“Oh, thank God. I really need coffee,” I said. He raised his eyebrows. “I mean, more coffee. Decent coffee. I was afraid you were going to say we had to hole up in this room and not even order a pizza.”
Matt smiled at my evident relief. “No, I think we’re pretty safe here. As long as we don’t use our cards, I don’t see how anyone can find us.”
The diner had great coffee and excellent pancakes, light and fluffy. I dug into them. About halfway through, I noticed Matt looking up from his eggs to watch me. I slowed down, carefully eating a bite and then slowly licking the syrup off my fork.
He groaned. “Oh, don’t start that again, please. Not in public! We’ll both be embarrassed when I have to drag you out of here caveman-style.”
I grinned at him and went back to eating my pancakes. However, I did feel compelled to point out that he had started it by staring at me.
“What, I can’t look at you now?”
“Not like that, and don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean. You were looking at me like you’re the big bad wolf and I’m Little Red Riding Hood or something.”
He grinned. “That sounds like fun. Maybe we can play later this afternoon?”
I laughed and then started coughing. “Matt! Stop. You’re going to make me choke on my pancakes.”
He was still smiling, but now he looked thoughtful.
“What?” I asked.
He said hesitantly, “You seem…different somehow today.”
I looked at him questioningly.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re just in a good mood. Considering what you went through yesterday, and the total disruption of your life that’s going on… I’m a bit surprised. That’s all. Happy if you’re happy, you understand, but surprised.”
I stared down at my plate, pushing my food around with my fork. “I know what you mean,” I said slowly, thinking about it. “This is Wednesday, and yes, it does feel very strange to be here eating pancakes instead of sitting at my desk. I never eat pancakes on weekdays, you know. They’re only for the weekend.” I looked at him. “Don’t get me wrong. I am scared—scared of losing my job, scared of those bastards who took me and threatened you, scared of being forced to testify at some big trial.” I looked down at my plate again. “But when you’re with me, I don’t feel as scared anymore.” After a moment, I added, “Even though when you think about it, I should be more scared of you than anyone. You’re changing me the most, aren’t you?”
“Am I? You’re still you. If you’re a little happier, a little more relaxed when you’re around me, then that’s a good thing, but it doesn’t really change who you are, does it?” I must have looked a little doubtful at that, because he leaned forward and took my hand in his, heedless of the fact that we were in some little country diner in the middle of nowhere. “Jamie, don’t think you’re the only one. Do you think that being with you hasn’t changed me at all?”
“Of course it has,” I said bitterly. “I’ve got you mixed up in trouble that’s not even your business, being shot at and running for your life. That’s got to have some effect.”
His hand tightened on mine. “That’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it. We’ve already been through this. I’m here because I choose to be here, because I want to be with you and I want to make sure nothing bad happens to you. But what I’m talking about is different. I’m almost thirty years old. I’ve had boyfriends before, including a relationship that lasted three years, a record for me. You think I’m stubborn, but I’ve never acted like this before, not with anyone, and if you don’t think it scares me, you’re wrong. I still can’t believe how hard I’ve fallen for you in such a short time, and this sudden, strong need to be near you is the most frightening thing of all.” I was startled by his sudden intensity. He started to withdraw as if regretting his words. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have dumped all that on you when you’ve got so much other crap to deal with right now.”
I tightened my grip on his hand. “No, that’s all right. It’s just that you’re usually so mellow. I was surprised. That’s all.”
“I haven’t had my practice yet today. That’s where I usually get rid of all my stress. I wouldn’t mind going for a walk around town when we’re done here. What do you think?”
“Sounds good.”
We spent some time wandering around the small town and browsing through the shops. Matt seemed to enjoy the antiques stores. I looked rather halfheartedly for another flash drive to make yet another copy of that cursed data but didn’t find one with enough memory. I decided that if anybody came after the laptop again, they were more than welcome to it, no matter who they worked for.
