The next morning I awoke in his bed, the sounds and smells of breakfast being cooked drifting into his bedroom. Antonio was already up and dressed, and talking on the phone. He smiled, gave me a kiss and returned to his call. It was time to move forward with the day. I knew I couldn't wait to tell Chrissie how right she had been.
When I arrived at the taverna she wasn't at the bar. A quick talk with the owner told me she had turned in her resignation last night. One of the regulars spoke up. "Some guy showed up last night looking for her. They had a fight and she walked out." His friend leaned over, "Dangerous looking American, the kind that smiles while they stab you in the back." It sounded like Gene had finally found her. The question was; did she head out of town in time to lose him?
MOMENTS OF ECSTACY
An Alpha Billionaire Romance
The Moments Series Book 3
www.amazingromancebooks.com
Chrissie
The night had been a quiet one at the taverna, only a handful of regulars. I found my thoughts drifting from time to time to Jasmine, wondering how her plans with Antonio were going. Those two really did belong together and I felt pleased I may have been the one to encourage her to reach out to him and heal whatever was keeping them apart. If anyone could find a way to do it, she could. Maybe that was why I didn't hear him come into the bar. I let my guard down for just one night, and it turned around and bit me.
I heard a familiar voice saying, "Well, well I finally catch up to you and here you are once again running a rag across a bar. Seems like old times again, doesn't it Chrissie?" I looked up into those startling blue eyes so familiar and so very cruel. He was as handsome and as deadly as ever. Gene, my psychotic old boyfriend, had tracked me down. It seems that flying 6,000 miles just wasn't far enough.
I tried to calm myself down, taking deep breaths as I pulled away. He was like a cobra, hypnotizing me into a sense of frozen panic just long enough to strike, and I knew it. When that happened I wanted to be as far from him as possible, so I leaned back into the comfort of the bar, mentally thinking of the fastest way out. I could still hear the clink of glasses and the murmur of Greek behind him, telling me that I wasn't alone. That was good because I knew that Gene's hair trigger temper was about to erupt, I could see it in the flare of his nostrils, the narrowing of his eyes. His smile was cold and he was just looking for an excuse to slap me around. I needed to find a way to turn that to my advantage.
"If you mean by old times that you expect to pick up where we left off, I am afraid not Gene." I could feel my voice begin to quiver and took a breath to get it under control. I could not let him see how much he shook me by the simple act of walking in here. "This isn't New Orleans and I have made some friends here." I looked around me and could see that the four or five men in the taverna had stopped their conversations and were looking at Gene with suspicion. They were all men who worked on the docks, regulars who came by every afternoon when their shift ended to enjoy this neighborhood taverna and relax after a hard day's work. Strong men with a strong sense of macho and I knew them all by name.
When Gene reached across the bar to grab my arm I leaned away and twisted out of his reach. He swore at me, "You little bitch! Enough of your games, you are coming with me Chrissie!" When he tried to reach around the bar to manhandle me out of there, the bar erupted. Greek men don't take well to seeing women they know being abused. It was the opportunity I needed to escape. But could I count on them to slow Gene down long enough to let me get away?
As I headed out the door I could hear the sound of fists flying and a chair or two being tossed. I blessed mentally whatever it was that made working men the world over love a good fight in a bar, and headed out the back door and down the street. With any luck they would keep Gene occupied long enough for me to get back to my digs. It was a fast five minute run to the little room I rented above the local flower shop. I hadn't acquired many belongings in the year I had been living here in Athens. I tossed what few things I owned in a duffle bag, not forgetting to grab my precious notebook. I threw what money I had squirreled away in my purse, grabbed my passport and headed out the door. I hailed a cab and headed out to the airport. If Greece couldn't hide me, then it was time to head home. I wasn't sure what was waiting there for me, but I wasn't going to wait around for Gene to track me down again. I had a few more cards up my sleeve, perhaps it was time to play them.
