Friday, September 24, 2010

Sessions Chapter 37

The Crossing



"Recalculating..."

Blade punched off the GPS and sat in his car and looked at the restaurant. It wasn't what he expected. Iron Gate, he'd thought that might be something private, some private club he'd have to crash, but it was just an Italian place on the bay with some kind of gate in the middle. She was here, that was the same car he'd shoved out of the mud, and he didn't see any other cars. Cooper wasn't here.



Good thing that place he'd bought was close by; once Rafe dropped him off, he hadn't even bothered to go inside. Take the chance. Blade had come in a close second to Coop more times than he cared to think about, even three of his ex-wives would have jumped at Stanfield if he'd been inclined. Blade couldn't help the slow grin as he calculated how long it might take to return the favor. It wouldn't be easy, but it would be worth a hell of a lot of time and effort to finally stick it to Cooper.



 



Striding quickly out of the rain into the foyer, looked around for someone, anyone, didn't see anybody but a woman scurrying somewhere. The place was deserted. He turned and waited and tried to think where she would be when he heard her voice. Raised and angry. "Fine. I'll stay at the Palms while you stay there. That's just perfect Coop. I am soaking wet...yes I can probably buy something there...ok...make sure Hugs has that bunny to sleep with."



Elise hung up, slammed the phone down. He took a few steps toward her and waited until she turned and saw him, the look of surprise on her face. Raindrops shining on the swell of her breasts, she stared at him and demanded, "What are you doing here?"



"Making sure you don't run off the road again. Come on, Cooper's not here. Let me help you get somewhere safe." Blade slid into a relaxed smile and waited.

"I got this far, I think I can make it a few more miles all by myself. If you want to tag along, it's up to you. You'll probably be stuck there for the night - they're closing the road to South Beach."



Blade's luck could not have been better but he tried to hide his elation. "I couldn't stand by and let you fend for yourself. Besides, you still haven't eaten. I'd consider it a privilege to buy you dinner after you're settled and dried off. We can discuss your fee for decorating my new place."

Elise glanced out toward the street, then looked back at him and said nothing, stretching it out until he began to feel the silence before she finally, with a dry edge to her voice, replied, "I never agreed to do any design job for you and you know it. Is there any particular reason you think you'd like anything I might do for you?"



Blade eased her toward the door, stifling amusement...was there anything she could do...they weren't talking about wallpaper now were they? He didn't know one damned decorator from another but doubted it made a difference. She knew he didn't know. Playing along, he responded, "I've seen your work; you did my second wife's loft awhile back. Very impressive." He stopped, carefully took her arm and turned her toward him, "I told you I might stay awhile, settle here, it's looking better and better as a matter of fact. At least give me the opportunity to convince you...over dinner."

 



Lightning struck a transformer across the street, an explosion of sparks and fire spreading through the air and the water. He caught his breath and took a quick, protective step closer to her. She startled, watching the lightning flash.

"Show me you can drive around that," she said in an amused voice, "and you've got a deal."



Uneasy, Blade tried to recall the way to the Palms; it was a few miles north, uphill, on higher ground, away from exploding transformers and falling power lines...not that he knew where power lines were falling or exploding. "I can do that," he assured her, and then, because driving through a storm like this wasn't something he'd done before and he wasn't all that goddamned certain he could do, no way to back out now, he took a deep breath and murmured to himself, "Take it out of warp drive, put it into impulse, go for it."



She abruptly and unexpectedly laughed, surprising him, putting him off balance, forcing him to look down at her again, to see her. Stepping away from him, removing his hand from her arm, she shook her head and, still laughing, said, "Well make it so then, Captain Blade, but you keep your hands on those controls, not on me."

19 comments:

Muzegoddess said...

Blade certainly doesn't waste any time does he? Competing with Cooper is certainly the driving force here but it seems like there is more that he didn't expect. This mission of his could turn out to be more dangerous for him than for Beth. Regardless, I doubt Cooper will like any of it very much. Ah, the plot thickens :)

Van said...

I hope nothing comes of this. Another affair will definitely be the straw that breaks the camel's back, if it isn't broken already. Of course, considering this is the increasingly-jealous Cooper we're talking about, if Blade and Beth are going to go an inch, they might as well go the whole mile :S

S.B. said...

Would it be an affair since they've technically separated? But I don't see it. She's not into Blade.

He has his own agenda. Good luck with that...

thewynd said...

There is definitely some risk here Muzegoddess and Blade has his own agenda but I don't think he is concerned at the moment. He may be biting off more than he can chew however. Blade doesn't know what he is dealing with yet.

Van, I'm pretty sure Blade is thinking in terms of a relationship but he underestimates Beth if he thinks it will be even remotely easy for him. Doubt that will stop him though.

Valpre said...

Oh oh, I knew Blade was a sly one when I first laid eyes on him!

Beth, stay away from that man...run home to your kids and, maybe some Cooper!