The weather turned warmer in the afternoon, and we stopped to get an ice-cream cone. After an impromptu demonstration of my ice-cream-eating skills, Matt practically dragged me back to the motel room, where we managed to pass the next couple of hours exploring several very imaginative positions.
We took a long nap and woke up ravenous from all the exercise. Looking through the restaurant flyers in the room, I spotted a Chinese restaurant that delivered. That sounded a whole lot better than getting dressed and going across the street to the diner.
Matt was in the bathroom when the delivery arrived, and I put on some jeans to answer the door. Unpacking the delivery bag, I spread out the cartons on the little table, poured us some water, and laid out the chopsticks. Then I stripped and sat in one of the chairs. When Matt came out, he sat in the other chair, still naked. We grinned at each other, feeling mellow from the afternoon’s activities and the subsequent long nap. It felt a little strange to be sitting at the table in the nude, but it was a day of firsts. That should have made me nervous, but for some reason I just felt excited.
We broke open the chopsticks and started quietly sharing the sweet and sour chicken and vegetable lo mein. I ate an eggroll slowly as I watched Matt’s Adam’s apple bob in that lovely throat as he tilted his head back to swallow a drink of water. I moved a foot up to rest on his chair and then press between his knees. He parted his thighs slightly to give me access, without saying anything. I pressed my foot against his genitals and then rubbed up and down his rapidly hardening shaft. I played for a while, rubbing and scrunching my toes on his balls. He seemed to have some difficulty managing the chopsticks.
I withdrew my foot, and he let out a little grunt of protest. I said, “Need to go to the bathroom. Be right back.”
There was an extra bottle of lube and some condoms with the toiletries in the bathroom. I leaned against the sink and spread my legs, closing my eyes. I stroked my own cock, thinking of Matt waiting for me, and then slipped my fingers deep into my ass, scissoring and stretching myself out, feeling the slow buildup of desire.
When I returned, his eyes went wide as he saw my fully erect state. Going straight to him, I pushed his chair back from the table and swung a leg over his lap, straddling him. Pushing up, I stood and then reached down to stroke him with my lubed hand until he was hard as steel. After gloving him up quickly, I positioned myself over his shaft, then slipped him inside me, slowly sitting, facing him, until he slid in all the way to his balls.
In this position, he was in me as deep as he could get, and I felt full and stretched. I rocked slightly and heard him gasp. If we hadn’t already come a couple of times that afternoon, I knew we would never have lasted. But in our current state, we could take our time.
Matt’s hands were resting on my thighs, his lips parted and his face slightly flushed. He ran his thumbs up the crease at the top of my thighs, but he didn’t touch me where I wanted it most. I took a deep breath, determined to take it slow. Leaning forward, I kissed him and tasted sweet and sour sauce. That reminded that we hadn’t finished eating yet.
Reaching back without taking my eyes off his, I found the wet naps that had come with our dinner and wiped off my hands. Then I picked up the chopsticks and the carton of chicken. I fed him a piece, and he ate it slowly. I pulled out another piece and ate it as he wat
ched my mouth. I rocked slightly, and he groaned and thrust a little.
The lo mein was a little messier to feed him with the chopsticks, and I spilled a piece on his chest. It landed right above his nipple, and I had to bend forward to get my mouth down so I could suck up the noodle and do a very thorough job cleaning up the sauce with my tongue. Clenching my ass to keep myself balanced, I straightened up again. That extra tight squeeze finished him, and his hands tightened on my hips as his body stiffened, and his chest and head arched back. I felt the throbbing deep inside as he came in pulsing waves. The sight of that beautiful chest and those fine abs tightened in the throes of orgasm made me want to claim him, to mark him as my own. It didn’t take much; I reached down and gave myself two hard jerks and came, deliberately pumping my semen all over his chest and abdomen.
