Stan

“How long have I been asleep?”

“A little while. It must have felt good.”

“You know it did, so stop fishing for compliments because you’re not going to get them from me.”

I laughed at her because she was trying to act like she hadn’t just screamed out my name so many times that her voice was a little hoarse. There was nothing that I could do but smile. Fuck, this woman got to me and of course I wasn’t supposed to have her. It was the way things went sometimes and I knew that it was going to be hard to get her to come back, but I was going to get Callie out too and she would have no reason to stay. Then I would be able to see her more. I was always flying, and Chicago really wasn’t that far when it came to flying.

“I’m not fishing for compliments. I just want to make sure that you are truly satisfied. I want you to keep coming back for more and if you aren’t satisfied, give me a few minutes and I can rectify that.”

I started to move towards her form lying still on the bed and she shook her head. “No, I’m more than satisfied. Keep your distance or I won’t be able to walk tomorrow.”

I was tempted to tell her that I didn’t care. It was a surefire way to keep her out of trouble. If she couldn’t walk, then I wouldn’t have to chase after her anymore and at this moment in time, that sounded really damn good. I felt like I had spent a large part of my time, chasing Eve down. Here I was again, here to make sure she hadn’t run in the wrong direction and gotten in trouble again.

“Fine, I will leave you with some mobility, but we need to talk then.”

That sentence got me a groan and I could tell rather easily that it wasn’t something that she wanted to talk about. That didn’t matter of course. We were going to talk about it, whether she liked it or not. I had to know what was going on with her and what she planned to do. She’d been here over three weeks now and it was time for her to come home.

“What is it that you want to talk about Stan?”

“What I am here for.”

“I talked to Carl earlier and he said you were on your way. I didn’t mean for you to come. Everything is fine here and as you can see, I haven’t done anything stupid and gotten in trouble. You two don’t have to worry about me like you do. I will be fine.”

She kept saying that and I was sure that she believed it, but I wasn’t as sure as she was that it was actually true.

“You aren’t going to leave until Callie does, are you?”

“That’s what I told you before. I haven’t changed my mind. Besides, I’m going to have her out of here in no time at all.”

She seemed sure of that and I had to wonder how. When I asked her, she just shrugged. “The elections are over, and people are ready to take a bribe. That’s what I have been waiting for really. Now I just must get the rest of the money together. I’m already half way there, so it won’t be long at all until I can get her out. Another week or so at the most.”

“Well I will help you out with that.”

“Help me out with what?”

“With the bribe. That’s how I had to get you out of it. They wanted one to stay and it had to be her. I’m glad they are ready to play ball with Callie as well.”

She giggled and just shook her head like I was being crazy. Maybe I was, but a little bit of money thrown into the right hands would be worth it if it gave me the peace of mind that I needed. Right now, I was always uptight, worried about what was going to happen next. No, it was worth it for me to spend a little money and get the sleep that I needed at night.

Eve got up like she was going to get dressed and I dragged her back to bed.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m just getting dressed. It weird to talk about money while I’m like this. It just doesn’t seem right.”

“One is not contingent on the other. You were already out on bail when you decided to jump me.”

“I didn’t jump you.”

I gave her a look, telling her that she damn well did. Not that I was complaining, mind you, but there was something going on in that head of hers.

“Fine, so I jumped you. I don’t know, it just doesn’t seem right.”

“So, you won’t take the money?” That concerned me because I wanted her home.

“I didn’t say that, but I won’t talk about it or accept it until I have some clothes one.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “There is nothing to worry about. The money is not a problem. I will charge it off at the end of the year. It may even help me in the end, who knows.”

“You’re going to have to let me pay it back, with interest.”

This would have been the time that I told her how I would like her payments to be, with her naked and on her back. I withheld that because of her previous comments. I said those things because she turned me on to no end. It certainly didn’t have anything to do with anything else.

“We’ll work something out later. I want to get you two out of here, so I can sleep a little better at night.”

“Aww, have you been worried Stan?”

She had me and I could have tried to deny it, but what was the point? There was too much riding on this and when it came down to it, I wanted her to know.

“Yes, I’ve been worried. It’s all I’ve thought about since I went back to New York. You wouldn’t answer my calls.”

“I didn’t want a lecture Stan. But I wouldn’t turn down some help getting her out of this sooner. Although, I don’t know if she is going to want to leave right away.”

I didn’t get what she was saying and when I asked her she just smiled like it was funny. What did I not get?

“She’s in love, with one of the guards apparently and they are going to move in together.”

“Well I didn’t see that coming.”

“Yeah, me neither. She told me earlier and I was a little shocked, but you would just have to get to know Callie, to know that this is usual. She falls in love fast and often.”

“Do you?”

“What?”

“Fall in love fast and often.”

She made a disparaging sound. “Not hardly.”

Why didn’t I like the sound of that? I didn’t fall in love at all, ever, but apparently there was a time for everything. It comes on so quick, almost immediately and I don’t know how I was supposed to feel. I just knew that I wanted her to feel the same way. If she didn’t fall in love often, I wanted to keep on thinking that I was one of those times.

“That’s good.”

She giggled and asked me why that was good.

“Because that means you loving me isn’t just a fluke. I don’t want to have to share your heart with past loves.”

She straightened up while I was trying to get her back on her back.

“Who said that I loved you?”

“You do, every time you look at me. It’s pretty obvious.”

“Ugh.”

She pushed me away as I tried to kiss her and grinned. “You really are full of yourself today, aren’t you?”

I was, but I did know. Every time she looked at me there was need and love in her eyes. It was hard not to see it and since I wanted to, it was there right in front of me. When I’d seen it in woman’s eyes before, it bothered me, but not now. Now I could see that it was what I’d been waiting for without even knowing it.

“Sometimes, but tell me that I’m wrong?”

Eve groaned again and pushed me away so that she could get up. “You’re not wrong, but now what?”

That was a very good question.