by C R Riley
"But you made it through. These things happen, Colton. We do our best to control matters, but we cannot control everything. Sometimes we have to make a change without warning because we don't always know what is going to occur. Remember, we practiced taking different routes. We need to make sure if there is ever a real problem, we are prepared. Did you make sure Camille understood?"
This is what was so difficult about working with someone like Colton. He doesn't like it when circumstances don't play out how they are supposed to, how he was told they would. Because he is autistic, he likes his days to be routine. Routines however are not something the agency strives for. It makes it too easy for someone to sabotage a route and carry out a threat.
So Johannah came up with a plan that has worked for the most part with Colton. They named the routes and went over them with him before leaving the house each day. As long as he knew which route they were taking, he was fine. But if you had to switch it up, or veer away from a route he was familiar with, he freaked out.
And today they went completely off course. Not only did they take an unknown route, but they changed destinations as well. By the time they finally got him home, he was out of sorts. They had to give him a mild sedative to calm him down, which explains why he is up now.
"Camille. Camille. Camille. She understood yes. Told her no worries. Gina knows. Sharon knows. Jo knows. Kendra knows. Mom knows. Dad knows. Stay safe."
"That's right, Colton. Stay safe."
"Home. When will you be home? Jo. Jo. Jo." Colton's voice is calmer now.
"Eight days, Colton. A week from tomorrow, I'll be back. We'll go for ice cream and you can tell me all about what I've missed." She can almost see his face light up.
"Ice cream. Deal. Eight days. Bye Jo. Jo. Jo."
Johannah checks to make sure he hung up, then sends a text back to the agent. Since she is already up, she goes ahead and grabs her secured laptop and logs in, so she can read the report.
An hour later, she stretches and shuts everything down. She sent a few emails and answered a few that couldn't be ignored. An agent's job is never truly finished. Vacation time is just a friendly way of suggesting you are currently on leave. However, if the agency needs you, don't think it won't contact you.
"And they accuse me of working all hours of the night." Jaxon's voice trickles up from below.
Johannah spots him leaning against the arbor next to the stone walkway. "Now you know you aren't alone. What are you doing up, anyway? Do you know what time it is?"
He nods and gestures for her to let him in, then heads for the backdoor.
Johanna swiftly slips downstairs and opens the door, but instead of inviting him in, she steps out. "Want to go for a walk?"
Jaxon does a quick scan of her outfit. She is wearing fuzzy shorts and a tank top. "In that?"
Johannah shrugs. "Sure, why not? Who's gonna see me beside you? This is a private beach, right?"
"Okay then." Jaxon offers her his hand.
They amble off for the beach. The moon is shining bright above them, lighting their path. Johannah tilts her head back and stares at the stars above. It always amazes her how vast the sky is. How you can see so many more stars without the lights of the city obscuring them.
"So, tell me what has you up so late, Hannah?" Jaxon stops walking, so she doesn't stumble down the stairs in front of them.
Johannah pauses before she begins her descend of the five steps. "Do you mind if we hang out here?"
"That's fine. You like gazing at the stars, don't you? Can you not see them this clearly where you live?" Jaxon sits down, then inclines back on his elbow and gazes up.
Johannah does the same. "So many questions tonight. I live in Washington, D.C."
She glimpses over at Jaxon to gauge what his reaction will be about that. He lives in California so that means they are on opposite coasts, several thousands of miles apart.
"I have property in the D.C. area." He smirks but never glances down. "In fact, I acquired it before this trip. And what is it you do in Washington?"
"Work." Johannah chuckles when she hears him grunt. "I work for a government agency."
"Doing what exactly? Geez Hannah, am I going to have to keep asking the same question over and over again?" There is a little irritation to his voice.
"I can't tell you that, yet." When he protests, Johannah holds up her hand to stop him and continues. "I said yet. I don't even know you really, Jaxon. The people I work for count on my discretion."
"Geoff mentioned he thought you worked for the Secret Service. That you work directly with the President and his family." Jaxon decides to reveal what his friend shared with him earlier.
"Geoff has a very active imagination," Johannah heaves a sigh of amusement.
There are footsteps behind them. When they glance up, they discover a very disheveled Kendra holding out her phone. "You have a call."
Johannah jumps up. "Sorry. I left mine plugged in next to my bed. I should have predicted he would call, eventually."
"Just drop off my phone on your way back." Kendra passes it off to her. "You know how much I hate talking to him directly, so you owe me big time. The man assumes because he is the boss, he can ask anything he dare pleases."
Johannah takes the phone and puts it to her ear. "Sir."
She watches Kendra walk away, not sure what her last comment was about. Something is indeed going on with her friend. Lately, she has been off and secretive even.
"Agent Kohl, you are a difficult woman to track down. Agent Garris told me there is a story behind that." The most recognizable voice in the country addresses her.
"There is, sir." She hates getting into her personal life with the people she works for. Keeping things professional is always best, in her opinion. "If you will give me a few minutes while I step away."
