The Ties that Bind (Kingdom) (13 page)

Each thrust of his body was a show of his power, his want, his need of her, only her. The sound of her gasps. The sound of their wet bodies slapping together, the way her body clamped down on him, as though reluctant to release him drove him crazy.

As flood after flood of moisture surrounded him, Jason’s way became easier. His need greater. Everything about the woman on top of him was a sensual trigger. Her skin, her touch, her scent. The way her body fit his to perfection... her very being.

From one heart beat to the next all his thoughts fell away. All that remained was the feeling of their bodies moving in perfect unison. This was it, this was who he was meant to be with, who he was meant to love, who he would always love.

Unable to hold back, Jason didn’t resist the needs of his body. He gave in to the feelings that rushed through him. Thrusting upwards with powerful strokes he didn’t deny his body what it wanted. When his climax hit, he could only relish the feelings that throbbed throughout his body as he shot stream after stream of life’s essence into her body.

Replete, Jason held Aviva as she curled up against his chest, the night air blowing across their cooling bodies. Content, he closed his eyes and inhaled, his hands running over the soft skin of the woman he loved.

“Bloody hell!” Aviva shouted as she jack-knifed upwards. Throwing her legs over the side of the lounger, and took off at a dead run.

Not understanding what was happening, it took Jason a few moments to react to her sudden movement. Still confused, he too sprang to his feet to follow her. For a woman who hated too much physical exertion, she was moving more quickly than he had ever seen. Realizing that something must be very wrong, Jason quickened his steps.

Bursting into the house he had just enough time to see Aviva’s bare ass disappear through the office door. Following behind he saw that she was heading towards the kitchen. As his steps took him deeper into the house, Jason understood what had made her move so quickly; there was a film of smoke everywhere. She had joined the Kingdom club and had burnt their dinner.

Chapter 14

Jason entered the bedroom after his morning workout to see Aviva sitting up in bed, her laptop balanced on her lap. However deep her concentration, he knew she was unaware of his presence. Removing his sweat drenched clothing, Jason watched her fingers as they flew across the keyboard. Completely naked he decided it was time for her to acknowledge his presence.

“What are you concentrating so hard on?”

“Writing.”

“What are you writing?” Jason asked, again trying to gain her attention.

“Song, and you’re breaking my flow. Please go and have your shower and stop talking to me.” Aviva spoke without looking in his direction.

Jason walked closer to the bed and looked down at her bent head. Standing perfectly still with his legs braced and his hands hanging at his side, he waited until her eyes moved away from the computer screen to make contact with his legs. As her eyes travelled in an upward direction, he knew the moment her attention was snagged, and it had nothing to do with the manly shape of his thighs.

“Care to join me?”

“As tempting as that thought might be, I’m afraid I will have to decline. But I’ll meet you later tonight for a bath.”

“We could mix it up a bit, it’s been a while since we took a shower together.”

“I’m not getting in the shower with you, you always get my hair wet.”

“Sorry about that.” Jason said, not sorry at all. However, if he could pull it off, she might just believe the contrite expression he was attempting to convey.

“Baby, we’ve already established that you can’t act worth a damn. So in other words I don’t believe you. I’ve told you, I’m busy, and you’re breaking my flow and as good as you look you don’t smell so good.”

“I’ll make a deal with you. I promise not to get your hair wet. In fact, I will guarantee it. If I mess it up, I will personally ensure that your hair looks exactly as it did the first time I met you. Heck I’ll even put in those Bantu knots if you want me to.”

“No deals. I gave you two chances, and you blew both. Bantu knots?” Aviva asked as though just comprehending what he had actually said. “What do you know about doing Bantu knots?”

“I’ve seen you do them. I know how, I kinda like them.” Jason wanted to laugh at her disbelieving look. “Come take a shower with me and you can put me to the test.”

“As much as I would like to see you attempt Bantu knots the answer is still, no.”