Buck
The last few months of kicking around Europe had been just what I needed. My father's death had hit me hard, and I had taken the time to sort out a few choices I had to make. Taking on the family business may not be something I looked forward to, but I had known it was coming all along. I just wanted to retain some part of my old life as well, the one that included a bit of time to do my own explorations.
The little taverna in Athens had been one of my favorite watering holes lately. I think Chrissie may have been one of the reasons, but I told myself it was also that this part of Athens was always a favorite of mine. I simply ignored the feelings of heat that arose every time we met. Just the way I tried to ignore the way the sunlight playing on her hair mesmerized me, filled me with a longing to reach out and touch it. But she wasn't there when I stopped to say my farewells and it looked like there had been a bit of a fight in the place. I asked but no one knew where she was outside of gone so I had a last drink and headed out to the airport and home.
The flight was long but I used the time well. At six foot four I always take advantage of first class to stretch out my long legs and even took my cowboy boots off a spell. My laptop was filled with emails to answer and the glass of whiskey made the transition from free-wheeling biker and traveler to business owner and board president a little less painful. Sometimes it can be tricky living in two worlds but it is the best way I know to stay sane. I may make plenty of noise about wanting my freedom but I had grown up with this business and in truth cared about it as part of my legacy to hand on to my next generation. Whenever I decided to settle down and get married, that is. I've had plenty of women, just none I really wanted to spend some serious time with, so far. Somehow life was just too busy to get around to things like that.
I was soon engrossed in the details of our latest developments and looking up geology reports to confirm the direction I wanted these developments to be heading. My research looked to be paying off well and I knew it was time to roll up my sleeves and get back to the business at hand. I took a moment to sit back, remembering my rides through the sun drenched hills of Greece. Adventuring in that part of the world had its hardships and its rewards. Of course, when you meet a woman like Chrissie it also opens a few doors, but it looked like that one was closed now, just when I felt it might be heading somewhere. I thought of her bright smile one more time, and then put the thought aside, along with my memories of my Greek adventures. A different set of challenges lay ahead. Challenges that would be waiting for me the moment I landed.
The layover in New York was just an hour or so, and I would usually spend that time on emails in the first class lounge. But as I walked pass the airport bar I happened to glance inside, and there was Chrissie from the taverna in Athens. It was hard to mistaken her, I don't know too many women that pack that many curves in just five foot two inches. Then there is her unmistakable wayward cap of ginger tresses with just enough curl to have a life of their own. What she was doing in a bar at JFK Airport was a mystery and one I couldn't just let pass. I sat down next to her and ordered my usual whiskey, Highland single malt. She looked over and then stopped with her drink in her hand, a slow smile spreading across that adorable pixie face.
Chrissie
When you grab the first plane you can to get you out of town it isn't always the most direct route. I had just completed the first leg of my journey, Athens to New York, and was contemplating my drink and the flight from here to New Orleans and then the short hop home, when he sat down next to me with a very familiar order. I knew that voice and that order, and turned in surprise to fi
nd Buck, one of my regulars from the taverna here at the JFK airport bar.
The man is a long drink of cool water, from the wavy strawberry blonde hair that often sits under a motorcycle helmet to those perpetual cowboy boots below a pair of denim enclosed legs that just go on and on. Oh and did I mention that tight little ass of his? He has a grin that is as warm as a Texas summer and a pair of bright blue eyes that remind me of those wide open skies. They look even bluer because of the perpetual tan he wears, one that gives him more than a passing resemblance to Robert Redford in his Sundance Kid days. He has made my heart go pitty-pat from the day we met, though I think I have managed to hide it well.
His Texan drawl is, I suspect, sometimes put on a bit heavy for show when he wants to play the stranger. Oh, he comes from Texas alright; I have had enough conversations with him over a drink at the bar to know that. I spent some time out there myself and it sounds like we travelled through the same lonesome hills. But there is more to the man then what he lets us see. Somewhere under that cowboy exterior I have always suspected he hid a smart sophisticated man that liked to keep that part separate. His awe-shucks gentlemanly smile was just a way to keep us all off-guard.
