Safe in the Lion's Den, Pt. 10

"I believe you are correct." I said, as I smiled down at her beautiful face. "C'mon, let's go upstairs. I think I can recreate the moment, if I take like one-thousandth of a second to think about it. Yup! I can definitely do it!"

Portia nodded, and we moved back toward the open door, when Earl waddled casually onto the deck with the spread out, swaggering, badger-like gait that skunks have. He glanced up and chitter-chattered at me once again, in a friendly greeting.

"Oh, Mother of Mercy!" she exclaimed. "It's the telephone pole cat again! Jack, how can you allow him in your house like that?"

I knelt down and pursed my lips in that familiar kissy-sounding cat call that all feline owners use. Earl immediately wandered over, and I placed my hand gently on his head, petting him as one would a house cat. He made a cooing sound, and I looked up at Portia.

"Come here and pet him." I said with a smile. "He won't hurt you."

Portia gazed at him with a bit of trepidation, but obliged. The look on her face gave away her trust in me, and I was more than happy to make a point. She reached out gingerly, and touched him on the head as I had.

"He likes that." I pointed out. "He likes chin rubs too; just like a cat. I actually think that in his own mind, Earl the skunk truly believes that he is merely an ordinary, run of the mill house cat who has been blessed with a superhero's anus."

Portia giggled.

"You sure have a way with words, Jack." she laughed.

"I mean it." I replied. "Smell your hand."

She gave me one of those "Side-eyed Sadie" looks, but sniffed anyway. Her eyes widened, and she stared at me intently.

"There's nothing there!" she exclaimed. "No odor at all!"

"That's what I tried to tell you." I explained. "I'll bet ol' Earl hasn't even sprayed yet. I sure as hell wouldn't want to be the poor coyote that takes his first concentrated load in the face! Anyway, let's go upstairs and resume where we left off this morning, shall we?"

I closed the door behind us, and shut off the outdoor and overhead lights as we ascended the stairs. The nightlight/outlet cast enough lighting to guide the way, and I heard Sophia's voice in the spare bedroom, as we passed by.

"Oh hello! And who is this now? Oh, listen to you purr!"

She had apparently opened the door and let the cats in while we were downstairs.

"Hey Princess." I whispered. "I'm going to shut the door, okay? The cats will be fine. If they really make a ruckus to go out, just open the door again, okay?"

"Okay Jack." she whispered back. "I'm glad that you and Mama will finally get to talk. I think you really need each other, right now. Good night Jack, and thank you again, for giving us a place to stay. It's wonderful here, so far."

"Good night, Princess. Wait until I show you around tomorrow. I think you'll love it here." I replied, as I shut the door.

I turned to Portia, who was smiling more broadly than I had ever seen her do before.

"Tonight belongs to us." she said quietly. "Sophia is old enough to understand. She knows that I have met someone who is just as special to me, as you seem to be to her.

"I hate to have met you in this way," I said quietly, "but right now, I am very glad that I have. I don't know what will happen to us in the next few days, weeks or maybe even months from now, but I certainly am growing quite fond of you."

"And me of you." she replied. "Now, why don't we continue where we were?"

I smiled, and motioned for her to follow me into the bathroom. I removed a small plugin nightlight from the drawer and pushed it into a receptacle, before closing the door behind us. The small room was now bathed in a dim, orangey light, and I turned the shower on. As I turned back, Portia was already removing her top. A few moments later, I guided her into the tub.

We found ourselves - once again - enjoying the hot shower, and embraced; letting the water cascade over our bodies as we began to kiss more and more passionately. Portia's nails slid down my back, sending electric waves through my entire body for the second time that day.

"Now this feels familiar!" I exclaimed quietly, kissing her again. "I believe this is where we were, when Denise the Menace turned the lights on and threw some water onto our barbecue."

"It did spoil the mood a bit," Portia acknowledged, "but we did get a sneak peek before we got dressed though."

"I liked what I saw then, and I like what I see now, too." I stated. "I won't lie to you."

"Me too." she agreed. "Jack, it's been so long since I've been with a man who truly cares about me, that I really don't know what to do next. It's all so wonderful right now!"

"Why don't we do a little personal touching for now, to get the spirit going?" I suggested. "Then, we can scrub each other down and wash each others' hair, like we did this morning. Then, we get all dried off, and continue the conversation in our room. What do you think?"

