Jackie was sitting there with wide eyes, as if suddenly all the puzzle pieces were fitting together now. “I apologize,” she replied. “I actually did have a discussion with him earlier this week, but I didn’t realize how one-sided the potential assault was.”
“Well, I did push him down after he tried kicking me from behind. But he risked hitting Lexi that time, and while Knight’s shield probably would have stopped it, I wasn’t going to take a chance at that point.” I sighed. “Why didn’t you ask me about this? Or Lexi for that matter?”
She took a deep breath. “Because Sam, my job is to keep the peace, among other things. You dealt with the problem without harming anyone, and my job was to make sure that your hostile encounter with him would be the last one. Asking you about it when I’d already heard from several of the witnesses just seemed like a good way to just prolong the conflict.”
“I get it, and I appreciate you dealing with that on my behalf, but I think it’s important you hear my side.”
She nodded.
“And we’ve kept it professional,” I added. “Radley is just making shit up. He’s jealous about the situation, even though he really has no right to be.”
She nodded again. “Yes, well, to be completely honest, even if something unprofessional did happen, there’s nothing I can really do about it.” She ignored my shocked expression as she continued. “After all, it’s not like you’d ever be fired for something like that. Now that you’ve signed with us, you’re an invaluable asset that we can’t afford to lose. Worst I could do is verbally slap you on the wrist, and remind you to remain professional.” She paused, her eyes narrowing. “But that’s not a free pass to do as you please,” she added. “Just a statement of fact.”
Shit, I had no idea why she was telling me this, but I wasn’t going to give her even a hint that I had any intention on ever taking advantage of that fact. Because if something did happen, I’d want it to stay a secret.
“Well, we’ve kept it professional,” I reaffirmed. “And will continue to keep it professional. Seriously, Radley is just full of shit. And if it wasn’t for the attack at the theater last weekend, then we’d probably be sitting at her cubicle instead, but she kind of doesn’t want to deal with people right now. Especially not him.”
Jackie nodded with a sympathetic expression. “I completely understand. And again, thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I said simply.
I then asked if she had any news on anything, but she didn’t – not my evaluation, not the situation with the terrorist. Nothing. Knowing it was all out of her hands, I wished her a good weekend after that and left her office, with her beginning to pack up to leave for the day herself.
I figured Lexi was probably still taking a shower, so I decided to wait by her office door, knowing she wasn’t inside. When Liz’s shield had been around that first day I was here, everything was blurry, but for the last three days I’d been able to pretty much scope out the whole building with my second-sight.
While I waited, I unexpectedly got a message from Heidi, wondering if I’d take her to see a movie. I was sincerely shocked that she would want to do that, but had no problem agreeing to it. If anything, it was kind of exciting that she finally wanted to go on a date, although I knew she might change her mind last-minute.
Still, I would figure out some way to spend time with her tonight, even if she did decide that going out was too much for her right now.
Jackie left about five minutes later, wishing me goodbye again, followed by Lexi showing up not even a minute after. She was back in her work clothing, but had her damp blonde hair in a short ponytail to keep it off her neck. I opened the door for her, and followed her inside, closing it when she sat down in her chair to focus on her monitors.
Sitting down as well, having a chair of my own now that faced her at the side of her desk, I waited patiently while she did whatever she was doing. She then sighed heavily and leaned back in her seat, looking up at the ceiling.
“Everything alright?” I wondered.
She nodded. “I just really want to get this guy, Sam. I know I shouldn’t have to worry about him finding out I survived anytime soon, but still. I want him gone. He’s too dangerous.”
“Me too,” I agreed gently.
She then took a deep breath, and focused on me. “So what did Jackie want?”
I shrugged. “Nothing major. We’ve been spending a lot of time alone in here, and she just wanted to remind me to keep it professional.”
Lexi scoffed. “Someone must have complained. Probably that asshole .”
I grinned, not too surprised that she knew her boss wouldn’t have brought it up if it weren’t for someone making a fuss about it. “But it’s not a problem either way,” I continued. “She basically told me that even if something did happen, there was nothing she could do about it.”
Lexi looked at me in shock, only for her brow to furrow. “I guess that makes sense.” She grimaced. “Blaze didn’t work at this location, but he could literally do whatever he wanted. They treated him like a king.”
That immediately made me sick to my stomach, just thinking about the bastard. “Well, let’s not mention him,” I suggested. “He’s gone now. Forever.”
She nodded again, looking somber as she fell silent.
Her reaction immediately made me feel bad. Because I sincerely didn’t want her to bring him up again – I wanted her to forget all about it and leave it in the past – but the atrocious bastard I killed had been a focal point of her life for three years. And it was unrealistic for her to just ‘get over it’ like it never happened.
It would take a lot of time for her to heal the wounds on her heart and the scars on her soul, even though her physical body was in perfect health.
Some guys might not be able to handle it, knowing the misery the fiend put her through, but I knew that the small inkling of depression in my chest right now wasn’t even the tiniest of fractions of what she experienced on a regular basis. It might as well be the difference between a marble and the planet we lived on, the contrast between a grain of sand and the entire ocean.
