“So your mentally-challenged girlfriend?” she replied before poking his chest. “We need to pay for our stuff. Did you end up grabbing a bed while not-running the aisles?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Just my girlfriend," he said simply. "And yes I did," he held up the grabbed bed to show off his find to her.</span><br/><br/>“Then we should go pay for that, otherwise they’ll think we’re going to make a break for it with all the running around we’ve been doing,” she reasoned, nodding over at the registers. “Which would you prefer doing? Paying or making the dog tag?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "You make the tags and I'll buy the stuff," he leaned down and gave her a small peck on the lips. "Don't wander off now," a final tease before he walked off.</span><br/><br/>The small peck was returned and a small laugh given as he walked away before she meandered over to the tag machine and starting it up. Picking the usual bone-shaped piece, she put his name down as well as their address, with their telephone numbers below. As it was being processed, she rocked back and forth on her heels, glancing over at the registers to look at Colt.<br/><br/>Had he been serious with the girlfriend quip? Likely nothing more than a joke given the topic of owning that they’d been discussing, but it still felt like it was slightly-serious from his end. Was it? She had half a mind to ask, but there was the worry that she’d be overcomplicating things, so she kept it to herself, the sound of the tag falling out into the tray catching her attention.<br/><br/>A hand deftly picked it up as she turned to look for him again, ready to go looking at furniture for them, not pets.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “Was that you screaming earlier?”  asked the girl at the register a small smile played on her lips as she rung him up.<br/><br/>“Maybe…” he said with a grin. “Sorry if that was a bit…loud and weird…” a small laugh left his lips as he reached for his wallet. <br/><br/>“No, it was not weird. Funny, but not weird,” she said and blushed a bit. <br/><br/>“A good funny, I take it?”<br/><br/>This time she blushed more and even giggled slightly, while she nodded. <br/><br/>It was obvious she was flirting with him, though Colt was not even remotely interested. “Well, I may be banned from this store forever, but…” he handed over Michael’s card. “Maybe you want to give me a call later? <br/><br/>“Ok!” she giggled again as she took the card and slipped it into her bra. <br/><br/>That done he grabbed his bag and headed over to Tempest, “I hope you spelled his name right? You know how sensitive he can be if you don’t spell it right.” His arm slipped back over her shoulder and he hugged her to his side, “Ok furniture shopping next, right? I hope you’re ready to carry some of this home.” A joke of course but he still kissed the top of her head as they walked together toward the furniture store.</span><br/><br/>Maybe if she’d seen them flirting, the way the girl giggled and paid a little too close attention to Colt, she’d have been more inclined to give the girlfriend talk more serious thought. As it was, she’d been pretty oblivious to it, so far as to miss him handing off the card that’d been meant for her.<br/><br/>Instead, she only looked up in time to see Colt approaching. A smile pulled at her lips, easily fitting into the crook of his arm and falling into step beside him. “I’ll carry the bag, sure, but somehow I doubt either of us will be carrying a new couch or bedframes home,” she replied with a laugh. “Even if you’re beastly, that’s a bit much. Besides, where are we going to put that in the movie theatre?” Then, after a thought, she glanced up at him. “Maybe we should go to the movies first, so we don’t go in with a load of bags.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “Think I like you calling me beastly,” he said with a smirk. “And you’re right. That makes far more sense than trying to lug everything about. Knew you were just as smart as you were sexy,” another kiss was planted on the top of her head. “Ok, so we gonna see that vampire thing and then get lunch and then shop of furniture. Love when we have game plan.” <br/><br/>Arm still wrapped about her, he walked with her toward the theater, where tickets were bought and then they spent an unnaturally long time getting <span style="font-style: italic">snacks</span>, which were mostly for him though she was more than welcomed to sample some as well. <br/><br/>In the theater he opted for seats further back from the rest of the audience, as he liked to have his back against a wall in such a large and open area. <br/><br/>“I don’t think we got enough,” he said with a pout as he gazed down at the armload of junk he held. “I’m going to finish this before the credits are even done.”</span><br/><br/>His remark was met with a confident grin, leaning into the kiss he planted on her head, choosing to ignore his remark of lunch. Where they’d just eaten it, and she knew he was going to eat while they were in the theatre, she thought it was a moot point to try and eat again; and then she remembered he ate at all times of the day, near constant, so she left it be.<br/><br/>As though to verify what she’d been thinking, he got a stockpile of snacks (I.E- another meal in the form of junk food) while she opted for a drink and was happy with that. And, as they got sorted, he proceeded to playfully whine about how it wasn’t going to be enough. “You’ll have to make it last or you’ll starve before the movie’s begun,” Tempest replied with a shrug. “Poor, poor Colt, without his snacks, whatever shall he do? Eat the dog bedding?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> To that he merely huffed and the two proceeded to get settled into their seats. Even if all she wanted was just a drink he placed the popcorn where she could easily reach. As the lights dimmed he draped his arm along the back of her chair and he settled in for the movie. <br/><br/>It was better than he had thought it would be, give what it was about. The only complaint that he had was the way his feet stuck to the floor from whatever had been spilled prior. The credits rolled and he stretched, “Well that was surprisingly good. Honestly, one never knows what to expect these days when it comes to vampire movies. What’d you think?”