Knight Shift

by Paulette Miller

  Shortly thereafter, a young man showed up at the door. After handing the box to Penny, Jax paid for the items. By the time the door was closed again, Jax turned around to find Penny holding up two, neon pink pieces of material. She said, “Ahhh, there isn’t much to this suit.”

  “And that’s an issue, why?” He waved her off and said, “Go put it on.”

  When Penny stepped out of the bathroom in a very revealing string bikini, Jax looked her over, gave her a playful growl, and said, “That definitely works for me and pink really is your color.”

  Although she loved the color, the suit was too showy for her comfort. She was about to say no to the suit but, when she saw Jax’s obvious approval, she decided to keep her protests to herself. She was grateful that she wouldn’t run into anyone she knew.

  While Jax continued to stare at her overly exposed figure, he said, “Thankfully, with you in that outfit, no one will be looking at me. The sight of my half naked body is going to scare everyone away.”

  It was Penny’s turn to examine Jax in his long black swim shorts. She replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If others can’t appreciate the sight, that’s better for me. You’ll be all mine.”

  Seeing the genuine affection she had in her eyes, he asked, “Why do you always look at me like you do? I know that I’m nothing to look at and not very pleasant to be around. Aren’t you bothered by all of my rather obvious imperfections?”

  She shook her head. “They’re a part of you and I like you just the way you are. I don’t understand others’ reactions to you. They’re getting caught up in what’s on the surface and refusing to take the time to look at what’s hidden underneath.”

  “You mean my killer instinct?”

  She put her hands on her hips and let out a huff. “No…your incredible strength and unwavering loyalty. At this very moment, I wouldn’t trade you for anyone else on Earth.”

  Seeing the seriousness in her expression, he asked in amazement, “You really mean that, don’t you?”

  She nodded and, after wrapping a towel around herself, she said, “Let’s go before I change my mind about being seen in this postage stamp sized material.”

  Jax pulled on a t-shirt, grabbed a towel, and they headed out of the room.

  Once they were in the pool area, as expected, the moment that Jax took off his shirt, those watching gasped, pointed and whispered. When he could feel Penny’s anger start to flare, he whispered in her ear, “Just let it go, Mama Bear. It doesn’t bother me.”

  “But it’s wrong and mean.”

  “I think I’m tough enough to handle it.”

  She relaxed her stance a little and replied, “Okay, but if they do anything else, I’m going to be the one to give them a reason to run from this room screaming.”

  Jax chuckled at her protectiveness.

  When they reached the side of the hot tub and Penny built up enough nerve to drop the towel, several young men sitting in chairs nearby whispered conspiratorially to each other, but Jax’s exceptional hearing allowed him to hear what was being said. Penny felt the vibration of his protective growl and, when she turned to him, she saw his eyes had turned dark and menacing.

  To calm his anger and to give her admirers something else to gawk at, she rubbed her body against Jax seductively and ran her tongue along a nasty scar on his chest before giving him a kiss. Jax was shocked by Penny’s boldness in public, but thoroughly enjoyed her efforts and found that her touch had once again calmed his anger. Quite satisfied by the looks of envy in the young men’s eyes, Penny smiled and walked to the water’s edge with Jax’s hand in hers.

  When Penny saw similar judgmental stares from those in the hot tub, she reminded herself that she knew no one in the room. She pushed back her inhibitions and decided to clear the tub.

  She lifted Jax’s hand in hers and kissed his knuckles while exposing her dazzling ring. She let out a loud giggle and said to those watching, “I apologize in advance for our behavior. We’re on our honeymoon and we just can’t get enough of each other.” She looked up at Jax and commanded, “Husband, get in the water. I want you slippery and wet, now.” She gave him a growl.

  True to her word, the moment Jax was sitting in the hot tub, she let out a growl, straddled his lap, and gave him a kiss as hot as the water. Suddenly their fellow water lovers decided that they desperately wanted to be anywhere else.

