me, not you,” Theo comforted her stroking her cheek, still straddling her.
“W…why?” She stuttered.
“He probably thought he was hurting you,” Kraven told her. “He seems to have taken to you.”
“Now…” A smirk reappeared on his friend’s face. “Where was I?”
“No, I.. I’ll b.. Be a good girl,” She tried to say quickly.
“Hmm… Are you sure?”
She nodded her head eagerly.
“Okay, baby.” He lifted his weight to his knees and reached down, pulled her up with him.
“Am… Am I alright t.. To go for a nap?” She whispers asked Theo but Kraven heard her.
“You tired, baby?” Theo stroked the side of her face.
She nodded not wanting to go into detail.
“You go to sleep, little one,” Kraven said walking over.
“We’ll be up for hours yet. But if for some reason you need us and we are asleep, our room is the one next door. Don’t be afraid to knock. You are always welcome,” He said honestly.
“You are lucky enough to have one of the rooms with an ensuite, so if you want a bath or shower the door is just there,” He pointed to a wooden door beside a pair of double doors.
“It is yours alone, so we won’t walk in on you,” He reassured her, wanting her to be comfortable. “The linen cupboard is on the landing opposite this room if you need any towels or sheets ever. The double doors are to your Closet. There are hangers inside and a chest of draws too, near the bed if you need them. So put your stuff away later or tomorrow. And when you’re awake next time we’ll show you the rest of the house properly.”
“Th… Thank y…you both.”
Both men smiled.
“Sleep well, baby.” Theo pressed a kiss to her cheek.
“Call us if you need anything, anything at all, little one.” Kraven pressed a kiss to her other cheek and then just like that they left the room and her to sleep.
**
“Thank goodness she didn’t notice my erection,” Theo said sat on the couch downstairs with his friend.
“Yeah, I saw that. She seems pretty innocent. She turns bright red every time we hug or kiss her.”
“I think she’s shy. She can’t be a virgin at twenty-five, right?”
His friend shrugged, “Miss Wakerley is.”
“Miss Wakerley is 50-something and scary looking,” Theo laughed. “You can’t even compare the two. Vicky is stunning. Short, but beautiful.”
Kraven nodded in agreement.
“I agree, though-“
A knock at the front door stopped them before he could complete his sentence.
Kraven grumbled and complained walking to the door.
“Who the hell would come out with a storm due?”
Opening the door his question was answered.
“Hello, Kraven, Theo,” Devon, the oldest son of Brody Hogan. The Hogan family was their decreased employer’s enemy for some reason Theo and Kraven were unsure of. All they knew is it started with Brody’s parents – Lord and Lady Hogan titles the couple had bought. But the rest of the family were happy to keep it up despite everything.
“What do you want?!” Kraven asked coldly.
“Always to the point, Kraven. I like that about you.”
“Yeah, yeah. What do you want?”
“I just came to offer my help with the horses, a storm is on its way, you know?”
“No, you didn’t and the horses are prepared.”
“Alright. So I may have heard rumours of you harbouring a young girl and then I noticed the new truck outside…”
“So?” Theo stood beside his partner with the same emotionless expression.
“I wasn’t aware you have a family?”
“The Willingham’s family is our family.”
They didn’t want to give information to the man who was obviously digging.
“Joyce is here?” The thirty-year-old man asked surprised, maybe even a little hope.
“How do you know her?” Theo asked remembering Victoria’s mother’s name.
“No, she is dead,” Kraven answered coolly.
“What…?” Devon asked in obvious shock. He looked a little dazed, maybe even sad. This took them back a little.
“She can’t be.”
“She died last year. Did you know her?” Theo asked curiously.
“Yes. But I hadn’t seen her since I was very young,” He replied in a daze.
“Hmm. Thank you for telling me.” And with that he left, leaving the equally stunned and confused pair behind.
“He looked like he was going to cry,” Theo stated.
“Yes…” Kraven said closing the door.
“We’ll ask Vicky later how she knows him.”
Theo nodded in agreement.
“But right now, we have to double check everything is done and draw and lock the shutters over the windows. We might not get another chance.”
