Chapter 10

"And now... it's finally... done," he said, just as he finished covering the rest of the baked and mysterious cake with chocolate frosting.  I didn't know how the cake would taste but let me tell you, the frosting was amazing.  After all, I ate more than I should have from the container. 

Looking down at our seemingly all-day creation, standing beside the one guy who helped, there was only one thing left to do.  And that was to taste it.   After a little bit, we each cut ourselves a piece and put it on a plate along with a fork.  Because we were so messy, once again, we accompanied each other on the floor, sittiing against the bottom cupboards that supported our backs.  Sitting next to him on the floor, plate in hand, I glanced to Luke with a smile but let the seriousness of the situation fill the air. Squinting my eyes in a dramatic fashion up to his, I nodded slowly.  "Moment of truth..." I said.

"We need to prepare for dramatic results," he nodded, in all seriousness, tilting his head down more to catch my gaze next to him.  His lips freezing in a perfect line, I could tell him and I were on the same side with how important this was.  This could make or break our afternoon.  We have to brace ourselves for the worst.  Like Armageddon.

Plates of cake tempting us as they sat in our laps, I had one last thing to say in our moment of all 'seriousness' - which I loved about Luke.  He understood the humor in our sarcastic serious game.  "Okay, before we try it, lets make a deal."

He raised an eyebrow and hide his smirk under his playful mask.  "I'm listening," he said dramatically.

"Since you are so great at baking, as you put it, there should be a punishment if it tastes bad."

His face broke and showed clear amusement at my words.  "Man, you have no faith in me.  I bet it will taste great."

"And if it doesn't?"

"If it doesn't, then you have permission to humiliate me."  After he said that, he looked a little doubtful.  Of course, he was too proud to back out and was keeping his little act up of trying to stay confident and cocky.

"Ooh," I smiled.  "Sounds good.  How?"

He scoffed.  "Worry about the details if it actually comes to that.  But it wont."

Once we agreed to it, it was time to figure out how well we did with our baking skills.  At the same time, we each pierced the cake with the fork. It took a bit of effort, but we got the fork in and managed to take a bite.

The first thing I tasted was anything but a land of deliciousness.  You could taste little flavor and the rest was just a sour taste with a tint of bitterness.  Not to mention how tough it was to chew.  I took a few bites and I knew that I was eating something comparable to horse shit.  Looking up at Luke, I saw that he was forcing a blank face as best as he could though it was clear how disgruntled the taste was through his furrowing eyebrows and tense shoulders. 

"That is terrible!" I said in disgust, giving up on trying to chew the damn thing.  I spit it out on my plate and did my body a favor in doing so.  We would get sick if we digested that shit. 

The lingering taste in my mouth gave me no choice in what I had to do.  With me sitting on the floor, closest to the fridge, I set my plate down on the floor and quickly crawled to the massive fridge from down below on the floor.  When I reached up and grabbed the handle, opening it, I grabbed the milk carton on the fridge door, slammed it shut, and crawled back to Luke's side, sitting against the cupboard.  Comfortable, I twisted the cap open and pressed it to my lips, lifting the jug up and letting gravity do it's job as I drank the milk and washed the taste away.  Sorry guys, I know it's rude or whatever to drink from the carton but this was an emergency. 

By the time I was saved from dying, I looked up to Luke and saw he still looked pained but was keeping a strong face. 

"Now you ruined the whole carton," he murmured as best as he could.

Ignoring that, I was waiting for him to give in, to accept that it was horrible.  He was trying his best but we knew how bad it was.  Though I had to admire his pride when he kept a straight face and continued to try to chew.

"I..." he said, his mouth full and clearly hiding his distaste as best as possible.  "I think... that it tastes just great," he said.

I smirked and crossed my arms.  Because you can bet your ass I would enjoy this.  Call it mean but I told him it wouldn't work out and he had to go and be cocky.  Plus, this meant I won our little bet.  I would watch as his strong hold collapses when he can't take it anymore.

"It's rock hard, I'm sure you noticed," I pointed out as I saw him soldier on, chewing.  How brave.

"That's what she said," he coughed out and his voice cracked. His face was turning red and when his eye found mine, you could tell how gross this was to his taste buds.  A flash of a amusement though made me feel less guilty as I laughed.

"It's okay to spit it out and agree it's bad."

He shook his head.  "No it's not.  Better than humiliation," he said in a muffled voice still.