Resigned to showering on his own, Jason leaned forward, managing to outmaneuver her attempts to avoid him, and placed a quick kiss on her lips. “I suppose I’ll just have to go shower on my own with no one to wash my back.”

“Oh, my poor baby.” Aviva said with a look of mock sympathy on her face. “My only thought to that comment is; I wonder how you manage to do it every morning without whining or help?”

“You’re a little grouchy when you’re writing. Did anyone ever tell you that?”

“Go away, Jason. You’re getting on my nerves.”

Mumbling under his breath about a man getting little or no attention from his woman when she was writing, Jason turned away to take his solitary shower.

**********

Aviva rolled her eyes and smiled at his departing back. It was a mighty fine back, ass and... hell the man was just fine, period.

Shaking her head to dispel her obsession with Jason’s body, Aviva returned her attention to the song that had popped into her head the moment her eyes had opened. It was like that sometimes. Out of nowhere a melody would pop into her head followed closely by the perfect string of words that brought it to life.

This song had a special meaning to her. It spoke about time and the ability to heal. While she knew it wasn’t going to be easy for the four of them to regain the closeness they had once shared, she was determined to at least try to make it happen.

Steve and Jason had been through too much together, and she wouldn’t allow their friendship to fail now. As for Hope, she knew that most people would probably want nothing more to do with her after the stunt she pulled, but she was willing to give her a chance. This was her last chance as far as Aviva was concerned, but she would go into this business of rebuilding without condemnation of Hope’s past behavior. Hope still had to explain herself, but Aviva knew in her heart that Hope had been reacting to elements that she was still unable to control.

This was how it sometimes happened, one moment a writer could be bursting with the words that needed to be written, and the next they were gone. The momentary distraction of their fragmented relationship was all it had taken for Aviva’s creativity to dissipate.

Closing her eyes, Aviva attempted to regain the clarity of thought that had been with her only moments before. Try as she might the only images that flashed behind her closed lids were those of Hope, Steve, and Jason and the gulf that stood between them.

Aviva heard when Jason emerged from the bathroom but remained perfectly still until she felt the depression of the mattress beside her.

“What?” Jason asked as he stretched his long body beside her. The single word carrying with it a level of intensity that told her he was perfectly tuned into her emotional shift.

“I was just thinking about Hope and Steve.”

“What about them?”

“I was just thinking about what we’re going to do to sort this mess out.”

“We are going to do nothing. I don’t want anything to do with that woman. I thought I’d made myself clear on the subject.”

Aviva could hear the irritation in his voice. But Jason’s inflexibility regarding Hope was not going to deter her from following through with what she thought was the right thing to do.

“You know I love you, right?” Aviva waited for a sound of affirmation that she realized after a few seconds wasn’t coming.

Repeating the question she followed it up with a poke to his rib. Shrinking back in sensitivity, Jason’s grunt was her only response. Knowing she would get no more out of him until she explained herself, Aviva drew in a breath.

“Hope called me while you were working out. She wants me to meet her for coffee later today.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I said that I would meet up with her.”

“I thought we had agreed that we would have nothing to do with that woman.”

“We agreed on no such thing. I would never agree to something like that.”

“Aviva, I would like you to support me on this. I don’t want you to meet up with her.
I
don’t want you to have anything to do with her, now or
ever
!”

“I’m sorry, baby, I can’t agree to that.”

“I will ask you one more time to back me on this.”

Aviva could see that Jason was genuinely angered by her agreeing to meet with Hope. While she understood why he felt the way he did, she didn’t feel the same way. She knew Hope much better than he did, and something was patently wrong with her that was outside of the norm.

“Jason, please try to see my point of view. I understand how you feel, but I need, no I want to do this.” Aviva said, turning to face him as she searched his expression for a sign that he would at least find a way to accept her position.

“I can’t stop you from going, as much as I would like to. I have a question; is this what I have to look forward to, you disregarding my feelings in favor of your friends?”

