by Jill Sanders
“Just once more, because you have yet to let me tell you my side of things.”
Taking a deep breath, she sat up straight, looked at him, and prepared herself for the worse.
“That night at Lynda’s party when you kissed me…” he started, and she held her breath and tried not to scream that they had to rehash one of the most embarrassing moments of her life over and over again.
“It’s true, I was caught off guard. I hadn’t thought of you, well, okay, I had, but I tried not to think of you in that way. I talked myself out of thinking of you that way. Then you were there and your lips were there…” He looked at her lips now and something shifted inside her, her stomach fluttered for reasons other than hunger. He was looking at her like she’d always wanted him to. “And I froze. My mind didn’t catch up with what had happened until after you had already stormed from the room. Then that day in the cafe, I was trying to explain when you received the call from your mother and, well, I never did get a chance to explain before you left to hike around the great unknown.” He was looking at his hands now and she realized she was still holding her breath.
“Jason, what exactly is it that you’re saying?”
He looked at her and for the first time since she’d met him, she couldn’t read what he was thinking. She’d never seen him looking so, so…what? Lost?
“I just need to try something out.” He started to lean closer to her, but before he got the chance, she pulled his head down to hers and placed her mouth on his. She couldn’t have stopped herself if she had tried, and she didn’t want to.
For the first time since that night at the party, she understood what it must have felt like being surprised at the contact. Instead of him just sitting there, unresponsive, he was actually pulling her closer as his lips moved slowly over hers. She couldn’t move, couldn’t think. His hands fisted in her hair and then he moved lightly, and on a moan, she closed her eyes and let the feeling of Jason kissing her take over.
How could she not get this? He was showing her everything he’d felt for her, his entire life, all wrapped up in one kiss. He didn’t want to lose her as a friend, he could never lose her, it would kill him. She smelled and tasted as good as he remembered and he wanted more of her. No, he needed more of her. Her hair felt so soft under his fingertips, and her skin was like silk. He ran his hand lightly down her cheek, running lower to the soft spot on her neck, then down her shoulder as he pulled her closer.
She melted against him and he heard her moan softly, almost making him lose complete control of himself. Pulling back slowly, he watched as her dark eyes focused on his face.
“I’ve tried not to think this way about you, tried not to want you for years.” He took her mouth again, this time running his hands up and down her back as she bowed and flexed under his touch. She was soft and when he pulled her farther down to the ground, a moan escaped his lips as he trailed hot kisses down her slender neck. Her hands were fisted in his hair and he could tell she had totally lost track of where they were, because she was moving under him, holding onto his hair, and the noises she was making sounded loud in the large field. He wondered what she would be like when he finally touched her, skin to skin.
My God! What would it be like when he took her? Would she scream? The thought made it almost unbearable to stop running his hands over her. But he slowly pulled away and looked down into her eyes. Her short dark hair was fanned out in the soft grass underneath them, her cheeks were the color of honey with a hint of pink, her lips… closing his eyes, he tried not to think about her lips again.
“Katie,” he opened his eyes to see her watching him cautiously, “we need to have that talk.” He sat up, removing himself from her soft body; he could get used to feeling it under his own.
He avoided looking at her to better control himself, and when he finally did look at her, he could see the hurt in her eyes. Putting his fingers under her chin, he pulled her face up until she looked at him.
“Don’t,” he said, softly. “I’m not sorry about the kiss, I actually want to do it again. But we have some things to talk about first, and I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. I was going to take us down the hill to that small town and see about getting some lunch.” He pointed off towards the left where she could see the small town.
“
Can you wait to get your answers until after we eat?”
She nodded her head as Jason stood up and puled her up behind him. Instead of letting her go, he pulled her into his arms and held onto her for just a minute. She smelled like flour with a hint of grass and heaven, which made him smile.
It was a short walk into the town, which sat on the side of a steep hill. The very old stone buildings were clustered within a three block radius. each well maintained and housing their own little shops.
They quickly found the town’s deli and ordered some freshly made spinach leek pie. Jason had always enjoyed trying new foods; for the most part he hadn’t found anything that he hadn’t liked so far.
“Why is it that the food here is so much better than what I remember back home?” Katie said after swallowing a large mouth full of the crispy crust.
“Back home all you ever did was eat cheese pizza and drink mocha. How is your mocha addiction going, by the way?”
“Oh, I stopped drinking it except for special occasions. It took almost a month for the shakes to stop.” She smiled up at him.
“Well, what do you say about having some diples pastry for desert?”
“Oh, I love diples, as long as I can have two.”
