“Trip detour, going off on your own, not being able to be reached. You know, the least you could have done was kept the man who made your career in the loop.”
“Is he available or not, Erica? Sparring with you after my…my…vacation is not what I want to do,” she asked, hands shaking in anger. She heard voices in the background and then was connected to another line.
“Annalissa?” Todd asked. “Are you back? Do you have your harp? I had arranged for you to play for the Governor’s wife. She’s having a little soiree and thought your music would be the perfect entertainment.”
“Um, hi Todd. Nice to hear from you too,” she said, sitting up straighter.
“Yes, yes, I’m glad to hear from you,” he parroted. “But it’s not as though you were lost…just traveling around with that security man.”
“Traveling around? You and Erica sound alike. We traveled by car after our harrowing experience with the first flight. I just wasn’t comfortable flying again and he was nice enough to suggest that we drive.”
“Now, let’s not get temperamental on me. I’m the one trying to get things back on track. Now, about that soiree—”
“I can’t,” she interrupted. “I don’t have Easnadh back yet. Someone is delivering her to me today,” she lied.
“You don’t have her?” Todd asked. “Where is your harp? I assumed it was with you at your apartment.” When she did not answer right away, he continued, “I know you prefer her, but any harp will do. Just meet me at the—”
“I can’t,” she interrupted once more. “I have to stay here and um…rest today.”
“Who says? And where are you staying?” he bit out.
Sighing, she answered. “Todd, I appreciate all you do for me, but I’m staying with a friend and will spend the day resting. I cannot possibly do the Governor’s wife’s soiree today, but I will call you tomorrow and we can see what events I feel like I can do.”
With that, she hung up, smiling. I hung up on him first. I don’t think I’ve ever done that. Giggling to herself as she stood up and walked back to the kitchen, she admitted, that felt great!
*
Early in the afternoon, Vinny called. “I wanted to let you know that Jobe will be bringing a surprise for you. I wish it could have been me but I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
When Annalissa heard the doorbell she opened the door, hoping she knew what the surprise was going to be. She was not disappointed. Jobe stood there, a harp case in his hand. Clapping her hands she screamed joyfully, ushering him in.
“Oh, it’s lovely,” she exclaimed, showing him where to set the case down.
“I thought it would be larger,” Jobe said, watching as she opened the case and pulled the instrument out.
“You’re thinking of the large concert harps. Easnadh is a Celtic Harp and in particular, she is a much smaller one.”
She sat down on one of the dining room chairs, immediately plucking the strings, tuning as she went. He watched, entranced by the music, before moving to leave. She looked up, her fingers stilling on the strings. “Do you need to leave now?”
Jobe smiled, shaking his head. “No, is there something that you need?”
Laughing, she replied, “Not really. I’m just…well, it feels weird…being here. Alone.”
“Are you scared?”
Rushing to assure him, she said, “No. Not afraid. It just seems like I should be in my own apartment. Have you seen it?”
He saw the concerned look on her face. Sitting down on another chair, he faced her. “Well…” he started slowly. “The door did not look damaged, but there were marks around your lock so someone had worked to get in. I can’t say what might have been taken, but things were tossed around as though someone was looking for something.”
He watched her carefully, wanting to gauge his words by her reaction. The only outward expression of concern was her lips tucking in. “Your drawers were pulled out and dumped and your books were all on the floor where someone must have been looking behind them.”
The silence hung between them for a minute as she thought of her apartment. Her safe haven. Away from her father and her manager.
“Do you think they were looking for the drugs before they knew I never left Kansas City?”
“I don’t know, but I think it’s a real possibility,” he answered honestly.
She nodded slowly, her mind still churning. Sighing, she turned back to him and smiled. “Thank you so much for this,” she said, patting her harp. “I was going crazy not having her with me for the past few days. And to be honest, being here with nothing to do was making me a little nuts too.”
Jobe stood and walked toward the door, Annalissa right behind him. He turned and looked down, saying softly, “You’re safe here, you know. Not just from someone from the outside, but with Vinny as well.”
She peered at him, trying to understand the meaning of his words.
“He’s never, and I mean never, brought a woman here to his home.”
At that, she could not hide her surprise. And pleasure. “Thank you for that, Jobe,” she whispered, smiling.
After he left, she walked back to the windows to look out over the city. A man like Vinny would have had women. Probably lots of women. But never brought one here. Sucking in a huge breath, she wondered what that meant. Does he just think of me as someone to save and keep safe? As she pondered, she realized that he was too honorable to lead her on. So what does he think of me?
Finding no answers while looking at the Richland skyline, she moved back to the dining room chair and picked up Easnadh. Her fingers flying over the strings elicited the music her heart craved. Inside the music, she could forget. About being chased. Drugs. The police. Her father. Everything negative floated away as the music filled her soul.
And an hour later that was how Vinny found her.
Chapter 13
Vinny stopped outside of his apartment door. The sound of music filtered out into the hall; soft and haunting. There was something about the harp that always brought him to a stop. His eyes closed as his mind rolled back five years. The music. Filtering out through the night. Then…no.
