by Hart, Lea
The table erupted in laughter and Rory stood up. “Gentleman, this is no laughing matter. Birdie takes this quite seriously. She’s been doing this with mixed success since we were in the sixth grade.” Everyone looked down at their hands and tried to look admonished.
Max walked over to Rory and gave her a kiss. “Sweetheart, you have to give these guys a break. They’re not used to dealing with women who are smarter than them.”
She turned in his arms and replied sweetly, “You seem to be doing ok. My brain doesn’t seem to intimidate you at all.”
“That’s because I’m a smart man and always planned on marrying up.”
Birdie started collecting dishes and the guys helped her take them in. “Rory, make Max and Sean a plate, and we can reheat it in the microwave.”
Rory nodded and made two big plates and carried them in. Derick was helping Birdie do dishes and they were having a quiet conversation as they rinsed. Max watched and wondered if Derrick understood that Birdie was engaged. He didn’t want to take any heat from Mark if one of his men got a little too close to Birdie.
Rory made Max and Sean sit down and eat. She made coffee and dug into the freezer to look for the frozen cookie dough that Birdie always had stashed. She made a quick batch for the guys and then sat down next to Max.
“So, tell me, how many matches did you make tonight, Birdie?”
“I have two solid matches and a possible third. I tell you, I’m going to find someone for Chris if it kills me. I want him to bring someone to my wedding, and I’m not referring to someone he picks up in that bar. I’m talking about a real woman.”
Max didn’t doubt for a second she was going to be completely successful. “I think you should find someone for Sean. He needs a nice woman in his life.” His brother almost choked and then recovered enough to punch him in the arm.
“Leave me out of it. How did I get involved?”
Birdie studied him closely and moved over to sit next to him. There was a definite gleam in her eye. You could see her excitement about discovering another victim…. candidate. “So Sean, tell me about yourself. I want to know all about you.”
Sean groaned and rolled his eyes, “Birdie, please be gentle. I don’t think I’m ready for this.”
“I promise it won’t hurt a bit. I have over 400 friends on face book. I know I can find someone for you. I’m actually pretty good at this.”
Max turned to Rory, “Is she really that good?” Rory looked at her best friend with love in her eyes and shook her head no. “Sean, I really think you should give this a try.” His brother stared at him and he could feel the promise of retribution in his glare. Max shrugged his shoulders and leaned over and kissed Rory. He was damn happy that he never had to worry about dating again. He found his match.
***
Rory walked out of her bathroom and noticed a very large, bare chested male lying in her bed with the remote control in his hand. “You look good in my pink bed. Do you like my flower sheets?”
He looked up with a sexy smile, “I’m not afraid to admit that I like it. I don’t think that makes me a bad person.”
She came over to the bed, “Why are you in here?”
“Because we’re tired and it’s time for bed.”
“What about the guestroom?”
He started laughing, “Baby, we are not sleeping apart. Once you sleep together, you can’t go back.”
“Is this in some sort of rule book that I am unaware of?”
“Yes, it is. The ‘I have fallen for you rule book by Max Bishop.’ I will make sure to get you a copy.”
“Don’t steal the covers.” She slipped under the sheets and started her nightly routine.
“Do you do that every night?”
She was putting on cuticle cream, “Most nights.” She then put on hand cream and lip balm and filed her nails. “Why are you staring at me?”
“Because it’s interesting. I’m trying to learn everything about you.”
“Why?”
“Because I like you and I hope to marry you.”
“I am not getting married Max. I don’t even want a boyfriend.”
“You will and it will be me.”
“It’s good to know you listen. It makes me feel good.”
She slipped down under the covers, “Goodnight. Don’t forget to set the alarm.”
He caught the lights and pulled her into his arms and kissed her head, “Taken care of. When we get married, you will always know that you are taken care of.”
She rested her head on his chest and let out a sigh, “No marriage.”
He ignored her and enjoyed the feeling of having her lying next to him. I am going to make you fall in love with me Rory, just you wait and see.
***
Jackson sat as his desk and tried to calm down – he felt like the panic attack was imminent. He knew he was starting to spiral out of control and needed to cut back on the blow. I’m not ready, I just need another month. The deal would be done and he could deliver on his promises. He couldn’t believe Rory was quitting…. what a loser. He couldn’t decide if it was going to screw up his plans or make it easier. It was still necessary to monitor what she was doing and saying. For all he knew she was planning on trying to take over his job.
He decided to walk down the hall and see what Gavin was able to pull off of her computer. It might give him a clue as to what she was really up to. He needed to have as much information, so he could close the deal.
He walked into the IT office and noticed Gavin was the last one working, which was good. He was happy to have the conversation here, as he wasn’t always comfortable with the guy. He seemed to be one click off from the rest of the world, which worked out for him, because the guy was willing to do his dirty work and hack into Rory’s computer. I hope, I picked the right guy for the job.