There is a chuckle followed by an unembellished statement. "You are with this man right now. No need to step away. I'll keep it brief. I only called to thank you for how you once again handled Colton. He is much calmer now. I told them not to call you but…"
"It's my job to make his life easier, sir. I have no problem talking to him like that when he is upset. Sounds like he handled everything the best he could. This is the first real incident in the eight years I have worked for you, I think it went over better than we expected. We will work on it when I get back. Figure out ways for him to cope that keep him calmer during and after."
"Above and beyond, as always, Agent Kohl. You are a Godsend for sure. I thank him every day for bringing you into Colton's life." He clears his throat. "Now hand the phone over to your company."
Johannah's face turns extremely red before it goes white. "No."
"That's an order, Agent Kohl, not a request. If you don't, I will be forced to wake Agent McGraw and obtain the information I need from her. Then I'll call him directly."
"Why?" Johannah tilts her head toward the sky out of frustration. "He knows nothing."
"Hand him the phone." There is no denying this man because he will do precisely what he said he would.
"Fine, but I'll make you pay for this when I get back," Johannah grumbles. "Be nice and don't make me regret this."
Jaxon has been watching her closely this entire time. Apparently, whoever it is, said something that she didn't like. It must be something she got both embarrassed and anxious about. When she reluctantly passes him the phone, he wonders why. "Hello. Jaxon Cristiano speaking."
A whistle is the first response he hears. "Mr. Cristiano, this is President Nelson Andrews. I hear you have taken notice of one of my agents. Johannah is very special to me, so I expect you to treat her with the respect she deserves."
"Mr. President?" His voice fluctuates at first but steadies and turns to a more level business sounding one. "I can assure you I hold the utmost respect for Hannah. I have never met a woman like her before. Is there anything I can do for you, sir?"
"Yes, there is. You can make sure Johannah—or should I say, Hannah, since that
seems to be your name for her—make sure she relaxes and enjoys her week. She works too hard and takes her job seriously. Because of that, she rarely has time for herself. That is why I always insist she take a week with her friends around her birthday."
"I will definitely do that, sir."
"And Jaxon?"
"Yes sir?"
"Do your best to capture her heart. If you do that, I guarantee you will have it for a long time. That is, as long as you treat it right. She hasn't had a man pursue her like one should. My wife is worried she will never meet anyone. We work her hard and keep her from socializing like a single attractive woman should. You have her attention for the week; make sure you use that time wisely. Make my wife and me glad we force her to leave us."
Jaxon's eyes find the woman they are talking about. "It was my plan, sir."
"Perfect. We'll talk more later then."
"I look forward to it, Mr. President."
"Good, now get her to bed. Alone, Jaxon. You are looking at a woman of integrity and virtue. Keep her that way, or you will have to deal with me."
Jaxon hears the phone disconnect before he can respond. It's a good thing because he honestly wasn't sure how to respond to that last statement about integrity and virtue. He can detect them both when he stares into her eyes. How the President would know the second isn't a question he plans on asking.
He hands the phone back to Johannah. "So, you do work for him?"
"What did he say?" Johannah grips the phone. She does it the way she would like to grip the man's neck, who forced her to hand over the phone to Jaxon in the first place.
"A lot, actually." Jaxon pats the spot next to him. "But that is between me and him."
Johannah joins him again. "I've known the Andrews for eight years now. Their son Colton was four when he became VP. I was a new agent. Just learning all about protection. Colton is autistic. Wasn't talking much back then, and very leery of strangers. He chose me out of a crowded room of agents. Walked right up to me and grabbed my hand. At first, I wasn't sure what to do. I had studied the dossiers about the family and knew that was odd behavior for him. That was the day my life changed forever."
Jaxon reaches out and takes her hand in his. "I believe I understand why he did that. You are a very special woman, Hannah. He saw that you would keep him safe and not judge him for being the way he is."
A text comes across Kendra's phone, and out of habit Johannah reads it. She now wishes she wouldn't have, though.
Can't believe I had to give Nelson your number. Do you know how embarrassing it is, that he knows I have it for personal reasons? We need to figure this out, Kendra. Call me. I'm done playing games with you.
"Who's Wes?" Jaxon doesn't try to hide the fact he was snooping. "Sorry. But it's so dark out here it's hard not to see that."
Johannah grunts. "Wesley Holmes is the COS, Chief of Staff. Guess I should return Kendra's phone, so she can deal with this."
Jaxon shows his agreement and stands. "So, Kendra…"
"Deals with things way different than I would. Sorry. Her private life is just that, for the most part. I don't ask and she doesn't tell." Johannah stops walking, which forces Jaxon to glance back at her. "I'm not like that. I don't sleep around, ever. I have never slept around."
"Good to know. Me either." Jaxon tries to keep a straight face, but can't when he hears her laugh, so he joins in. "Just to be clear."
"I'm glad you cleared that up for me, Jaxon." Johannah leans into him, still laughing. "But I wanted you to know. I don't know how you feel about all that. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume it's never really been an issue for you before. But I also want to make it clear that I have my reasons and plan to stay the course. I don't…"
"I get it, Hannah. I'm glad at least there will be a few firsts we might experience together one day." Johannah stops walking again and takes a deep breath. "What? I believe I have made it clear from the beginning. I'm not planning on rushing this, but I also don't plan on ever letting you go."
