anything," James promised reaching up with his free
hand and caressing her cheek, brushing a lock of
hair out of her eyes.
"I love you too, James.
And I will trust you until
you give me a reason not to. "
"Thank you," James whispered leaning down to kiss
her once more.
"Alex! James," hollered a voice from the deck.
"It's Suzanne," Alex laughed.
"We better go and see what she wants," James
chuckled still holding Alex's hand and leading her
back to the house.
Suzanne noticed the smile on their faces and
sighed.
She only wanted the best for James and
Alex was it in her opinion.
If anyone could make
him walk the straight and narrow it was Alex.
Grayson saw the closeness between Alex and James
all day.
He tried to avoid the inevitable but had to
accept that he had lost Alex for good.
Dinner proceeded into the early evening as dusk
began to fall.
After the dishes were cleared away,
everyone settled in to watch the fireworks over
Ashmore Valley.
James cradled Alex in his arms mindless of anyone
around them.
He had retrieved a blanket from the
car left over from the winter and sheltered them in
it as the cool winds of fall appeared suddenly.
"Let's go to my place," whispered Alex during the
first volley of fireworks.
"Great idea.
Do you think we'll be noticed if we
leave," James asked, his breath hot on her neck.
"I don't care," Alex replied smiling.
James and Alex stood up suddenly drawing
attention from Suzanne and Harry who were sitting
with them in the back of the group.
Waving
goodbye and smiling they snuck around the side of
the house and got into James' SUV.
They had
decided to leave Alex's car and pick it up in the
morning.
"They look good together," whispered Suzanne to
Harry.
"Yeah, they do.
I hope they'll be happy. "
"Me too," replied Suzanne, leaning her head back
on Harry's chest to watch the fireworks.
James and Alex stumbled into her house, kissing
each other.
He remembered the last time he was
here when she had rushed him out of the house
and into the street.
He had only guessed at the
possibilities that night.
Now they had each other
and he swore he would never lose her.
Alex took
James' hand and led him to her bedroom.
Unlike
his bed, hers was welcoming and flexible.
James laid Alex down on the bed and spread her
hair around her face.
He loved the smell and color
of her hair.
It represented her sweetness and
fire.
James kissed Alex softly on the lips, gently
stroking her cheek.
"I love you, Alex.
Don't ever leave me," he
requested, looking into her eyes.
"I won't," she promised.
James and Alex undressed each other in between
kisses and giggles and slipped between her cotton
sheets.
Stroking the hair out of her eyes, James
laid feather light kisses on her face, throat and
breasts as she reveled in his attention.
James
continued his tortuous mouthing of her skin, kissing
her flat belly and stroking the inside of her thigh.
Alex writhed underneath James seeking
release.
Knowing that it wouldn't be forthcoming
if she didn't take it, she quickly tossed James aside
and brought herself to lay on top of him, skin
against skin, breast against breast, thigh against
thigh.
James chuckled quietly at her bold move.
Bringing herself to sit on his belly, avoiding his male
hardness, Alex leaned down and savored the taste
of his skin.
Licking his paps, Alex ran her nails
down his arms to his hands, where she grasped and
eased them over his head.
Smiling, Alex kissed
James passionately easing her hips down to meet
his.
With little resistance, James thrust his organ
into Alex's smoothness.
Sighing with pleasure, Alex sat up, tightened her
knees at his waist and began to grind her hips
against his.
James watched as Alex closed her eyes
and continued her smooth ride. Reaching up, James
caressed a nipple between thumb and forefinger,
gently bringing her attention back to him, "Don't
close your eyes," he whispered.
Alex looked into James eyes and smiled.
Needing
to hold her in his arms, James deftly pulled Alex
down on to him and rolled her over to her
back.
Intermittently nuzzling her neck and
whispering nonsensical words in her ear, James
began the slow movement of his hips to hers as
they again found their rhythm.
Alex wrapped her
legs around James' hips to receive more of him.
James kissed Alex passionately, threading his fingers
through her hair while she traced intricate patterns
on his back. Reaching their heights together, James
filled Alex with his juices and took his pleasure
murmuring her name over and over again like a
spell.
