Aaron leaned in closely while Amanda looked out the window thinking about her brother and how Joe had suddenly just shown up in her life. Her life seemed like it was starting to drudge up the past and she had no idea how to deal with it.
"What are you thinking about?" Aaron asked. Amanda jumped at the sound of his voice. He was extremely close to her. She could smell his minty fresh breath, his Calvin Klein cologne, and even his hair. She'd never noticed how nice he smelled... or how good looking he was. She shook her head slightly, clearing the clouds from it, then turned her body towards his.
"Nothing really, just about how coincidental this whole day was. I mean, really. What are the odds my ex shows up at the place where my father, whom I didn't even know was my father, had a meeting and he's actually working. Not just stalking me by chance, but working. Something just doesn't sit right with this situation." She said. Aaron smiled inwardly at how she used her hands when she talked in big dramatic gestures.
"I think it was just the wrong day, at the wrong time, at the wrong place." Aaron said. Amanda looked at him defeated. Aaron felt his heart break a bit at the look of despair her face gave away. He scooted closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders. As if Amanda had already read his mind she leaned closer to him and laid her head in the crook of his shoulder. She fit perfectly.
"Yeah, maybe you're right. I'm so exhausted. I need some sleep." She said.
"After the fight you put up today? I'd say you definitely deserve a long nap," he said as he set his cheek on her head. He felt her body begin to shake, He quickly looked down at her but her head was angled in a way that disabled him from seeing her face. Then he heard her sniffle. His heart broke a little more and instinctively his hand came up to caress her cheek. She sniffled once more then looked up at him.
"Thank you. For being there for me today." She said as she nonchalantly nuzzled her cheek into his open palm. She closed her eyes as she felt the rough of his thumb stroke her cheek. Aaron looked at her and analyzed her. He wasn't sure what exactly he was feeling, but he'd never felt like this before.
Suddenly the limo came to a stop in front of the White House. Home. Aaron quickly released her and practically jumped out of the car. She looked down, defeated, then slowly crawled out of the car and slumped her way to the back door.
What is wrong with me. First my brother doesn't want me, then my father, now him? I thought everything was going okay? I thought we were okay? She thought to herself. Slowly a tear formed in her eye and made a slow trek down her cheek as she walked through the door Aaron was holding for her.
***
Aaron was sitting up in bed at 4 AM with is head in his hands and his elbows resting on his knees. He had no idea what was happening to him. He'd seen that tear fall from her beautiful eyes and it practically broke his heart. He'd never felt this overwhelming need to protect someone, not like this. He felt it was his duty to protect the President. But that was his job. But Amanda? Amanda... He felt like he was born to protect her. And he couldn't shake the feeling that she was going to need some protecting soon.
Then he heard a loud smash from her room. He got to his feet and was in her doorway before she could even scream. His eyes quickly surveyed the room and all he could see was a vase of flowers had fallen on the floor. He looked to Amanda. She sat on her bed, looking at him wide eyed. Suddenly a furious blush colored her cheeks and she quickly averted her eyes.
"What happened?" He asked. She refused to look at him in his boxers, no matter how sculpted that body was. She shook her head.
"Nothing. I was just having a little tantrum," She said with her hand now covering her eyes. He just stared at her, not sure what to make of her odd behavior.
"Are you okay?" he asked as he began to move to her to comfort her. She took a sharp breath in as he knelt in front of her. She was still on the bed, but luckily he just knelt down on the ground. She tried to look down, but caught sight of his crotch. She tried to look up, but that hurt her neck. So she settled with just looking down at her lap and began playing with her fingers.
"Yes, I'm fine. Just stressed." She said and she began to bite at her nails. Suddenly Aaron's hand had wrapped gently around her wrist and his other hand cupped her chin. She slowly brought her hand down and look at his eyes. They were kind and worried and full of compassion.
"It'll be okay." He said. Suddenly a memory popped into his mind.
"Aaron, one day you'll see. You'll feel like how I feel about Dan." Said Annalise. She was sitting in a chair just eating her cereal before school. Aaron looked down at his hands/ How would he ever like anyone like that? It was gross and stupid. Besides, all they needed was each other. They'd be passed to a new family soon enough and back into the system, but they'd always be together, always. That's what Annalise always says, anyways.