</span><br/><br/>Sitting with his arm around her was becoming the norm, a norm she’d happily continue as she settled into the crook of his body and rested her head on his shoulder. This realization struck her as somewhat odd, but the more she mulled over it, it made sense. Even with Athan, though they may have sat close and cuddled on occasion, she didn’t feel the same connection. That could have been simply because he wasn’t naturally warm but maybe it was more; she wasn’t certain and she wasn’t about to think more on it.<br/><br/>The movie took the whole of her focus, not even noticing that she ate some of the popcorn despite being full. Completely sucked into it, the world could have exploded and she’d likely have been oblivious. It was fascinating, far better than she’d been expecting. No sparkling, no fangless beings. They even showed them to have a struggle controlling their vampiric urges, something that most movies glazed over and made to be as easy as breathing, the depictions of werewolves never so generous in that regard.<br/><br/>“I quite liked it. It makes me wonder how true to form the movie depiction is, but I’d happily watch it again,” Tempest replied, stretching too before sagging back into her seat, not quite ready to stand up again. “What was your favorite part?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “The end,” he said without hesitation. “It showed the lengths that a man, a real man, would go in order to protect the ones that he loved. Giving up everything, even his soul to ensure that his people would live and that his son would live,” he gave a sad smile. “Can’t ask much else of a man, can you?” the smile lingered for a moment longer before he stood and stretched again. <br/><br/>“That is actually very accurate,” he said after a moment. “It was probably written by or influenced by one who wanted to make sure the proper story was told. Perhaps, even the man himself,” at the last tidbit he grinned and winked before he offered her a hand up.</span><br/><br/>She saw the sad smile and wondered at it. Was there something in his history that was about just that? Someone protecting their family with the full of their soul, through to the end? Or, was it merely the idea that the end had been reached? Reaching for the offered hand, she pushed the thoughts to the side and stood, stretching and pulling her coat back on.<br/><br/>“So, do you think the stories of Dracula are true, then? There really are no depictions of him anywhere, despite his standing as a hero…” Tempest mused. “Do you think he could really still be out there somewhere?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “Everything that is a myth, is based on truth” the cryptic message given with a grin he slipped his arm back around her shoulder. “I mean you would never have thought that I existed and yet here I am. Plus, I think I’ve met him once a long time ago,” the last bit said in such a casual manner it would be hard to tell whether or not he was being serious. <br/><br/>“Ok, so furniture shopping time! We need a new bed and a new couch or two. Also, whatever odds and ends that you women use to decorate a place,” he said with a roll of his eyes as he started for the exit.</span><br/><br/>Her eyes widened, completely bypassing the rest of what he said and focusing on the last bit of it, the casualty with which he threw the statement out leaving her a bit incredulous. Was he serious? She squinted at him and her lips parted to ask, but she forewent it and thought about the furniture shopping.”<br/><br/>“I’m going to guess we’re getting it shipped home by delivery? Or…are we renting a truck? Because, while you’re strong and all, I can’t really help in the ‘carrying big things home’ area,” she replied with a laugh. “I won’t even pretend otherwise.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “You sure?” he asked with a grin. “I mean you claim to be able to lift me or some nonsense about being strong,” he teased. “You could definitely lift a small couch or something, right?” as they talked, they walked and it was not long before the furniture shops came into view. “But, seriously, we will have it delivered. They can just bring the stuff by later after we’re home, then from there I will just lug it upstairs since someone is too lazy to help me,” overly dramatic sigh and a pained look took over his face as if such a feat truly hurt him.</span><br/><br/>“You’re such a drama queen,” she replied to that, rolling her eyes heavily and picking up the pace a bit to get into the store just a bit ahead of him. “Alright, do you want to look at couches first or do you want to go look for a new bed since you’re breaking the other one and I’ll look for couches and things?”<span style="font-style: italic">And tables, and vases and other things to…make the place more homey and less miss-matchy.</span><br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Why do we have to split up?" he asked as they stood off to the side so that people could enter the store as well.</span><br/><br/>“We don’t have to,” she replied to that with a shrug. “I merely thought it’d help cover more ground faster. But, if you want me to pick you out the girliest of beds, I can do that. You know, something…pink, with a canopy, and ribbons galore.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "I love how you know me so well," he replied with a hand to his chest. "Come! Let's skip down the aisles together!"</span><br/><br/>Her eyes widened and she took a step back. “…Yeah, I’m not skipping. But, you can skip on ahead if you like? I’ll take my time and…walk, with no added flairs or weird…additives like you like to do.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Suit yourself," a shrug of his shoulders given before he pointedly skipped away.</span><br/><br/>There were a few odd looks, looks she was compelled to retort with, “I don’t know him,” or, “I just met him outside and he followed me in here.” She refrained.<br/><br/>Following after him, she ended up at the couches near him, stopping at one she thought looked comfortable. So, in true furniture shopping nature, she sat down on it to test it out while keeping a lazy ear on Colt. “Anything catching your eye?” she asked while getting more comfortable on the small couch she’d settled onto.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> He skipped back over to her and slid to a stop, "This one looks comfy!" Then without much ado he plopped himself down next to her and made himself comfortable. "Good height too for our couch games...." he mused aloud. "There enough room for cuddling?" he asked with a look in her direction.