Page 11 of The Handyman and The Drama Queen (Myths, Legends, and Southern Charm #1)

Stone

And he fell through the chair.

Well, at least I knew what would happen in the future.

“For fuck’s sake.” Grumbling, he wiggled his way out from under the chair and glared at me. “Giggling? Really?”

“I think it’s more of a snicker, personally.” I wasn’t sure I’d agree with the giggle label. “Either way, it’s funny and you’re just adorable when you’re angry.”

I figured it was best to get that out there since he was already mad about something ridiculous.

Yep.

His eyes went wide and he stood up, crossing his arms over his chest as he stomped his foot. He actually stomped and it landed with a thud on the floor. “I’m not adorable when I’m angry.”

“Agree to disagree on that one, but would it help the situation if I said it made me hard too?” Oh, that stopped him in his tracks. “No response?”

He was perfectly still for several long moments before his foot started tapping. It was still just as adorable as the rest had been, but I was a good Dom and kept a straight face. For a second I thought he was making me wait for his reaction in some kind of power play, but I quickly realized he had no idea what to say.

“You know, once you have a body, I’ll be able to soothe those ruffled feathers.” That didn’t help his drama but he had so much color in his cheeks he was back to looking alive again. “I’ll pull you down onto my lap and I’ll snuggle you close. Give you kisses. Maybe even jerk you off if you pout cute enough.”

“You.”

Nothing.

“That’s.”

He huffed that time before he finally threw his hands up in the air, words exploding out of him. “I don’t know if that’s you being more of a dick, or if it’s cute or erotic.”

Adorable.

“I’m voting for all of the above.” Because driving him insane was fun since he was already precariously balanced to begin with and I liked knowing I turned him on. “You still want to be soothed, don’t you?”

Oh, if fire could’ve shot out of his eyes, he’d have incinerated me.

“Yes.” His crossed arms were back and his glare was so cute it made me want to do wicked things to him. “And I don’t like that.”

He was back to having no idea how alive he looked, but I didn’t point it out that time. I had other things to fuck with him about. “Then come here, baby. Let me try.”

“You can’t just say come here, baby and expect that to work.” He was shooting daggers at me, but he also stomped over and sat down on my lap just like he had the chair. “Let’s see it. Soothe me.”

Sexy as fuck.

My adorable firebrand…and he was still amazingly solid even when I wrapped one arm around his back and rested the other on his lap.

“I love that sexy attitude.” He wasn’t expecting that and I could see him fighting to stay worked up. “Your eyes sparkle and you light up when you get excited.”

His huff made me want to kiss him but he was still so solid I didn’t want to startle him. I also wasn’t sure he’d noticed how close my hand was to his erection. “I can’t tell if you mean aroused or angry.”

“Both.” No point in hiding that if I was going to marry him in a few months. Start as you mean to go on , my mother always said, and it seemed like good advice. “You’re just so sexy, baby.”

And stubborn.

“This isn’t high school. You can’t be a dick and then ask me out on a date.” Keeping his drama going, he frowned more sternly at me. “It shouldn’t have worked then and it won’t work now.”

Bullshit.

“You don’t want to turn me on? You don’t want kisses and orgasms and to stomp around the house until I find a fun way to get you in a better mood?” He wanted to tell me no, and probably where to stick it, but I was betting no one else had appreciated his drama quite as much as I did. “You don’t want to see how far you can push me until a gentle bribe becomes a spanking?”

The way he sucked in a breath said he knew they were both in the bribe category…just very different ends of the scale.

“I…That’s not reasonable.” Ezra sounded like he was quoting someone else, so I shrugged and didn’t take it too seriously.

“Reasonable is not the goal.” I couldn’t help but wince, and I could see him trying not to smile. “It sounds boring.”

He seemed to understand that boring wasn’t the goal either, judging by the way he rolled his eyes. “ Stone .”

“Yes, baby?” His tone was slightly frustrated but in the way that said he thought I was being ridiculous, so I took a chance and started running my hand along his thigh. “I don’t need boring with you, sexy boy. I like interesting and feisty and curious. I bet you’ve got so many questions running around in your head.”

About a variety of things probably, but the way he squirmed on my lap as I stroked over the head of his erection said they were all somewhere on the interesting scale.

“I shouldn’t…that’s…” He was distracted and hadn’t lost his more solid body yet. But I wasn’t sure how long it would last, so I shifted gears and inched my hand lower down his thigh until I was barely touching his cock.

“You should. I’m your Dom, remember?” I was well on my way to being a lot more than that, but I stuck with simple for the time being.

