Primal Promise

Fifteen

The influx of the menfolk began the party in earnest. The twins carried a large cooler between them, ice filling it so fully that the lid sat ajar. They skirted the house to walk around to the patio while the rest of them poured out of the van, arms laden with paper sacks. CJ slipped in through the sliding door, hoping she might be able to offer help with the unloading.

Blaine paused in the kitchen, setting his bags down and stepping to the side to get a kiss from his wife. CJ saw his face grow serious when she leaned up to whisper into his ear. He looked sad for a moment, then gave a nod, leaving the bags behind and heading down the hall.

Jaris began unloading the bags. "Most of this is going back outside anyway. I don't know why they brought it in here." She unloaded and separated the items. There were pre-made hamburger patties, a large package of bun length all-beef hot dogs, several cuts of steak and chicken breasts. CJ's bag had sliced cheese and condiments.

"You can take those out to the table on the patio." Jaris smiled. Noting CJ's look of concern, she wrinkled her nose. "If you're worrying about Maggie, don't. She's okay. It's just teenage stuff. She's not officially thirteen for a few months but it's started early I guess."

"I'm sorry if I did anything to ..."

"No worries." Jaris grinned. "She's just really hoping you and Jameson will hook up so she can finally have another girl around here."

"Oh, well, that's ... possible I suppose. Maybe." She blushed a little to admit that she was coming around to thinking she might be willing to consider it. Before Jaris could say anything though, CJ took up the bag and headed out to the patio.

The music was still on, Pink's 'Get the Party Started' was playing through the chorus. Humming along, CJ set out the mayo and ketchup, mustard and pickle relish, opening each container, the peel-off safety seals balanced on her palm while she twisted the squeeze caps back on.

She glanced up at the glass wall, a large shadow looming, enveloping her own completely. She screamed, throwing her hands out as she spun around so the seals fell like confetti over Jameson's head, the mustard-y one sticking to his nose.

"Well, I suppose that serves me right for sneaking up." He peeled it off and wiped at the smear of yellow.

She frowned, her nerves not entirely recovered from earlier, she didn't need much of a push to panic. "Yes. It does." She stifled a chuckle, then laughed outright, stepping away to grab a napkin from the pile. She held it out between her fingers. "I'm sorry." She was still smiling though.

He took it and stepped back, a smile of his own behind the folded napkin. He watched her as she bent to pick up the dropped litter, reaching under the table to get the last bit. His beast, that primal part, demanded and clawed whereas his sensible side knew to be civil if he wanted this to go right.

Still, he was being tormented by the image of his woman on her knees. This was not going to be easy. Already he was hardening, his urge to just pounce her stronger than he thought he could safely bear.

Walking away quickly, he pulled open the cabinet and dug out an apron without looking, pulling it over his head and tying it around his waist to hide the growing evidence. "It's fine, by the way. I was just enjoying watching you. Does that sound stalker-y?" He smirked. "It does. You must think I'm just... so creepy." He sighed once the bow was done. Pity he had forgotten who had given him the apron, nor had he looked down at it.

CJ turned, intending to tell him that it was fine, he was being himself, a man who said what he felt, and that wasn't always bad. Then she saw him. He stood in a bright blue apron with a red kettle-type BBQ grill on it, loaded with burgers, steaks and hot dogs. Written beside it were the words 'Once You Taste My Meat, You'll Beg For More!'.