Aviva was furious at his question. “That’s completely unfair, and you know it!” Pushing the computer from her lap, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

“It may well seem unfair to
you,
but to
me,
I would say it just about sums up this situation.”

“You are being completely unreasonable, and I’m not going to fight with you about this!”

“I’d say we were already fighting, and the cause is your good friend, Hope! What the hell is wrong with you people, have you forgotten the way she behaved?”

“No I haven’t forgotten. I will never forget what she did but I chose to hear her out, and I don’t have time for this right now!”

“Where are you going? This discussion is not at an end.”

“Well it is for me I can assure you.” Aviva threw over her shoulder as she headed for the closet and pulled out a red pants suit.

“Where are you going?” Jason asked, his eyes following her every movement.

“I have a doctor’s appointment, for which I will be late if we keep up this conversation.” Aviva had her back turned to Jason, so she didn’t see the color drain from his face.

“What’s the matter with you?”

Still turned away from him, all Aviva heard were words spoken through tight lips. Wrongly imagining his expression of irritation at her refusal to acquiesce to his wishes, Aviva threw a comment over her shoulder.

“Nothing’s the matter with me. I’m just going to get my shot.”

“A shot for what?”

Still refusing to look in his direction, Aviva continued to pull on her clothes as she answered him. “A shot so I don’t end up with another you running around giving me unreasonable orders!”

At the sound of Jason’s sharp intake of breath, Aviva realized how her words sounded to him. Spinning around she was confronted by a pale looking Jason whose eyes reflected the hurt she had just inflicted on him.

“I’m sorry, baby. That came out all wrong.” Dropping her blouse, Aviva approached a still naked Jason who looked her straight in the eyes before turning and walking to his closet to gather clothing.

She had never dressed so slowly in her life, but even by the time she was fully clothed and ready to leave, Jason had still not said a single word to her. No matter how much she apologized for her unthinking words, he remained silent.

“Jason, will you at least speak to me?” Aviva tried again to get him to speak to her. Dressed and without even one look in her direction he headed for the door.

“I have nothing to say to you at the moment. So I’ll leave you to enjoy your day.”

Alone in the room, Aviva wondered when she was going to learn to keep her big mouth shut and consider this man’s feelings!

Chapter 15

Aviva had been waiting a full thirty minutes for Hope to show up. She understood about being late as she was often guilty of the same trait. But this was taking it to the extreme. Aviva had called Hope twice already and was just about to pull out her phone for the third time when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Aviva.” Hope said with a slight tilt to her lips and a nervous laugh.

Aviva thought the expression was that of someone who was either extremely embarrassed or extremely anxious.

“Thirty minutes, Hope, really?”

Sitting down opposite Aviva, Hope apologized again, all the while her eyes shifted from side to side. Aviva knew Hope and could tell something was wrong, and braced herself for what was to come.

“So does Jason know you’re here?”

“Jason is none of your business, and if this meeting is about him, I’m leaving!” Aviva had no intention of mincing her words where Jason was concerned. Although she was willing to attempt a reconciliation between them all, she would not discuss him with Hope. Picking up her purse, Aviva pushed back her chair and rose to her feet ready to make good on her words.

“Wait, I didn’t call you here to talk about Jason. I was just trying to make small talk.”

“Wrong subject!” Aviva told her with a dead straight face that left Hope in no doubt as to the seriousness of where she stood.

“Okay, I understand. Please don’t leave. Why don’t we order something to drink while I gather my thoughts?”

“You mean you waited until you got here, thirty minutes late to decide you needed to gather your thoughts!” Aviva knew she sounded waspish but she didn’t much care. Taking this woman’s side had led to a disagreement between her and Jason, so she wasn’t exactly feeling charitable.

“I’m sorry, Aviva.”

“Oh, for goodness sake. Stop bloody well saying you’re sorry, it’s getting on my nerves!”

“Okay, how about this. Sit your ass down, I have something to say that you need to hear!”