</span><br/><br/>More looks were given as he skipped over to her, which had her cheeks beginning to flush as she pointedly looked somewhere else. Anywhere else. It wasn’t as though she could try to pretend she didn’t know him because he’d then make it all the more obvious she did, and make a scene.<br/><br/>Taking that moment, she let out a breath and glanced in his direction. “Looks like there’s enough room. Not long enough for you to sleep on, though, should you end up tired during a movie, though. Do you want to look at a sectional so you’ve got room to stretch out?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "I think we should," he said after a moment. "I would like to be able to lie down on the couch and have you like lying with me, on top of me, etc," the grin that played across his lips was definitely a playful one. "Come along. You should skip there with me," he said as he held his hand out for her to take.</span><br/><br/>The grin that spread across his lips was met with a raised brow and a roll of her eyes, albeit accompanied by a playful smile of her own. Did she have a retort? She did, but it went unvoiced as she instead focused on the idea of skipping through the store. “…You know we could just…walk there, right?” Tempest replied with a laugh. “Not sure what’s got you so skip-happy, but we normal people walk through stores, not skip.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "I'm sorry, if the mere day spent in your presence gives me this energy and excitement that I must express. It is either we skip or we dance through the store together? Because I have to get this energy out of my system at least to some small degree." Now the smile that he beemed was a genuine and happy one. Purely content in the matter he truly felt happy and excited to just be with her.</span><br/><br/>That had her blushing a bit, eyes dropping as a hand pushed back some hair out of the need for something to do. “…Fine…we’ll skip…” she replied, trying for begrudging, but the blush gave it away. Her hand accepted his, and she stood. “Just…try not to bound too far or you’ll be dragging a hapless human behind you.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> The fact that she would actively do this with him, despite how it embarrassed her spoke volumes. Not to mention the blush upon her cheeks warmed his heart to no end. So, instead of skipping, he brought her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss upon the back of it. <br/><br/>“No, we shall walk like any other couple,” he smirked and stole a short though heated kiss. “Though I reserve the right to scope you up into my arms whenever the urge takes me,” he whispered once the kiss ended, then hand in hand they walked down to the sectional couches and picked out another together. <br/><br/>“Ok, that is done. Now we go to that decorative section for you to like guy…girly…type…things…” he made a face though it was obvious that he was not really bothered by the notion to spend more time with her shopping.</span><br/><br/>He surprised her. While that wasn’t too much in and of itself, given what he was and his affinity for catching her off guard, he managed to surprise her in a lesser sense. Rather than force her to skip through the store, he pressed a kiss into the back of her hand, causing her eyes to drop to her hand where the feeling of them was still on it even if he were already speaking instead.<span style="font-style: italic">Like any other-</span><br/><br/>A kiss, he stole a kiss. It was heated; short but heated, and had her breath thoroughly stolen as he pulled back. Her chest heaved as she tried to regain the breath he’d stolen from her, following after him as her mind continued to wander. Thankfully, the task of picking out couches kept her from lingering on the kiss and allowed her mind to get back into the proper mindset for shopping.<br/><br/>“Alright, we need some…vases, perhaps some decorative sconces, or maybe some table additions like…candle holders or anything else I see fit since, you know, I’m girling up the place. It’s been too much like a bachelor pad for far too long. Time to make you look effeminate!” she joked, pulling him along behind her toward the knick knacks.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "No...don't...please...stop," he said in his best Gene Wilder impression. "Don't like my manly man cave? Well my manly wolf den?" he asked with a chuckle.</span><br/><br/>“Well, it may have been your manly wolf den before, but now you’ve got me to contend with,” she replied with a laugh. “Don’t think there’s anything wolf-like about me, so you’ll have to deal with things looking a bit more…unified, like I actually live there, too and whatnot.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Nothing wolf like?" he planted his feet firmly and yanked her toward him. Arm wrapped about her waist he held her close while he whispered in her ear, "The bites, claws marks and howls of pleasure say otherwise."</span><br/><br/>The suddenty with which he yanked her had her nearly falling off of her feet, colliding with him a bit harder than she’d intended to. But, that took a back seat as the breath of his whisper washed over her ear and her face flushed. “You exaggerate,” she replied, pushing off of him to level him a look, accompanied with the best eye roll that she could manage. “What claw marks, hmm? Or bites? And I definitely don’t recall howling…”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “If that is the case, then perhaps later we should set up a camera?” the grin on his face went from ear to ear as he took hold of her hand and pull her back to him with a bit of force. Only this time he spun her slightly so that she would fall back into his waiting arm as he dipped her low. “I would not mind watching you perform, over and over again…” his voice pitched low with a light growl attached to the end of it. “We should definitely dance later,” he said as he stood back up though he held her close. “Like really dance. I miss the way our bodies fall into that natural rhythm together. Don’t you?”</span><br/><br/>Once more he pulled her to him, and once more she was caught off guard. This time, however, it wasn’t due to the shock of being pulled, but the idea that he’d want to set up a camera, even if purely in joking capacity. The blush on her cheeks vivid as he spun her, dipping her low and making that familiar ache start up at the idea of repeat performances.