“You know I meant what I said. My parents paid for this entire trip. You don’t need to worry about paying for anything,” Jayden said, trying to reassure Andrew.
Andrew inhaled and exhaled his cigarette a few times before he looked over at him. “I have money but...” He paused. “I really don’t belong here.”
Andrew turned back towards the store, lighting another cigarette.
“That’s not true, Andrew. You belong anywhere you choose to be.”
Andrew ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. “I wish I lived in your world, Jay. I really do.”
Jayden started to reply but the girls walked out of the store, each carrying a bag. Andrew dropped his recently lit cigarette and stepped on it as Madison approached. She immediately found her arms wrapped tightly around his waist as he leaned down to kiss her soft lips.
“So did you find what you wanted?” Andrew asked against her lips.
“Uh huh.” Madison squeezed him tightly. “Right here.”
Andrew smiled and kissed her again.
“It’s about time to go eat. We should head back over there,” Jayden said, putting his arm around Callie.
Sammy’s restaurant overlooked the lake and, thankfully for Andrew, it was what he presumed was reasonably priced, although he couldn’t fathom paying $12 for a hamburger. He had been hesitant when looking at the menu but then remembered what Aaron had said to him before he left the house that morning. Aaron had handed him a handful of cash and then gone over the do’s and don’ts of being in a hotel, tipping, what to expect at a concert and had reassured him as a father might reassure a nervous son before his first big date. Andrew kissed Madison’s temple and whispered for her to order whatever she wanted. Madison nodded as she ran her hand along his thigh.
They had a wonderful meal of prime rib and grilled shrimp. But what was even better was the conversation. They had laughed and joked with one another and after a while Andrew forgot that he was staying in a fancy resort in a picturesque mountainside town, eating an expensive steak in a village of quaint stores. He was just like everyone else, if only for a moment. After dinner they walked back up the hill to the resort.
“You want to walk around the resort?” Andrew asked Madison as they got to the lobby.
Madison nodded, liking the idea of a night stroll with him. Andrew glanced over to Callie and Jayden who were already making their way to the elevators.
“Hey, Jay, we’re going to walk around. We’ll catch you guys in the morning.”
Jayden and Callie both turned and smiled before nodding. Madison and Andrew watched them walk towards the elevators and saw Callie hold on to Jayden tightly. Andrew then walked Madison outside through the side door that led to the pool. It was late so all the lights were on, reflecting off the water in the pool. As they strolled passed the cabana, they came along a circular veranda just off the side. Madison immediately made her way to the railing and looked over. With the new moon in the sky you could distinctly see the water glistening below them.
“Helios, come look at this.”
Andrew came up behind her, molding his body to hers. Suddenly the water and the moon and the trees didn’t seem so interesting to Madison. He bent down slightly, running his hand up her thigh and under her skirt. With quick precision, Madison found her panties in Andrew's pocket. The cool breeze moved up her leg, making her skirt flutter slightly.
“I love you, Madison,” Andrew whispered as he kissed down her neck while simultaneously slipping his hand back under her skirt.
“Andrew, I love you, too.”
He turned her around, slow and stealth like. Madison went willingly, her heart and body his forever. Andrew brought his hand to her face. He swiped his tongue along his lips as Madison’s head fell back and her eyes fluttered closed. She was already moaning through her parted lips. Andrew pushed her back against the railing as he moved his hand away from her face and to his pants. He then rested his hands on the railing as he kissed her heatedly. They were both enthralled with one another, their sounds of passion echoing in the night.
“Madison, I... Oh God! I need you... so much,” he panted through raspy breaths.
Madison brought her head up and could see the pain and anguish on his face. His eyes were closed and his brows were furrowed. He looked like he was both angry and sad, like his brain couldn’t decide which emotion should be present at the given moment and she wondered if he had ever really needed anyone before, if he had ever allowed himself to truly depend on someone else. She brought both her hands to his cheeks.