James continued his rhythmic motions until
Alex too laid satiated and glowing underneath him.
James kissed Alex softly and rolled from on top of
Alex and gathered her in his arms in one smooth
motion.
"I'm hot," Alex whispered after a few moments.
"I wonder why," James whispered back, chuckling.
Quietly sliding away from James, Alex opened the
window closest to the bed and adjust the blinds to
that they received the air.
"Better," he asked as she crawled back into bed and
snuggled against him.
"Much," she sighed.
"Good.
I only want you to be happy. "
"I am, as long as you're with me. "
"Then I'll be here forever," James said, kissing her
neck.
Alex woke up the next morning and looked
anxiously at the clock.
For a moment she forgot
that it was Saturday and almost panicked at being
late for work especially if they had to go in together.
Turning her head, she saw that James still slept
soundly beside her.
She smiled lightly at their
lovemaking from last night.
It had been a
wonderful Fourth of July for her.
Undisturbed by
her minor movements, Alex decided to let him
sleep.
Dressing in a soft cream colored satin robe,
Alex descended the steps to the kitchen to make
breakfast.
Chapter 14
Alex set the griddle on the stove, turned on the
coffee maker and went to the porch to collect the
newspaper.
She was just about to close the door
behind her when she heard a voice calling her
name.
Cocking her head to one side, she thought
it was James at first, but then realized the sound
was coming from outside the house.
Turning
around in the doorway, she gasped sharply as Tad
made his way up the sidewalk to her house.
"Good morning, Alex," he said, slightly out of breath
and then kissing her cheek.
"Good morning," she responded shocked at his
appearance.
"Can I come in or will we have to have our reunion
on the porch and shock the neighbors," he smiled.
"Please, come in," she offered finally, wondering if
she could keep James and Tad separated long
enough for Tad to leave.
Tad strolled into the house and frowned at the lack
of elegance in the house.
Alex noticed the frown
and frowned herself.
She knew that he was not
impressed with her surroundings or the house.
"The furniture looks out of place, Alex.
It'll look
better back in Washington. "
"You think so," she asked trying to keep the
conversation neutral.
"Yes, I do," he said turning to her, "You're not
dressed?"
"No.
I'm just getting up. "
"I didn't mean the robe.
I meant that there's
nothing under the robe. "
Alex forgot that her back was to the door and the
sunlight.
The thin fabric of the robe clung to her
breasts and illuminated the gap of her legs
underneath the garment.
"Oh, um, I was, uh, I just
got out of the bathtub," she lied.
"Really? Your hair is dry already?"
"I didn't wash it. "
"Must have been a short bath," Tad remarked
looking at her appearance closely.
He saw the
gleam in her eye and the kiss bruised lips and knew
there was somebody recently taking his pleasures.
"So, who is he," Tad asked finally.
"Who is who?"
"Don't play stupid with me, Alex," Tad said crossing
the room coming to stand in front of her.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Tad," she
lied insistently.
The beeping of the finished coffeemaker broke the
confrontation and Alex went into the kitchen to
create space between them.
"Coffee," she
offered.
"No, thank you.
I didn't drive 300 miles for coffee,
Alex.
I came to take you home.
I'm announcing
my intentions for Adler's seat on Monday
morning.
I'm going to need a loving wife or
fiancée to stand beside me. "
Alex turned and looked at Tad from the
kitchen.
He had followed her through the house
and into the dining room.
"I'm not going back, Tad. "
"So there is another man?"
"No," she replied shaking her head, "I like it here. "
"Bullshit," he swore.
Alex finished fixing her coffee and began to make
her way back to the living room.
She was trying to
keep him away from the stairs.
The noise might
rouse James.
Halfway across the room, Tad
grabbed her right arm and spun her to him.
The
tea cup, which had been in her left hand, flew from
her and projected itself into the wall where it
smashed.
"What do you think you are doing," Alex asked
angrily.
"Go upstairs, get dressed, and pack your things.
A
moving company will be here this afternoon to take
care of your furniture which will go back to the
storage facility," he hissed.
"I will not.
I'm not leaving, Tad.
That's
final.
Besides, even if I wanted to, I would need to
give Hasani two weeks’ notice "
"Why? You won't be working again.