"I think," she responded, reaching down and gently gripping my penis, "that I really like your idea. I also like that you called it 'our room,' too. I have so much that I want to share with you, Guy. So much to tell you!"

"We have nothing but time for now." I said softly, as I gently turned her around; sliding my hands up her belly to caress her small, soft tits lovingly. "There's no rush. Let's just take it one step at a time, okay?"

"Okay." she replied, as I continued squeezing her squishy tits, "but I am getting turned on. Perhaps we should concentrate on the other stuff for now, so that we can get into the bedroom to continue?"

"That sounds like an amazing plan!" I exclaimed, as I stuck my head under the showerhead.

About twenty minutes later, we toweled off and looked at one another in the rustic glow of the incandescent C4 bulb plugged into the wall.

"Okay, we both have hair dryers!" I exclaimed. "We can be in bed in less than ten minutes!"

Portia giggled, and we both began blow drying our hair; stealing glances at one another the entire time. It was like we were both teenagers again; our parents oblivious as to what we were about to do, while they played cards downstairs. Her hair was actually a little shorter than mine, so she finished a minute or so before me, and began brushing it out.

I had been drying my hair from mostly one side, so I flipped about two thirds of it over my head, until I could comb and brush it all back. In the meantime, there were about four inches of height on top, and full volume on each side. That's when I noticed her staring at me, with that same bit of a smirk she gets when she's about to make a smart comment.

"That look is right out of an '80s music video!" she guffawed. "All you need is a mic. Well, that and some tight pants."

I reached for my hairbrush, and placed it over my left eye; turning back to face her.

"You spin me right round, Baby. Right round; like a record, Baby! Right round; round round!" I sang in reply, giving her a kissy face.

Portia burst out laughing, and placed her arms around me.

"Hey, I remember him!" she exclaimed. "Oh Guy, you act like such an idiot sometimes when you let your guard down, but I like it. Everyone is always so serious around me, but I like funny guys. You are the first man to open up and just be yourself around me in a long time. I would have never guessed either, as stoically as you present yourself. John-"

"Oh shit!" I interrupted her; putting the brush down. "I forgot to call him! I'd better send him a quick text, or else he'll have a conniption."

"A what?!" she exclaimed. "What the fuck is that?"

"He'll freak out." I explained, as I opened my phone."I guess nowadays the common word is meltdown, but here in the South, we still call it a conniption. You're going to learn a lot of local terms, staying here with me. You'll go back saying something like, 'Ciao, y'all. I'll have me some of that veal scallopini an' grits. Maybe an order of catfish parmesan an' some 'nanner puddin'.'"

"You're silly." Portia remarked. "In a weird way, but I like it."

"Made it to the den safe and sound." I texted, using the number pad. "Settling in for the night. I'll give you a rundown tmrw."

I brushed my hair back and took the rubber band from my wrist; pulling it back into a ponytail. We both made use of my mouthwash, and smiled at one another in the dim light. It was still a bit awkward, but definitely getting much smoother at the same time.

"Minty fresh!" I said, as I picked up my clothes. "C'mon, it's time to make some pillow talk."

"Pillow talk?" she inquired, as we stepped into the dimly lit hall. "What does that mean?"

"It's when you share personal things while leaning on your elbow in bed." I explained. "It's what got Marilyn Monroe taken out."

"Ah... I know now, what you mean." she replied with a smile. "In Italian, it's chiacchiere da letto.

I closed the door behind us and turned on the lighted brass plated and faux mahogany ceiling fan; revealing a fancy brass bed and some vintage 1960s Italian-American style white and gold furniture. It had been Dad's bedroom set, and I just adopted it as mine after he passed. The interior walls were painted a cheery shade of light blue, with titanium white trim and ceilings. Gold chair rail and crown moldings tied everything together, while prefinished mahogany flooring and a blue-patterned area rug under the bed completed the look.

"Oh Jack!" Portia gasped, as she looked around. "This is beautiful!"

"You're the first one to see it." I explained, as I lit a large, scented candle on the nightstand. "See, I even have a candle to burn. Like I told you, I built this place for a family I'll never have. I've even decorated it like a family was here. Look at this; mirrored doors on the closet too. I built this fantasy home that was in my head, knowing I'd probably never have anyone in my life to share it with. At least someone else can finally appreciate it now; if just for a little while."

I walked back to the light switch and turned the lights off, leaving us in the dark, except for the flickering candle on the nightstand, which was giving off a surprising amount of light, due to the pure white ceiling reflecting a good deal of the light back. I had never tested it out before, but it was the perfect amount of light for a romantic "chat."

