by C R Riley
It has been twelve days since he has seen Johannah face to face. They have only done long-distance dating so far. He's talked to her nightly, texted her multiple times a day, and even has had several Skype sessions with her. But they haven't seen each other since he dropped her off at the hotel in Torrey Pines.
And what a circus that had been.
Jaxon instantly understood her job. He had to drop her off at the checkpoint located several hundred feet away from the main entrance. It didn't matter that he owned the hotel. He wasn't on the list, so he wasn't getting in. They didn't even care that he was escorting Special Agent Kohl. They had a protocol to follow and the Secret Service didn't make exceptions, ever.
Johannah had tried to warn him, although he couldn't imagine it being so difficult for him to get through. Once again, she had proven him wrong. They were forced to say a quick goodbye, instead of the long extended one he had planned on giving her.
He has also come to realize she wasn't kidding about the demands of her job, and how it affects her social life. She worked a good sixty-hours a week on average. Reports every morning during the week at seven sharp. Leaves around the same time in the evening once the family settled in for the night.
Colton is her main focus. If he had an activity in the evenings, then she was there to guarantee he stayed safe until he returned home. She held that boy very close to her heart and took his disability seriously. Even admitted to Jaxon, that if Colton were an average teenager, she wouldn't be required to put in the hours she did. He requires a special kind of reassurance to receive the appropriate protection necessary. So, she is willing to put in the extra hours. As were a few other agents he was more comfortable with. Which meant there were nights when she didn't get home till well after ten. And that sometimes meant she also put in a few hours on the weekend when necessary.
This weekend however was scheduled for family. Something the President and his wife liked to do when they could. They needed private family time to regroup and tried to get one in once a month when possible.
Jaxon found it fascinating to learn a man of such power still did his best to put his family first. Because of that, Johannah was available for an entire weekend, and he planned on taking full advantage of it.
His flight landed around four that afternoon. He headed straight to his suite at Cristiano Towers. The last time he'd been there, things didn't end so well, which he believed might be adding to his anxiousness now. He couldn't pick Johannah up until around seven. She promised she'd text him when her day ended, and then direct him where to meet her.
Ten minutes till seven he receives that text. Informing him to meet her at the security gate located off Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th Street. Since she drove herself to work daily, they would use her car tonight.
The moment he received her text, he started heading that way. Tonight, he was dressed down in jeans and a t-shirt. Their date was designed to be of a casual nature this evening.
As he approaches the gate, he recognizes her straightaway. Johanna must have changed out of her work wardrobe before calling him. She is wearing a navy-blue mosaic print Maxi dress. A faded short denim jacket has been draped over it since the weather has cooled off as fall sets in. As soon as she notices him, she waves him over while she continues her conversation with the guard.
"Hello." Johannah reaches out and drags him inside the small guard station. "I need you to spread 'em for me."
"Excuse me?" Jaxon's eyes widen and he shakes his head, totally caught off guard.
The guard laughs as Johannah explains. "If you want access behind these gates. I need to make sure you don't have any weapons or paraphernalia on your person. Colton has requested a meeting of sorts."
"Oh… okay." Jaxon isn't sure how he feels about that.
He and Colton had a few brief conversations when he called and discovered she was still working. Usually, after hours, when he had expected her to be home but instead found she was with Colton.
"So, what do I need to do then?"
"Empty your pockets. Take everything out including cellphone, wallet, keys, and loose change. Then place all of that in the bin. Landon will inspect the items for us. Once you've done that, I need you to spread your feet, shoulder-length apart, so I can pat you down." There is a very impish look in her eyes.
"You're going to enjoy this, aren't you?" Jaxon does as she directed, even lifts his arms like he has done for airport security several times. He always hates getting patted down and does his best to avoid it whenever possible. This time, however, he doesn't believe he is going to mind it at all. "I'm all yours."
"Yes, you are." Johannah pats him down, starting with his arms and working her way south.