“Hey Gavin. How’s it going?” He noticed how uncomfortable Gavin became as he made his way into the room. He looked guilty which was weird. What else was the guy up to?
“Hey Jackson. Why did you let Rory quit?”
“I didn’t let her quit. I had no idea she was thinking of leaving. She gave her notice to my father. I heard about it through the company email, just like everyone else. It might have something to do with her new boyfriend. Who knows?”
“I can’t believe you let it happen. You were supposed to make sure she stayed.”
Jackson started to feel uneasy; the guy wasn’t making any sense. “Why do you say that?”
“Because, it’s important that she stays here. She isn’t supposed to leave.”
“Well I can’t do anything about it now. Her last day is next week.”
“You need to do something.”
“What has she been doing on her computer lately? Anything new?”
“No, nothing really. She’s been working on reports for your Dad and updating spreadsheets. You know how she loves her organizational charts and her supply chain spreadsheets. Nothing unusual. There is something wrong with the camera though. It doesn’t work anymore.”
“Why are you looking at her camera? That was never part of it.”
“I did that on my own. I wanted to get as much information as I could for you.”
“I never said anything about the camera. What have you been looking at?” Gavin looked distinctly uncomfortable, but defiant at the same time.
“I just make sure that she is where she says she is.”
“Shit, Gavin. Don’t look at her. If she finds out, that is grounds to press charges. You can’t hijack a camera and get away with it.”
Gavin sat up and looked angry. “What you’re doing is illegal - you have that side business going. Why do you always act like your innocent and none of the rules apply to you?”
“I do what I have to do, this is all part of the plan to keep the hotels profitable. It’s fine.”
“Does your Dad know about it?”
Jackson felt a surge of rage come over him, “None of your business. Don’t
do anything else. Just undo whatever you’ve done. She’s going to turn in her laptop next week and I don’t want to take any heat if someone finds out what you’ve done.”
“It’s not me, you were the one who asked me to do it. It’s all you.”
Jackson took a step towards Gavin and pulled him up out of his chair and screamed in his face. “Just undo what you’ve done.”
Gavin pushed him off, “Get control of yourself, how much blow did you have today?”
“None of your damn business.” He straightened up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I’m under control.”
Gavin stared at him as he shook his head, A sociopath on drugs, this will turn out well. “Is her new boyfriend really a former SEAL?”
“Apparently, he’s retired now and owns a business.”
“I saw them kissing out in front of the building the other day. She shouldn’t be doing that. It’s not right.”
“Rory can kiss whoever she wants. The guy is the real deal.”
“No, she can’t kiss whoever she wants. Do you think everything they say about those guys is true?”
“You mean about SEALs? Yeah, those guys are elite warriors. I can’t believe she chose him.”
“Maybe she had no choice. Perhaps he made her.”
“I don’t think so. I think she wants to date him.” He started to walk out, “Remember to take everything off her computer.”
Gavin nodded and returned to his monitor. He knew Rory didn’t really like that man, How could she? He needed to speak with her and make her understand that he was the right man for her. He didn’t like her dating and kissing someone else.
Jackson stalked back to his office and slammed the door. He was so close to finalizing his plan and it was starting to fall apart. He needed a little pick me up, and then he could come up with an idea that would save the whole thing. Rory was not going to take this away from him.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Rory woke up in Max’s arms, her face was buried in his chest and his leg was thrown over hers. What do I do now? She felt so deeply attracted to him and didn’t know if she possessed the courage to let him in. Every man she’d ever dated had lost interest after the initial excitement passed. Maybe he was the same way. After all, his whole career was about risk. Maybe his personal relationships were the same. Round and round her mind went with no clear answer in sight.
“I can hear you thinking.” He ran his hand up her back kissed her head. “Are you trying to talk yourself out of how good this feels?”
“I’m doing no such thing. I’m lying here peacefully with a blank mind.”
“If only that were possible. You don’t strike me as a person who has many moments in which your mind is blank. I think it’s a fiercely moving machine. Probably the only time it rests is when your body takes over.”
She pulled away and was about to roll over but he caught her and rolled her underneath him. “Is that some sort of fancy SEAL move?”
“No, it’s my very own move. I’m trying to keep you under me. I want our bodies and hearts to become one. I want to breathe you in and bury myself so deep inside of you, that we can’t tell the difference between our bodies. I want to bring you so much pleasure that your mind stops. I want your heart to beat so hard that you think it may stop. I want to spill my soul into your body. That is what I want.”
“Oh Max….. how can you say things like that to me?”
“Because it’s true.” He dropped his mouth against hers and she felt every word he said. This was going to be the man to ruin her or save her.
As his lips touched hers, he was lost… just like. His body pinged to painful life as the desire roared down his spine. He lifted his head and slanted his mouth overs hers and ate at her mouth. His tongue stroked hers and every time their tongues met, heat flashed through him. His heart felt like it was going to explode along with another significant body part. How did she have the power to affect him this way?
