"I'm fine," he said, his voice strained.
Maia smiled then leaned back in her chair. He heard her kick off a shoe and then felt her foot on his crotch.
"I think Mr. McCord, that you've been having very naughty thoughts," she said her eyes hooded with some enchanting light.
"Maia," Jack warned, but his eyes closed at the sensation of her probing foot. It would not be amusing to blow his load under the table of a fine dining restaurant.
"Ooooh, bad, bad, bad, Jack," Maia purred. She took pity on him and removed her foot and leaned forward and whispered teasingly, "Were you remembering our early morning nookie?"
"I disapprove of calling it that, but yes," Jack said then whispered thickly, "You, madame, are in for some hard fucking."
Maia's eyes widened at his sexual threat and before either of them could say anything else, the waiter returned to inform them of their specials.
After ordering appetizers, Jack went with the veal chop house special while Maia ordered a sole meuniére. A sommelier later returned to recommend the wine to go with their choices.
"It's Friday tomorrow," Jack said. "I don't have much to do except check some emails. Do you want to go sailing with me? The weather's going to be a balmy 75F. Given this time of the year, I suggest we take advantage of it."
"Oh, Jack I would love to go," Maia enthused, her whole face glowing.
"Can't believe it. Jack McCord?" a vaguely familiar voice said to their side.
A tall, reed-thin blond woman approached. Jack groaned inwardly. Vanessa was one of his ex-girlfriends.
Vanessa was escorted by a tall, distinguished-looking man in his 50s.
"Haven't seen you in a long while," she said in a tinkling voice. Jack tensed as his ex gave Maia a very rude once-over. "I see you've moved on to redheads. Never thought they were your type."
"Vanessa!" her partner exclaimed, aghast.
"I wasn't aware I had a type," Jack replied frostily.
"Blondes, you always preferred blondes. Oh, Jack, have you met Harold Jameson?" Vanessa continued. "He's a developer here in the Outer Banks and owns a couple of premium properties by the beach. Harold, this is Jack, an old, old friend."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir," Jack said politely. Harold, however was staring openly at Maia much to Vanessa's and Jack's irritation.
"Since Jack is too rude to introduce us, I'm Maia."
"I can understand why he would be reluctant to introduce as exquisite a creature as you," Harold said smoothly as he grasped her hand and kissed the back of it.
Maia visibly preened while Jack started fuming.
"Let's go, Harold, I think our table is ready," Vanessa said as she tugged her date away, realizing that she might end up with competition.
Jack's eyes followed the couple for a beat before turning back to Maia, frowning at the card she was fingering in her hand.
"What's that?" Jack asked even as he knew.
"Harold's business card. He's one smooth operator," she replied in amusement.
"That sonofabitch," Jack muttered as he made a move to stand up.
"Jack," Maia said as she reached out to rest a hand on his arm. "He's not worth it. Would you ruin our first date?"
"You get propositioned all the time, don't you?" he realized wryly.
"Well, didn't you?" Maia replied. "I seem to recall I was bleeding from my leg and had just taken two bullets through a vest when you lewdly suggested our present arrangement."
"Touché," he grinned. Yes, he was such a hypocrite.
Their food arrived. They enjoyed their dinner with no further interruptions. Jack watched Maia gush over the buttery sole meuniere. It was so erotic to watch her moan with pleasure over her food. He could see why she ignited the way she did during sex: she was sensual by nature and embraced her carnal desires with gusto.
After finishing off dessert which was an indulgent affair of chocolate, they lingered over coffee.
"So what made you quit the Navy SEALs?" Maia asked.
It was Claire, he wanted a civilian life with her. Oddly, Jack didn't feel the familiar twinge of pain in his chest whenever he remembered his dead fiancée.
"I wanted a civilian life with Claire," Jack said and saw Maia's face wince.
"Don't," Jack said as he reached for her hand. "It's okay. I can talk about it. It was not an accident, it was the Colombian drug cartel. That's how I met Derek. A buddy of his was also a victim, and Derek was able to request use of resources from AGS to help us isolate the two drug lords involved. We took them down."
