Chapter 58
"Tacos," Noc decided, watching Franka's profile, all he had since she was keeping her face averted.
She didn't only seem to be avoiding his eyes, she was also suddenly stiff, and he didn't get it.
"I'm happy with that," Josette decreed. "Franka?"
"Fine," Franka said softly.
Noc beeped the locks to his SUV and Josette skipped to it excitedly.
She dug riding in cars, as in really dug it.
Franka didn't feel the same.
He steered Frannie to her door but didn't open it.
He turned her into him in a way she had no choice but to look up at him.
When she did Noc knew she was hiding something.
"Everything okay?" he asked quietly.
"Fine," she repeated, moving to pull out of his hold and turn to the car.
He curled her closer and her gaze that had skidded away came back.
"Babe, you sure?" he pushed and added, "Cars are safe, sweetheart, and I'm a good driver."
She nodded but made no verbal reply.
He looked into her eyes.
She was totally lying.
"Frannie, what's up?"
"Nothing, Noc, though I am hungry so perhaps we can move along to luncheon?"
"We have that word, Frannie, but it's mostly called lunch here."
"Ah," she murmured, her gaze again sliding away.
He didn't like her weird change of mood, the suddenness of it or the fact she was lying about it. It could be she was nervous about taking another ride, she hadn't taken to being in a vehicle like Josette had done. It could also be she was embarra.s.sed by her misstep on her heels. Frannie didn't make many missteps. She wore her dignity like armor and didn't do embarra.s.sment very well.
It could be something else.
But Josette was in the car. It was time for lunch. Then he had to get them somewhere they could charge their phones and he could teach them how to use them.
After that, he'd be leaving them so Frannie could get ready, and he could go home and do the same, because he was taking Frannie out to dinner.
Noc decided to give her her s.p.a.ce now and talk to her then.
At that moment, he moved in and touched his lips to her temple.
His touch got him her eyes again and the remoteness he'd seen a moment earlier wasn't totally gone, but some of the warmth had come back and he knew it'd all be good.
Franka could go into her head. He'd find a way pull her out.
He reached beyond her as he s.h.i.+fted her out of the way of the door, muttering, "Climb up, sweetheart."
She did.
He shut the door behind her, rounded the hood and took his two other-world girls to find tacos.
Not surprisingly, tacos were a hit.
The door to Valentine's place opened and Noc stood still, staring down at Frannie.
Jesus, but Valentine had good taste.
"f.u.c.k, baby, you look beautiful," he said quietly, staring at her dress.
It was a little black one made of lace. One shoulder had lace over it. The other was bare. The material under the lace looked nude. And the fitted skirt was short so her long-a.s.s legs went on forever, especially in those pumps that showed her toes and had bows.
Her hair looked amazing, poofed out and falling over her shoulders in big soft curls.
And she'd become a master with makeup in a very short time.
"Josette is enamored with the gadgets called 'curling irons,'" she declared when his attention fixed on her hair. "We have something like this at home, but of course they're not heated through a string that's pushed into a wall."
Noc shook himself out of it, moved into her, rounded her waist with an arm and shuffled her in, grabbing the door and throwing it to behind them.
"Encourage that obsession, Frannie," he advised, dipping his face to hers.
"My hair is extremely..." she seemed at a loss for words but settled on, "large."
He grinned and dipped the half an inch he had left for his lips to hit hers.
"You work it," he murmured there.
"I a.s.sume that's good," she murmured back.
"Mm-hmm," he replied then he pulled her close with both arms and took her mouth.
He felt her fingers circle the back of his neck, but only vaguely.
It was all about her t.i.ts pressed to his chest. The feel of his hips snug in hers. The smell of her. The taste of her mouth.
Noc slanted his head
The thought made him break the kiss but he didn't pull away too far.
He liked to watch from close as she swam up from one of his kisses. She took her time opening her eyes like she was still lost to his mouth and didn't want to admit it was gone. And her gaze-usually so sharp, alert, guarded, missing nothing-was open, vulnerable, giving everything.
"Much as I want more from that sweet mouth of yours, sugarlips, we don't stop, we'll be goin' right to my place and not the restaurant."
A flare of interest sparked in her eyes before she nodded, pulled away, ducked her head and smoothed her skirt along her hips in an agitated move that exposed the effects of his kiss.
A move that was so f.u.c.king feminine and so G.o.dd.a.m.ned hot, he felt his d.i.c.k start to get hard.
"Okay, maybe you should stop moving," he said.