The diples were the best he’d ever had; the large honey roll was still warm and tasted like heaven. Katie enjoyed them so much, she tried to steal several bites of his. He swatted her hands away lightly, laughing at her face as she pouted.
He had been impressed when she had spoken Greek and placed their order to the older women behind the counter. He’d been in the country less than a month and had only picked up some basic words. She must have guessed his thoughts from the way he was looking at her.
“So, I bought a translation book. It’s not like I expect everyone to speak English.” He’d actually found out that a lot of people did speak English everywhere he’d gone. So far he’d only had to learn a handful of useful words in French, Spanish, Italian, and Greek.
Sometimes Katie was the same old Katie he’d known forever. Other times he saw that the last year had done something to her, changed her. He would see her eyes cloud over and she’d become distant, and he could see the sadness overcoming her. He understood the betrayal she’d suffered; it’s not everyone that finds out their mother was married to someone else while they were married to your father. To be hit double with the knowledge that the man who’d raised you wasn’t actually your biological father, Jason had seen firsthand what it had done to her.
After she found out via the phone call from her mother, she’d passed out cold on the floor of the coffee shop.
Once she’d woken, thanks to some smelling salts from an emergency kit in the bakery, he’d driven her home. She had looked like a ghost and hadn’t said a word during the short drive. Her eyes seemed hollowed out, her skin, which was normally a light tan, had been pale and clammy. He’d hated seeing her that way. Less than a month later, she’d taken off and left the country.
He knew it was in part due to her friends turning on her. Even he had felt betrayed by some of the things everyone else had said about Katie and his relationship, none of it true at the time.
Now, as she excused herself and headed to the back of the place towards the bathrooms, he watched the busy room to make sure no one watched them. He’d been cautious walking into town, and he figured the place was small enough that he could spot anyone who appeared out of place.
Taking this moment, he pulled out his cell phone and decided instead of a lengthy call he would just text his message instead.
– Made contact – someone tried to grab her – she’s safe
– Where are you?
>
– Just outside Patra – change of plans, coming to you – taking a plane tomorrow – should be there soon
– Be careful
He tucked his phone back into his jeans and waited for Katie to come back out of the restroom.
“I told you they’d be trying to make it back here.” The accent was so thick, it was hard for him to make out what the voice was saying over the disposable phone he’d been given. “They are in Patra, heading to the airport. Find them. I don’t have to tell you how important it is that she doesn’t make it here.”
The man rolled his eyes and squinted in pain when he remembered the black eye and broken nose he’d received the night before. He’d been hearing how important it was that Katie Derby didn’t make it to Rome ever since he’d been hired two weeks ago. So far, the only chance he’d gotten to grab the girl had ended badly and now he had a broken nose and two chipped teeth to show for it.
“I know where she is, and I told you I’d get her. She’s with a man and he knows how to fight. It may end up costing you double because of him, and I might have to hire a couple more guys.”
“Do what you must, just stop her from getting to Rome.”
He heard a click and felt like tossing the small phone through the window of the moving car. He knew how to do his job, and he’d be damned if he would sit by and let some little girl slip through his fingers, especially considering the amount of money he was about to make. He looked over at his partner and saw the large lump on his forehead that he’d received last night. He’d been doing jobs like this his whole life and knew who he could trust and who he couldn’t. Watching his partner, he knew the man was one that he trusted completely. They’d been working together since they’d been kids.
“Raul, they’re in Patra. I told you that tracking device would come in handy.” He watched the small screen of the device that was showing him exactly where Katie Derby was. “Damn thing is not very reliable, keeps cutting out.”
“I told you we should have bought the more expensive one,” Raul said.
Maybe he was right, but he didn’t want to explain that he’d blown through most of the advance they’d gotten for the job. After all, the van hadn’t been cheap, and they still had a lot of traveling to do, so he’d set some money aside for his expenses. Now he thought he’d have to hire a few other guys to help watch the ports, maybe send them ahead to Rome. He still had a few other methods of getting his hands on the girl again; he’d be damned if he let her slip through his fingers next time.
Chapter Five
Ric Derby sat in the office at his art gallery, The Blue Spot, in Portland, Oregon and stared at the clock. His one o’clock appointment hadn’t lasted long enough, leaving him with over an hour to kill before his next appointment. An appointment he’d been waiting for his whole life.
One little pink stick had said “yes”, so he was pretty sure the answer was yes, but his new wife of just under a year hadn’t trusted it. So he’d had to go down to the corner store, just before midnight, where he had bought one of every kind of pregnancy test. Still, Roberta hadn’t believed those either, hence their doctor appointment at four today.
