Love Required (29 page)

“I can’t help it. My skin is crawling,” Jason admitted with defeat as he dropped to the seat next to Logan.

“Just try and channel it. We’ll be on our way soon.”

Jason nodded and let his head fall back on his shoulders. Closing his eyes, he tried to relax, but failed miserably. When his phone vibrated in his pocket, he jumped up and fought with himself as he pulled it out. It was a number he didn’t recognize, but he answered it quickly.

“Hello?”

“Jason …” Tori’s voice came through the line, scratchy and weak, but hers nonetheless, choking the breath right out of him.

Dropping his heavy body to his seat again, he whispered, “Tori? Baby, is that you?”

“It’s me. Where’s Lexi? Is she safe?” she asked, almost desperately.

He nodded as he answered, “Lexi is safe, I promise.” Tori’s sob hit his ear like a punch, and tears filled his eyes. Between the overwhelming relief at hearing her voice, then the sounds of her sobs and being powerless to console her, he thought he might lose it. Thinking the only thing he thought would help either of them, he said, “I’m coming, baby. I’ll be there in about two hours, okay? Just hang in there until I get there.”

TORI hiccupped as she tried to hold back the tears. Lexi was safe, and Jason was coming. That was all she needed to know. “Okay … I’ll hang in there.”

“I’ll be there before you know it.” He paused, and she could hear the noises of the airport around him before he said, “They’re boarding us now. That’s the only reason I’m hanging this phone up. You hear me? The only reason.”

Another sob escaped her as she smiled. “Okay. See you soon.”

“I love you, Tori.”

“I love you, too.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

TORI felt a warm hand stroke across her cheekbone, before she felt lips press against her forehead. Taking a breath, she filled her lungs with Jason. He was there. Smiling, she opened her eyes and met his. Sadness lurked in their depths, and the guilt washed over her knowing she was the reason for it. Not sure what to say, she gave him a smile. He answered with one of his own as he let his eyes roam her face.

When they landed back on hers, he smirked and whispered, “Hey you.”

“Hey yourself.” Tears were once again falling, and she had to fight the sob clawing its way up from her chest. Wanting nothing more than to throw herself in his arms, she resisted.

Jason swept the hair off her forehead and asked, “Are you in pain? Where are you hurt?”

Shaking her head, she lifted her wrists and showed him the bruising. “It was really hot in that trunk so I was pretty dehydrated. And my wrists were torn up from the tape, but other than that, I’m not hurt. He didn’t have time.”

His body tensed over her, and his jaw flexed when she spoke those words. Taking a slow breath, he asked, “So it won’t hurt if I hold you? ‘Cause if I don’t get my fucking arms wrapped around you in the next thirty seconds, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

Relief coursed through her. She needed his touch, too. “I feel the exact same way.” Swiftly, Jason’s large arms engulfed her, making her feel small, vulnerable … yet she felt cherished and loved. She soaked him into her pores, wanting to climb inside him and never leave. She felt his lips press against her hair and just stay there. With her one arm attached to her IV, she held him as tightly as she could with the other arm. They stayed like that for minutes before the sound of a throat clearing interrupted them.

Jason didn’t let go, but shifted so they could both see who had come in. Logan stood just inside the doorway with her doctor. He smiled and said, “Sorry to interrupt, but the doc here says she needs to examine Tori. I told her so long as she doesn’t try to make the oversized caveman in there leave, she shouldn’t have a problem.”

Tori snorted a laugh. “Hi Logan. Thanks for making sure my oversized caveman got here safely.”

Logan winked. “Sure thing. Now, would you please tell the doctor he can stay so they don’t have to call security?”

Tori looked up at Jason and smiled. “It sounds like you’ve been a handful.”

He shrugged. “I was having Cupcake withdrawals.”

She laughed out loud and looked at the doctor. “Yeah, he’s not going anywhere. Can you do what you need to do with him here?”

The small, Asian woman just nodded. “I will need him to let go of you for a few minutes, though.”

Jason grumbled his discontent with that, and Tori patted him on the chest. “Let the doctor do her job.”