Landon should probably be doing this. But because of Jaxon's issue with being touched by anyone besides her, she requested he allowed her to frisk him. She joked about finally being allowed to get her hands on the man standing in front of her now. Told Landon he was holding out on her, and this might be her only chance to fully assess him thoroughly. The lower she gets, the redder her face becomes.
"What's a matter, Hannah? Find something down there you like." Jaxon questions when she palms his inseam.
Johannah jostles her head at his comment and catches Landon watching them closely. "So far, so good. No surprises. Definitely not hiding a weapon."
"You are bad news, Hannah. Very, very bad news."
"We're all good here, Landon. How about you?" Johannah stands and turns to face the other man. He holds up a small pocketknife. "Yep, that is going to have to stay here with you. Guess when you fly in on your private jet, you don't have to follow the same TSA regulations."
"I'll place it in the usual spot. You all can retrieve it on your way out." Landon motions for them to continue through.
Johannah steps through the metal detector first and waits for Jaxon to follow. Once through, she hands him the box with his stuff in it. "Let's go."
She escorts him down the sidewalk and through a side door of the White House. They make a few turns, then head down a long hallway that will take them to the private living quarters. Seeing her nod her way through a place like this, and seem so comfortable about it, allures him. Until right now, he never stopped to consider how cool her job was.
"We are in the White House, Hannah." He leans forward as he whispers that in her ear. "You do realize that, right? That we are actually in the most famous house in the United States."
Johannah snickers as they come to a stop right outside a door. When it opens, the man himself greets them. "Mr. President."
"Johannah, when am I going to get you to call me by my actual name?" He motions for them both to enter. "Colton is up in the solarium with his mother and sister. Please feel free to join them. He is quite excited to meet your friend. It's nice to finally meet you, Jaxon. Welcome to the White House."
"It's nice to be here, Mr. President. Had I known we were going to be meeting like this, I'd have dressed more appropriately." Jaxon can hardly believe he just stepped into the residential area of the White House. Only to be greeted by the President personally. "Nice place you have here."
Nelson laughs and starts to reach out to slap Jaxon's back. But stops short, remembering hearing he suffers much like his son does. "It is, isn't it? I do believe I like this man, Johannah. You seem to have found someone as witty as you."
"Ignore him." Johannah grabs Jaxon's hand and leads him towards the staircase that will take them to the top floor. "Nelson thinks he is a funny man, and that because he holds such an important job, he can act any way he pleases. I have to knock him down a few notches several times a week, just to remind him otherwise."
Another sincere laugh originates from Nelson. "See the abuse I endure daily, Jaxon. It doesn't matter that I hold the highest job in the country, and could have her shipped off with just a phone call. She still treats me like everyone else, which is why we love her."
"Back at ya, big guy," Johannah replies as she drags Jaxon up the staircase.
"I can't believe you just verbally badgered it out with the President." Jaxon is in awe of the way she just interacted with a man who intimated even him.
"Jaxon, the Andrews and I have been through a lot together. I've been through so much with them, that they have become like family to me. Now understand, we don't always act like that. More often than not, my interaction with President Andrews is much like you'd expect. But when the man acts as if he has the right to butt into my personal life, like he has done since you have been in it. I figure that gives me the right to give it right back to him, much like I would my brothers." Johannah tells him as they climb the last flight of stairs and enter a hallway.
They turn and enter a room where the rest of the first family is gathered. Camille is sitting on the floor playing with her dolls. Colton is pacing the room with a book in his hand. He has headphones in his ears and is bobbing his head up and down while he paces and reads. The First Lady is seated next to a man Jaxon recognizes; they seem to be going over her schedule.
"Speaking of brothers," Johannah states as she enters the room.
Nathan's head lifts and a smile takes over his face. "I don't believe you are dressed like a woman reporting for duty."
"Very observant of you, Agent Kohl."