He turned that warm grin on me now. "I must admit that this layover in New York just got a whole lot more interesting," he said. "What brings you back stateside?" I couldn't help but smile, his open and generous attitude was just what I needed after my quick escape from Gene.
"Oh, it was just time to go, I guess. As much as I loved it there, after a while you miss home." I noted the laptop stuck in his carryon bag. He usually travelled pretty light but he had mentioned on his last trip through that he might be heading home soon. "Of course, with one of those I imagine you are never far from home in some ways."
We chatted about technology, Texas and the way the world had changed so you were never far from connections if you wanted them. It was small talk, but I think he knew it comforted me to have it with someone that felt safe and familiar. In fact, it was funny in a way how I felt both thrilled and safe at the same time around Buck. We have always had that kind of connection that was more than simply expats running into each other in a foreign country. There is something about Buck that makes me feel like the world is right. Just as I began to relax a bit I looked up and saw Gene, pacing through the airport and talking urgently on his cell. How he tracked me down to here, I don’t know. Buck followed my gaze and saw my expression change.
"Is that the ex you told me about," he asked. I had talked to him once, months ago, about Gene. I was surprised he remembered. "Yes, and he is the reason I left Athens. He seems to have tracked me down." Buck's smile changed and he now had a stormy look on his face. I knew that look. I looked around the airport for a solution. "I don't want noise; I just want to slip away as quickly as possible. Please don't start anything."
He put some money down on the bar and grabbed both our bags with one hand. "Then come on, I have a friend who lives near here that may have the perfect solution." As Gene headed towards my gate, we turned and walked in the opposite direction, towards public transportation. Buck was on his phone, talking to someone quickly in Spanish. By the time we got to the entrance for departing passengers a pickup truck was waiting for us. In the back was the biggest Harley I had ever seen. Buck grinned at me and asked, "Ever ridden a bike?" I nodded yes, still engaged with wondering how Gene tracked me down so fast. "Luis is going to get us out of town, and then we will head out on the bike. He won't be looking for it."
We quickly headed out along the 278, a wide freeway that runs from New York across the river and out into New Jersey. We crossed Staten Island and heading to Woodbridge. Then they took the bike down from the back to the truck and strapped our bags on. I looked around me one last time, wondering if I had lost my mind. After all, how well did I know this man? But Gene was relentless and I needed to find a way to restart my life. Perhaps even return to the life I knew before him, when science and books were at the center of my life instead of a bar. My mind returned briefly to my notebook, nestled in among my t-shirts and toothpaste. It was, in truth, more essential to me then either one of those items.
I studied Buck from beneath my lashes as he chatted in Spanish with Louis, looking over a map on his phone. Everything about him spoke of a man who got things done, who knew what he wanted and went for it. From his chiseled chin to his handmade cowboy boots, he was the kind of man that Texans pointed to when they said Texas created real men. I made my mind up and grabbed the helmet sitting on the seat for me. They nodded, Louis wished us luck and headed back into his truck and took off. We mounted up and headed west. West, far away from Gene and everything he knew about me. As I clung to Buck's long muscled back I felt a shiver of anticipation. Or was that shiver from something more, something I had long felt simmering in the background between us?
Buck
As we roared off, I could feel her arms around my chest and her thighs gripping mine from behind. It felt erotic, thrilling and I found it hard to concentrate on the road. But with this kind of power in my control, I needed to, as Louis had done his usual amazing job at keeping my machines here in New York in perfect running order and ready to go. Louis and I were friends from my early days on the oil fields, always a man who could work miracles with any type of machine. Our close connection remains even years later. The hog ran like a dream, purring away as the miles slid beneath our wheels.
