Love Me Carefully

by A. C. Arthur

  “You’ll be good at whatever you put your mind to.” Terrell stared down at her. He wasn’t going to hold back anymore. He wanted so desperately to take his time with her, to get her used to the idea of him loving her, but he now realized that Leah liked to see the whole picture at one time. She needed to see exactly how good they were together on a regular basis before she’d be totally convinced. He had a plan of just how to make that happen.

  His hand slid up and down her back, each stroke adding to the flicker of desire growing inside him. He craved her like no addiction ever before. She had filled him completely and the thought of her backing away, refusing to give herself to him, was heart wrenching—something he knew he couldn’t bear.

  “I’m afraid,” she whispered against the taut muscles of his chest as the last of her resolve began to crumble.

  “I won’t hurt you, Leah. You have to believe that I would never hurt you.”

  She believed him, which only added to her despair. “I know.”

  Shifting so that he was now on top of her, he looked into her face, his free hand cupping her chin while his other hand remained wrapped around her. “Let me love you, Leah. Let me show you how good we can be together.” His eyes pleaded, his voice begged, his lips, when they touched hers, persuaded.

  * * *

  It was morning when Leah began to stir. The sweet tropical breeze floating through the room added to her already sated mood. She stretched like a cat, yawning in a release of energy. Her outstretched arms came down, startling her when they landed against something solid.

  Her head jerked, and she saw Terrell lying next to her. Memories of the previous night came flooding back, and Leah trembled with embarrassment. She’d never spent the entire night with a man. After a moment’s hesitation, she snuggled closer to him and realized she liked it.

  Terrell turned to face her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Mornin’, beautiful,” he said sleepily, his eyes remaining closed.

  “Good morning,” she mumbled and pulled the covers up closer.

  When his arms extended beneath the covers, grasping her at the waist and pulling her toward him, she hissed in surprise. “Come on now, we are not going to act shy after what we did last night.” He opened one eye to peek at her.

  Her cheeks flushed as she remembered all the things she and Terrell had done. Not just last night but the night before that on the ship. She’d done things she never imagined herself doing. But she’d done them because she felt so safe with him. Still, this morning things were totally different—they’d gone all the way this time. “Don’t do that,” she protested.

  “Don’t do what?” he said when she was cuddled with her backside against his front. “Don’t make you remember how uninhibited you were last night, or don’t make you remember how good it was?”

  Despite herself she smiled at both. “Either.”

  “Get used to it. I like you uninhibited.” Pushing wayward braids out of his way with his chin he nuzzled her neck.

  “I’ll just bet you do.” Admitting she loved being held by him, she allowed herself a few more minutes of bliss.

  This could be real, she thought. She could really be with him this way all the time. All she had to do was allow it to be.

  “You’re too quiet. What are you thinking?” he asked, his hand finding her breasts.

  “Mmmmm, just that we have quite a day ahead of us.” Through the mist of their glorious lovemaking the reason for being here on this island at this very moment was never far from Leah’s thoughts. And she knew it haunted Terrell as well.

  He let out a whoosh of breath. “I know. I’ve been wondering how everything will play out myself.”

  “I still don’t think Donald wants to hurt her,” she added.

  “It doesn’t matter to me what his initial intentions were. Now that we know just how serious this whole situation is, any involvement on her part is too much.” He hugged her tighter. “I just want her away from him.”

  “I know.” She did understand his need to protect his mother. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that things weren’t exactly what they seemed where Donald was concerned. She’d seen him with Ms. Rosie, seen the obvious love shared between them, so she was reluctant to believe that Donald had used her as a part of his cover. And even though she couldn’t intelligently deny that Donald was into something pretty dangerous, she was sure it had nothing to do with his feelings for Ms. Rosie.

