John was tired after having worked 48 hours straight. The Bureau had called him in to help with a case. He had been a top negotiations agent when he worked at the Bureau. Their negotiators were at a seminar when the case broke. John had been called because he could do the job, and he was near by. He had talked a man out of killing his two children and his wife. The sad thing was the man was an agent. The agent had cracked during his last assignment and they almost got to him too late. Fortunately, one of his kids managed to get a call through to the police.
They informed the agency and every one rolled into action. Now the agent was getting the help he needed and his family would receive counseling and support. It was the hardest negotiation John had ever done; it hit too close to home, way too close. He put that all away as he got his bags out of the car and walked tiredly up to his home; a home he shared with his fiancée of three months.
Natalie had pursued him relentlessly and he had finally caved. She managed to make him laugh; it had been so long since he had done that. He didn’t want to spend his life alone. Did he love her? Yes, he did love her, not like he loved Caitlyn, but he never expected to feel that way about a woman again. This was as close as he had ever come. He wasn’t getting any younger and thoughts of a family had been creeping into his head. So, Natalie asked and he said yes.
John opened the door and noticed the house was quiet, which probably meant that Natalie was at her mother’s. He remembered that she had told him earlier that she was going to spend last night there so he shouldn’t bother to check in. John had told her he would call when he came home. He usually did, but he thought he would surprise her; she liked surprises.
John placed his bags in the foyer and walked up the stairs. Suddenly, he stopped because, he heard sounds; sounds he shouldn’t hear. John pulled his gun and proceeded toward the sounds. He carefully pushed Natalie’s bedroom door open and was shocked at what he saw.
Natalie had her legs wrapped around a man’s torso and they were both moaning. From the bed he heard her say, “Damn this is good, harder.” He turned, went back down stairs, picked up his bags and walked out. John headed out of town; hurt, betrayed and royally pissed off. Mostly, he felt like the biggest fool this side of town.
McBain Family Cabin
John arrived at his cabin just as the sky was turning from a shimmering hue of rainbows of colors. He had stopped at a convenience store for a case of beer and some food; his usual: bread, tuna and chicken noodle soup. Food was the last thing on his mind and he didn’t think he’d feel like eating, but you never knew. He could smell the rain coming, but not right away. John got his stuff in the house and checked everything out. The power was on, but John started a fire and sat to drink a beer..
Memories ran through his mind; how he first met Natalie; how he tried to make it clear he wasn’t ready for more. Then he did something McBain men don’t do, he settled. Natalie was available and he didn’t have to work hard to please her. She was easy in so many ways. He just let himself go, but he should have known. She had let him know she wasn’t happy and that she wanted more. John thought she would be okay with all he had to offer. Well McBain, you were wrong there. He sat listening to his Coltrane and drank more. John wasn’t feeling anything. He dozed off until he heard the knocking in between the sounds of rain and thunder crashing outside the cabin.
“What the hell?” he asked to no one and went toward the door.
“Help! Please, I need help. Open up if you are in there.” A woman’s voice cried, she sounded desperate and wouldn’t stop banging on the door.
John opened the door and was hit by a blast of cold and rain. Lightening flashed across the sky, blinding him momentarily. The figure rushed in and turned, shaking off the water in the middle of the cabin.
“Thank you, I was so afraid no one would be here and I need help.” The voice sounded familiar. She took her hood off and her face was wet from the rain, her hair was soaked. The wind must have blown the water on to her as she was coming to the house. She looked up and he recognized her.
“Evangeline, what the hell are you doing in the middle of nowhere?”
“John McBain. Damn, my luck is good.”
“Answer me counselor. Why are you in the middle of nowhere? You left our little town for greener pastures a long time ago.”
“Can the inquisition wait? I’m soaked; got anything I can change into? Plus, I need your cell. My car broke down a half mile away. I need to call for help.”
“Yes, to the clothes, but my phone is charging. It went dead.”
“What about a regular phone?”
“No can do. Never had one installed.”
“Okay, clothes?” She asked looking like a little girl with those doe eyes.
“Yeah, I got some sweats you can borrow but you may have to use one of my belts to hold them up.”
“Great. Get them and show me where I can change. Then, I’ll spill about how I came to be here on this dark and stormy night.”
Evangeline waited for the clothes. She took them and followed John to a small bedroom to the back. Evangeline shut the door and looked around. The room was pretty Spartan; a man’s room. She wondered if it was the room John slept in. Evangeline got out of her wet clothes and dried off. He was right; she would definitely need the belt. John was a bigger man than she thought. The clothes smelled like him. It was interesting that she knew what he smelled like.
