Giving his head a shake in disbelief, he said, “It really doesn’t matter what you think you are, because the facts are clear as day. You. Are. Beautiful.” He punctuated each of his words by tapping the tip of her nose. She didn’t respond, but he could see the doubt in her eyes. Rolling them over, he positioned her beneath him, wanting her full attention. “Why wouldn’t you believe you’re beautiful?”
She tried to turn her face to avoid his question, but he caught it. Planting his elbows on either side of her head, he boxed her in so she had no choice but to hear him. He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. “Tell me how you could be considered anything other than beautiful.”
When he pulled back, he could see tears welling in her eyes before she blinked them away. In a small voice she whispered, “My scars.”
Scars? He made a mental note to revisit the subject later. Not wanting to disregard it, but wanting to keep the conversation on track, he said, “You have more than one scar, baby? I’ve only noticed the one on your cheek, and the only reason I can see it, is because I see all of you.” He pressed his lips against her scar. From the corner of her mouth to the end by her ear, he kissed it repeatedly. When he reached the end, he whispered against her ear, “You are beautiful.”
A small giggle escaped her, making him smile. Pulling back he caught the blush on her cheeks, which only made her more attractive. A woman who could shy away from direct attention but accept it when given intrigued him. When she caught him looking at her, she said, “You know, when you say it, it’s almost believable.”
He gave her a satisfied smile as he swooped down and stole another kiss. Her body went soft beneath him, and he groaned in response. He wanted her again, but not before he said what he needed to say. In an attempt to gain control, he rolled them to their sides, so they were facing each other with their heads on one pillow. Running the back of his fingers down her cheek, she sighed and closed her eyes.
“You are beautiful, Tori. And if I have to say it over and over each and every day to make you believe it, I will. I can make it my mission in life to prove it to you,” he said with clear sincerity.
Opening her eyes, she stated softly, “That’s a pretty big commitment.” He acknowledged her statement with a small nod. A few silent moments stretched out between them before she rolled to her back and stared at the ceiling.
“Why me?” she asked, doubt evident in her voice.
He threw his leg over hers and pulled her body firmly against his. Propping himself up on one elbow, he gently swept her hair away from her face, exposing her long neck. The softness of her skin enticed him. Finding her gaze, he smiled. “I could ask you the same question.”
She scoffed at his comment and rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous, Jason. There’s nothing more obvious than why any woman would want you.”
His gaze moved to the vibrant colors of her hair as he ran his hand through it, once again marveling in the silky texture. She was an aphrodisiac in the purest form. Her hair, her skin, her voice, her gaze. All of it turned his blood to boiling and set his nerve endings on fire. It had never been like this before. There was no other woman whose smile had the power to bring him to his knees. He needed to make her see—to know the extent of her power over him.
“You want to know why?” he asked as he slipped his hand into the hair behind her neck before bringing his gaze back to hers.
She whispered, “Yes.”
“Because from the moment you walked into my life, everyone else disappeared. You’re the first thought I have when I wake and the last thought I have when I fall asleep. Because when something happens during my day, you’re the first person I want to share it with. Because I know without a doubt, that if you were to walk away from me, I wouldn’t survive it. I choose you, Tori.” Leaning forward, he rubbed his nose back and forth across the tip of hers. Pulling back, he watched as a tear slipped down her temple, getting lost in her hair. “Why you? Because you’re the one. I love you.”
TORI felt her eyes widen and her heart stall in her chest. He loved her? The shock of his statement didn’t drown out the irony of how she was battling her need to tell him how she felt for him. Here she was, holding it back, fearing his rejection. No, not his rejection; she feared exposing her heart like that. When you did, it left you vulnerable to pain. But she knew there was far more to love than the pain of loss. She was ashamed she had withheld her feelings from him.
They were silent as she pondered how to reply. I love you too could be seen as a reflex answer, and she didn’t want him to think she was just saying it, even though it was true. The silence must have triggered his insecurity, and she wanted to curse as she saw him begin to withdraw. His eyes averted from hers and looked to be questioning himself. Dislodging her legs from under his, she pushed him to his back and climbed on top. Straddling him, she distracted his thoughts with a fevered kiss.
