Live In Position (63 page)

"What about the other day in the dining room?" She examined my face thoroughly.

"What about it?" I shrugged. "You can stand up to Ilene without holding a grudge or being cruel. I'm not telling you to get over it. What she did was highly unforgivable. However, it will only hurt you to be angry all the time."

Her eyes dropped from my face, thinking over what I said.

"I don't want to be mad anymore. I'm so tired." Allison fell back into the couch and blew out a puff of breath. "Can I still help tomorrow or with Thanksgiving?"

I know shock filled my face when I looked down at her. She laughed when she saw my face.

"Of course."

"Don't look so surprised. I am going to try and be…civil." She sat up. "Thank you."

"I'm glad I could help." I patted her knee before standing up. "Take a nap. If I see Will, I'll tell him you are sleeping. I'm sure you need it, because I think I need too as well."

After exiting the suite, I followed the smell of pizza. With all the excitement, I had forgotten about eating. I was starved. Entering the kitchen, I saw it was empty and the pizza was nowhere to be found. Furrowing my brow, I went to find Victoria.

Walking in her room, I could hear the water running in her bathroom. Opening the bathroom door, steam engulfed me.

"Hey you," I tapped the curtain and she screamed. Laughter bubbled out of my chest.

Her soapy head peeped around the curtain.

"You scared me to death," she giggled.

"You still look alive to me," I tapped her nose, "Thank you for getting your shower without me telling you to."

"No problem," she smiled wide and went back behind the mermaid curtain.

Five minutes later she stepped out and wrapped up in the towel I handed to her. She ran to get a nightgown and I sat on the edge of the tub fanning myself. Rushing back in she looked at me curiously.

"Are you okay?" She reached for her toothbrush, but kept her eyes on me.

"How hot does your water need to be? Whew." I pushed the bathroom door open all the way to clear the steam from her large wall mirror over the sink.

"I like it hot." She giggled and began to scrub her teeth.

I brushed her hair and braided it while she brushed, spit, brushed, gargled, and flossed. After ten minutes of teeth and hair, we were curled up in her bed reading the next chapter of my book. She wasn't asleep at the end of the chapter, but I was starving, so I convinced her to go to sleep without starting the next one.

Closing her door, Collin called out for me from our room. I walked in that direction irritated from not getting to go eat yet.

"Yeah?" I entered and saw Collin sitting on the small couch with pizza and wine on the coffee table. I felt almost giddy when I saw the food.

"I brought the food up here. You hung –?" He couldn't get the question completely out before I sat down and began stuffing my face and moaning. He chuckled. "I guess you are."

He picked up a slice and ate with me. We sat back drinking wine and eating pizza in front of the TV. I was on my fifth piece when he turned off the television. With my mouth full I looked over to him.

"I'm sorry about earlier with Allison and John." He wrapped an arm around me. I nodded and continued to chew. Honestly the food was way more important to me at this point than our little verbal showdown earlier.

He pulled me tighter to his side and I curled up on his chest. At some point I fell asleep, barely remembering him carrying me to our bed and pulling me back to his chest. The emotional and physical exhaustion of the day had wiped me out.

Chapter Thirty Five

Thanksgiving came and went spectacularly. While some of the pies were different looking, Allison and Victoria did their best. I had to admit the pie baking day with Larissa, Allison, Ilene, Victoria, Miranda, and Mrs. Baker had been very enjoyable. We made the pies, drank wine, and snacked from a cheese and cracker tray Larissa brought with her. Most surprising was everyone being on their best behavior.

Thanksgiving Day was also pleasant and everyone got along. Juliette and Connor couldn't make it, due to his health, so I made plans with her for Collin, Victoria and me to come visit them soon. Collin and Max talked medicine and Max convinced him to watch some football. The kids ate, laughed, and played. Unfortunately, I was the center of wedding planning talk; suggestions, ideas, and opinions. It's not that I didn't appreciate it, but I just didn't want to go through all of this. It wasn't enough to ruin the day though.

I should have known not to expect the same for Christmas. Grace called a week before Christmas to stake claim to Victoria. She and Collin argued on the phone from the conclusion of dinner until I entered our bedroom for the night.

Collin was tossing back a double shot of Scotch when I stepped out of the bathroom after my shower. His shoulders were hunched forward and his head dropped. Instead of getting dressed as I planned, I went to him. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I rested my cheek against his back.

"She won't relent on seeing Victoria," he sighed. "I don't know what to do."