“I need you, too, Andrew,” she said reassuringly.
He let out a loud breathy gasp as he placed his forehead against hers. Tears formed in the corner of his eyes but he wouldn’t allow himself to cry. Madison wasn’t sure what kind of inner struggle he was having but she needed him to know that he was it for her. At that moment, she knew, without a doubt, that she wouldn’t leave him. She wasn’t sure what that meant for her job but she knew that she couldn’t have him trust her with his heart and then vanquish it as others had. She would rather die herself that to see him hurt like that.
“Always, Andrew, I’ll need you always. We’ll always be together,” she promised.
His lips found hers and she could feel tears falling onto her face. Andrew had felt so many unexpected emotions throughout the day, maybe it was the realization that he could go back to prison and would never see her again, maybe it was insecurity at not feeling worthy of her, or maybe it was simply desire beyond any normal scale. All he knew was that he hadn’t been able to resist her. The way her hair was blowing behind her, the way her dress was moving gently in the breeze, teasing him with her sexy thighs. He had to have her, to please her like no one else ever could. They continued to move against each other until Andrew finally pulled away. He kneeled down, pulling out her panties and catching the evidence of their lovemaking. Madison shivered and reached her hands back to hold onto the railing to steady herself.
“Do I need to carry you, baby?” Andrew asked with a smug smirk on his face.
“Just give me a minute, I was just fucked by a sex God and need to get my bearings again,” Madison said with her eyes closed and her lips curled into a knowing smile.
Andrew laughed. “Well, by all means, rest. I just thought maybe we could take a bath in that fancy tub in our room but...” He ran his fingers along the neckline of her tank top. “If you would rather stay out here, that’s alright too.”
Madison opened her eyes and raised her brows. “I could use a dip in the tub.”
He smiled that crooked grin that made Madison immediately want him again. How he did that, she had no idea. She shook her head and beamed as she stood up and took his hand in hers.
“I don’t think I will be able to walk by the end of this weekend,” she said casually.
“Well that is my plan,” he replied confidently, hearing Madison gasp beside him.
24 SHARING
Andrew stood on the balcony smoking a cigarette in his board shorts and nothing else. Madison watched in rapt fascination how his right shoulder flexed when he brought the cigarette to his mouth. They had already eaten breakfast and were getting ready to meet Callie and Jayden on the private beach attached to the resort. They didn’t have to be at the show until later that evening so the girls decided that an afternoon sunbathing was in order while Andrew and Jayden had decided that racing speedboats was a better way to spend the day. Madison turned around to gather her things and pick up the sarong lying on the arm of the couch. Andrew slid the balcony door open and slinked inside, startling Madison who was just wrapping her sarong around her waist.
“Jesus, Andrew,” Madison screamed as he grabbed her from behind.
“Hmm, Jesus, God, same thing, right?” he said, nibbling down her long neck as his hands sought out her breasts.
“Huh?” Madison stuttered, lost in the sensations.
“You seem to scream that out a lot, is that my new nickname?” he aske
d, sucking her flesh into his mouth with no intention of releasing it until he knew that she was marked.
Madison’s hand moved up the back of his neck and tugged on his hair as she moaned incoherently.
“Oh, God!” she whispered and then giggled when she realized what she had done.
She could feel Andrew’s smile against her flesh. Andrew removed his mouth from her neck, laying a soft kiss over the purple mark on her pale skin. He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to go out. Madison looked sinful in her pink bikini and he was certain that he might actually need to piss around her lounge chair to ward off any fool who was stupid enough to approach her. Besides, Andrew liked the solitude of the magnificent suite they were staying in. It was as if they were in their own little apartment, away from everyone. They had already had sex twice that morning and, looking the way Madison did at the moment, he wanted to again.
“Do you know how to drive a speedboat, Helios?” Madison asked, bringing Andrew out of his thoughts.
“It can’t be that much harder than any other racing vehicle.” Andrew spun her around and grinned at her flushed face.