A loud clap startles Jaxon. "Good one, Jo. Jo. Jo. Two Agent Kohl's in the same room. Nate works for Mother, though. Introduce me to your friend, please Jo. Jo. Jo."
"Come over here, so we can do this properly, Colton. Remember, Jaxon is much like you. Before you lay a hand on him, you need to ask permission, or you could think of an alternative gesture." Johannah waits for the young man to join her.
Since she is only a few inches shy of six feet, she towers over the boy who seems tall for his age. She places her arm around his shoulder as she makes the introductions.
"Colton, I'd like you to meet my very special friend, Jaxon Cristiano. Jaxon, this is Colton Andrews, the greatest First Son I have ever known. And this little angel is Camille Andrews, the prettiest First Daughter there ever was." She lays her hand on the little girl's head as she steps up next to her.
Jaxon smiles at both of them. "Nice to meet you both. I know Hannah is very fond of both of you. She has told me so much about you all."
"Hannah. Hannah. Hannah. Who is Hannah?" Colton looks at Johannah and seems confused.
"Sorry, I mean Johannah." Jaxon clarifies.
"Why does he call you Hannah, Jo? Jo. Jo. Why?" Colton begins to rock unintentionally.
"Yeah, Jo, why?" Her brother steps up next to them and waits to hear this for himself. "I have always wanted to ask that question, Colton, but I didn't want her to punch me."
Colton and Camille giggle. They have witnessed Johannah punch her brother playfully before when he starts in. Like she told Jaxon, she is close to this family. They know Nate is her brother, so she often treats him like she always would. Thinks it's important for the two Andrews' children to witness how they interact.
"He calls me Hannah because I told him when he called me Johannah, I kept looking from my mother and father. They are the only ones to call me by my full name, everyone else just calls me Jo."
Jaxon takes over for her. "I told her Jo was too plain of a name for such a remarkably stunning woman. Asked if I could call her Hannah. Hannah means gracious, mercy, full of grace. All words I believe describe her, so she agreed to it."
"Such a charmer." Rosetta joins them. "Nate, I believe we are finished. Thank you for sticking around long enough to go over that with me."
"No problem, Mrs. Andrews. I'm glad we got it all worked out like you wanted, and now we will be prepared come Monday morning. Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy your time with the family." Nathan tells everyone else goodbye before he takes off.
They visit with the family for a few more minutes, when Johannah informs them they have plans and need to go. Before they leave, Colton walks right up to Jaxon. Standing in front of him, he stares at him as if waiting.
"Everything okay, Colton." Johannah reaches out and pats his arms to grab his attention.
"Fist bump, Jaxon?" Colton makes a fist. "I like to fist bump much better than I like to shake hands. Shaking hands stings so much longer. Maybe you could try fist bumping when a handshake is required. Jo taught me how."
Jaxon's makes a fist and offers it to Colton, so they can bump fists. And just like Colton said, the affect is barely noticeable. Why hadn't he thought of that before? "Thanks, bud. You're right, that is so much better than shaking hands."
"I like you," Colton informs him before he walks away. "Bye Jo. Jo. Jo. Have fun. See you Monday."
Johannah leads them out the same way they came in. When they get outside, she addresses Jaxon. "Thanks for doing that. Colton has been driving me crazy all week, talking about meeting you."
Jaxon looks around and notices they are alone. Only a few cars are left in the parking areas. There are a few guards posted about, keeping watch.
He reaches out and takes Johannah's hand. "I am honored to have been invited to meet the family. You have a very special job, Hannah. That young man up there is very attached to you. You are also as equally attached to him and his family. There is no doubt in my mind that you'd take a bullet for any one of them and not blink. Do you know how that makes me feel?"
