by Stratton, M.
“Then you should be prepared to have yours pushed in return.” Well, his fingers found my buttons, all right. With his other hand, he grabbed her around her waist and easily lifted her so she ended up sitting on his lap.
His lips captured hers as his fingers played, stroked and moved inside her. Grabbing his shirt, she wanted to feel his skin against hers. It seemed like every time she tried to move, he’d find something new to do to her which made her weak.
Not stopping until she lay limp in his arms, his single-mindedness of making sure her pleasure knew no end was relentless. Moving her around so she was sitting on the low swing, he moved so he was kneeling in front of her. Spreading her legs and moving the swing toward him, he slid into her.
Lissa wrapped her legs around his waist and moved closer to the edge, wanting to feel him deeper inside of her. Using the strength in his arms, he moved the swing faster and faster until her world spun out of balance and she came again, and he was right behind her.
Somehow they’d managed to get through the Paris airport and to their hotel without too many people noticing it was Will Martinsson walking around. They were pretty sure no one from Tucson’s airport recognized him, though a few people did during their layover in Chicago, but it wasn’t too bad. Lissa wasn’t surprised no one recognized her, especially since she was already in her disguise. All it took was putting a little more makeup on, wearing different clothes and styling her hair differently. If anyone really knew her, they could definitely tell, but since it had been months since she’d been photographed with Will they felt they could make it work. Plus, she was spending more time near Beau than Will, as hard as that was. But it was part of the plan.
Lissa stared out the window as they traveled through the streets of Paris with the morning light casting shadows. She was trying to act all cool, like it was something she did every day, but all she really wanted to do was hang out the window and look at everything. There was so much to see!
“The Safe Water Foundation has set up a walking tour in a couple of days,” Will said. “You’ll be able to get a better view of the architecture.”
“How did you know? I mean, I’m sure this is all normal for you, but you saw where I live. We don’t have buildings people still live in which have been around for centuries. This is so cool.”
“History should never become normal.” Will smiled at her. “There is always some new bit of history to find that you didn’t know before.”
As they pulled through the stone archway into the courtyard of their hotel, Lissa couldn’t help it as her jaw dropped. These places are on television, or in books. She never expected to be able to see anything like them in real life. She’d brought her camera and her hands were itching to get some shots. The flight was long, and although they were in first class, which she’d never flown in before and which was roomier and more comfortable than coach, she still didn’t get that much sleep on the way over. She was just too excited. Hopefully, their day would be jam-packed so she could stay awake, but she did wish there was some down-time so she could take some pictures, as well.
Their suite was on the top floor and they were able to see most of Paris from the balcony. Quickly, she snapped a picture on her phone and sent it to Hannah, letting her know they’d arrived okay.
Once they were settled in, Lissa pulled her camera out and they went to Bois de Boulogne Park where they were able to walk hand in hand and stop for her to take photos.
“Darling, do you mind if I run some lines for the London show? The beauty of both you and the park seem to make me want to burst out in Shakespeare.”
Lissa’s face flamed red and she hid it behind her camera. While he wasn’t reciting Shakespeare to her personally, having her own private show while walking through the beautiful gardens had to be one of the top ten romantic fantasies every girl had, but never dreamt would actually happen. “No, no problem at all.” As Hannah had said, it was complete and total ear porn.
When they arrived at a secluded part of the park, Will stopped and spread out the blanket he’d been carrying. She lay down on her back and watched as he gracefully settled on his side next to her. The warm afternoon sun glittered against the water, and the colors of the flowers and trees were vibrant in their hues.
Will’s fingers traced along her jaw and he gently turned her face toward him as he started reciting Sonnet 18 to her. With each line, he slowly moved closer to her until his lips were a breath away from hers when he said the last line.
Lost in his eyes, she was unable to move or speak clearly, and every rational thought flew out of her head when his lips finally captured hers in a gentle kiss of promise. The heat of his hand on her hip made her long for more. Too soon, he was pulling away from her.
“I love you,” he whispered.
Lissa placed her hand on his cheek. “I love you, too.”
“I need you to know.” He laid his hand on her heart. “I’ve never felt this way. You need to believe that, to trust in the fact there has never been anyone like you before. I never knew I could feel so much. I fear what you could do to my heart as it beats only for you, and so easily you could crush it.”
Putting her hand over his, she squeezed it gently. “Don’t you understand? You hold mine, as well.” They smiled at each other. “We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?”
Will leaned down and nuzzled his nose to hers. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Rolling over on his back, he pulled her with him so her head was resting on his chest.
Between the warm sun and listening to the rhythmic beat of Will’s heart, Lissa’s eyes grew heavy and before she knew it, she was asleep.
Lissa attempted to open her heavy eyes to see where she was and why the bed was moving. Slowly coming up from a deep sleep, she felt the strong arms under her legs and shoulders. Taking a deep breath, she knew it was Will whose arms she was in but still couldn’t remember where she was and why she’d fallen asleep. Finally, she was able to open her eyes and saw green trees and bushes, slowly frowning because she knew she wasn’t in Tucson.