  But she wouldn’t dare say this to Terrell. Because as much as he talked about love and relationships, he seemed to be blind to the feelings his mother and Donald shared. Leah knew it was because he was reluctant to accept his mother marrying another man. She remembered him saying he felt that she was leaving him, and a part of her longed to tell him that she’d be there for him after his mother married, so he wouldn’t be alone, but she held that back as well.

  The phone on the nightstand rang, shaking both of them free of their thoughts. Terrell loosened his grip on her, but didn’t let go completely, while she rolled closer to the edge of the bed, stretching her arm until her fingers curled around the receiver. “Hello?” she answered.

  “Yes, Tobias… Yes, he’s here… In an hour? That’s fine… We’ll meet you in your room… Very funny.” She smiled wryly before replacing the phone in its cradle.

  “Tobias?” Terrell asked.

  “Yup, he wants us to meet him in his room in an hour.” Their intimate solitude had been interrupted by apprehension and anxiety. Terrell rolled onto his back and pulled her closer, so that she lay halfway across his body. They stayed that way in silence for a few more moments.

  Then Leah sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed, taking the sheets with her. “He advised that we not try to squeeze in another quickie because things were hot last night and he wants to move in as soon as possible.” She turned just in time to catch Terrell’s broad grin.

  “How’d he know what I was thinking?” He reached for her but grabbed a handful of the sheet instead. When he pulled on it unexpectedly, it slipped out of her hand and revealed one plump breast.

  Terrell’s eyes immediately fell to the exposed skin and his mouth went dry. Leah stared at him, watching as desire crept into the smooth features of his face. Elation filled her. He still wanted her. After all they’d done last night, he still wanted her. She smiled at the thought, pulled the sheet back around her body and stood. “No quickies,” she reminded him.

  “I didn’t say it was gonna be quick.” Feeling empowered by her obvious arousal Terrell lay back against the pillows, his arms cradled behind his head. He was gloriously naked and Leah’s eyes took in every inch of him.

  She saw him in a whole different light now that he was unclothed. He didn’t look so skinny anymore. Can you say buff to the third power? Just below his navel a line of dark hair led the way to that part of him that had given her so much pleasure just hours before.

  Her heart thudded in her chest as desire simmered low in her stomach and the muscles at her center started seriously contracting. When her eyes returned to his, she was embarrassed to see that he had been watching her watch him. “I’m…ah, I’m going to get a shower,” she murmured, moving in the direction of the bathroom.

  “You want some company?” he suggested casually.

  “No!” She tossed him a sensuous look over her shoulder. “We’d never get out of this room.” Then she disappeared behind the bathroom door.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.” He let out the breath he’d been holding while she’d surveyed his body. He needed to focus on the events to come. As much as he would have loved to stay in that bed with her for the next couple of days, hell, the next couple of years, he had more pressing matters to deal with.

  He’d come to Jamaica to save his mother, and it was time he got down to business. He had plenty of time to woo Leah after he took care of the situation at hand. He quickly prayed for his mother’s safety.

  * * *

  An hour and tw
o cups of coffee later, Terrell and Leah sat on the couch in Agent Tobias’ room. Pictures were spread across the coffee table, and the other agents and Tobias discussed locations and strategy for moving in.

  “There’s no picture of Donald.” Leah noticed instantly and looked to Terrell.

  He flipped through the pictures, shrugged, then turned his attention back to the agents. “So this is all about some weed?” Terrell interrupted the conversation, tired of the way the agents talked only about the drug dealers and the smuggling ring. He was concerned about his mother. That was his sole reason for being here.

  “The operation started because of the large amounts of marijuana being transported between the islands and the United States,” Tobias tried to explain to him. “We know the key players, we know how they’ve been smuggling the drugs, and we know who’s been moving it in the States. Now it’s time for us to put an end to it.”

  “And my mother, where does she stand in your grand plan to put an end to this drug ring?” He sat with his legs spread, his elbows resting on his thighs, his hands clasped to keep from fidgeting.

  “Once we bring the ring down, your mother will be safe,” Tobias advised.

  “How do you know if she’s safe now, right at this very moment?”