And I wasn’t going to shy away like a wimp just because I didn’t like her situation. I’d man-up and show her what it was like to be loved by a good guy.
I reached out for her hand then, and she automatically sat forward to take both of mine.
“How can I make you happy?” I wondered.
She gave me a confused look. “I’m not unhappy. Not when I’m with you.”
I smiled. “Well, thank you, but I want to do more than just ‘be around.’ Maybe do you want to try going on a date this weekend?”
Her amethyst eyes lit up in surprise, before a warm smile touched her lips. “Okay,” she said simply. Her expression then dropped a little. “But where would we go? What would we do? I know I shouldn’t have to worry, but I don’t want this guy finding out I’m alive.”
I nodded. “We could go to a park or something. Find a secluded spot to have a picnic. Spend a few hours together, just you and me.”
Her smile returned in full force, looking as if I’d just warmed her heart in the most powerful way possible. “Okay,” she repeated softly. “I know you’ll probably have to talk to Lily and Freya to make sure they don’t have plans, so just let me know what day and time.”
I couldn’t help but grin. Was dating Lexi and Heidi really going to be this easy? I felt like problems were going to come up right away, as well as possible hurt feelings, but it seemed like they must have discussed this situation pretty thoroughly and worked things out.
Although, there was one potential issue that was going to come up that Lexi might not have prepared herself to handle.
I let go of her hands to pull out my phone, and sat back a little in the chair. “Umm, I should probably mention that I got a message from Heidi just a bit ago,” I commented.
She looked confused. “Okay? Everything alright?”
I nodded. “Yeah, she’s fine.
Although she would like me to take her out to see a movie tonight.”
Lexi immediately looked stunned, and worry filled my heart, concerned she was having a negative reaction to that news.
“Is that alright with you?” I asked hesitantly, wondering if giving her a say would help.
She still looked flustered. “I mean, yes, I know you’re going to go on dates with her too, but I just can’t believe she would want to do that .”
“Oh.”
I took a deep breath, feeling like I dodged a bullet there. Damn, that conversation must have been really thorough. I was going to have to thank Lily and Freya later for getting them to work out all these potential problems way before they might come up.
I continued. “If I had to guess, she probably wants help getting over her fear of going out. I mean, before all this, she barely left the house at all, and then the one time she takes a pretty big step, it ends up blowing up in the worst way possible. Plus, after what happened, you’re already back at work. She probably feels bad about that, especially since the terrorist was really after you to begin with. Yet she’s still at home, terrified to go anywhere.”
Lexi nodded in agreement, only for her brow to furrow. “You seem kind of certain of that.”
I shrugged. “Not hard to imagine.”
She pursed her lips. “Yeah, but it just makes me wonder if it’s like how you were certain that she was calling last weekend.”
I thought about that. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “And I could be wrong.”
“No, you’re probably right,” she agreed, taking another deep breath. “Ready to get going then? I don’t want to be the reason you’re late for your date.”
I smiled. “Want to hold hands on the way home?”
Damn, you’d think I’d just said the most romantic thing in the world. Her expression was borderline passionate, full of affection and endearment.
“Yes,” she whispered, reaching out for my hand now.
I stood up as I accepted it, only to let go after a gentle squeeze in order to wrap my arm around her slim shoulders while we exited her office and made our way to the car that had been supplied for us by the CDS. Unsurprisingly, it had the anti-stalking software installed in it, and we were free to use it as long as we wanted until we got Lexi and Heidi new vehicles, which was honestly something I was sincerely looking forward to – car shopping with them.
Like, talk about a ‘guy’s date’ right there. Just the idea of holding Lexi’s hand as we browsed Ferraris, Corvettes, or maybe even Lambos really made me excited. We would probably have to pick out more common colors though, like black, silver, or even white. Certainly, I had no problem driving a black car, but I knew Lexi loved her red Ferrari. But colors like that stood out way too much, no matter what the model and make of a vehicle was, and we all really needed to avoid standing out.
At least until we’d dealt with these problems plaguing our lives.
15: First Date
Heidi Stockton
April 19, 2735 – Current Day – Early Evening
Heidi made repeated trips back and forth from her room to the bathroom, changing clothes, examining herself in the mirror, only to be dissatisfied and repeat the cycle. She’d never been so indecisive in her entire life – picking out an outfit the last time she went on a date, which she really didn’t want to think about, was so much easier.
But now?
She really wanted to look good for Sam. Like, really good.
But she had nothing hot to wear! She knew Sam liked shiny stuff, but the gold shirt she wore to her last date was really the only thing shiny she had that was decent for this kind of thing. Dammit, why did this have to be so hard?
By the time she’d made her ninth trip, she finally gave up and began focusing on her makeup, so that she’d at least have that right. It was while she was finishing up with her eyes that she noticed someone standing at the doorway.
She flinched when she saw Freya standing there watching her, with a small smile touching her lips.
“Nervous?” Freya wondered, amusement in her tone.
