On Her Axis Read online

  Coley looked to Marre, his green eyes wide in his pale blue face as he told him solemnly, “Ellie Belly gonna get Joe Joe.”

  He turned then in Marre’s lap and watched on avidly, his elbows on the table, hands cupping his face as the drama unfolded before him, his thick little legs swinging contentedly, back and forth, as he took it all in.

  “Darren! No, no, baby! Aunty Mol doesn’t like spiders, honey!” Darlah hollered pleadingly as she ran out from inside the house, heading straight for a screeching Mol.

  Poor Mol was climbing all over an even more frazzled looking Neyenn.

  I seriously doubted anyone could hear Darlah over all the racket.

  Neyenn looked both exasperated and excited at his wife using him as her own personal rock wall to climb.

  The two emotions were warring across his face as she shrieked and squealed, climbing him in circles as her little nephew kept trying to ‘show’ her his new friend.

  Darren was following her progress, holding out the spider imploringly for her to see, an honestly confounded expression on his face.

  Anything Neyenn tried to say to stop Darren’s efforts to introduce Mol to the spider were repeatedly muffled by Mol’s shrieking and squalling, as she alternately mauled her husband’s face and suffocated him, in her attempts to escape Darren, her body all over the place as she panicked.

  Jaye walked out eating a cookie, looking around to see what all the commotion was about. He choked on his sweet treat when he took in the scene playing out before him.

  “You might want to save Joey from Eilahna,” Marre warned, nodding his head in their direction.

  Ellie was putting mustard in Joey’s hair as he ran from her. He was wind-milling his arms around ineffectively as he tried to dodge her.

  Little ‘eeps’ and ‘acks’ were escaping him as he tried to block the blasts of yellow condiment she was pelting him with.

  We watched on in horrified fascination at the train wreck playing out before us.

  I felt stuck in place, unwilling to move, my eyes tracking everything avidly with a morbid sense of wonder and fascination.

  I couldn’t look away.

  I would help, but there is no way I’m being sucked into that...

  “Joey!! What did you do now?!” Jaye yelled as he marched up to Eilahna, plucking the mustard from her hands and pointing at Joey with it, indicating he better sit and now.

  Joey sat down and swallowed hard at his daddy’s expression, his little eyes bugging out of his angelic face.

  Eilahna sat down too when she started making her way to Joey, possibly for a little more revenge, but Jaye glared at her as well, pointing for her to park it.

  Jaye stormed up to Darren and plucked the spider from his son’s hands, giving him a stern, but less serious look, whispering something to his little one quietly.

  Little Darren’s eyes widened in understanding and his lower lip started to tremble, his bright, enigmatic eyes taking in everything around him in.

  Darren turned and looked to Mol contritely, and she smiled at him weakly as she scaled down off of Neyenn.

  Jaye smiled apologetically at his best friend and gave Darey a ‘there there hug’ as Darren’s tears quietly slid down his cheeks, his head going from the spider to his aunt worriedly.

  Darlah rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around her distraught son, rubbing his shoulders comfortingly as Mol slowly made her way over too.

  Darey broke away from Dar and ran the rest of the distance to his aunt, hugging her legs, pleading his case, breaking out into hysterics and pointing at Joey as he ratted out his brother for making him think his Aunty Mo really did want to see Mr. Harry the tarantula.

  Darlah looked on, mortified, as Joey looked at Darren in fake surprise, like ‘I have no idea what he’s talking about, people!’

  Mol gave Darren assurances that all was forgiven since he really didn’t seem to know, and could he please let go, she’s losing circulation in that leg now.

  He immediately calmed down.

  Jaye, meanwhile, had walked over to an anxious Jenne and handed him back his critter, motioning for him to go put Mr. Harry away.

  I watched, amazed as Jaye did all of this without uttering more than a few sentences.

  “Joey! Front and center, now!” he barked out and Joey scrambled up to run over.

  “Oh, he’s good,” I murmured, impressed, and Marre nodded his head in agreement, still looking on at Jaye in action, waiting to see how the Rellian handled this fiasco.

