by L. P. Dover
“Yeah, me too.”
We made it to the check-in counter, and checked in with our fake names: Jaime Gold and Conner Jacobs. After going through TSA, Alec and I made it to our terminal and took our seats, waiting on the airline to let us board. I had never ridden first-class, but Alec insisted there was no better way to fly.
Alec pulled out his cell phone and searched the internet while I pulled out the newest Terry Spear book and began reading it. Alec glanced over at my book and asked, “What are you reading?”
Keeping my eyes on the book, I smiled and bit my lip. “Oh, let’s see … it’s about a super hot werewolf in a kilt that I’ve been secretly fantasizing about since I started reading it. Does that answer your question?”
Playfully, Alec scowled and tried to take my book away from me, making me giggle. “Okay, you need to give it to me. I don’t think I like that book.”
I smacked him on the head with it and moved over a seat. “Tough, you’ll just have to deal with it.”
We both started laughing and it felt good to give myself in to it considering the dire situation we were in. However, my smile came to a halt when Alec’s eyes narrowed at something over my shoulder.
“What is it?” I asked before looking behind me. It took me a second to focus on what he was staring at, but then I saw it.
Angry and determined, Kristian kept his gaze on me as he pushed through the crowd and made his way to me. Alec stood up just as I did, and stayed by my side protectively. Kristian noticed Alec’s protective stance and bristled even more. Did they have to display such testosterone … really? I wanted to yell at both of them to get them to dial it down.
“Kristian, what are you doing here? You need to be back at school. You have exams,” I cried, exasperated.
“I don’t care about exams. Right now, all I care about is you. We need to talk,” Kristian said, taking my hand.
Alec put his arm around my waist and held me firm. “Sure, you can talk to her, but she stays right here. By the way, I thought you had a girlfriend. I don’t think she’d appreciate you saying those things to another female.”
Kristian scoffed, “That’s none of your business. What I say to Marissa doesn’t involve you or anyone else for that matter.”
Alec countered back, “It is my business if you have other intentions besides friendship with my girlfriend. Again, what you say to her you can say right here in front of me; she doesn’t leave my sight.”
Kristian’s eyes narrowed dangerously and he snapped, “What do you think I’m going to do to her … kill her? No, I think you’re the one to blame for that. If anyone should be keeping her safe it should be me, not you.”
Growling, Alec stepped forward and made like he was going to punch Kristian in the face, but I jumped in his way and he immediately pulled back.
“What the hell are you doing?” I hissed at him. “You’re gonna make a scene and draw all sorts of unwanted attention. Dial it down … now.”
Alec stepped back and took a deep breath. I had my hand on Kristian’s chest so it would keep him away, but the smug look on his face made me want to let Alec have at him.
“Stop smiling, Kristian, it’ll only antagonize him more.” Lightly, I pushed against him and he moved. “Go over there …” I said, pointing to a vacated corner, “… and I’ll be there in one minute.”
Kristian glanced at where I was pointing and nodded, but not before leveling an angry glare at Alec. Taking a deep breath, I faced Alec and crossed my arms over my chest.
“I know you’re upset about what he said, but you have to realize that he’s my friend and he’s angry. We’ve been inseparable for two years, and now I’m leaving.”
Alec sighed. “I understand that, but he’s crossing the line. Girlfriend or not he has feelings for you, Marissa. Forgive me if that makes me just a tad bit uncomfortable. I don’t think you’d be too happy if another female was acting that way toward me.”
“You’re right, I wouldn’t,” I confessed truthfully. “Just let me talk to him and say my good-bye. I know you don’t want to hear it, but I’m going to miss him and I do care about him. Not seeing him and Emily every day is going to be really hard on me.”
Alec’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think about it that way. I know you’ll miss your friends. Look, I’ll sit over here and give you your privacy. You have about ten minutes before we start boarding.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, reaching down to squeeze his hand.
