“We will be fine, Jason. In a week we will be back here fucking like rabbits and you will have forgotten what it was you were so worried about.” Usually when Toni talked dirty to him, it really turned him on. This time Jason was far too distracted.
He loved her. There was no denying it. There had been times when his need for Toni had overpowered him and he had taken her forcefully, without gentle caress or tender words, pounding his cock into her pussy until they’d both exploded. Jason had been amazed that Toni had enjoyed these times just as much as he did, when he’d worshiped her body for hours. They were perfect for each other in every way. He’d even started questioning his own sixth sense, or whatever that sensation was that he got when he sensed danger. Maybe he was confusing his own possessive streak for Toni with the one that made him feel she was under some sort of threat.
He was not proud that he wanted to keep Toni safely tucked away, out of the reach of all the scum that roamed the earth, but he was trying to deal with it—push those impulses away. Up until now he’d managed to do that. But it was time to man up and let his woman do what she thought was right.
“Let’s just get this over and done with.” Jason removed Toni’s hands from around his waist and picked up his phone.
Jason’s phone beeped, indicating that Chris had arrived. It was time to get a grip on his concerns and take Toni to do what she so desperately wanted to do—make people feel better, care for others. Show the world that being a Grimaldi was more than just making money.
“C’mon, luv, time to get this show on the road. Chris is downstairs.”
Jason helped Toni into the car. “You remember Chris, Toni? You met at my office.”
“Hey, Chris, glad to see you again. I’m sorry you have to play nursemaid to me for a week. I hope it’s not too boring.” Toni’s reply held a fair hint of sarcasm, and Jason couldn’t blame her, considering his behavior.
“Hi, Toni. Not a problem, honey. Let’s make a deal—you promise to stay out of trouble and I will just pretend we are all on a nice little holiday in the countryside, okay? We better get on the road, though. It’s a five hour drive.”
“My father did offer the use of the company jet but I thought the drive would be nice—that Jason and I could spend the time chatting. I’m starting to think that might have been the wrong decision.”
He deserved it again. He’d been such a bastard it was no wonder Toni wasn’t looking forward to being in his company.
“I get to pick the music, though, luv. I don’t think Chris would appreciate listening to your choices. There are only so many sad love songs a bloke can handle.”
“It’s better than that old head banging music you listen to.”
* * * *
They’d been traveling for a few hours. Jason was relieved that Toni seemed to have forgiven him as they chatted and reminisced about their holiday. He was starting to relax a little.
“Chris, would you mind pulling over at the next rest stop? I need to go to the toilet.”
Jason hadn’t planned for that. Stopping. He’d not considered all of Toni’s needs. He’d been so busy worrying.
“Is that a problem, Jason? Is there a high probability that I might be snatched from the ladies’ toilet while you’re not looking?”
“Pull over the first chance you get, Chris.”
“Righto, J-man.”
The toilet break was not the only time Toni asked for the car to be pulled over, though. Toni wanted to see the countryside up close—see what impact her family’s mining interests had had on the area. Wanted to walk the land her family leased. Jason had not been happy about her unscheduled stops but he kept his concerns to himself. He was pleased that Chris remained alert and watchful, making sure the area was clear. Jason had known Chris for years. They had been in some tight spots together, and knowing Chris was taking his uneasiness seriously made Jason feel better and worse at the same time. Chris didn’t question Jason’s ability to sense danger, having witnessed the benefits of Jason’s insight first-hand over in Afghanistan when Jason had somehow just known there was an IED ahead. One their truck would have rolled right over the top of.
Finally they made it to their destination.
* * * *
“Seriously, guys, you’re starting to make me jumpy,” Toni complained as Jason and Chris scouted the area before they finally let her into the accommodation she’d booked for their stay during her visit.
Every time she had asked Chris to stop the car, the men had gone into full macho mode.
Anyone would think I was about to go skipping through the desert scattered with land mines in some Middle Eastern country, the way they carry on.
It was starting to get to her. Jason was more overbearing and controlling than ever and without the promise of an orgasm at the end of it.