  “He gets that from me, you know,” Muna beamed proudly from behind us, looking at her youngest son fondly as he ‘handled’ things.

  “Erm, yes, Daddy?” Joey asked quietly as he sidled up by his dad, but not too close, his hair painted with mustard, expression a study in contrition.

  I know little Joe Joe really well. I’ve baby sat the little turkey tons of times, and I know that look, and it is complete and utter malarkey.

  Sooo guilty, buddy, I thought inwardly, knowing Jaye knew this as much as Darlah and I did.

  Especially seeing as to how it was a look Joey had learned from the master turkey, Jaye, himself.

  “Did you do this, son?” Jaye asked patiently, his voice calm and quiet.

  “Uh, huh.” Joey nodded, looking around wide eyed in faux innocence.

  “All of it?” Jaye demanded.

  “Uh, huh,” Joey replied quietly, looking down at his feet now.

  “Aunty Mol and the spider?”

  Joey looked sheepish and nodded, tears welling up in his eyes.

  “I thought her was kiddin’, Daddy, onnest,” he admitted, a little tear rolling down his cheek.

  “Oh, Jayeleebean! Take it easy on him! He’s sorry, he didn’t mean it!” Molilah pleaded as she swooped in and looked at Jaye worriedly, wringing her hands as she looked back and forth between Jaye and his son.

  Her eyes were filling with tears as Joey laid it on extra thick for his audience.

  Mol always was a sucker when it came to her little Joe Joe. I think he reminds her too much of her best buddy Jaye.

  Joey wasn’t stupid, and he stared up at her sadly, his lower lip trembling. It was a move he’d learned well.

  Mol, not seeing it for what it is, ate it all up. Her own eyes welled up, her lip following his.

  Joey kept peeking up at her, bowing his head to stare at the ground, making sure she was still watching.

  I had to give it to him, he was good. Kid’s got her smitten and he knows it.

  Jaye threw his arms up in exasperation and rolled his eyes at Mol, motioning for her to go ahead, because he knew she would burst out crying and blaming herself as she fell for Joey’s favorite ploy when he plays tricks on her.

  She scooped a crying Joey up in her arms, all the while thinking she’s saving him from a stern looking Jaye.

  “He’s not sorry, you know! Those are crocodile tears!” Jaye called out, pointing at Joey accusingly as Joey laid it on even thicker for Mol, telling her how ‘wealy, wealy sorry he is and nebber again, Auntie Mo! Nebber!’

  “It’s an act! Mol, all an act! I did it all the time as a kid! You of all people should see this,” he huffed, gesturing wildly at his son, “as a classic Jaye maneuver.”

  “Hush your mouth, Jayeleebean,” Mol sniffed at Jaye, “Joe Joe would never do that to me, would you, baby? You would never do something so mean to your Auntie Mol would you, sweetie?” she asked, her eyes narrowing warningly at her nephew as she gave him a little squeeze.

  Joey got wide eyed at that and laughed a little nervously, pulling at his shirt collar.

  “He’s totally pulling your leg,” Jaye continued earnestly, as Mol glared at him in her nephew’s defense, but I could hear the pride in Jaye’s voice at his son’s latest coup.

  Joey, who looked a little worried for his own safety in his, at times scary, Aunt’s embrace, swallowed hard and told her seriously, “I will nebber do anyfing else to you ebber again, Auntie Mo, pomiss!” He finished off by hol
ding his hand up as if he was making a pledge or taking an oath.

  Where’s a bible when you need something for someone to swear on?

  I had a strong feeling, though, that Joey really meant it this time.

  You don’t want to make it over to Mol’s bad side, that’s for sure, and she’s a great person to have at your back when things go down.

  I think Joey’s seeing the wisdom of this now. Smart little dude.

  That family is coo coo beans, I thought affectionately, chuckling at the madness that always follows the Harvick clan around.

  All the family events that have been fudged or rearranged due to Harvick related incidences over the years... Yeah, never a dull moment, that’s for sure.

  “Oh, man. They are in it with that one, and they don’t even know it yet,” I mumbled ruefully under my breath.

