Ignitable

Ignitable - Chapter Twenty Seven

Cade...

"Oh my god! You've bought me some Stella McCartney underwear!" Sophia's grey eyes stare with irrepressible delight at the five different sets of bras and knickers that I have bought for her for Christmas. "They are perfect, thank you!" As she kisses me, all I can think about is myself—how much I'm going to enjoy watching Sophia trying on all of her new underwear. "You really have spoilt me." Sitting back on her heels, she tilts her head to gift me with one of her priceless smiles. With wrapping paper and discarded pieces of curling ribbons all around her, Sophia sits amongst the presents that I have bought her. Perfume. Candles. Spa day gift vouchers. Chocolates. Some CD's. Champagne. And of course, the Stella McCartney underwear...my girl looks happy.

Patting my lap, I cheekily summon for Sophia to come and sit where I am on the sofa. Without hesitation, she is wading her way through the wrapping paper before sitting herself exactly where I wanted her. "What time do we need to be at your mum and dad's?" Once again, the whole Christmas dinner thing is a whole new experience for me, but I am learning to embrace all of my new experiences.

"Dinner will be about two, so if we get there for one, we can exchange presents." It is one thing to buy gifts for my gorgeous fiancée, it is quite another to have to buy for my soon-to-be in laws. But with some help from Sophia, I think I've actually done okay with this buying gifts thing. "Which means, my very sexy fiancé, we had better think about getting ready."

Enjoying hearing Sophia calling me her very sexy fiancé, a grin quickly reaches my mouth. "You think I'm sexy?"

Smirking, maybe a little coyly so, Sophia softly replies. "You know you are!"

"Do I?" I'm laughing, surprised that she would even think that.

"You're a head turner, Lapley. I know it, and you know it!" Lacing her fingers around the nape of my neck, Sophia is now laughing too, positioning herself higher up into my lap. "But you are my head turner, so it doesn't matter." The feisty edge to her voice is something I don't hear very often, but when I do, I rather like it.

Tickling her, I kiss the enticing side of her neck at the very same time. "You really turn me on when you get all he's mine." Tickling Sophia a little more, she is soon wriggling around on my lap like a dying fish on a boat deck.

"Cade! I mean it! Stop! Please stop!" Her laughter fills the living area of the shag pad, that is, until her laughter is interrupted by that of the loud apartment doorbell. "Are you expecting anyone today?" Sitting up, Sophia stands to allow me the room to stand as well.

"Nope, I'm not expecting anyone today." Just a little bit peeved, I go and answer the door. The person that I do open the door to, is a person I would have least expected to see standing there; especially today. "Mother?" My surprise is evident, but adjusting to the sullen sight of her, I then address her in a far more hostile way. "It's Christmas Day and we have plans, so if you're here to stir up some shit, I'd much rather you go and stir that shit up somewhere else?"

Her face remains just the same, not a glimmer of retaliation can be seen in her dull and depressing eyes. "I'm not here to cause trouble, I just want five minutes of your time?" She asks, jerkily smoothing the one side of her pleated trousers. "Please? Just five minutes?"

From behind me, I hear Sophia. "Just let your mum say what she needs to say, Cade." Her voice is far more welcoming than my own.

Relenting, I step aside to let my mother in. "We're going out, so let's get this over with."

In a gingerly manner, mother steps fully inside the apartment, scanning the very festive room with eyes so narrowly sad and lost. "You have made it look very Christmassy." Still her eyes sadly roam the apartment, until they fall on Sophia who is now standing in the hallway near our bedroom.