by Hart, Lea
“What are you talking about? Why wouldn’t I trust you?”
“Because I let the guy get too close to you.”
“That isn’t true and you know it. Help me get into my clothes, I want to go home and take a shower.”
“Did you mean it when you called me your boyfriend?”
“I guess, since you saved my life and protected me. I will make an exception to my policy and lift my no boyfriend rule.”
He wisely didn’t ask any more questions and helped her into her clothes. “Let’s go home and order pizza and watch a movie.”
“That’s the best idea, I’ve heard all day.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Max opened one eye and noticed it was still dark outside, he pulled up his arm to look at his watch and saw that it was only 6:00. He wrapped Rory up a little tighter and kissed her head. He felt a sense of relief that Gavin was in jail, but he still had a bad feeling about Jackson. He knew they had not heard the last from him yet. He absentmindedly ran his hands over her body and felt her stir, “I hope you’re not trying to wake me up Mr. Bishop. If you keep moving your hands like that, then I can’t be held responsible for my behavior.”
She rolled over and plastered herself against his body. “Ms. Basso, if you stay like that then I will be forced…” tilting his hips he slid inside of her in one strong thrust, “to do this.” He slid out slowly and slid back in completely as he watched her eyes close and her mouth part. “How does that feel? Am I hitting just the right spot?” Using his massive leg muscles to get the leverage he needed, he continued his assault on her senses and her body. He continued to slide in and out and quickly felt her stiffen and contract all around him as she called out his name. Just like that she fell apart and he quickly joined her as he pumped into her with mindless abandon. As he felt the last of the spasms leave his body, he hoped somehow his little swimmers did their job. He really did want to put a baby in Rory. Feeling her gentle breaths against his chest allowed him a moment of peace. He felt her move and slowly released his hold.
Rory stretched up and kissed him gently on his mouth and then ran her lips over his ears. “Good morning. That was an amazing morning performance.”
“I aim to please.” He gently ground his hips against her to let her know that round two would be happening very soon. “I think I need to stay here for about a month. You won’t mind will you?”
“No, not at all. We can just have someone leave our meals by the door. Then we can figure all the different ways to do what we just did.”
“I like your creative mind. Tell me what you would like to try next.”
She slowly rolled over and he slipped out. “Did I mention that I would like to stay in?”
“I don’t think you were that specific, but follow me to the shower and I’m sure we can figure something out.”
He growled and leapt off the bed and grabbed her hand and took her into the bathroom. “Slow down Max. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Oh yes you are. You are going…. to come. Again and again and maybe shout my name a couple of times.”
“Promises… promises.” They slipped into the shower and did not emerge for quite some time.
***
He watched her sip her coffee with a small smile on her face as she looked out the patio doors. She seemed very relaxed and content. He wanted to figure out how to keep that look on her face for a long time to come. “What are your plans today?”
Looking over, she tried to gather her thoughts and respond, “I have no idea. I have no job and no stalker. I can do anything I want. I could get on a plane this afternoon and go wherever I want.”
“Not without me.” He watched her scowl and realized that he managed to wipe the happy smile off her face in less than five minutes. “What I meant to say is …. Can I come with you?”
“No you didn’t. You said exactly what you meant. You are so overbearing sometimes.”
“I will try and work on that. I just want to spend time with you and get to know you and love you.”
“You have to give me some space - you are making me a little crazy.”
He looked at her and took her hand, “I will try.”
“See that you do! Because when I wake up from this sex coma, I’m not going to be as patient with you.”
“What if I keep you so satisfied that you never have the chance to get irritated with me?”
“You’re pretty heavy-handed, so I don’t really think that’s possible.”
“We could try.”
“I think Birdie told me that Mark was using a similar strategy. Is this something they teach you in SEAL school? You all seem to have similar traits. Is this some secret that you keep passing along to each other?”
“No, I came up with the idea on my own. I know who I am and I understand that it might not be easy to be around me. I was an excellent leader because of those qualities, but I also realize that those are not qualities that would make me an ideal boyfriend.”
“It will just take time to figure out what works. I will try not to give you the feeling that I am resisting you. Then you won’t feel like you have to possess me. Then maybe we will relax enough so we can see if we are well suited.”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
“My family is coming over later on and we have our mani/pedi appointments this afternoon. I also have to do some errands. What are you going to do?”
“I am going to the precinct to talk to the detective to follow up on Gavin’s case. I need to provide him with the Intel we gathered. Then, I’m going to my condo to get fresh clothes, and then I’m meeting with some of the guys from the office for a work out. Can I take you to dinner at the Hotel Del?”
That sounds very nice. I will drive down after I’m done shopping.”
“I would rather come and pick you up.”
“I know you would, but I’m stalker free. I can drive myself places and not be looking over my shoulder. I miss my independence and being on my own schedule.”