<br/><br/>But, he’d changed the topic and she found her mind floundering to keep up. “Would you want to practice our dance or come up with one on the fly? Either way, I’d love to dance with you so it’s more a matter of details at this point.” Pushing off of him again, she leveled him a playful look. “Though, at the rate we’re going, we’ll never get home to dance.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Well, someone should really stop stalling and taking so long," he said with a leveled gaze at her. "Can't take anyone anywhere, I swear" he huffed and took her hand into his once more to resume their walk. "You know while we are out, we should stop by and get you some more clothes. I mean I think you lost a few items last night. Right?"</span><br/><br/>Another roll of her eyes was given, though a laugh accompanied as there was no way she could pretend to be mad or indignant at his teasing. The walk resumed (thankfully a walk, not skipping), and Tempest couldn’t help the next remark that came out without much thought. “Well, someone should learn to just…take things off instead of ripping them,” she scolded. “Besides, do you really want to go clothes shopping with me? It could take a while.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Do you really think either of us could wait for me to take anything off of you?" he kissed the back of her hand as they walked. "And yes, I really do want to. Why do you continue to reask these questions as if I will change my mind when you ask me again?"</span><br/><br/>“I re-ask because shopping with me can be a pain,” she replied, glancing over at him. “House shopping is one thing, but clothes? I’m picky. If you plan on ripping more things, I’m not sure it’s worth the investment to buy more as it’ll end up the same as what I wore last night.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "You just buy everything in two and you should be fine," he said with a shrug. "Besides, we could get me some things too. Like some more shirts or something?"</span><br/><br/>She mulled that over, actually liking the idea. “What sort of shirts would you want? Button-downs, pull-overs? Do you want pants? We could get you a banana hammock, if you want?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "If I want?" he grinned. "Sounds more like you want to see me if all my glory," he chuckled. "And whatever, I'm not too big on clothing in case you have not noticed."</span><br/><br/>“I’ve noticed, but that also makes you exceptionally unhelpful when buying you clothing,” she replied with a laugh. “Anything I hold up, I’ll get a ‘sure’ or ‘looks good’. How am I supposed to know what you actually like if you’re not big on clothing?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Hey, just ‘cause I'm not big on clothing does not mean I will be completely useless. Besides, I also get to model for you, which I know that you will enjoy." He waggled his eyebrows at her and winked.</span><br/><br/>Playfully shoving him away, she rolled her eyes for what had to be the hundredth time since they started this excursion. “I’m not sure the store will appreciate you modeling for me since I can’t go into the dressing room to see you and you’re not supposed to come out…But, I’ll find things I like and then you can model them at home for me. How’s that?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Who says you can't come in there with me?" he asked with a slight nibble on is bottom lip as he gave her a hungry look. "I'm sure you can sneak in there without anyone seeing you..." he whispered when he came back alongside her.</span><br/><br/>The look was noticed and it had her heart skipping a beat as she pointedly focused forward and cleared her throat. “I’m not the sneaky one out of us two, so…I’m not sure it’s worth the risk. Besides…” She hazarded a look in his direction, a knowing look in her eyes. “Somehow I get the feeling not much modeling would be done if I went in there with you, anyway. Probably better to avoid being in the same dressing room, if you catch my drift.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "You should think about having a bit of fun," he whispered. "I mean think of the fun that would be had in trying to stay quiet? While I taste every inch of your body..." he practically purred against her ear. This was far too much fun and the more he thought about it the more he wanted to experience it.</span><br/><br/>“And you don’t think it’ll strike people as odd if they see two pairs of feet from beneath the door?” she whispered back, struggling to keep her mind focused on the reasons why they shouldn’t do it instead of the reasons why it would be the<span style="font-style: italic">fun</span>thing.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Not if I have you lifted up and against the wall," he whispered.</span><br/><br/>"You're a terrible influence on me..." she whispered back. "What if they catch us?"<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Then we better run really fast," he raised his brows and pulled her in for a deep kiss as if to help sway her decision.</span><br/><br/>If that was to sway her decision, he'd chosen the right course of action. Her heart skipped several beats, the ache started anew and her head felt light.<br/><br/>Only when the sound of someone clearing their throat registered did she break it, blushing profusely.<br/><br/>"You're a terrible influence on me..."<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">"I like to think of it more as your new physical advisor," he whispered as he slipped his arm about her waist and walked with her toward the home decor section. "Just so that you know, I love the color pink."</span><br/><br/>“My new physical advisor…” she repeated, looking over at him with an amused expression. “And…what does this…advising include, exactly? Breaking rules…potentially breaking laws with indecent exposure. What<span style="font-style: italic">good</span>comes of this new advisor I seem to have taken on without realizing it?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Well, for one you get lots and lots of exercise. Not that you need any extra work, but it is also nice to stay in shape, right?" he said without any real desire for an answer. "We get to have lots and lots of fun..." he paused as if he mulled it over. "Hmmm...did I mention fun?"