Selena Kitt - Crazy About the Baumgartners

“You guys are just going to eat it later,” Henry grumbled, picking up his white glow-in-the-dark ghost bucket from the table.

“Well, it’s either that or we raid your candy,” I called over my shoulder, still chewing my Kit Kat.

“Good point.” He held out his hand to his mother. “Give me her bucket.”

His mother smirked, handing over the glow-in-the-dark Frankenstein bucket. Janie’s was a pumpkin.

Of course, we weren’t ready to go out trick or treating quite yet. First Doc had to take pictures of everyone in front of the fireplace, all of us smiling and saying, “Cheese!” or, if Henry and Janie were complaining about how long it was taking and refusing to smile, maybe “Smelly socks!” or “Cheesy underpants!”

“So you’re the family photographer?” I asked Doc as Mrs. B strapped the baby into her stroller once again while Janie and Henry fought over who got to carry Holly’s bucket. The once reviled task was now being coveted. “That’s a nice camera.”

I had to admit, I was jealous. My own was ten years old and I still used film. Actual film.

“Thanks.” His camera was digital and he was flipping through the pictures he’d taken, leaning in to show me. “I’ve always been an amateur photographer. Used to take pictures at weddings when I was in college for extra spending money.”

“I sell mine on stock photo sites.”

“Really?” He raised his eyebrows. “What do you photograph?”

“Whatever sells.” I shrugged. “Nature photos, stills of objects. You’d be surprised what people want to blog about.”

“Is there any money in it?”

“Not much. A little. Extra spending money, like you said.”

“I like photographing people.” He cocked his head at me. “You would make a beautiful subject.”

“Thanks.” Damn, I was blushing again. That made a slow, sexy smile spread across his face.

“Want to pose for me some time?”

“Sure,” I agreed, feeling my blush deepen. He’d never said a word about naked photography, yet both of us seemed to know exactly what he meant.

“You ready, Gretchen?” Mrs. B called, pushing Holly in her stroller toward the front door.

“Duty calls.” I turned and walked away, feeling his gaze follow me. I made sure I added a little swing to my hips.

Mrs. B pushed the baby’s stroller through the neighborhood while Henry and Janie ran from house to house, gathering candy, taking turns at every stop to fill Holly’s bucket too. There were a great many spoils to be had in their subdivision-some of the houses even gave out full sized Snickers bars! When I was a kid, we were grateful to get Dum-Dum suckers and Smarties.

By the time we’d circled back around to our block, the buckets were overflowing and Holly was slumped over in her stroller, fast asleep. The porch light was out as we approached the house.

“We ran out of candy, can you believe it?” Doc called as we pushed through the front door, Henry and Janie in the lead, wanting to tell their father all about the scarecrow who came to life and scared the pants off them. It was just a guy in a costume sitting in a lawn chair, waiting to scare passersby, but it was all Henry and Janie could talk about.

“There were so many kids,” Mrs. B exclaimed. “I swear their parents drive them into our sub because they know we give out such good candy.”

“I’m going to go put these on my laptop.” Doc got up from the sofa where he’d been watching Law and Order and picked up his camera from the coffee table.

“Remember, you can’t post any pictures of Holly on Facebook anything!” Mrs. B called as he headed through the kitchen.

“I won’t,” he assured her. “I took some non-identifying ones. I can share those, can’t I?”

“Just not her face,” Mrs. B insisted. It wasn’t just her being paranoid. The foster care system made that a requirement. No identifying pictures were allowed to be shared of foster kids by their foster families. Not that I blamed them. Holly had been rather infamous in our little community, after what she’d been through. It was better that no one knew we had her.

Henry and Janie sat in the middle of the family room, costumes askew, Janie sorting her candy into types in her usual OCD fashion. Henry entered serious negotiations with her to trade all his licorice for chocolate, a feat I figured nearly impossible.

“She’s going to be hungry when she wakes up.” Mrs. B took the baby, putting her on the sofa and getting her out of her costume while I went to make up her bottle.

“I’ll do it.” Mrs. B smiled when I brought the bottle out. She took it from me and put it to the baby’s lips. Holly sucked greedily.

“I’ll go clean up dinner.” We hadn’t had much time after eating the Sloppy Joe’s Mrs. B had made before we all had to change into our costumes.

I was loading dishes in the dishwasher when Doc came in. He opened the fridge and pulled out a beer. He popped the top off, tossing it onto the counter. I gave him a look, sweeping the top into my hand and putting it in the garbage under the sink. He came closer, watching as I bent over to put the last plate in the dishwasher.

“Damn, little Red Riding Hood, you make me feel like a wolf.”

I turned, finding him dangerously close. I could smell the alcohol on his breath and wondered just how many of those he’d had. Of course, he’d been here, all alone, with nothing to do but watch TV, drink beer and hand out candy.

“You’re looking rather wolfish,” I replied, glancing at the stubble on his cheeks. He’d clearly forgotten to shave that morning.

“All the better to tickle you with.” He grinned, grabbing my hips and rubbing his cheek against mine, making me squirm and laugh. I wondered if they could hear us in the family room. One of the kids could walk in at any minute-although I doubted it. They were likely too engrossed in candy negotiations.

I tried to push him away, my hands against his chest, but he didn’t budge. Doc was a big man and could take what he wanted, if he wanted to. The thought was blackly exciting. His hands remained on my hips, moving over the short skirt I was wearing.

“You’re so sexy in this damned costume,” he murmured, his denim clad thigh sliding between mine.

“I didn’t meant to tempt you, Mr. Wolf.” I cocked my head, giving him a smirk that told him that the opposite was true.

“Oh, I think you did.”

“Your wife picked it,” I reminded him.

“I know.” His hands moved down to my ass, squeezing. There was no pretense anymore about this being an accidental meeting. “Think she meant to tempt the wolf?”

“Do you?” I raised my eyebrows.

“You know I was watching, don’t you?” He leaned in to whisper this into my ear, his big hands gripping my ass, holding me to him.

“Yes,” I whispered back, my nipples hardening instantly at his words.

“Did you come hard?” He pulled my skirt up in back, hands roaming over my tights, making me gasp.

“I… I needed it so bad that night.” I whimpered. I needed to right now. Between his teasing grind against the counter before we left, and now this, I was ready to explode.

“I know.” The knowing in his voice undid me. My hands, which I’d previously kept at my side, went to his waist, feeling the solid heat of his muscles underneath that button-down dress shirt. “What were you thinking about when you came?”

“I… don’t remember,” I stammered when his hand reached around the front of my tights, cupping my mound through them, under my skirt.

“Liar.” He pulled back to look at me. His eyes were darker than I’d ever seen them. Dark with lust. “Don’t lie to me or Mr. Wolf will eat you all up.”

Was that supposed to be a threat? It just made me wetter.