I scoffed.  "Are you sure about that?"

He gave up finally and spit out what he tried to play off as a good piece of cake and accepting it for the shit it is. Grimacing, his face was filled with disgust now that he didn't hide it and I couldn't hide my smirk. 

"Oh god," he groaned, shaking his head.  I watched as he reached across my lap on the other side of me and before I could ask what he was doing, he grabbed the jug of milk I set next to me and opened it and took a big swig from the carton.

"I thought I ruined the whole jug?" I said in a sarcastic voice.

"That was until I ate that.  Damn," he spoke after he put the jug back down.  "That was a waste of time, of a huge mess, of groceries...."  It was clear now that he was kind of pissed off.  I couldn't blame him.  I was mad over those same things.  But there was something that made up for all that.

"Not for me.  Because now, it's time for some humiliation," I smirked up at him.  Neck still tilted up to the side, staring at him, a slow scowl came to his face and his eyes gradually tilted to find mine, not one bit happy now.

I tried keeping in my laughter as best as I could at his distress.  When an idea entered my head of the perfect way to show him he wasn't the perfect baker he claimed, I bit my lip.  Before he saw it coming, I leaned closer to him, reached over his plate and spread my hand over the frosting on the remaining piece of cake.  The cool frosting (and the only thing good about the cake) covering my hand, I leaned closer and reached up to his face, sliding my frosting-filled fingers down his chin. 

It took but a second and when I was done and leaned back to see his expression, I couldn't hold in my hysterical laughter.  Filling the room, I was close to laying on the floor laughing with his huge eyes boring into mine with a look of shock.  Not to mention seeing frosting along the right side of his cheek more than made me smile at the picture.

"What was that?" He asked, outraged.

"Humiliation like you agreed," I laughed.

I saw him grit his teeth and in the next moment, before I could react, he did the same thing.  Only this time, he moved quickly, turning his body with his plate in hand until he was kneeling right in front of me.  My breath caught at how close he was but for another reason as his fingers caked with frosting smeared across my cheek. 

Staring at him, I could feel the lightness in me go up and all I could do was stare into his playful and teasing green eyes.  Smirking evilly, he then motioned forward again with his pinkie finger and dabbed just a bit of the frosting on the end of my nose, going just a little farther than I had.  Seeing his smirk turn into laughter was more than a sweet surprise considering how close he was and that I was beginning to drown in his scene of shampoo and a soft cologne.

"That was not fair!" I scolded.  "You deserve the embarrassment, not me!"

Lips playing in waves, he raised a thick eyebrow and shrugged.  "You made the cake with me.  You need to be punished too," he whispered, leaning forward even more until his nose nearly touched mine.  Oh god, then punish me, I welcome it, I thought and could feel heat fill my cheeks. He was so close... Eyes wide, I took in his more detailed features.  The planes of his skin smooth as were all the pours it contained, all except for some batter still splattered on the edges of his face.  His lips so tempting and full, smirking and all I wanted to do was press them against mine.  And when my eyes rose to find his eyes, my stomach twisted and my heart skipped more than one beat.  So beautiful... facets of emerald and different shades of jade sparkled and it was like looking into his personal diamonds.  And to frame it was his sculpted eyebrows and his long eyelashes.

Snapping myself out of it, I focused on his waiting expression and spoke again, keeping my voice as level as I could.  "The deal was you," I said and as I was looking to him, I swiped my other hand in the frosting and raised it towards his face, smudging it just under his chin and before I could get more than a little on him, he backed off me instantly.  Smiling, he leaned back and as he was across from me, he tried moving away from me as I simultaneously leaned after him.  No, he was not getting out of this. 

Pushing myself over the floor, I knelt up from behind him and it was too late for his get away.  Not a second later, I wrapped my arms around his neck from behind.  Laughing hard, I leaned up against his back and instantly started rubbing my fingers over his chin and neck.  I couldn't see the damage I was doing but I knew I was doing some. 

"Get off me!" he said, laughing hysterically as he still tried crawling away on his knees.  Over him, I held on to him tightly, even as he tried to pry me away.  Nope.  Damage needed to be done as I continued to move my hand down and smear the frosting in his neck and part of his chest since it was all I could reach at the moment.

"No!" I shouted, laughing just as loudly.  He crawled back to where we were sitting before though and I noticed from over his shoulder, take a handful of the cake on the plate and raised his arm behind him with it.  Before I could get off him, his hand reached down and slide the cake along my back.