It took him a moment to respond, but when she felt his hands on her ass, she relented her assault. Lifting up, she let the veil of her hair fall around them. With her hands on his chest, she could feel his heart beating hard, and she wanted to smile at how it mirrored hers. When she finally felt like her voice was strong enough, she said, “Please don’t mistake my silence as anything other than being taken by surprise—”
Jason cut her off. “I know you probably think it’s too soon. I understand, but I’ve seen what happens when people lose someone, and I couldn’t handle not telling you how I felt …”
He looked as if he was going to keep going, and she needed him to stop. Placing a finger to his lips, she said, “Did you know you babble when you’re nervous?”
A smile graced his face. “Apparently, but only when it pertains to you.”
Dropping her lips down to his, she kissed him thoroughly before pulling back and finishing what she’d been trying to say. “As I was trying to say, please don’t mistake my silence as anything other than surprise because I was trying to figure out how to tell you that I feel the exact same way.”
His hands tightened on her waist when she spoke, but he didn’t say anything. So she pushed on and told him, “I love you, Jason.”
That magnetic, full-toothed grin spread across his face. “You love me?”
She nodded, her hair shifting around them. “I do.”
“Why?” he asked with a grin. So he was going to play it like that? He poured his heart out, and now wanted her to do the same. Okay, she was the girl in the relationship, so she could do it, too.
Sighing, she said, “I love you because you see me. All of me. Because when we’re in a crowd of people or friends, I can always look for you and find your eyes on me. I love you because you treat me like I’m a treasure, to be cherished and valued. Because when I call you at any time of the day, you take the time to listen to me like my words are the most important part of your day. And if all of that wasn’t enough, I love you because of how you love my daughter. I never thought it was possible to find a man who would treat her as if she were his own.”
Tears formed in her eyes and had now run down and dripped on to his chest. But he remained silent. “I love you because I, too, know that if you were to walk away from me, I’d die inside. Because you … are my everything.”
Jason sat up quickly and captured her lips. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and kissed him back. All the passion they normally had multiplied with the admission of their love. He held her against him and shifted their bodies so he was again lying on top of her. Sweeping her hair out of their faces, he continued to kiss her as he rubbed his body against hers. He blindly reached for a condom and only left her long enough to put it on.
When he finally slid his body into hers, they both sighed. Capturing her lips again, he set up a fevered pace as he pushed her body to the limits. Demanding she take what he was giving her until she was once again relishing in the ecstasy that only Jason seemed able to provide, she gasped at the force of his thrusts, and cried out his name before burying her face in h
is neck. He held her there as he continued to push them both to the top, before finally letting them both fall over the edge together.
Lying together in a heap of sweaty limbs, trying to catch their breaths, she tasted the salty skin of his neck. He shivered and pulled back to stare at her. She let him see all of her as she smiled. “I love you, Jason.”
“I love you, too.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
TORI had just laid Lexi down for a nap in the room Jason had set up for her when her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but it was the second time that day it had called. No message was left the first time so she was apprehensive to answer. She ignored the call and headed downstairs, hoping the caller would choose to leave a message this time.
Dropping onto the couch, she set the baby monitor down and picked up her book. She wanted to enjoy a few minutes of quiet while Lexi was asleep and Jason was out. Since he was picking up pizza for dinner, and Logan was coming over, she knew it was her only opportunity. A few minutes later, her phone rang again showing the same number. Annoyed, she answered, her tone reflecting her feelings. “Hello.”
“Is this Victoria Chambers?” the unidentified voice asked. His use of her full, married name had her immediately on alert. With no idea who this person was or how he got her name and attached it to her number, she denied it. She wasn’t that person anymore.
“I’m sorry, but you must have the wrong number.” Before she could hang up, she heard him desperately trying to get her attention. “Please, Victoria, it’s Mack, don’t hang up.”
Oh my God. “Mack?” she repeated his name hesitantly. As if that would change the fact he was calling her. Tears immediately began to blur her vision.
“Yeah, sweetheart. How are you doing?” he asked in a soft voice, as if approaching a scared animal, afraid she would flee at any moment. She didn’t blame him for that, since it was how he knew her. Until the day he saved her. She’d never forget how her neighbor, who she’d never been allowed to speak to, saved her life. When so many people would’ve looked the other direction, thought of themselves, he didn’t.
A sob escaped as she was overcome with emotion for how much she owed this man. “I’m good Mack … I’m really good.”
“That’s so great to hear, sweetheart. I’m sorry if I scared you, but I didn’t know what name you went by now,” he said apologetically.
A few tears escaped even as she smiled. Dashing them away, she told him, “I go by Tori now.”
“It suits you; not that your full name doesn’t, but I can see you as a Tori.”
