Penalty Clause

by Lori Ryan

  “Oh, Bob, she doesn’t need to worry. She has everything all ready to go. We’ll be fine. Tell her to rest and take as much time as she needs.”

  “Thanks, Andrew. I appreciate that,” Bob said.

  “Hey. Bob. Uh, I don’t mean to pry but I thought your apartment was in a pretty safe complex. Do you guys need help finding somewhere else to stay?” Andrew thought of Debbie as a lot more than an assistant and the idea that she lived somewhere dangerous made Andrew uneasy enough to broach the subject, uncomfortable as it might be.

  “That’s the weird thing. We live in a very safe neighborhood. There haven’t been any other reports of muggings. The lights in that section of the stairwell had been broken and the police thought it was likely done by the mugger. I don’t know what to think now, Andrew.” Bob sounded frustrated.

  “Well, if any other incidents happen there let me know and we’ll help you guys find something else. Tell Debbie not to worry about work. I’ll swing by and see her after the meeting tomorrow, if it’s not too late.” Andrew hung up the phone and turned to find Jill watching him. She seemed to have guessed most of what had happened from the side of the conversation she’d heard.

  “Debbie was mugged? She must have been so scared!” Jill’s eyebrows knitted in concern. Jill hadn’t met Debbie yet but Andrew had told Jill about her.

  “She’s okay. Just a few stitches. She’s scared, though. Someone came up behind her in the stairwell and stabbed her… It was only a flesh wound, but it’s scary to think what could’ve happened.” Andrew pulled Jill onto his lap and buried his face in Jill’s neck.

  “Your heart is racing a mile a minute,” Jill said, her hand on Andrew’s chest.

  Andrew didn’t answer. He couldn’t. He was too busy thinking about what he would have done if Jill had been the one hurt. Andrew pulled Jill tighter and held on until his pulse stopped racing.

  He began to nuzzle Jill’s neck, brushing his lips against her soft skin. Buried in the warmth of Jill’s neck was turning out to be one of Andrew’s favorite places to be. He could immerse himself forever in Jill, breathing in her scent. Somehow, in the middle of winter, Jill smelled like summertime. Like grass and sun and sand. Like happiness. And contentment.

  Andrew felt Jill squirm beneath him and he laughed. “I guess we’re awake now.”

  “You certainly are,” Jill laughed and he felt her wiggle her bottom on his lap, where he was already hard and ready for her.

  Andrew gripped Jill’s hips and held her tighter. Jill dropped her mouth to his and Andrew captured her lips. Hot and soft and all his. Only his.

  Andrew ran his hands up Jill’s body and watched her respond to his touch. His palms grazed the sides of her breasts and she leaned further into them, her hands playing through his hair. Andrew groaned and gathered Jill, flipping her over onto the bed. He came down over her, pressing his thigh between her legs, spreading her legs for him.

  Jill sighed and lifted her body toward Andrew’s. She deepened their kiss and Andrew let his hands roam her body, exploring and teasing. They moved slowly, taking their time. Andrew knew then that he would never need anyone else to satisfy him. Only Jill. He could never tire of her body. The soft moans and sighs she made. The urgent movements when she needed more of him.

  “Andrew,” Jill gasped. He would never tire of the sound of his name on her lips. Andrew stroked Jill’s core, teasing with just the amount of pressure that always seemed to bring her to the edge. He watched Jill’s beautiful face, watched her come apart in his arms and knew he would never tire of that, either.

  ***

  Jill’s body was still reeling when Andrew slid back between her legs. He kissed her lips…deep, sensual kisses that kept her head up in the clouds. Jill felt like she could get drunk on Andrew’s kisses. His touch. The taste of him. He quickly found a condom in the bedside drawer and rolled it over his hard, thick length.

  The feel of him between her legs, pressing into her, deeper than anything she’d felt before. Jill moaned and pulled Andrew closer, wanting more of him. Wanting all she could have.

  “I can’t get enough of this feeling,” Jill whispered.

  Andrew groaned. A deep rumbling sound Jill felt deep in his chest.

