Chapter 57

Ten minutes later, “Oh hell, I'm so full,” he groaned and looked at the remaining goodies on the small table between an old lampshade and small vanity. Their breakfast was soft pancakes and berries, as warm as they would be in the sun, with maple syrup threaded on top. “I didn't tell you to eat all the pancakes.” Mary smiled, licking the rest of the syrup on her finger. "Yeah, but it remains my favourite breakfast, yet it has nothing at all to do with the food, if you know what I mean," he smirked. “I loved it because you were with me, because you and I were in the same room." It was odd how they transfer emotions that way, as if they couldn't quite accept how quickly they fell in love.

“Oh my God, boss, my playboy boss—”

“I'm your husband,”

She rolled her eyes, grinning. “My playboy boss, my husband is romantic. This is really new! I can't even believe this. I've been working my ass off for two years, and I've never heard you lovie dovie with your girlfriend before.”

He brightened up. “You’re jealous—”

“I am not!”

“You are…”

“I am not jealous,” she growled back with the same teasing smile on her lips.

Tyler frowned and flinched when he heard another unwanted noise. “Sweetheart,” he halted. “Hold on, be quiet,” he whispered, and looking at the window, he moved away from the bed with agility while Mary frowned. “Tyler, what is it?” His left hand unconsciously reached for the gun in his waistband, dragged it out, and peeked at the window again. “I heard something.”

Tyler's grandfather once taught him and Chase how to use different guns when they were still children. Back then, Tyler had no idea why his grandfather had a huge collection of various guns and weapons. He didn't even question why the old man had men all over the mansion, guarding their safety. Not until he was a teenager that he found out that his grandfather was the leader of an organisation specialising in unearthing long-lost treasures. Long after his discovery, his grandfather and his team were sent to the Middle East, Asia, and all over Europe to assist in the recovery and transportation of an impressive chunk of golden treasure, the massive legendary golden Buddha, and pirate treasure rumoured to be one part of an ancient civilization’s horde.

The thousand gold bars and the golden Buddha that Tyler's grandfather was charged with watching over had, allegedly, been a gift to one of the prominent families in the Philippines. As the story goes, the remarkable treasure nearly made it to Europe instead of being lost in transit from Asia to Ireland. Tyler’s grandfather didn’t mind these guard-and-move jobs and hunting. Then Tyler started searching for his old man’s life, his way of living, his many bank accounts offshore, and even the legendary treasure. By then, he knew that the old man had accumulated a lot of treasure over the centuries. Tyler even called those former treasure hunters and colleagues of his grandfather's and still found nothing nearer to a key to any treasure, which is, by far, very odd because Chase didn't receive any key as well. Whatever it was, it remained unknown and carefully hidden.

Occasionally, since his discovery last year, so many problems have arisen. There were many individuals after it: the Russian mob and its government, France, and even those zealots whose bet was the one targeting Mary, not to mention his own family and Javier's gang. Tyler’s immediate concern upon waking was that this was one of those times. What if this time they take Mary again? What if, "Dammit!" he grumbled under his breath as he went to the suitcase and took his dark, fashionable bulletproof clothing with built-in protection like a bulletproof vest underneath. He knew from Eddie that with unprecedented levels of crime, random shooting attacks, violent protests, and riots, this equipment had never been more relevant.

"Wear this now, wife," he said to Mary with intensity. Mary frowned; she turned her head and raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Tyler. Not again, I don't need that; I can't move. And it's hard to breathe," she complained. It was Tyler's vest, but since the attack in the airport, he let her wear it, and she was never happy about it.

“This can protect you.”

"Are you even serious? I can't wear that. It’s too hard to—?"

“No arguments, please!”

She sighed, looked into his eyes, and found that this was one of those times when Tyler wasn't just her husband but her boss. "Yes, of course, but wearing that traditional body armour on a daily basis is cumbersome and distracting. I can't even move properly. I don't."

"No buts, you need this now!"

She pouted, "Babe, you need that more than anything. You are the billionaire here, remember? Not me."

"You are my wife, Mary. Your safety matters more than anything else."

Aww! Her heart….

"Fine," she answered, and taking it from his hands, he helped her while deliberately touching her breast, smirking, "Is that even necessary to–"

"Of course," Tyler smirked. He knew she would writhe under him if he continued this evasion, but he held himself. Now was not the time to think about his dick, though she would be consumed by the intensity of his hardness that could impale her at any moment if she didn't stop looking at his lips. He was a skillful lover, as was she. Mary exuded a sensuality on which he couldn't peg an age. She had the stamina of a 20-year-old and the virginal zest of one who had just been exposed to the ecstasies and ardour of lovemaking. Yet she had the maturity that could hold her man to her and methods that would extend his indefatigability long after younger men would have slumped in weariness. Nevertheless, Tyler was in his early thirties, but age was only a number. With a hard, strong body built through very difficult times, where a small dip in awareness of his surroundings could cost him his life, his strength was in his youth, which he still carried in him. He was capable of immense love, of giving her the best that could carry a lover to dizzy heights.