“Shhh… just relax. We’ll be back to the car in a minute,” Will spoke softly to her.
“I’m too heavy,” she mumbled.
“Please.” Sarcasm dripped from his words.
She wouldn’t admit it, but in fact, it was wonderful to be carried like she weighed nothing as his long legs easily traversed the park’s landscape to where Beau waited with the car. “Really, I can walk.”
Will looked down at her and raised an eyebrow, still striding forward. “Please. I’ve been trying to wake you for half an hour now, and all you did when I picked you up was say my name and wrap your arms around my neck before you started snoring again.”
“Oh, no, you didn’t. I do not snore.”
“Next time, I’ll get you on tape.”
“You’d better not.”
“Well then, we’ll have to see what kind of deal we can work out so that doesn’t happen.”
“I’m sure we can come to a mutual understanding.”
“We’ll have to discuss this later,” Will declared as they arrived at the car. Once they were inside, he continued. “I’ve ordered dinner for us; it should be ready by the time we get back to the hotel. I thought it’d be nice to sit on the balcony watching the Paris lights come on while we dine.”
“Sounds wonderful.” She cuddled next to him while yawning and still trying to wake up. The last thing she wanted was to fall back asleep; she was hoping to last a few more hours to get adjusted to Paris time. “Maybe some coffee, too.”
Will leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Oh, I think I know of a way or two to keep you awake.”
Beau looked back and forth between Will and Lissa. She was trying not to look at him, but he kept catching her checking Will out of the corner of her eye. He moved closer to her and offered his arm. Leaning over, he whispered in her ear, “You need to stop looking at him.”
“I know,” she whisper
ed back. “But tell him to stop looking at me.”
Beau laughed. “I know. He’s hopeless. You’d never know he was an actor. Maybe we should hang back a bit. Let them get ahead of us.”
“Do you really think that’s going to work?”
“No, but it’s worth a try.” He stopped and pointed to a window display. “Here, look at these lovely shoes. Don’t all women love shoes? We could go in and you could buy them.”
“Oh, no, you didn’t, Beauregard Simpson. You did not just say that, did you?”
He looked at her with innocence. “What exactly did I say?”
“I’m not your typical female.”
“That’s for sure.” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
Lissa turned and narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you up to?” They stared each other down. “Oh, I get it.” She lightly punched him in the arm. “Sneaky, sneaky. But it worked, for about five minutes.” She stood up on her toes trying to look over his shoulder for Will. “And he’s noticed we aren’t there and has stopped, waiting for us.”
Beau laughed and turned, escorting her back toward Will. “I’ll just have to do better next time.” He bumped into her. “Admit it; you did want a pair of shoes, didn’t you?”
“Yes, damnit, and that’s all I’m going to say.”
Once they caught up with the rest of the group, Will shot Beau a look and then smiled at Lissa before turning back and continuing on.
“Well, I guess you were just told,” Lissa said.
“You should know by now he’s all bark and no bite.” Beau knew Will trusted him to keep her safe as if she were his own flesh and blood.
They continued through the Paris streets, Will stopping to take pictures and sign autographs along the way. Beau always scanned the crowds and kept an eye on the time and Will’s schedule. He knew Will would stay and make sure every fan was taken care of regardless of where they needed to be. It was Beau’s job to build in extra time for when he ran late and figure out ways to make up what was lost.
Since Lissa was added into the mix, it was lucky for him she was laid back and not demanding. In fact, she’d already helped him a great deal by making sure they stayed on course. She was a delight, and he enjoyed spending time with her. Honestly, in the beginning he’d been worried because like Will, he’d read her books. He was concerned about what Lissa would be like in real life since the books she wrote were so twisted, but she was actually quite mellow and sweet.
The damp chill had started to work into his bones and he wondered how Lissa was holding up. The Paris weather was so different from Tucson and it happened to be one of those strange weather days Paris was known for: hot and muggy one minute, cold and damp the next. He thought he felt a chill go through her when she stopped.
“Beau, can you wait here a moment? I want Will to be able to see one of us, and I’d like to go in there.” She pointed to a small bookstore and café. “Would you like a coffee?”
“Yes, please, but I can get it for us.”
“No, I’ll go. Maybe my feet will warm up while I’m in there for a few moments. This desert girl isn’t used to the cold, damp air. Luckily Hannah isn’t here, or she’d be in a full snowsuit.”
Beau watched as she walked in the door then turned back to where Will was. Moving back and forth between the two, he tried to keep an eye on both of them. When Will looked at him, he mimed drinking and pointed to the shop. Once Will nodded in understanding, Beau’s eyes swung back toward the café where he noticed people starting to run out. He searched the frantic crowd and headed toward the doors, trying to make his way in to find Lissa when police officers were suddenly in front of him, pushing him back. Beau couldn’t understand where they came from so quickly or what was going on.
As he was moved further back, he couldn’t see in through the windows. His gaze swung back to where Will had been, but he couldn’t see him either. His heart started racing; the two people he was supposed to keep track of were gone from his sight. He tried to force his way back up toward the officers. He had to find out what was going on.