I settled back with his softening cock still inside me and tried to catch my breath. He did the same, his hands still resting on my hips as his breathing gradually slowed. He looked down at his messy chest and then up at me with his eyebrows raised. I grinned and reached out one finger, swiped it through the splatter, then slowly raised it to my mouth to lick my finger clean, tasting myself mingled with his sweat.
He closed his eyes briefly, and I felt a shudder go through him. He didn’t say anything, just seemed a little dazed.
* * *
We were curled up together on the bed watching the news when the cell phone rang. I’m pretty good at blocking out those things that I just don’t want to think about, so I was startled and confused for a moment. Then I remembered that only Nash and Swenson had the number.
Matt reached over and answered it. He sat up. “Hey, Adam. Yes, we’re fine. It’s been quiet. What’s going on?”
Matt listened for a minute, then smiled and reached over to squeeze my arm. “Your grandmother is fine. Nash has had people checking on her, but there’s been no unusual activity.” After another moment, he added, “And they caught him—the the guy who stole your drive. A lab tech. They’re questioning him now.”
Relieved, I settled back on the bed, barely paying attention to the rest of the one-sided conversation, which didn’t make much sense to me anyway. I felt content to wait until Matt got off the phone, content with any decision he wanted to make.
After he ended the call, he slid down and laid his head on my shoulder. I stroked my fingers through that thick hair. “What is it? I thought you said they caught the guy. Is something wrong?”
“No, we can go home tomorrow morning.”
“What about Keith and Rastin and John?”
“They haven’t been caught, but Keith’s car was spotted on I-95 headed south. Nash thinks all three are long gone out of New York. It’s not just the police and FBI they have to contend with. By now, Rastin’s boss must know he was helping Keith skim from the money-laundering operation. It’s the only reason they would be so desperate to attack you and to get that evidence. Maybe the boss learned something from Eckland before he killed him that made him realize Rastin was involved.”
“I still can’t believe Eckland was mixed up in any of this.”
“I’m sorry, but it seems he was. They’ve been investigating his finances. He was in a lot of debt due to his wife’s cancer. He was about to lose his house, and he had to drain the savings accounts he had set up for his grandkids.”
I felt horror and pity that Eckland had to go through that trouble alone. “Why didn’t he say anything? Ask for help?”
“Who knows? Pride, maybe, or embarrassment that he got into that situation? Overconfidence that he could get himself out of it? I’m sure he was a good man. He just got into trouble and got desperate.”
I nodded, feeling sad. “So we’ll leave first thing in the morning?”
“Yes. Nash wants us to call him as soon as we get close to your place. We’ll go home and get some clean clothes and something to eat. Nash doesn’t feel there’s any more danger, but he wants to meet us as soon as we get there to take us and the laptop to the FBI building. Swenson is running point on the search for Keith and Rastin, so he’ll bring another agent with him, Toby McAlister. Do you know him?”
“Yes, I met him when I went to the FBI building to identify Rastin from their pictures. He was assigned to follow me around for a while.” I could only hope McAlister wouldn’t mention any of his more embarrassing bits of knowledge regarding my Friday night activities in front of Matt.
I looked at Matt closely and then scooted down until we both lay on our sides, facing each other practically nose to nose. I stared searchingly into those lovely dark eyes. They didn’t have the little smile in them that they usually did. “Hey.” I brushed my fingers down his cheekbone. “Something is still bothering you.”
“It’s so soon,” he said a little wistfully, resting one hand on my hip. “I had a good time today, didn’t you? I wouldn’t have minded one more day.”
“Oh, baby.” I held him close. “There will be other days we’ll spend together like this.”
“Will there?”
“I called you my boyfriend, didn’t I? Of course there will.” I twisted my fingers into his and held his hand tightly. After rolling over onto my back, I stared at the ceiling and let my mind drift back to the shelters I had stayed in as a child. I knew in my head that my fear of unemployment and the fear of instability that being jobless represented were just echoes from my childhood. But I still couldn’t help the anxiety that sometimes threatened to overwhelm me.
