by Alex Grayson
I know it when he blows out his breath, makes a face at me, then gets to his feet. Jori stretches his toned and colorful arms over his head and glances back down at me through the small gap between his neck and shoulder and I chuckle.
He drops his arms at his sides as he begins to chew on his lower lip thoughtfully, his eyes on Hoyt again.
“Wanna do something today, Red?” he asks.
“We just did,” I reply dryly.
Jori laughs and turns around, extending a hand out toward me. I take it, letting him lift me off the couch and slide an arm around his waist.
“That’s not what I meant,” he begins as he starts to chew his lip again. “I was wondering if you wanted to go out and do something. I don’t think we’ve really had a day out since we came back from Ossining. Not that I care if that’s what makes you happy, I don’t know. I just think it would be fun to go out and get into some trouble.”
I pull away from him slightly and meet his now mischievous gaze with narrow eyes. Jori Davidson could be the king of getting into trouble, so I’m not entirely sure what to say right now. It’s obvious by the way his lower lip is beginning to twitch that this is the proverbial trick up his sleeve, but now I’m wondering if I ever want to go outside again.
While he’s a master of getting himself into deep water, he’s also very patient with me, and if I don’t go out today, there’s always tomorrow or the tomorrow after that.
“Come on, Red!” he pleads with a hopeful smile as he turns to face me and wrapping his arms around my waist. “I promise it’ll be a good time.”
I laugh and shake my head, looking up at him affectionately. Some days, Jori reminds me of that boy that took me to Canada on a whim after having had his fill of Millie for the day. That’s the Jori that I love the most because we did something dangerous, daring, and it’s when he gave me my first kiss.
It’s when his hardened exterior softened just enough to allow me to crawl into his heart.
“Alright,” I finally agree, letting out a sigh. “What’s the worst that could happen anyway? It’s not like anyone even knows who we are around this place.”
With that boyish grin that I love so damn much, I decide to let Jori lead the way for the rest of the day.
4
I’ve been standing on the front stoop for about ten minutes after Jori decided that we needed to actually go somewhere and not just outside like I was hoping for. He ran in to get his keys, wallet, and God knows what else, because our house isn’t big at all for this to be taking so long.
“Sorry, Red,” he says with a laugh when he finally emerges from inside, “There was something I had to check before we could start our adventure.”
I raise an eyebrow curiously at him.
The last time we had an adventure that we both kind of enjoyed, we almost ended up in another country.
“What kind are you talking about?” I inquire cautiously.
He rolls his eyes again as he takes me by the hand and gives it a gentle, but firm tug. I let him lead me down the small walkway toward his car.
“You worry way too much about the little things, Red. Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me before?” he asks with a smirk as he opens the passenger side door for me. I give him an even stare, he blanches, and I immediately feel bad. I let out a soft sigh and force a bright smile onto my face. “No.”
He gives me a smug look before I finally relent and settle into the seat. Once Jori’s closed my door, I pull the seatbelt across my body and secure in place while I wait for my seemingly eager guy to get into the car and start our day.
“You’re gonna love this, Red. I promise,” he says once he’s strapped in and slides the key into the ignition. I lean over and give him a kiss on the cheek. He blushes and steals a grin in my direction before he pulls out of the spot obviously feeling a little better. The tiniest sign of affection makes him a happy man, and I do what I can to give him all of the affection I can afford to spare.
I settle back and once Jori’s on the road to adventure, he holds his hand out and I rest mine in his. I don’t know where we’re headed, but as long as he’s the one taking me there, I usually don’t have a problem following him blindly.
The scenery changes after a while which is something different. Harper’s Ferry always looked the same to me no matter where we’ve gone—trees everywhere, quaint, and our home away from Hell. I don’t know why we picked this place when we left Cold Spring. I think it was just the first place Jori finally stopped to get some rest after driving for so long and we took it as an “it was meant to be” kind of thing.
Kind of like us, I think with a quiet chuckle.
“What’s on your mind over there?” Jori asks, stealing a glance at me.
“Nothing, really. I was just thinking about how we ended in this place is all,” I respond with a shrug.
He clicks his tongue against his teeth and clears his throat.
I get his silence.
He doesn’t like talking about the past because that’s exactly what came so damn close to destroying us. He gave me a choice—as best as he knew how—and I chose to stay with him. It definitely took some getting used to, but after a year, I don’t see him as anyone other than the man that I love. The one that saved me from all of the shit storms I managed to keep getting sucked into.
“We’re almost there. I think,” he mumbles under his breath about twenty five minutes later. I don’t understand how we’ve been in the car for forty-five minutes and haven’t left the state yet. I never knew that Harper’s Ferry was apparently as big as it is.
“There it is, Red!” Jori says excitedly as he points at a welcoming little sign on the side of the road.
I narrow my eyes as I lean forward to read it.
Hillbrook Inn.
I smile curiously at him and he grins as he turns down the long driveway without saying another word.
Sometimes, the silence is a good thing, but when I don’t know what’s at the end of it, it can be kind of unnerving.