Simple turned out to be the right choice because he nodded and squeezed his eyes shut. “Good boy. My sexy boy. Let me see your pleasure again.”

I wasn’t sure we could make it work with me actually doing the work…not yet anyway.

“Grind your cock against your hand.” Dropping my voice, I let him hear the desire that was coursing through me. “I want to see my boy come for me again. You were so fucking sexy.”

There was a slight hesitation before he moved, but something told me it was more about needing reassurance than him not wanting to play that way. So as his hand cupped his erection through his pants, I let out a soft moan. “I’m never going to get used to that, baby.”

Whatever he heard in my voice sent a shiver through him and he let out a soft, needy whine. It didn’t worry him, though, because he squeezed harder and rocked his hips, unknowingly grinding his ass on my erection.

“That’s right. You’re such a good boy for me. Feisty and hot, then sweet and sexy. I love how you have so many different sides for me to explore.” Inching closer to his neck so he could feel my breath on his skin, I did my best not to jostle him and remind him about the whole ghost thing.

“I can’t wait to hear your fantasies and to tell you more about mine.” Letting out a soft moan, I teased a simple one out for him. “Tonight I’m going to jerk off to the image of walking into your bedroom.”

His nervous squeak said he knew something more interesting was coming…and he was right. “You’d be naked and hard. I’d just stand in the doorway watching you with your hand wrapped around your cock. You’d be fucking your fist, rocking your hips up and squeezing it so hard.”

Just like he was squeezing himself right then.

Ezra had a beautifully tight grip on himself as he rocked his hips back and forth, and even through the layers of clothes, I knew it’d feel rough and almost painful. “ Stone …”

“That’s what you’d say…you’d sound so needy when you called my name. I’d have to guess what you were imagining, though.” Because there were endless fun options and there was no way to narrow it down just yet.

“Were you picturing me fucking you? Were you riding my cock? Were you performing for me in your fantasy?” The way his body clenched and the needy sounds they got me said any of them would’ve been high on his fantasy list.

“Did you know I was there and were you just pretending that you were alone?” Ezra shivered at that idea and I could see his hand tightening.

Did he like the idea of being watched or was it the pretending part he was so turned on by?

“I like the idea of you pretending to be sweet and innocent, all while knowing you were being watched.” His body thought it was a fun idea too based on his reactions, but I wasn’t sure if his brain had caught up with it yet. “Performing for me. There’d be a wicked thrill in that.”

No matter what reservations he had, his moan said he understood that part.

“I’d get so hard watching your hand move and seeing your cock peeking out of your fist.” Just a bit of an understatement right there. “And your moans. I love the little sounds you make and I can just picture how your hips would move as you thrust up into your fist.”

Little shifts in his body and his breathing said he was getting close, so I didn’t stretch out the scene into anything complicated. “You’d shake as your orgasm got closer and you’d moan my name. You’d be begging me to fuck you by the time that you came.”

He wanted to beg when he orgasmed on my lap too, but his voice was strangled as he moaned and the pleasure fired through him.

Ezra chased it for as long as he could, though, and probably for long enough that his dick would’ve been aching if he’d still been alive. He didn’t realize that, but other things seemed to come to mind as he sagged into me, feeling slightly less solid. “I shouldn’t be able to come that quickly.”

Well, it wasn’t a comment I’d expected, but I had what seemed to be a logical response. “No physical body means no refractory period. I’m pretty sure your own mental limits are the only things keeping you from coming anytime you want.”

Ezra went quiet for a few seconds. “Part of me thinks being able to orgasm on demand would be cool and part of me thinks it’s weird and part of me says I’d wear out my dick.”

I couldn’t help chuckling at that image. “I don’t know if you could wear it out or not, but I’m guessing your mental image of it would be the deciding factor.”

“So we’re not going to try that.” Ezra sighed, pouting at the fantasy being taken away from him. “My mental images jump to negative and then I have to work my way back to reasonable.”

That did not surprise me.

“How about you let me know if you need help shifting back to reasonable or let’s be shocking and go for happy?” Yep, the town definitely needed a therapist who didn’t mind dead people and a bit of driving.

We really needed to make sure people died in more convenient locations too.

“That’s probably something a Dom is for, right?” Ezra seemed resigned to that fact, so I didn’t feel bad about giving him a positive response.

“Yep, and probably the good boyfriend stuff too.” Eventually husband as well, but I’d take it one step at a time. “I’m looking to help, though. That’s it.”

Not change who he was on a structural level.

He was quiet for a few moments, but it didn’t feel heavy. Waiting would’ve been easier if I could poke him or play with him and be able to predict what he would do. I wasn’t sure either of us wanted him to fall through my lap.