  “I could wrap my arms and legs around you and hang on forever,” Jill said, and Andrew’s groan came again while he drove deeper and harder.

  “You’re killing me, Jill,” Andrew said as he crushed Jill’s mouth with his and swallowed her small gasps and moans.

  Jill raised her hips, pushing Andrew deeper. She made small circles with her hips, meeting each stroke of Andrew’s with a circling stroke of her own. She felt Andrew’s breathing become uneven, raspy. She felt an erotic power as Andrew’s body coiled for release above her. With a deep roar, Andrew’s resolve broke and Jill’s orgasm began with his. Andrew continued to drive into Jill, drawing her orgasm out long after his own ended. Jill fell, exhausted, beneath him.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Andrew called Jack on the way to the office and filled him in on Debbie’s attack. He had already called Patty earlier that morning to let her know she was needed to cover for Debbie that day. At Sutton, they always had backup plans in place. When Andrew pulled into the parking garage at the office, Patty was just stepping out of her car.

  “Have you heard anything more from Bob? Is Debbie back at home?” Patty asked as they walked toward the elevator together.

  “No. I didn’t want to call too early today. We’ll send some flowers over to her this morning and then take a break from the meeting to call her a little later,” Andrew said.

  When they stepped out of the elevator into the lobby of Sutton Capital, Andrew was surprised to see Theresa was already there. He and Debbie were usually the only ones to arrive at six o’clock unless, like today, Patty came in. The rest of the team would arrive in an hour or so.

  “Good morning, Theresa,” Andrew said. “What are you doing here so early?”

  “Oh, I just thought I’d come in early in case you needed help getting ready for the meeting. Where’s Debbie?” Theresa asked.

  “She was mugged last night. She’s home and all right now, but she’s going to take a day or two off to rest,” Andrew said.

  “Oh, that’s awful! Well I’m happy to help you with the quarterly meeting. I’m sure I can jump into Debbie’s shoes with no problem,” Theresa said confidently. She completely ignored the fact that Patty stood by Andrew’s side.

  “Oh, thank you, but that’s not necessary. We have shadow assistants in place for all the corporate officers. Patty always knows everything Debbie is doing and is prepped and ready to jump into Debbie’s role if needed. It won’t be an issue,” Andrew said.

  He turned to Patty. “Can you unlock the conference room and double check that everything was set out last night? The continental breakfast should be set up by eight o’clock.”

  “I assume Jim’s Deli is delivering?” Patty asked.

  “Yes. Will you keep an eye out for them? I didn’t call and tell their delivery guy to ask for you instead of Debbie,” Andrew said as he headed down the hall to his office.

  “No problem,” Patty said as she headed toward the conference room.

  ***

  Neither Andrew nor Patty noticed that Theresa stood with her hands fisted tight, her nails digging into the palms of her hands. If looks could kill, Patty would be dead in her tracks. Theresa took a deep breath and unfurled her fists. Looking down, she saw that there were small crescents turning red with blood where her nails had cut.

  Theresa took deep breaths, just as her doctor had taught her to years before. In and out. In and out. Deep, calming breaths.

  There was a time when Theresa would have really lost it in a situation like this. Back before her sessions with Dr. Baker, she would have needed to hide in a bathroom and cut herself. She would have watched as the small lines of beautiful magenta raised up on her pale skin, replacing the pain and rage she felt. She was healthier now. She no longer
needed to cut. She was able to breathe and calm herself instead.

  Just another problem to be tackled.

  If Theresa was good at anything, it was fixing problems. She always prided herself on finding the right solution.

  I’ll just address Patty next. That’s all. Take things one step at a time, one problem at a time, working closer and closer to Andrew. Then he’ll see. He’ll see me and remember we’re meant for each other. Meant to be together like no one else.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Jill spent the morning in her darkroom. She occasionally shot with a digital camera and she used digital for her marketing photos. But for most of her artwork, she still used film. Good old-fashioned film and she developed everything in her darkroom.

  Jill loved developing her shots the old-fashioned way. The smell of chemicals, the click of the reel as she loaded film for processing, the ability to play with her shots by dodging or burning areas of the picture or using different filters. These things made Jill love the art of photography and she wouldn’t give them up for the convenience of a digital camera and a computer.

