Helios Awakened (The Helios Chronicles #1)

by Tawa M. Witko

  “Harrison!” Jamal’s deep voice bellowed, causing Andrew to snap out of his memory.

  “I know that it’s a possibility. Mr. Bennett and I have discussed it.”

  Andrew was solemn, unwilling to think about that right now. He didn’t want to ruin their weekend. He was aware that it might be his last weekend of freedom and he wanted it to be the best, for him and for Madison.

  Jamal leaned back in his chair and brought his monstrous arms across his chest. Jamal was not accustomed to feeling compassion for his charges. After all, they were convicts he reasoned, all of them had awful backgrounds and chose the lives they led but there was something different about Andrew Harrison. He had read his jacket both in and out of prison and was impressed that, up until the rape charge, he had stayed out of trouble. This had surprised him immensely as he figured if anyone had been destined for a life of crime it was Andrew. After the incident at the Lake, Jamal had been angry, mostly at himself for what he perceived as a lapse in judgment on his part. But over the past two weeks he realized that his judgment had not been impaired at all. He felt as strongly now as he did when Andrew was first assigned to him that he was a decent guy who had absolutely bad luck in life.

  “Alright, well, get the hell out of here and I better not get any calls that you are in any kind trouble,” Jamal said with his typically sternness.

  Andrew grinned and stood up. “I can’t imagine that there is that much trouble I can get into in Lake Arrowhead.”

  “You’d be amazed,” Jamal said, holding back the smile he wanted to display.

  When Andrew reached the door he stopped and turned around. “Will you be at court on Monday?”

  “No, I don’t generally do that. They will inform me what transpires with your case.”

  Andrew looked puzzled for a moment. “So, this might be the last time I see you.”

  “It’s possible, yeah, could be.”

  Andrew nodded and made a strange face that was making Jamal want to explode in laughter, wondering what the heck he was thinking.

  “Well,” Andrew paused, looking directly at Jamal. “Aside from you scaring the crap out of me most of the time, you’re an okay guy, so... Thanks,” Andrew said with a slight quirk of his lip.

  Now Jamal was unable to contain his amusement. He laughed a deep booming sound that seemed to echo throughout the entire building. “Get the hell outta here, Harrison,” Jamal said between guffaws.

  Andrew shrugged and walked out, ready to meet his friends. Madison saw him emerge from the familiar building and her heart fluttered. The minute he was seated next to her he leaned over and kissed her softly. It was a kiss that seemed to linger for hours.

  “Come on, you two, save that for the room. We’re still a couple hours away from the resort.” Jayden chuckled as he tapped on the seat in front of him.

  “Not the way she drives,” Andrew said with a smirk.

  “Damn right, baby,” Madison replied, returning his smirk and then glancing over the seat at Jayden. “To quote the infamous Samuel L Jackson, 'Hold on to your butts'.” She then wagged her brows for emphasis before turning to the wheel.

  The eight miles on the 101 took a lifetime and the eighteen miles on the 605 wasn’t much better. Madison reasoned that the traffic was always so heavy because there were far too many people in Los Angeles and all of them found it necessary to jump on the freeway even if they were only going a few exits away. Would it kill someone to take a side street? She wondered and then answered her own internal query. Wait, maybe it would! Once they hit the 210 the drive was smooth sailing for the four friends who visited and laughed most of the way. Madison could tell Jayden was antsy. He had wanted to take his truck but had been outvoted for the comfort and convenience of Madison’s Altima. And then Madison nearly died of laughter when Jayden asked if he could drive, to which Madison told him what she had told Andrew when he had asked to drive, Stella only purrs for me.

  “Oh my God! Look, look, only 18 miles,” Callie exclaimed, jumping excitedly in her seat as they turned onto the 18.

  The twists and turns of the winding road would have been scary were the mountains not so breathtakingly beautiful. The further they drove up the mountain the more captivating things became. In an odd quirk of weather for this time of the year, a gentle fog encased the mountains. As they passed through it, the sight before them made them all realize the power of something beyond. In a sudden move that frightened her friends, Madison pulled over into one of the lookout points.

  “What’s going on?” Jayden asked, concerned. “Is everything alright? I knew we should have taken my truck!”

  “I need to get a picture of this,” Madison said, exiting the vehicle before anyone could protest.

  Madison darted down the edge, trying to get the perfect angle. She found herself walking on the other side of the partition, taking the small dirt pathway behind several trees. She stood in silence as a tear slipped out of her eye. She felt as if she were looking at heaven, or at least what she imagined it to be.

  “You okay, baby?” Andrew asked, walking up to her.

  “It’s like heaven.”

  “It’s very beautiful.” He put his arm around her waist and she immediately leaned into him.

  Andrew held her close as he brought his eyes to the cloud covering over the San Bernardino Mountains. Madison had said it looked like heaven. He wasn't 100% convinced there even was a heaven, but if there was, he was certain that being anywhere with Madison would be like it. When she hadn’t come back right away he had become worried and went searching for her. He was certain the image of her standing with her arms crossed over her chest and tears in her eyes as she took in the magnificence below would be embedded in his mind for an eternity. They stood and watched the fog move below them for several minutes.