“Stop acting like I’m about to get murdered or something. No one is out to get me. We’re in the middle of nowhere and the only people around here are employees of Grimaldi Holdings or people who benefit from them. Can’t we just relax and try to enjoy these few days away from the hustle and bustle of the city?”
Jason and Chris just glared at her.
“Fine. Suit yourselves, but I’m not going to let you get in the way of what I’m here for. If you don’t stop with the frowns and the ‘I’m a big bad arse, don’t come near me’ vibes, I’m going to leave you here in the motel room.”
“The hell you are,” Jason bellowed at her.
“Well, smile, Jason, and pretend you’re happy to be here.” Toni skipped toward her brooding man and touched her lips to his. “I booked Chris a room a few doors down, just in case we get a bit loud later on.”
Jason’s lips twitched into a half grin of sorts.
Finally something that makes him smile.
“Let’s leave our bags and go meet Tom. He told me he’d be on site at the office around this time.” Toni was looking forward to meeting Cardona Mine’s general manager so she could see first-hand what was being done. Unfortunately even after drilling more than eight exploratory boreholes, there had been no evidence that any of the missing miners were still alive. After so many weeks, not many held hope of finding more survivors. The death toll was horrible but Toni thought that not recovering the missing bodies made it even worse for the three families involved. Not being able to lay your loved ones to rest, unacceptable. The only problem was without evidence, it was hard to send a crew into the mine. Their safety had to be considered. The last thing anyone needed was for any rescue team to be injured—or worse.
“Don’t you want to freshen up a bit first, luv? It was a long drive. Maybe Chris needs some time.”
Nice try, Jason, but that’s not gonna work.
“Well…” Toni began, making her voice sound all cheery and innocent. “If Chris is too tired from the looong drive, maybe I can just drive myself. I do have a driving license, you know.”
There. Suck on that one, Mr. Security Man.
Jason’s jaw clenched
. Wow, if looks could kill, I think I’d be a goner.
“I’m good to go whenever you are, Miss Grimaldi,” Chris declared.
Toni guessed he had noticed Jason’s reaction as well. “Please call me Toni, Chris. And good, let’s get going then.”
The three of them piled back into the car—Chris up front, Toni and Jason in the back. Jason was holding her hand again, making Toni smile. He might not be happy but at least he still showed her that he cared, no matter how annoyed he was with her.
Toni quickly realized that her early statement about the area being deserted was wrong. Even after all this time, television crews and reporters were still camped outside the gates to the mine. There were a team of security guards who checked their identities before the gates opened. Reporters swarmed the car, cameras pushed up against the windows.
“Fuck.” Chris’ expletive was loud as he tried to maneuver their vehicle safely through the melee.
“No one here, Toni? Seriously, did you really think the place would be deserted? Have you not watched the news, read the papers? This is still a big story. Now can you see why I’m concerned? Do you think you will be able to cope under the scrutiny of the press? They are going to be desperate for a new headline, having been out here for so long with no new development to report on.”
Jason’s tone was calm, but the seriousness of the situation was clear to see—Toni didn’t need Jason to yell at her for her to realize she was way out of her depth. But if she could talk to some of the press, explain her plans for the Grimaldi Foundation—what she hoped to achieve—maybe it would help. People would see her father was doing the right thing for his people and maybe Toni would attract other big donations in the process. Her head was swimming with ideas of how she could pull this off to benefit everyone.
“We can check out the guests before they enter the lunch thing, J-man—make sure they are all employees. Maybe even enlist the help of some of these security guys, although they all look a bit green to me,” Chris said over his shoulder as he pulled the car into an empty spot out the front of a one-story building structure. The head office of Cardona Mine didn’t look much more than an upscaled shed.
“I’ll make it happen, Chris. I reckon five or six men covering the lunch should do it. I’ll make all the arrangements when I meet this Tom character. It will be first on my list of what needs to be done. Frank assured me this guy would comply with all my requests,” Jason replied, the man talking as if Toni wasn’t in the car or able to make any decisions of her own.
Typical that my father would be in the mix as well. When are the men in my life going to treat me like an adult? Not some precious pet they need to keep safe?
