Fire and Ice (Guardians)

by Paige, Victoria

  He couldn't stay with her during the day and started working late at nights since he couldn't ignore the responsibilities of his company any longer. He had to drive to his manufacturing plant outside of New Park a couple of times to meet with his design engineers and workers which added to his time at work. He said he wanted there to be no interruptions to their Thanksgiving weekend and wanted to make sure everything was taken care of before they left.

  His assistant, Laurie Stone dropped by a couple of times to check on her to make sure she had everything she needed.

  Maia snickered to herself. So this was what a mistress feets like.

  The building had a doorman and a concierge whom she had gotten to know fairly well when she had started her morning walks around the neighborhood. It was Sunday, she had been at the penthouse for almost five days. Jack spent almost all of Saturday at work, coming home exhausted late the night before only to leave again very early this morning. She had not heard a peep from Derek either.

  Maia was starting to feel neglected. Why insist on bringing her home with him when he was not going to be around anyway? As soon as that thought crossed her mind she felt embarrassed. When had she become so needy? Jack had put her ahead of his company for over two weeks and she was feeling neglected now? What was wrong with her? That concussion may have messed up her head more than she realized.

  Shaking her head, she rounded a corner and ran into Mike Callahan. It looked like he had just come from the gym as he was wearing sweats, a hoody and had a big gym bag slung over his shoulder. His eyes widened when he saw her.

  "Maia, oh my God," he walked over to her and gave her a tight hug. Luckily her ribs felt a lot better and she didn't even wince at the tight squeeze. "I heard what happened in Baltimore. Are you all right?"

  "Pretty much," Maia replied. "I was a bit banged up but you know how hard-headed I can be."

  Mike stroked the fading bruise on her cheek. "Yes, I know. Listen, do you wanna grab coffee? There's a bagel shop around the corner."

  Maia didn't even think twice. Nearly going out of her mind with inactivity for almost a week, she welcomed some company. Even if it was from an ex-boyfriend. "Sure, why not?"

  It was 4pm when Maia made it back to the apartment building. What had begun as just coffee, turned into a walk in the park, which ended up with a late brunch. She had forgotten what a great conversationalist Mike Callahan was and how animated he could get when he talked about his crusade to clean up the streets of New Park. That was what attracted her to him. What he lacked in brawn, he made up in courage and sharp intellect.

  Of course they had to talk about the elephant in the room: her relationship with Jack McCord.

  "So you and Jack, huh?" Mike said curiously. Though he tried to keep it out of his voice, Maia noted the hint of bitterness.

  "Yes, me and Jack," she replied a bit too goofily.

  "Is it serious?"

  "He says it is."

  "Are you serious?"

  "I think I am."

  Mike snorted. "We were serious too. I guess the question is, will you leave your work to be with Jack? Because that will come up, honey. I don't think any man who is serious with you will let you put your life in constant jeopardy."

  "Well, that hasn't come up yet."

  "Well, hypothetically, will you?"

  "Of course not."

  Mike shook his head and said in disgust, "That asshole was right."

  "Jack?"

  "No,Viktor. He said he'd always win."

  "He said that to you?"

  Mike nodded, his jaw clenching. "He said that if you were forced to choose between me and him, you'd always choose him."

  "I'm sorry, Mike," Maia whispered.

  "By the way, it's Sunday, where is Jack?"

  I'm wondering the same thing, Maia thought as her feeling of abandonment returned.

  "He said he had a lot of work to catch up with before the Thanksgiving Holiday."

  Mike's eyes flared angrily. "You got hurt badly just a week ago and he left you alone on a Sunday? I presume since he's at work today you haven't seen him all week."

  "Mike, Jack spent a lot of time with me the past two weeks and then I got hurt. He was supposed to be back at work but he took the time to check me out of the hospital and bring me to New Park. He had a lot of catching up to do."

  Hearing her own words in defense of Jack made Maia feel better. She had taken up a lot of his time. But then Mike's next words cut into her.

