by MJ Masucci
Prison was a place of learning. He escaped with plenty of contacts from there. Once out, he had placed an order with a forger he knew, and by tomorrow he would have a legitimate ID. He had paid a hefty sum to have those contacts help him escape. The car they used was stolen, and they left it at the scene. They took him to the city and dropped him off. The other two prison escapees had gone into the woods. They would more than likely be caught. But that wasn’t any of his concern. His heart beat strictly to destroy any of Ava’s happiness, and he would die trying to wreck her life.
Ava sat in the research room trying to concentrate on what she was doing. Her mind kept drifting to three years before when she had testified against Liam in court. The system was so backed up that it took nearly two years to bring his case to trial. He spent that time in Riker’s Island. She would never forget the rage she saw in his eyes. They never left her as she testified to what he had done to her and Xander. She had spent three hours on the stand in total between the prosecutor and the defense. Liam’s attorney had alluded to the possible fact that she led him on using her sexuality. She denied it and bit her lip trying to hold her emotions. She had wanted to cry, but she didn’t.
When lunchtime rolled around, Xander slipped into the room so quietly that he frightened her when he stroked her neck.
“Ahh,” she cried.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
“I’m just a little nervous today.”
“Ava, he isn’t here. Do you think he would be so stupid to show up at your workplace?”
“He isn’t stupid, Xander, but yes, I do. You didn’t see what he looked like when I testified.”
“I did because I’m sure he looked the same way when I gave my testimony. He looked deranged, and I wasn’t going to be intimidated by him. I stared right back at him.”
“I wish you were with me during the trial.”
He stroked her face with his fingers.
“I know. I was stupid. I should have been here with you, but I’m here now, and I won’t let him hurt you again.”
She kissed his hand.
“Do you want to get some lunch?”
“I’m not hungry.”
He scowled at her, “You have to eat. We can get something from the café. It’s a beautiful day, and I want to sit outside.”
He took her by the hand and then they went to the elevator. Her uncle never mentioned that she and Xander needed to follow the non-fraternization policy and they didn’t ask. Within weeks, she would be working as an associate attorney and have her own office. She was hoping to get one of the two vacant offices on eighteen so she could be near Xander.
They picked out some food from the refrigerated cases and went outside to sit on the steps. It was crowded, but they were able to find a partially shaded spot near a small decorative tree. They chatted about work, and he stroked her bare arms while they ate.
“Please don’t do that,” she whispered.
“Why not? You usually love when I do this.”
“Because…”
“Oh. Sorry.”
He knew that she was becoming heated under his touch. He saw the desire in her eyes. He felt the same way and being near her made it hard for him to control himself.
“Do you want to go to my office?”
She looked at her watch.
“I want to so much but we can’t. Jacob is next door to you, and I can’t keep quiet.”
He stroked her arm again, “Are you sure?”
“Oh my God, I cannot believe you,” she whispered.
“Okay, I’ll keep my hands to myself, but only until we get home or maybe on the way.”
“You’re so exasperating.”
“And you’re so insatiable.”
He took her by the hand, and they went inside to finish work.
At home that night they lay in bed, his head on her stomach after their second time making love. They hadn’t eaten, and it was nearing 7:00 PM. She stroked his hair with her fingers, and he kissed her belly while he ran his fingers along her thigh.
“I love your smell, Ava. I always love how you smell.”
“You must be in love because I smell horrible after I work out.”
“No, even then. Sometimes I want to take your sweaty body and fuck you silly.”
Ava giggled, “You really are in love, aren’t you?”
“I never professed to be anything else.”
She got serious. “Xander, what if Liam comes after us?”
He sat up in bed and looked at her. “He isn’t going to come for us. They will be watching for him. You know they caught one of the guys he escaped with this afternoon. I saw the news alert on my phone.”
“Is there any information on Liam? Do they know where he is?”
“Apparently, this guy had no idea that an escape attempt was going to occur. He just figured if he was given a chance, he might as well take it. They didn’t even share the same cell block. He said he had never met Liam before they were moved out of the compound.”
“I just want him to be caught. For all I know, he might try to hurt someone in my family. All my cousins live in the city.”
“I doubt he will try anything. Why would he run to the city with one of the largest police forces in the country?”
Chapter 2
Liam peered in the window of the house. He saw her washing dishes at her kitchen sink. That bitch. He should have taken care of her when he had the chance. Now he was going to finish the job. She was now married, but she still lived in White Plains. Her husband worked nights, and she was going to be easy to get. He watched her while he smoked a cigarette in her backyard. As the lights turned off and on in the house, he followed her around to each room. Stupid bitch doesn’t even close the shades.
He walked to the side of the house to a room with a half closed shade. He got close and looked inside. She was winding up a mobile over a crib. She has a baby? This changed his plans because as twisted as he was, he didn’t want to leave an infant alone for too long. He felt compassion for the child. He would have to take care of her close to the time her husband came home. The baby was so young that it wouldn’t remember the murder. He would feel vindicated for what she had said about him in court.