“Fine,” he mumbled under his breath and obediently moved out of the way. Logan took the cue and left. One set of vitals and visual inspection of her bruises later, and the doctor told her she wanted one more bag of fluids in her IV before discharging her. Since her dehydration wasn’t for an extended period of time, she was rebounding quickly. Tori was relieved she didn’t have to stay there for too long.

Before the doctor excused herself, Jason asked, “Is she allowed out of bed while you give her those fluids?”

The doctor nodded. “So long as she has assistance at first, and she isn’t experiencing any dizziness, its fine.”

“Thank you,” Jason offered as she left the room. As soon as the door closed, Jason had her hand in his and was pulling the sheet back for her. Helping her shift her legs, he helped her to a standing position, not saying a word. When she was upright, he asked, “Dizzy?”

“No, I feel good. Maybe a little tired, but good.”

Jason nodded and then moved to sit in the chair beside her bed. Once seated, he moved her in front of him and gently guided her to his lap. Cradling her against him, he pulled the sheet from the bed and wrapped it over the lower half of her body, shielding her from anyone who might walk in. With the right side of her body snuggled up against him, it left the IV exposed on the other side. So when the nurse came in and hooked up the bag, she didn’t say anything about it. The two of them just sat there, holding one another, soothing the other merely from their proximity.

JASON knew the moment Tori had fallen asleep. Her body relaxed further into his, and her breathing leveled out. He loved that she could fall asleep on his lap so easily, regardless of what she’d been through. Trying not to let his mind wander down that dark path again, he reached for his phone to text Logan. A few minutes later, he quietly entered the room as Jason had requested. Logan planted himself at the end of the bed and smiled—his features full of compassion as he took in Tori asleep on his lap. “Glad she’s okay, man.”

Jason held her tighter, confirming to himself that she was, in fact, okay. Nodding, he agreed, “Me too.”

“Okay, so, Gillian texted me the hotel information. I had her get us two rooms since the doc said she could go today. That gets us through until tomorrow. We can’t fly home with Tori because, as my oh-so-smart-ex-wife pointed out … we don’t have Tori’s ID since her purse is back in San Diego. According to Sean, she could use the police report, but you’d have to wait until it’s ready.”

Jason hadn’t even thought about that. “Shit, I don’t want to have to wait for a report.”

Logan nodded, his voice full of sarcasm. “Yep, that about sums it up. So you thinking we should drive?”

The drive home wasn’t a big deal for him. They’d done that drive countless times over the years. But when he thought about bringing Tori back to San Diego, he realized he didn’t want to. She was in more danger now than before, so he couldn’t take her home. They needed to come up with a plan. When he asked Logan if he’d be willing to carry to the load back at work, he expected nothing less than full support.

“Of course. And if anyone has a problem with any delays, given the circumstances, we don’t need them as clients.”

Jason agreed. As he continued to think on a plan, his stomach growled against Tori’s side, and Jason was surprised it hadn’t woken her up. Lunch the day before had been his last meal. Now that the nerves and fears had dissipated, his body was quickly returning to normal—meaning, he was famished. Jason asked, “You think you can get us some food while her IV finishes?”

Logan stood. “Sure thing, but since I’m buying and flying, I get to pick.”

“Thanks, man,” Jason said with sincerity. It was for more than just the offer of food and Logan knew it.

Smiling at him, Logan said, “What are friends for? It’s what we do.” And with that, he left him alone with Tori.

Closing his eyes, he rested his head against the back of the chair. Letting out a deep breath, he focused on feeling Tori against him. Having her safe again. He used the time Tori rested to come up with a plan, to find somewhere he could take her to make sure Damien couldn’t get to her or Lexi. When the idea came to him, he called Gillian. She answered immediately, “Hey there, how are you?”

“Hey Gilly, she’s good. Better than I could’ve hoped for,” he said with a smile as he looked down at her.

“I already know that, Jay. I’ve been riding Logan’s ass for information since you got there. I asked how
you
were?” Gillian clarified.

Jason sighed. “I’m fine now. But I need some help; can you make some reservations for me? Or am out of line to ask?”

“Don’t make me sick Allie on you, Jason Michaels. Just tell me what you need.”