  “We should go back,” Madison said, wiping under her eyes. “Jay is probably sitting in the driver’s seat by now and Stella won’t like that.”

  Andrew chuckled and kissed the top of her head before leading her back to the car. Turns out Madison didn’t need to worry about Jayden as he and Callie were engaged in a tender embrace. They drove the rest of the way to the resort talking excitedly about the concert.

  “Just pull into the valet parking, Madison. It’s included in the cost,” Jayden said from the back seat.

  Madison nodded and a nice gentleman by the name of Alexander opened her door. Andrew frowned and internally growled at the fact that this kid was staring at her legs. Well, he thought it was internal until Madison whipped her head around and cocked her brow at the same time the poor valet jumped back. Andrew stepped out of the car and eyed the frightened boy who looked as if he was about to piss himself.

  “Are you folks checking in?” Alexander stuttered, trying to avoid eye contact with Andrew.

  “Yes, we are,” Jayden said, unable to control his peals of laughter. He then turned to Andrew. “Come with me, man, you’re scaring the dude,” he said as he tapped Andrew’s shoulder and motioned with his head towards the inside of the resort. Andrew looked back at Madison and Callie who were directing the valet on luggage disbursement.

  “Dude, she’s fine.”

  They walked up to the front desk and, as they did, Andrew looked around the lobby. It was spectacular. Suddenly Andrew felt extremely underdressed and out of place. He was wearing a pair of lightly faded button fly jeans with a white tank top that showed off an ample amount of his tattoos. His hair was in its usual disarray so he immediately began combing his fingers through it, trying desperately to tame the unruliness.

  “You’re fine, Andrew. No one will judge you here. My dad’s and I come to this resort every winter to ski,” Jayden said, noticing his friend’s uneasiness.

  Jayden handed him his keycard just as the ladies and the frightened valet entered the resort. The valet passed the cart over to the bellhop who smiled at Madison in what Andrew deemed a flirtatious manner. Andrew’s brows furrowed before he strutted over to where she was, as a domina
nt lion would around another male vying for his lioness. As he approached her, he brought his hand under her chin and lifted it slightly as she closed her eyes, eagerly awaiting the kiss she knew would come. He grinned as her lips parted slightly. He then looked up and eyed the bellhop whose eyes were now as round as saucers at the expression Andrew was giving him, causing him to visibly cringe. That was the look Andrew wanted and without hesitation his lips touched Madison’s gently as he swept his tongue along her lips and then pulled away, leaving her wanting.

  “What room, sir?” The bellhop asked, clearing his throat.

  “They’re in Suite 300 and we are in Suite 304,” Jayden said authoritatively.

  “Why don’t we settle in and then we can meet for dinner, maybe walk down to The Village to eat?” Callie suggested in her typical overly enthusiastic way.

  “That would be great,” Madison said, practically bouncing herself.

  Andrew glanced at her but was focused on Jayden who was whispering in his ear that he was not expected to pay for anything, that the entire trip was carte blanche. Andrew wasn’t sure what that meant but Aaron had given him some money before he left and had already informed him of the ins and outs of tipping both at restaurants and in hotels. As they stepped off the elevator and entered the suite, Andrew made a quick count of how many bags they had and then doubled it for the tip, making sure this guy knew he could take care of his woman.

  “Enjoy your stay,” the bellhop said, smiling at the money in his hand.

  “This is really nice,” Andrew said, looking around their suite, but before he could say anything else Madison was pulling his shirt up.

  He quickly pulled it the rest of the way over his head while Madison unbuttoned his jeans. She was surprised by how aroused she was by his sudden need to lay claim on her and she wondered if another man had done that would she like it as much. She didn’t care to ponder that any further as Andrew’s hands worked their way into her hair and held her still as Madison pushed his jeans down. She began touching him, feeling him come to life for her. Andrew let out a deep and carnal groan before pulling away from her, much to Madison’s dismay.

  “Get undressed.” His voice was low and throaty.

  Madison began chewing on her bottom lip as he walked passed her to the bed. Andrew’s naked body, with his perfectly tattooed muscular back flexing with his every move, begged for her to follow suit. He turned and faced her as he leaned against the edge of the bed, moving his hand slowly up and down his body, watching as Madison’s lips parted and her eyes glazed over.

  “Get undressed, Madison. I want you. NOW!”

  Madison felt weak in the knees and haphazardly stripped her clothes off, never breaking eye contact with him. He was turning her on more than she thought was possible. This forceful side of him had her in a tizzy. She was so thankful that Callie had said they could settle in for a little bit and meet for dinner later. She knew that secretly Callie was telling Madison to go and do her thing. When Madison was naked before him, he motioned with his free hand for her to come to him. She did so, almost trance like.

  “Are you ready for me?” he whispered huskily as his hand moved down her body. Her mouth parted but no words came out, only whimpered moans escaped her throat.

  “I’m always ready for you,” Madison said, finally finding her voice.

  “I see that,” he said bringing his mouth to hers

  “Oh God! Andrew, I need you, please,” Madison murmured as his mouth moved down her neck.

