Bedmates Soulmates

What Did You Call Me?

Conner's heart skipped a beat.

He leapt to his feet and stood at attention even though he knew Austyn couldn't see him.

Something bad must have happened.

'Mr McCarthy,' he said carefully, 'could there have been a misunderstanding? May I know what this is about?'

'So Morton hasn't called you,' Austyn said.

Shit, what did his knucklehead cousin do this time?

Conner started sweating. 'Mr McCarthy-

'I want him gone from Stamford by sunrise tomorrow,' Austyn cut him off. 'You have one chance to handle it yourself. If you fail to deliver, be prepared to share his fate.' He hung up and got back into the car.

He undid his tie, tossed it onto the dashboard, and cast an exasperated look at Kira, sleeping like a baby in the passenger seat.

Aren't you just full of surprises,' he hissed.

He never would have pegged his meek, innocent-as-a-lamb young wife as a booze hound.

Just how many more secret sides did she have?

Austyn started the car and soon accelerated.

The Hummer turned onto a highway and zoomed past traffic signs.

Kira squirmed in the seat, her face growing paler.

She knitted her brows and mumbled something inaudible.

It served her right, thought Austyn, as he stepped on the gas.

She had to learn her lesson.

What if he hadn't shown up in time?

Would she have gone home with that beady-eyed, fat-assed creep?

Thinking of this, Austyn sped up again.

He made the half-hour drive home in eighteen minutes.

As soon as he stopped the car, Kira unbuckled her seatbelt, shoved open the door, jumped off her seat, sprinted to the nearest bush, and threw up.

Austyn shut off the engine, got out of the car, strolled over to the other side and leaned against the door with his arms crossed.

He watched Kira's back trembling with the effort of puking her guts out.

When she stopped gagging, he said in a cold voice, 'Are you done?' Kira sat down on her haunches.

A full minute later, she managed to locate the source of the sound.

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She struggled to stand up.

Failing that, she scooted on her butt and turned around.

She looked up at Austyn, blinking those big, round, anime-girl eyes.

'What did I do wrong?' those eyes seemed to say.

It reminded Austyn of his fluffy white-and-grey Dutch bunny again.

Same open face.

Same quileless look.

The look that could get her out of any trouble.

'Damn it!' Austyn cursed under his breath.

Why couldn't he resist those damn eyes?

He covered the distance between them with one stride and pulled her up by her wrist.

She staggered to her feet before falling into his arms.

Kira gave her husband a koala-style hug and pressed every inch of her body to his.

Austyn made a half-hearted attempt to push her away

She mewled and burrowed deeper into his arms.

Austyn swept a strand of stray hair out of her face.

Some colour had returned to her cheeks.

Her eyes were closed, her long lashes brushing against his chest.

Like a kitten who'd found its favourite box, Kira purred and rubbed her cheek against him before settling down for a long and deeply satisfying nap.

***

Elsie had just come out of the kitchen when she spotted her young master walking through the front door

with Kira in his arms.

She quickly approached them and soon detected the yeasty smell of beer.

'Young Madam, have you been drinking?"

She had never seen Kira in such a state before.

'Hmph!' Austyn snorted. 'She can't hear you. Your Young Madam is getting into the YOLO lifestyle big time, living it up at a fancy club and guzzling alcohol like there's no tomorrow.

He didn't see how much Kira had imbibed, but given she couldn't walk in a straight line, her blood alcohol content had to be off the charts.

If only he had a breathalyser lying around the house...

Elsie tried to defend her young mistress. 'Maybe something was bothering her. You know, a lot of people drink to get their mind off things.'

'If she wanted to drink her troubles away,' Austyn thought, 'she could've done so at home. Didn't she know there's a wine cellar in the basement? Why must she go to a bar? Does she have any idea how many creeps are out there, prowling the streets for vulnerable women to prey on?'

What Did You Call Me?

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If he hadn't gotten there in time, what would have happened to her?

Austyn stopped himself before he got worked up again,

'I'll take her upstairs. Good night."

'Good night, Young Master. Good night, Young Madam.

Austyn carried Kira up the stairs with ease.

He headed straight for the bathroom, deposited her into the bathtub, and turned on the tap.

Three minutes later, Kira was half submerged in water

She was sitting up in the tub with her head against the rim.

Her white cotton t-shirt had turned translucent.

He could see the black outline of her bra underneath.

Austyn recognised the bra.

It had a clasp in the front.

It was a plain cotton affair, with a bit of purple lace trim on the back.

She wore it that night in the study.

When Austyn couldn't find the clasp on the back, he'd gotten impatient and tugged it over her head.

He found it lying on top of a ten-million-dollar contract when he returned to the study the next morning.

They'd done it in the bedroom and the study, but not the bathroom...

Austyn breathed a little faster.

Before that, however, he intended to finish teaching her the lesson.

He took off his suit jacket and rolled up both sleeves, his eyes never leaving Kira's body.

The water level was rising steadily.

One, two, three...

He counted silently.

When he reached six, Kira's eyes shot open, flailing her arms as she struggled to get up.

'No,' Austyn said as he pinned her shoulder against the cold porcelain. 'Stay until you wash off that. alcohol stink.'

Tears welled up in her eyes. 'Help, please!'

'Tears don't work on me,' Austyn said coolly.

Kira wailed, 'Help! I can't swim! Help me! I'm drowning!

She was howling like someone was murdering her and clawing at him, trying to get him to release that iron grip on her shoulder.

Austyn resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

The water barely covered her body.

Her head was way above the surface, secured in place by his hand.

But she kept thrashing and writhing around in the tub.

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Her futile efforts only sent more water splashing against her face and threw her into another fit of panic.

She struggled harder.

Kira opened her mouth wide, sucking in air.

'Help!' she cried. I can't swim! Dad, help me!' 'What did you call me?'