While Evangeline was changing, John walked back into the living room and decided to make her something hot. She was drenched. He didn’t know if she would eat his meager meal, but it was something his mom would do. John was a protector and caregiver by nature. It was one of the reason’s he went into law enforcement; the other was his father. His father, his hero, and conscience. Do your best John, always. Nothing less will do. Yes, his father was always in his heart wanting him to do better. Wonder what the old man would say if he knew the mess he was in now.
“John, thanks so much I feel a hundred percent better. Not quite dry.” She had the towel in her hands rubbing her hair. It was wild and she looked like a gypsy woman, wildly fascinating and untamed.
“I made something to warm you up. You want some soup?”
“Homemade?”
“Campbell’s, is that okay?”
“Great, I was going to get something further down the road, when my car stalled.”
“So sit. I’ll fix you a bowl and I made some toast to go with it.”
“John, you are so sweet.”
“No, but if a little seeps through… Promise not to tell my men; they think I’m a hard ass.”
“Promise your secret is safe with me.” She waited while he spooned out the soup and placed the bowl in front of her. Then he got the toast from the toaster. Buttered it and placed it in front of her.
“You’re not going to eat?” She asked and she began to blow on the soup before tasting it.
“I have beer.” He stated simply as if that was a meal.
“Please, I don’t want to eat alone. Get a bowl?” She gently tried to cajole him into eating something.
“I’m not hungry. You go on and eat.”
“Okay, but it would be more enjoyable if you joined me.” She used her signature smile. John was sure it usually worked on the best of them.
“Well, I will get a little, then you need to spill what brings you back to Pennsylvania. Don’t leave anything out.”
He remembered when she left. Some high-powered law firm offered huge sums or so he was told. Evangeline was a class act. She came by the station and said good-bye to all the guys she worked with or knew. Then the next day each guy got season tickets to the Eagles games. Yes, she was a class act.
“My law firm is working with Buchanan Enterprises and the corporate office knew of my prior relationship with them, so I got the job of coming to sort out a huge legal problem. No losses so far, so Asa Buchanan, asked for little old me.”
“So you think you can help the old geezer?”
“Yeah, but it won’t be easy.” She smiled and continued to eat the soup; checking John out and pretending not too. Secretly she had a crush on him. He was not by any means her type. Evangeline usually went for the corporate type or bad boys. John was just such a gentleman. He always pulled out chairs for her whenever she had to speak with him personally. If they were walking together he would open doors. Funny the things you remember about people and the things you didn’t.
“Is it a corporate matter or a criminal? I need to know just in case we are on opposite sides.”
“Would that be so bad; me staring at you and you at me?” She couldn’t believe it she was flirting and he was blushing. Well wonders never cease.
“No, I just don’t want to be on opposite sides.”
“Yes. I remember I usually won.”
“Some would say, we were even.”
“Do you want to bring up the Bowen case? Your guys arrested that poor man and messed up the evidence scene.”
”Yeah, but I was out of town. Had I been in town, it would have been a little bit harder for you to win.”
“You think?” She lifted her eyebrow and smiled.
“I know. More soup?”
“No thanks, but a beer would be nice.”
“I didn’t think you were the beer type.”
“I like beer, wine, and other spirits; some more than others. What? You don’t want to share?” she asked. She flicked her head back to get the hair out of her face, bringing his attention to her lovely neck.
“No, I’ll get you one. They should be cold.” He got her a beer, opening it. Then, he searched for a glass. He found one, washed it, poured her beer and gave it to her. He tried to get the picture of her neck and his thoughts of it out of his mind.
“How about I wash the dishes and you stoke the fire? You have done so much. The least I can do is clean up,” Evangeline suggested.
“Sounds good to me, but I could help with the dishes.”
“No, I’ve got it. I feel better; I really do.” She gathered their bowls and took them to the sink. Washing and drying them took very little time.
John nodded and took his beer in the other room. He built the fire up and changed his music to some easy jazz. He sat and was in deep thought when he felt her come and sit beside him.
“What’s your sad story? Care to spill?”
“What makes you think I have a sad story?”
“Well let’s see. You’re a handsome man, alone in a cabin. I see a case of beer; a little food and you don’t look happy. I think it’s the eyes; the eyes are the windows to your soul, Lieutenant.”