  “I told you we had men in their hotel. They’ve kept close tabs on your mother and Donald throughout the night. She seems to be fine.”

  “Does she appear to be a captive?” Leah asked.

  “No, as a matter of fact, she doesn’t. She actually was left alone for the greater portion of the day yesterday until Donald returned later that evening. We don’t think she knows what’s going on, and it’s apparent to us that she is not in any danger at present.”

  Leah placed a hand on Terrell’s shoulder. “She’s okay. She’s not in any danger right now. Just let them get their game plan together and then we’ll go and get her.”

  “But what if…” Terrell turned to her, anguish clear in his features.

  “No, we are not going to think about what if. She is fine now and she will remain fine until the FBI makes the necessary arrests. Then we’ll go in and get her. It’s simple, you just have to remember that she’s safe now.”

  As awful as he felt, as nervous as he was, her words calmed him. The steady feel of her hand on his shoulder soothed him and the fact that she had referred to them as ‘we’ elated him. “Alright, when do we go in?”

  * * *

  They rode in a white mini van with Agent Tobias, Agent Blum and two other men who tinkered with expensive looking equipment on the back seat. Agent Tobias explained that Donald’s room was bugged, and someone was always listening for his next move. Leah looked out the window as they pulled up in front of another resort.

  A three-story pale pink building stood draped by palm trees and bathed in sunlight. Off to the side were smaller houses that resembled the huts built on Gilligan’s Island. People came in and out of the front doors, scantily dressed women, men in sandals, children with their buckets and shovels heading for the beach. Leah paid particular attention to a young couple that walked hand in hand. There were two children, a girl and a boy, neither of whom was older than about ten, who straggled behind them.

  Once the woman looked back and said something to the children, which made them walk faster and smile with glee. Leah smiled as she pressed her forehead against the window. They were a family, and they were happy. That’s what she wanted, she realized with a start. She wanted a family and the happiness that came with it. And she wanted it with Terrell.

  Her mind drifted to the Ortega wedding, and all she had to do to get ready for the affair next week. Melinda was probably handling most of it now, but there were things she needed to take care of herself. So why was she here in Jamaica instead of at home doing her job? Because she was in love, she thought with trepidation.

  She felt a hand jostling her shoulder, “Hmmmm?” Tearing herself from the window and the path her thoughts had taken, she turned to see Terrell staring at her intently.

  “I asked if you were okay?”

  “I’m fine. Are you alright with what’s about to happen?” The agents had told them they had all the evidence they needed to move in and make some preliminary arrests, removing some of the key players and, eventually, toppling the ring. It would also allow Terrell to walk in and get his mother without putting himself or anyone else in danger.

  “I’m cool, I just want her to be safe.” His hand moved from her shoulder to her lap to entwine his fingers with hers. “I want all three of us to go back home and get on with our lives. And put Donald and this whole mess behind us.”

  Leah wanted the same thing, but something told her it wouldn’t be just the three of them.

  * * *

  It didn’t take long for the agents to enter the hotel and round up five men, some of whom Leah recognized from the pictures back at the hotel. But Donald wasn’t one of them. She could feel Terrell tensing beside her and knew that he’d noticed the same thing.

  “Where is he?” he asked.

  “Just wait, maybe they’re not finished. Just stay calm,” she told him, but she felt unsteady, as if things hadn’t gone the way they’d planned after all.

  “He was in there, I know he was. I heard him through those headphones. I heard him talking to my mother. I know he’s in there.” Terrell was getting antsy, and Leah wondered what he was about to do.

  When the side door to the van slid open and Agent Tobias stepped in, she looked at him and prayed he’d have an answer that would keep Terrell from going off.

  “Good news,” he said sliding into the back seat of the van. “We got our guys.”

  “Where’s Donald?” Terrell questioned.

  “He’s in the hotel.”

  “Why didn’t you bring him out?”

  “Why should we?”