"Does the agreement state she can do it? I mean, did you check with your lawyer?" He turned around and looked me up and down.

"There is nothing in it saying she can't. It could be argued as one of her days to see her." He swallowed hard.

"So?" I gasped when he pulled me against his chest roughly.

"So, it seems we will be having Grace over for Christmas." His eyes came up from looking down my towel and into my widened eyes.

"Are you serious?" I pushed away from him. He groaned.

"What do you expect me to do? She has rights."

I narrowed my eyes in on him. "I expect you to tell her to pick another day."

"It's not that simple."

"Of course not," I sighed loudly, "it never is."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Familiar icy anger rolled off his tongue as his body became rigid.

"Nothing," I growled low and walked away.

"Don't walk away from me," he grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. I jerked away from him.

"Don't grab at me," I shouted.

My thoughts automatically turned toward the still cracked open bedroom door. I shut it, not wanting Victoria to hear us. With it closed I walked to the closet.

Once inside I pulled a long sleep shirt from a hanger and dropped the towel. The moment my head was through I saw Collin standing in the closet doorway with another double Scotch in his hand.

"I don't want to argue with you," tension choked his words.

"I don't enjoy fighting with you either." I shrugged and pushed by.

Reaching the bed, I grabbed a pillow and my book.

"Where are you going?" Panic had changed his tone.

"To the couch," I plopped down and opened the book, pulling my legs up to my chest. I began to read and ignored the shift of the couch when he sat down.

"Isn't the man supposed to sleep on the couch?" He tried to smile, but it wasn't convincing.

"I'm not asking you to sleep on the couch." I closed my book and set it on the arm.

"I don't want you on the couch either." As he spoke, he leaned closer. The smell of warm scotch circled around me.

"Who said I was sleeping on the couch?" My frustration was melting with every warm breath he sent in my direction.

"Who said anything about sleeping?" A sly grin spread on his lips.

"Are you drunk?" I raised one brow.

"Not too drunk." His body pressed closer to mine.

The familiar tingle built in me. I was about to speak, but his mouth crashed onto mine. Scotch had never been a drink of choice, but to taste it on Collin's tongue was a different experience. The clink of his glass pulled my eyes toward the floor where it fell. His mouth moved down my neck and his hands slid up my thighs.

"I want you," he growled against my neck and yanked at my underwear.

Before I could raise my hips to allow him the removal, he pulled harder. I slid down the couch and my underwear was around my knees. My eyes widened at the sudden movement, but Collin stayed dutiful in his ministrations.

Grabbing behind both my knees, I expected him to remove the underwear completely. He didn't. Instead my feet were in the air and his lips were planting kisses at my ankle, moving down my leg.

When he reached my thighs, goose bumps erupted all over my body. His mouth came between my legs and kissed. A moan escaped and my hands dug into the leather of the couch. The feel of his warm wet tongue slipping and sliding back and forth against me began the familiar slow burn deep inside.

One finger slipped inside while his magic tongue devotedly continued its work. Lifting my hips up, I sought to meet his finger. When the second one entered me, I gasped and pushed harder against his hand.

In a sudden movement, Collin released me. Taking a few moments to regain some oxygen, it wasn't until I heard a thud that I opened my eyes and looked at him.

His belt buckle hit the floor hard with the removal of his pants and underwear. As he pulled the shirt over his head, I took a moment to look at him. The length of his toned torso as he stretched his arms over his head and his fully engorged, twitching erection. I needed to touch him and there was nothing to stop me.

As his shirt released from his hand, my mouth and hand encompassed his length. With my eyes closed I heard his moans of pleasure from above me. When he pulled me off of him I was a little disappointed. He swiftly made up for it.

In another burst of movement, he pulled me up and turned me face down to the couch. There was a crashing sound, but he wasn't letting me move to investigate. With both of our knees to the floor he slipped in from behind.

"God, yes," he growled. The taste of worn leather filled my mouth as I bit down.

Slowly he began a rhythm against me, grunting and moaning. Soft, warm fingers slid over my arms stopping on my cushion fisted hands. He pried my fists from the leather, bringing my hands up to the back of the couch.

"Hold on," his heavy breath wafted over my shoulder, against my cheek.

My mouth fell open, releasing the cushion from my mouth, and he slammed into me.

"Oh my God!"

"That's it," thrust, "baby," thrust, "I want to hear you." His long fingers slipped down my sides, wrapping around my hips tightly. The thrusts became more feral and I loved every one of them.

Panting, moaning, and growling, the orgasmic eruption began to break through.