I placed the two phones on the nightstand -- along with the P85 -- and we settled into bed. It was the first time I had really had the chance to stare at her without being obvious. I smiled gently, as I brushed the hair out of her face with my thumb.

"You are so beautiful." I said quietly, as I leaned in and kissed her. "So beau-"

My words were abruptly cut off, as the "red phone" suddenly blared with an upbeat "Hail to the Chief" ringtone, that I didn't remember hearing earlier.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" I muttered. "Perfect timing, you asshole!"

Portia placed her hand over her mouth, and giggled uncontrollably as I answered the phone.

"Hey John." I said with a yawn. "What's up?"

"Sorry I didn't text you right back." he responded. "I was in a meeting with NATO, regarding what's going on across the pond. Speaking of that, how are the prime minister and Sophia doing?"

Portia gave me a thumbs up, and I guffawed involuntarily.

"I'm glad that all of this amuses you." John muttered in a slightly annoyed tone. "This is a tense situation, Jack."

"Dude, she can hear you!" I laughed. "The acoustics in this bedroom are amazing. Anyway, she gave me a high sign to relay to you. She's fine. Sophia is in bed, and we were just about to discuss her situation, when you called. By the way, what the fuck is up with that cheesy ringtone? Lucky we weren't in the mall or anything."

"Not at this time of night!" he stated. "That's why I wanted to try it out. I supposedly can access those phones and make changes like that, and I wanted to see if it worked."

"It did." I replied. "Hail to the cheese; loud and clear. So, what IS going on across the pond? I know she's worried."

"It's a mess." John admitted. "There were so many cells buried into the population, that no one knows who the enemy actually is! It's like a Third World country over there right now. They killed most of her staff, Jack. It's a good thing she was over here when it went down. Anyway, the Carabinieri retook Parliament pretty quickly, so you can let her know that all of her things have been secured; nothing was looted as far as we can tell. All of her accounts have been frozen though, in case anyone tries to hack in while this is all being sorted out. They're doing their best to clear that up, though. Hopefully, she'll have access again, soon."

Portia's shoulders drooped at the news, but I was quick to reassure her.

"It's okay, Babe." I said gently, as I put the speakerphone on. "At least you still have all of your stuff. You can replace money, but you can't replace memories. It's the lesser of the two evils for now, and to me, it's a bit of good news."

Portia nodded.

"You're right." she agreed. "Mister Pr- John, what is the status of my government?"

"At the moment, it is non existent." he replied. "Your country is in turmoil. The anti-Populist movement has seized control for now, and they are wreaking havoc on everyone. Curfews, lockdowns, mass arrests; murders. These people are sick, Jack. We're going to have to take them out hard."

"Thank God, you're here." I murmured, temporarily forgetting that John could hear me.

"That's actually the good news." John continued. "The NovItalia media are reporting that both the prime minister and her daughter were killed in the coup! Only a few people knew she was coming here, Jack. This brings the heat way down for now."

"Maybe so, but keep an eye on the glowing embers anyway." I advised. "If the leak is on our side, they'll flare up somewhere. In the meantime, we're going to bug-in here as planned, and I want to make a supply run to stock up, so we won't have to go anywhere for a while. That way, we can just lay low here until it passes. At that point, Portia can decide to either remain dead, or magically come back to life and re-lead her constituents as Santa Portia. Right now, at least she and Sophia can relax and unwind for a bit, while this all sorts out."

"We appreciate the opportunity to do so." Portia responded. "So much has happened in the past few days, and I have so much to think about. This place will be perfect to get my mind off of things for a while."

She pursed her lips at me, and I smiled. Without even thinking, I gave the same kissy sound that I use on my cats, back at her. Realizing what had just happened, we both froze and stared at one another with wide eyes and open mouths, and trying our best, not to laugh. There was an uncomfortable pause, and John eventually cleared his throat.

"I'm assuming that wasn't directed at me," he finally responded, "so I'll jump off of here for now. Ring me tomorrow night with a heads-up. Sleep tight."

With that, he abruptly ended the call. Portia and I stared at each other for a few more seconds, before bursting out in uncontrollable laughter.

"Oh my god! I'll bet he thought he interrupted us in the act!" she snorted. "You called me 'Babe,' and then you said we are in a bedroom apart from Sophia. His face must be beach red right now."

