by Donna Hill
The party seemed to last an eternity. Finally the VP was escorted back to his residence and Avery and Mike’s duties were taken over by the residential security.
The instant Avery was alone with Mike as they exited the Suburban at the agency headquarters, she lit into him.
“I’m going to explain something to you so that we’re real clear,” she said and took a step closer to him. “What I do or don’t in my private life is none of your business. None. I don’t want nor do I need your commentary. As a matter of fact don’t address me at all unless it’s directly work related. Stay away from me, Mike.”
His lips slightly parted.
“Don’t,” she warned, then stormed toward her car, got in and pulled off before she said or did something that would take this to a whole other level.
By the time she arrived home, her temper had been turned down to simmer. The freaking nerve of Mike! And Rafe’s father? She knew he had to go out of his way to seek her out.
She tugged out of her clothes and tossed them wherever. Senator Lawson’s words stayed in her head like unwanted house guests. He doesn’t stick with anyone or anything very long. Everything she’d ever read about Rafe confirmed his father’s words, but now she understood why and she believed him when he said that he wanted to be with her.
Confessing to her his greatest fear and his deepest loss wasn’t easy, not for a man like Rafe. He allowed himself to be vulnerable, to trust her. She didn’t take that lightly and she wouldn’t let his father’s veiled warning derail them before they got started.
She got in bed, turned on her side and switched off the bedside lamp. Why did he think it was important to let her know that he and her father had a history? And what kind of history was it?
Chapter 19
Rafe kept his promise and called or texted Avery each day that he was in Louisiana. He was back in the studio and the music was finally coming together. Although he wouldn’t admit it out loud, simply hearing her voice and knowing that she cared about him and what he was doing was the thing he looked forward to every day. Her laughter filled him, her insight inspired him and her anecdotes about her days on the job had him laughing like he hadn’t done in ages. He was slowly beginning to believe that he could be happy again, that he deserved it, and he wanted to share that happiness with Avery. Reconciling all that was still difficult at times. There were moments when he thought to pick up the phone and get with one of the women that had been in and out of his life just to get Avery out of his head. But something always stopped him. When he was alone at night he’d often tossed back an extra bourbon to take the edge off. But lately he found that talking with Avery before he turned in for the night was all that he needed. When he took his bike out for a spin the overarching desire to race into oblivion, challenge the laws of physics, was tempered. He didn’t want to risk hurting himself anymore.
Rafe thought about all of this as he walked up the three steps to Avery’s front door. He should have called first. But he wanted to surprise her. She’d told him the evening before that she didn’t have to go in until midday. He was banking on that.
He rang the bell and waited.
Moments later the door eased open then swung back. “Rafe!” Avery beamed. “What in the world?”
That slow easy grin.
“I was in the neighborhood and figured...”
She grabbed him by his shirt and tugged him inside, wrapping herself around him.
He covered her mouth with a kiss. “Hey, darlin’,” he said against her mouth and shut the door with his foot. “Damn you feel good,” he dragged out.
Avery giggled. “Do you just hop in a plane on a whim?”
“The perks of having your own.”
She shook her head in amusement. “You didn’t say a word when we spoke last night.”
“That would ruin the surprise.”
She took him by the hand and pulled him behind her straight to her bedroom.
* * *
“You should call out today,” Rafe said groggily. He turned on his side and spooned against her.
“Unlike some folk I have a job to go to.”
He squeezed her breasts. “They would understand.” He kissed the back of her neck and pressed his rising erection against her.
“Rafe...”
“Hmm?” His hand slid down between her damp thighs.
Avery moaned. “I...can’t. I’m going to be late.”
He stroked the slick folds of her sex. “Probably.”
Avery turned onto her back. She looped her arms around his neck.
Rafe positioned himself above her and braced his weight on his forearms. He looked down into her eyes. Avery lifted her hips and tightened her knees against his sides as he slid inside her.
Rafe hissed through his teeth. The heat of her insides threatened to consume him. He could make love to her every day, every night and all the times in between and still want more. Avery peeled away his defenses and all those empty spaces in his soul were being filled. The fear that had lingered in his heart for so long lessened when he was with her. That realization more than anything shook him. He wanted to totally let go and surrender to her the way she had with him. And at moments like this when he held her, moved inside her, became a part of her, he almost believed it was possible.
* * *
Rafe watched Avery while she rushed to get dressed. He put on his clothes, as well.
“Coming for you after work today,” he said from his spot on the bed as he put on his shoes.
She turned from the mirror.
“We’ll stay at my place in Arlington for a few days. I’ll drive you in.”
She propped her hand on her hip. “Do I get a say?”