</span><br/><br/>“Lots and lots of exercise? Lots and lots of fun?” There was a laugh that followed, as she shook her head. “From where I’ve been standing, those two words generally don’t align in the same sentiment.” Nudging his rib, she playfully narrowed her eyes. “Something tells me…your idea of exercise and fun aren’t the same as my idea…As one would involve an actual workout where one with you would involve…any surface you can use for leverage.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “It warms my heart you know me so well,” though he pulled her close so that he could whisper for her ears only. “However, I can do many a thing without any kind of leverage needed. One of my favorite positions does not involve leverage, just someone willing to hold on and be taken…over and over again…” he growled low in his throat as if to emphasize his meaning. Sadly before anything further could be said they were in the next section of the store. <br/><br/>“This will have to continue later, so let’s pick out some girly stuff and then we can go shopping for some new clothes.”</span><br/><br/>Tempest was more than a little distracted. If anything, she was more distracted than she’d been at the mere mention of any extra-curricular activities. Now, with his breath on her ear, giving her that mental image of holding on and him having his way? It had her heart double-timing in tempo, suddenly feeling too hot for the clothes she was wearing. Being distracted and hot meant that her quest to buy more knick knacks that better suited the apartment space were sorely lacking.<br/><br/>Lacking so much, in fact, that she was soon throwing in the towel with only a few minor objects picked for purchase. “Do we want to look at a bed now and have it set for delivery, or come back to it?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “Hmm…” he said as he thought the plan over, his focus on her and just what they had done to break the bed.  “A bed is going to be needed for later,” he spoke after a moment. “You know for sleep. I would hate to have it delayed and not have use of it later,” tongue snaked out to lick across his lips while he looked at her. “Then we can go shopping for clothes, this shirt does not feel like it is properly fitted to my form. What do you think?”</span><br/><br/>She gave him a look, knowing that his thoughts weren’t of sleeping later; not even remotely. Her eyes dropped to his lips and she drew in a shaky breath, having to physically snap her attention elsewhere as they moved to the bed section. “The shirt looks fine on you,” she answered without even looking, intent on getting to the bed section to pick something out for him. “What sort of bed frame do you want? Something a bit more durable than what you have currently?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "And something that allows for handcuffs and restraints," he said with a grin. "Maybe something steel? Nice strong and sturdy," he loved watching how he affected her. Listening to how her heart raced and her breath caught in her chest. <br/><br/>"You sure this shirt is fitting?" he asked. "I mean this feels like it might rip at any moment..."</span><br/><br/>Her eyes visibly widened as the hand tracing the bedframe she’d reached for stopped dead. Handcuffs? Restraints? She’d not ventured into that area of anything sexual and, while the idea of relinquishing all control was terrifying, she found herself reacting nonetheless. “I’m sure it’s fitting,” she replied, again, without looking.<br/><br/>“What about this frame? Sturdy enough, even if it doesn’t allow for handcuffs.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> Suddenly he was directly behind her, his body pressed up against her back. "Aww...but I think that handcuffs will be just so much fun," he whispered at her ear, his breath hot on her flesh as his lips brushed against her skin. "Don't you think?"</span><br/><br/>There was a small sound that escaped as his body hit hers, her eyes fluttering closed as she struggled to maintain her train of thought.<span style="font-style: italic">Focus, Tempest!</span>she implored herself.<span style="font-style: italic">He’s trying to distract you! Focus!</span>But, his lips on her skin and his body against hers, she was finding any semblance of thought outside of what her body wanted right then damn near impossible.<br/><br/>“…Then what…bedframe did you have in mind?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> His fangs dragged along her neck, though his eyes scanned the room. "That one," he nodded with his head before he kissed at her neck. "We can have hand cuffs for the legs as well," more kisses were peppered across her flesh while he ran a hand down long her thigh.</span><br/><br/>Her eyes weren’t focusing too terribly much on beds. No, her mind had already wandered out of the building as his fangs dragged along her neck, as the goosebumps formed and her skin burned. “…Then we’ll go with that one,” she replied without much thought to what she was inadvertently agreeing to. At that moment, any bedframe would do as it would mean they were one step closer to going home and away from prying eyes.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “Then let me put that order in and we can go shopping,” he growled at her ear, before he nipped her shoulder and reluctantly pulled away to find a sales person to pay for the bed and give them the information for the delivery. <br/><br/>“Let’s do that clothing shopping now,” he said when he rejoined her, his hand quick to slip into her own so that he could pull her along with him toward the dressing rooms.</span><br/><br/>In the time it took him to nip her shoulder, leave to place the order, and come back, she’d nearly gotten her head back where it needed to be: on the mindset of shopping. But, just as quickly as she’d regained that fragile thread of focus, his hand in hers dashed it away again and had her falling back in a more…physical train of thought. Her heart jumped as his hand took hers and she followed without question, too lost in her own thoughts to think about where they might be going in regards to “clothing shopping”.<br/><br/>“What clothes do you want to look at first?” she asked, as a final effort to try and focus on shopping and not Colt…doing things…in a dressing room…with her having to stay quiet.