  "I don't know, honey," Mike said gravely. "I was hoping with a special woman like you, Jack McCord had mended his ways. He's always been known as a player. A new girl on his arm every few months though this last one before you lasted longer than others. You've got a soft spot in you Maia. I've never been able to get close to it but I know it's there. I don't want to see you get hurt."

  And with that thought echoing on her mind, Maia walked through the doors of the apartment building to be met by expressions of relief from the doorman and the concierge.

  "Miss Pierce, thank God," the concierge said. "Mr. McCord is frantic wondering where you were. He searched for you for a couple of blocks and is now back upstairs."

  "Jack is back?" Maia asked in surprise. She thought she was going to have to spend another evening alone.

  "Over an hour ago."

  Knowing Jack's temper, Maia wasn't surprised when he was waiting for her by the elevator doors when she reached his floor. Obviously the concierge let him know that she was on her way up.

  "Where have you been?" Jack thundered, his face a mixture of fury and relief.

  "I went for a walk."

  "For six fucking hours?"

  Maia lifted her chin in defiance. "I ran into Mike Callahan. We had a lot of catching up to do."

  Okay, that probably wasn't the right thing to say. Jack flushed with renewed rage and he turned away from her, breathing hard as if wrestling for control.

  When he swung back, he barely had it under check. "I've been worried sick for over an hour wondering if you had blacked out somewhere and you were out catching up with an ex-boyfriend?" He spat out the final word in disgust.

  For a minute, Maia felt guilty that she had indeed been inconsiderate, but the unusual insecurities she had been feeling today returned. And she couldn't stop herself from blurting out her own angst.

  "First, if you had given me my cell phone back, you would have a way to contact me and you wouldn't be so worried. Second, you insist on bringing me to your penthouse and, in your words to"—Maia raised her fingers to insert air quotes around the next two words—"take care of me, but you're hardly ever around. And lastly, if avoiding me is your way of telling me you're done with me"—by this time her voice was near shouting—"just tell me to my face! You're obviously regretting bringing me back here with you. You're feeling sorry that I got hurt while I was your girlfriend and it would suck to be the man known for abandoning me while I was injured." God, someone shut her up!

  "Maia..." Jack tried to pull her to him but she swatted his hands away.

  "Don't touch me! Mike was right. You're a fucking player. You'll never be satisfied with one woman," Maia hissed, and then cursed. "God, you've turned me into a blathering idiot!"

  She stormed into their bedroom and started pulling out her stuff to pack into her suitcase.

  "You are not leaving," Jack said curtly. He approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her like bands of steel. Maia struggled furiously, even pretending to yelp in pain so he would loosen his grip. But Jack was onto her and instead hauled her to the bed, tipped her on her back and landed on top of her immobilizing her lower body. He gripped both her wrists on either side of her head and glared down at her.

  "Listen, I don't know what bullshit Callahan had fed you," Jack ground out. "But know that I feel differently this time. It's different with you." He leaned in to brush her lips in a gentle kiss and his expression softened. "I don't feel sorry for you, you silly goose. I genuinely want to take care for you." He
sighed. "I'm sorry that I had underestimated the demands of MDI on my time. We got slammed by an unusually big first quarter order from the DoD and I had to make sure we had all the raw materials ordered and personnel ready for production. You can ask Derek, he's been with me the whole time."

  "I just missed you," Maia replied in a small voice, then averted her eyes. When had she become so pathetic?

  "Babe, I missed you too," Jack whispered back and gave her a deep, soul-searching kiss. He dropped on his back and dragged her on top to straddle him, stroking her thighs.

  "I can't wait to make love to you again," he continued. "Though I missed you like hell, I welcome the heavy workload to keep my mind off my craving for you. And believe me, the work hardly dented it. I hunger to be with you. I was afraid I would break down and do something barbaric and force myself on an injured woman."

  "I am feeling better. I haven't been dizzy in 48 hours."