As his tongue stroked hers, it felt like a small nuclear detonation went off inside her. She felt his hand slip her night gown off her shoulder and the fabric skimmed down her body. One big hand ran slowly up her rib cage and cupped her breast, his thumb gently circled her nipple. “Oh ….. Max.”
“You like that?” His thumb made another slow circle and she felt herself become liquid desire in his arms. “That too?” He could feel her nod into his shoulder, “What else?” Moving his mouth lower, he scraped his teeth along her neck as goose bumps broke out all over her body. He felt her run her hands up and down the hollow of his back as she arched into him. He ran his lips against the area behind her ear and was rewarded with a sigh. He returned his mouth to hers and placed several sweet kisses on her lips.
She was plastered against him and there wasn’t a breath between them. She suddenly wanted to stay like that for the rest of the day and possibly the week. To crawl up into this man and loose every thought in her mind would be such blessed relief. It was so tempting to let herself give into the craving. She knew they were not going to remain roommates for very much longer. The desire that existed between them was not going away. In fact, it was the elephant in the room - they just moved around it all day. What would happen when they finally gave into it?
He sat up and scraped his hand down his face, I’m not going to last very much longer. This is going to happen between us, I just hope there’s something left of our bodies after we’re done. I feel like it’s going to be a fucking wildfire.”
She sat up next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder, “I know. I’d better make sure to bring the fire extinguisher in. I don’t want the house to burn down.” She heard a deep rumble as he let out a huge laugh.
“Safety first, sweetheart. Safety first.”
She got up and her night gown dropped around her waist and she shimmied out of it and let it pool at her feet. Stepping out if, she walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. “That’s not fair, Rory! It’s happening tonight.” He looked into the bathroom and saw her face in the mirror. She smiled and waved to him as she stepped into the shower. It was going to be a long day at the office.
He got up and painfully walked into the other bathroom and enjoyed a ten minute cold shower. For all of the good it did, he was at least able to get dressed. He went to make coffee and check his computer. He read the email from Derick and cursed under his breath. They were close, they had it narrowed down to two computers at the hotel corporate offices. It didn’t necessarily give them the person, but it helped. Whoever it was, they seemed to be getting impatient. They were getting sloppy when they hacked into her computer last night. They were not covering their trail in the same careful way. Maybe he and Rory should make an appearance there today and see if they could shake the guy. If they got lucky, it might be enough to cause him to do something stupid.
He went and poured two cups of coffee, and took them back to the bedroom. It was steamy from the shower and the smell of her soap floated into the room. The door was partially open and he could see slices of her body as she dried off. He wanted to take her back to bed and spend the day buried inside of her, but knew he had to wait until tonight. It was like torture standing there watching her yet he couldn’t make himself move. “Sweetheart, coffee is ready.”
He watched her poke her head out and smile, “Thank you. I could get used to having my coffee delivered every morning. There are definite advantages to having you in the house.”
“I’ll be showing you those advantages tonight, over and over again.” He watched her face get red and her eyes widen. “Get yourself mentally prepared, because it’s happening.” He turned and walked out the door.
She closed the door and sat down on the toilet. What have I got myself into? I have a feeling that a man like Max is going to ruin me for all others. I’m not ready. She pulled out her blow dryer, started on her hair and let her mind drift as she dried her hair. Nothing to do about it now. It was fait accompli, which in some ways was relief. It was out o
f her hands. There was nothing to fight anymore…. nothing to decide. At least that’s what she told herself. There was a big part of her that just wanted to give into the attraction, damn the consequences. The other part of her was afraid of being hurt and wanted to run away. Why was there never a clear answer when you needed one?
She got dressed and sat at her table to do her face. Max walked in and she noticed that he’d made the bed. He silently watched her as she put on her makeup. “This is becoming a habit with you. Why do you like to watch me?”
“It feels intimate to me - I have no idea why. Maybe because you’ve never let another man see you do this. This small personal ritual is only seen by me. I want to be the only one that knows this about you. I look forward to being able to watch you every day.”
“I don’t want a boyfriend! Why do you ignore that?”
“I ignore it, because I don’t want to be your boyfriend. I want to be your husband. So what you say has nothing to do with me.”
“Yes it does. To become a husband, you need to become a boyfriend first.”
“Why?”
“Because, that’s how it works.”
“Not with us. I’m not saying we’re going to get married next week, but next year definitely.”
She stared at him for a moment and tried to determine if he was serious. “We haven’t slept together yet. What if it’s a disaster?”
“Do you really think that’s possible?”
“Not really. Are you going to bind me to you with sex?”
“Yes! I’m going to get you so addicted to me that you’re going to let go of every single one of those fears running through your brain. We’re going to burn every idea that you have about relationships and start with something new. It’s going to start tonight and then continue for every day after that. Be ready, because it begins today.” With that he got up, kissed her head and walked out of the room.