5
Once we’re inside the Inn, I realize that it’s a beautiful bed and breakfast. I glance around feeling a little shy because I know we can’t afford a place like this, but Jori seems damn determined to make sure that I do something besides sitting at home staring at Hoyt.
“Hey,” I say to him quietly with a nudge after he’s ringed the bell on the desk. “We don’t have anything packed. Is this a day trip?”
“Chill out, Red,” he replies with a grin as he wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Have a little faith in me, huh?”
I can feel the crimson blush starting to creep across my cheeks and nod. It has nothing to do with anything other than feeling bad for always questioning his motives. I know he’s a good man despite all the bullshit he’s been through, but some days … I don’t know. I guess I wish that we were still kids sleeping in the tree house where he would keep me safe from all of the dragons guarding the tower.
Things were simpler then.
True, we dealt with a lot of horrible situations during that time, but it was honestly just us. Even with the adults around, I didn’t really see anyone else but my best friend.
And had I opened my eyes, I may have seen Hoyt a little clearer too, I accuse myself.
I clear my throat and bite my lip to keep from letting the tears fall down my face. This is something that Jori wants to do and I refuse to ruin it for him by crying over something I didn’t even know I had tears left for.
“…reservation.”
I shake my head quickly and glance up at Jori. I hadn’t even noticed the kind looking young woman that appeared while I was lost in my own thoughts. But I’m also a little confused too because I don’t recall Jori ever discussing this with me, though he does like his surprises.
I slip an arm around his waist and gently dig my fingernails into his side. He gaps lightly, glances down at me, and when he sees the questioning look I’m giving him, he grins again.
A wink, a kiss
on the cheek, and he’s back to chatting with … Dee, I think her name tag says. She keeps stealing dreamy-eyed glances at him and I have to do my best not to reach over and smack her for it, but Jori doesn’t seem to notice, and if he does, he doesn’t care.
He doesn’t see anyone else except for me, and while I know I can trust him wholly when it comes to other women, I still get that jealous feeling when another girl is fawning all over him. Of course, that’s how I found out the truth about us. I thought he had been seeing someone behind my back all because of a simple thing like going through his bag in Ossining, and in his desperation to keep us together, he let the reason we’ve always felt so drawn to each other slip.
Not that it matters.
“You about ready, babe?”
I tear my cold stare away from Dee and glance up at Jori, giving him the biggest smile I can muster and nod. He raises an eyebrow curiously, then a knowing look washes over his handsome face. He shakes his head and rolls his eyes, as he takes my hand in his, thanks the girl with the stars in her eyes, and gives my ass a slap on the way out the front door.
When I realize he’s leading back to the car I give him a confused look. “So was it just a look around?” I ask a little harsher than I mean to, but he doesn’t seem bothered by it.
“Nope; just wanted to get us the best spot in the place so we have to drive a little to get there. Now get in the car cranky ass so we can go unwind some,” he instructs as he opens my door for me. When we’re both inside, he doesn’t start the car right away. Instead, he turns in his seat with a seriousness I haven’t seen in his eyes in over a year, and I steel myself for whatever it is he plans to say next.
“I really hope you enjoy this,” he begins stumbling nervously over his words, “because there’s a reason we’re here. I … Um.” He sighs and runs a hand irritably over his face before he grits his teeth and looks away for a moment. “Anyway, I just hope you like it.”
Jori turns in his seat again and starts the car driving the short distance to a cottage on the end of the property and I’m left wondering if there’s one more secret left between us.
And if there is, will he tell me or will I have to drag it out of him?
6
“Wow, this is better than our place,” Jori says once we step inside. He lets go of my hand and glances around the room, his arms crossed loosely over his chest, and lets out a low whistle. “Think they’d notice if we moved in?” he asks, glancing at me over his shoulder.
I grin as I walk over and give him a playful slap on the back, “I like our place just fine, Mr. Davidson.”
“Oooh! Mister! I like that, Red. It puts me in the mood,” he says as he looks down at me, wiggling his eyebrows.
I giggle and take a step away from him as I look around the place. It’s a small cottage house and I know that this put a huge dent in Hoyt’s life savings, but there has to be a reason that Jori spent this much money. He’s usually so damn meticulous with every dollar we spend down to the penny, that I’m sure there’s more to this place than meets the eye.
“Alright, Davidson,” I finally say as I put my hands on my hips and give him a critical stare, “spill it.”
He pouts at being called Davidson in the place of Mister, and I can feel the corners of my lips twitching, but I won’t give in that easily. He’s gonna have to work for a smile now that I know there’s still another secret lingering in the air somewhere.
“There’s nothing to spill—not right now, anyway,” he says carefully with a shrug. “Anyway, our shit is in the bedroom. You know, to answer your question about this being a day trip or not.”
I scrunch up my face.
This man has never planned a damn thing before in his life.
He makes his decisions on the spur of the moment and it only adds to his hot-headed charm, so when did he have the time to do this?