  As soon as Penny and Jax found themselves alone, she announced, “That’s better.” She had to admit to herself that she enjoyed being so bold and found it exhilarating.

  Jax nodded in approval as he watched the last person leave the area and said, “Nicely done, Wife. You’re a lethal weapon.”

  “Sorry, but I had enough. They may not be screaming, but I told you I would make them leave if they didn’t behave. I thought of what my brothers would have done, although normally I can’t be that bold without alcohol being involved.”

  He tightened his grip around her waist and said, “I’m not complaining.”

  “By the way, sorry about the honeymoon comment.” While looking down at her ring and when the light reflected off the diamonds, she added, “This band is magic…like Green Lantern’s ring of power.” She pointed her diamonds high up in the air and said, “In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil’s might beware my power, wedding ring diamond light.”

  He laughed. “That ring had nothing to do with it. That, My Dear, was all you. I’ll never doubt your magical abilities again.” Since Penny was still sitting on body parts that were also appreciating her actions, he said, “You might want to sit next to me before the other results of you releasing your magic takes the situation into its own hands. Then we really will be arrested for improper behavior in a public place.”

  She gave Jax a crooked smile while contemplating the possibilities. When Jax saw the look growing in her eyes, his eyes grew wide in disbelief. Penny giggled at his reaction. Although she was thrilled by the idea that she had the ability to effect Jax’s body parts, she really wasn’t in the mood to be arrested. She reluctantly slid off his body and snuggled in next to him.

  Penny asked, somewhat disappointed, “If we can’t make out like newlyweds, what else would you like to do?”

  He leaned back and said, “Talk to me. I want to listen to your voice for a while.”

  For the next hour Penny talked to him about their time at the garden and ideas of how she was going to incorporate flowers into her room designs.

  After they returned to their room, they each took turns showering. As they prepared for bed, Penny found that their evening routine was smoother now that they were less concerned about accidently seeing each other naked. When they finished, instead of packing away their bathroom supplies, they left them on the counter intermixed.

  Once they were in bed and the room was dark, Penny stared up at the ceiling and asked, “Want to make out now?”

  “Really?” he asked with a chuckle.

  “My stomach is in knots and my mind is swirling. I would love the distraction.”

  He said, “Any body part of mine is yours for the asking. If my lips are what you need, then they’re yours for all long as you need them.”

  Although Jax was more than willing to offer other parts as well, he could sense Penny’s genuine unease for the events of the next day. He decided to keep his urges to himself and continue to let Penny lead their actions. Five minutes into their encounter, he had already kissed Penny more than all of the women he had kissed in his entire life combined. He questioned that ability to suppress his urges when, several hours later, he was still lip-locked with his bed mate.

  When lower body parts begged to join the activities and he sensed no sign of Penny releasing his lips, he broke away. While stretching his jaw, he asked in amazement, “Does your mouth ever get tired?”

  “I’m sorry. I like how your cool lips feel on mine. And that tongue of yours…” She trembled at the thoughts running
through her mind. She reluctantly added, “We can stop if you want to.”

  Although she said the request, Jax could see her desperate need quickly washing across her face. There was no way that he was going to disappoint her. “Just give me a second.” He stretched his jaw muscles again, repositioned himself for a new angle of attack, and then spread his arms wide. He said, “My lips are all yours until they fall off.”

  Although Penny knew that she should release him, as she stared at his mouth, her need overrode her logical side of her brain. She accepted his offer and, after crawling on top of him, she took complete ownership of his mouth until she fell away from pure exhaustion.

  Jax had to lay on the bed for almost an hour, trying to calm down all of his body parts before he was able to fall asleep.

  Chapter 31 - Memorial

  Jax woke the next morning, feeling the intensity of someone staring at him. When he opened his eyes, he found Penny staring down at him. She asked anxiously, “Are you awake?”