Taking a deep breath he leaned his head against the door, hearing the very different music that Annalissa played. He opened the door quietly so as not to disturb her. She was sitting with her back to him, her harp resting against her shoulder. Her dainty, yet strong, fingers were nimbly moving over the strings. The sounds floated around his apartment, filling it with an energy that had never been there before. The sounds of life. And perhaps…love.
She did not notice that he was there. Absorbed in the music flying from her fingers, he watched her face. Eyes closed, a smile playing about her lips. She appeared to be one with her harp. One with the music.
As he walked closer her eyes flew open, her fingers stilled, and her smile widened. “Vinny, I didn’t hear you come in.”
Quickly closing the ground between them, he leaned over kissing her lips. “I heard the music from the hall and thought angels were playing,” he murmured.
She laughed thinking he was joking, but sobered as she saw the look on his face. Cocking her head to the side, she asked, “Are you okay?”
Kissing her once again, he nodded. “Perfect, now that I’ve come home to you and your music.”
“Well, aren’t you the gallant flirt?” she teased.
Standing to his full height, he winked. “Well, you gave me such a nice surprise when I got home. I’ve got a surprise for you.” With that he headed into the bedroom while she bent to place her harp into its case.
“Come on, babe,” Vinnie called out from the bedroom.
Annalissa walked in to see him standing naked in front of his closet, pulling on swim trunks. “Are you going—”
“Not me. We. We’re going swimming, so get your bikini on,” he interrupted.
“Um…I…um…I don’t have…”
He stalked over stopping right in front of her, lifting her chin with his finger
s. “Well, we can’t go skinny-dipping in the pool downstairs, as much as I would love to.”
She had to giggle at that thought. “I mean I don’t have my things from my apartment.”
He walked over to a large canvas bag that was sitting just inside the door. “I sent Gabe and Jennifer over to your place today. I knew Jennifer would know what you’d need and Gabe was there to make sure she was safe. And,” he winked mischievously, “I specifically told her to hunt for a swimsuit.”
Embarrassed, she dug through the bag and saw what she was looking for. Looking up, she said, “I have a boring, old bathing suit for when I sit in the sun, but I don’t even do that very much. So why don’t you just go for a swim yourself.”
“Whatever you’ve got will be fine. Just hop in it and let’s go. I’m teaching you how to swim.” Seeing her about to protest again, he placed his fingers on her lips. “Now, baby,” he ordered gently.
Turning away from him, she pulled out the one-piece bathing suit that she had had for years. He had seen her naked, but now she felt self-conscious. Moving to the bathroom and shutting the door for privacy, she pulled it on. Red, with little blue flowers on it, she blushed as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. I look like I’m ten years old. And I’m going to drown. Great. A ten-year-old, drowning kid. Just how I want him to see me. The knock on the bathroom door shook her out of her thoughts.
“You ready?” he called.
Pulling herself up, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself. Throwing open the door, she said, “Yes, let’s go and get this over with.”
He took her arm as she attempted to pass him by and gently pulled her in for a hug. “What’s going on, babe?”
Sucking her lips in, she just shook her head. “Just nervous, that’s all.” She pulled herself out of his embrace and slid her feet into flip-flops as she walked toward the door.
He looked as she walked away, his brow knit in concern. Grabbing his own towel, he followed her out of the door.
Several minutes later she had to admit that the pool was not like what she expected. The indoor facility was beautiful and the water was a pleasant temperature. There were a few other people swimming laps so she had dropped her towel and slipped quickly into the water at the shallow end. Moving her hands around she loved the feel of the water as long as her feet were touching the bottom of the pool.
Vinny slid into the water behind her, noticing her nervousness. But her rockin’ body was holding his attention. Down boy, he reminded himself, knowing his swimming trunks were beginning to tent out.
“Okay, princess. Give me your hands,” he said, moving toward her. As she reached out her hands, he took them gently as he walked backward slowly toward the deeper water. She walked along, holding his hands until the water reached her shoulders and he felt her stop.
“Oh, no. No further. If you’re going to teach me to swim, then we can do it right here,” she claimed.
Smiling, he agreed. “Now just remember, I got you. And I promise not to let you go.”
She looked at him, wondering if his words held a double meaning. Licking her lips, she looked at the other swimmers nervously. One had just exited the pool and the other was still doing laps. Sucking in a huge breath, she said, “So what do I do now?”
For the next several minutes, he had her float on her back with one of his hands under her back and the other at the bottom of her ass. He walked around giving her a chance to feel what it was like to have the water support her and not have her feet on the pool bottom.
She opened her eyes and saw him smiling down at her. She leaned up, losing the balance of floating and her head went under the water as Vinny’s arms immediately plucked her up. Sputtering, she clawed her hands toward him.
He moved them closer to the edge as he felt her panicked grasp. “I got you, babe. You’re fine,” he reassured. “You were doing great floating along.”
She clung to the edge and, realizing that her feet would not touch, began scooting her way toward the shallower end again.
“Hold on,” he said, halting her progress. “Hang on the side and practice kicking your legs.” He showed her several different kicks and she began to relax again, feeling comfortable holding on to the side of the pool.