“Naw, darlin’. I want you with me and I need to be in my place for a while and I want you there.”
Her heart thumped. “It’s like that, huh?”
He got up and strode toward her. “Yeah, it’s like that. Problem?”
Avery swallowed. His father’s warning—that she had yet to tell Rafe about—and her own father’s meddling, played in her head. But like Kerry said, she could either let others dictate her life or she could live it on her own terms. Besides, she couldn’t think of anything she wanted to do more than spend time with Rafe. Him asking her to come and stay with him was yet another hurdle surmounted. She couldn’t say no.
“I’ll have to come here first and at least pack a bag.”
“As long as it doesn’t take too long,” he said and kissed her lightly.
“Fine.” She pushed him away. “I’ve got to go.”
“I’m driving.” He put his arm around her waist and they went out.
Avery subtly scanned the street looking for a car that was out of place on the quiet street and she spotted it on the corner. Her pulse pounded.
“Something wrong?” He opened the passenger door.
“Let’s go. We’ll talk on the way.”
* * *
On the drive over to her office, Avery told Rafe about her father’s ultimatum, and the comments that Rafe’s father made to her at the dinner. Rafe didn’t say a word the entire time, but she could sense the fury building in him by the set of his jaw and the way he gripped the steering wheel.
He pulled to a stop in front of her office building. She placed her hand on his arm. It felt like granite.
“Rafe. We’ll talk later.”
He nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be here when you get off.” He turned to her, flashed a half smile. “Go. You’ll be late for real.”
She leaned forward to kiss him, stroked his cheek and got out. Even as she walked to her office the nagging feeling that she should have waited to tell him continued to gnaw at her.
* * *
Rafe debated about going over to his father’s
office to confront him. But the reality was, he’d set the scenario in motion. He’d deliberately told his father about Avery to get a rise out of him, to stick it to him by dating his rival’s daughter. And his father had done what Branford Lawson always did.
But Rafe’s motives had changed. Yes, in the beginning he’d wanted to throw all kinds of roadblocks in the way of him and Avery. Sabotage them. Now things were different. Her father, on the other hand, was another story. Having people watch her house was on a whole other level of control.
He headed for the highway and called Alice from the car to let her know he was in town but that he wouldn’t need her to do anything at the house. She assured him that the fridge and cabinets were stocked.
Before he headed in he stopped to pick up a couple of bottles of that wine Avery liked. On his way back to his car he slowed in front of a woman’s boutique and decided to stop in.
* * *
Avery settled in her office, and was checking her email when her phone rang.
“Agent Richards.”
“Director Fischer would like you to come to his office.”
“I’ll be right there.”
* * *
“Hi, Catherine,” Avery greeted the director’s assistant.
“You can go right in, Agent Richards.”
“Thanks.”
She walked to the office door and knocked.
“Come in.”
“Good morning. You wanted to see me, sir.”
“Yes, please have a seat.”
Avery sat in the chair opposite Director Fischer’s desk.
“I’ll get right to the point.” He linked his fingers together on top of the desk. “A few weeks ago I spoke with you regarding a possible promotion.”
“Yes, sir.”
“As you know you are in contention with several other candidates. We haven’t come to a decision as of yet. However, we’ve had to make some adjustments to your detail schedule.”
“Sir?”
“The Security Council Summit is being held in Paris, as you know.”
“Yes...”
He flipped open a folder on his desk. “You’re being taken off the vice president’s detail and reassigned to the Paris contingent. The meeting with the security detail is set up for this afternoon at two. The summit is set for at least two weeks. You’ll be briefed on all the details at the meeting.”
“Yes, sir.”
“That will be all.”
Avery stood. “Thank you, sir.”
* * *
She vacillated between elation at getting to visit Paris, even if it was work related, and angst. If it was any other time she wouldn’t think twice about hopping on a plane and leaving DC. The better part of her career was hinged on a moment’s notice. It was commonplace to grab her go-bag and jet off to anywhere in the world. But it had been months since she’d been out of the country. Well, there was that trip with Rafe to Antigua. She smiled. This time was different. This time she had a reason to stay put. She had Rafe. They were in a good place or at least a better place and she didn’t want anything to upset the balance. Not now.
Clearly she couldn’t say no. That wasn’t an option. This was her job, her duty, her career.
“Damn it.”
* * *
The security meeting took longer than usual. There were more than one hundred agents that would be traveling to Paris to coordinate with the French security teams and the Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure (DGSE), the General Directorate for External Security. All the members of the US Homeland Security Council would be in attendance, as well as members from England’s Scotland Yard. The goal was to bring the major powers together to coordinate strategies to fight further terrorists attacks. The one upside was that Kerry would be going, as well.