“I think I can do that, but you can’t get mad if I don’t get it right.” Letting out a deep breath, he straightened and finally met my gaze. “I’m not always good at sharing. The previous results have left me questioning the share with your partner advice.”

I could understand that.

“Well, not just a partner here.” I gave him a disappointed glare that had him fighting back a smile. “So I think I’m offended? Either way, the Dom thing trumps partner. So we don’t have to worry about that nonsense.”

Shaking his head was definitely an improvement, so I grinned as his sigh took on a more how did I get a Dom this great tone. “That’s good to know. I hadn’t realized Dom beat partner in Relationship Rock Paper Scissors.”

“It does. I’ll have to think if anything trumps Dom.” I wasn’t going to think about it very hard, though. “We’ll figure that out in the long run, but for the time being let’s just say Dom beats everything. That’ll keep it nice and easy to remember.”

Head cocking, he sighed and slouched like it was ridiculous. “Really?”

“Say we debate the merits. Who’s going to win?” It took three seconds to get another dramatic sigh from him but he didn’t admit defeat verbally. “Thought so.”

For some reason, though, it made his brain start to fire off again and he was up and pacing before he seemed to think about it. “What other things does a Dom do? What are they in charge of?”

Logical.

Okay.

Picking up the last of my trash, I thought about the question. “My first response is anything that the sub struggles with, but I don’t know if that was the answer you were looking for.”

If he had something specific in mind, I couldn’t guess it right off the bat, but it seemed like I hadn’t gotten it too far off when he shrugged and made a circle around the room. “Do you want to work on those drafty windows today? You said they wouldn’t be hard, but I don’t know how you fix them.”

Change in subject or just a slight detour?

“Sure. I think that’s a great plan and it won’t take long.” Unlike some of the other projects. “And I don’t mind walking you through it. Just let me know if something I say doesn’t make sense. My family is all fairly handy, so my base level of knowledge assumption is sometimes off.”

“What kind of handy?” Cocking his head again, Ezra looked thoughtful as we made our way to the front door. “Crafty handy or can put a car back together handy?”

“First of all, I like that scale, and secondly, both. I’ve got everyone from immediate family members to distant cousins who do a lot with their hands. Everything from crafts to art to rebuilding houses.”

Oh.

“Hey, do me a favor. In our conversation a month from now, ask me if I’ve called Anthony.” He’d be the one to talk to about the house chaos. We’d definitely have to invite him to the wedding if he helped out, though. Otherwise, I’d never hear the end of it.

“Sure.” Ezra settled on the steps of the porch as I headed out to the truck. “No problem.”

“Thank you. I need to get better at keeping track of those long-term personal notes, but so far I’m only managing that with work.” Frowning, I turned back to Ezra as I grabbed the rest of my stuff out of the truck. “I’m not talking about anniversaries. You’re not personal. You’re a relationship. That’s different.”

And his curious thinking face was back.

“I think I’m very personal if I’m understanding our relationship correctly.” Glaring at me, he looked like an adorably grumpy toddler. “I’m understanding that correctly, aren’t I?”

So feisty and so sexy.

And so much fun to fuck with, so as I shut the door and headed back to the porch, I raised one eyebrow and smirked. “You really want me to talk about our relationship and make sure you’re understanding everything correctly? I’ll do it if you want me to.”

He huffed.

And his glare got more severe.

“How do you make that sound like a threat? It’s ridiculous.” He threw up his arms and looked like he wanted to pout. “No. Whatever is on your mind needs to stay in there. I have a month and you can’t take that away from me.”

“You started it. Are you content to be a relationship?” I’d make it into a very personal relationship if that was what he wanted.

“You have an amazing ability to be able to fuck with me about anything and everything.” He finally came to that realization, his grumbly demeanor making me imagine him stomping his feet as he stood up. “I don’t know if I’m impressed or horrified.”

“Both. And then you’re going to give yourself a heart attack when you realize I want to be able to fuck with you for a very long time.” Very, very long if I was figuring things out correctly. “Take some deep breaths for me when that finally hits.”

“I’m dead.” His flat tone as he delivered the line made me grin. “You keep forgetting that.”

I shrugged. “If anyone dead could figure out how to have a heart attack too, it would be you. You’ve got that amazingly weird life vibe going for you.”

And he was very dramatic, so that couldn’t hurt either.

“Dead. I’m dead.” Shaking his head, he managed to stomp into the house even with the whole dead thing. “I’m just going to keep reminding you. That’s what a good partner would do.”

Worked for me.

I didn’t get bored easily and he needed something to focus on so he wouldn’t get bored either.