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “Underwear,” he replied with a suggestive tone. “I think you are going to be in need of some more, especially after we break in the new bed,” he nipped at her shoulder again and walked with her toward the women’s clothing department. “And some shirts…yes lots of shirts…”</span><br/><br/>She blinked, starting to pull on her hand to persuade him to another section that wasn’t women’s clothing. “I thought we were going to…shop for you, not me! Get you some new clothes! Shouldn’t we head over to men’s not women’s?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “The dressing rooms are surprisingly large over there,” he said mostly to himself as he allowed her to change their direction, but then he stalled and started back for the women’s department. “But, you need more than I do. So, we get you yours first and then we can worry about mine. You know, like last night.” <br/><br/>A wink was given before he slipped her arm about her shoulder to help guide her to where he wanted her. “Don’t you want some more things to wear? Given my claws can be oh so sharp at times…”</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Oh that would be your first thought,</span>she thought at him, narrowing her eyes as he then changed her direction back to the women’s department.<br/><br/>“You say that like there will be many a repeat performance…” Tempest replied, trying to act far cooler than she felt. In truth, she burned up. Her mind and body were both betraying her and it made her annoyed that he could affect her so easily, but it was what it was. She only continued to fight it because she didn’t want to seem as easy as she was currently feeling. “…We’ll find me some things that I won’t have to try on and then we’ll go find you some things.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “Don’t you know the rule?” he asked as he stopped in front of a display with some dresses. “You always have to try it on before you buy. Make sure it fits and all that jazz,” he grinned and found himself a seat on a small bench. “That definitely seems like something you should try on. Dresses are so versatile, allowing for so much movement and access.”</span><br/><br/>“No, that’s the rule when you don’t know your size in the brands that you shop,” she retorted with a narrowed gaze in his direction. “But I do applaud your attempt to rationalize me going into a dressing room.”<br/><br/>Nonetheless, she did eye the dress, and the dress looked good…even if his motives for picking it out were underhanded and for the carnal urges he was trying to get her to indulge in. And, with a nonchalant sort of expression, she picked it up off the rack. “Anything else you think I should get, oh wise one? Anything that’s actually sensible?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “Try that one first,” he said as he chewed on his bottom lip. “If you can stand after I evaluate how it <span style="font-style: italic">fits</span> then we can look for something more to try on.”</span><br/><br/>“You think I’m going to be trying this on?” came her reply with a perked brow. “I know it’ll fit, so why would I have to go into the dressing room and go through the effort of changing to try it on when it’s guaranteed?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Are you sure? I mean it could be too short."</span><br/><br/>…That was the one thing that she’d been even mildly worried about. The length was just on this side of slutty, but maybe her height would make it okay?<br/><br/>“…Fine. You wait here and I’ll go try it on,” she replied, grumbling beneath her breath as she turned on heel to find a dressing room.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> Colt merely smirked and reclined back on the bench as if he intended to stay there like a good boy while she ran off to try on the dress. Of course that was not his intention, but he found it beyond adorable that she would even think he would sit there and behave. <br/><br/>“One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi…” he counted to himself while he looked over his nails. By the time he reached four he stood and strode toward the dressing rooms, his focus on the people he would have to avoid. He ducked behind a rack of clothes for a moment, to buy him some time, before he was at her door and inside with a simple jimmying of the lock with his claw. <br/><br/>“How does it fit?”</span><br/><br/>To say she was rushing would have been an understatement. She didn’t even bother taking off her pants, having opted to try the dress on over them, yanking her shirt off and shimmying the dress down over her body until it hit the proper place.<span style="font-style: italic">Not as bad as I thought it’d be,</span>she mused, surprised that it didn’t look as slutty as she imagined. But, no sooner had she turned to look at her backside in it did she meet Colt face-to-face.<br/><br/>With a smack to his arm and an indignant look, she crossed her arms. “Seriously?! I told you to wait out there!” Tempest fairly hissed at him, suddenly glad she kept her pants on. “You’re not supposed to be in here!”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "No?" he asked with grin as he stepped into her space, his hands at her hips as he leaned down to use his overall size to loom over her. <br/><br/>"I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be in...." his eyes roamed lower over her form, as his teeth pulled his bottom lip between them for a small nibble. "...somewhere..."</span><br/><br/>He was stepping into her and she was trying to step back, only to be met with wall and the tiny corner bench that the room had to offer. Her back pressed into it as his hands touched her hips and her heart began to race. His voice, that smile, the way his eyes drank her in…it had her wanting to throw caution to the wind and indulge.<br/><br/>But this was public. She had a hard enough time with him making a spectacle, let alone being intimate with Colt in a damn dressing room. “No, where you’re supposed to be is<span style="font-style: italic">out</span>of here and waiting for me where I left you. If we get caught, we’re getting kicked out!” she hissed back, trying to remove his hands from her hips.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> Hands stayed firmly in place as he leaned more of himself into her, "<span style="font-style: italic">IF</span> we get caught..." His whispered down to her as he licked his lips, "I know you like to moan loudly, but if you hold your tongue or....bite down on something hard...we can have our fun..."