They walked back together to their offices.
“Two weeks in Paris isn’t bad,” Kerry said.
“Job has to have some perks.”
“You don’t sound too happy. I thought you were itching to get away.”
“I was. I mean I am. It’s just that me and Rafe...were finally getting to a good space, figuring out this long-distance thing...”
“Hey, it’s just two weeks. Like they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder.”
Avery lifted her brow. “Sure.”
“Any more news on the possible promotion?”
“No. I thought it was what the director called me to his office for this morning, but it turned out to be this assignment. All he did say was that I was still in the running.”
“That’s something.”
“True. Anyway, I’ll catch up with you later. I have a laundry list of office stuff to take care of before I sign out.”
“No problem. Chat later.”
* * *
As promised, Rafe was waiting to pick her up after work. She was half expecting to see the dark car, but she didn’t.
“Hey, darlin’.”
Avery leaned in for a kiss and realized how happy she was to see him. “Hey, yourself.” She fastened her seat belt.
“Ready?”
“Yep.”
Rafe pulled away and eased into traffic. “How’d things go today?”
She pushed out a breath, leaned back against the headrest and turned to him. “I told you about the promotion I’m up for.”
“Yeah. Wait...you got it?” He turned and beamed a smile at her.
“Not exactly. I’m being sent to Paris for the security summit.”
“Paris! That’s great. But why do you sound like it isn’t? I know it’s work but it’s still Paris.”
She shook off a response.
“What is it?”
She turned to him. “We are finally making this relationship thing work and...”
“Hold it right there. Look, this relationship thing is working. There’s no reason for it to stop working in two weeks.” He pulled over to the curb and stopped, unfastened his seat belt and unclicked hers. He cupped her cheeks. “This is your job. Just like music is mine. I don’t want you to ever stop doing what’s in your blood for anyone. Me. Your father. No one. I’ll be here when you get back. Promise.”
A hint of a smile touched her mouth.
He leaned in and sealed his promise. “We good?”
“Good.”
He winked at her, fastened his belt and pulled off.
Avery settled back in her seat, then realized they were going the wrong way to her house.
“Remember I need to stop home and pick up some things.”
Rafe grinned. “Not anymore.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll see. Until you have to leave, you’re mine.”
Chapter 20
“Rafe! What is all this?” His bedroom was lined with shopping bags.
“Should be everything you’ll need. Take a look.”
Avery went from one bag to the next taking out jeans, blouses, skirts, T-shirts, dresses and lingerie to rival Victoria’s Secret.
“Rafe... I... This is too much.” She held up the dress in front of her. “How do you even know my sizes?”
He crossed the room and plucked the dress from her fingers. “There’s nothing about your body that I don’t know, darlin’.” He leaned in for a kiss. “Hungry?”
“For food?”
“Whatever?”
“I think I need to work up an appetite.”
“Your wish is my command.”
* * *
Rafe gave Avery a tour of the house and after a meal of grilled shrimp and fresh salad, they settled in for the evening. Rafe played a piece on the piano that he’d been working on. Avery came and sat next to him on the piano bench.
“Baby, baby,” Rafe crooned. “You said you were ordinary. You are magic just like I told you.”
Avery smiled. “It’s been a while. But...it all came back.”
He stroked her jaw. “Never left. You only needed some inspiration.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “Play something else.”
He ran his tongue across his lips, settled his fingers on the keys and launched into a smooth rendition of “’Round Midnight.”
“Thelonious Monk.”
Rafe nodded and continued to play while Avery rocked to the music until it came to an end.
“You could just as easily play the piano as the sax.”
“Hmm. I prefer the sax. The notes, the range. The piano is good for getting my ideas down.”
“There’s something that I need to tell you.”
His brows drew together. “Sure. What?”
“The night that... At the Kennedy Center when your father spoke to me...”
“Yeah?”
“He said that my father and him go way back. That they have a history. He made a point to mention it. Do you know what he meant?”
Rafe lowered his head, bit down on his bottom lip. He angled his body and looked at her. “Our fathers knew each other from college...”
Avery listened and her heart broke for her mother. Did her father ever love her mother? And he still carried a grudge all these years later?
“This is just... I don’t even know what to say. It’s like the Montagues and the Capulets.”
He snorted a laugh. “Yeah, but in this version Romeo and Juliet are gonna walk off into the sunset.” He kissed her forehead. “That’s their issue, cher. Can’t get caught up in it.”
Avery looked into his eyes. “I know, but it’s still hard to swallow.”
He thought about his own fractured relationship with his father and the reasons behind it. How long is too long to hold on to past hurts?
* * *