“All right, then let me have your phone and I can program the info in. Do you want me to drop off the dry-cleaning?”
“No, just put yours in that bag on the chair. I will take yours in with mine.”
“See, we really are a couple. Our dry cleaning is co-mingling.”
“It always starts with the dry cleaning… Anyways, I’m going to see if they can fix the dress that I wore yesterday. It’s one of my favorites and I’m not ready to give it up.”
“Do you want to come over at 5:00 tonight?”
“Let’s make it 6:00 just to be safe. When I get together with my sisters we lose track of time.”
“Do you realize that this is the first time we will be apart from one another in over two weeks? I think that says something about our ability to get along; it bodes well for our lives together.” He studied her as she stared at him and tried to figure what was going on in her mind. He could tell that she wanted to say something but was holding back.
“Enjoy your day of freedom. I will see you tonight.” She reached up and kissed him, “Thank you for getting rid of that nasty stalker problem.”
“It was all you baby…. it was all you.”
***
Max waited in the lobby of his building for Rory to arrive. She had texted him before she’d left and he expected her any minute. He was not looking forward to the conversation that they were going to have about Jackson. He didn’t think she was going to be too thrilled to be under 24 hour protection again. He knew Jackson was not out of the equation, and he couldn’t predict what he was going to do. He looked up and saw Rory pull in front of the building, so he walked out and jumped in the car, “Hi sweetheart.” He felt her lean over and she kissed him completely. He had missed her and felt his heart thud, because that was the first time that she had ever leaned towards him. “I missed you today. Did you have fun with your sisters?”
“I hate to admit it, but I missed you. I had a lot fun with my sisters, though - we went shopp
ing and I found two new pair of shoes. Are we going to dinner now?”
“No. I just want to take you down to the parking garage. I have my remote to open the gates. I have an extra parking space for you.”
“Ok, just tell me how to get there.” She followed his directions and parked next to his truck. Before she was able to get her seat belt unbuckled, he took her hand, “Thanks for coming over.” He took the opportunity to give her a quick kiss before they got out of the car. He collected her bags from the car and she took her garment bag. “I know this looks like a lot, but don’t worry - I’m not moving in.”
“If you wanted to move in, I would have all of your stuff here by tomorrow. I don’t picture you living in a condo though; I should probably buy you a house.”
They got in the elevator and she took the opportunity to stare at him, “Of course. That’s a reasonable plan of action after knowing me two weeks. That seems like a really good idea…. are you crazy?”
“Is this the part where I should have kept that to myself and not said it aloud?”
“Yes, that would definitely be the part where you kept your crazy tucked in.”
“That’s pretty funny. My Mama always had a saying about that. She would always say it about her sister, ‘keep your crazy tucked in, it’s showing.’ Something like that anyway, I think her sister probably said it right back to her.”
The elevator doors slid open and they walked down the hall - it looked like the building had been redone. “I have never been in this building. This is beautiful. I like the sound of the ocean and the smell of the salt.”
“I never really got off the island after I came down here for Bud/S. After I left the teams I decided I wanted to stay close and be able to see the guys working out on the beach. It made the separation a little easier.”
“Why did you leave?”
“I got banged up pretty good on an op and they couldn’t clear me for active duty again. I have damage to one of my ears that prevents me from being able to dive. If you can’t dive, you can’t be a SEAL. I also have a shoulder that never was going to allow me to make a HALO jump on any consistent basis.”
“Were you ready to leave the teams?”
“Not really, but I felt fortunate to have lasted as long as I did. I made it fifteen years.” He opened the door and they walked into a huge expanse of white. “Welcome home baby - make yourself comfortable. I’m going to take this into our bedroom.”
“Very clever use of language… assume the sale Mr. Bishop, very nice.”
He winked at her and gave her a charming smile and walked down the hall to drop her stuff off. She walked across the open living room out to the terrace and admired the view. She didn’t realize how close he was to the Hotel Del… they could walk. She heard him come out and felt his big arms wrap around her. He lifted her hair and kissed her neck, “What do you think of the view?”
“I love it. This is so peaceful. You can see the people down there, but you can’t really hear them. I love the sound of the crashing waves. You must sleep like a baby.”
“I sleep best when I’m wrapped around you…. that could be anywhere.”
She turned and wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest, “I can’t decide if it’s what you say or your southern accent. You are very charming and it’s working.” She heard the door slam and heard heavy footsteps.
“Quit kissing you two, I’m coming out.”
She laughed and saw Sean walk out to the terrace with a towel wrapped around his shoulder and running shorts riding low on his hips. These Bishop brothers were very good looking, “Hi Sean.”
He leaned over to kiss her cheek and dodged his brother’s elbow while doing it. “Relax brother, I’m just saying ‘Hi’ to my future sister-in-law.”
“Leave her alone.”