"I'm sorry, Jack," Maia whispered.
Jack nodded and then taking both of her hands, said, "I really want to help you with the Russian, babe. I'm not a district attorney or a singer in a rock band. I'm an ex-Navy SEAL. I can hack it. If the AGS can ask Derek for help, they can also ask me."
Maia looked at their clasped hands and then back at him. "I appreciate the offer, I really do. But one thing we sacrifice to be a Guardian is our relationships. Viktor has no family, I have no one except for my foster parents. Derek has none either—haven't you wondered why he is still single? In some way we are our own family."
"I know what's at stake, I've experienced it first hand," Jack informed her through clenched teeth.
"There are worse things than suffering a direct loss of a loved one," she said sadly.
"What do you mean?"
"Having someone you love tortured right in front of you, to coerce you to make a choice you don't want," Maia whispered, her eyes losing focus
"Maia?" Jack froze as he watched her descend into her own private hell. Was that what had happened to her parents?
"They cut us up, my mother and I," she continued as he gripped her hands convulsively when he realized what she was telling him. His sudden movement snapped her out of her reverie. Realizing what she had just said, Maia tried to collect herself.
"They're ruthless, Jack, these people that are after me. Your parents are well-known public figures, they're easy targets."
Jack barely heard what she was saying, he was still absorbing what he had just learned. Jesus Christ! Maia was tortured when she was twelve? He was trying hard to control the rage rising within him. An overwhelming urge to protect her consumed him.
"Jack?"
"Maia, do you want to go for a drive?" he asked trying to appear calm. God knows he was reeling and needed some fresh air.
"I would love that."
"I should've stolen the keys to this instead," Maia declared as they cruised along highway 12 in Jack's Mercedes SLS. "Can I drive?"
"Not a chance," Jack retorted, grinning.
They had been coasting on the Outer Banks arterial highway for the past 45 minutes, just taking in the crisp night air. Jack had regained his composure. He'd decided he was getting into Maia's business whether she liked it or not. He was going to assess what exactly was going on and whether Derek was going to be getting involved in this. He also needed to figure out if there would be any threat at all to his parents and Brett.
"Although, I may take a trade," Jack said wickedly.
"For what?"
"You'll see."
He turned into the road leading to the Corolla lighthouse. The lighthouse was surrounded by a wooded area and was the perfect place for what he had in mind.
Parking the car under a massive pine tree, moonlight speckled the car with whispers of flickering light.
"Come on." Jack got out and loosened his tie. He walked over to the passenger side and tugged a hesitant Maia out of the vehicle. He immediately sidled her up against the hood of the Mercedes.
"What are you up to, Mr. McCord?"
"Payback for teasing me at the restaurant."
His mouth descended on hers, plunging his tongue deeply through her lips. Her dress had been driving him crazy all evening. He finally dipped his hands behind the low back of her dress, grabbing her ass and palming it fervidly.
"Someone might see us!"
"Don't fucking car
e," he replied thickly.
Turning her around, he gently bent her over the warm hood of the car, keeping one hand on her back to hold her down while his other hand worked on the buckle, button and zip of his slacks.
"Jack!" Maia hissed. She tried to push up but his hand kept her in place.
He bent over her and reached his hand between the apex of her thighs and nearly came undone when he felt the warm gush of her arousal.
"You're wet, babe," he said hoarsely as he tore her panties off and started nudging the head of his erection into her entrance. "I want you so fucking much."
Her answering moan made him lose control as he slid into her. He pumped in a steady rhythm, wanting to relish the moment, prolonging the pleasure.
But Maia had other ideas. She was greedy and spurred him on. "Harder, Jack. Harder."
He withdrew then flipped her around, lifted her up on the hood, spreading her thighs around him and slamming back inside her. Their grunts and moans echoed in the light rustling sounds of the fall foliage. He pounded into her, loving the feeling of being buried deep inside her, the feeling of her spasming around his shaft as she came and finally his own release as he climaxed to new impassioned heights.