He finished his cigarette and sat on a lounge chair just off the side of the patio. He needed to figure out her and her husband’s schedule. He needed it to be dark. He picked up the chair and moved it out of the view of the window. He stretched out on it. He would just have to wait. Fortunately, the backyard was surrounded by a fence, and there were no dogs in the area. No one would know he was here.
The light in the bathroom turned on, and he was startled by it. The window was slightly open, and he heard the shower. She pulled down the shade as she undressed. He leaned back and closed his eyes thinking about what sex had been like with her. She didn’t mind it rough until he got too rough, but that was how he liked it. She struggled, and it made him even more excited.
He started to get hard, and he unzipped his pants to release his erection. As he stroked, he thought of her, but the face was Ava’s. That bitch was going to pay for what she did. He would have her, and he would make sure she suffered during it. As he thought about what he would do to her, he sat up so when he came; it would not get on his clothing. He hadn’t had sex with a woman in over five years, but he was saving all his savagery for Ava. He released a large load in the grass and slipped his penis back into his pants.
He must have fallen asleep because when he awoke, it was several hours later and starting to get light. He got up to peek over the wall to see if the husband’s car was back yet and as he did, it turned into the driveway. He watched as the man took out a small handheld cooler. He was big and stocky. Liam needed to make sure that he wasn’t home when he came back. He checked his watch, and it was just after five. It was so perfect. He could kill her, and it would still be dark, but the baby wouldn’t be left alone for any long stretch of time.
He slipped out the door of the fenc
e right after the husband went inside the house. He smiled as he walked down the street because his plan was going to work. Jayne Danner would get what was coming to her.
“How much longer?”
“We’re almost there.”
They had been sitting in the Memorial Day weekend traffic for nearly two hours. Ava was restless to get to the lake house, their lake house. Xander had promised they could sit on the dock and watch the sunset again. The last time she had, it was beautiful, watching hues of yellow and orange fade off the lake as the sun set.
She was getting restless and reached over to rub his thigh. He was wearing shorts, and she slipped her hand up the leg, reaching until she felt his boxers.
“Ava,” Xander warned.
“What? I can touch you can’t I?”
“You know what you’re doing.”
She continued her ascent until she was fondling his balls through the cloth. Xander shifted in his seat but made no move to stop her. She withdrew her hand to open first the button, then the zipper. She waited for him to say no, but he let her continue. He was hardening as she stroked him through his underwear. He let out a soft moan, and she tugged at his waistband to release his head.
“What are you doing to me?”
She smiled and ran her thumb over the bead of dew on his tip, and he moaned a little louder. Then she reached into stroke his full length. He was beginning to pant.
“Ava, stop, or there is going to be a mess even though I love what you’re doing.”
“You’re so confusing. Do you want me to continue?”
“The console. There’s a condom in my wallet.”
She crooked her eye at him but opened up the console to find his wallet. In it were two condoms with “Bobby’s Bachelor Party” stamped on them.
Xander shrugged, “They were handing them out, so I took a couple.”
She fumbled with the condom, and he assisted her in rolling it over him. The traffic was still bumper to bumper, and the windows were tinted dark, so there was no chance of being seen.
She continued to stroke him hard, and he finally let out a loud moan, tightened his face and released.
“That felt so good. I can’t wait to get you up to the house.”
When they were stopped, he slipped the condom off and tied a knot in it, then deposited it in a small empty potato chip bag before he closed his shorts. He reached over to take her hand and started to suck on her fingers.
“I’m already hot, don’t make it worse.”
“I can do the same for you if you don’t want to wait until we get up to Lake George.”
He didn’t wait for an answer and started to flick her nipple through her sundress. Then he slipped his hand down to the hem and pulled it up.
“Spread your legs,” he whispered seductively.
She did as instructed, and his fingers snaked under her panties. He felt her wetness, and he twitched. He gently stroked her swollen nub with his middle finger, and she shifted in her seat to give him better access. She bit her lip to keep from crying out as he pressed harder and worked his finger in a circular motion. She grasped his wrist and held him tight while she whimpered with ragged breaths. Just before she was to come he slipped his thumb inside her, and she clenched around it, crying out as she climaxed. After she had finished, Xander removed his fingers and sucked them. He glanced at her and saw a crimson bloom on her neck as well as her cheeks.
“Oh, sweetheart, you’re so cute when you’re embarrassed.”
“Why do you always say that?”
“Because you are,” he chuckled.
“Have you ever had sex in a car?”
“Why? Are you interested? I could pull off.”
She scowled at him, “No, I was just asking.”
“The answer is yes when I was a teenager. I would never dream of having sex in a car now. It’s too tight and uncomfortable. I much prefer making love to you in bed.”
He reached out to stroke her face, and she caught her scent on his fingers. When he hit the turn signal, she looked up to see the Lake George exit. She was anxious to get out of the car since they had been in it for over five hours.