"Ugh," I said, backing off him, moving back to the floor and to my own knees, getting away from him as he still had some cake in his hand.  "That was not cool!  Now it's all over my back, you ass!" I groaned, shuffling away from him as best as I could manage.

But I felt him grab my leg, still laughing, and I could go no further. I squealed as I felt his hand turn me over swiftly until I was laying on my back in the flour all over the floor now.  He was fast though and knew not to hesitate.  He pinned me down by moving up over me with his body.  In a fast motion, he had my arms pinned up above my head and against the floor.  Scowling, he had me trapped, especially when he climbed up me until his whole body was over me.  Great.  Now I had no way of escaping under a guy that was all muscle with training.

Laughing, I tried getting away but it didn't work, of course.  Wiggling my way out of this wouldn't work.  Groaning, I looked up to where he laid over me, looking down into my eyes and laughing.  And again, it swallowed me.  I stared up into his eyes full of amusement and his laugh and smile became so much to take in, it was so bright and playful.  Free. Especially with frosting over his cheek, chin, and neck.

"Now," he said, moving my hands until only one hand of his pinned them, freeing his other for vengeance.  "Do you have anything you would like to say?" His frosty finger lingered over my forehead, ready to do more damage to me.

"Yeah," I sighed.  "I'm sorry... you are such a horrible baker."

He nodded and didn't hesitate to press a finger to my forehead and make a motion across it with frosting. I could only smile at the fun we were having and the feeling of him over me.  "Now?" he asked, a threat again.  "Don't make me get the entire cake and try my skills at face painting," he warned.

I bit my lip and scowled.  Albany Higgins doesn't give in to threats well, people.  But in this case, if he got the entire cake over here... he wouldn't show mercy.  Groaning, I had no choice.  "Fine, fine, I give!"

"Say I am the best baker you have ever known," he said, his smile becoming softer and more tender.

I gritted my teeth and snorted.  "Can you at least have me say something realistic?"

He shook his head.  "Nope, you have to say that!"

I swallowed my pride and knew what I had to do.  It was stupid though because it wasn't true.  And how the hell did it go from it being his fault and he needing the humiliation to me getting it?  Not fair.  But I couldn't complain with how close he was to me again.

"Fine," I moaned.  In a whisper, I said it.  "You are the best baker I have ever known."

His laughter slowly died down and as it did, a light hit his eyes I barely witnessed before.  Fire and heat and it was aimed into my eyes as he stared at me, his amusement slowly fading as something else was taking it's place.  He was so close to me... like before a few moments ago.  Only now, his teasing manner had left him and it was more than clear how much closer he had become.  I was surrounded in his heat, his body so warm against mine even through the clothing. His threatening hand lowered, as did his guard slightly, and he clasped my neck under his fingers.  Not to fool around with me but I believed it was an unconscious move on his part.  Even though we were a gross mess now, I could feel his heat, his pureness and I wanted it all over again. 

I could feel his breath brush over my face and he was so close... to the point where his nose was in contact with mine.  My breath hitched and my breathing couldn't calm no matter how stable I tried to keep it.  He was so close to me... and with that hot look buried in his deep eyes, I was so sure he was going to kiss me.  And with his body pressed against mine, pieced against me with perfection and no space between us, I could feel his heart beat against mine. 

"Albany," he whispered softly, his voice lower and more husky. Where his hand was pinning mine up above my head, the most wonderful sensation filled me when his tight hand moved an inch up twinned against mine, wrapping his fingers in one of my hands.  And that left one lonely hand, one that didn't obey my thoughts when I told myself not to move.

Raising my free hand as he grasped my other against the floor, I raised it to his face and cupped his cheek.  We were a complete mess but at that moment, I was lost and I saw he was too.  I never knew how wonderful it could be to feel lost with him.  No worries, no nothing but him and it was amazing. 

We stared at each other for the longest time and I was just waiting for his mouth to reach down and fully on mine.  It burned, waiting.  I felt wanted by him and when he squeezed his hand that was in mine, I saw him blink a few times and could see him swallow, lips parting as he breathed harder.

"Do... do you have anything else you want to say to me?" I heard him whisper. 

I was confused at his question and though I didn't understand what he meant, my first thoughts were instant.  I love you.  I want to tell you I love you but I can't for too many reasons.  I bit my lip, eyebrows dipping in thought of what he could mean.  It was hard, to get the wheels in my brain to work, especially when i still felt under his spell.