Kristian was leaning against the wall with his muscular arms crossed at his chest. His smoky gray eyes watched me intently as I made my way to him, and it made me nervous. I’d never seen him look at me like that, with such longing and need.
When I approached, he loosened his arms and pulled me straight into them, enveloping me in his scent of bodywash and cologne; he smelled completely different from Alec, like they had their own enticing scent. He was wearing the cologne I had given him for his birthday the year before, and it made me smile as I laid my head on his chest.
“Please don’t go, Marissa. I can take you somewhere and keep you safe. Why does it have to be him? If anything, it’s more dangerous since whoever is after you is only doing it because of him.”
In all honesty, he had a point, but I didn’t want to imagine not going with Alec. I held onto Kristian tighter and breathed him in. I was going to miss him so much.
“I have to go, Kristian,” I whispered. “And I have to go with Alec. I don’t want you or any of our friends being targets just because of me. If anything happened to any of you I would never forgive myself.”
Kristian let me go and placed both of his hands on my cheeks, lifting my face up. “I’m not going to know what to do without you, Mare. You’ve been such a huge part of my life for so long. Just please promise me that you’ll call me or text if you need anything.”
Smiling, I leaned into his hand and placed mine over the top of his. “Always,” I whispered wholeheartedly. A lone tear escaped out of the corner of my eye and Kristian wiped it away with his thumb.
A pained look crossed his face and my heart shattered for him. “Be safe, Marissa.”
“I will,” I said, slowly backing away from him. “But I have to go.”
As soon as I turned to leave, Kristian grabbed my arm and pulled me to him, crushing his lips against mine. They were firm yet soft, and the desire that flowed through them to me shot through my body like electricity. Kristian had never kissed me like that before, or ever for that matter. The kiss only lasted briefly because Alec came up behind me and tore me away from him, and stepped in front of me.
In a low, menacing voice Alec said, “If I ever see you touch her like that again I’m gonna rip off your arms and shove them up your ass. Be thankful I can’t do anything about it now, but when we come back you better watch out.”
Kristian met Alec head on. “I’d like to see you try,” he sneered.
Backing away from Alec, Kristian sent me one last lingering glance before turning away and disappearing through the crowd.
Alec’s fists were clenched and his shoulders shook with fury. “One of these days I’m seriously going to kick the shit out of that guy.” Slowly, he finally turned around and gazed at me wearily. “You don’t care for him in that way, do you?” he asked.
I cared for Kristian, and yes I was attracted to him, but my heart belonged to Alec. Shaking my head, I answered, “My heart is with you, Alec. As long as you keep it safe, it’s with you.”
His smile didn’t touch his eyes, but he grabbed my hand and led me over to our stuff. As soon as we sat down, our boarding announcement came over the intercom. “All passengers for flight 1073 in first class may now proceed to board. I repeat, all passengers for flight 1073 may now proceed to board.”
“That’s us, sunshine,” Alec muttered, grabbing our bags for carry on. “Are you ready?”
I took a good long look around and sighed; the reality was starting to settle in and I was getting nervous. “I
’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Here’s to a new life, Mr. Conner Jacobs. I just pray we’re safe in it.”
He smiled half-heartedly. “We will be safe, Ms. Jaime Gold. As long as you’re with me, nothing is going to happen to you.”
I hope he’s right. I sure hope he’s right.
The flight to Atlanta was quick. After our one hour layover was over, we were boarding a plane heading for Denver, Colorado.
“Where’s the farthest west you’ve been?” Alec asked, taking the aisle seat … again. I was thankful he let me have the window seat for both flights. I loved looking out at the land below.
“Hmm … let’s see,” I said, furrowing my brow. “I think the farthest west I’ve been was Tennessee.”
Alec’s eyes widened, surprised. “You mean to tell me you haven’t been anywhere out on the West Coast?”