“Just ignore him. He’s being a little cranky.” Turning to him she gave him an assessing look, “I’m not sure why though?”
“I’m standing right here and I’m not cranky. I just don’t want my…. Oh never mind.”
She patted his chest, “Good choice, honey.”
He looked down at her and winked, “I’m catching on.”
“Are you going to dinner with us tonight?”
“No, I’m going out with some of the guys. David and Chris are going to take me out and show me around. Ed is going out with the woman that Birdie set him up with. Who knows how that’s going to go?”
“I have to call Birdie and let her know. I think they will be getting home this evening. They stayed another day and brought Travis home on the plane. I guess he’s in rough shape and they wanted to make sure that he didn’t have to wait for the transport plane. My Mom told me that Bob bought the plane from his company, so I guess they are going to use it when they travel.”
“Where are you guys going tonight on your big date?”
Max took Rory’s hand and smiled at her, “I’m taking her to the Hotel Del for dinner… and then we can take a walk along the beach if you want.”
“Sounds good to me. I guess I better go change and get ready.” She left the two brothers standing on the balcony as she made her way back to Max’s room. She walked into the big room and looked around: it looked like any typical bachelors room. There was a big king size bed, a chest of drawers and that was it. They must teach tidiness in the Navy, because it was perfectly neat. She walked into the bathroom and she admired his huge shower and all of the different shower heads. She heard the door open and Max walked into the bathroom seconds later and grabbed her and kissed her without hesitation.
“Do you want to take a shower before we leave or are you just going to change?”
“I think I will just change and then take a shower after we get home. I’m looking forward to seeing exactly how all those shower heads feel.”
“I look forward to showing you when we get home. Let’s go, I’m hungry.”
“Give me about fifteen minutes and I will be ready. I want to text Birdie and see if they have made it home already.”
“Do you want a glass of wine or a martini before we go?”
‘No, I’ll wait until we go to dinner.” She took a moment to admire the man standing in front of her and appreciate how attractive he was. She noticed how his shirt stretched across his broad chest and the v of his shirt allowed her a glimpse of his chest and neck. How could something so small be so enticing? She wanted to run her mouth down his neck and across his chest and back up to his mouth and feast on his lips for about three days. She wasn’t sure when she became so addicted to the smell and taste of this man and didn’t know if she wanted to do anything about it. This was usually the point where she began running in the opposite direction and while those urges were still there, they didn’t seem quite as strong.
“Are you ok sweetheart?”
Shaking her head she smiled at him, “Never better.” She leaned over and kissed him on his cheek. “Let me get ready and then we can have our date.”
“I will leave you to it. Come out when you’re ready.”
***
“Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you or are you going to keep it in for a while longer?”
“It’s nothing. We can talk about it later, let’s enjoy our evening.”
“Ok, start talking Max Bishop…. quit stalling.”
“I think when you say my full name that it’s not a good sign…. also when you say fine. That never means fine, in fact it’s anything but.”
“Get on with it, and then we can move past it.”
“I’m going to preface this by saying that Gavin is still in lock up and not getting out. In fact he will probably be treated in a state mental health facility. Apparently he has several mental health issues that were diagnosed when he was seventeen and probably a few that have not been diagnosed. That is why nothing came up in our investigation - all the records were sealed. We did not take the time to access those files when we looked at him initially. I think he will get the help he needs, at le
ast if we are lucky.”
“What are you not telling me?”
“Jackson was the one to ask him to hack into your computer in the first place. Apparently he wanted to keep an eye on you - at least that’s what he told the detectives. He concocted a big story about how he had concerns about the work you were doing. He had his very expensive lawyer sitting next to him and it came down to who was telling the truth.”
‘What a crock of you know what.”
“Jackson wanted Gavin to access your computer… and he did, but unfortunately he was obsessed with you and took it much further. It was just the thing that tipped him over the edge.”
“The detective knew Jackson was making it up. We had already provided him with the Intel that we had gathered. He knew Jackson was running something on the side. When I met with him, I explained about Bob’s condition and the pending sale of the company. He knew Jackson was dirty, but there’s not a lot that they can do unless the company wants to bring charges. Based on where Bob is at, I doubt that they’re going to do that. It’s my impression that they’re going to cut their losses and move on.”
“What does this have to do with me? Why are you still worried?”
“I think Jackson is going to do something and I’m not sure what it’s going to be. I want to keep you under protection until the sale goes through and Jackson finally loses his mind.”
“Is that all? Are you sure there is nothing else?”
“No, I know how happy you are to have your freedom. I understand the idea of being attached to me is not going to make you happy.”
She looked at him over the candles on the table and admired how attractive he was. It wasn’t just his physical presence; it was who he was as a person. “We can work it out. The sale is going to be complete in a couple of weeks. We can just keep doing what we have been doing - it’s not a big deal.”