***
Jack hit the mat with a grunt. Maia was ecstatic: she finally managed to throw him over. For a big guy he was surprisingly fast and nimble on his feet. He had the advantage of strength over her, so Maia was hoping to use her speed against him. They had decided to skip their morning run in favor of sparring in the gym after Jack had made some chauvinistic remark that prompted Maia to announce that she was going to kick his ass.
Apparently Jack wasn't kidding when he said he could take her in a hand-to-hand confrontation. Each offensive of hers was met with a counter-move that had her kissing the mat. Each attack on his part overwhelmed her defensive maneuvers and also had her kissing the mat. It took seven rounds, but Maia finally spotted an opening when she managed to lithely evade his strong arm to grab it and twist it under him to flip his entire body with the help of his momentum.
She immediately landed on him, her thighs squeezing his neck.
"Game over," Maia crowed triumphantly.
"Good job, babe," Jack grinned wolfishly. "That's still 1-6"
"Well, the bet was that if I threw you over once in ten tries I get to drive the Mercedes," she said. "I believe I beat the odds."
Maia knifed off him and extended her hand to pull him up.
Jack lurched up and curled his arm around her shoulder to draw her to him. He gave her a kiss on her temple and said, "Yes, you did."
"So glad to see I don't have to save your ass in case we get into a bar brawl," she quipped.
"Glad you think so," Jack remarked dryly. "Ready to go sailing?"
Before Maia could reply, the intercom buzzed and Grace's voice crackled over the speaker, "Jack, I think you need to come up here."
"Were you expecting anybody?" Maia asked.
Jack shook his head and pressed the call button, "Grace, what is it?"
There was a few moments of silence before Grace's voice came over. "Your mother is here."
To be more exact, Jack's parents and Brett were there, including four bodyguards. Maia felt like slinking off into the control room, but Jack dragged her with him up in the elevator, through the study and into the living room where everyone was assembled.
"What are you all doing here?" Jack demanded darkly.
"Really dear, is that anyway to greet your family?" Frances scolded. Jack's mom was a slender, beautiful woman of sixty-three. She had the most amazing brown eyes and her chestnut-colored gray-streaked hair was cut in a stylish bob that made her look younger than her actual age. She was expensively attired in a silk blouse and light wool pants.
Jack advanced to give his mom a peck on the cheek and turned to give a tall, older man, with exactly the same coloring as Jack, a firm handshake. His Dad.
"Maia," Brett exclaimed as he recognized her. "You're Jack's new girl? Well, I'll be damned!"
"You know her?" Frances asked in surprise.
"Of course, she's ..." Brett caught Maia's warning look. "I met her at a couple of fundraisers for green energy."
Jack cocked a brow at his brother's lie and Maia resisted the urge to laugh.
Frances approached her, her eyes misting, "Oh Jack, she's a lovely girl."
I'm going to kill Jack, Maia thought murderously.
Through body language, Maia was able to convey her reluctance to hug Frances as being due to her being sweaty from a workout.
Frances just smiled, squeezed her arm and said, "So happy to meet you dear. I'm Frances and this is my husband Robert."
After all the introductions and greetings had been exchanged, Jack repeated his earlier question.
"Why, we thought we'd drop by and meet Maia since it'll probably take ages for you to introduce us."
"Mom, Maia and I have just started seeing each other," Jack said in exasperation.
Maia's eyes were shooting daggers at Jack, but he ignored her. This pretend-girlfriend thing was getting out of hand.
"And is it even safe for Brett to be traipsing around the East Coast?" Jack argued.
"I am not traipsing," Brett said indignantly. "Try spending one week at that stupid country estate you've installed me in. This," he waved dramatically around him, "is where I should spend my sabbatical."
"Did you clear it with the DA?"
"Not exactly..." Frances said tentatively.
"I can't believe this!" Jack muttered. "Dad, why did you allow this?" Robert McCord gave him a look as if to say, "Are you kidding me? Try arguing with your mother."