  He smiled and yanked on her hair and moved her to the edge of the bed before grabbing both of her legs simultaneously. He pushed up the bed and immediately entered her. Uninhibited by their surroundings, Andrew and Madison screamed in pleasure as their lovemaking escalated. He could feel her trembling and knew that she was close, he was as well. Soon she was screaming out as her body succumbed to Andrew’s prowess.

  23 THE VILLAGE

  Andrew and Madison exited the elevator holding hands. After their lovemaking they had both fallen asleep against each other. When they had awoken, they had showered and made love once again. Madison was definitely planning on taking advantage of the privacy they had this weekend. They stepped into the huge lobby and found Callie and Jayden huddled together on a large couch. Andrew cleared his throat as they approached.

  “Get a room, you two.” Andrew chuckled.

  Jayden casually moved his hand through his hair, scratching his scalp with his middle finger, causing the four of them to break out into laughter. Andrew sat in one of the high back chairs and shook his head at Madison when she started to sit in the other one. She arched her brow and he reached his hand out for her. He pulled her to him and his lap, spreading his legs slightly so that she could set her feet down between them. His arm immediately went around her waist in a possessive manner. Madison looked at him questioningly, but before she could query Andrew’s actions, Callie’s perky voice began speaking.

  “The Village is not far and they have a few places where we could eat but I really like Sammy’s.”

  Andrew moved his hand under the back of Madison’s shirt slightly, glancing around the room. He wasn’t sure what was in The Village but he was hoping it would be a little more casual. He had borrowed a button down shirt from Aaron for the concert but the rest of his attire was his typical jeans and t-shirts. Madison had selected a flared blue skirt that touched just above her knees and a white tank top over a dark blue one which looked magnificent against her pale skin and dark hair. She was beautiful, unfortunately because of that she drew attention, attention he didn’t like. He felt as if the people around them were undressing her with their eyes. His body tensed at the very thought of it. Madison ran her fingers along his jaw which was already taut.

  “Helios, baby, what’s wrong?” Madison whispered, trying to snap him out of the mood he was in.

  “Nothing. Yeah, The Village is okay,” he said with little enthusiasm.

  “Do you want to stay here, Andrew?” Jayden asked, concerned by the expression on Andrew’s face.

  Andrew closed his eyes, trying to get a hold of this immense jealousy he was suddenly feeling. Back home he felt like he wasn’t that much different than most people but here in the mountains at this fancy resort with people dressed nicely, he worried. Worried about everything from people telling him he didn’t belong there, to Madison realizing he had nothing to offer her, to being a burden on his friends because he didn’t know how he was supposed to act or dress.

  “We can just order room service.” Andrew heard Callie say and suddenly he realized that he must have zoned out.

  “No, I’m sorry, it’s cool,” Andrew said, and to prove that he was indeed alright, he stood, bringing Madison with him. “So, which way to this Village?”

  Callie smiled and nodded as she and Jayden rose. The four of them started walking down the hill towards the outdoor shopping mall called The Village. Madison saw Andrew reach into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes. She noticed that he was smoking a lot more than he normally did but she didn’t want to say anything about it and make him self-conscious or imply that she didn’t want him to smoke. She instead slipped her hand into his back pocket so he could light up his cigarette. He smiled down at her after he exhaled a puff of smoke and slung his arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer to his side. Andrew generally didn’t smoke around Madison but his nerves were shot and he was having a hard time controlling the Neanderthal side of his brain that was telling him to grab Madison by the hair and drag her back to the room and have sex with her over and over again. He shook his head a minuscule amount, trying to get that image out of his head. Get it together, Harrison!

  “I love you,” Madison said, squeezing his rear.

  He smirked. “Me or my ass?” he asked with an arch of his brows.

  Madison made a show of stepping back to inspect his fine backside, finally slapping it. “Definitely, your ass!”

  Andrew put his cigarette between his lips and lifted her up, causing her t
o scream and giggle at the same time. He then used one hand to tickle her sides while holding her squirming body tightly against him with his other arm.

  “What was that?” he mumbled, causing the cigarette in his mouth to bob up and down.

  “You, I love you. Your ass is horrible,” Madison screamed with tears in her eyes as she continued to squirm, trying to get away.

  He arched his brows again, giving her just a small smirk as he continued to assault her sides.

  “I mean, you AND your ass, your ass is exceptional,” Madison sputtered. “No one has a better ass than you, baby.”

  He set her down and she slapped his chest as he brought his fingers to his cigarette to take a long drag. When she went to slap his chest again he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it lightly. Callie and Jayden had both been laughing at their two friends but secretly they were happy for the levity that was now in the air. Andrew was laughing and Jayden made a mental note to ask him what was going on with him when he got the chance.

  “Oh wow!”

  Madison immediately loved the quaint little shopping center with restaurants and charming little stores. Unfortunately they couldn’t get a table at Sammy’s Restaurant right away so, much to Andrew’s dismay, Madison drug him through several of the stores. Eventually she went off with Callie while he hung back with Jayden, waiting for the time when they could go eat.