Red Hot ~Nikki Sixx

Part 49: Sticky Sweet

Then, as predicted, he exhales and a whistle-less blowing sound accompanied by a stream of chocolate cupcake crumbs shoots from his lips.

Ashten turns her head to follow the trajectory.

"You are ridiculous." She shook her head while her lips curled up in a poorly concealed effort to swallow a chuckle. It was the first time in weeks she'd so much as cracked a smile.

"I disagree." Nikki chewed through a mouth full of cupcake.

"And why is that?"

"Cause you looked like you were about to rip my balls off and I like them a too much. It was all about preservation of the parts." He grabbed the milk from the still open fridge and tipped it up, drinking straight from the carton.

"Believe me, if I were to rip your balls off it wouldn't be for a stolen cupcake."

"Good to know." He wiped his milk mustache with the back of his hand and put the container back in its rightful spot. "Still, you should know better than to leave unattended desserts around me."

"I didn't know you were here," she pointed out, turning back to place a new sleeve of cupcake liners into an empty pan.

"Clearly, otherwise you sure as hell wouldn't be."

It came out sharper than he meant and he winced in frustration, his face twisting into something unreadable, like he immediately regretted saying a word.

Placing the final wrapper in the last empty spot, Ashten sucked in a breath and pressed her lips together in a tight line. She felt her teeth clench and cocked her head to the side sending him a scowl.

"I could say the same to you. Haven't heard from you  in weeks."

Nikki shut the refrigerator door a slightly harder than usual. His eyes flashed, mirth fading.

"And you tried to contact me how many times exactly? Phone works both ways Ashten and it's not like you don't know where I live."

Ashten pondered his words for a moment. He was right. She hadn't made any more of an effort to communicate than he had. And she was the one who asked for space.

She wanted to see him but she didn't.

She wanted him to call but wasn't sure she could take hearing the sound of his voice without becoming a sobbing mess.

It was all too confusing.

And damn those intense green eyes. They were making it impossible for her to even think clearly.

"I guess that's fair," She conceded none too pleased with the admission.

Nikki exhaled, and in that breath she heard a million things - frustration, disappointment, discontent, defeat. His lost and directionless gaze lingered on her before he finally turned and poked his head back into the fridge, seemingly in search of dinner.

"There's leftover spaghetti in there," she suggested, emptying a box of yellow cake mix into a ceramic mixing bowl.

"Who made it?"

"Tommy."

"PB&J it is then." Nikki grabbed a couple of jelly jars and sat them on the island before making his way to the pantry. After disappearing in the large walk-in space he returned with a loaf of bread, peanut butter and a bag of Cheetos.

Before beginning the process of sandwich making, Nikki found himself entranced by the girl in front of him concentrating on filling a pastry bag with whipped chocolate icing. Once filled to her satisfaction she proceeded to top a batch of freshly baked and cooled cupcakes with icing, seemingly oblivious to his studying her.