Andrew let go of Jayden’s hand and leaned back, breathing in deeply. There were people who knew what happened to him but he had never actually said those words to anyone and it surprised him that he just had. His brain was flooded with thoughts and memories of that night. He shook his head and closed his eyes, willing the memories away. Slowly his mind played over scenes of him and Madison, the lake, riding with her on his Harley, her whispering that she loved him and soon the painful memories were gone. After a few moments, his breathing had regulated and he opened his eyes to see a very concerned Jayden staring back at him. Andrew mustered a weak smile for him and finished off his beer in two long gulps.
“Let's get another race in, okay?” Andrew asked, not wanting to think anymore.
Jayden nodded and then smiled. “Best of seven.”
And just like that they both laughed, the gravity of their lives momentarily lifted as they set off across the lake to get in position, the cold water slapping against them and washing away the horrors of their past lives. In that moment, they were free of their hurt and could be a couple of guys, racing, trying to best one another.
In the meantime, Madison and Callie spent a relaxing two hours tanning while sipping Grey Goose and cranberry juice. They had watched Jayden and Andrew racing several times and thought it funny how competitive they were with one another.
“Madison, what are you planning on doing about New York?” Callie asked out of the blue.
Madison turned to her, a shocked look on her face. “I don’t know, Callie. I can’t leave him. I know that but...” Madison trailed off, looking out onto the lake at how carefree Andrew currently was.
“When do you have to make a decision?”
Madison shook her head and turned away from Andrew to see the troubled look on Callie’s face. “Umm, I still have about six weeks of leave left.”
“Does Andrew know?”
Madison shook her head and looked down at her now entwined hands and then plopped back on the chair covering her eyes with her hands, hoping to stop herself from crying.
“Madison, you need to talk to him about it.”
Madison nodded but couldn’t answer. She knew that she was being selfish and unfair and, if honest, a bit childish. In truth, she wasn’t sure what her options were. She was already a Senior Accountant and was being fast-tracked in her office to become manager of her department. There had been rumors that the reason they had been so generous with her leave was that they were planning on promoting her by the end of the fiscal year. That was what she had been working so hard towards. Madison couldn’t lie, she was ambitious. An unfortunate, or fortunate, depending on how you looked at it, byproduct of her mother always making her feel that she needed to push harder in everything she did. But the reality was if she started somewhere new she would start back as a junior accountant and she had no desire to be the low person in a company again. Her love for Andrew was confusing her, making her question what she really wanted in life. She needed some kind of clarity that she didn’t have at the moment. It was all so utterly confusing.
“MADISON!” Callie said loudly, drawing Madison out of her thoughts.
“I know, Callie, I will. It’s just with court and everything that happened with Jimmy I didn’t want to add one more thing to his already overloaded plate.” Madison frowned and then gave her friend a sideways glance before facing her completely. “Speaking of Jimmy, thank you, for not saying anything to Jayden about it. Was he angry at you?”
Callie laughed. “No, he was a little hurt that I hadn’t said anything to him but ultimately he understood. It’s hard for us in a way. We have always relied on each other so him knowing that I had a 'secret',” she said with air quotes, “made him feel left out. But I just said that I was sure Andrew must have told him things in confidence just as you had me.” Callie giggled. “He joked that we had finally grown up and made friends,” she said with an exaggerated eye roll.
“Well, if it’s any consolation, I never did the whole girlfriend thing either. Most of the girls that went to school with me thought I was a bitch,” Madison said with a shrug.
“Their loss, Madison,” Callie said, sitting up. “Hey, we should go get manis and pedis before the show tonight.”
“I’d like that. Man, I am so excited to see Miles again. He has such a great voice.”
“He’s easy on the eyes as well,” Callie said with a wag of her brows.
“Well, yeah, that’s true but with Andrew being in gorilla mode I probably won’t even get an autograph,” Madison said, sighing.
“Yeah, I noticed he was a bit of a caveman yesterday. What’s the deal with that?”
