Chapter 426 - Making use of truth serum

In one of two presidential suites on the top floor of the resort on Lake Tahoe, Jeff is on an oversized chair, and he cradled in his arms JoAnna who is seated in his lap.

She asked him to be serious and answer few questions, and he accepted without putting up any resistance.

JoAnna wants to make use of the truth serum, so she is trying to come up with questions that she thinks Jeff would avoid answering if he has a choice. After few 'test' questions, she confirmed that he is providing answers without any hesitation in a matter-of-factly manner. JoAnna decided to start asking tricky ones.

"Jeff, honey, is it true that you don't lie to me?"

"Yes."

JoAnna thought for a moment. 'I need to frame my questions properly if I want to find out anything useful. This might be my only chance!' Her eyes lit up as she thought of a good one. "Is there something you are not telling me?"

"Yes."

JoAnna's ears perked up. "Tell me something you are hiding from me."

"After our wedding, I will take one month off from work, for our honeymoon."

JoAnna inhaled sharply. 'Is it possible? Did I hear him right? Oh, I can just ask him.' She smiled; her eyes were full of excitement. "One month? How can you take such a long vacation?"

"Oscar will work as a temporary CEO."

JoAnna was all giddy thinking about one month, just the two of them. "How did you persuade him into that?"

"It's his wedding present for us. He called it present of time."

JoAnna was honestly happy with this gift. For her, nothing matters more than spending time with Jeff. If Oscar is handling things while Jeff is away, there is a chance that they can enjoy their honeymoon without Jeff getting calls from work. "Aren't you afraid that he will mess up things in the company?"

Jeff shook his head. "No. There is only one thing I'm afraid of."

JoAnna's curiosity piqued. "What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid that I'm going to lose you." Jeff's solemn tone made JoAnna freeze.

JoAnna felt that her heart is aching and melting at the same time. "Don't be so serious… Why would you think that you are going to lose me?"

Jeff looked at her, and his eyes lost focus while light frown shaded his handsome face.

Jeff was engulfed by memories which replayed everything from the moment he met JoAnna in Franciscan Medical Center, when she came to replace his IV. He remembered her expression, and tone of voice, and the feeling which sprouted during that short encounter. And that hotel room where she slept when she passed out, and in the morning, she ate his breakfast. He asked himself countless times if anything would be different if he didn't let her leave his hotel room that morning. He remembered his anxiety rising during his failures to see her again. Dreams filled with her presence which mixed with his perception of reality. He remembered immense emotional relief when he found her, and she was safe, and smiling, and in his arms, and when she told him that she will not run away any more from her feelings… her feelings which he hoped that are at least one fraction of what he feels for her. Impatience and elation of their first love making, and many others that followed, in his penthouse, which is now theirs. He remembered his euphoria when he realized that she loves him and wants to spend the rest of her life with him. Her expressions of joy, sadness, fear, relief, desire, strength, stubbornness… He remembered his anguish when he found out that she left the penthouse, knowing that Dr. Light is stalking her. He remembered his helplessness and panic as he watched her fall off the horse…

After some time in silence, JoAnna thought that he is not going to speak, assuming that he does not have an answer to that question.

Just as she was about to give up on waiting for an answer from Jeff, he pulled her into a tight hug and spoke quietly, close to her ear. "I fear that I might lose you due to more than one reason. Maybe because I have enemies. Or maybe because two Eastern European families are feuding, and you are involved. Or maybe because someone wants to drug you and take you to a house in the middle of the forest. Or maybe because some woman is delusional and thinks that by hurting you, she will manage to capture my heart. Or maybe because you will get bored of me and leave me."

Intensity of Jeff's embrace was increasing while he spoke. "I never felt like this about anyone. Before I met you, I was dying every day. Since you walked in my life, I feel alive. I am afraid that I will lose that."

He paused few seconds before continuing. "I remember the time after my hospital stay in Franciscan Medical Center. I was in agony. My soul was bleeding at the possibility that you are not thinking about me. I survived because you were with me in my dreams; there, I was able to hold you and feel you close to me. Those same dreams threw me in the depths of hell when I woke up and realized that it was all just a dream." Jeff inched away from JoAnna and looked her in the eyes. "See? I already know how my life would look like if I lose you, and I don't want to go through that again. Ever. Anna, I need you more than air."

"Oh, Jeff…" JoAnna was not sure how to respond to this. She wanted to find out something tricky, maybe something that she can use to tease him later. And it ended up like this.

JoAnna saw that Jeff's eyes were red, as he used his otherworldly self-control to keep his emotions in check, and not let tears swelling in his eyes roll down. Not in front of her.

JoAnna was overwhelmed. The only thing she could think of was to kiss him. She kissed him like there is no tomorrow, like her life depends on it. And he returned her kisses with same intensity.

Jeff's soft and gentle lips delivered powerful and insistent kisses which made her feel strength of his emotions. Or maybe those were her emotions reflected at her, and he made her realize depth of her love. As their tongues teased each other, JoAnna promised herself that she will do whatever is needed to stay safe and to keep him safe. She will get stronger, faster, smarter. Because he is her air, and she can't live without him.

JoAnna felt that world around them is irrelevant. Nothing mattered other than two of them. Not her dress carelessly thrown on the floor, or his pants clinging on the armrest of the sofa, and even less his shirt dangling off the coffee table.

With each passing second, JoAnna's and Jeff's individualities faded as their bodies dissolved into one another. Right then. On that oversized chair. Each thrust brought their existences closer together until they merged into one completely, ignoring all known laws of physics.