They walk the rest of the way in complete silence until they reach the patio.
"I mean it, Hannah; I don't plan on rushing this." Jaxon hauls her in, so he can wrap his arms around her. "I am enjoying getting to know you. Doing only this right now is enough for me."
"Good, because I have never been one to rush into things. We don't even know each other yet. There is so much we still need to discuss and learn about one another." Johannah pulls away as she heads for the backdoor. "Goodnight, Jaxon."
"Night Hannah." Jaxon waits for her to open the door. "Hannah, tell me. What are you doing for the rest of your life?"
Johannah smirks as she shakes her head. "Don't know yet."
"Keep it open for me then, okay?" And like that, he disappears into the darkness.
Chapter Eight
Three days later, everything seems to have shifted in Jaxon's world. He has participated in behaviors he never dreamed possible. Hanging out with his friends at the house instead of spending most of his days at the resort going over operations. Or even locked in his home office making business transactions.
Currently, he is lounging on the beach next to a woman he never imagined would be in his life. He can't stop admiring her right now. He probably should, but he just can't. She is just so beautiful all sprawled out on the large beach towel while taking a break from the surf and sun.
Her skin has unquestionably taken a beating from the harmful rays these last few days. Which he finds puzzling since he doesn't have that particular problem. It's not burnt really, but it is undeniably pink. He has never seen a person lather a body with so much sunscreen as she has. Of course, he isn't complaining since he has been lucky enough to help apply it a few times to her back. She seems to understand her limits and clearly requires the protection.
Applying it on her pink skin was one of the most intimate moments of his life. Which he finds a little sad, given that he is a thirty-one-year-old man. Pathetic that he has never once touched a woman's back until recently.
At first, he was hesitant when she asked because it just didn't seem right to be touching her in that way. That was until Geoff jumped at the opportunity and revealed he'd be happy to do it instead. No way was Jaxon letting a man like Geoff to get his hands on Hannah. Then he nearly froze. As soon as she instructed him to make sure he got under the straps and seams of her suit, so she didn't burn if her suit slipped. Luckily, she had a one-piece on that first day with a high cut back, so it hadn't felt as awkward.
However, with each passing day, it seemed as if her suits were getting lower and smaller. Yesterday it went from a one-piece to a two-piece that still covers most of her.
Today, however, is a whole different story.
It's not as skimpy as Kendra's, thank goodness. That woman's suit is like three triangles, barely big enough to cover her lady parts. If Hannah had shown up to the beach wearing that, Jaxon would have asked her politely to change. If she had refused, he's not sure what he would have done. Probably dragged her down the beach, far away from everyone else's eyes except his.
Hannah's suit covered her top parts rather nicely in the front. Only allowing him a glimpse of her goods, mainly because she is so well-endowed. There is no way to cover them fully, although she does her best when she can. Apparently, they don't manufacture swimming suits for a modest woman like her.
The bottom of her suit. What he learned from Paige was known as a boy cut. He thinks they look like shorts, very short shorts, but still shorts. And while the other two men seem to be drooling over Kendra's barely there bikini, he believes Hannah is the more attractive of the two.
When she rotates her head in his direction, he can't help but flip on his side, so he can reach out and touch her. She has this adorable speck of freckles that have appeared gradually across her nose and cheeks. His fingers trace along them, before trailing down to her shoulder, where a few more have emerged. He continues advancing down her arm until he reaches her hand again.
She is
lying on her back, so his eyes stray towards her stomach. Right above her belly button, she has a mole he finds very stimulating. Without giving it much thought, he moves his hand, so he can caress it. The second his fingers brush her stomach muscles; she flinches and laughs.
"Don't," Johannah warns him as her eyes fly open.
"Are you ticklish, Hannah?" Jaxon's eyes get this gleam in them, which reveals a side of him she has a feeling most never see.
Johannah shakes her head, denying the truth. The last few days have been unlike any she has ever experienced before. The man who was so closed off when she first met him, has done a complete three-sixty. It's taken some work on her part, but the more time they spend together, the more he relaxes. The more he relaxes, the more she gets a glimpse of the man inside the man. The one she needs to get to know if there is any hope of this working out between them.
"Are you sure about that?" Jaxon lets his fingers barely brush against her stomach. The woman has a very flat, tight tummy, with a hint of a six-pack when she shifts just right. And right now, she is moving just right. Making the lines of it appear as she squirms, trying to avoid his touch.
"Jaxon, I'm warning you. I know how to take a man down and do some serious damage." Johannah tries to sound threatening. But it's hard to sound that way when his fingers are tickling her skin like that. "You don't want to mess with me."
Yeah, he really does, so he transfers his attack to her side, and then slowly starts trailing them upward. That little move has her in an instant on her feet, retreating from him. Which has him sitting up, so he can get a good look at her. Gorgeous.
"Go out with me alone tonight," he blurts out.
"Oh, no. Not tonight, bud. Tonight is girls' night. I have been planning this night for a very long time." Kendra pops up on her elbows, giving everyone the perfect view of her cleavage. "We always celebrate our birthdays together. And this is a big one for us, the big 3-O. No way, are you ruining that for me too."