  "I want you in top shape when I make love to you. I'm thinking Thanksgiving weekend," Jack smiled roguishly. "You know, you haven't worn that black bustier set I got for you yet."

  "I'll make sure to pack it," Maia said softly as she bent down to kiss him.

  ***

  The silver Cadillac Escalade crawled slowly down Interstate 95, caught in the Northern Virginia Thanksgiving traffic. Richmond was 90 miles south of Washington DC, but at the rate they were going, it would take them three hours to reach the Commonwealth.

  Maia had had an early morning follow-up check up with Doctor Anderson. It was surprising that the doctor was available on the eve of Thanksgiving, but Jack figured that was the business of the medical profession.

  He made sure that he would be on hand to accompany Maia on her follow-up visit with the doctor which was why he worked his ass off the previous week to get everything settled at MDI before he took off for the Thanksgiving weekend. Jack remembered their brief fight the previous Sunday and realized how far he'd come from his previous relationships. First of all, if any of his girlfriends had complained about him working too much and not spending enough time with them, that was a death knell and he would have found a way to get rid of them instantly. But when Maia threw his neglect at him, he was oddly pleased. Finally, she needed him and missed him! Of course, Maia had to ruin the moment by mentioning Mike Callahan.

  Jack knew exactly what Mike Callahan had told her. Jack's reputation in New Park's and DC's social circles was well-known. He was a serial dater. He was one of the tri-cities's most eligible bachelors but tabloids always warned the socialites to proceed with caution when entrapping Jack McCord. He had called Callahan the next day and told him to mind his own fucking business.

  To which the New Park DA replied coldly, "I will. But if you ever hurt her, know I will find a way to make your life miserable."

  Jack looked over at the slumbering redhead curled up in the passenger seat. One thing was for sure: his woman seemed to inspire lifetime loyalty from her previous relationships. This irked him no end. It was as if there were any number of ex-boyfriends waiting in the wings for him to fuck up. Yes, that pissed him off no end.

  "Jack, why are you growling?" Maia asked sleepily.

  Startled that he had actually been doing it out loud, he lied, "Traffic. Go back to sleep, babe. This is going to be a long trip."

  Maia sat up. "Well, I should be better company then."

  Jack angled his eyes over at her as if assessing her mood.

  "Well, if you're up to it, now might be a good time for a conversation."

  She eyed him warily. "What conversation?"

  "Those risks you take, Maia. Why do take them?" Jack asked bluntly.

  "What are you talking about? My job?"

  "Let's begin with the jet ski incident. We never did get around to do a post-mortem of that," Jack said. "Was that truly the only option, Maia?"

  "Yes," Maia said indignantly. "I did that to save your parents, Jack. And everyone else."

  "Yes. But you see, they are my parents, not yours," Jack said. "Why would you give your life for them like that?"

  "I always have a backup plan. I knew exactly how to get off that jet ski before it hit," Maia replied. "I wasn't being suicidal."

  "And goading Reznikov to beat you and almost shoot you?" Jack asked acidly. "And taking a shot at that gas tank?"

  "With Reznikov, it's a psychological war. Look at his dossier and you know he's a coward. I only wanted to shake him up. He didn't have the guts to shoot me," Maia snickered. "And really? That illeoic gas tank plan was brilliant, Rick was just jealous he didn't get to take the shot. You would have done the same thing," Maia added. "You need to believe in me more, Jack."

  He stared ahead at the lines of cars in front of him, confusion muddling his brain. Viktor's words came back to him, about needing to know the woman she is. But then he also remembered what he and Derek had discussed: that Maia was cut from the same cloth as Viktor. There was a thin-line between being suicidal and feeling invincible. Derek thought it was the latter. Maia thinks she can overcome and survive any situation.

  "You need to remember that there's me now who worries about you, Maia," Jack replied. "Put yourself in my shoes, will you?"

  He reached over to her left hand and brought it to his lips to kiss the back of her fingers.