No… this could not be happening. He wasn’t… falling in love with her? Is this what it felt like? He thought to himself more than once what it would feel like, but in the end he’d always push the thoughts away because, at the time, his job was his life. He couldn’t have his money or time spent on a girl, but now? He’s being forced to spend every minute with one. And in turn he’s gotten to know her. If this was really what it felt like there was only one way to find out.
Carefully, with his hand cupping her chin still, he brought his face down to hers and gently planted a kiss on her lips. The shock was exhilarating, nothing like what he’d ever felt before. Her lips were so soft and smooth against his, like angel’s lips touching a tortured soul. It felt like he was being whole and complete. Like that void in his heart from his parents leaving him was finally being filled. He didn’t want this to stop. Annalise was right, he now understood.
Carefully he leaned over her and she stretched out her legs with a content sigh as they moved in for another kiss. His hand felt her smooth, soft legs on his, and his tongue tangled with hers. His hands bunched into her hair as he supported himself above her. They looked into each others eyes, passing a look of longing between them, then they disappeared into the bed sheets.
***
Three Days After The Kiss
He was here, he was finally here. After many calls, and much waiting, and a lot of driving he was finally in the same state as his sister. He walked down the street looking at all of the people. Many women gave him second or third looks after their first initial look; either because he was insanely hot or very scary looking, he didn’t care. He walked till he found a gun shop. Jim’s Gun Shop it read. He walked over to the display window and saw guns of all kinds. His eyes bulged at the sight of them all. Excited now, he quickly walked into the shop where a man was standing behind the counter, reading a newspaper. He had a middle-aged face and looked tough as nails. He didn’t even look up when the bell rang above the door as Alex stepped over the threshold.
“I’m here to buy a gun.” Alex stated proudly.
“I would assume so,” the man said. He flipped a page of the paper. Alex narrowed his eyes at him.
“What would you recommend for basic defense?” he asked the man. Still, he didn’t look up.
“Karate lessons,” he replied. Alex sighed in irritation.
“Okay, I’m looking for something that says ‘I mean business,’ ” Alex said. The man got up slowly and set his newspaper down lightly. He walked to the back of the room and motioned for Alex to follow. “What’s your name?” Alex asked.
“Didn’t you read the sign?” he said in a low gruff voice.
“Oh,” Alex said. “So where are we going then?” he asked suspiciously as they turned down a very narrow hallway. They had to travel single file if they were to fit through. Jim merely grunted and pointed ahead to large iron door.
He grunted with effort as he open what looked like a room-size-safe door. He pulled it open and bowed sarcastically to Alex as he gestured for him to go inside. Alex apprehensively stepped forward and Jim followed. Inside was a gunner’s dream. Every gun you could think of was displayed before him, except every single one of these were illegal in the US and somehow, someway, this Jim-guy had gotten every single one of them. He came up next to Alex and smiled proudly.
“So? What are you here for? I have a feeling it’s something illegal which is why I brought you down here. My feelings are never wrong.” Alex was too mesmerized by the collection to be bothered with Jim’s question until Jim grunted again.
“Oh, uh. I’m here to find my sister. Got into some trouble with drug lords and got put in jail a while back, but now that I’m out I’m going to find my sister and protect her,” Alex said. Jim grunted in satisfaction and led the way to the far corner of the room where a big black 12g shotgun sat, shaved off. Alex took it in his hands and admired the feel and look of it. Jim watched him carefully. Something in his gut was telling him something was extremely off with guy.
“What’d you say your name was boy?” Jim asked him. Cocking an eyebrow. Alex, still admiring the gun, answer him in with a mumble.
“Alex,” he said.
***
Amanda laid there, sound asleep, wrapped in Aaron’s arms. The feel of his big warm biceps turned her on as she sighed and rolled over to face him. Her nipples grazed his chest and sent a rush of warmth to her insides. She smiled as she, for once, studied his face with great intensity. He was so much more beautiful up close. How she’d never noticed it? She had no idea.
“Hey there gorgeous,” he whispered into the dark. She smiled as a blush colored her cheeks.