Madison shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s not usually like that. Although...” Madison trailed off and closed her eyes.
“Although what? Don’t leave me hanging like that!” Callie said, feigning indignation.
Madison got a lazy smile on her face as she brought her fingers to her lips, remembering every passionate moment they had already shared. His possessiveness, whether caused by jealousy or fear, had made him want to claim her, continually. His lovemaking was intense and the mere thought of it was causing her to be filled with want. A throat clearing caused Madison to open her eyes and see that Callie was now eyeing her, a brow arched and a knowing smirk on her face.
Madison licked her lips and grinned. “It’s made for some of the best sex we have ever had and that, coupled with the fact that we can make as much noise as we want, has been... heavenly.”
Callie shook her head with a smile. “Yes, when Jay and I first started having sex we did it ALL the time. We still do, not every day like in the beginning but we don’t spend the night with each other like you two do. We see each other every day but I only spend the night on the weekends.” When Madison looked at her questioningly she continued, “Well, I don’t work weekends so I usually stay at Jay’s house. His parent’s don’t mind. They’re really cool.”
“Yeah, I like his parents,” Madison said nodding.
Callie stood up and reached her hand down to Madison. “Let’s treat ourselves to the fabulous spa they have here.”
Madison smiled. “Yes, let’s.” Madison stood up and bowed in an exaggerated fashion. “After you, ma’am.”
25 AN EVENING WITH MILES
Andrew was nervously waiting in the living room of the suite. Madison was still getting ready in the bathroom, doing her make up or hair, Andrew wasn’t sure which. He walked to the long mirror and buttoned, then unbuttoned, the top two buttons of his shirt. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a short sleeved gray and black plaid button down shirt with a white t-shirt underneath it. He had managed to tame his unruly hair but only slightly.
“You look handsome, baby,” Madison said, coming out of the bathroom.
Andrew turned to her and smiled. Madison grinned and turned around slowly, modeling her ensemble for him. She had selected a nice black skirt that came just above her knees and had a slit going up the side. She had paired it with a light gray silk button down blouse with the top three buttons undone showing her ample cleavage. Her hair was flowing beautifully past her shoulders and she had gone with a smoky look around her eyes. Her long, lean legs were accentuated with a pair of black heels that somehow made them look even longer.
“Look, we match, Helios,” Madison said, revealing just the tip of her tongue before biting down sexily on her bottom lip.
Andrew closed his eyes for a moment and then walked up to her. He ran his fingers along her jaw and down her neck which was now tilted to the side. His fingers traced along the skin that was showing and the part of her breast that was visible. He then cocked his brow at her as he buttoned her shirt all the way up. Madison frowned.
“Andrew,” Madison admonished.
“Madison, I’m hanging on by a thread here and will probably deck the first person who looks at your breasts, so cut me a little slack.”
“Andrew, honestly, this is nuts.”
His tongue darted
out of his mouth before he bit down on his lip. His palms moved over her breasts as he squeezed lightly. Madison began breathing heavily, her chest heaving in excitement.
“These are mine, Madison. I don’t want anyone else to see them.”
Madison’s tongue swiped over her lips. “They are mine, baby.” She opened her eyes and saw his forlorn and almost angry face. “You can’t hide me away or cover up my girls all the time,” she said, taking a step back and unbuttoning two of the buttons.
Andrew made a sound deep in his throat that could almost be considered a growl before his hands went into his hair and tugged. Madison moved close to him, locking her hands around his lower back and resting her head on his chest. She could hear the racing of his heart and a few moments later his hands were on her back, squeezing her closer to him.
“I love you, Andrew, and I’m yours completely. You need to understand that I have no desire to be with anyone else.”
Andrew kissed the top of her head and held on to her as if she were about to disappear. Slowly, his heart rate decreased and normalized and it was only then that Madison made any attempt to move away from him. She cupped his cheek and then entwined his fingers with hers, motioning with her head towards the door. The corner of his lip quirked up and then he dazzled her with a smile that made her feel like a giggling school girl on her first date.