“Don't you even think about it, Tyler? We are under pressure here; stop whatever you are thinking.”

“What? I'm not thinking anything—”

“That look in your face,” she said, raising her brow with a smile on her lips. “I know that!” She rolled her eyes and fixed herself a few feet away from her husband.

“Can a man dream of his wife being naked under that bulletproof vest?”

“Really?”

He grinned. “Just kidding,” he quickly walked to her side, kissed her neck for a second, then glided to her lips. “I promise to bring you to the Maldives after this mess is sorted. I'll make love to you under the sun, under the moon, with nothing but—”

“Yeah, yeah!” she kissed him back. “Stop giving me horny thoughts.”

God, he loved her. He thought he loved the way she smiled at him, like he was the only man on earth. A second later, their lips crushed against each other, his tongue probing in rhythm with his shaft hardened. Both her moan and words welcomed him gleefully. There was still a lot of time left, with much to explore and much to do. They clung to each other and kissed again before she turned abruptly and halted. “Babe, can you hear that?”

Tyler groaned, "What? ”

“That little clicking noise.”

He frowned. “Yeah, I can hear it. What the hell is that?” he murmured, and he surveyed the room. He stopped when he heard a small buzzing from somewhere underneath the table. ”It's here.” He signalled to Mary to keep still. The small desk in the corner before him had a fake leather top in a deep shade of burgundy. It was obviously not an expensive piece of furniture. There was an old-fashioned blotter, matching the tabletop, with a couple of inkwells and cheap fountain pens—the type someone would dip into to write or sign. To the right lies an area that doubles up as a small dressing room, with a small square white table, a chair, and an ugly fake flower vase on top; a cheap lantern mounted on the ceiling, a small television screen, a whiteboard, and some small cupboards on the sides. While the room was well lit, there were heavy drapes all around what Tyler figured out to be floor-ceiling windows.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

"Oh, it's just an old alarm clock, I think..." He jumped out of his skin when he heard her teasing voice right behind him. "Oh baby, I am sorry I startled you. I didn't mean to—" she teased and snaked her hands around his neck.

"You scared me," he almost screamed, then pecked a short kiss on her cheek. "And yes, I like pussy, but I'm looking for a recording device or a hidden camera... but I think pussy is what I'm hoping for," he smirked.

With his words, Mary widened her eyes. "Seriously, a camera?" Ignoring his earlier words, "...in this cheap inn? They couldn't even afford a better shower curtain, yet a hidden camera?" She answered amusedly.

"You have a point; I'm just overreacting, I guess," he agreed, yet he had the same nudging feeling that someone was watching them.

Mary smiled as she caressed his arms down to his hands, then let go of them immediately. Unexpectedly, Tyler didn't think it was deliberate, but his mind till now hadn't registered how her soft, delicate hand felt on him. It felt perfect.

a few minutes later.

"Please sit down. Stop pacing. You are making me dizzy. This room is not wired for anything. Would you like some tea instead? I have also asked for a light mint tea. But if you want something else, just say so."

"I will have a little bit of what you are having again."

Then a knock came. He looked towards the door behind her and nodded. "Let me take the door, go behind me, and get your gun."

"Tyler? That is just the innkeeper with our breakfast."

"I hope so," he replied, and he stepped through the door, peering through the peephole and nodding. "Yap, just the innkeeper. Let us first drink some tea, and another breakfast, of course."

Mary rolled her eyes.

The burly guy at the reception walked in with the tea and breakfast tray, left it on the desk, and made a hasty exit, which wasn't normal at all, but then, maybe here in Scotland it was?

Noticing an unknown dejavu, Mary sensed Tyler walking in and then out to the door. Looked around and came back in. Another few moments later, he had crept up on her like a cat, taking careful steps, and caught her off guard in the same moment she kicked him in where the sun doesn't shine. "Whathefuck, wife! It’s me! Fuck fuck!" He danced like a madman, holding his crotch while Mary rolled her eyes. "I told you to never do that again! It serves you right!"

"Jesus, woman, I was just about to hug you from behind."

"Then why didn't you say so?" She snickered and helped him sit on the edge of the bed, abruptly holding the thing between his legs. "Shall I massage it for you?" She bit her lips and smiled sweetly. "Do you need help with that poor little thing?"

“Little?”

She smirked. "Okay, not so little."

Tyler growled and kissed her.