Roses

*Sandra*

It was weird to be in a normal car after being in those SUVs. Henry was so excited to get back to the country house, he was going over all the recipes we would make together for what felt like an hour. I was happy too, it seems everything was peaceful at the country house until we left it. I started to recognize the roads we were on. I knew we were heading through the maze to cover our trail to the house, my excitement got greater. I was dazing out the window thinking of the flowers. "When the boss says every 30 mins he surely means it." Henry chuckled bringing me out of my head. "He is sure a punctual man." I smiled. I knew Joseph had told Henry to update him every 30 minutes. Everyone was worried about me since Ark helped Ryan escape. I was terrified at first but remembered promising myself I wouldn't feel that way anymore. When I saw the fear and guilt in Joseph, I knew I had to be strong and brave. There must be a balance between a queen and her king. "Well, I am just excited to see all the flowers," I said out loud. I saw Jay look through the rearview mirror. Henry smiled at me, "Do you know how special it is that he is taking you to the greenhouse?" I looked at him confused, I am sure other people look out at the greenhouse. I shook my head no slowly clearly showing him my confusion. "Sand, he doesn't go out there, not since his mother passed." Henry put his hand on my arm, "It's very special for him." I smiled at him knowing how well he knew Joseph, how well his trusted men knew him, and how they cared for him. I found myself hoping he realized this for himself. I saw the long driveway and felt peace knowing we were almost home. When we arrived Jay opened the door for me holding out his hand to help me out. One of the guards opened the door to the house. When we got onto the walk-around porch I asked Henry how long it would be before Joseph arrived. "I think he was about an hour behind us Sand, You can message him and ask." He walked past me helping Jay and the guards carry in the bags from the car. I sat down on the porch swing and pulled out my phone.

To: Smoke
When will I see you pull up the driveway? This porch swing is lonely."
Love
-S

I leaned back closing my eyes breathing in the fresh air. The kind of fresh air that cleans your soul just a small amount when you exhale. I could smell the floral scent of the garden. It reminded me that I was home. It reminded me that I was completely safe. I looked towards the door realizing that Jay had been standing guard there the whole time. "Jay you don't have to stand there while I just sit out here waiting." I smiled up at him remembering the last time we were here, the last time I talked to him and got him to talk to me. "This is still my job Sandra, I will stand and guard you always." He spoke softly for someone so large and intimidating. I like to think of him as a kid with glasses walking quietly through the halls at school reading a book to escape his mundane life. "Okay then." I smiled. His eyes darted to the driveway as Joseph and Zeus pulled up in their black SUV. I felt my heart start to pound as I heard the engine stop. I walked off the porch waiting for him to open his car door. I ran to him jumping on him wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. He laughed kissing me on my lips. "It was only a couple of hours darling, you act as if I have been gone for a year." I kissed him hard unwrapping myself from him, I looked up at him and smiled. "It felt like it," I said quietly. He told me he was glad my body was feeling so much better. He grabbed my hand and walked me back to the porch. Jay told him that Henry was busy cooking us something to eat. He nodded and looked to Zeus, "We are headed to the greenhouse alone." Zeus nodded and walked inside the house. He told Jay he could head inside and get settled, thanking him for keeping an eye on me while he was gone. He grabbed my hand leading me towards the back of the house.

The greenhouse was breathtaking. Long dome-shaped, with a literal green color surrounded by dozens of roses, peonies, and hydrangeas. All different colors. It was a beautiful thing to see. I ran ahead of him to the doors, there was a code lock on the front, and he gave me the numbers, his mother's birthday. I put in the code looking back at him. He grinned and nodded telling me to go ahead and go inside. The smell was intoxicating, like walking through a field of wildflowers, or into a flower shop with dozens of freshly cut roses. The view was something from a painting. So many colors, more colors than you can find on a painter's palette. I turned back looking for Joseph. He was leaning against the back wall watching me. "This is beautiful Jo, your mother was an artist with flowers." I saw a flash of grief in his eyes, but it was gone quickly. I walked around for what seemed like an hour just looking at the flowers. I looked down and I was filthy with soil, my red tank top was turning brown. My legs were covered in swipes from my hands. I looked back at Joseph, he was still just staring at me. "You could go if you need to do something boss, I will be in shortly, I am enjoying the serenity out here." He shook his head no and walked to the door closing it. I walked over to him tilting my head in confusion, he smiled at me walking to a box on the wall with a box and a screen. "What are you doing there boss?" I walked over there closer to him. He turned to me and ran his hands down my shorts and around to my ass, finding my phone and pulling it out of my pocket, he placed it, his comm, and phone into a box. He pushed a button on the screen and shut the casing over it. I saw a clock counting down from five seconds.

He looked up at me smiling, "Five, four, three, two....one" Suddenly the watering pipes above started raining heavily on top of us. Before I could react he grabbed me kissing me hard, his tongue finding the opening in my mouth and intertwining with mine. Running his hands over me like he was starving Like I was his first meal in weeks. He kissed me while the water soaked us both, washing all the soil from my skin. He ran his hands over the water on my skin licking the drops off of my neck. I felt my body being covered in goosebumps. I trembled at his touch. He had touched me since we left the safety of the country, but somehow this felt different. More raw, more free. He pulled my shirt up above my head removing his own. My nipples had already hardened from the cold in the water. When the warmth from his mouth hit them it sent shocks through me. He ran his hand around the top of my shorts shoving them down to make sure I was completely bared to him. Removing his so he was exposed as well. He picked me up wrapping me around him, placing me softly on the ground. When the rain stopped coming down he sat up and looked at me. "You are beautiful." He kissed me hard running his hands all over my wet body. Moving his mouth onto my neck sucking and biting, marking me again. He smiled at me before moving back to my nipples. He teased them biting each one until I was arching my back to him moaning loudly. He ran his hand up my thigh slowly teasing the outside of my slit. I could feel my body all but begging him to touch me, to feel his fingers inside of me. When he finally did I almost convulsed just from his fingers entering me. "You like it when my hands are on your body don't you darling?" I shook my head yes, biting my lip as he played with me. "Show me how much?" I closed my eyes concentrating on his hands on me only. I moaned loudly feeling the burning starting in my toes and moving up to my entire body.

When I felt myself letting go he slid inside of me hard carrying out my ecstasy for longer than I thought possible. I moaned so loudly that I was sure those in the house could hear me. He just kept crashing into me like waves of pleasure over and over. I felt my legs shaking, my heart pounding as the orgasm took me completely over. I felt his grip on me tighten and I knew he was exploding right along with me. He was breathing so hard I thought he might pass out, he just stayed there on top of me, inside of me, staring into my eyes.

"I love you, Sandra. I have never felt this way about anyone. It scares me, it makes me weaker, vulnerable, But I never want to let you go."