Heidi sighed heavily. “I don’t have anything to wear. Everything I have is lame. I really want to look nice for him. Like, hot.”
Freya pursed her lips as she looked over Heidi’s outfit. “Honestly, Heidi, you look good in pretty much everything you wear.”
“Thanks,” she replied sincerely. “But I want to be perfect for him. I wish I had something shiny, or something, because I know he loves that shit.”
Freya giggled. “Yes, he does.” She then sighed. “Hmm, hold on just a minute.”
Heidi looked at her in confusion as she disappeared around the corner and down the stairs. Looking at her face in the mirror again, she considered if she should put her earrings, nose ring, and snake-bites in. She’d taken them out about a week ago, but knew Sam kind of liked them.
Granted, he didn’t seem too disappointed when he saw her without them either. It was almost like he liked her appearance either way.
Unexpectedly, it was as if Freya appeared out of thin air, prompting Heidi to flinch again. She then stared in confusion at the semi-shiny black material in her hands – leather.
Freya cleared her throat. “I’ve barely worn these, and I think they’d fit you perfectly. Want to try them on?”
Heidi met her gaze, completely stunned. “You sure?”
“Very,” Freya replied.
She grinned. “Sam might not be able to keep his hands off me,” she teased, only to immediately wonder if she shouldn’t have said that.
However, Freya smiled. “Heidi, I think he’s going to have trouble no matter what you wear. But yes, I think you’re right.” She then paused to close the bathroom door. “Now, try these on so we can see how hot you look.”
Heidi grinned again, not even hesitating to take off her pants and try on the new ones. She then turned her back to the mirror, looking at her rear while she buttoned them up. “Damn. My butt looks amazing in these.”
“It does,” Freya agreed, looking her over for a few seconds. She then focused on Heidi’s gaze with a warm smile. “Now, let’s go through your closet, and figure out what we can do for the top.”
❖ ❖ ❖
Sam Archer
April 19, 2735 – Current Day – Early Evening
On the way home, I sat in the driver’s seat, but had it on autopilot, leaning over the very skinny center console so that I could wrap my right arm around Lexi’s shoulders while I held her right hand in my left. Honestly, with our heads so close, I really wanted to kiss her, and I knew from her flushed cheeks that she’d let me, but I also knew our first kiss was probably going to end up being pretty passionate.
Thus, I held back for now.
That way if we ended up kissing on our date, then we wouldn’t feel rushed since we’d have all afternoon together. And I’d much rather experience our first kiss under those circumstances than right now when we’d have to stop kissing because I had a date with her sister.
No, I wanted her to associate it with a time when I was giving her all my attention.
However, she didn’t make it easy. I finally let go of her as we got close, needing to cool down a little, since my uncontrolled thoughts had me unpresentable at the moment. Lexi quickly understood the situation, and reached over to touch my lap while offering to take care of the problem for me.
Oh, how I desperately wanted to say yes, to gently run my fingers through her blonde hair while she worked magic with her mouth, all while I relaxed in the driver’s seat. That would be fine, right? Nothing wrong with that at this point, right ?
But I declined, instead changing subjects to something more casual and lighthearted. Because just like the kiss, I wanted to have all the time in the world to enjoy Lexi the first time we did anything at all. I felt confident that taking things slow with both of them for these first few instances was the best thing to do, even if they were willing to do more.
When we got home, Heidi
was all dressed and ready to go, and damn was she hot. She was wearing a sheer black top with a dark purple camisole underneath, along with a tight pair of black leather pants.
Like shit! I didn’t even realize she had leather pants. Did she buy them online? Or maybe she just had them buried someplace and never wore them?
Obviously, I could theoretically know about every single item they had in the house, but I tried hard to be respectful. I felt like just because I could go snooping through their clothes with my second-sight didn’t mean I should . Granted, now that I officially had the green light to date them, maybe I would take a closer look so that I could recommend things I would like to see them in.
Like these steaming hot leather pants.
Shit, how was I supposed to keep it together while we were out?!
Her tight ass was just begging me to touch it, to press her against the wall and grind on her from behind while she gasped and moaned from having me take control like that.
Or at least, some women liked that kind of thing. Probably a good idea if I learned what Heidi liked before I got too carried away. Shit Sam, keep it together!
“Ready to go?” I wondered pleasantly, seeing that she looked a little embarrassed by my initial expression. At Lexi’s office, they celebrated jeans-Friday, so I was dressed casual enough to not feel like I needed to change my clothes.
She nodded, her face still flushed as she moved closer to the door.
Lily walked up to me and gave me a big hug, followed by a long kiss on the lips, before pulling back with a warm smile. “Have fun. Please let me know that you got there safely.”
“Of course,” I agreed, reaching out as Freya came closer to give me a short hug as well. “And if we stop by anywhere else, I’ll let you know, though you can always check to see where we are on your phone.”
Lily nodded, prompting me to give Freya a short kiss, and then turn to escort Heidi out to the car, opening the door for her before getting in myself.
The Powerful Pride of an Immortal (Immortal Supers Book 4) Page 23