"Never mind," Jack said abruptly and turned to the four men all dressed identically in black t-shirts and cargo-pants. "Are you guys familiar with the layout of this place?"
All four men nodded.
"Grace, sorry to spring this on you," Jack said apologetically to his housekeeper. "Can you prepare the two rooms upstairs for Mom, Dad and Brett, and the additional two rooms down here." Jack turned to the bodyguards. "The four of you will need to share two rooms between you. I presume one or two will be on surveillance at all times?"
The four bodyguards were sub-contractors of AGS, though Maia had never met any of them. The lead on the team was Kane Taylor. The rest of the men were only known as Maddox, Smith and Brody. There was no doubt Jack was going to give Taylor a tongue-lashing for allowing this little excursion into the Outer Banks. The danger was in no way over, not with Reznikov still at large. But no one other than Maia and Viktor was likely to be aware of this.
As Jack spoke to the bodyguards, Maia felt Frances's eyes studying her intently. Damn him for putting her in such an uncomfortable position.
Brett, on the other hand, was relishing the situation. "So Maia, how did my brother entice you into his bed where I have failed?"
"Brett, really," Frances exclaimed. "Stop flirting with your brother's girlfriend."
Jack scowled at his brother, but he was clearly deep in discussion with Taylor and the bodyguard huddle which now included Robert. His dad was obviously greatly concerned with the safety of his wife and son.
"I think you should join them and discuss security measures," Maia nodded to the group.
"I have a better idea," Brett said. "Let me take care of the ladies while the other guys take care of business. Mom? Let's step outside."
While his mother followed, Brett grabbed Maia by the upper arm and guided her to the balcony. He bent low and murmured into her ears, "I think I feel safer with you anyway."
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Annabel cruised lazily in the deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The 34-foot sloop's sails flapped steadily, catching the downwind of an unusually warm November day. An Indian summer was always welcome for the residents of the Outer Banks as it meant another day of pleasurable water activities.
Brett was at the wheel. Jack was in deep conversation with his dad discussing some new business venture, while Maia, despite
the slight chill in the breeze, decided to sunbathe. Because of her fair porcelain skin she did not tan easily; instead her skin just acquired a healthy pinkish glow. She had on a very skimpy white string bikini that allowed for minimum tan lines; thank goodness she had waxed recently! Frances was sitting beside her fully-clothed in white linen and a wide-brim hat.
"You could give those Victoria Secret models a run for their money," Jack's mom commented as she put the cap back on the sunblock. She had offered to apply it on Maia's back who was, right now, lying prone on a towel with the strings to her bikini top undone.
"I'm too short. My butt and breasts are too big," Maia said, laughing.
"Oh nonsense, you've got great legs. You're toned all over but soft in the right places," Frances winked, and then leaned in closely. "I can see why Jack's crazy about you."
Maia flushed pink, and it wasn't because of the sun. Jack's mom was definitely desperate to see her son settled down, which made this charade harder to carry off. Guilt was starting to gnaw at her, so she turned her head to look briefly at Jack. His eyes were fixed on her—heated and intense. She glanced away quickly.
"We've only just started seeing each other, Frances," Maia felt the words grate through her throat. "I'm sure 'like' is a more appropriate word."
"I see the way my son looks at you, Maia," his mother replied. "I've never seen him look that way at any of his girlfriends before."
"What look?"
"Possessive, like he wants to own you body and soul," Frances whispered.
A nervous giggle escaped Maia's mouth.
"I don't think you can tell that by a look."
"Oh, I've seen that look before in Robert," Frances said dreamily. "McCord men love deeply. I'm seeing the signs in Jack, right now."
"Mom," Jack's voice interrupted them. He had finished his powwow with his Dad and made his way to the bow. "Are you trying to scare Maia off?"
"I'm just telling her the truth, you should keep her," his mother replied.
Maia felt herself turn from pink to red.
Fire and Ice (Guardians) Page 12