He leaned down and kissed her plump, ready lips as his hand moved into her bathing suit bottoms. Madison, who had become accustomed to moaning at will, let out several panted sounds as he continued touching her. His phone started ringing and shortly thereafter Madison’s cell phone started buzzing. Andrew hesitantly pulled away from her and reached for the phone only to hear Jayden’s laughter on the other end.
“Hurry up, man. Fuck or get off the pot, we’re wasting daylight, Bro.”
Andrew shook his head and chuckled.
“Well, I think I might need the first option so we will be out shortly,” Andrew said looking at Madison who was giggling as she set her cell phone down.
“Well, make it a quickie,” Jayden replied, laughing as he hung up.
Andrew sat down on the sofa and motioned for Madison, who sauntered over to him with a little extra sway in her hips. Andrew licked his lips and smiled as she approached him.
~*~
For the past few hours, Andrew and Jayden raced up and down the lake. The first 30 minutes consisted of Jayden giving Andrew the basic run down on how to operate a speed boat. Andrew was a quick learner and after losing the first three races to Jayden he got the hang of it and had won the last three matches between them. Their boats were now sitting idle, side by side as they enjoyed a cold beer and relaxed in the sun.
“You think I’ve had a sheltered life, don’t you?” Jayden asked casually, taking a long gulp of his beer.
Andrew hesitated. He had just been about to take a drink when Jayden asked his question. Andrew took a deep breath before finally bringing his beer bottle to his mouth. He turned to Jayden and nodded, affirming Jayden’s assumption. He suddenly worried though that he might have offended his friend.
“Yeah, but there isn’t anything wrong with that, isn’t that the way life’s supposed to be?” Andrew asked with a shrug.
“But you also think I have some Pollyanna existence don’t you?”
Andrew smiled. “Well, I don’t know who Pollyanna is but you shouldn’t be ashamed that you have parents who love you and have been able to indulge your every wish.” When Jayden looked at him strangely Andrew continued, “Jayden, I have never seen anyone who has jet skis and bikes and boats at their disposal like you do or can go skiing every year at a nice resort or just not have to work.” Andrew shrugged again. “But, like I said, it’s not a bad thing.”
Jayden watched him for a moment and sighed dramatically. “It’s true that my dad’s do indulge me and, in reality, I take advantage of it.” Jayden brought his hand up the back of his neck and rubbed it like he was hurt. “It started when I was younger. They just...” Jayden scrunched his eyes shut and shook his head slightly. “They just desperately want to make up for the other stuff that has happened in our lives. You know what I mean?” Jayden asked, glancing at Andrew.
Andrew shook his head. No one had ever bought him nice things to make up for the bad stuff in his life. Jayden sighed once again.
“For a long time my parents thought I had some kind of death wish,” he said with a nervous chuckle.
“Really?” Now Andrew was truly perplexed. Why would Jayden be suicidal?
“I mean, I wasn’t suicidal or anything,” Jayden said, as if he could sense what Andrew was thinking. “It’s just that for a long time I didn’t talk to anyone or interact with anyone other than Callie and then suddenly I wanted to race dirt bikes and later motorcycles. At that point they didn’t care, they were just happy I was showing an interest in life so they gave me whatever I wanted, hoping I would be, I don’t know, happy?” He shrugged. “Turns out I was more of an adrenaline junkie, but by the time they realized that it was kind of too late,” he said with a slight grin on his face.
Andrew smiled and then opened his mouth to say something but closed it again, a bewildered look on his face.
“Go ahead, Andrew. You can say anything you want. I won’t get upset.”
“I know why I have to live with my aunt and uncle but, I don’t know, you don’t have those restrictions so why live with your parents?”
“Umm, I ...” Jayden once again ran his hand up his neck, his face bore a look of complete concentration and then he blew out a breath. “I get real antsy if I’m too far away from my parents. I feel like I am going to have a panic attack or something. My heart starts racing and I can’t breathe.”