"What do you mean?"

I saw his burning eyes finally break away from mine after so long and close for a long moment.  He took a deep breath and as I took him in, I saw something very rare.  His guard was down and that doesn't happen often enough.  Because now, I finally got something out of him that made my heart squeeze. His expression was so pained.... Eyes closed tightly, eyebrows dipping hard with them, I saw him press his lips together with a force.  And when he finally opened his eyes, they ripped my soul from left to right in just so much... pain.  Guilt, torment, and sadness... so much there and only a second to take it in because a moment later he hid it all in a matter of seconds.

He shook his head.  "Nothing," sighing deeply, he slowly sat up and moved off me, leaving me laying there stunned.  His hand squeezed mine once more before he took it from mine.  Acting as if nothing just happened, he stood up and looked around the room.  And all the while, I was just stunned and staring up at him.  Not just over that very intimate moment we just shared.  But of the capacity he held of his pain.  There was a lot of it too. Scoffing and back to what appeared to be usual, he smiled down to me as if nothing happened.  That blush in his cheeks said otherwise but I knew not to dig into what just happened. 

"Well we have one huge mess we need to clean up," he said.

"Um, yeah," I said, sitting up and looking around the kitchen that was turned into a war zone.  He was right though.  It was one hell of a mess to pick up and took hours of our time.  That's not what bothered me though.  It was his sudden presentation of everything he was hiding.  Of so much pain.  I had forgotten how light his soul was that it was able to contain massive amounts of darkness.  A good person can't be good without feeling emotions that just weigh down on you depending on the situation.  That's something that had just become immensely clear to me.

***

It was as if that afternoon in the kitchen never happened  between us.  We continued to goof around, act the same... but there was always something lingering there.  And it was more clear that Luke had come to some realization or something for the fact that though we acted the same, he was holding something back.  I had no idea what it was because it all seemed the same.  He was laughing with me, still so nice... there was just something different and I didn't like it.

Of course, the next morning was enough of a distraction for me.  Mainly because I was pissed off.  I didn't have to go to school yet I was being woke up at eight in the morning by a soft voice and a shaking hand to my side. 

"Hey, wake up," he said softly to me and all a voice like his did was making me even more soothed and relaxed.  If he wanted me up, he was going to have to start screaming in my face.  Instead, he unleashed the little beast on me from the cage he slept in last night.  I suddenly felt Jack licking my face repeatedly after Luke set him on the bed.   I turned over in my bed and buried my face under a pillow, hiding and wanting more sleep.

"No Jack..." I mumbled, going back under in darkness and welcoming the wonderful feeling of sleep and rest.  Jack had other plans though.  He pounced against my side and when he didn't get much out of me, I felt his little paws walk up towards my head more.  Because I was hidden well under the pillow and my covers, he moved his way under the covers and once accomplished, he managed to find me and started licking my face  over and over. 

I groaned, sitting up in bed. Blinking through the sleep in my eyes, I looked over to see Luke standing next to my bed, amused with his arms crossed. He was already dressed for the day.  Blue jeans and an orange tee-shirt and he had tennis shoes on.  Even in that he was hot.  "Like I said," he smiled and turned around to walk out of my room. "Get up.  Or Jack will get you up. And get dressed!"

Rolling my eyes as he left, I was confused as to why he was dressed like that - and why I needed to be too.  It wasn't like he were going anywhere.  Getting up, and seeing all the blankets off the floor from where Luke slept, I made my way to my dresser and pulled out a pair of grey sweat pants and a plane white camisole.  Getting dressed, I applied little make-up and put my hair up in a bun.  He said to get dressed, not dress nice right? 

By the time I got down stairs and found him waiting there for me on the couch, he looked up over to me and his eyes were showing excitement.  He looked away too fast though and focused on the floor for a minute as he spoke when he stood up. 

"Come with me," he said, eyes contained in mine before he gestured for me to follow him.  Confused, I did as he said and followed behind him down the hall from the living room and towards the back where the bathroom was, the sliding back door, and the garage door on the right. 

"What are we doing?" I asked as he opened the door to the garage.  When we went in though, I saw my answer.  And I had no idea what to think.

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Hey guys, didn't have time to try to edit this so sorry.  A little short but I think it's okay, I hope you enjoyed it!  So what do you think it is Luke is showing her in the garage?  Hope to upload soon again!