  An emphatic, “Yep,” was Marre’s only response.

  ˜˙˜˙˜˙˜

  Darlah came up and took Joey from Mol’s arms and set him down on the ground, walking both of her boys off to clean Joey up and assuredly lecture the life out of them both.

  Darlah wasn’t one to make a scene in public; that was more up Jaye’s alley, so she walked them off, as discreetly as she could considering the situation, to begin her lecture in private.

  Joey peeked over his shoulder at Eilahna and gave her a Jaye sized smirk, sticking his tongue out at her when he thought no one was looking, eliciting a rage filled shriek from his, as Mol had discovered moments ago, ketchup smattered cousin.

  Neyenn caught his fuchsia faced daughter up in his arms. Her arms and legs were still pin wheeling in an attempt to get at little Joey as her daddy trudged off to the side of the house to hose her ketchup covered dress off.

  As things died down and Neyenn and Molilah came back to collect a passed out Jayelah and a sleepy eyed Coley, we settled in and got comfortable, chatting away happily about everything and nothing. I even promised to give Marre the rest of my cookies for his generous act of chivalry on the Kertt front. A Good deed like that deserves compensation right? And Marre promised to help in my endeavor to keep the lusty green lothario away from me whenever possible.

  ˜˙˜˙˜˙˜

  Kertt gave up his waiting and sulking after about an hour or so and huffed away, saying his good byes and scurrying off, hopefully off to find a new conquest.

  A willing woman this time, if he’s smart.

  Marre and I glanced at each other furtively and grinned, clinking our soda cans together, toasting ourselves to our victory.

  "Success," I crowed, and he let out a belly laugh at my joyous expression.

  ˜˙˜˙˜˙˜

  "What's so bad about your little green man, anyways?" Marre asked, curiosity lacing his tone.

  Jenne had just finished opening up all of his presents, and he and his cousins were now testing them all out.

  "He is not my anything, thank you very much!” I sassed haughtily.

  He smiled a little as he got my hackles up, purposely keeping quiet.

  “There's nothing wrong with Kertt, per se.... we just don't... click. You know?" I explained, looking at him for understanding in this situation.

  Marre's become a really good friend the past few years, and I'm pretty sure he gets what I'm trying to say, but you never really know, and I don't want any misunderstandings.

  I don't want Marre to think I'm a fickle person or something.

  I resisted the urge to bury my face in my hands and groan aloud. Oh, this whole damn this is a freaking mess!

  I don't want to hurt Kertt, he’s a really nice guy, but I need him to get the message that I'm not interested.

  Kertty boy keeps coming back for more, no matter what I say or do, and I always end up feeling like I’m stringing him along, in a way, even though I’m not, and I don’t want that.

  “I’m not stringing him along or anything, it’s not like that!” I said defensively, repeating my own thoughts to him out loud.

  "I get it, Mags, you can quit looking at me like that." Marre chuckled, patting my thigh comfortingly, his warm hand engulfing my knee as he patted it and his warmth seeped into it.

  I felt a zing shoot through me as his thumb caressed the inner part of my knee, shooting heat straight to my core.

  I shivered a little at the feel of it.

  "Don't sweat it.” He laughed good-naturedly, nudging my shoulder with his, giving me one of his sweet, friendly smiles.

  I tried to focus on the current thread of conversation, but my body had different ideas entirely.

  His simple touch made me want to squirm in my seat as he gazed at me sincerely.

  My mind says he’s only being friendly, but my bod was saying ‘hubba hubba!’

  We’ve touched before, quick touches, like when I looped my arm through his earlier... but never one that ever implied any kind of intimacy at all.

  My body thrummed excitedly at the contact, making me feel restless and hot.

  You need to spend more time getting out, Magenta, I chided myself.

  Next thing you know, I’ll get my rocks off shaking hands with the man from the post office. Ugh! How much more pathetic can I get?

  Marre paused and lifted his nose, sniffing at the air like he was scenting for something.

  I did a little sniff of my own too, distracted, trying to figure out what had caused him to freeze like that.