Johannah stops and spins to face him when they reach her car. "No. But you are right, that is what I would do if it came to that. However, if we do our jobs correctly, it never will. My father served as an agent, as did my mother before they got married. My brother, Nathan, joined the USSS as soon as he graduated from college. He has served as a protective agent now for ten years. Has worked directly with the First Lady for the last five. It's in my blood, I guess, all of ours really. Why Caleb works for the FBI, and my other two brothers have military careers. Does that mean I will do this indefinitely? No. I will serve my time with this family and once that is over with, I will see where life takes me."
"It frightens me to think I could lose you like that. But it also gives me great pride, to know you put others above yourself. I've never met anyone quite like you, Hannah, and I sure hope one day very soon, I can convince you to be so much more. Tell me, Hannah. What are you doing for the rest of your life?"
And before she can answer him, he kisses her. Like a man who has found exactly what he has been searching for.
Chapter Nineteen
Johannah does her best to get her wits about her after such a kiss from Jaxon. No man has ever stimulated her the way he does. Inside she is in knots over the man, the good kind of knots. He just has this way of throwing her off guard and making her feel exposed. Not to mention, whenever he touches her, she can feel it deep down in a place no one else has ever reached.
They exit through the gate she escorted Jaxon through earlier so they could retrieve his pocketknife. When Landon hands it over, she knows the man witnessed the exchange that occurred between them only moments ago. So much for keeping her private and professional life separate.
As she fights the evening traffic, she rests her arm on the console between them. Turns her hand up, inviting him to take it. "Relax. I drive this chaos every day."
"I'm sure you know what you are doing. However, I don't normally ride shotgun." Jaxon notices her hand and takes hold of it, as he begins to momentarily relax.
"You could climb in the back if that makes you more comfortable. Although, I don't believe my Civic is as roomy as your vehicle." Johannah notices he has her seat slid back as far as it will go. He doesn't have a lot of room and appears a little cramped. Probably why his vehicles seem to be larger, so they can accommodate a man of his stature.
"Which one?" Jaxon squeezes her hand when a car pulls over suddenly, forcing Johannah to slam on her breaks. "I hate traffic. Which is why Martin does most of the city driving."
"You have more than one vehicle?" Johannah has had special training in both aggressive and defensive driving. She is an expert at weaving in and out of traffic. With each maneuver she
performs, Jaxon's grip tightens, and he even makes a few disproving grunts.
"I have ten collectibles, two vehicles I use daily. A limo and an SUV. All of which are on the high end of the spectrum with great safety records. Well, the collectibles may not be the safest of vehicles, but I didn't buy them because they were safe." Jaxon slams his feet into the floorboard. "Geez, Hannah."
Johannah twists her head to glimpse behind her before she whips her vehicle over quickly. Turning onto 26th, avoiding the congestion ahead.
"Calm down, I got this. Don't worry Jaxon, I like you too much to let anything happen to you." She blows him a kiss as she veers onto M Street and then swings a quick left onto 28th.
"You are never driving my collectibles," Jaxon informs her when she turns onto Olive Street. Right as she presses a button and drives through a secure gate. "This is where you live?"
"Yep. Home sweet home." Johannah pulls into her designated parking spot and turns off the engine. "What types of vehicles are in your collections?" She reaches behind her, where she grabs her briefcase before opening her door to get out.
Jaxon quickly makes his way around to her, snatching the briefcase from her hand. "A 1965 Shelby, Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari Spyder, Camaro, an Aston Martin—my James Bond car—a Lamborghini. Along with a few others. I even own a Harley. You are never ever driving any of them, specifically the Harley. I so do not trust you on that bike."
Johannah opens up the outside door and takes the stairs When she gets there, she unlocks her door and holds it open for him. "Don't look around too carefully. I haven't been home most of the week. Things are kind of a mess. My maid has only been here long enough this week to scarf down dinner. Chat it up with a very dashing stud muffin. Who distracted her from doing most of her work and then crashed once her head hit the pillow."
Jaxon walks past a pair of French doors. They open up to a small balcony where one wrought iron chair and a small table set. There is also a tiny pot filled with dirt and a very dead plant. He tries not to laugh.
