Helios Awakened (The Helios Chronicles #1) (6 page)

“Andrew, it’s going to be okay,” Madison repeated the words he had said to her before Jimmy had so rudely interrupted them.

“Do you think we should leave? I don’t want me being here to be a problem for anyone,” Andrew said, unable to meet her eyes.

“Is that what you want to do?”

Madison looked into his torn face. She didn’t believe that leaving was really necessary but also didn’t want him to feel like he had no choice in the matter. Madison had almost always been a take charge kind of person but she was desperately trying to rein that in. As she looked at the confusion and anguish on Andrew’s handsome face, she realized that he had been given no choices in his life for such a long time. Her heart ached for the pain he had endured and she had no desire to contribute to that. As Madison watched him, he still seemed reluctant, almost waiting for someone to tell him what was to happen next. No, she would not take his choices away from him. She took a deep breath and stood directly in front of him grasping his other hand in hers.

“Andrew, look at me,” Madison said forcefully.

Andrew snapped his head up and stared into her determined eyes.

“I am not making this decision, you must make it, but I will support whatever you choose. I just want to spend some time with you, whether it’s here or somewhere else, it makes no difference to me.” Madison then squeezed his hands to emphasize her point.

Andrew drew in several deep breaths, contemplating what he wanted. What he wanted was to kiss her. What he wanted was to feel her body close to his. What he wanted was to be near her. But that was not what she was asking him or was it? No, she was asking him to make a decision. It wasn't that Andrew was not a free thinker because he had always been one. In spite of the chaos that had swirled around him, he had tried to hold on to his individuality and his sense of right and wrong. But years of heartache and despair had slowly washed that away until Andrew had finally succumbed to letting drugs make the decisions for him and then, later, authority. His aunt and uncle never told him what he could or couldn’t do. They respected him but he avoided making decisions, avoided it out of fear until it became a way of life for him. As he stared at the beautiful woman with deep brown eyes before him, his decision became as clear as the water on the lake. He needed to take charge of his life.

“I think I’d like to stay, and if we have further problems with anyone, then we can leave. Is that alright?” Andrew asked decisively.

“That sounds like a good plan to me,” Madison said with a smile before she drew her bottom lip into her mouth, watching Andrew’s smile light up the world.

“Do you want to go swimming, get out of this heat?” Andrew asked softly with a smirk and that same air of flirtatiousness she had experienced from him at the trailer park.

Madison nodded her head like the bobble head dolls she so despised and smiled widely as she bounced on the balls of her feet. The thought of seeing him wet, the water glistening across his chest, sent waves of desire coursing through her, making her hotter than the heat ever could. Yes, swimming was definitely a good plan.

Andrew smiled at the way her head bobbed up and down in response to his question. He glanced back towards the inviting water and then turned around, taking in his surroundings. They were in a very nice area of the lake. It was mostly adults but there were a few families as well. Callie and Jayden had vanished and it surprised Andrew that he hadn't seen them leave. He was normally very observant and aware of his surroundings. Just a little ways away from them was one of those bathrooms that also served as a changing room. He offered Madison another smile, watching in enjoyment as her eyes lit up.

“I’m going to go change. I’ll be right back,” he said, letting go of her hands.

Madison bit down on her bottom lip in anticipation of his return and as she watched him walk away she breathed in deeply. He was truly something else. There seemed to be so much under the surface with him. Just in the short time she had known him she had seen glimpses of his hurt but she also saw playfulness within him too, as well as the resident loner bad boy he portrayed to the world. He was clearly an enigma to her that would require further study. She snickered at herself, for she knew exactly what she wanted to study. She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face as she turned and walked to the table, sitting down to wait for him to re-emerge.

Andrew walked into the changing room and quickly checked to make sure no one was in there with him. When he was reasonably sure that he was alone, he changed clothes. He hated that he always did that now. He had been out of prison for two years, yet bathrooms still terrified him. He had many close calls in the beginning of his imprisonment as the guards tended to turn their heads during shower time. He had guessed it was one of those 'every man for himself' kind of things.

Andrew shook his head, trying to get the images of prison life out of his mind. He leaned against the bathroom wall and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He started to wonder how Madison would feel about his tattoos as he studied the markings on his skin. He sighed and ran his fingers over the tattoo positioned directly over his heart. A look of sadness passed over his face as he felt the distinct scars that were hidden behind the ink. He had told Steve that he wanted an eclipse, a black moon covering up the sun. He had always remembered his mom, during her up moments, calling him the sun. 
'You shine as bright as the sun'
, she would say. Therefore, he thought it only fitting, considering the circumstances; that he cover up the sun with darkness. He wasn’t her sun anymore nor would he be anyone’s sun ever again. She made sure of that. They both did!