"It's beet red," I replied with a chuckle, as I leaned in and kissed her, "and he WAS interrupting us. The big question though is: WERE we in the act, Honey-bottom?"

The ball was now in her court. However she answered the question was certain to affect our relationship from here on out; one way or the other. I held my breath in suspense; my heart pounding furiously, as I desperately awaited a reply. Portia looked at me lovingly, and smiled broadly.

"You're the agent in charge." she replied sweetly. "You tell me."

That was all I needed to hear! Sigmas sometimes need additional cues when it comes to this, but once we are certain, we can definitely take charge!

"I believe we were getting there," I replied, as I reached out and gently squeezed one of her scrumptious tits in my right hand, "but I think it's time we both share how we really feel."

With that, I moved my hand between her legs, and felt for her clit. My middle finger slid between her labia, and she sighed deeply. Knowing now where I was in regard to her anatomy, I began circling her clit with my finger, eliciting an even more positive response. She mumbled something I couldn't understand -- most likely in Italian -- and gasped, as she squirted all over my hand. Damn, she was definitely up for it!

"It's been so long!" she whispered fiercely. "Forget the foreplay and just fuck me!"

Now, it doesn't matter if you are an alpha, a sigma or even a zeta, Hell, it doesn't even matter if you are a pimply-faced and shy, teenage nerd. If a woman ever says "fuck me" and you're not watching a movie, it's a safe bet your runway is clear for takeoff; captain of your very own mystery ship!

"Lay back." I instructed her quietly. "Nothing rough or wild right now, okay? I just want to make love to you."

"I'd like that too." she agreed, as she rolled onto her back and opened up for me.

I positioned myself between her legs and gently lined up with her cunt. She'd already had an orgasm, so I new she was wet; I just wanted to be as gentle as I could, due to her small stature. I pushed gently, and gradually slid in; her tightness pulling hard against the front of my dick.

"Mm," she whispered softly. "You are filling me up. Mama Mia, Jack! It feels like I have a Genoa salami inside of me."

"I'll be careful." I promised, as I gently moved in and out of her.

We kissed occasionally - as our ardor increased - but mostly, we were both just enjoying the feeling of impending orgasms. Portia began rattling off in Italian, and I mumbled something incoherent myself, as we shared an almost simultaneous climax. Pants and moans filled the air, as we both tried desperately, to not wail like banshees and trigger Sophia's unneeded attention.

The moment was electric, as her nails raked my back, and what felt like orgasmic bolts of pleasurable lightning coursed through my entire lower body. After what seemed like minutes, it was finally over, and I dropped to the bed alongside of her; the both of us panting loudly from the experience.

"Oh Portia," I whispered, "that was wonderful! Thank you!"

"Oh, thank you too!" she gushed, as she placed her arms over my waist. "Jack, it was even better than I expected! I've never felt such chemistry with anyone before. Not even Sophia's papa, when I even liked him. I am so happy right now!"

"Me too." I replied softly. "I honestly can't remember a time when I have ever been happier and more content, than I am at the moment. Being in your arms is like being in Heaven. And like the song says: 'Making love to you has left me warm and tired.' I am so incredibly happy and comfortable right now, Portia!"

I gazed into her eyes once again.

"You call me Guy, I call Sophia, Princess, and yet I have no nickname for you." I said in a quiet voice as I gently massaged her neck and left shoulder with my free hand. "What is a nickname for Portia? Is there one?"

"My grandfather always called me Poppy when I was a little girl." she sighed wistfully. "He died when I was only four years old, but I remember him so well; sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch and smoking a cigar. You know, you remind me a lot of him, I guess. So sweet and caring, but I knew he also had times where everyone knew he was still in charge of the family."

"Poppy..." I said thoughtfully. "That still fits you. May I call you that?"

"Oh Jack." she whispered. "I'd love for you to call me that! You're only the second person to ever call me Poppy."

"Then it's a name no one else is ever going to know." I explained. "It's my special pet name for you, okay?"

"Yes." she replied.

"Why don't we get some sleep?" I suggested. "I know I'm worn out. I expect you are as well."

"Okay." she agreed.

I blew out the candle, and was surprised to see that only the color of the room had changed; not the brightness of the light. The soft, orangey hues had been replaced with the crisp, bluish-white light of the harvest moon, as it now streamed directly through the window.

"Wow! It's still so bright in here!" Portia exclaimed.

