by Jet MacLeod
“Delia, get off of me.”
“I didn’t put you there, Princess. You did and now that you are there you will listen to what I have to say. When I am done, I will let you go.”
“I will scream.”
“Go ahead, dear. The owners think that we are on some strange honeymoon. We have the entire floor to ourselves. I made sure of it. No one will really hear you. I know that sounds creeper-ish, but I needed to make sure that we would safe. Now, I am going to lean up just a little. Are you going to behave?” Del asked.
“I don’t really have a choice, do I?”
“You do.”
“Then get off me.”
“Will you talk to me?” Del asked, seriously.
“Yes,” Angie finally relented.
Del pulled back until she was on her knees, surrounding Angie’s hips. Her weight was on her legs so Angie could pull out from under her if she so chose. Angie didn’t move. She waited for Del to talk. When her burning sapphire eyes finally saw the raw emotion in Del’s chocolate, she hesitated. Her heart stopped and she waited for Del to say something, anything, to break the spell between them.
“I’m sorry.”
And, that wasn’t it. Angie felt herself giving in and she hated herself for it. She wanted to make Del suffer. But, seeing her there, above her like that, in nothing but her bra, Angie’s libido was defeating her sensibility. She couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her mouth and Del took it for what it was: an invitation.
She kissed her. With every ounce of need and desire she could, she kissed her. And with each brush of her lips, each breath stolen, Del felt her softening beneath her.
“Angie, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she stated pulling back.
“Then what the hell were you thinking?”
“I don’t know what is going to happen when the trial is over. I can’t live in New York. I’ve told you that. I need the peace of the mountains with the calm of the sea. I can’t get that there.”
“And, Seattle can give you that?”
“If I let it, it might. I don’t know. Yes, Cole has found me some land, but I haven’t done anything with it. I haven’t started building a house there. I haven’t even seen it.”
“Then, why did you…”
“I was telling you the truth. I didn’t want hide it from you anymore. I told you when this all started that I was looking for my retirement. I’ve never hid that from you. We’ve never officially talked about what was going to happen when the case was over either.”
“But, you made it sound like you were going to leave me,” Angie replied.
“I know and I’m sorry for that, but I can’t go back to New York. Well, at least, I can’t go back there for good. You need the City, Angie and the City needs you. I won’t be the thing that keeps you from that. My job is protect you, not fall in love with you, and I’ll be damned if I haven’t done that. I can’t help that. And, I’m sorry. I am just trying to be realistic.”
“I understand that, Del.”
“I won’t stay in New York after the trial.”
“I understand.”
“It doesn’t matter how much I love you, Angie. I just can’t do that. If things work out for me in Seattle, while we are there, I’ll move there. I’ll not stop you from coming, but I’ll understand if you don’t want to. I am not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do,” Del said.
“Wait…you love me?”
“Is that all you got out of that?”
“Say it again,” Angie demanded.
“What?”
“Tell me you love me.”
“I love you, Angela March.”
“Good.”
“Just good.”
“Yeah, because now, you can go back to Seattle when the case is over if you think you can.”
“If I think I can?” Del asked.
“I have plenty of time to change your mind,” Angie replied.
“Angie…”
“No, I’m serious. You can keep the house there. I’ll come out there to stay with you, when we aren’t in the City. It will be our retreat. Besides I have plane from March Enterprises that I can use if need be. And, I am sure with all of your training that you could handle a plane. It would only take us a few hours to get back and forth, right?”
“Right, I guess…”
“Then, fine. We will have a bicoastal relationship. I won’t keep you from your mountains and ocean, if you don’t keep me from my city. I think that will work out for the best, yes?”
“Angie…we need to be realistic in this,” Del pleaded with her.
“I am. I have until the trial is over. That gives me plenty of time to convince you. And, we both know that I can be very convincing when I need to be, don’t we?”
“Angie…this is why I don’t get in relationships.”
“What do you mean?”
“My life is complicated.”
“And, you don’t think I don’t know that. I’ve been with you this entire time. You can’t deny that you love me. You can’t deny that you desire me. Just like I can’t deny that with you. Del, we’ve got time to figure it out. Just don’t shut me out like you want to do so easily. I need you to learn to fight that instinct. You can be happy. You can have whatever you want. You just have to be willing to take it,” Angie told her.
“People like me will always have demons.”
“I know that. And, until the cartels are gone, I will still have threats on my head. You are wanted for your service as am I. We can keep each other company and be happy, too.”
“Angie…”
“No, I am not going to give up on you or us, Del. I’ve finally got you. I’m not going to let you just walk away now. If you think I am going to do that, then you need to call Cole and Sanchez and tell them that I’m going to run. They can protect me and you can go have your pity party all by yourself. Get this through your thick skull, Delia. I. Am. Not. Going. To. Let. You. Go.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound right coming from a lawyer of your stature.”