Madison stared towards the building that Andrew had entered, speculating what was taking him so long. When he finally emerged, he literally took her breath away. He was wearing a simple pair of black board shorts with a white stripe down the sides and he was still wearing his holey shirt, much to Madison’s dismay. She noticed that his brow was slightly furrowed and he looked deep in thought. She wondered if Jimmy’s asinine behavior was still bothering him. Well, she was not going to let that happen.

“So, you gonna swim in that shirt, Harley man?” she asked playfully as he approached.

Andrew laughed. “What about you, city girl, you gonna swim with those on?” he replied, shaking her wrist and making her bangles hit one another.

She laughed heartedly. “Hmmm, well, I suppose I could take them off but what if someone tries to steal my bling?” she said, sticking her lip out in a pout.

“I’m sure it will be fine,” he said with an arch of his brow and a chuckle that soon turned into a full-fledged laugh.

Madison smiled, loving their light-hearted banter and the fact that, for some reason, she was able to make him laugh so easily. She grinned and slipped her bracelets off, setting them on the table. She then reached to the hem of her shirt and slipped it off before she wiggled out of her shorts. She stood in front of him in her black bikini and her boots which she quickly stepped out of. Andrew was breathing heavily and had to shake his head several times to get his bearings. Madison caught him eyeing her and felt good about it. She had never considered herself beautiful but she knew she was somewhat attractive. She had been told that she had a nice rear, which she sort of agreed with. It did seem to generate a lot of attention when she wore her skinny jeans. Of course, Madison was not seeing herself as others did. She had smooth unblemished skin, big brown eyes and full, red lips with a splattering of freckles that ran across the bridge of her nose and over her cheeks. Her breasts were just big enough to make her cleavage look good and she had legs that most women would kill for. As she watched Andrew’s reaction to her, she felt unbelievably sexy.

“Your turn,” she said flirtatiously as she flicked the hem of his shirt up and allowed her fingertips to lightly graze his flat stomach.

His breath hitched when he felt her touch him and he stood there, staring at her helplessly until she arched her brow and flicked his shirt again. He smiled as he lifted it up and over his head, taking another quick breath before he tossed it on the table beside her. Madison’s mouth parted as she took in the sight before her. He was lean and fit with just the right amount of hair on his chest but what her eyes zeroed in on immediately was his tattoos. Right where his heart was he had a solid black circle over the outline of what appeared to be a sun. Creeping over his right shoulder were what looked like the final points of the tribal tattoo that must be on his shoulder blade. It moved down his right arm and ended just below his elbow. The tattoo she had seen earlier on his lower back she now saw that it wrapped around his rib cage and ended on his hip. Madison’s eyes roamed down his chest to his stomach, admiring his perfectly sculpted abs and the V that she was certain was carved from stone. 

“Are you ready?” Andrew asked, drawing her eyes to his again.

“Umm, yeah,” Madison said as she shook her head at herself for openly gawking at the poor man.

“You guys going in?” Callie asked eagerly. She and Jayden were just returning from the Lake.

“Yeah, you guys?” Andrew said in response.

“In a bit. Hey, you want to race jet skis later. I brought my dad’s. They're pretty fast,” Jayden said and frowned before meeting Andrews’s eyes again. “It’s the only kind of racing I can do anymore.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun,” Andrew said smiling. He had never been on a jet ski but he assumed it was similar to driving a motorcycle.

“Hey, we could double up?” Callie jumped in.

Andrew turned to Madison. “Ever been on a jet ski, city girl?”

“No, but I told you, Long Island, baby. I’m up for anything,” she said, complete with her hand on her hip and a shake of her head.

He grinned and nodded at her before looking over at Jayden. “I guess we’re in.”

Andrew couldn’t contain the joy he felt saying 'we'. He had never used that term in relation to a woman and it made his heart beat even faster. Madison watched as Andrew talked with Jayden about jet skis, she had no idea about horsepower and speed or how you handle a turn; she had better things to think about, like admiring the stunning man in front of her. She wondered what it would be like to trace her fingertips along the ink that adorned his body. Moving her fingers languidly down his chest until she reached that trail of hair leading to what she was sure was something beautiful to behold.

“Madison?” She finally heard Andrew say.

“Huh?” Madison dumbly replied.

She was almost positive she had some drool coming out of her gaping mouth. He laughed and then grasped her hand as he led her to the shore. As they approached the water, Andrew immediately started to walk into it but Madison stopped when the cold water hit her feet, forcing Andrew to stop as well.

“Hold on there, Hot Stuff!” Madison said, giggling at the expression he was now giving her.

“What did you call me?” Andrew asked trying hard to keep a straight face.