"Sophia," he plunged deeper and harder than before. The eruption poured through my body like molten lava, leaving my body feeling languid and warm.

Collin's hands slipped under my body and grabbed my breasts. Gripping them firmly he pulled my back to his chest and pumped into me harder. I wrapped my left arm up and around his head. When my fingers touched his soft hair I fisted it hard.

"Fuck baby," he growled and his erratic thrusts gave away his own eruption.

As we both fought to regain normal breathing, I glanced behind us. The crash had been the coffee table, which was now on its side.

The house was full of Bishops. Max, Larissa, and the boys, Allison and the twins, Ilene, and Juliette and Connor were all in attendance. There were a few close family friends as well as my fellow nannies, though I didn't know if I could associate myself as a nanny anymore. And then amidst the group there was Grace.

When she arrived her presence swept into the room. She smiled coyly as she greeted every guest. You would have thought this was her holiday party and the behavior started to eat at me. I had to escape to the kitchen in order to calm down.

Tossing back the last of my wine in one large gulp, I listened to the bustle of the kitchen. It was buzzing with the sounds of caterers. I had wanted to cook, but Collin insisted I relax and enjoy the party. His final argument, the one which finally won, was his desire to have me by his side for the party. However, I was left to sit alone with his mother and Larissa once his fellow doctors arrived with their wives. The last I saw of him, thirty minutes ago, he was in a far corner of the living room drinking scotch and talking about laser surgery.

I groaned out loud, which garnered me a couple of weird looks from passing caters. Why was I letting Grace get to me? Why did I need Collin to be around me? I really didn't care if he was talking with his co-workers, but it was really getting on my nerves. In fact, my temper had been short for almost a week and everything bothered me.

"Sophia," Ilene's voice rang out behind me.

I quickly changed my face from the grimace to a smile and turned to her.

"Yes?"

"We were wondering where you had gotten off to?"

"Oh, just checking on the appetizers," I lied.

Ilene escorted me back toward the living room and along the way Victoria ran by laughing as the twins chased after her. I smiled and almost laughed aloud, but Ilene killed my humor.

"Why aren't the children in the other room?"

I straightened my spine and took a deep breath to quench the flames of anger lapping at my chest.

"Christmas is about children." I stated firmly. "I asked them not to run in the living room, but they could have free reign over the rest of the house."

Ilene looked at me and started to speak. I must've made one hell of a face, because she shut her mouth just as quick as she opened it and continued back to the living room.

Upon our return, Collin grabbed me by my waist and pulled me into his chest. He was still speaking with one of the doctors, but I was still glad to feel him next to me.

"Excuse me?" Allison's shrill voice rang out from the group of guests.

I pulled away from Collin and walked toward her. As I got through a group of guests, I saw Allison and Grace in a heated stare down. Oh dear baby Jesus!

"You don't know what you're talking about," Allison hissed. "Why don't you take your gold digging ass where you are wanted?"

"It's not my fault your husband has already started dating. I thought you knew." If Grace really wanted to be an actress, she needed some serious lessons.

"Get out, you bitch." Allison hissed and stepped closer.

"Okay, okay, Allison, come with me. I need your help." I grabbed her arm and began to walk her away from Grace. However, Grace couldn't help but get one last dig in.

"Huh, I guess once he found out you were having your nanny's baby, he figured it was time to move on." There was a small giggle from Grace and a growl from Allison. Allison spun around and dropped her arm from mine.

"Don't talk about things you know nothing about, especially when your baby doesn't have a father!" Allison yelled and the room dropped into silence.

"There is too a father," Grace threw her glass onto the floor.

"Enough," Collin stepped forward. "This is not the time or the place." He turned to Grace, "Behave or leave."

She gasped. "Your sister insulted me and you are going to –"

"Behave or leave, which will it be Grace?"

Grace huffed and glared at Allison, before she disappeared into the silent crowd of guests. I couldn't wait for this gathering to end. Larissa took Allison to sit with her on the couch and I returned to my seat next to Ilene.

The wedding talk picked up quickly where it had left off. As I was listening to Larissa recommend a small shop in downtown for the invitations, there was a loud grunt from behind our group. I turned my head to see Grace clutching her swollen stomach.

"Are you alright?" A tall overly tanned blond woman took Grace's arm.

"You should sit down," the blonde's husband took her other arm and walked her to a chair next to us.

"I'll be fihh….Oh…" she groaned.

She couldn't be. I mean she isn't possibly going into labor or something.