  Jack gave her a wry smile. "All I'm saying is, don't take risks if you don't have to. That's all."

  Maia pulled her hand away. Jack felt her retreat, but he wasn't going to let her. He grabbed her hand back and said firmly, "Talk to me, babe. Don't pull away like that."

  Maia huffed irritably, that's a good sign. He liked the fire better than the ice. "You know what makes me a good agent, Jack? My willingness to take chances. It's called a calculated risk. If I play it safe all the time, it reduces my effectiveness. Viktor should just stick me in the data center."

  "Would that be so bad?"

  "Yes! I'm not an analyst."

  Jack sighed. He was getting nowhere fast with this.

  "Is my job going to be a problem between us, Jack?" Maia asked quietly. "Because I'd rather know now than later before ... before ... I get too involved and it'll be harder to let go."

  And just like that, she had handed him the answer.

  "After everything we went through, Maia, I'm still here, aren't I?" Jack said and kissed her hand again. "I have no problem with what you do, just how you handle some situations."

  That was a lie of course. He was going to make it impossible for her to let go. He was going to show her how much he loved her, spoil her, make the sex so good she would be addicted to him as he already was to her. Bind her to him in a way that would make her give up her reckless ways. Sometimes people took risks because there was nothing to live for; he would make sure that she would want to live for him.

  They arrived in Richmond late in the afternoon. The McCords lived on a three-acre manicured estate in the River Road district known for its well-born local gentry. The main house was a magnificent two-story colonial-style brick home. According to Jack, there were ten bedrooms and just as many baths. The front of the property was fenced with a brick and wrought-iron wall that delineated the estate line.

  A cobblestone driveway began off the main road and curved and widened in front of the house before narrowing to lead back to the main road on the opposite side of the brick wall. It was a beautiful property befitting a real-estate mogul.

  Frances and Robert were already waiting in front of the house when they arrived. Jack had called them when he got off the Route 288-exit.

  "Maia!" Frances almost squealed when she saw her. Jack's mom hugged her while Jack shook his dad's hand and gave him what Maia called a man-hug.

  "Is that a bruise on your face?" Frances shrieked as she quickly looked at Jack.

  Jack rolled his eyes as he kissed his mom on the forehead, "I hope you're not thinking what I think you're thinking, Mom."

  "Of course not!"

  Maia touched her face self-consciously, "Oh no, I think the concealer faded. I
got banged up in the last job."

  Frances tutted at her and dragged her into the house. "You should think about changing your job."

  Jack had explained what Maia did for living after she had saved his parents and Brett from the assassins.

  "What I said," Jack muttered behind them as Maia shot him a glare.

  Robert, who was normally more an observer than a talker said, "Maia, sweetheart, it'll probably be better for everyone's peace of mind if you um, find a desk job."

  Maia sidled up to Jack and said sweetly, "I hope you didn't get your parents to gang up on me."

  "Of course not, sweetheart," Jack smirked.

  "I'm putting you in the gardener's cottage so you two lovebirds can have some privacy," Frances said coyly.

  "A cottage?"

  "There's a cottage behind the main house connected by a portico," Jack said. "It used to be gardener's cottage but it's used now for guests who have children."

  "We have a full house. Most of the guests should be arriving soon. Why don't you two freshen up? I'll have someone bring your luggage over."

  "Mom, we can take care of that," Jack said. "Seriously, relax and don't worry about us."

  "It's just that ..." Frances broke off as she got teary-eyed as her gaze fell on Maia.

  Maia felt like a rabbit caught in a trap. Jack noticed her reaction and quickly grabbed their suitcases and nudged her out of the living room and out the back door.

  "See you later Frances, Robert," Maia mumbled as she followed Jack to the exit.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Jack left a sleeping Maia on the sprawling brass bed at the gardener's cottage. She had been sleeping a lot during her recovery, but he thought that this time she just wanted to avoid his mother.