Chapter 214 - Over protected (1/2)

The sudden hard patter of rain and a loud clap of thunder was the only thing that could have pulled Arei's attention away from the sweet lips and warm embrace he'd missed for so long. His brows furrowed as his attention moved to the window, she'd pulled the curtains back on. The bright light of day that had been streaming in moments ago was now gone. He turned his gaze back to Jos. ”Is something wrong, Kitten?” He asked in confusion as he looked from her head which was now tucked against his neck back to the window.

Jos could feel the heat blaze through her cheeks as she struggled to gain control of her breathing. She shook her head against his neck, biting her lip as she fought against the urge to kiss the rippling muscle her mouth was pressed against. She couldn't bring herself to face him as she turned toward the window, her legs on either side of his and his arms still wrapped tightly around her waist. He'd pulled her onto his lap almost immediately after she'd kissed him. {Does he think this storm is my doing?} Jos's brows scrunched together. ”It's not me... was it in the forecast?” She tried to wiggle off his lap as she reached for her cell phone in her back pocket, but he tightened his grip with one hand and moved the other up to carefully turn her eyes toward his, causing the aqua pools to widen.

”Are you sure? You can tell me; I'll not get mad.” He stroked the hand wrapped around her waist in soothing circles as he searched her eyes.

Jos swallowed hard. ”It's not me, I promise.” Her cheeks heated more as her gaze moved over his mostly exposed chest. ”I mean, it's not exactly how I saw this day going... but I'm not THAT upset about it.” Her gaze moved back to the window as another crack of thunder sounded. ”Are you sure it's not just in the forecast?”

Arei followed her gaze to the window. He shook his head, ”No, I wouldn't have brought you all the way out here had it been. We'll not be able to fly back until it passes.” He turned his attention back to her. ”Can I use your phone?” He asked.

Jos nodded as she lifted slightly and pulled it from her pocket. She quickly typed in the four-digit code to unlock it and frowned. ”I only have two bars and my battery is low.” She commented as she handed it to him.

”It should be fine. It will only take a minute or two.” He said as he pushed in the number with the thumb of the massive hand that gripped the phone, his other still stroking her back. He lifted it to his ear as it began to ring, his attention moving back up to her curious eyes. The call was answered on the third ring. ”Hey, Fa-dad. I hate this but we may be stuck here longer than expected. Do you think you could stay and keep an eye on Shelly for us?”

Silence came from the other end of the phone for several seconds before Poseidon finally answered.

[Are the two of you alright? nothing bad happened on the trip, did it?]

Arei was quick to answer. ”No, the flight went fine. We are at the cabin now, but a freak storm has blown in.” His attention moved back to the window as the rain began to pelt it harder sounding almost chunky as it hit. ”I may need you to contact the Embassy if it doesn't pass soon.”

[I could always pop in and bring the two of you back if you'd like.] He offered.

Arei glanced at the clock on the mantle. ”Is Ry and the kid still there?”

[Yes, I was waiting until the two of you got back before zapping over with them. I didn't want to leave Shelly alone.] The sound of clicking sounded in the background. [You said you are at the cabin? The one over near Bachalpsee... let me see that's Berne... or at least close enough...] The sounds of computer keys being hit rapidly sounded now. [It's showing clear on the radar. Are you sure you don't want me to pop in?] Poseidon asked leaning back in his office chair.

Arei sent Jos a questioning look as he shifted the phone to the other ear so she could hear the conversation better. ”How is everything going there? If you need us now-”

Poseidon interrupted. [Everything is fine here. The kid has actually been a halfway decent person. When I checked in on them earlier, he was helping her pull up pictures of Rin on his phone and talking about some of the fun times they'd shared. He was even trying to talk her into calling his parents over video chat. I'm not sure how that has gone, however.]

Arei searched her eyes, seeing barely hid anxiety at the mere mention of Russ; and he would be lying if he didn't admit he, himself didn't want to have the kid near her just yet. ”No, it's alright. If it's not clear by morning, we'll call back.”

[Alright, be careful and don't worry about anything here. If you can't make it back by nightfall, I'll have Ry and the kid share a room with her. Keep a watchful eye out. Although freak storms aren't unheard of in that area, they can also be suspicious.] Poseidon said as his eyes moved over the forecast displayed on the screen.

Arei sighed, ”Not to worry, we will. I'll keep you updated. Also, save this number. It's Jos's cell. I'll call or text before we leave.” They said short goodbyes before Arei hung up and handed the phone back to Jos. His eyes held her. ”I hope that was alright with you. You don't mind staying here overnight possibly?”

Jos shook her head. ”N...no... especially if Russ is still there...” She looked away. ”I mean, I'm glad to hear things are going well for them. They needed time to themselves since all this started. Russ and Rin were close friends so I think that kind of good-natured support is just what she needs right now... and I know the only way they can have that is if I'm far away...” A tear slid down her cheek.

He brushed it away with the wide pad of his thumb. ”I know you're in pain right now, Kitten, and that all this is hard on you. You can no longer be there for both of them like you feel like you need to be, but maybe in time, we can work out a way for you to be back in both their lives without worrying about the impact of the curse.”

Jos shook her head. ”That would be nice, but I don't see my mother releasing me from the curse anytime soon.”

Arei let out a heavy sigh. ”I'm sure there has to be a way.” He looked back toward the window, noting the sky drawing darker. ”Well, it doesn't look like the storm is going anywhere soon...” He moved his focus up to her. ”What would you like to do? There's a TV in one of the bedrooms and the kitchen is usually pretty well stocked with non-perishables. We could throw something together and watch a movie... or something...” When she simply nodded, her eyes still heavy with trouble; he patted her thigh. ”How about you go pick out a movie and I'll throw something together?” She sent him a skeptical glance. ”Don't worry I'm pretty good at working a microwave.” He gave her a wink as he helped her to her feet.

A few minutes later Arei walked into the bedroom with a tray of various foods he'd found. A smile covered his face as his eyes found her. She was sitting cross-legged with a couple DVD's spread out in front of her. ”It's a good thing the kitchen had been restocked recently. That rain doesn't look like it's giving up any time soon.” He set the tray on the long dresser the television hung over as he pulled a wire from his pocket. ”I found a charger that should work for your phone as well.” He arched a brow when she only nodded, her attention still trained on the movies. ”Having problems deciding, Kitten? Let's see what you have down there.” He said as he bent over beside her.

Jos rubbed her chin thoughtfully. ”I don't know... What do you think? They are all pretty good.”

Arei looked over the titles. ”I agree Casablanca, West side story, and Rebel without a cause are all good movies; but I swear I've seen them all so many times I know every word. What else do you have?” He lifted two he'd never seen that looked newer. ”The Great Gatsby, is it as good as the book?”

Jos frowned as she moved her gaze back to the stack of movies still in the drawer. ”Is it fair to ever truly compare one to the other? Let's see... How about this one?” She held up another newer case. ”I haven't seen this one.”