Admiring the way her ass wiggled back and forth as she practiced her kicking, he once again had to force his dick to behave.
She smiled at him and then noticed his strained expression. “Are you alright?” she asked hesitantly.
He moved behind her, stilling her legs, and caging her in with his massive arms on either side of her. Slowly floating inward, he pressed his front against her back until there was no mistaking the evidence of his desire.
“Oh,” she said with a giggle.
He moved away and growled, “Let’s finish up the lesson for tonight and get upstairs, baby. Seeing you lookin’ all sexy as hell in this bathing suit is killing me.”
Twisting around, she looked confused. “This? Vinny, I look like I’m a kid in this old thing.”
With her now facing him, he pressed in again, this time his swollen dick nestled against her core. “You don’t look like a kid, Annalissa. You’re fuckin’ hot in this and all I can think about is peeling it off of your delicious body.” Moving in for a kiss, he captured her lips as he plunged his tongue inside. The kiss had taken on a life-force of its own before he pulled back.
Her wet hair hanging about her shoulders, the ends floating all around. Her eyes still closed. Her lips kiss-swollen. Fuck. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. Knowing he needed to stop before he took her in the pool, he moved away keeping her hands firmly in his, pulling her along.
Her eyes popped open as he gently ordered, “Kick your legs, babe. Just like if you were still hanging on the side.”
She kicked along, feeling the force keeping her lower body high in the water as he pulled her along from the front. His hands were firm and strong. Moving all over the pool, even in the deep end, she knew he would never let go. Safe. Secure. Cared for. Loved?
Slowly they made their way to the shallow end of the pool where he assisted her out. Taking the towel from her hands, he dried her off before wrapping her in a large, dry one.
She lifted her face toward his, smiling. “I was kind of swimming, wasn’t I?” she said proudly.
“Absolutely, babe. We keep doing this and you’ll be swimming laps before you know it.” He met her lips, taking the kiss deeper. Pulling back, he tagged her hand as they headed toward the back elevator. Quickly entering his apartment, he hustled her into the warm shower.
And then he did exactly what he’d been wanting to do for an hour. He peeled the bathing suit slowly off of her body, exposing all of her beauty to his eyes.
Then he worshiped her long into the night.
*
The next morning found Vinny and Annalissa arriving at the Alvarez Security building. Moving into the large work area, they found everyone gathered. The others greeted her warmly and Tony motioned for them to sit down.
“I’ve got a friend that was able to pull up the security camera feed from the airport in LA. I want you to watch them as carefully as you can to see if you recognize anyone.”
She sat for the next hour, carefully watching everything on the screen, but came up empty. She looked at the men, saying, “I’m sorry. I just don’t see anyone I know.”
Tony nodded and then moved to the file in front of him. “Don’t be sorry, Annalissa. It’s not your job to have to identify anyone. We just want as much input from you as we can get.”
She visibly relaxed, sinking back into her chair. Vinny’s hand slid from the edge of her chair to her shoulders, noting how tense they were. His eyes cut over to the others and silently signaled for a break.
“We’ll take a break, get some food in here and then we’ll resume checking into your contacts, all right?” Tony inquired politely.
“I’m fine, really.” Cutting her eyes over to Vinny, she said, “You don’t have to coddle
me, you know. I’m not going to fall apart.”
Grinning, he touched his lips to her forehead. “I know, babe. You’re a helluva lot stronger than you even know. But we’re tired, so let’s take a little break.”
She cocked an eyebrow as she looked at the men around the table. “Hmmm, you expect me to believe that a group of former Special Forces soldiers are tired from sitting at a table?”
Laughter rang out as they shook their heads. “All right, Tiger. We’ll keep going,” Vinny said. “But how about we order some lunch.”
Several minutes later they began looking at the list of people she knew who had been in LA with them.
“I just don’t see why it had to be someone I know?” she complained.
“Well,” Gabe answered slowly, watching her reactions. “Your harp is always in your possession except for a very few minutes and even then it is close by. So that would indicate that someone close to you could have had the opportunity.”
“Yes, but what about motive?” she retorted. “Why would someone want to do this to me? I’m nobody. I’m not a threat to anyone.”
“We don’t know that anyone did it specifically to you. It may have just been that you were the convenient carrier,” Jobe replied.
She leaned forward, rubbing her temples, trying to force back the slight headache that was building. The men shared a look again. Just then, Sherrie appeared carrying barbecue sandwiches and chips from a little restaurant down the street. Her eyes scanned the room seeing the look on her husband’s face, she quickly moved over to the table.
“Hey everyone! I hope you don’t mind but I brought lunch over figuring ya’ll needed a break.” She looked at Gabe and said, “You may want to go help Jennifer. She’s lugging up the drinks.”
Gabe hopped up to find his wife as the others spread out the food. Annalissa looked at the lunch, realizing how hungry she was. As they ate, talked and laughed, she also realized how different this group was. They needed each other, but there was no pressure. No trying to force one or the other to do something for them. How unlike my life this is. Someone is always pushing or pulling me to do something.
Vinny: Alvarez Security Series Page 14