“Hey,” she answered back sheepishly. He pulled her closer to him as his mouth claimed hers once again and she melted into the kiss. His mouth was hot and searching as his tongue explored every part of her mouth. Carefully he released his grip on her as he turned her onto her back and his tongue continued its search on her neck. She gasped when she felt both the sensation of his tongue on her nerves and the feel of his hand rubbing between her legs. “Aaron,” she whispered as his mouth found one of her nipples. He kissed it and caressed it as if it were the center of his attention at the moment then went lower to her belly.
“What do you want tonight?” he asked her. Even in the dark she could see that sinful look in his eyes. She moaned as his tongue circled her navel then went deep to the core of her being.
“Whatever you feel like doing to me,” she answered with a breath and a sigh. She smiled gleefully as his tongue was just about to reach her when suddenly his phone went off. She jumped and pulled the blankets over her breasts, promptly trapping Aaron underneath. He grunted with the effort of her death hold on the blankets as he struggled to get out from the side of the bed. He landed with a loud thud on the floor and immediately started scrambling on the floor for his phone.
“Aaron,” he said in his all-business tone. Amanda could hear someone yelling urgently on the other end of the line. “what!?” he yelled suddenly. Amanda sat straight up as the sweat began to bead at the nape of her neck. She could sense, immediately, that something was wrong. Quickly, Aaron groped around the dark room for his pants and shirt. “Yeah, I’ll be there right away,” he said, calm once again. He hung up the phone and finished buttoning up his shirt.
“What’s going on?” she asked him urgently. He scampered around, looking for his jacket.
“Nothing hunny. Just get dressed in your PJ’s and go back to bed. I just have a job right now,” he said. Amanda narrowed her eyes at him.
“Don’t you lie to me. What’s going on?” she asked again. Aaron sighed as he pocketed his phone, now fully clothed and ready to leave.
“Its… your brother,” he said hesitantly, “or at least they think!” Amanda’s eyes widened.
“What do you mean my brother!?” she exclaimed. She jumped out of the bed, the cold air hitting her hard. She began lunging after whatever clothes she could find as she quickly began to dress.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked her. She didn’t even pause as she finished dressing and was about to walk out the door when Aaron grabbed her just above the elbow.
“I’m seeing if its my brother,” she said with all seriousness lining her features. He glared at her.
“The hell you are! This could be another imposter for all we know,” he stated. She glared right back.
“Or it could be my brother,” she said calmly, but the venom in her voice was still clearly evident. She wrenched her arm out of his grasped and began to fast walk down the hall.
“Don’t move!” someone yelled. Aaron and Amanda stopped dead in their tracks and looked at each other. They shared the same thought, then sprinted toward the security guard who had a man pinned against the wall.
“Please sir!” the man begged as he felt the gun press into his side. Amanda and Aaron stopped and stared at the scene before them. A man, who had the same exact shade of dark brown hair, was pinned against the wall with his face facing away from them. The security guard held a gun to the man’s side in an over-threatening way.
“Hey!” Amanda yelled. The man somehow found his courage and jabbed the security guard in the ribs and quickly grabbed his gun from him. As he turned around in what seemed like slow motion he aimed the gun right at the security guard’s head.
There, Amanda stared into the same green eyes, the same facial features she and her mother had had, and the same voice she’d missed for years on end.
“Alex?” she whispered as tears sprouted to her eyes. Alex froze. His eyes slowly looked up to hers. “Alex!!” she shouted as she sprung to the balls of her feet and set off in a run towards her brother.
“Hey!” Aaron yelled and quickly caught her before she’d gotten too close to Alex.
“Don’t you touch her!” Alex screamed as he aimed the gun at Aaron. The security guard quickly reacted as he jumped up and knocked the gun out of Alex’s hand. He held Alex as he struggled to get to his sister. With one arm holding Amanda his other arm worked it’s way into his pocket as he quickly dialed Andrew’s number.
“Mr. President? You need to come down here, now.”
***
OOOOOHHHHH I decided I’ve waited long enough to post this. I just couldn’t get past the gun shop scene for some reason. I don’t have any knowledge whatsoever so I sorta jumped to a better scene! This, I decided, is not going to be the last chapter! I still have a boatload of surprises in store for all of you! I hope you enjoyed! Love you!