"Yeah, but when there's no moon, it's so dark that you can't see your hand in front of your face." I explained. "You won't believe just how dark it gets out here at night on the new moon. That's when we'll be most at risk.

"So Poppy, what are you going to do about your situation? At some point, you can go back and lead your country again, or you can leave it all behind. Lord knows I was tempted awhile back, myself. I was ready to sell everything I had - including all of this land that I have since built this house on - and just buy a fixer in the middle of nowhere and start over in a new place with a different version of my name."

"Why didn't you?" she inquired.

"I prayed for an angel to take me from the hell I was going through after I lost everyone." I explained. "There's a slight problem with prayers though. You see, God apparently has a sense of humor. Angel has five letters: ANGEL. In there are letters; A and N. I got an AsiaN, and she got an AryaN. Then, to top it all off, she had a full sized set of angel wings tattooed on her back. I got a literal angel who also happened to be Asian."

"So what happened?" Portia inquired.

"I don't know," I replied, "and I guess I never will. I think she had something planned, but I don't know what. Then one day, she saw a picture of my dad in his Shrine hat on the wall, and her whole demeanor changed. Her adopted father was a Mason, and for some reason, whatever she had planned, she stopped. She got a family emergency, I took her to the airport and then I never saw her again."

"That's horrible." Portia said quietly.

"No, it's not." I replied, much to her surprise. "I told you, I got a literal angel, wings and all. She was only in my house for ten days, Poppy, but it was so nice to come home to someone again! It was what I needed to get myself out of the abyss. Like a real angel, she came into my life and saved me, and then disappeared again; never to be found. I hated that it was over, but I was so thankful that it had happened."

"Like us." Portia observed.

"Very much so." I said with a nod. "Which is why I bring it up. I am so attracted to you, Poppy, and I don't want to lose you too. I know that whatever happens will happen, but I wish that we could have tonight... every night."

"Oh Jack, I wish for that too." she sighed. "I wished in that fountain this morning, that you were my knight in shining armor, and that I was your secret princess. I know it sounds stupid, but that's what I wished for."

"It doesn't sound stupid." I said, as I leaned in and kissed her again. "I actually wished that I was your knight in shining armor, and that I could somehow save you and Sophia in all of this, and be your prince."

"You threw a big coin in as we left." Portia observed. "Is that when you wished for it?"

"I wished for it both times." I confessed. "I wished that I could be with you and Sophia as a family. Just like this. Like it's been since we got home. Like we are now. I'll bet that Sophia wished for something pretty similar. So, I guess we all kind of wished for the same thing.

"I have no idea, the amount of pressure that you must go through, as the leader of your country, but I do know what it's like to have enough, and just want get out of everything. Not just with what I told you just now, but I got out of everything, Poppy. No more acting or politics, and no more working as a freelance operative. No more radio show. Nothing. I'm out of the Game. I'm done, period. Well I was, anyway. Until now.

"I guess what I'm trying to say, is that if you want to leave it all behind you, you can. I can be your little fixer-upper in the middle of nowhere if you want. Or, I can be that temporary angel that flitters back out and leaves you all alone again."

"I've been in politics since I was twenty three years old, Jack." Portia said quietly. "I've spent more than half of my life serving everyone one else' needs but mine. I think you're right though. I think it's time that I think of myself and my daughter, before anything else. Maybe it's time for me to get out of that, what did you call it, game?"

"All you have to do is walk away." I replied. "I did."

"But how?" she implored. "How do you just walk away from everything?"

"In my case, I closed all of my social media accounts and stopped posting on forums." I answered. "I just withdrew into my Nowhere Land, and built this place for nobody. Nobody until now, anyway. It's here if you want it, and I'd love to share it with you; both of you, if you'd like."

"This place is so peaceful and beautiful!" Portia whispered. "Oh Jack, I feel like I'm in another world, in this place. It's so tempting to stay here with you. I just have so much to consider."

"Yes you do," I responded, "but there will still come a time when you'll have to face the reality of everything that has happened, and make a decision. In the meantime..."

I gazed into her soulful gray eyes as I thought of some words from the song, "Counting Cars," and began to sing quietly to her.

"If I lay here. If I just lay here. Would you lie with me and just forget the world?"

Portia returned my gaze and nodded. After a few seconds, she finally spoke.

"Yes Jack." she replied softly. "Yes I would. When this is over, I will make a final decision, but in the meantime, I want to forget everything else that is going on in the world, and just spend some time here -- in this world with you -- for now."