Love On the Run Pt. 02

Standing there was Henry, but a version of Henry that was half boy she'd known and half his father. He was still tall but had filled out into those broad shoulders, his waist still trim. His blonde hair was light and cut short, stylishly. His beard was short and well-trimmed, a goatee with a small chinstrap that framed the hard lines of his face, almost softening them and making his green eyes glow.

Jessie stood frozen for a moment as did he, each taking in the changes of ten years. Finally he grinned and she broke into a run and slammed into his arms. He picked her up and swung her around, laughing.

At the sound off a clearing throat he set her down and turned her, slinging an arm over her shoulders.

"Julian! This is Henry Williams. Henry this is-"

"Agent Vasquez," Julian said quickly, offering his hand.

Henry let her go and took Julian's hand. Both men squeezed hard until Jessie cleared her throat and they broke apart.

"Henry, what are you doing here?"

"Agent Vasquez here will want to take you straight in. Not that you should really need it, but your lawyer should be here. You have a car waiting for you, Agent Vasquez?" Henry asked and Julian nodded. "I'll follow you with Jessica in my car. I can't think of a better way to ensure lawyer-client confidentiality. Is that all right with you?"

"Yes," Jessie quickly said, though the question had been directed at Julian who just nodded.

He could barely speak. This Henry, the boy she'd spoken so lovingly about, was all grown up. He was quite handsome, strongly built, looked good in his suit, and had the perfect boy next door look. He was clearly respectable and well-to-do, the kind of man a woman like Jessie belonged with.

Though Henry's warm smile at his seemed genuine Julian wanted to punch the grin off his face. In fact, Julian wanted to slam his fists into Henry's face until he wasn't so damn pretty.

Great, now Jessie had somehow warped him into a jealous thug. The woman was getting under his skin and he didn't like it one bit. Never before had any woman managed to make him feel anything more than lust and mild interest. This one had him tied up in knots, and worse, though a part of him wanted to walk away and leave her to the Henrys of the world, another part wanted to grab her and kiss her until she couldn't pronounce her own name, let alone even look at another man.

He stalked away from them to the baggage claim, hands curled to fists at his sides. Soon he was going to have to make a decision: leave her completely, or claim her in some way, for something he did not yet know. Julian had never been more unsure of anything in his life.

"Are you married? I pictured you married with three kids by now. I always thought you'd have two boys and a girl."

Henry smiled and turned the corner, following Julian out of the airport and into the traffic. Even as she talked, Jessie was staring at home. Miami was one a of a kind.

"I never married. I came close but she always felt she came second, and left me."

"I'm sorry to hear that. You were always so serious about school, I guess that you're till like that, with work."

"Not quite," he hedged and they turned toward downtown. "We need to talk about the case. From what I'm told there was five million Jimmy hid and that is why this Diego is after you. He thinks you have it."

"Apparently Diego is a big time guy in the world of drugs. He's from Brazil, and he's a head honcho. He gave Jimmy five million to fund a little takeover of some local dealers here. Jimmy was to kill some and bribe others, or so I'm told.

'The thing I don't get is that five million is pocket change to a man like Diego. For ten years he hasn't given up on trying to kill me. If he wanted the money, he wouldn't want me dead. No, he thinks I know something, maybe something Jimmy said, or something he had with the money. But Henry, I have no clue what it is."

"It's going to be all right, Jessie. Even if you can't remember what it is, you will be protected. All you have to do is talk to them today. Even if nothing comes of it, they will see you're given the chance you've missed all these years."

"Great. So I'll still be living life on the run, just with a little help."

His hand slid from the steering wheel to cover hers on her knee. "It's not like that. You can live the life you always wanted. You can go to school, become a teacher, just do it under a different name."

She was quiet at that as they wove through traffic. Finally he followed Julian into a parking garage and found a visitor's spot.

"No matter what, Jessica Andrews is dead," she whispered as he shut the engine off.

He turned to her, put both her hands in his. "Jessie, when I said my fiancée thought she came second, it wasn't to my work. It was to you, your memory. I never stopped loving you. I'll come with you, settle you anywhere you want to be. I'm so glad you're here, now."

He leaned forward and before she could respond, their lips met. Technically speaking, Henry was an excellent kisser, but her body didn't respond. Even when Julian just looked her things softened and firmed, chilled and warmed. With Henry the kiss was pleasant, but nothing more. She didn't ache with longing or feel desperate need.

A knock on the window made her spring back. Turning, Jessie met Julian's glittering eyes.

"George is waiting," he said, and spun on his heel.

She opened the door and without thought chased him. "Julian, wait!"

When she grabbed his shoulder he shook her off. "It's nice to have someone waiting for you, isn't it?"

"What the hell is going on? Are you jealous?"

He whirled, grabbing her Julian spun them behind a wide pillar. Before she could say any more he was plundering her mouth, more devouring her than kissing. Pressing her back his hands rested on her shoulders, touching the bare skin there, but otherwise only their lips touched, and it set her on fire. That new familiar ache he brought filled her, and Jessie felt herself growing languid and damp.