Smiling, I shook my head. “Nope, not at all, but I have been to Mexico and to Aruba. Before my mom died, we used to travel together. For my graduation present she took me on my first cruise, and the next year after that she took me to Aruba. The year she died we were supposed to go to Scotland. That was the one trip we both looked forward to the most. Men in kilts were our favorite, hence the reason I read about them all the time.”
The thought made me laugh, and Alec smile for the first time since we left Charlotte.
He took my hand and kissed my knuckles. “I tell you what … how about after all this mess is done and over with I’ll take you to Scotland. I wouldn’t mind seeing the place myself, except minus the men in kilts. I don’t really want to see that.”
I would love to see him in a kilt.
A smile crept across my face at the thought and Alec narrowed his eyes at me. “I don’t know if I like that look,” he muttered skeptically. “Are you up to something I should know about?”
Shaking my head, I bit my lip and grinned mischievously. “Well … I was just thinking how sexy you’d look in a kilt. What do ya say? Do you think you might indulge me a little bit?”
Rolling his eyes, Alec leaned over and kissed me gently on the lips, and then traced his tongue across them. “I’ll see what I can come up with.”
The mood had lightened between us and I was thankful for that. It was a shame we weren’t hiding out in Scotland, but it wouldn’t be fun having to watch your back at every corner. Alec’s hand tightened on mine when we took off, and I also noticed he had done that when we left Atlanta. For someone who was fearless on the waves, I never expected him to be fearful of the air. It made me realize that he was normal just like everyone else, even if he was a famous pro surfer.
His eyes were closed when I glanced over at him, and his jaw was tense, the muscle ticking with each clench. I squeezed his hand back to reassure him and turned my head to look out the window. Soon, we would be in Colorado.
The moment I stepped out into the Colorado air, I was immediately in love. It was cool and fresh, as the breeze blew by me, and the mountains were breathtaking. Alec sidled up beside me and whispered, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
I nodded. “Very. Have you ever been here before?”
“No, I haven’t been here, but I’ve been to Aspen, and let me tell you … skiing is not my thing,” he answered.
He hailed us a cab, and when the driver came to a stop in front of us and popped open the trunk, Alec began loading our bags. I laughed, imagining what he would look like fumbling on the skis and falling on his ass in the snow.
“Well then maybe I could teach you someday since I’m an expert at skiing. We can trade lessons, surfing for skiing. Does that sound good?”
After the bags were loaded, Alec took my hand and nodded. “That sounds like an amazing plan, but you’ll have to be patient with me. I’m really terrible at it, and I promise I’m not exaggerating.”
Laughing, we both slid into the backseat.
The driver turned around and asked, “Where to?”
I had no clue, so I looked to Alec. To the driver he said, “The Ritz-Carlton, please.”
Eyes going wide, my breath hitched and I stared up at him. “Did you have to pick the most expensive hotel?” I asked quietly.
Smirking, he shrugged and whispered back, “If I’m paying for it, I’m going to have us staying somewhere nice. Trust me, you’ll love it. They have excellent service.”
“I’m sure they do considering how much they charge.”
Alec put a finger up to his lip and hooked a glance at the driver. I nodded in understanding and for the remainder of the drive I sat quietly, holding onto Alec’s hand. We had to be careful what we said in front of strangers.
When we pulled up to the hotel, I felt completely out of place in my hoodie and jeans. Confidently, Alec put his arm around my waist and we strolled inside.
“You look fine,” he said, smiling down at me.
The lady at the counter beamed at him and didn’t even acknowledge that I was at his side. Bitch, I wanted to say to her, but of course I kept my mouth shut.
She was a tall blonde and looked like she should be in movies or on the runway instead of working at a hotel. Was this how it was always going to be with him? I wondered. With everyone looking at him and me being invisible.
“Reservation for Conner Jacobs,” he said smoothly, flashing her a lazy smile.
I wanted to growl at him for even smiling at her since she was blatantly ignoring me, but I bit my tongue and kept a smile on my face. She typed away on the computer and said, “All right, Mr. Jacobs, you’re all set. If you need anything it’ll be my pleasure to assist you.”