  Jill came out of the darkroom she’d set up in her grandparents’ basement and checked her messages. She always turned the ringer off when she was developing so she could focus on her work, getting the timing and exposures just right. Jill knew that when she lost her focus, she wasted materials and time.

  There were no voicemails but there was a text from Andrew asking Jill to call him. Jill almost laughed at the small thrill she got from seeing his text. She dialed Andrew’s number as she walked up the stairs and went to the back door to let Rev out for a potty break.

  “Hey, gorgeous!” came Andrew’s voice over the line. Jill felt a shiver of excitement rip through her, as if his hands tripped over her body, setting off all of her erogenous zones.

  “Hey, yourself, sexy,” said Jill.

  “Oh, I could get used to being called sexy. You’re good for my ego.” Jill could hear Andrew’s smile through the phone.

  “Ha! As if you need any help with that ego, mister. Now, why are you chatting me up during the day instead of working?” Jill asked.

  “What are your plans this weekend? Well, I mean Thursday night through Sunday afternoon, to be more exact,” Andrew clarified.

  “What are you up to?” Jill asked, suspicion lacing her tone.

  Jill wasn’t at all sure she wanted to be making weekend plans with Andrew. She could already feel the pull of a ‘real’ relationship with him, but wasn’t sure she wanted to let this go past the no-strings sex stage.

  Hell, who was she kidding? It was already past that stage, but Jill still felt the need to dig in her heels and fight it if she could. Andrew had told her he didn’t do strings. If she couldn’t keep this relationship casual, she knew she’d end up hurt.

  “Would you be okay with letting Kelly and Jack keep Rev for you for the weekend?” Andrew still wasn’t giving Jill a clue about what he was getting at.

  “Maybe… What are you planning, Andrew?” Jill tried to put a censuring tone in her voice but it was hard to be tough with Andrew. He was too damn cute, and he knew it.

  “I have to go to Austin, Texas for a meeting Friday but I’ll finish early in the afternoon. I thought if you came with me, we could head out to Big Bend National Park afterward. It’s a long drive but if we fly out of Midland-Odessa instead of driving back to Austin, we should be able to spend Saturday and some of Sunday morning hiking. You’ll get some great pictures and there’s a resort and spa we can stay at nearby.”

  Jill could hear the excitement in Andrew’s voice as he detailed their plans. That and the fact that he would go out of his way to bring her somewhere for her photography, rather than just having her photography as an afterthought, melted her resolve in an instant. Not to mention her heart. Jill was surprised she wasn’t a puddle on the floor after hearing the way Andrew had planned this side trip for her.

  “I’ll tell Rev to pack his bags,” Jill said. She didn’t try to hide the excitement in her voice. “Did you already call Kelly or should I call her?”

  “I talked to her earlier so I’ll just tell Jack to let her know we’re going to bring Rev by on Thursday before we fly out. Kelly was excited to have built in entertainment for the puppy all weekend. Your dog has his work cut out for him,” Andrew said.

  “Oh, Rev will love it. As long as Kelly pays Rev in treats, he’ll be happy.”

  “I’ll make the reservations. See you tonight? I can bring take out,” Andrew said. It really wasn’t necessary for him to ask at this point. It had become a given that Jill and Andrew would have dinner and spend the evenings together. The only real question each night was whether they would go out or stay in. Apparently tonight, Andrew wanted to stay in and that suited Jill just fine.

  “See you then,” Jill said with a smile that she couldn’t fight off if she tried.

  As Jill pocketed her phone, she heard it ring again.

  “What’d you forget?” Jill asked. Figuring it was Andrew, Jill hadn’t bothered to look at the screen. There was a heavy pause before Jill heard a voice she hadn’t expected and wasn’t happy to hear.

  “Jill? It’s Jake. Who were you expecting?”

  Jill swallowed a sigh. “What can I do for you, Jake?”

  “No need to sound so formal. I just wanted to see how you are.”

