Ten #5
“Yes, I did,” I said softly. This was the first time Sam was seeing my tattoo. I hadn’t gotten the chance to show him before everything happened.
“I don’t…” He trailed off, and that made me very happy.
The tattoo was simple, just large black letters, but it was special because I had taken a piece of paper with his signature on it with me to the tattoo artist. He had traced it on my skin and then inked it exactly where Sam had said it should be.
The result was as though Sam himself had signed his name directly over my right shoulder blade.
There was no mistaking who I belonged to now.
“How did you do this?”
I grunted as his hands slid up and down my spine, down over the small of my back and lower, over my ass, massaging, kneading my skin, taking the tension away with each pass.
“Jory?”
“Do you like it?”
“I love it,” he said simply, his voice hoarse. He kissed the tattoo gently and then traced the same path as his hands had, down my back to my ass. “I was so scared, J. I’ve never been that scared, even before.”
I rested my head on my hands and tried to roll over without success. He wanted me down.
“There’re bruises on your back and your ribs.”
“One of the guys roughed me up a little.”
“There was blood on your clothes,” he said tightly.
“Don’t think about it anymore.”
“No.”
“I’m home now.”
“I know, I just… We have a serial killer running around, and now someone took you and Caleb, and tried to get Aja, all to squeeze money out of Dane. This is nuts.”
“You’ll figure it out, Sam.”
He cleared his throat. “You know Dane asked to talk to you when he talked to Caleb, but the guy said no.”
“You were scared I was dead, huh?”
“No, because Caleb reported that you were okay, but…I wanted to talk to you.”
“I would be upset if you didn’t.” I shivered as his hands slid up my back.
“Feel good?”
“You know it feels good.”
“I missed touching your skin every day,” he confessed.
I concentrated on breathing.
“I missed everything about you.”
“I’m sorry I scared you.”
“Honey, you have no reason to be sorry.”
“I just feel…weird. I think maybe I’m a little out of it right now.”
“Baby, you are so out of it, you have no idea. Everything that’s happened and you’re this calm, talking to me, rambling on about how funny it was that you were carjacked after being kidnapped… Jory, honey, you should be terrified.”
“But it’s just so stupid, Sam. C’mon, that shit is funny as hell.”
“You’re in shock, baby.”
“I am?” I asked, rolling over onto my side.
He instantly spooned around my back, holding me close so I was wrapped up in warmth.
“Sam.” I sighed as I closed my eyes, suddenly so tired.
“You know, after this you’re gonna do exactly as I say, right?”
“Okay.” I felt his hand slide up my neck as he leaned my head back.
“That whole going out the front door thing was not good.”
“I know. I won’t do it again.”
“What? Make bad choices, not listen to me, not—”
“I messed up. I won’t do it again.”
“Promise me,” he pressed. “Because I can’t lose you.”
I heard it, the way his voice cracked, the way his breath caught, and felt how still his hand was on the small of my back. I’d hurt him, scared him, and I didn’t want to do either again. “I really am sorry. If anything had happened to Aja, I don’t know what I—”
“But it didn’t. She’s fine, so are you, and so is Caleb.”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Thank you for putting my name on you, J. It’s, like, the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. We’ll put some balm on it once the bandage comes off, so it heals up nice.”
And I could feel how turned on he was by the way he pressed against me, but all he did was hold me.
“Sam, maybe we can—”
“Concussion,” he said flatly. “My plan is to lie here and watch over you all night. Don’t give me any trouble, just close your eyes.”
“Yes, but—”
“Close your eyes. I’ll be right here,” he promised in that possessive way he had. “I’m not going anywhere.”
There was more I wanted to say, but between the warmth rolling off of him and the way he was holding me, staying awake was a battle I couldn’t win.
It was light when I woke, and he was in bed beside me, reading.
I lifted my head, and without looking at me, he patted his chest. I moved closer, and he reached for me, tucking my head under his chin.
The sigh came up out of me, and he made a rumbling sound of contentment before he rubbed his chin in my hair.
He said he loved me, and I closed my eyes again.
“What time is it?”
“It’s around nine.”
“At night?”
“No, love, in the morning.”
“God, I slept a long time.” I yawned languidly, feeling too good to move but knowing I should.
“Yes, you did. You needed it.”
“I should get up and make you something to eat.”
“Just lie still and let me hold you.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist and snuggled against him. He hugged me tight and kissed my eyelids. I was so peaceful, my body so heavy, I felt drugged by his closeness, by his attention.
“Love you.” I yawned.
“I know, baby. Go back to sleep. You’re safe; I’m here.”
He had no idea how comforting that was.