  “I don’t understand, I thought you went in to make arrests,” Leah questioned.

  In the distance they heard a siren. Leah looked out the window to see an ambulance approaching. Terrell never bothered to take his eyes off Tobias.

  “He was one of them. He was with the guy that night when those men were shot in the alley. Why didn’t you arrest him?” Terrell yelled.

  “Terrell, there’s a lot that you don’t understand,” Tobias began.

  “Then maybe you should explain it to me.”

  “It’s not my place. You can go on into the hotel. Your mother is in room 417.”

  “I want to know what the hell is going on!” Terrell roared.

  With a steadying hand to his shoulder, Leah looked away from the agent. “Terrell, why don’t we just go in and make sure your mother’s okay.” She tried to nudge him out of the van.

  “No, I want him to tell me what’s going on. Why isn’t Donald being arrested? Why is he still in there with my mother?”

  “Let’s just go in and find out for ourselves.” Leah leaned over him and pressed the button that opened the side door.

  By the time they stepped out of the van two ambulances had pulled in front of the hotel, and paramedics ran through the revolving doors. People streamed out of the hotel in a state of panic as Jamaican authorities tried to hold the assembling crowd back.

  Terrell’s heart skipped a beat when he saw the ambulances parked in front of the hotel, and he started across the street. Leah trailed behind him, praying Rosie was all right. Agent Blum stood at the front door and signaled to the officers to let Terrell and Leah in.

  “Take that service elevator to the fourth floor. Room 417,” he told them.

  Terrell was quiet on the elevator. Leah moved next to him, taking his hand in hers. She didn’t say anything, and neither did he. When they exited on the fourth floor, they walked down the hall, both filled with apprehension, afraid of what they would find in room 417.

  The door was open, and agents and Jamaican police were going in and out, their voices booming through the narrow hallway. The first stretcher was wheeled out of the room just as Leah and Terre
ll approached the door. The body was covered completely and she felt Terrell’s hand slipping from hers. She gripped it tighter, to console him for the loss or convince him that it wasn’t Rosie, she wasn’t sure which.

  When the stretcher was past them and they could make their way through the door, Terrell entered first, relief washing over him as he spotted his mother sitting on the edge of the bed on the far side of the room.

  “Mama.” He went to her, falling to his knees on the floor beside her as she embraced him. “I was so worried,” he whispered while he held her close.

  “Terrell? What are you doing here, baby?” Rosie asked before looking up to see Leah standing behind her son. “How did you two get here?”

  “We took a cruise,” Leah said, and thought how stupid she must have sounded. In the midst of all this commotion and confusion she had made it sound as if they were on a pleasant vacation.

  “I thought you were…I thought…that stretcher.” He couldn’t bring himself to say it.

  “Oh no, baby. I’m fine,” Rosie said, figuring out what her son had been trying to say. “That was Cable.”

  “Who is Cable?” he asked, vaguely remembering the name. And where is Donald?” Terrell rose from his knees to sit on the bed beside his mother.

  Tears sprang to Rosie’s eyes as she pointed across the room. Just outside the patio door stood another stretcher with paramedics surrounding it.

  “What happened?” Leah whispered, looking at the men dressed in dark pants and red jackets frantically working on the body.

  “I don’t know what’s going on.” Rosie shook her head from side to side. “Me and Donald were in here, about to go out and do some sightseeing, when Cable came barging in hollering about Donald being a snitch and lying to him.” Tears streamed down Rosie’s cheeks, and Terrell hugged her closer to him.

  “They yelled at each other, and then Cable pulled the gun out and shot him. He just shot him. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t stop him,” she sobbed. “Donald fell out there on the balcony and then Cable turned to me. He was going to…to shoot me too, but then these other men came through the door yelling that they were the FBI, and when Cable kept pointing the gun at me they shot him ’cause he wouldn’t put the gun down. He just kept saying how I had messed everything up, how I made Donald change. I had turned him into a snitch.”