  “Jake, I’ve asked you to leave me alone. I mean it. I don’t want to talk to you, don’t want to hear from you and don’t want to tell you how I am. I asked for a clean break. You need to respect that,” Jill said. She gave up trying and let the exasperation boil over and pour through the phone.

  “I don’t understand why you’re so upset with me for checking up on you, Jill. I still care about how you’re doing. I want to know that you’re okay,” Jake said.

  He really sounds like he believes his own crap.

  “Jake, you’re the last person who has the right to ask how I’m doing. You gave up that right when you left our bed for another woman’s. You don’t get to care about how I am. You don’t get to call. You don’t get to check up on me. You get nothing, period.”

  Jill pressed the ‘end’ button and turned off her phone. So much for the smile Andrew had put on her face. Jill was just about to stomp back to the darkroom when it dawned on her.

  She wasn’t hurt and sad and angry. She wasn’t filled with heartache and loss like she had been every time she spoke to Jake in the past. This time, she was ticked off and frustrated. She was agitated and annoyed. But that was it. No more heartbreak. Jill’s smile returned as she slid the door to her darkroom open and went back to her chemicals.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Andrew finished his Friday meeting just after lunch and picked Jill up at the hotel. He had insisted on first class tickets for the flight and had set up appointments for Jill at the spa to keep her entertained Friday morning. After the spa, Jill spent the rest of the time during Andrew’s meetings walking the trail at Lady Bird Lake in Austin enjoying the sixty-degree weather that was such a change from the New England cold.

  The trail was just off the hotel grounds and Jill caught several shots of eight or more turtles at a time baking in the sun on logs out on the water. The turtles were the size of basketballs, layered one over the other in a long row as they sunbathed. With the sun sparkling on the water behind them, they created beautiful pictures. Jill was glad she’d grabbed her telephoto lenses when she decided to head out for her walk. She thought she’d only need the lenses for catching shots of larger animals at Big Bend, but the turtles would be great for her notecard line.

  Andrew collected Jill in the rental car in the afternoon and they headed out across Texas to Big Bend National Park. During the drive Andrew filled the time with stories of Jack’s and his escapades during school. He also gave Jill a more detailed version of Jack and Kelly’s story, a story Jill had only heard an overview of before.

  Several hours into the drive, Jill gasped at the vision of the sun b
eating down on a landscape of red rocks with blue sky behind and cacti in the foreground. Without even asking if Jill wanted him to, Andrew simply pulled the car over so that she could get out and take pictures. He waited patiently while she changed lenses, checked lighting and switched apertures to achieve different effects that she could play with in the darkroom later.

  When Jill was finished, she turned back around to find Andrew leaning on the hood of the car. His long legs were out in front of him, ankles crossed, eyes on her as she walked toward him.

  Jill leaned in and kissed Andrew, feeling the sparks start to fly as she pressed the full length of her body to his. He brought his arms slowly up her back, pulling her even closer until Jill was anchored between his legs. She was pressed as close as Andrew could manage.

  “What was that for?” Andrew asked when they broke the heated kiss.

  “For being patient,” Jill said, but she knew in her heart it was for so much more.

  “I like watching you work,” Andrew said. They climbed back into the car and Jill’s heart did a little flip when Andrew used the word ‘work’ to describe her photography. “You’re so intense and focused and you bite your bottom lip when you find something you really want to capture. Makes me want to bite your bottom lip…and other parts of you.” Andrew threw a grin her way that had Jill blushing.

  She studied him as he pulled the car back out onto the road and continued toward their destination.

  “What?” Andrew asked in response to Jill’s scrutiny.

  “I’m just not used to it, that’s all.”

  “To someone caring about you and your work? Respecting what you do?” Andrew asked, knowing the answer.

  Jill nodded. Andrew bit out his usually refrain about her ex. “Jackass.”

  Jill laughed. For the first time, she felt glad that Jake had left her. She may not have a future with Andrew, but she was content. And even though Andrew had helped bring her to that new state of happiness, she didn’t feel like she relied on Andrew for the peace she was feeling. She was beginning to feel more comfortable with herself. She was confident and satisfied with herself lately. That made enjoying her time with Andrew that much easier to do.