Andrew looked at him strangely. He had no idea what that was supposed to mean. Jayden let out a nervous laugh seeing the expression on Andrew's face.
“A lot of shit happened when I was a kid and...” Jayden paused trying to decide what he should say, he then sighed again. “When I was twelve, my parents and I had gone to one of those carnivals, you know those cheesy ones in mall parking lots.” Andrew nodded so Jayden continued, “Well, we were walking home because my dad, Liam, is kind of a workout fanatic and he thought it would be good to walk. You know, exercise as a family kind of thing. Anyway, we were stopped by a group of guys who...”
Jayden closed his eyes as images began to flash through his head, images that brought to life his worst nightmares and his greatest fears. It was a time in his life that he never wanted to go through again. He could feel his heart start to race and his breathing pick up. He took a long steady breath, trying to calm himself down.
“Hey, Jay, man, it’s cool. I have my own demons that I live with so I know what that feels like. You don’t need to tell me anything. I understand,” Andrew said reassuringly, seeing the look of horror and panic on Jayden’s face.
Jayden shook his head and continued his story. “My dad, Liam, is a great fighter, does Taekwondo and works out, so he yelled at my other dad to take care of me and tried to take on all these guys but there was just too many of them. They ganged up on him and he was beat up badly in front of us and when my dad, Elias, tried to help him they went after me saying if I was gonna be raised by faggots I should become one too. My dad had to choose between protecting me and protecting the love of his life.” Jayden swallowed hard and opened his eyes which were wet. “He chose me. He kept telling me to shut my eyes and cover my ears but I couldn’t and these men, these…” He squeezed his eyes shut as if he could erase their faces. He took another deep breath before looking at Andrew. “They were yelling horrible things to both of my fathers. But that wasn’t even the worst of it. Do you know what the worst part was?” Jayden asked in a tone that was chillingly calm. Andrew shook his head.
“The worst part was looking up to see the expression on my dad’s face as he watched these ugly and vile men assault my other dad. He stood there helpless, unable to stop it. That look has haunted me. I mean, you know my dad, he’s fierce but that night he looked like...” Jayden exhaled loudly and shook his head. “I don’t know, I can’t describe it but it was like his heart was being ripped out or something. After my father healed, we moved to California. We could have go
ne to Los Angeles but my parents wanted to live in a smaller town. I just... I know it’s stupid but every time I think 'hey, get the hell out of your parent’s house' I see that night and I can’t leave them,” he says with a shrug. “Real loser, huh?"
Andrew shook his head. “No, not at all.”
Andrew stared at him for a long time, absorbing what Jayden had just told him. He knew what it was like to be hurt by his parents but he had no idea what it would be like to witness loving and caring parents sacrifice themselves for their child. His mind went back to Olivia and how she always reacts to him and the words she said two days ago, I care about protecting you more, he gasped with the realization that she would sacrifice herself for him. He swallowed, trying to hold back his own tears and then suddenly leaned over the railing of the boat and grabbed Jayden’s hand in the boat beside him, forcing Jayden’s fingers over the scar on his chest. Jayden looked up at him confused.
“My mom did that,” Andrew said firmly.
Jayden closed his eyes and nodded. He could tell that the scar was deep but there were also a lot of other smaller scars over it. Jayden couldn’t imagine a mother hurting her child like that. He realized that there was a reason he and Andrew had met one another, why they had connected so quickly, they had both suffered and Jayden firmly believed that they could possibly help each other heal. Jayden had been to a few counselors who had helped him in many ways but he never felt completely comfortable with any of them to really open up about everything. It hadn’t been until he turned to racing that he connected to the world. Jayden felt oddly at peace, a sense of relief filled him when he told Andrew what had happened to him and his parents. He also knew from his own experience just how difficult it was for Andrew to share a piece of himself with someone else.
Helios Awakened (The Helios Chronicles #1) Page 23