“So tell the DA,” she quipped.
“I promise you that I will try. That is all I can do. I don’t want to let you go, but I can’t live in New York. You need to understand that. I can’t. I’ll stay just as long as the trial.”
“We’ll see.”
“Angie, I’m serious. I am not going back to New York. I can’t. I won’t. If…I might have to send Cole and Sanchez with you. I just can’t do it,” Del told her.
“Well, I’ll find a way, Del. I always do. You just have to give me time.”
“Angie, I’m building that house there. I’ll live there. I won’t stop you from coming. I would love for you to live with me, but I’m not going to force you. Nor am I going to keep you from your work and friends. You have a life in New York. I don’t.”
“I haven’t had a life in New York for years now,” Angie replied.
“You know what I mean,” Del countered.
“Actually, I don’t. I’ve been in protection for so long I don’t even know what my real name is anymore. Everything that I loved in New York is gone. Del, I don’t have a life there. I had a life there, but that life is gone. I have friends there, but most of them think that I am dead.”
“What are you trying to tell me?”
“I don’t have to live in New York. I don’t have to stay. I just need to close this case.”
“You would come with me?” Del asked shocked.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I love you, scars and all. I love you, Delia. I don’t love the thought of you. I don’t love you for what you were. I love you for what you are. If you can’t see that, then we need to call Cole and get you set up for an eye appointment because evidently squinting while looking down the barrel of a gun has had a negative effect on your eyesight,” Angie stated and joked.
“What would you have me do?”
“Just love me, that is all I ask.”
�
�That is an easy job,” Del told her as bent back down and kissed her.
“Good, because I was starting to get really worried about you.”
“Worried about me?”
“Yeah, well you have the emotional capability of a thirteen year old some days.”
“Well, I am sorry that I don’t know how to express myself well. I told you that. I don’t do well with other. I haven’t had the practice that you’ve had,” Del told her.
“Oh, you’ve had plenty of practice. You just don’t know when you are being dumb about certain things. But, I can forgive that. I know what you’ve done and I know what you’ve been through. If I had been through all of that, I would be emotionally stunted, too. But, I know something else.”
“Yeah, and what’s that?” Del said fallen onto the bed beside her before her arms gave out.
“I know that you love with your whole being,” Angie said, rolling up and onto her. “And, that gives me enough of a reason to return your love. And, drive you wild.”
Angie leaned over and kissed her. She didn’t let Del try to set the pace. She didn’t allow Del to break the kiss. No, tonight, Del was going to be hers and learn what that meant. Angie was going to burn herself on Del’s conscience so she would never think of leaving her again.
Del laid there and let Angie kiss her. She enjoyed it. She was glad that she had finally gotten Angie to talk to her. She didn’t realize that she messed up until Angie got mad. After so many years of planning for a future she thought that she’d never get, Angie was showing her that she could have it and so much more. She honestly didn’t want to live without Angie, but she knew that she couldn’t live in New York.
She had been serious when she told her that. She was serious about not making Angie choose. She would choose for her. She would allow Angie to stay in New York and she would retire. It would be for the best. She knew that she couldn’t give Angie what she wanted. She knew that, but damn it, she was going to try. If for no other reason, than for Angie, she would try. She needed to make sure that Angie knew that New York was off the table, permanently.
“Stop thinking, Love, and kiss me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Del stated and kissed her back fiercely letting all their troubles melt away.
Tomorrow they would face their demons. Tonight they would love each other. It was an easy compromise for them both. They could love each other completely and forget the world. It was something that Del had been trying to do since they left New York. They would take everything one day at time. They would love each other while they did it. And, they would find a way.
Because, Angie wasn’t willing to give her up now that she had her. Del had become the only constant in her life. She could be the one that remained after this insanity was over. Angie wasn’t going to let her go without a fight. She could only hope that she could love Del enough for her to realize how much she actually meant to her.
Chapter 46
Del woke up slowly but happy. She didn’t know why she was still expecting the worst when it came to her relationship with Angie, but every morning that she woke up next to her was slowly eroding that fear. She snuggled up next to her further. She felt Angie stir just a little, but she wasn’t waking up and Del didn’t want her to, not yet. She was happy enjoying the feeling of her next to her, skin on skin, as they had made custom as they slept.
Finally, Angie started to wake up and Del just smiled. She didn’t move, waiting on Angie to say something. She wasn’t sure what they were going to do today. They had been in Napa for over a week, visiting every winery that Angie wanted. She knew that they needed to move on. Seattle was waiting. It was ready for them. All they had to do was get there.
“Del?”
“Yeah, Darling,” she replied.
“What time is it?”
Del rolled slightly a way and immediately felt the cold of not having Angie’s body near. She fumbled around on the bedside table until she found her watch. She brought it up to her face and made out the time.
“It is a little after nine o’clock,” she told her.