Jason smiled. It was his first real smile since the dead weight residing in his stomach dissolved. “Okay, okay. Don’t rat me out.” He then proceeded to tell her what he needed her to set up for him. By the time the doctor returned with discharge papers some time later, Jason had everything ready to go. He wasn’t going to bring Tori back to San Diego to be hunted by her ex. No, she deserved a little bit of paradise to erase the hell she’d just endured. To help her forget that he was still out there and most likely looking for her.

~*~*~*~

TORI sighed as she relaxed against the back of the huge tub. Jason had booked a room for them, and her first order of business was soaking in a warm bath to soothe her aching muscles. After being discharged, she’d assumed they were going straight home. Everyone had lives to live, despite the interruptions her kidnapping caused. But Jason surprised her by saying they weren’t leaving until tomorrow, and that they weren’t going home. Her immediate concern was for Lexi, because she had to get back to her. But Jason anticipated this and added that Lexi would be going with them, too. Wherever it was they were going.

She honestly couldn’t care where; so long as she had Lexi and Jason, she would be happy. When they arrived at the hotel, Jason handed her the phone and told her to let Allie know what necessities she would need from home. For both her and Lexi. She tried to be as cooperative as possible, but she felt like she was putting these people out. Then again, being difficult would be rude considering all they were doing for her. Once done with that, Jason took the phone and sent her to the bathroom, where she currently rested in the luxury of warm bubbles, in complete bliss. She sighed again.

The door opened a few moments later. With her eyes remaining closed, she heard Jason moving around the bathroom. So she was startled a bit when she felt him move her body forward in the tub. Looking up, she watched as his naked form slid in behind hers, before pulling her to rest snugly against him. Okay, so maybe the bubbles weren’t as blissful as she thought. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes and rested her nose against the side of his neck. The smell of him was far more potent than the fragrance of bubbles that filled the air. The scent of car exhaust and spare tire that had filled her nose earlier was long gone now.

Relaxing further into him, they sat silently, his arms wrapped around her. His lips pressed against her forehead, he would periodically kiss her. When the water began to cool, Jason turned on the hot water. After reaching for a washcloth, he leaned her forward and proceeded to wash her skin. At first it hadn’t occurred to her, but when he slowly used the washcloth to go over each one of her fingers, clear to the tip, she wondered if he was only washing her. Their silence, though comfortable, might be telling her more than she realized. Turning toward him, she saw his intense eyes roaming her skin as he caressed, wiping away the soap.

The power of his stare confirmed he was doing more than just cleaning her, he was checking to make sure she was okay. Just as he’d done with her scars. She reached for his hand, stilling it against her skin. When he looked at her in question, she smiled for him and said, “I’m okay Jason, I promise.”

Jason blinked, and a frown formed on his face, but no more than a second later, it was gone. He nodded. “I know that’s what you said … I just need to make sure myself.”

It had skipped her mind how this might have affected him. But she understood now. The love she felt for him exploded in her chest, sending warmth throughout her body. Worry for what he must have gone through, not knowing what had happened … she couldn’t imagine what that would be like if the positions were reversed.

She knew what he needed, not only because it was his way, but because it would be what she needed, too. Placing her hand on his cheek, she nodded her understanding before adding, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he whispered in a shaky voice. Then he continued to wash every part of Tori’s body he could reach, until he was satisfied with her answer—that she was fine.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

JASON was pleased the trip to Long Beach wasn’t extended by the usual Southern California traffic. Considering it was a work day, they’d planned their drive around those heavy traffic times. Since they were meeting Allie and Mike there, with Lexi, he wanted to get there sooner rather than later. And that wasn’t just for Tori’s benefit; he wanted his eyes on Lexi, too. Tori had never gone that long without seeing her daughter, and it was clearly causing her some anxiety. This was her first trip from Las Vegas to Long Beach, so she had no idea how long it would take, and the fact that she asked several times during the trip how much longer it would be, proved she was suffering.

When Logan parked the car they all got out, and Jason grabbed the one bag he had with them. Taking Tori’s hand, they walked toward the dock where Allie and Mike were supposed to meet them. Jason didn’t think it was possible for Damien to be nearby, but he found himself looking around anyway. And when Tori caught sight of Allie holding Lexi, he reluctantly let go of her hand and watched her jog over to them. Her long, vibrant hair trailed behind her, picked up by the wind, and he found himself mesmerized by the beauty of it—once again, of her.