“I don’t think I want to spill. I just needed to get away and sort through some stuff.”
“Stuff? Sounds like you are at a turning point.”
“Yeah you could say that. I thought I knew where I was heading and then I got hit by good old-fashioned reality.”
“I can relate. Life sometimes trips you up.”
“Yeah. So, how do you like the corporate arena? Is it challenging?”
“Challenging? Yes. I have a couple of issues, but I will get past them.”
“Married yet? Or haven’t you factored that in your personal life?”
“No marriage. I think one needs to be dating to get to that stage.”
“What, a beautiful woman like you not dating? If I recall, Kevin was pretty hot on your trail before you left. He might be again.”
“He might. I just haven’t had time. I am flying from coast to coast. Some of my cases take me overseas. If I do meet anyone, I don’t get a chance to get to know him. It’s sad.”
“Really or are you just running? Afraid you might find someone who might make you feel?”
“I do feel. I feel good about sunrises and sunsets; The Dow Jones and my stock portfolio,” she said sarcastically.
“I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m sorry.” He noticed the hurt look and touch of sadness in her eyes.
“Don’t be. You’re not the first person to see me as some career orientated tight-ass. You won’t be the last.”
“No. I don’t see you that way. I’m not good with words. You have a lot to offer someone. You’re smart, witty, and sexy when you’re not lethal.”
“I’m sexy?” Evangeline asked focusing on the part she didn’t know. She thought John barely noticed her or any woman for that matter.
”Yeah, like you didn’t know.”
“John, you surprise me?”
“How?”
“I thought you saw me, well, different,” she said and scooted back on the sofa, positioning herself a little closer to him, That made his heart beat just a little too fast.
“I’m a man. How different could I see you? Your hair is gorgeous all curly like this. Your skin is beautiful and your eyes express everything and sometimes nothing. You have killer legs. You have a beautiful body and when you walk in a room, heads turn.”
John stopped; he hadn’t wanted her ever to know how much he had thought about her. He remembered he could always tell if she had been to his office or the station. It smelled like flowers in springtime. He would sometimes look forward to coming to the station in hopes of smelling that scent. Yes, if he had been a different man, they might have connected.
“So I guess that is my cue to tell you the good things about you. The eyes are intense; the blue makes me think of an ocean I could get lost in. The mouth sensual and strong. Your hair is to die for; rich dark brown and with a sheen that begs for a woman’s hand to smooth it back when it falls in your face. Your body fit as an athlete and not dependent on your time at the gym,” she said smiling trying her best not to lift her hand and smooth back the tendril that had just fallen.
John was speechless; she couldn’t mean all she said. She was toying with him and she did it well. He knew that he should stop this here. John was hurting or he should be. He didn’t want to use her; she was worth more than that. They were two adults in a cabin alone; he had so much baggage, she would run to the hills if she knew. He looked into her eyes and was about to suggest they turn in, but he got distracted.
Evangeline pushed his hair out of his face and her touched burned him. He grabbed her hand to stop her. He found that was a mistake; he took her hand and brought the palm to his lips. John couldn’t help but flick his tongue in her palm to taste her skin. Evangeline pulled her hand free and brought it to his cheek. She then bent to capture his lips.
John felt her lips before they touched. He opened for her and he was lost. Sweetness was this. Her lips felt like silk and her tongue was hot and tempting him to do things he only dreamed about but hadn’t wanted to do with a woman until now. His heart began to beat faster and he pulled her close, deepening the kiss. He broke it.
“You sure? I want this, but are you sure?” he asked looking into her eyes, trying to stay in control and losing the battle. Her scent was assaulting his reasoning.
“I’m sure. Now, kiss me.”
He did and they found more places that pleased them both, as they danced the night away in each other’s arms.
When morning came, all that was left was a note.
John,
I don’t know what led you here and perhaps I never will. I want to thank you for an amazing time. You are a wonderful man. Last night was beyond anything I have ever had with anyone. I need to say that if you ever need me, just whistle. You know how to do that; just pucker your lips and blow. Thanks for the soup, the care and all the rest. Until we meet again.
E
John was amazed. Last night was beyond anything he had experienced too. John wished she hadn’t left. He could still smell her and he still wanted her. He knew he had to deal with Natalie. John wasn’t looking forward to it, but he couldn’t avoid it. He took the note and put it in his pocket; then he made a call. What he needed was some advice. He couldn’t work through this one by himself.