She handed over the keys, and I could tell she made the extra effort to glide her fingers over his hand. When she finally noticed me, I moved closer to Alec and smiled smugly. “Thank you for your help, but I’m sure the pleasure will be all mine.”
Her mouth flew open, but she hid her scowl very well. As soon as we got in the elevator, Alec burst out laughing. “Wow, sunshine, I didn’t know you had that much of a jealous streak in you.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I glared at him and said, “Well, I’m not used to being with someone like you, who attracts every female within a hundred mile radius, especially ones that are famous and look like models. I’ve seen the pictures, Alec … remember?”
Exasperated, he sighed. “Yes, I know, but that’s when trust comes into the picture. I want you, Marissa, and only you. That was a long time ago … remember?”
When the elevator doors opened, we stepped into the extravagant hallway and made our way down to our suite. I gazed at everything in awe and wonder. It must be nice to be able to stay in such opulence all the time. However, my wonder was cut short when I remembered the real reason we were there. We were in hiding, and there was nothing glorious about that.
So when Alec opened the suite doors I wanted to feel excited, but what I ended up feeling was terror. This was going to be a nightmare.
“Hey, Rissa,” Emily squealed, answering the phone.
Alec and I had been gone two weeks, and she sounded like I hadn’t talked to her in ages, which was funny considering I talked to her the day before. I’d talked to my sister and Kristian a couple of times, and each time it would make things harder. I couldn’t tell them where I was or what I was doing, so every question they asked I couldn’t tell them anything. The phone calls usually ended with them getting pissed at me.
“Hey, Em, how is everything?” I asked, gazing down at Alec who was naked and sound asleep beside me.
It was early morning and the sun was peeking through the window. The mountains glistened off in the distance with their glittery snow caps, and it made me miss my mountain retreat even more.
Emily sighed. “It’s been rough here. Kristian hasn’t come around at all, and Justin’s been antsy. Ever since you left things haven’t been the same around here.”
“How did your exams go? Do you think you did okay?”
“Please …” Emily scoffed. “I aced those bitches. Now I’m just ready to graduate and get out
of here. I can’t go anywhere without looking over my shoulder. Have you heard anything from the detective?”
“He’s supposed to call today with an update. Hopefully, there’ll be some progress.”
“I sure hope so. I miss you.” Emily sniffled, but coughed to cover it up.
I smiled even though I knew she couldn’t see me. “I miss you, too, Em. I’ll be home soon … I promise. I love you.”
“Love you, too, Rissa. Be safe.”
“Always.”
We hung up the phone and I laid back down beside Alec who was wide awake and hard as stone underneath the covers. The only thing that’d been good about our time away was the one-on-one time I’d had with him. Two weeks of constantly being together brought us closer and closer, and I’d enjoyed every minute of it.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he muttered, his voice deep and husky from sleep. “What do you want to do today?”
Gazing down at the covers protruding in the air, I snickered, “You’re really gonna ask me that right now? I think I already know how you want to start off your morning.”
He smirked and shrugged his shoulders. “What can I say? I’ve been deprived the past couple of days.”
“Hey,” I shrieked, hitting him in the head with my pillow. “I can’t help it I started my period, and besides, I’ve pleased you in other ways.”
“Yeah, I know and it’s great, but I’m literally counting down the minutes until you’re clear. I told you it doesn’t bother me to make love to you while you’re on it. It’s not easy seeing you every day and not being able to make love to you. ”
“You’re insatiable.” I laughed. “I don’t like having sex when I’m on my period. It just makes me uncomfortable.”
Alec rolled his eyes. “You don’t make any sense, sunshine. Anyway, since I can’t make love to you, what are we going to do?”
Smiling, I fetched the guidebook off the side table and opened it up. “Okay, let’s see … we visited the botanical gardens yesterday, so how about we go to the aquarium today? I also want to go back to the library and get some more books.”