  “I am now.” While he stretched, he glanced at the clock and whispered, “It’s still early and I know you didn’t get much sleep last night. Why don’t you close your eyes a little longer? I set the alarm for when we need to get up.”

  She shook her head adamantly and said, “Can’t sleep.”

  Seeing the anxiety in her eyes, he understood and asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  She replied, “Well, those lips of yours could distract me some more.”

  When she leaned in closer, preparing to attack, he held her back. With a loud laugh he said, “We kissed so much last night, I still don’t have any feeling in my lips.”

  “But I need...” Her words trailed off.

  Knowing that he would do anything to help her through this day, he said, “Okay, but this time I get to be in charge.” He flipped her onto her back and, while hovering over her, he stretched out his mouth, shoulders, and then his neck as if preparing for battle. He leaned down until they were just inches apart and said, “You might want to take in a deep breath, because I plan to keep that mouth of your busy until the alarm goes off.”

  She did what he asked and whispered, “I’m ready.”

  True to his word, he kept Penny’s mouth so busy that, when the alarm sounded, it rang for over a minute before either of them registered the sound’s meaning. When he finally released his tight hold on her, he said, “I guess it’s time to get up. Do you want to shower first?”

  Penny nodded but, after crawling out of bed, she turned to him, held out her hand, and said, “Come on. You need to scrub my back.”

  In reality, he knew she was too nervous to be alone, but he wasn’t about to complain. He crawled out of the bed and instructed, “Hold up your arms.” After doing as instructed, he pulled off her shirt. While she stood naked, he dropped his night pants to the floor. In a whirl of speed, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. When she giggled and started to protest half-heartedly, he swatted her backside and said, “Hush, Human. Let me do my job.”

  Once they were in the shower and her feet were back on the floor, he practiced his skills with a loofa. He found that she was wonderfully sensitive on her lower back and ticklish on her inner thighs. Although both items drove him crazy and her subtle reactions made him want her more than he ever wanted anything in his life, he used all of his strength to force back his needs.

  Penny wasn’t blind to the state that she had put him in and the images of her intertwined with Jax had filled her thoughts so many times she lost count. But, with the events of the day, she couldn’t act on her urges. They were both actually grateful when it was time to get out of the shower. Jax lingered behind for a few minutes to let cold water flow down his body in a feeble attempt to douse the flames Penny had again ignited. She vowed to find a way to thank him later for his self-control, which she knew was most likely causing him physical pain.

  After Jax was dressed, he sat on the bed and watched as Penny finished getting ready. Although he thought her outfit looked beautiful on her, the woman who normally was vibrant with life, was now a shadow of herself.

  Jax was pulled away from his thoughts by a knock on the door. He answered it and, after taking what was delivered, he walked to the table and set it down. He called Penny over and said, “I know that you aren’t up to going out for breakfast, so I had them bring up something.”

  As she sat down and saw tea and toast, she had to wave her hand in front of her face to stop tears from messing up her make up. After finishing her breakfast, she went to her suitcase and pulled out a large envelope. After finding what she was looking for she fumbled with a chain. Her hands were now shaking so badly that she couldn’t work the clasp.

  Jax walked over and took the item from her. He looked down at her parent’s wedding rings and her brothers’ silver eagles. She was attempting to hang them from a chain so that she could wear them as a necklace. Jax stood behind her and helped her put it on. He kissed her neck and said, “I’ll be by your side the entire time. If it becomes too much, let me know and I’ll get you out of there.”

  She placed her hand on top of his and said with her voice shaking, “I’ll be fine, but I could say the same thing to you. I’ve put you through a lot these last few days and you’ll be trapped in a massive crowd of Humans for hours. If it’s too much for you, we’ll leave.”

  “Don’t worry about me. Today is about you, so let’s go.”