Jason was no better than Frank.
“Enough. I’m sick of all this. I’m going in to meet Tom—and, Jason, I don’t want you to come with me. Stay here in the car with Chris. You are both acting like bodyguards, so if you’re both on the job then that makes you my employees. And I’m ordering you to sit or fall back or whatever the right terminology is…” Toni flung her car door open, breaking one of her nails in the process. She was so angry, so frustrated. She stomped her way over the red dirt then up the metal steps, only pausing long enough to twist the doorknob to open the office door. She pulled it shut after her, just as Jason was bounding up the steps behind her.
A tall man in a crumpled gray suit jumped up from behind a desk. “Miss Grimaldi, it’s a pleasure to welcome you to Cardona Mine. I’m just so sorry it has to be under these awful circumstances.”
“Tom?” Toni replied, as she held out her hand in greeting to the man.
“That would be me, “Tom said, as he took hold of her hand and gave it a quick, firm shake. “Can I get you something to drink, Miss Grimaldi? Coffee? Tea or water, perhaps? The dust has a way of coating everything around here, even your throat.”
Toni had heard the sound of the door opening behind her and she could feel the heat of Jason’s body at her back but she refused to acknowledge him just yet. Instead, she decided to take up Tom’s offer.
“Coffee would be lovely. Thank you, Tom, and please call me Toni.”
“I’m Jason Beck. I’m sure Frank Grimaldi informed you I would be accompanying Toni on her…visit?” Jason said, as he reached past her and shook hands with Tom.
“Yes he did. Glad to meet you. I’m more than happy to offer any assistance you might need while you are here,” Tom answered.
Again Toni got the feeling she was superfluous in the equation as the men bonded and took control.
“Coffee?” she blurted out feeling bitchy and sounding the same.
“Yes, yes, of course, Miss Gr—Toni. Let me make a phone call and get some sent over from the canteen.” Tom looked a little flustered as he stepped back behind his desk and picked up his phone.
He can probably feel the tension in the air.
She felt Jason’s breath on her neck. “I’m sorry you are angry with me, luv, but this is what I do. I protect people, keep them out of harm’s way or stop them from getting into it in the first place. Don’t you ever storm off from the car again without me or Chris at your side. Do you understand me? I’m am not opposed to throwing you over my shoulder, strapping you back into your car seat and driving you straight back home. God, sometimes I think I should just keep you tied to our bed for your own safety and my peace of mind.”
The words Jason had whispered into her ear made Toni want to scream, but her body’s reaction to the warm puffs of air from his mouth as he spoke made her even angrier—with herself. She was so turned on, her panties were wet. She checked that Tom was still busy with his phone call then slowly turned her body around to face Jason, making sure her now hard and pointy nipples brushed against his chest as she did. She should have been thinking about slapping him for ordering her about that way. Instead, Toni’s thoughts had turned to sex.
As her eyes met his, Toni saw the moment Jason realized she was turned on. At first his gaze was hard then Jason’s nostrils flared a little and his features softened. A little grin formed on his lips.
“Don’t look at me like that, luv—you know what it does to me.”
“I’m not proud of myself about it, I can assure you, Jason. That little outburst of yours, all that ordering me around should make me want to punch you in the nose,” Toni replied in a huff. “I just can’t help it sometimes—your dominant side just gets to me.”
“Well, I’m glad I have that effect on you, honey, but I do need you to take what I said seriously. I’m really not feeling right about any of this.” Jason took her in his arms, hugging Toni to his chest. “It’s not just me anymore either. Chris feels it too. I can’t let anything happen to you, sweetheart. I can’t live without you and can’t stand the thought of you being hurt.”
The sound of Tom clearing his throat reminded Toni that they were not alone.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, Tom, at least it will be, I’m sure,” Toni replied, never lifting her head from the warmth of Jason’s chest.
Chapter Fifteen
“There’s a hell of a crowd here, J-man, but everyone has produced identification and if their name wasn’t on the list, they didn’t get in. I made sure to give the media contingent my best ‘don’t fuck with me’ face, just to keep ’em honest.”