“I’m sorry.”
She smiled and took his hand in hers. “Come on, Helios. Let’s go find Jay and Callie.”
The couple made their way to the lobby where they met Callie and Jayden. Jayden was dressed in a pair of jeans with a white dress shirt and another paisley vest. His hair had this ‘I just had sex’ vibe going on and he was wearing a pair of boots. Callie looked decadent in a short halter dress and 5 inch platform shoes. She was usually somewhat mismatched but tonight everything complimented each other perfectly. Callie saw them approach first and smiled brightly as she jumped up from her sitting position.
“You guys look great.”
“Careful there, mighty mouse, those are some high heels,” Madison said as she gave Callie a hug.
“I love this,” she replied, ignoring the mighty mouse comment. She stepped back to admire Madison’s outfit. “You look so beautiful.”
Jayden and Andrew glanced at each other and shrugged as they both put their hands in their pockets, neither of them understanding the gibberish being spoken between the two girls. After several minutes, Jayden rolled his eyes.
“Can I drive?” Jayden asked, watching Madison whip her head around. She shot him a lethal glare.
“Not a chance!” Madison said, crossing her arms over her chest, effectively pushing her breasts forward.
Jayden looked away and Andrew jerked her arms down and leaned close to her ear. “I thought we established that I didn’t want anyone else to see them.”
Madison’s eyes darted down as she realized what had just happened. She giggle-snorted and immediately covered her mouth. “Sorry, baby.”
Callie shook her head and as they all turned to walk towards the valet Callie mouthed the word, 'caveman'. Madison giggled again and shook her head as she mouthed, 'be quiet'. The valet made sure not to look at Madison at all. Although he thought she looked stunning tonight, there was no way she was worth getting beat up over. Her boyfriend had looked at him the other day like he was going to tear his head off. He had no desire to see if it could happen or not so when he came around to open the door for her, Alexander happily stepped back.
“Have a good night, folks,” he said as they shut their doors.
The concert venue was up a long winding road not far from the resort. They stopped at a divider in the road where a couple of people checked them in and gave them wristbands for the event. As Madison took in her surroundings, she counted at least ten other cars waiting for the gate to open. Madison noticed one in particular, a large black Escalade with the windows tinted and a driver that looked like he could be a secret service agent. After an antsy fifteen minute wait, the man opened the gate and Madison was ready. She had to reign in her New York driving attitude, thinking it best not to bolt out in front of the car that eased its way ahead of her. They found good parking and after Andrew opened the door for her she stood with her mouth open.
“Wow, that’s something else, isn’t it?”
Andrew nodded and took her hand as they started towards the entrance of the retreat where they were greeted by several welcoming faces. The set up was nothing like Madison imagined it would be. This wasn’t going to be a concert; this was going to be a jam session. They walked through, saying hello to the people they passed and entered what would be considered the living room area. It was set up with a plush sofa and love seat and several chairs scattered around the room. There was a beautiful fireplace to one side with a roaring fire already going. In the corner nearest the fireplace was a single chair that she assumed Miles would be occupying. Madison motioned to the sofa and the four of them sat down with the men on the edges and the women in the middle. As was usually the case, Madison leaned in to Andrew, who wrapped his arm around her shoulders as her hand went to his thigh.
“This place is so beautiful and... romantic,” Callie said dreamily.
“It’s weird because I’ve been up here many times and have never heard of this place,” Jayden said, looking around the spacious room.
“Do you want a drink, baby?” Andrew asked with a kiss to Madison’s forehead.
“Did you see any Diet Coke?”
Andrew smiled. “I saw a bunch of sodas on the table when we came in, so probably. I’ll get you one.”