</span><br/><br/>Her breath hitched, his hands not relenting even an inch on her form. If anything, it was as though her reaction goaded him further. Eyes dropping to his lips, it was hard not to make a sound at the way he licked them, at the whispered words of enticement that she was trying hard to ignore.<br/><br/>“I-It has nothing to do with moans!” Tempest protested, shaking her head as she desperately pressed into the wall. “We can’t do this here!”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "But...." he leaned to kiss on her neck and found himself having to adjust a few times before he was able to finally land on the spot near her jawline. "We can do this...." he whispered to her. "All you have to do is relax and enjoy..."</span><br/><br/>Each time he tried to find her neck, she’d adjust, blocking him and squirming away from him until he managed to catch her at just the right time. There was a whimper that slipped free before she could stop it, her teeth firmly embedding in her lower lip as she tried to stifle any further reaction.<br/><br/>“That’s…easier said than done…” she breathed out, trying to squirm away from him, her attempts becoming fewer and far between as her body screamed at her to give in. “…What if we get caught?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "So?" he breathed against her neck as he dragged his fangs along her flesh. "I promise we won't get into any trouble..." the kisses turned to nibbles that he trailed up along her shoulder toward her jaw and continued until he could capture her lips into a heated kiss.</span><br/><br/>There was a shiver that tripped up her spine, goosebumps instantly forming across her skin under his fangs. But still, she tried to resist, turning away before his lips could steal hers. “How can you promise that?” came her question, a shaky breath escaping with it. “I-t’s a bit obvious when there are…two pairs of feet showing…”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Good point," he whispered before he bent a bit lower and grabbed her about the thighs and lifted her. Her back was pressed against the wall, legs pushed apart as he pressed himself between them, "Only one pair now."</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Finally! Reason!</span>she thought, anticipating him leaving to allow her to get back to changing…but she should have known better. His hands slid lower and lifted her, hands instantly clinging to his shoulders despite the wall at her back, dizzy as the blood she’d had in her brain a moment before left in a hurry. “…I’m…still wearing pants…” Tempest whispered. “You can’t…get at anything…with those on…”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Hmmm..." he mused in thought, though he just smirked and shifted his hips slightly before he started to grind slowly against her. "I'm sure we don't need them out of the way for a bit of fun...."</span><br/><br/>That earned him another whimper, the grip on his shoulders tightening as her breath fairly stopped. Perhaps she should have accounted for that, but she’d been clinging to her last attempt to stop anything from happening. And that last attempt had failed.<br/><br/>So, where it was already a lost cause, she let go. One hand left his shoulder to grab his chin and pull him close, closing what little distance there’d been left, stealing his lips in a passionate kiss.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> Into the kiss he poured his desire, his need and affection for the woman in his arms. Slow and with expert muscle control he ground against her, whilst his tongue danced eagerly with hers.  Sure, he would have preferred that the pants would be removed for more involved fun. But, he counted this as a win, none the less.</span><br/><br/>There was no more thinking; not in the way she’d been before, anyway. No, her mind was happily clouded with feeling, with the arousal he’d stirred and with the man she was wrapped around. Her tongue was content to try and capture his, another sound escaping at the way he’d ground against her, heart rate rising as she tried to push her hips into his.<br/><br/>All at once, she stopped, turning her head away from his to break the kiss. “You can’t tell me…you’re content…to grind in here…” she panted, eyes half-lidded, a lustful spark to them. “Wouldn’t it be…better to just…go home…?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> He grunted and groaned, breath stolen from his lungs, and his head clouded with his need. It took a moment for the question to sink in as he growled mostly about the kiss that was ended. <br/><br/>"Can you wait that long?" he asked and punctuated the end of his sentence with a hard grind against her.</span><br/><br/>There was a moan that had started to slip free, a hand flying to her mouth to stop it as the movement in the changing room next to them stopped. It had her self-conscious, hyper aware that they may have been listening for what they thought (and had) heard.<br/><br/>“Would you really not want…to go further than grinding?” she whispered, her lip back in between her teeth, having had to take a moment to catch her breath.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> That was a tough question, one that caused him a moment of pause while he thought about the benefits and the cons. In the end there were far more benefits to waiting, than to not, save for one. Waiting.<br/><br/>Sure, he asked her if she could wait, but he honestly was far more impatient than she when it came to these things. <br/><br/>"Will we head straight home from here?"</span><br/><br/>Would they head straight home? She was tempted to make him wait longer. He’d interrupted shopping, tried to push her to doing something in a near-public capacity, which was a line she’d never crossed. If she made him wait…she’d get to enjoy being the antagonizer instead of the antagonized.<br/><br/>“No…we still have other things to shop for, remember?” Tempest replied, a grin on her lips of the challenge issued. “Can you handle that?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> Even if he had thought to ignore what she said and instead plow on with their current activities, the moment the challenge left her lips there was no other choice. <br/><br/>However...<br/><br/>Once again he pressed himself against her and ground at a quick pace, his lips once again captured hers. Just when his tongue had caught hers in a heated tango, he stopped. Everything. <br/><br/>"The dress looks great on you," he said with a smirk, then set her back down and left her there alone in the dressing room once more.