I chuckled. “I never thought about it like that. Of course, I guess if you were doing it…well, any touch from you is like foreplay.”
“Really? You’re that easy, huh?” He trailed his fingertips up and down my calf, the electric current giving me goose bumps. I squirmed from the tickle.
“Only for you,” I said softly, kissing his ear.
I ran my fingers through his hair again and it felt soft and silky, like Dorian’s. I smoothed the strands down and pulled them all into a ponytail, then yanked on it to pull him back against me. I draped my arms around his broad shoulders and he clasped my hand over his heart again.
“Thank you for coming back,” I murmured. Like earlier, it didn’t sound like enough, but I felt the need to tell him anyway.
“I’m sorry I ever left,” he replied quietly. I wondered if he had felt a similar need to tell me that. The apology was good to hear, to be honest. Because there had been times I’d wondered over the years, when I dwelled in my darker hours, if he’d known exactly how bad it would be and went anyway. And, in my darkest of dark hours, if he had purposely left, his assignment with me finished.
“Me, too,” I whispered. A tear slid down my face and dropped onto his bare shoulder.
“Don’t cry, my love. We’re together now.”
I wiped my wet cheek against his hair. “Forever this time?”
“Forever. I promise.”
I rested my chin on his shoulder, our cheeks pressed together, and closed my eyes. I breathed in his delicious scent and was reminded of motorcycle rides to Gasparilla Island when we first got together. I felt like I could sit here with him forever, never having to let go again. But then that strange, burning sensation started coursing through my veins and muscles. The energy began to build again and I tried to fight it. My body wanted to move, but my heart didn’t.
Tristan finally broke the silence and made the first move to get up. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
I shrugged. “Not really. I actually feel like going for a run or something.”
“You need to eat. And then I will give you a workout,” he said with a smile.
“Oh, yeah? You planning to teach me Aikido?”
“Hmm…I guess I could. But…” He bent his head down to mine and ran his mouth over my jaw and neck. “…I was thinking of a different kind of workout.”
“Ah, even better.”
We went out to the kitchen to find something to eat. Guilt stabbed my heart when I saw the package of steaks on a plate in the refrigerator.
“I should cook those for you and Owen tonight,” I said. “I owe him.”
“Were you two planning a special dinner?” Tristan asked, raising an eyebrow.
I frowned and made myself busy, pulling meat, cheese and mustard out of the refrigerator to avoid his eyes. “The pretense was a celebration for finishing the last book, but I really just wanted him to go to the store and away from here long enough so I could leave last night.”
I felt him eyeing me. “What were you thinking anyway?”
“About you,” I said honestly as I started making sandwiches. “I wanted to find you. And I needed to save my family. When you went to them, they left us alone until now. I thought if I went to them, they would leave the others alone. And we could be together again. If my family would be safe, then I’d rather be in their hell with you than in my own hell alone.”
He sighed heavily. “I’m sorry I made you so miserable.”
I finally looked up at him, holding the mustard-covered knife in the air and jabbing it with emphasis. “You didn’t make me miserable. Your absence did.”
He stepped behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I know what you mean, my love. Life is nothing without you.”
“Exactly.”
I finished the sandwiches and handed him one and half of mine. I really didn’t feel hungry; my stomach felt too knotted to eat. The phone rang as we finished and I ran into the bedroom to grab it.
“Hi, Mom!” I answered, falling backwards onto the bed.
“You sound good,” she said.
“You don’t. You sound tired.”
“Fourteen hours of air travel and another two on land and sea with a six-year-old is exhausting.”
“Sheesh, where are you? I thought you were just going to a safe house.”
“No, we came to Rina’s. We just arrived. I wanted to see how you were before I hit the hay.”
“I’m great! I really couldn’t be any better.”
“How are you feeling? Tristan said you were hurt pretty badly.”
“I’m fine. Everything’s healed up perfectly.”
“How’s Tristan?”
“Beautiful. Sweet. Here.”
“Does he seem…okay?” Worry filled the question. I could hear her concern clearly across the thousands of miles separating us.
“Yeah, he’s fine, Mom. Actually, more than fine. He’s absolutely divine.” Even through the phone, Mom’s chuckle sounded hollow, empty of humor. “Why?”
“I don’t know. I’m just concerned about him…and you. We don’t know what they’ve done to him. I’m sure they’ve left something behind.”
“Well, there are some…residual…effects. But it’s not anything we can’t work through. He loves us, Mom. He loves me. We’ll be okay.”
She sighed and apparently accepted my assessment because she changed the subject back to me. “How are you doing? Anything going on with you?”
“If you’re referring to any changes, I don’t think so. Of course, I’ve been a little preoccupied.”
“I’ll be there in a couple days. I guess, in the meantime, just be careful. If something happens, Owen’s there to help.”
I thought about that and smiled to myself. It seemed, just like many years ago, I only had to worry about Tristan during sex and I felt pretty sure I wouldn’t want Owen’s assistance then. Owen, help! I don’t know if that was a moan of pleasure or a real growl! Nope, wasn’t happening.
But I simply said to Mom, “Yeah, I know.”
“We need to get to bed, but Rina wants to make sure you tell Tristan to begin working on the plan. He’ll know what she means.” She paused and I heard what sounded like Rina speaking to her in the background. “Dorian wants to talk to you.”
“You didn’t tell him about Tristan, did you?”
“No, honey. That’s your surprise. I wouldn’t ruin it.”
“Thanks, Mom. You’re the best. I love you.”
“I know you do. And it’s nice to hear you so happy again. Hold on a sec while I get Dorian.”
I motioned to Tristan to come lay next to me, putting my finger to my mouth. We’d already agreed he shouldn’t “meet” Dorian on the phone, but he could listen. We lay on the bed, our heads close together, the phone between us.
“Hey, Mom!” Dorian said. Tristan squeezed my hand as soon as he heard his son’s voice. My own heart soared when I heard it. Just last night, I thought I never would again.
“Hey, little man. How are you?”
“I’m great! Do you know where we are?” he asked, wonder filling his voice, as if he’d never been anywhere so cool.
“Tell me!”
He told us all about Rina’s ginormous rock house with the fires everywhere, even on the walls, and about the planes and the pretty flight attendants and the movies and everything else he could think of, moving from subject to subject without interruption, barely pausing to breathe. Tristan beamed by the time Dorian finished.