He was so nervous, it was like he was back in college taking a test, and he prayed to God that he would pass this one. They hadn’t planned on getting pregnant this soon, but neither of them could be happier or more nervous. Ever since Roberta had retired from the Portland Police Department as Detective, she’d been head of security for their art galleries. He enjoyed working with her and loved spending time with her every day.
When the phone rang, he was almost too engrossed in his thoughts to register the sound.
“Blue Spot Galleries.”
The voice was computerized and almost too low to hear. “If you ever want to see your sister, Katie Derby, alive again, you will wire ten million dollars to the offshore account by this time tomorrow.” Ric rushed to write down the bank information that was said and repeated quickly.
There was a click and Ric felt like passing out. It took him less than five seconds to pick up the phone and dial it again.
“Dad, someone’s…”
“I received a call, too, son. Not two minutes ago.”
Just then Roberta, Ric’s wife walked in. “Hang on, Dad. Rob’s here.” He punched the speakerphone button as Roberta looked at him with a questioning look.
After filling his wife in on what was happening, he watched her put on her “cop mask” and take charge of the call as she got to work. When they hung up with his father ten minutes later, she had the FBI on the phone and was relaying every detail of the calls.
Rodrick had updated them on Katie’s last whereabouts. She’d been in Greece the last time he’d heard. They had decided the best thing to do was work with Damiano and Dante in Italy to track down the trail.
Fifty minutes later, Ric and his father had chartered a plane to Rome. Roberta would stay behind and work with the FBI, while waiting for any other calls.
Three hours later, Ric and Rodrick were both sitting on his private jet, watching the ground disappear beneath them. Rushing to find Katie had been something both of them had demanded to take part in.
Something wasn’t right. Jason had been waiting too long for Katie to come back out of the restroom. Grabbing his bag, he headed to the back and banged on the woman’s restroom door. When no one answered, he tried the door handle. Jerking it open, he was shocked to see Katie in a small white tank top and tight little shorts. She had her head in the sink, and her face and hair were under the fast stream of water coming from the faucet. She was lathering up her hair with shampoo and he noticed bubbles running down her bare neck and arms.
When he’d barged in, she’d jerked her head up, slamming it on the corner of the sharp metal faucet.
“Ouch, damn it, Jason!” She rubbed her head with her fingers, near the spot she’d just hit.
Recovering, he quickly shut the door behind him, locked them in, and walked over to her. He dropped his bag next to hers then took her head in his hands and looked at the small injury.
She was still bent over the sink, her wet hair dripping in her eyes and face. “Here, let me see. Oh, man. You’ve got a small cut here. The faucet must have been sharp.”
“Can’t I just have a few minutes to clean up without having you barge in here acting like you’re a white knight trying to rescue me?” He could see tears of pain in her eyes as she looked up at him. Then again, he thought, maybe they were from the shampoo dripping into her eyes.
“Shh.” He pulled her head back towards the sink. “Here, let me help.” He started splashing water over her soapy head.
She braced her hands on the sink ledge and held on. He could see her shifting her feet to bend over and knew that the position was probably uncomfortable for her.
“There was so much flour in my hair, I just had to clean some of it out,” she said over her shoulder, while trying to look at him.
He turned her head back and placed it over the sink, then he cupped his hands, scooping the water up and gently dumping it over her hair, washing the bubbles from it.
She became very still while holding onto the side of the sink for support, so he continued rinsing her hair until it was clean. When he was done, he bent over and picked up the small hand towel she’d dropped.
He turned her around so she faced the mirror and slowly rubbed her hair dry. He leaned her head down so he could gently part her hair where the small cut was. He noticed the bleeding had stopped thanks to the cold water, but he still made sure it was clean before continuing to dry her hair.
He wiped the water from her shoulders and arms and his eyes roamed over her in the mirror. He noticed that her face was pink and looked flushed. Then he saw that her white tank top had gotten a little wet from leaning over the sink. He could just make out dark circles through the wet material, and enjoyed seeing her nipples poking upward, thanks to the cold water.
He became painfully hard as he stood behind her. Looking up into he
r face, he noticed that she was now watching him in the mirror. She had a look on her face like she’d never seen him before.
“What?” She sounded breathless.
“What? What?” he almost whispered in response.
She watched him in the mirror, and it took all his will power not to look at her nipples through the wet shirt again.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.
“Like what?” He tried to stop thinking about her, about wanting to see all of her.
Her hair had been so soft under his hands and he had thoroughly enjoyed washing it; there was something so intimate about the simple act. In the small room, he could smell her shampoo, a sexy scent with a hint of honey, just like her.