I'll never stop commenting on your shots and you're probably tired of hearing me say it, but they are amazing.

Rachel said...

Man. He's so hot...but so stupid.

He's like a cocky little boy, and he's going to end up in a lot of pain if he isn't careful. Beth will eat him for breakfast!

He could still cause a lot of trouble, if he's conniving enough--but he really isn't the sharpest crayon. I look forward to watching him fail in this task.

Laura said...

What's that saying, better the devil you know than the one you don't? lol!

Too many motives, and I think she senses that.

LOL @ Rachel, "look forward to watching him fail!" That would be fun to watch!

I wonder if he will fail though? He's a trickster, so he just might surprise us.

Qui. said...

Ok, I see why he rubs me the wrong way now but he sure is NICE to look at. He is forward. Doesn't beat around the bush and part of me like's that... just not with Coop's woman!
That lighning would have scared me too!

Sneaky sneaky Blade! I hope Beth doesn't fall for this one!

Great chapter!

thewynd said...

Valpre, Blade does seem to have an agenda but he is a nice guy and no doubt will be intriguing. And thank you about the shots; Beth did them and they are wonderful!

Rachel, very hot, you're right and he has no idea what he might be in for if he pursues Beth. He's a good guy but he is ambitious as well as very interested in Beth. It should be fun to see how he handles himself!

Laura, she definitely knows where Blade is coming from and she is much wiser and more cautious. Whether or not he fails is entirely up to Beth. She won't be manipulated into anything and he would be wise to realize that.

Qui, he is gorgeous and very determined. A man on a mission indeed.

Thanks everyone!

Christi said...

wowww the rain/lightning shots were superb!! GREAT JOB!!! It looks so awesome.

Blade sure is easy on the eyes... mmmmm!!! I have to admit, I have that hair and have never used it because it was just too.. warewolfy for me... but on him?? O.M.G. ::wipes the drool off her chin::

Wanted to let you know I'm still reading. Have been HORRIBLE with commenting of late. :( But I am still here. And still addicted as ever to this story.

Phoenix said...

What is it about Beth that makes guys go nuts? *scratches head* I guess she just has that 'it' factor that other females can't see! LOL!!

Blade is trying to outdo Cooper but he'd only be getting sloppy seconds...actually thirds in this case. I actually feel kinda bad for him because he doesn't know just what he's getting himself into. He just thinks he does!

S.B. said...

Hi Christi! It's so good to hear from you!

Thanks about the shots. Still learning how to do things like that.

That hair does look sort of werewolfish. It fits Blade (Gayl's hot creation)!!

S.B. said...

Phoenix, I've known women like that. They aren't always the most beautiful prize in the box. In Blade's case, he just wants what somebody else has; it's the competition more than the woman. Since he's blown through 4 marriages so far, kind of doubt he's worried about being third in line LMAO!!

Aussie Karima said...

~ I really think, in this, Beth has the upper hand, & if Coop gets wind of it,..........well we will see just how,not together they are!
~ I love this, but I am very sad that they have not sorted it out yet!
~ Thanks for sharing,keep them coming when you can................looking forward to reading more,thank you both for a very intreguing story,read you later!(",)

S.B. said...

Aussie Karima, thank you so much from both of us!!

Blade's whole point in this is to challenge Cooper, so a 'secret' affair would not serve his purposes at all. If he makes any headway, of course he'd make sure Coop knows it.

There are a lot of things for them to sort out before/if Coop and Beth come back together. Both of them have some choices to make, even if they don't yet see them clearly.

Again, thank you so much for reading and leaving us a comment!

thewynd said...

Christi, those shots are amazing aren't they? Beth did a fantstic job. As for Blade, he is a hot looking guy and I'll admit that hair does not work on just anyone but he pulls it off nicely. One of those touches I guess that the character brings out. Please don't worry about commenting; we all have real life issues that need to come first.

Phoenix, if you consider Blade's motives and the fact that he coincidentally runs into Beth it makes sense. Might not be the woman but on the other hand, maybe it is. Since we know that Beth was hardly a virgin before she met Coop or even Ryan it seems fair to assume that her experience with men isn't a factor. She is a strong woman and I think for men who are used to having women throw themselves at them (think obsessed fangirls) her strength and character can be quite appealing. Challenging. And there were those tabloid shots that could definitely get a guy's imagination working overtime. o_O

Aussie Karima, Beth definitely has the upper hand. There is plenty more to come so stay tuned!

KDSGS said...

Stunning shots, just stunning.

Blade, hmmm. Not sure what to think of this guy, I like that!
Great update from you both~

S@n said...

Like I said, he sure is not wasting any time!!! :D lol

so, he only wants to get even with Cooper? That's not good...he is trouble, i hope Beth runs away from him soon! I don't want her to get hurt again!

S.B. said...

S@n, at this point, that's Blade's motivation. He wants to one-up Cooper. Period. Beth is unlikely to fall for it, and she has the capability to turn things around on him.

Thank you!