  Jax helped Penny into the Rover and, after traveling silently thirty minutes southeast of Richmond, they arrived at the Prequile National Wildlife Refuge. When Penny saw the multitude of television cameras, vans, and cars full of gawkers, she grabbed onto Jax’s hand so hard that her knuckles cracked. Luckily, the airport had hired a large security company so, when a guard approached their vehicle and he found Penny’s name on the list, they were guided through the masses to a special parking lot reserved for the victims’ families. Once they parked and got out of the Rover, Penny sighed in relief when she saw that non-authorized people were not allowed within a hundred feet of where the memorial was being held.

  Penny, with Jax at her side, joined the flow of people walking along a path overflowing with beautiful plants, bouquets of flowers, photographs, notes, and trinkets honoring the lost. Among the keepsakes were signs with the name of each victim. To help people find their family members and friends, the names were posted in alphabetical order.

  When Penny reached the ‘B’s’, she stopped abruptly. She stared at a sign for Rose and Henry Blanchard and their twin sons Max and Morgan. Tears filled her eyes when she saw massive bouquets from her Changeling family and her co-workers. As Penny read their kind words of sympathy, Jax dug something out from a bag. Penny turned when she heard a click. She found Jax holding a digital camera.

  He explained, “I know that you might not want pictures now but, after you’ve had some time to grieve, you’ll want to remember this day. Don’t worry. I’ll take the pictures for you.”

  She gave him a gentle smile full of gratitude.

  Jax was actually grateful for the job. All of the pain and anger people were feeling filled the air like a thick cloud, and the level of Human emotions was pounding on his chest like fists. He concentrated on the camera, trying to suppress his urge to become invisible and run from the scene.

  As they continued on, they were handed a bulletin which detailed the order of events. On the back were all of the major donations made to the construction of the memorial. Penny was sincerely moved when Gone Wild corporate headquarters was listed.

  Tucked in the middle of this beautiful animal sanctuary located along the winding James River, they had built a Garden of Remembrance. In the center of this garden, standing like a sentinel, was a metal and glass sculpture in the shape of the tree of life. The thousands of small pieces of colored glass reflected the sunlight, causing rainbows of color to be projected in all directions. As Penny marveled at the artistry, Jax tapped her shoulder to get her attention. When she looked at him,
he pointed to the ground where the names of the lost were engraved in brick pavers that would forever surround the base of the tree.

  While Penny found her family’s bricks, Jax snapped more pictures. Penny’s emotional roller coaster sped up when she caught people avoiding Jax with fear in their eyes. Unable to control her emotions anymore, they burst forward. While standing protectively in front of Jax, she yelled to those staring at her companion, “Just stop it! This wonderful man is with me and he dropped everything to bring me across country to say goodbye to my entire family. Life’s too short to be filled with such hate for what you narrow-minded people don’t understand.”

  To quiet her, Jax pulled Penny into his arms and she hid her face against his chest. With his arms wrapped around her shaking body, her anger slowly started to calm. Once her pulse slowed, he led her to their seats. She leaned against him and whispered, “I’m so sorry about making a scene back there. You’ve done so much for me, I couldn’t take their reactions to you anymore.”

  He kissed her forehead and said, “Thank you for trying to protect me.”

  As the service went on, the many speakers’ voices turned into a constant buzzing noise in Penny’s ears. Although they stayed for the full ceremony, Penny couldn’t remember a single word said. The next thing she knew she was sitting along the river with no one but Jax. What she didn’t remember was that, after leaving the sanctuary, Jax had pulled into a riverside park to give Penny a chance to regroup.

  Once her mind returned to her she announced, “Let’s call home.”

  For the next few hours, Penny talked to each member of her Changeling family, as well as her boss, Mr. Thompson, who insisted that she call him John. Although it was good to hear everyone’s voice, it made her realize how much she missed everyone. Emotions from the day left her numb so, when they got back to the hotel, she decided to hide in the room’s bathtub. By the flickering light of candles, Penny slid into the hot water to disappear from the world for a while.