Unfortunately, Xander had gotten a last minute call at the office from a client. They were not able to leave until after 2:00 PM, two full hours past when they had planned and right in the middle of everyone leaving the city. They had rushed to get the car and pack their suitcases into it. Ava quickly changed into a sundress while Xander put on shorts and a tank top.
They had hit traffic through the Lincoln Tunnel, New Jersey Turnpike and I-87, which they were now exiting. Ava shifted in her seat and crossed her legs. She was still pulsing from her orgasm. She just couldn’t get enough of Xander lately. She glanced at his profile. He looked so handsome with his Yankee cap flipped backward. When they were last together years ago, he never wore his cap that way, but she liked it.
Several minutes later they pulled into the long driveway to the house. It was as beautiful and as grand as Ava remembered. Xander rushed around the car to help her out and scooped her up into his arms.
“Hey, put me down.”
“This is our first time at this house now that we have renewed our love. I want to carry you over the threshold.”
“But we aren’t married yet.”
“That engagement ring on your finger says we practically are, so indulge me, please.”
She kissed his cheek as he carried her up the front steps, fumbling with the keys in his pocket while he tried to retrieve them.
“Put me down. You can unlock the door and then carry me.”
He smirked at her and gently stood her on the wooden porch. He retrieved the keys attached to a small keychain with a Lake George logo. After unlocking the door, he picked her up and carried her over the threshold. The house was fragrant with the smell of roses. Once again, Xander had recreated the first time they were there. Only this time he had roses all over the first floor in vases. They were in hues of lavender, red, burgundy and coral. Ava could feel herself tear up as she looked around.
“These roses exemplify my emotions for you. I want you for always,” he whispered.
“Xander, I know how you feel about me,” she cried. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I know I didn’t, but I wanted to do it. You deserve the very best of me, and I am trying to give that to you. I never want you to be disappointed in me ever again.”
Ava encircled his waist with her arms, and he placed his hand on the back of her head pulling it against his chest. He kissed her and inhaled the scent of her hair.
“Come, the sun will be setting soon.”
She released him, and he took her hand as they went out the French doors leading to the water. He again scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the dock that extended into the lake. The sun was just starting to sink on the horizon. Golds and oranges danced along the water as they sat in Adirondack chairs at the end of the gray weathered dock. A gentle breeze was blowing, and Ava closed her eyes to let it feather her face.
Xander watched as her long eyelashes fanned her cheeks and deeply sighed. She is so beautiful, and she will finally be mine.
After dinner, they sat on the back porch listening to the sound of the waves hitting the small beach. She stroked Xander’s arm as she sipped on a glass of white wine.
“Xander?”
“Hmm?”
“I love this place. I’m glad it will stay in the family rather than be sold to someone who might not appreciate it as much as we do.”
He opened his eyes to look at her, “I know but I still wish my parents hadn’t just given it to us. We should have offered them something for it.”
“Your parents would never have accepted anything. It was a gift for our wedding — an expensive gift at that. I hope they don’t plan on giving us anything else because this was far too much.”
He kissed her hand and placed it back on his arm so she could continue stroking him. Her nails danced along his skin causing
shockwaves that he could feel in his groin. But his exhaustion was winning out since the night before they had made love three times and got up at five to exercise. It was nearing 10:00 PM, and he was falling asleep in his chair.
“Sweetheart, I need to go to bed.”
“You don’t want to make love tonight?”
“I do, but I’m totally wiped.”
“I can do all the work.”
As much as he would have loved her to take control, he wanted to be an active participant, but he didn’t have the energy.
“Just give me a few hours of sleep, and I promise it will be worth the wait.”
“Okay,” she pouted. “Let’s go to bed.”
Xander went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Ava picked up the discarded tank top he wore that was sitting on the chair. She slipped it over her, relishing his scent. The white shirt hid nothing; it was see-through. She looked up to see him leaning against the doorjamb watching her.
“You don’t give up do you?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You don’t, huh?”
He came over to her and cupped her breasts through the shirt. She instantly responded, closing her eyes as he thumbed her nipples. When he withdrew his hands, it made her frown. He ran his fingers over the lines that creased her forehead and kissed them.
“Come, let’s get in bed.”
He slipped between the sheets on her side, and she followed him.
“You know I wasn’t wearing this shirt to entice you. I just like your smell on me. It’s comforting.”
“Ava, are you worried about Liam?”
“No,” she said unconvincingly.
“You are, and you need to stop. He probably is long gone by now. If he is as smart as you say he is, then it would be in his best interest to get out of the area.”
“But suppose…”
“Shh, I don’t want to discuss him this weekend. Stop worrying and go to sleep.”
She snuggled against him, but even though she was tired, she could not fall asleep. Her mind raced about what could happen if Liam was out there somewhere plotting revenge. Last time he almost succeeded in killing Xander and herself. She didn’t want him to get close enough to do it again.