</span><br/><br/>She could see it in his face. There was a moment, though brief, before the challenge she’d issued clicked. But, when it did? He was back on her at full force, lips stealing all the breath she’d had, her body screaming at her to have let this continue.<br/><br/>Instead, he made that decision for her, stopping just as she’d gotten back into it. Her feet were shakily put back on the floor and all he gave were a few words and a smirk before disappearing.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Difficult…this will be difficult…</span>was the last thought she had as a shaky breath escaped, changing back into her clothes and picking up the dress that she’d decided to buy, as she left the dressing room. Finding him back at his original seat, she asked, “What do you want to look at now? Weren’t we going to get you more clothes of some kind?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> There was a new word in his vocabulary right now and it was, <span style="font-style: italic">patience</span> a word he had not used for some time now but for her he would work it back into his vocabulary. “We did say that, didn’t we?” he slipped his arm about her shoulder before he started them off toward the men’s ware. “Do you think I need a complete new look? Or, just a couple of things?”</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Good, this is what I can handle. A nice, slow walk while he picked out some clothes,</span>she thought to herself, settling into the crook of his arm as she fell into step beside him. “Yes, yes we did. And, I think a couple new things would suffice. No need for an entire new look as I like the look you have. It suits you.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "You like it?" he grinned and pulled her in so that he could kiss the top of her head. "So, what do you want? Something more revealing?" he asked with a chuckle.</span><br/><br/>“Oh yes…please…something more revealing,” she replied with a laugh. “Though, I’m not sure how you can top naked, as I’ve seen you in the most revealing state you could possibly get into…So, next step: banana hammock.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "I doubt there is a hammock that is strong or large enough to contain me," he admitted without a hint of modesty.</span><br/><br/>“Ever the modest one…” she replied to that with a shake of her head and a roll of her eyes. “I’m sure there’s a hammock that could fit you. But, I don’t think it’s one I’d want to see…Maybe a new shirt would be good?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "More like the hammock that we can sleep in," he joked. "Only a new shirt?" he asked. "Don't you want to check me out in a pair of pants?"</span><br/><br/>“Would you keep your pants on to check you out in them?” she asked with a laugh. “You tend to try and get out of clothes, rather than keep them on…”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "We are waiting until we get home, right?" he said with a face as if her words wounded him. "I take offense that you think I would not be able maintain control until then," he rolled his eyes, but still smirked at her.</span><br/><br/>That earned him a look, pulling away enough to properly narrow her eyes at him. “You’re really going to play that card?” she asked with a nudge to his ribs. “Fine. Let’s get you some pants.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Knew you wanted to see my package!" he exclaimed loudly.</span><br/><br/>Bolting away from him, face as red as a firetruck, she started shaking her head. The looks that exclamation earned from a few of the other shoppers had her ducking into the first hanging display she saw to buy herself some time. As far as she was concerned, she suddenly forgot who Colt was and he may as well have been a stranger.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "I will only get louder if you don't come out," he said still loud but not as loud as his previous shout. He continued to men's ware and started to look around as he waited for her to back over to him.</span><br/><br/>Shaking her head, she remained firmly planted in her spot, hiding amongst the shirts they’d been walking past.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Tempest! My love! Hiding there behind that display!" he called to her. "What color looks best on me?"</span><br/><br/>Turning an even darker shade of red, she hunkered further down as though no one could see her. Sure, she was aware that a few probably could, but she was “too thoroughly engrossed in the shirts she was looking at to be bothered by them”.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Love? You know I can't decide on my own," he called out once more.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Stop calling for me, stop calling for me, stop calling for me…</span>her mind silently pleaded over and over, refusing to move from her spot.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Tempest! You are going to get that lovely white top dirty! Along with your lovely black pants and jacket!" he called out.</span><br/><br/>“Oh god, fine!” she cried out exasperated, rushing back to him and clamping a hand over his mouth. “But for fuck’s sake, stop drawing attention to us!” The last was added in a hushed whisper, panic on her face as she glanced around to see who was watching. “Please!”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Of course love," he said as he leaned down and gave her a small kiss on the lips. "So, which shirt?"  he asked as he held up one against his chest for her to look at.</span><br/><br/>“Uh huh…” Begrudgingly, she accepted the kiss but didn’t much return it, too embarrassed right then as she gave the shirt a fraction of a glance. “That shirt looks nice. Let’s go with that one.”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> "That's it? We aren't going to look at more? Or some pants? Or anything else?" he said somewhat disappointed.</span><br/><br/>Something about his tone had her feeling like she’d just thoroughly kicked a puppy. So, though it went against her better judgement, she pulled away to grab up a shirt she’d actually caught sight of in her embarrassed haste. Holding it up, she cocked her head at it. “Why don’t you try this one? And…there are some pants over there that I’m sure we could try to fit your ego into should you feel up to the challenge.”