“Last weekend,” he replies with a sly grin. It’s almost like he plucked the question out of my mind, but a strong bond between siblings can do that sometimes. “Remember? You slept for like almost the entire day? Well, maybe you don’t remember,” he concedes as he scratches the back of his head.
He clears his throat, walks past me, and disappears down a short hallway. I turn slightly and crane my neck to see where he’s going, but when he stops just outside of a door and lingers with that damn Davidson smile on his face, I shake my head again and laugh.
The way he’s looking at me right now tells me that he’s standing just inside the bedroom and he wants some company.
The bedroom is bright, sunny, and welcoming.
And because of that, Jori closes the blinds and draws the curtains.
I’ve never been a bright and sunny kind of gal, and he’s even more opposed to the bright side of things than I am.
It’s how we are and it works for us.
Besides, being the offspring of Hoyt Blackburn and Doreen Davidson never did include the sunshine and rainbows package in life and we’re just fine with that. I don’t think we’d be the people we are today if we grew up in a stable home, though Hoyt tried his damnedest to make it so. He just got slighted at every turn.
My eyes lower to the carpet as I begin to chew the inside of my mouth and Jori lets out a sigh. He doesn’t approach me though, instead the next sound I hear is the slight creak of the bed as he lays down and I clear my throat, swallowing the lump, then look up at him.
Without so much as a single thought spoken out loud, I walk over to the bed, climb on, and rest my head on his chest. I can hear his heart beginning to beat a little faster and it makes me feel better. With as tough as he tries to be, he’s never been able to keep that façade going when it comes to me, and I like that just fine.
“So …” he says, his voice trailing off nervously.
I smile when his heart races even faster.
He’s never been shy about what he wants, when he wants it, but ever since Hoyt died, he’s always been the one to let me pull the trigger on when things happen.
It doesn’t take more than that, though.
I can’t remember the last time that Jori and I were together the way he wants and I know it’s another reason he wakes up sweating at night.
Not that he’ll ever admit it, because a hero never lets you know when there’s a dent in their armor. That tells you that they’re human and that you can pierce their heart; and while the evils of our past never believed he has one, I know that he does.
And it beats for me.
7
I’ve missed the way Jori’s lips taste when he’s like this. The way his chest moves shakily up and down when I run my hands down his bare skin. He holds me close to him—so close that I think he’s trying to pull me into his body instead of the other way around, but this is what he needs.
And even though I didn’t know it until he kissed me so damn gently on my lips, it’s what I need too.
“I love you so damn much, Red,” he whispers when we pull apart. I smile at him, sit up and pull my shirt over my head. No matter how many times Jori tells me that he loves me, it always has the same effect as if though he’s admitting his feelings for the first time.
“I know, Jori. I love you too,” I tell him as I scoot down the bed and grip the waist of his pants. He lifts himself enough to allow me to pull them off his body, then tilts his head to the side as I reach for his boxers.
“Prove it,” he challenges playfully with a smirk.
I shake my head and chuckle as I reach into the fly of his underwear, and when my hand wraps around his dick, he inhales sharply. I’m not surprised that he’s hard already; he’s never been a chore to get ready before.
I move my body back up toward his, hovering over him slightly, and taking in his lust-filled bitter, blue eyes. The way he’s looking at me right now is the reason I love him so much. I lean down and kiss him softly on his lips as I begin to move my hand up and down his shaft.
His next breath escapes him in a shudder and I have to do my best not to grin. Jori D
avidson, the bane of every adult in his life, is really nothing more than a desperate boy needing to be loved.
And that’s where I come in.
When he grunts, I move my hand a little faster, but the way he pulls my face back toward his, the way he kisses me, I know he’s not in the mood for foreplay.
“Come on, Red,” he breathes as he slaps my hand away and reaches down to pull his boxers off. He licks the palm of his hand quickly and begins to run it up and down his shaft, then nods at me.
With a smile, I pull my shorts and panties off, tossing them over the side of the bed, then reach down for his dick. He places a hand on either side of my hips as I begin to lower myself onto him.
He grunts again and I close my eyes as I bite down on my lower lip.
Maybe it’s been longer than a little while, but that only heightens the pleasure for both of us I think.
Once I’ve got his cock buried inside of me, I lean down and place my hands on his shoulders. He looks up into my eyes pleadingly, almost like he’ll die if I don’t start fucking him soon, and so I do.
I begin to roll my hips and he closes his eyes, lets out another shuddering breath and leans his head back against the pillow.
Jori’s fingers dig into the flesh of my hips as I sit up and begin to grind down against him. It won’t take him long to come; I can tell by the way he’s breathing. I almost feel bad that I know this won’t last as long as he wants it too, but Jori’s always ready for round two even before round one is over.
I move faster, finding a pace I’ll know that we’ll both be comfortable with, and just like that, it’s over.
Jori lets out a loud moan as he tightens his grip on my hips, then looks up at me with a tired laugh.
“Fuck. Sorry, Red,” he says sheepishly.
