Then, yesterday, she had been late to the rendezvous point. Tired, cranky, and hormonal, she had overslept, and the aspirin she’d taken for cramps hadn’t kicked in yet. She pulled her car alongside his at the parking lot of the trail. He stood, his hands on his hips, staring at her car.
She sat in the car for a few minutes trying to gather herself. It was obvious Jason was waiting for her. She rubbed at her eyes and dropped her head into her hands, frustrated. “Five. Minutes. To. Myself,” she intoned softly, her words muffled.
She gave a yelp as the car door was yanked openly suddenly.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jason’s face was red with anger “I was worried sick about you.”
Her annoyance flooded over, and she slid from the car and slammed the door shut behind her. Ignoring him, she stomped into the small hut where the bathrooms were, trying to slam the door in his face. He caught it, though, following her, and she turned on him.
“I don’t answer to you, Jason. I don’t answer to anyone. Now, if you don’t mind …”
He stepped toward her, and she caught her breath as she saw the rage in his face. She swallowed and turned away, but his hand was on her shoulder then, gripping, spinning her around.
“You don’t talk to me like that, baby girl, do you understand? After all, I’ve done for you … is it too much to ask for a little common courtesy?”
Ori felt a jolt of dread as she looked into his handsome yet angry face. Suddenly Jason blinked, stepped away from her, and held his hands up.
“God … I’m sorry, Ori. That was totally inappropriate. Please forgive me. I was worried sick about you, and I took it out on you. Please, I’m sorry.”
He looked so genuine contrite that Ori’s anger seeped away. “It’s okay,” she said rather stiffly. “Look, shall we leave it for today?”
Jason sighed. “If you’d like, but I’m willing to put this behind us and carry on if you are?”
Ori considered. Her stomach cramps were telling her to go back to bed, but she knew that if she carried on, the exercise would be good for her.
And, indeed, it proved so as they ran, walked, and practiced their moves. She had to admit, she loved training out in the open, no matter how cold it was. She felt like she was becoming strong and hardier. Jason didn’t mention his outburst again, but she knew she would never feel comfortable with him.
So now, when she had the chance to say something to Maceo or Alex, she stayed silent. Jason Meeks was the least of her problems right now. Maceo’s passport had still not been returned by the DA, and now Maceo’s lawyer was getting involved, making noise. She and Maceo wanted desperately to go home to Italy; she missed her work, Lucia, all her friends, along with their life together in Venice, away from all this crap. She had a constant dread that she would never see that life again, that it would be taken from her one way or another.
She and Maceo had been trying to find a suitable bodyguard who wouldn’t mind traveling around the world, but it had been a hard job. Alex assured them that while they were living under his roof, they were safe.
Ori pulled awayfrom Maceo and went to use the shower. A few minutes later, he joined her in there, sliding his arms around her wet body and turning her to face him. The spray pounded down on them, flattening his dark curls, and she grinned. Maceo’s eyes were serious, though.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded, smoothing his wet hair back from his face, his glorious face. She loved how one moment he could look like a teenager, the next, like a dangerous man, his eyes growing dark and brooding.
“You are so darn sexy,” she said to him now, and he smiled.
“Don’t try and distract me,mio caro, I’m concerned.” Nevertheless, he pressed his lips to her throat. Ori leaned into his big, solid body, skin on skin.This is the place I feel safest in the world.She could feel his cock ramrod hard against her belly and she sank to her knees and took him into her mouth, sweeping her tongue across the sensitive tip, hearing Maceo’s soft groan. She fisted the root of him as she ran her tongue gently up and down the shaft, cupping his balls in her hands, gently massaging them. As she could feel him get close, she dug her fingernails into his buttocks and made him come in her mouth, swallowing him down.
Maceo lifted her up, kissing her with a fire that made her heart pound and her sex dampen. The shower water pounded down on them, but they ignored it as he picked her up, and slid into her, fucking her against the cool tile of the bathroom until she was sobbing with pleasure. She bit down on his shoulder as she came and he laughed, his arms tight around her, steadying her as she trembled.
Laughing, they dried off and dressed, stopping to kiss every now and again. Maceo eyed her workout gear appreciatively. It skimmed her curves, the Lycra fabric accentuating the shape of her breasts, her hips, and her belly. “You know, I could get used to this look,” Maceo said, a wicked glint in his eye, “Just don’t get too skinny, will you?”
Ori laughed. “Never a chance of that, my love.”
Maceo’s cellphone rang. “Oh, hey, Kate. Yup? God that is good news, thank you. Yeah. Courier will be fine. I can’t thank you enough.”
He gave Ori a thumbs-up and mouthed passport’ to her. Ori felt a flood of relief. They could go homeat last.
They told Alex the news, and Ori sensed he was slightly disappointed. She felt a rush of fondness for him; he was obviously lonely. “You could always come with us,” she said to him. “It might do you good to get away from here for a while.”
Alex smiled gratefully at her. “You’re very sweet. You’ll stay another week?”
Maceo looked at Ori, who nodded. “Of course, my friend, we would be happy to.”
Ori looked out of the window. Jason was picking her up today, and she saw him coming up the driveway. She pushed the little bit of unease she felt to the back of her mind and kissed Maceo goodbye.