He pulled back staring at her with a grim set of his lips. After a short exam he nodded, and turned away. She watched him walk, weaving in front of the parked cars, disappearing from sight.

"Jessica?"

She shook it off and turned to find Henry approaching her, carrying a briefcase and looking worried. Despite all she had done in her life, for the very first time, she began to feel like a very bad girl.

They'd brought her in before noon, and now it was six, and Jessie was still in questioning. Julian couldn't stop thinking of that kiss. She had looked dreamy, her lips swollen, her eyes foggy and distant. Her breathing rapid and shallow, her nipples tenting her dress. After that damn lawyer had kissed her she hadn't looked that way, he thought smugly.

Still, why had he done it? Pure, stupid, male ego, he supposed. That had never been his weakness. Even when he was a child Julian had been more likely to smile and share his toys than throw a tantrum. Family had been the only thing he'd ever been territorial about.

Even in boot camp with the groupies, or amongst the women in the bar scene who got off on banging a Ranger, none of them had ever made him feel like a caveman with a club and a lonely month looming.

He should be happy, not thinking of her in the interview room with his boss and her lawyer friend. When George had emerged after food had been delivered to Jessie and the lawyer, he'd reinstated Julian to the field and out him in charge of watching Jessie. It was a big step in earning back George's trust.

He'd have a team, take over one large end of the investigation. What stuck in his craw was that George's decision was influenced by the damn lawyer who thought if Jessie was in protective custody she should be with a familiar face.

At a loss, he picked up the phone and called Doug, his best friend. They'd been in special forces together and Doug had no family, following Julian to Miami he'd set up a security company. Doug picked up on the third ring.

"Hey man, where have you been?"

"South America, work. I'm back now."

"Cool. We should grab a beer tonight, when you free?"

"I have a witness, gotta get her secure. I won't have time off again for a few days."

"I hear ya. So what you need? Looking for backup?"

"Might need that, but it's personal." Julian's words were met with silence. "Are you there?"

"Dude, I've known you for almost ten years and we've never talked about anything 'personal' from your life."

"There's a first time for everything," Julian growled, and the story spilled from him, everything but the lurid details of each time he'd been inside Jessie.

"Hmm," Doug said when he finished, the sound of him thinking. Julian waited patiently for his response. "Man, it seems to me you met your match. Every other woman is just out for a good time with you, and even the few that have wanted more get discouraged quickly. This one wants to run away from you as much as you do her."

"Thanks," Julian drawled dryly, "for recapping what I already know."

"Look, way I see it, it's just pressure. You knew this girl was your lifeline back to the field. When it turned out to be the same aggressive tourist who jangled your teeth, you attached that need for your career to her. My advice? Enjoy it.

"So she's got something going with this lawyer. Be the bad boy. She's your witness, you'll be guarding her, sneak around, jangle her teeth. When the case ends you're going on to bigger and better things and she'll go home to her lawyer. You're built to be the bad boy, why fight it?"

Doug's words made sense, but something about the thought felt wrong. Being the man who snuck into her bed and seduced Jessie into dark cravings was not a problem, but doing it behind Henry's back felt...wrong. Julian had never been the poster boy for all things good and pure, but he preferred to fall on the side of right. He never would have gone into his line of work if he didn't.

"I don't know, Doug. It doesn't seem right."

"A woman wants your ugly ass even if she already has a man and you think it's wrong? Boy, you are fucked in the head."

"Thanks, Doug. If Dr. Phil ever retires you might have a career waiting for you."

Doug laughed. "I have three ex-wives, it gives ya perspective."

"Three?" Julian should have known better than to seek advice on women from Doug.

"Man, don't judge me. The first I was young and stupid, we had a pregnancy scare and she was too damn Catholic. The second was for a green card for a friend. The third...I thought it was love. She thought I was a meal ticket."

There was no reply to that directly. "So basically what you're saying is relax, have fun, get her out of my system."

"Exactly. What kind of future could you have? Even if you lost your mind and suddenly wanted commitment, she's not eligible. That lawyer can marry her, change her name, and live with her in Podunk, Arkansas, but you can't. You really ready to give up your career over a piece of tail?"

The slight bothered Julian, but his friend had a point. "I'll call you in a couple of days for that beer."

"Kay, man, catch you on the flipside."

"Bye." Julian hung up and thought long and hard. He'd never had a problem taking what he wanted before, but now everything felt...complicated. No matter what the future held, he had to get Diego, and his body wanted Jessie every moment of the damn day. For a short while those two goals were conjoined, and he'd take advantage of it.

Jessie was exhausted. The interviewer had made he repeat everything numerous times. When it got to the men she'd killed sent after her. Henry had stopped her from answering and an argument broke out every time.

They'd been going for hours and no matter how many times they asked about the money, she didn't have an answer. The DEA tried to go back on their offer to give her a new life just for the interview, and they'd let her wander now eight hours later as Henry firmly threatened to sue them into the next century.