Andrew stood up and gasped, causing Madison, Jayden, and Callie to immediately turn around. Madison’s mouth dropped open as she watched a couple walk into the living room. A man, easily 6'6'' and pro wrestler huge, was walking in front of a statuesque blond dressed in a pair of tight fitting jeans, a flouncy blouse and heels that would make Callie green with envy. The man stopped when he entered the room and saw Andrew. He opened his mouth but no words came out and then the hugest smile passed over his face, a smile that lit up the entire room. He shook his head and laughed heartily. The woman behind him tugged on his hand and he leaned down and whispered in her ear. She whispered something back to him and he scrunched his brows together, shaking his head, she then tugged him down again and was whispering intently to him, this time he sighed and stood straight up.
The couple walked towards the love seat and as the man passed Andrew he tapped him on the shoulder. The man nodded at Andrew, who gave him a hesitant nod back and then made a bee line towards the door. Madison glanced at the man and then the woman, who she immediately recognized. Madison started to put two and two together as she gazed at where Andrew had gone. The man lowered his eyes and breathed in deeply as the woman he was with tapped his leg trying to reassure him. Madison rose and took off after Andrew. She found him on the patio with her Diet Coke in one hand and chain smoking with the other one.
“Andrew?” she said, gently caressing his lower back.
He glanced at her and then handed her the Diet Coke. She set it on the railing and moved closer to him, taking his hand in hers.
“Do you want to leave?”
He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair.
“Harrison, don’t leave on my account,” Reeves said, stepping towards the railing. “I know it must be strange to see me. Trust me, I never thought I would see you again. In fact, I sincerely hoped that I would never see you again, if you know what I mean?”
“Yeah, I know.”
Madison looked between the two of them. “I’ll give you two some privacy,” she said, caressing Andrew’s hand lovingly.
He looked down at it and then her. He didn’t know what to think or do. Madison smiled, then turned and grabbed her Diet Coke before heading back inside.
“Does she know who I am?” Reeves asked.
“No, I haven’t told her very much about County.” He glanced at Reeves who had a look of conce
rn on his face. “She knows why I was inside. I told her right away. I just don’t talk about things that happened in there.”
He nodded. “How you been? Are you keeping out of trouble?”
“Yeah, pretty much, although...” Andrew looked down, ashamed. “I did have a run in with someone and beat him up pretty badly.” Andrew took a long drag off of his cigarette and as he blew out the smoke he turned to Reeves. “No one pulled me off of him,” Andrew said sadly.
“Did you hurt him as bad as you did Marcus?” Reeves asked with concern, remembering how he had almost killed Marcus.
“No, but close. I have court on Monday for it,” Andrew said, lighting up another cigarette.
“Damn, Harrison.” Reeves shook his head and looked down.
“I know. I messed up.”
“What the hell happened? You said you weren’t gonna do a damn thing that could land you back in prison.”
Andrew could hear the disappointment in his voice. So, he told him every single thing that had transpired. How he had met Madison, their day at the lake, the way Jimmy goaded him and finally what he had said and did that led to the fight. Without thinking, Andrew also volunteered what had happened at the bookstore, who Jimmy was and how Andrew wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do about it. He told him that everyone was telling him to do nothing but that didn’t feel right and finally his fears about being sent back. Reeves turned around with his back against the patio railing and crossed his arms, much like Andrew remembered him doing so many times when he was locked up.
“Well, they’re right, Harrison. You can’t go after this dude because that will for sure put you back in prison. But I understand why you want to hurt him.” Reeves shook his head. “Damn politician’s kids. They wouldn’t last a week in County.”
Before Andrew could say anything else, they heard movement at the door and turned towards it. Jayden was slipping out of the building and approaching them.
“Andrew, my God! Save me, man. Those girls are talking outfits and shit. I don’t know what the hell they did today but my Callie is in girl overload. Holy crap, it’s just crazy,” Jayden said, laughing. Andrew smiled as Jayden continued. “And there are no dudes here at all. What’s that about?” Jayden asked perplexed.
Helios Awakened (The Helios Chronicles #1) Page 24