“Harley Man?” she replied with a smile as he shook his head.

“Tattsational?” Madison smirked and then laughed when his brows furrowed.

“SexyMoFo?” she offered and this time he smirked and grabbed her, leaping into the lake.

“How about asshole,” Madison sputtered, coming up for air and splashing water at him.

He laughed as he sat up in the water that was now coming up to his chest. He glanced at Madison, who was scowling at him, her hair falling in her face and looking fit to be tied. Madison glanced over at him, splashing water at him once again. 

“How about you just call me Andrew?” he stated as he smirked mischievously, trying to grab her again.

“No way, I am going to come up with a great nickname for you,” she said laughing and ducking out of his way. “It will be what the kid’s now-a-days call epic!”

“Hmmm,” he said with a smile as he moved his hands to his now wet hair, trying to push it out of his face.

Madison smirked and, seeing an opportunity, she tackled him, forcing him under the water. When he resurfaced, his eyes were dark and as he cocked his head he gave her a look that immediately sent blood rushing to her most sensitive area as desire consumed her. Andrew watched her, her face flushed with excitement; he knew he needed to move before he did something he shouldn’t. His overwhelming desire for her made his heart pound rapidly in his chest but it was too soon for him to feel this strongly about her, he reasoned. Andrew took a deep breath and took a few steps forward, thankful that she couldn’t see the response he was having to her. Luckily for him, the water crashed around his chest covering his lower half, hiding his arousal.

Madison watched him walk further into the water, momentarily stunned. She marveled at his back and shoulders which she just now had a full view of. They were shrouded with an elegant tribal tattoo that spanned the length of his shoulder blades and then went down in almost a triangle ending at his lower back before it wrapped around the entire right side of his body. Madison wasn’t normally attracted to men with tattoos but Andrew was different. He looked simultaneously sexy and wounded, sweet and dangerous, all wrapped up in one beautifully inked package.

“You okay, SunDrew?” Madison said coming up next to him.

He raised his brow in a curious manner and Madison shrugged. Andrew shook his head and laughed riotously at the craziness of the moment. They spent the next several hours, swimming, laughing and, of course, flirting with one another and in between all of that, they talked. It was the strangest sensation for both of them. Two people who rarely opened up to others, talking freely. Of course, they didn’t tap any of the hard core personal things. Neither was willing to go there just yet but both had the sense that they could when the time was right. Eventually, Callie and Jayden motioned to them that the food was ready. As they emerged from the water, Andrew once again wrapped his hand around Madison’s, holding it tightly as they made their way to the picnic tables.

“Isn’t the water divine?” Callie asked, looking back at the lake.

“It was perfect!” Madison said, thinking that her assessment was most likely related to the company she was in versus the water itself.

“After lunch we’ll go ride!” Jayden said excitedly. He loved racing with Callie but she never wanted to go that fast. Andrew however, he believed would truly race him, something he missed terribly.

“Definitely!” Andrew exclaimed with enthusiasm.

Madison watched the exchange Andrew had with Jayden and grinned. 
Boys and their toys
, she thought. Callie had grilled burgers while Madison pulled out her famous potato salad. When Andrew had asked what made it famous, she had winked and told him to try it. Andrew had to admit it was pretty darn good, the best he had ever tasted. Not that he was a connoisseur or anything but he knew good salad when he tasted it. While the ladies were making carefree conversation, the men were bouncing and on the edge of their seats, rearing to go. After an hour, Callie had enough.

“Alright fine, let’s go!” Callie said with a roll of her eyes. She knew better than anyone that once Jayden wanted to do something he would be antsy until it happened.

Jayden’s eyes shot over to her. “Really?”

She laughed and both she and Madison stood up, gathering the remaining food and putting it away. As they all headed back to the lake, Andrew once again took Madison’s hand in his. Madison had not been one of those girls who enjoyed the whole PDA thing, thinking it was no one’s business but hers who she was with and what they were doing. But she was really enjoying this small and simple gesture that told her in no uncertain terms that he liked her and simultaneously told others that she was taken. As they approached the docking area they came upon two bright yellow jet skis. 

“Boy, those are something else,” Madison said as she and Andrew walked over to them. She then looked up at Andrew. “You sure you can handle that, Your Royal Sexiness?”

Andrew shook his head laughing. “I can handle a lot more than this,” he said arching his brow.

“Hmmm.” Was all Madison said as she slipped onto the back seat of the water craft.

Andrew watched her and looked down, before looking back up at her with a sexy smirk that said he wanted her immensely. She mirrored his look and Madison knew without a shred of doubt that she had to have him. There was no denying what she was feeling for him and as he looked at her with want and need she knew he felt the same way.