There was day-old coffee and stale donuts in the waiting room as well as old magazines. She read them while an efficient secretary typed away on a computer, thumbing through files.

After an hour passed she asked for the bathroom and was directed down a hall, to the left. She passed by a few offices and found it, did the necessary, and emerged bored. She began to wonder where Julian's office was.

That kiss...after the last time they'd had sex he'd been so distant, and then right after Henry kissed her, suddenly the passionate Julian she knew was back. But a dark intensity had replaced his light personality, the door to the darkness she'd sensed deep inside had opened. Darkly, that only made her want to seek him out more.

She found his office then, he was sitting behind a Spartan desk in deep thought. Without knocking, she opened the door, slid in, and closed it behind her.

"Jessie...what are you doing here?"

"Your boss is threatening to go back on the deal. Just as I told you, I don't have any information that can help."

He stood and smoothed his hair back. "George is bluffing. Once a deal is made, it's made. We're moving you to a safe house soon, until we can get the details worked out."

She nodded, wrapping her arms around herself in a hug.

"You and...Henry. He was your high school sweetheart?"

Again Jessie nodded, and he stepped around the desk, heading slowly for her.

"And he seems eager to pick up where you left off."

She backed up and hit the door. He came to press his chest to hers and reached up.

"So?" she asked, breathless, but he just grabbed the dangling rod on the blinds and twisted it, closing them.

"So...you have a good man waiting for you. Why are you sniffing around me?"

She gasped and moved to slap him but he caught her hand and then kissed her. Her sudden anger slid into something hotter and when she tried to touch him he grabbed both her hands and pinned them above her head.

She bit his lips and he bit back, grinding hiss erection into her with a clever swivel of his hips. She was wet, aching already, the dark promise in his kiss fulfilling ever need that had brought her there.

He grabbed her and lifted, moving her to the little couch as their lips broke away. He fairly slammed her down, his eyes boring into hers as he dropped to his knees before her.

"I'll give you what you came for, and more," he growled, and slipped her legs over his shoulders.

Brutally he ripped her panties off and shoved her skirt up before he dove between her thighs. He was a firestorm, licking and sucking as his hands cupped her ass and lifted her higher. Jessie was lost, arching her back as he drove her made. Her hands grappled for purchase of the black leather as he suckled hard on her clit, making her whimper.

The thrill of the stolen moment was overwhelming, and the furiousness of his actions spoke of a passion she deeply craved. With a wicked little flick he sent her over the edge, and clasped her hands over her own mouth to stifle the scream.

Before the wracking shivers passed he unzipped his pants, grabbed her, and claimed a kiss as he scooted her to the edge. With one sure upward thrust he filled her, and it set off another climax deep inside Jessie. She clung to him, breathless as he swallowed her scream, pumping hard between her thighs. She felt like fire and ice as the climax went on and on.

When it passed, he slowed and pulled his head back. "This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

"Yess."

"This is what you've been fantasizing about, isn't it?" He ground out as he thrust particularly deep.

"Yes!"

"This is what you'll dream about, isn't it!?"

"Yes!"

He kissed her then and resumed a hard driving pace. Leaning forward he rolled his hips, his jeans catching her clit, and she felt herself thrown off the edge once more, but this time he joined her. She swallowed his cries with her own as he filled her, body tight and hard against her softness.

When the storm passed he lay sprawled against her.

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered.

He nipped at her ear and pulled back slightly. "The more important question is, why are you?"

He disengaged and stood, grabbing tissues from the box on his bookshelf he took a few and passed her box. Once he was clean, he stuffed himself back in and zipped up.

She cleansed herself and removed her ruined panties, frowning over them. Julian snatched them from her and put it in the top right drawer of his desk.

"I know why I'm doing...this. I find you attractive, that's reason enough. You're good in bed, hell you're great, that's reason enough. But damn it, Julian, I'm scared. Two weeks ago I was a woman alone, about to embark on the final step to a new life. Now I'm back here, where the nightmare began. My fate is being argued between a lawyer I once knew as a boy and a man I don't frankly trust! I don't know where I'm sleeping tonight and I'm scared, all right? You're the closest thing I have to anything stable right now, and I need an anchor!"

All the tightness bled out of him then and he knelt once more, his hands on her arms. "You're going to be safe. I'm in charge of keeping you safe. From here you'll go to a safe house and I'll be there. I'll be with you every moment until a U.S. Marshal comes to bring you to that new life. I'm not going anywhere."

"So what does that mean? Until then we're having...an affair?"

"Neither one of us has more to give than that, Jessie. But Henry is a good man, and it seems he loves you. Give me this time, but when you go, he'll probably follow. Think about that."

"You're asking me to screw you in the night and rebuild a relationship with another man during the day?"

"I'm telling you to be smart."

He stood then and stalked away. She knew he was right, but the words still hurt somehow. "You know," she said softly to his back. "Somehow when you're being nice, you're even meaner than why you try to be."

He just threw open the door and stalked out.