“Jamie, I’m with you, okay?” He laid one hand gently on my face. I turned to look at him. His fingers stroked my forehead, my cheeks. “You’re going to be all right. You’ve got great qualifications. You’ll find another job, if it comes to that.”
“Damn, you are some kind of mind reader, aren’t you?”
“I’ve just found you, and I’m not about to let anything happen to you. We’re going to be fine. Anyway,” he added, “I told you, I’ve had some job offers. I’ll forget about buying the dojo; it probably wouldn’t have worked out anyway. I’ll take one of those offers, and that way, if anything happens to your job, we’ll be still be all right. “
My stomach seized up at the thought of that kind of dependence. “What? No! That’s not what I want. I don’t want you to support me—”
“I know that,” he interrupted hastily. “I’m talking about a worst-case scenario here, which is where you always seem to be going in your head. I don’t believe it will ever come to that.” He paused. “Maybe it didn’t come out right. I’m just trying to remind you that you’re not in this alone.”
Relaxing, I did feel better. There was no way I would let him give up his plans to buy the business when it obviously meant so much to him. But it was sweet of him to offer, and there seemed no point in arguing about it when it would probably never become an issue.
“So what about the dojo?” I asked him. “You were there Monday and yesterday morning. Did you have a chance to talk to Tom Shannon?”
“Yes, I talked to him.” His eyes brightened, and he looked excited for a moment. Then he tried to tone it down. I think he didn’t want me to see how much it meant to him, in case it didn’t work out.
“And?” I prompted.
“He’s willing to discuss it.”
I raised my eyebrows at him.
He laughed and threw a pillow at me. “Okay, okay! He’s dying to sell it to me. He loves the thought of the dojo going to someone who knows it as well as I do, someone who grew up there. He’s happy to have you look at the finances. And—here’s the best part—he’s willing to stay on as assistant manager for a while until I’m comfortable running the place.”
His excitement was infectious. I couldn’t help smiling with him, and of course that led to a hug, which led to some serious celebratory kissing, which led to hands wandering over both of our bodies and clothes being stripped off.
He murmured into my hair. “Baby, you’re going to kill me. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve come today, but I know it’s a reco
rd. Maybe it’s good we are going back tomorrow. I wouldn’t want the maid to find me stretched out on this bed in the morning, a big grin frozen on my cold, dead body. That would be kind of freaky.”
I nibbled his earlobe. “I think there’s some lo mein left in the carton.”
Chapter Fourteen
The return trip took much less time than I expected, and I realized we weren’t as far from the city as I had thought the day before. The convoluted route Matt had taken made it seem much longer. We were pulling into the parking garage of my building by early Wednesday afternoon.
I was glad to be home, and I would be glad to get the laptop off my hands and into Nash’s. I hoped they wouldn’t destroy it getting the files they wanted and that I would get it back eventually, but honestly, I didn’t even care about that very much. It wasn’t like I had videos of the family vacations to Disneyland stored on it.
Nash and McAlister were already there and met us at the elevator doors. We rode up together, but when we got to my door, Nash motioned for us to let him go in first.
I unlocked the door for him, muttering, “I thought there wasn’t any more danger. Did we just tell poor little Jamie that so he wouldn’t panic and take his laptop on a plane to South America?”
“It’s just a precaution. That’s all,” said Nash, even as he pulled out his gun to check the apartment room by room.
After he and McAlister gave the all clear, we changed our clothes, and Matt started making sandwiches. Nash didn’t seem too happy about the delay, but we had driven most of the morning and were starving.
“Sit down,” Matt told them. “I know what’s going to happen when we get to your office. We’ll be there all afternoon, giving statements and signing papers. Jamie needs to have something in his stomach before he faces all that. He only had coffee this morning.”
Nash surrendered, and he and McAlister sat at the table. They watched Matt working, and Nash appeared amused.
“What’s so funny?” I asked him.
Friday Night Jamie Page 17