Finally, he made it there and got the attention of one. “What is going on? My friend is in there.”
“We’re doing everything we can. Please, keep back.”
“You don’t understand—”
“Sir, please, the best thing you can do for your friend is to stay quiet so I don’t miss my orders.”
Since he was unable to get any answers, he started looking around for Will again. When the crowd began to separate, he could see Will and the security they’d hired come toward him. Beau let out a sigh of relief; at least one of them was accounted for. But he was going to have to talk Will into going on to their next appointment while he stayed and waited for Lissa.
Beau had never seen such anger on Will’s face in real life. They’d all seen it on the screen, of course, but in reality it was so much more.
“Where is she?” Will looked at Beau and before he could say anything, Will focused his attention to the officer. “Do you hear me? Where is my wi—” He stopped himself and attempted to sound calmer. “I have someone in that café, and I need to know what is going on.”
The officer looked up at Will and gulped a few times. “Ummm… sir? Well, we have everything under control.”
Will’s voice lowered. “How can it be under control when she is in there, and we are out here behind police barricades?”
Beau was shocked; Will never treated anyone like that, even if he was tired and inconvenienced. He knew things were serious between the two of them, but he thought for sure Will was going to say Lissa was his wife. Even with everything going on, Beau filed that in his memory for future reference. Right then, his main focus was getting Will calmed down and to a segregated area before too many more people figured out who he was.
“Excuse me, sir. Why don’t you get one of your superior officers over here. Things are going to get a bit more complicated soon, and it would be better if we had it all taken care of head of time.” When the officer stood still, looking up at Will with his mouth open, Beau leaned over and waved his hand in front of his face.
“What?” The officer blinked and looked over at Beau. “Oh, yes. Hold on.” He spoke into his walkie-talkie. Soon, they were joined by a couple of other officers, escorted past the line and stood behind one of the police vehicles, waiting for an update.
“We were chasing an armed robber on foot. He went in the back door of this café and was tripped up by one of its patrons. We were able to close in on him, but not arrest him before he took the people in the café hostage.”
“What’s being done to get them out?” Will said through gritted teeth. His fists were clenched at his side and his whole body vibrated in rage.
“Everything, Mr. Martinsson. I’m also going to have to ask you to stay out of the way. I must say, if they knew there was someone in there you cared for it could end up making things worse.”
“Come on, Will. Let them do their job.” Beau turned back toward the officers. “We’ll wait here, but please keep us updated.”
“Yes, of course.”
Beau turned to Will. “I’m so sorry.”
Will didn’t take his eyes off the door to the café. “It’s not your fault, Beau.”
They stood there in silence as what seemed like hours went by. But it was less than an hour before people started coming out of the front door. As soon as Will noticed Lissa he was running toward her, his legs eating up the space between them with Beau right on his heels.
Will placed both of his hands on either side of Lissa’s face and bent down so they were looking eye to eye. Beau felt out of place; it seemed like such an intimate moment between the two of them.
“Are you okay, darling?” Will’s voice was smooth and calm compared to how it was at the beginning of the ordeal.
Lissa nodded as she tried to blink back tears.
Gathering Lissa in his arms, Will closed his eyes fo
r a brief moment before opening them again and drawing slightly back from her. “Please, don’t lie.” He brushed her hair back from her face. “Truly, you aren’t hurt, are you?”
“I’m fine, Will.”
“Oh, thank God.” Will brought his lips down on hers and kissed her fiercely.
Beau had grown up with his friend, and he knew him almost as well as he knew himself. He’d suspected for months that Will was completely in love with Lissa, but watching his best friend submit to his feelings for Lissa and lose his heart wasn’t as scary as he thought it would be. He’d worried for years that some fame-hungry tramp would get her claws into Will, but he knew he had nothing of the sort to worry about with Lissa.
Looking around, he saw camera flashes pointed their way and knew it was going to be all over the press any minute. Beau looked at his watch. He needed to get Will to his next event and make sure Lissa was taken care of, and the press, as well.
“Will… Will… we’ve got to go.”
“Yes, of course. Come on, Lissa.” Will ended the kiss but didn’t stop looking at her.
A police officer came over to them. “Excuse me, ma’am, but we are going to have to take your statement.”
“Does she have to do that now?” Will asked.
“I’m afraid so.”
Beau cleared this throat. “Will, you need to go to your next appearance.”
“Cancel it,” Will barked.
“No,” Lissa said. “Will, you have to go. Think of the people putting on the event, the wonderful cause it supports, and your fans who have waited all this time to see you. You can’t back out now.”
“But—”
“No buts. You have to go. I’ll be fine. Let Beau make sure you get to the event and as soon as it’s over, we’ll meet up at the hotel.”
“I hate leaving you here alone.”
“I won’t be alone. I’m certain you can make sure one of the officers gets me where I need to be. Please. I’m fine, and I’d hate to be the one who made it so you missed your event.”