Chapter Sixteen

MacKenzie looked down and wriggled her toes. It had been hours on her six inch heels and she swore to god if she had to smile at one more person, her mouth would stay cemented in that position forever. When she looked up back to Jon, who had been talking to Senator Clinton, he was gone. She whipped her head around and still he was nowhere in her radius. Crap.

She smoothed down her hands down the front of her dress and slowly circled around nodding and yes, smiling to the people she’d been introduced to all evening. He was still nowhere to be seen, bathroom maybe? He should have known to give her at least a heads up, but of course she knew he still hated being under her watchful eye. She made her way through the sea of people that spilled into the lobby.

She pretended to fuss with her hair, check her cell phone and still after ten minutes he didn’t come out. Shit. Where the hell was he? She’d taken her eye of him for no more than five minutes. Dammit Mac, that’s what happens when you have too much fun playing kissy-kissy. She jammed her hand on her hip and waited, and still he didn’t show or appear anywhere. She fired a text off her Blackberry to him, it was the only thing that could fit in the impractical sized purse for goodness sake, oh and a lipstick. Yup, practical.

She took a deep breath and walked into the men’s room and looked around, empty...nada. She walked straight into a distinguished looking man as she walked out, “oh sorry I wasn’t looking where I was going, silly me, didn’t even read the signs.” She flashed him a huge smile and walked away disgusted how ditzy she sounded. She checked her Blackberry and nothing, Jon, where are you?

Dammit, this could not be happening. They’d hardly been on the job and she’d already lost him. She circled the room again, and searched the myriad of faces hoping one of them would be staring back at her with recognition. What if someone had found him? Accosted him into a corner or something? What if- God, she didn’t smoke but if she did—The light bulb popped in her head as she made her way swiftly around to the back of the room, where the smoker’s balcony was. There standing, alone was Jon looking out to the skyline that poured out in front of them. If she was calm she would have commented how lovely the city looked tonight but no, that all vanished like a poof of smoke. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She hissed and quickly scurried along the cobblestone terrace towards him.

Jon turned around, flicking his cherry red butt into the sky as he blew out a stream of smoke. "Getting some carbon monoxide filled air," he said. Catching the glint in her eyes, he paused. What the hell did he do now? "What's up?"

She looked over her shoulder and made sure they really were alone before heading towards him. "Oh gee I don't know Houdini. One minute you were there and the next you weren't.”

He frowned. "I just wanted to--"

She slammed her purse against the steel rail, “you don’t just vanish on me Jon. You tell me when you need to come out for a smoke and I come with you.” She huffed and quickly made sure they were still alone.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "You're my bodyguard not my jailer, MacKenzie." He held up his hand when she was ready to light into him again. "I'll let you know where I'm going next time, but you're not going to live inside my pockets for every little thing."

“How do you expect me to look out for you when you’re running off behind my back without telling me where you are going, what if there had been someone out here Jon?”

He shrugged and motioned around, “there’s no one here MacKenzie.”

“There isn’t now, but there could have been. You left me in there Jon, making hairdresser small talk with people.” She raked her hand through her hair, that wasn’t his fault and she knew it, her feet were pulsing and her manners had all but nearly ran out.

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I've gotten used to doing things alone. Escaping for a second, turned into a few more than I intended." He shrugged his shoulders, dropping his hands to his sides. "I feel closed in sometimes and need to just breathe for a second. I didn't mean to worry you."

Her shoulders eased and she sighed, this wasn’t his fault at all. It was hers, she was insanely attracted to the guy and she’d been crossing the line between reality and playing, more so in her head, than she should have. “It’s ok Jon, it’s just been a crazy night of adjustments, that’s all.”

He grinned. "I've never been one of those celebrities that really needed a bodyguard. This is all new to me."

She joined him at the railing as they both looked out to the city, now she could appreciate it all in its glory. The way the lights shimmered into the inky sky, she could almost feel herself getting mushy. “It’s a lifestyle change, I get that. But we’ve got to just be aware at all times, these guys are everywhere. They infiltrate everything, and we wouldn’t know it.”

He settled next to her, leaving them shoulder to shoulder. "Even in here?" He
frowned out into the darkening sky. He figured Mac was more for his on the way in and on the way out vulnerabilities.

She turned around and glanced behind her as she was about to continue and realized they were not alone. A Puerto Rican man stood tall, and crossed his arms. Her heart jumped into her throat, but she shoved down the suspicion as she turned. “Good evening.”

Jon glanced over his shoulder and smiled. He didn’t recognize the man and didn’t think anything of it as he leaned back on the rail, his elbows propped on the cool iron. But she didn’t. And in that moment he knew why.

“Rich man?”

The blood rush leaving his head left him a little dizzy as he turned around to face the man. “Can I help you?”

MacKenzie closed her eyes, gathering all her gumption as the man reached into his jacket pulling out a cigar. “I believe we have some business to discuss.” She looped one arm through Jon’s and smiled, “no business tonight baby, remember?” She whispered, but loud enough for the man to hear as she kissed Jon on the cheek. We’ll see how far you want to push bastard.

Jon followed her lead, and shakily wrapped his arm around her waist, kissing the top of her head. “Gotta love her, I talk business so much that I’m banned from talking about it on dates.”