Her attention shot to him. "But...why?"
"Frannie, you're making me hard and I'm not even touching you anymore."
He watched it move over her face, the smug satisfaction that softened her mouth, hooded her gaze.
"f.u.c.k, now just lookin' at your face, I'm gettin' hard," he grumbled.
"You need to control yourself, Noc," she purred.
"Think back, baby. Not sure those words would have come out of your mouth last night."
He saw the pink hit her cheeks even as her eyes narrowed. He liked both. Enough he didn't even bother to try to control himself from reaching out a long arm, hooking her at the waist and pulling her to him for a quick touch of the lips.
"Josette settled in for the night?" he asked when he lifted his head.
"Yes, but I'd like to say farewell."
He nodded. "Let's get to that."
"She's watching the television," Frannie told him, detaching from his hold. But the instant she did, she reached out a hand, captured his and took him down Valentine's hall.
"Way Valentine lives, looks like the witch business is good," he observed, this not being the first time in the last week he'd been to Valentine's place. One that looked expensive on the outside but it actually hid the opulence of the inside that managed to be both lavish and utter cla.s.s.
"She's said that her secretary has set up some tours of homes for Josette and I over the next several days. I'm hoping she finds much the same for us as this is more than adequate." She stopped and looked back to him. "I know you have a good deal to attend to yourself, darling, after having just returned home, but if you could find time to accompany us and give your opinions, I'd be grateful."
"I'm there, Frannie," he promised. "But did you see Valentine?"
She gave him a small smile at his promise, but at his question she only gave him a short nod, turned ahead and kept walking, sharing, "She was here briefly, thus our understanding of the existence of curling irons. She said she has much to do to catch up." It was quieter and reflective when she finished, "She seemed very distracted."
Before he could ask after that, she was stopping them inside a door.
Josette was on the couch in that room, shoveling popcorn in her mouth from a bag, her eyes glued to the television where Interview with a Vampire was playing.
"Josette, my dear, Noc's arrived and we're about to be away," Franka called.
Josette turned her head to them.
"This food says it's flavored with cheddar but it's not any cheddar I've ever tasted. That said, it's the most delicious thing I think I've ever eaten, outside tacos," she declared.
After tacos, while they were waiting for the phones to charge, Noc had taken them grocery shopping. He'd bought them a cart and a half full of food. He'd also subscribed them to Netflix and showed them how to pull it up on Valentine's TV so Josette would be set while he and Frannie were out for the night.
He didn't know if Netflix had Interview with a Vampire in their queue. Though, it being that movie, maybe local stations played it on a continuous loop.
"The creatures in this program drink blood," she went on. "It's gruesome and wonderful."
"I'm delighted you're enjoying yourself, my sweet," Franka said with a smile in her voice. "Now, you have all our numbers in your telephone and remember how to use them in case you need anything, yes?"
"Yes, Franka."
Noc put a hand to the small of Frannie's back and started to move her out of the door as she bid her girl to "Continue enjoying your evening."
"You enjoy yours as well, and h.e.l.lo and goodbye, Master Noctorno!" Josette called.
"It's Noc, babe. And here it's really just Noc," he told her, giving her a smile even if his words were firm.
"Noc," she said on a huge return smile then gave a swift wave and looked back to the TV.
Noc guided Franka down the hall. She stopped at a table to grab a black clutch. He nabbed the wrap that was thrown over a chair and draped it around her shoulders, kissing her neck while he did it, doing it to touch her, have her taste on his lips, but earning himself another look of soft satisfaction that he felt in his d.i.c.k.
When he had her ready, he took her out to his car.
While they walked, she said, "You look very nice as well, Noc. Most handsome, or more than usual."
He pulled her closer with the arm he had around her waist, murmuring, "Not surprised my Frannie likes me in a suit."
"What you're wearing is called a suit?"
"Yup."
"Clever, seeing as it suits you."
He chuckled, beeped the locks and helped her up into his Suburban.
He'd learned the times she'd been in it to start it up and then take her hand.
Even when he did, he felt her tenseness come fast, fill the cabin and he saw her other hand move out and latch on to the grip on the armrest at her door.
"You'll get used to it, sweetheart," he said quietly as he hit the gas, not wanting to call too much attention to it.
His Frannie, she had pride. She'd appreciate the a.s.surance but not so much him pointing out she needed it.
And he knew he was right when she said nothing but her fingers flexed in his hand.
They were on their way when he brought it up.