You won't
need a reference. "
"Tad, I'm not leaving.
I don't want to go back to
D.C."
"Or to me? I'm not letting you make the biggest
mistake of your life, Alex.
I'm the best thing
going.
There isn't a woman in D.C. who wouldn't
love to be you right now.
You're going to be my
wife and that's final. "
Alex tried to jerk her arm from Tad's grip, which
only served to infuriate him.
Reaching up with his
free hand, Tad pulled her hair back so that her face
upturned to his.
Digging his fingers into her skin,
Tad brought her body flush against his and kissed
her roughly.
Squirming against him to be freed of
his hold, Alex bit down on his lip drawing blood.
"Dammit," Tad hollered throwing Alex to the
ground, "What the hell was that for?"
"You were hurting me, you arrogant ass," Alex said
raising herself from the floor.
Tad held his hand against the offended lip, trying to
stem the flow of blood.
Alex watched his mood
change warily as a smile crept across his face.
"Where's your car, Alex?"
"What?"
"Where's your car? I didn't see it out front," he
stated, arching an eyebrow and going into the
kitchen to grab a towel.
"It's in the shop."
"What's wrong with it?"
"What's this all about? Two seconds ago you were
calmly attacking me and now you're questioning me
about my car. "
"It'll need to be transported to D.C.
I'll have to
have somebody come and get it. "
"No, you won't.
I'm not going anywhere," she bit
out frustrated.
"I beg to differ.
I need you in D.C. with me. "
"Somehow Tad, I don't believe you.
How much do
you need?"
"Excuse me," he asked.
"Don't give me the shocked expression.
How
much do you need?"
"You think this is about money?"
"Not just any money, Tad.
My money, my
inheritance; remember that I know how much it
costs to run a campaign.
So how much do you
need?"
"You think this about your money?"
"I know so!"
"Well it's not!
So go get dressed," he demanded
again, coming back into the dining room.
"I will not be ordered around, Tad.
Not
anymore. "
Alex should have expected the blow but was
stunned none the less when Tad's hand came across
her cheek.
Falling to the floor once more, Alex
wondered if she would be able to get away from
Tad long enough to get out of the house.
"You will not defy me, Alex.
GO GET DRESSED!"
Alex gingerly touched the welts on her cheek and
stared up at Tad.
To have this happen again was
painful enough, but to have James walk in on it
would kill her.
She cowered as Tad stooped to
grab her arms and lift her from the floor.
"Leave her go," came a quiet voice from behind
her.
James had heard the argument from the
beginning.
It was the breaking of the tea cup
which made him wake up and realize something
was terribly wrong.
Slipping into his jeans from
yesterday, he crept down the stairs and stopped
short of the doorway.
He had heard Tad question
her about her car, which still sat at Suzanne and
Harry's.
He had heard Alex tell Tad no and
question his motives for her to return to D.C.
"I said, let her go, Tad," James quietly
insisted.
Moving across the floor, James reached
out and put his hand on Alex's shoulder, trying to
ease her away from Tad.
"Who the hell are you," Tad asked outraged still
grasping Alex's arms.
"Leave her go, now," James demanded louder,
gently pulling on her shoulder.
Alex felt James' pull and pulled her arms as
well.
She didn't want a confrontation between the
two, but it was unavoidable now.
Tad let go,
mainly from the shock of seeing another man, half
dressed in Alex's house.
Released from Tad's cruel hands, Alex allowed
James to cradle her in his arms and look at her
cheek.
"Are you alright," he asked staring into her
eyes.
He saw the fear that had been there when
Dan was stalking her.
Turning his eyes from hers
to stare at Tad, Alex was sure he was going to kill
him.
"Alex, say good bye to your lover, then go upstairs
and get dressed.
We're leaving in an hour," Tad
requested one last time, "I'll forgive you this
time.
But there will be no more lovers in D.C.
I
will not have that scandal brought upon me. “
"She's not going anywhere with you," James
declared.
Setting Alex in a chair at the table he
turned to Tad, "She's already said no.
How many
times do you want to hear it?"
"You have no business here, mister.
All you did
was keep her warm for me," Tad sneered.