He took a long puff from his cigar, “really? That’s funny. I could have sworn I heard you talking about your AFL team back in there, so ever proud.” The smirk sent chills right to the core of his spine. They were in a public place, surely they were safe?

Jon forced a chuckle. “Well, AFL is more a hobby to me than my business, or so I tell her.” He winked at the gentleman, but his face remained still as stone. Fuck.
MacKenzie knew she had to take control of the situation, when the man moved closer her hand automatically went for her gun, but stopped. They were public, he wasn’t going to try anything drastic here, and he’d be stupid too. “We really must be getting going, my poor little feet are aching.”

The man raised his brow and Jon felt sick as his eyes ran down the length of Kenzie and puffed out another ring of cigar smoke. He took another step forward, just inches away from them and leaned in. His steely grey eyes locked with his, and Jon’s grip tightened around MacKenzie.

MacKenzie watched him like a hawk, she was five seconds away from pulling out her gun. Cover or no cover, her instincts said he was just threatening them and then he’d leave. Jon’s arm quivered against her back, but she was relieved he held his ground.

“You’ll be sorry rich man, let me make that clear. Wes is a good kid. So I suggest that you re-think your actions.” He flicked his gaze back to MacKenzie and ran the tips of his fingers down her arm. “Or just maybe, your little girlfriend here might be the one feeling...”Jon coughed as he puffed out a plume of smoke into his face. “The pain.” And then he was gone.

“Stay right there,” she commanded as she followed the man to the doorway back into the venue, and watched him disappear back into the crowd. Holy shit. If she hadn’t have been out here with him, god knows what would have happened to him. She looked back and he as expected, was lighting a cigarette, shakily.

“You ok?” She asked as she walked back towards him.

He nodded and took a long pull. No he wasn’t fucking ok, but he wasn’t about to cry like a baby about it. This whole thing just suddenly had become real. He was at a function with politicians, and they had someone here? He hated when he underestimated something, he didn’t take to that well at all. And now he felt stupid for running off without her, and evidently she was right. He hated when he wasn’t
right.

She didn’t push him, he clearly was shaken but he didn’t need to be mothered about it. “Ok, the best thing to do, is we stay a little longer, calm ourselves down and it gives them anytime to disappear. I don’t think they’ll try anything else.”

“Ok, sounds good.”

“Let’s Dance, I love this song.” Iris from the Goo Goo Dolls had started drifting out to where they were. It would give them a moment, to regroup.
Dance? She wanted to dance? Jon turned around, smiling. "Ahh, Johnny. They toured with us a few years ago. Really great guys." Just how out of the way had they really stayed? And how much didn't he know about that side of life in general? Obviously a lot.

She nodded over his shoulder, as she tugged him gently back inside, “he’s kind of hot, introduce me?” The moment called for some lightness.

He smiled, “not your type. He let his shoulders relax, and had to believe they were safe again. But were they?

She chuckled "Oh really..." She looked up, "And what is my type Jon?”
He leaned in, worry slipping off his shoulders as their noses brushed. "You need someone that can entice your brain as much as your hormones.”
She nodded, wishing that they could stay out here, it was her idea for the dance but now she had to touch him again. This time she’d make no mistake of falling into that all too familiar groove. “Did your wife enjoy these parties?” She needed to keep him calm and distracted.

Jon forced himself not to stiffen. "No, she actually detested them."

"Sorry, just curious. And I so need a foot rub when I get home, FYI.”

He glanced at her as they walked into the room, off balance. Was this part of the game? The playful talk in case someone overheard them? Or was she just teasing? "I have magic hands," he said with an easy smile.

She didn't doubt it either, but now wasn’t the time to think about those damn hands. She was on the job. And now, more than ever she had to pay attention. “Good, my shoes are killin me.”

He slipped through the throng of people until they hit the dance floor. "Kick them off," he said into her ear. "I like dancing with a woman slightly shorter than me." He stared into her eyes as they were nearly the same height with the heels. "Makes me feel manly.”

She kicked them off, and the three inches pushed her right into the perfect curve of his body. Her thighs brushed his as Rzeznik's whispery voice faded into another croony song he couldn’t name. He sucked back a groan as her fingers slid up his back,

The game was back on and his cock was so confused it just decided to stay in the natural state of hardness she generally left him in. She fit him like few others ever had. The silky fall of her hair brushed over his fingers as he linked his fingers at her lower back. Her skin, was like sateen fire urging his thumb to glide up the dip in her spine.

She let herself enjoy it his touch, but knowing she couldn’t get lost in it like she had before. This sucked, but she’d underestimated the situation and possible danger he was in. She’d been distracted, so for now, she had to switch off any thoughts of taking their attraction to any other level than this.

He was talking, but she wasn’t listening. As he swayed her gently, her eyes were over his shoulder noticing everyone in the room.

The song faded, as he drew away to clap for his colleague, he watched MacKenzie shift to his side, clapping as the rest of the room did. She seemed completely at ease by his side, but those beautiful eyes kept scanning the room. Not quite meeting his.

Something had shifted between them. He just wasn't sure if it was actually in his favour.