Page 23 of No Bones About It

He slowly pulls himself free and rolls me onto my side, settling down beside me once more. He takes the blankets and tucks them in around me, then wraps both arms around me, holding me tight against his ribs.

With a contented sigh, I nuzzle my face against a rib and let sleep take me. But I don’t need to dream, I’m already living it.

Chapter

Ten

Part of the reason I became a photographer is because I dislike routine. Or at least that’s what I thought. Turns out I just needed the right one. Pics all day followed by all my fall favorites crammed in between make out sessions then snuggling all night with a twelve-foot sentient skeleton?

Chef’s kiss. Or maybe that’s skeleton’s kiss.

I’m glad I waited until Tony was gone to get Mr. Bonejangles. In the midst of my divorce and the time after, I didn’t understand why my life had turned out the way it had. Why I had to be lonely. Left behind. Was I being punished for a transgression in a past life? Because I thought I was a decent person in this one.

Now I know I just needed everything to lead me up to this point. Everything was worth it because I’ve never been happier. And I never would have had Mr. Bonejangles and this situationship without the trials and tribulations that came before.

Maybe I should have wondered what would come after Halloween. Maybe I should have questioned my sanity. After all, I’m falling in love with injection molded plastic with a touch of whimsy.

But I deserve some pure unfettered Halloween joy, and I’m seizing it, and him, with both hands, and my mouth, and enjoying every second, from the costumes BJ and I picked out to my amazing new sex life.

My photography business is thriving with the help of the Spooky Bitches, who have settled into a routine and need minimal supervision. Although we’re still viral, the lines have died down, and the whole operation is running like a well oiled machine.

And although I still wish at times that I had BJ all to myself, knowing that I have all night with him in the tent gets me through the long days.

My only complaint is they’ve passed by in a blur of introducing him into all of my favorite Halloween activities and countless orgasms, and now there’s only two days left until Halloween. Two measly days until the best day of the year is here—and gone.

No. I refuse to think about what comes next. Instead, I’ll focus on soaking up every second. And I’ve seen other people keep their skeletons up all year. I can get outfits for other seasons. I nod, agreeing with myself that this is a very sensible solution.

Sleeping in the tent throughout the winter probably isn’t very feasible. I’ll have to check into getting a building permit to make a big barn or something for my yard. I certainly have the funds now thanks to all the money the pics and merch have brought in.

When the last person is gone, and the Spooky Bitches have said goodnight, I get ready for bed and head out to the tent. BJ is already inside, carefully setting up our little nest. I stand there for a minute, watching the care he uses to spread the blankets and fluff the pillows.

He must feel me watching because he looks over his shoulder and throws me a digital wink, then crooks a bony finger at me. Heat instantly pools in my core at the sight, my body reacting to the feel of his finger doing that same thing inside my body just last night. And the night before. Hell, every night since the first time.

I run to him, excited to start another night together. We’ve been working through my favorite Halloween movies on my laptop, falling asleep in a tangle of flesh and bone.

Tonight, we’re finishing up our stretch of vampire movies in honor of tomorrow’s outfit. Although we’re both excited about our couple’s Halloween costume, I can’t wait to see him in the enormous cape and custom fangs I ordered. I always did have a soft spot for vampires.

I start the newest remake with gorgeous cinematography, and it inspires me to say, “Oh, I have an idea. Stay here.”

I run to the garage and grab the accessories for tomorrow. When I pop back out of the garage, I frown at the open gate. One of the Spooky Bitches must have left it open when they left. Shrugging, I shut it and then head back out to the tent.

“You ready to get in the Halloween spirit a little early? I’m kind of a sucker for vampires,” I tell him with a laugh and hold up the custom fangs. “Get it? Sucker?”

He squints his digital eyes at me, and his shoulders shake in what I’ve come to know as his silent laugh. He gives me a thumbs up and then lies down so I can easily reach his teeth.

I sit next to him and lean back against his rib cage to read the instructions while he toys with my hair, running it through his fingers and twirling it around them—one of his favorite pastimes.

A chill races down my spine at the feel of his fingertips on my scalp, but I push away the desire to focus on the task at hand.

“Okay, I got it!” I stand up and straddle his neck, then sit on his sternum, bracing my elbows on my knees as I carefully lean over and attach the fangs to his teeth.

BJ reaches up to feel them, but I swat his hand away and say, “Wait, you have to let the glue set.”

He nods and stares at me, LED eyes flashing in what I’ve learned means desire.

“Yes, you look even hotter with fangs. I’m really happy we put them on ahead of time because now we can try them out,” I say and give him a seductive smile.

After a minute, I glance at my watch and say, “Ok, it's been long enough. You can check them out now.”