“Ummm…what do you have planned for me today?”
“Whatever you would like to do,” Del replied.
“Again?”
“Again, what?”
“You are letting dictate the day,” Angie mused.
“Like I told you earlier in the week, we are here because you wanted to visit. This is your vacation from reality for a while. I’ve given you tentative places that we can go and you’ve chosen when and where. If you are ready to leave, we can begin our trek to Seattle and the house that awaits us there. If not, we can stay longer and enjoy the scenery.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, Angie.”
“You want to leave, don’t you?” she asked.
“I am in no rush.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely, Angie. I want to get to Seattle so we can settle down into a more normal routine. I know that it will make you feel better. I know that it will make Gregor happier to know that you are in a more permanent location, but it is up to you. We can leave when you want,” Del stated.
“So, if I wanted to leave today, we could.”
“Absolutely.”
“Good.”
“Why? Do you want to leave? Do I need to let Cole and Sanchez know that we should be there soon? I can, if you want. I just need to know,” Del told her.
Angie rolled over and laid her head on Del’s chest. She snuggled deeper into her warmth. She took a deep breath and released it slowly. She didn’t realize that she was drawing nonsensical patterns on Del until Del reached up and stilled her hand.
“Do you want to go?”
“I want to be with you,” Angie answered truthfully.
“You are with me.”
“Then I don’t care,” Angie told her, moving her hand over her bare skin again.
“You don’t care?”
“No, I don’t care.”
“I need to call into Gregor.”
“Then call him,” Angie stated.
“If I go call him, will you decide if you want to stay for another day or not?”
“I’ll think about it.”
Del smiled down at her. She leaned up just enough with her head to kiss the top of Angie’s head. Angie understood the gesture and moved just enough to let her out of the bed. She sat up just a little as Del crossed the room. She was staring at her shapely ass.
“You want a picture of it?” Del asked her.
“No, I like the real thing better,” Angie quipped back at her.
Del turned and smiled as she ducked behind the in suite bathroom door. She heard Angie’s laugh and knew that the younger woman was content. It made her smile larger.
Angie lay back down on the bed, grinning at the ceiling. She was so deliriously happy that she wanted to scream. She didn’t because she knew that it would cause Del to come running back into their shared bedroom, pistol from nowhere, drawn and ready. She smiled because she knew that Del would do anything for her. She smiled because she knew that Del loved her and she knew that she loved Del. It was going to be a rough road in trying to convince Del that she could stay in New York, but she figured she had time. They loved each other, that should be enough, but she knew that Del’s background was a complication that she couldn’t ignore.
She heard the shower start and thought about jumping up out of the bed and joining her. Everything in her body told her to go, but she still hesitated. She didn’t know why, but she did. The longer she thought about it the more she wanted something more stable with her. Maybe going to Seattle now was a good idea. She could show Del that she could live in a big city again. She could help her learn to deal with people and the traffic. It could be their test run.
Angie knew that she had to come up with a plan, but she also knew that she had some time. The courts weren’t going to rush just for her. She would get her court date and the cartels would go to prison. Then all she had to d
o was make sure that Del stayed with her.
Angie was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t hear Del come back into the room. Del let her daydream. She knew that it would make Angie happy. She would give her these blissful moments for as long as she could. She knew that Angie wasn’t going to give her up without a fight and she had to smile at herself about it. It was nice to have someone that loved her enough to fight for her, but right now, she needed to call Gregor and check in before she showered Angie with all the love and attention that she could.
She got dressed quietly and grabbed her phone. Before she left the room, she walked over to the bed and kissed Angie sweetly. Angie smiled at her and grabbed her hand. The look she gave Del said everything that her voice could not in that moment and Del blushed.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Hurry.”
“I’ll be in the next room.”
“I’d rather you be in the bed with me,” Angie told her.
“Why don’t you start packing? That way when I get back we can get ready to head for Seattle. I’ll only be a few minutes. Go ahead and take your shower. I promise. I’ll be back before you know it,” Del said.
“Fine,” Angie huffed.
She watched her as Del left the room. She sat up in the bed and stared into the mirror across the room that was over the dresser. She smiled at herself while she got out of the bed and gathered some clothes for her to wear for the day. She kept smiling as she made her way into the bathroom for a shower.
True to her word, Del was only gone a few short moments. She was amazed at how easily Gregor let her go. He didn’t ask many questions. It was like he knew that they were okay. She didn’t push it. She just figured that Cole or Sanchez had been keeping him abreast to their situation. He did however give some news that she was sure that Angie would want. She didn’t know whether or not that Angie would be happy. She hoped that she would.
Angie came back into the bedroom, toweling her hair. She saw Del sitting on the end of the bed. Her head was down like she was studying the rug there. Angie cocked her head, trying to figure out what her so perplexed. She pulled the towel down and then threw it at Liv.
“What was that for?” Del asked her.