  Did something smell bad? If it’s really bad, do I want to smell it too?

  I stopped sniffing and wriggled my nose a little at the tickle that started to creep up it from my scooby-like impression.

  Marre nostrils flared and he focused all of his attention on me suddenly, looking me up and down appraisingly as a slow grin spread across his face.

  This was a new grin, however, one I’d never gotten from him before. It had a sly tilt to it, and his eyes crinkled very becomingly at the corners.

  “What are you thinking about, my fair maiden?” Marre all but purred, the sixth finger of his upper right hand wrapping around a piece of my hair and twining it throughout his other fingers as it slid through them.

  I didn’t answer him right away, my mouth gaping slightly, stunned, my eyes wide in surprise.

  He leaned in, his hand going to my knee again as he put his face extremely close to my neck.

  I shivered, frozen in place, and my breath caught as he ran his hand up and down my knee slowly, caressingly, seductively.

  I gripped his hand as it started to trail towards my inner thigh, my breath hitching in my chest, and he ran his nose against my neck a little, inhaling deeply.

  Whoa, mama... those hands are dangerous! I thought, feeling my sex clench excitedly.

  I squeaked as he squeezed my thigh, his big, strong, warm hand gripping me possessively, then releasing, a rush of wetness seeping from my core at his touch.

  A sexy shudder wracked his body too, and I licked my lips a little.

  The ridges along Marre’s head and spine stood up and started whistling loudly, causing me to jump back from him, taken a back, shocked.

  Didn’t whistling ridges mean he was mad or something? What the heck did I do to piss him off?

  I’m not the one sniffing around my dinner companion like a randy bulldog!

  Marre shook his head and pulled back, looking up at me with a bit of shock and surprise on his face.

  “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to get carried away like that.” He smiled apologetically, a slightly befuddled expression still marring his face.

  “Uh, don’t worry about it, eh. No biggie. Just don’t get pissed off at me about it, when you’re the one doing it.” I tilted my head a little, motioning to his ridges, which were still standing straight up, but the whistling had ceased.

  “I’m not mad, short n red’.” Scanning me from head to toe, he smiled suddenly.

  Clearing his throat, he sat up straight and took my hand in his, his lower left hand playing with the tips of my fingers distractingly as he spoke quietly.

  “That�
�s never happened to me before, though, unless I’m angry... but I was anything but angry when I took in your scent, Ah Cah Eema,” he teased playfully, smiling mischievously at me, an intense look in his eyes as he peered at me now.

  Gripping my hand, he turned it, palm side up, flashing me a sexy smile as he leaned in and kissed my wrist.

  He lingered there for a moment, then licked over my pulse, his hot, wet tongue rasping across me, my heart beat automatically kicking up as a rush of heat pulsed through me.

  There was a predatory gleam in his expression, and I began to truly understand how prey feels before it’s brought down by a predator.

  Oh, please don’t let this be another one of his games. I’d die of embarrassment, I thought suddenly.

  What if this is all a game to him? And I end up getting caught up in it and he’s not?

  Oh God!

  Unsure of myself now, and completely uncertain of him, I fell back into my old standbys, panic, get shy, and then, if all else fails- freak out.

  Truly uncomfortable now at the intense way he was studying me, like a bug under a microscope, I blushed and cleared my throat, shifting uncomfortably in my seat as he watched me avidly.

  I pulled my hand out of his and played with my soda can, not making eye contact as the awkwardness I feel at situations like this set in, making me ridiculously nervous and shy.

  To claim or not to claim... that is the question.

  Marre

  I’m making her nervous. I cursed inwardly as her scent changed from arousal to slightly of fear.

  It wasn’t fear of me, which would have been a very sharp, crisp scent, reminiscent of burnt wood chips, but this scent, this one was more subtle, muted, like when someone’s nervous or anxious about something. It had a tiny bit of bite to it, a hint at the end- like a sharp tang, almost citrusy in fragrance.

  I don’t want her nervous around me, damn it. I want more of that sweet scent she carries around when she’s aroused- like sugar and honey mixed with something uniquely her.

  Something only my fair maiden could possess.