After a few hours we had cleared out of the busy highways of New Jersey and were taking a break as we looked out over Chesapeake Bay. The ride had cleared any cobwebs left from the flight and we were both looking a bit windswept. As I took off my helmet, I look over her way. Her cheeks were flushed; her eyes so green against that swirl of red hair that they shone like a pair of emeralds. If I had any worries about her ability to ride with me, they had left in the first few minutes. She swerved into the curves against my body like she was made to ride. It felt like our two bodies were completely in sync. She looked up at me and I felt my breath catch.
"So do you always play the knight in shining armor to every barmaid you happen to run into?" she grinned, her eyes alight with humor. I couldn't help but grin back. Normally this would have been the place to tell her just how beautiful she was, how any man would have done what I had done. But I knew that despite the banter, she was testing me. Gene had scared her, and she needed to feel safe for now.
"Well I seem to have left my armor behind at the airport. Would you settle for lunch before we head further? We can make plans as we eat." She looked relieved, so I knew I had said the right thing. "Well it's good to know you have a plan. Food sounds perfect." We found the perfect little diner and picked up a local road map. Phones have their uses but sometimes an old fashion highway map gives you a better sense of the big picture when travelling, I have found. Plus it gave me an excuse to sit next to her as we looked it over together.
I realized as we talked that I had no idea where she had been heading when I saw her in New York. Did we need to make plans to get her home? "No, no," she said, "Home has been a pretty loose concept the last few years. I have no family and I called my friends in New Orleans from the road to let them know I was okay and not on the original flight. It is probably best that I not return to anywhere that Gene can find me right now. He knows my habits."
That meant we had more time together. I knew the business could wait a few more days, and I wanted to get to know her better. I traced a route that took us across the country through the Virginias and Kentucky, down through Arkansas and into Texas. "I have family out towards El Paso. We can take the smaller highways," I said as she followed the route with me. She smiled a sort of dreamy smile and pointed to a place not far from our family ranch.
"The Glass Mountains, do you know if we will pass close to them? I used to spend a good amount of time out that way; it would be wonderful to see them again." I hid my surprise and simply agreed that we could easily make sure that we had some time for them. I had roamed the Glass Mountains whe
n I was a boy, in love with their rugged open beauty. It seems that this fiery little barmaid and I had more in common then I had thought.
Chrissie
Sitting next to Buck I could feel the electricity crackle between us. I thought for sure he could see how my temperature rose every time he turned and smiled at me. But I have lots of practice playing a role; keeping bar the last few years has taught me that. So I just smiled back and looked down at the map. The ride that day had been such an adventure, and I took every excuse I could get to lean into his hard muscled back and wrap my legs around his at every turn in the road. All too soon this ride would end and we would go our separate ways. I would then have to decide if I wanted to continue playing barkeep or return to the life I had before the accident that took away everything I knew. Running into Gene had made me realize it was time to move on with my life.
There was a time when roaming the hills of Texas had been my dream. I had always had a fascination with geology and had graduated from University of Texas, the youngest in my class and one of the few women. I spent four years studying the geology of the area and writing about the shale that was the lifeblood of the oil industry in Texas.
I loved the work and was looking forward to taking my ideas to the next level. Perhaps this trip to my old stomping grounds would help me to ease the pain of losing both my parents and my fiancé in that fatal car crash. It was time to move on. Looking at Buck, I could see that this trip might be just what I needed to start thinking about truly living again. A man like Buck could make you think about a lot of things, I thought to myself, our bodies brushing as we looked over the map. I could sense the heat he was giving, and wondered if I was the cause. He also wasn't the kind of man you play with and toss away, so I wanted to know him better before I let anything brew. Before I knew it, it was time to continue our journey.
VAMPIRE:Vampire Guardian Series: Paranormal Mystery Vampire Alpha Male Romance (New Adult Contemporary Paranormal Royalty Fantasy Romance Collection)) Page 24