“Thank you,” she said, not really sure what else to say. She was still Victoria and always would be. But hearing it out loud now reminded her of Damien, it was something else he took from her. A few moments of silence passed before she asked, “How did you get my number, Mack?”
“It took a little work, but back when you needed a reference for your landlord, you called me from it. Do you remember that?” She nodded. Even though he couldn’t see it, he continued as if he had. “I went through my old cell phone records and tracked it down.”
“Why did you need to track it down?” she whispered, dread creeping in to her chest.
He heaved a sigh and paused a moment, as if he was trying to gather the strength to tell her. His apprehension confirmed what she knew he was going to say before he said it.
“He’s being released … I was given a courtesy call two days ago since I’m listed on a restraining order for him. When I asked the person calling if you were, they said there wasn’t one in place with your name on it. So I knew I had to track you down.” His tone was full of regret as he explained. A virtual stranger to her up until the day she cried for help, and he was thoughtful enough to seek her out. To protect her. Again.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, trying to clear the lump in her throat. It was threatening to choke her as that day played through her mind. Tears were steadily falling now, unbeknownst to her and completely out of her control. Holding the tears back, she said, “Thank you, Mack … for everything.”
“You don’t have to thank me for anything, sweetheart. I just knew I had to find you and make sure you knew. After the way he managed to manipulate the charges against him, I was concerned you weren’t protected. That you were alone.”
Alone? No, she wasn’t alone. Jason would protect her; she knew this in her heart. But guilt crowded in at the danger she could be placing him in, just by being with her. Damien wouldn’t accept that another man had what, in his mind, belonged to him. As if conjured by her thoughts, Jason walked in the house. She watched as he entered the kitchen and set down the pizzas he had picked up, not knowing the turmoil she was experiencing only ten feet away from him. When he turned to ask her a question, he could immediately tell something was wrong and rushed across the room to her.
Dropping on his knees in front of her, he asked, “What’s wrong, baby? Are you hurt?” His voice was panicked as his eyes roamed over her body, clearly looking for any indication as to why she was crying. When he noticed the phone against her ear, his eyes went to hers in question.
Her free hand lifted to his face and cupped his cheek. His hand covered hers as his other one found its way around her waist. Kneeling in front of her, he pressed his body against hers, comforting her. Even if it wasn’t his intention, that’s what it did. Taking a shaky breath, she soothed Mack’s concerns. “No, Mack … I’m not alone anymore.”
Jason’s body tensed up, but he didn’t say anything.
“That’s great, it makes me feel better to know that,” Mack said, relief clear in his voice. She smiled through her tears as she watched a surplus of emotions cross Jason’s face. Strain, pain, fear, anger. He would protect her. He would protect Lexi. She wanted to make sure Mack could get a hold of her if needed, so she asked, “Mack, can I give you an alternate number to reach me? It’s not just me I need to look after anymore, and if I need to know something immediately, I want to make sure you can reach one of us.”
“You got it, sweetheart. Give me the other number.” She gave him the number and finished the call, promising to check in with him periodically. He, too, promised to let her know if Damien resurfaced at the house. After his arrest, because he owned the house free and clear and was at no risk of losing it while in jail, he made sure she was promptly locked out. It was assumed the house would remain empty until he returned. Which was apparently sooner than hoped.
Hanging up the call, she closed her eyes and let her head fall back. Jason didn’t waste any time getting into her space. He quickly lifted her into his arms and took her seat on the couch. Pulling her tightly against him, he cradled her body, infusing it with warmth and strength, fighting off the paralyzing fear she could easily get lost in. Jason was her rock, her anchor in the storm, and she held onto him knowing the waters were about to get rougher. She knew he needed information, he deserved to hear the whole story. He deserved to know what he was getting into just by being with her, just because he loved her. It was time for Jason to learn about Victoria.
JASON felt like his heart might explode in his chest. The pain he saw etched on Tori’s face gutted him. But there was fear, too. Instinct to protect and destroy whatever caused her that pain overwhelmed him and threatened his capacity to breathe. Now that he held her tightly in his embrace, he calmed a little, but not by much. He needed to know what was wrong, so he could fix it and prevent it from putting that look on her face again. So he could destroy it if necessary—all she had to do was tell him.
Tori clung to him, her arms wrapped firmly around his neck. Little sobs escaped periodically, and the shoulder of his shirt was wet against his skin. He knew she had to let it out, so he let her do it silence, content just holding her for now. Noticing Lexi wasn’t in the room, he spied the baby monitor and figured she was napping in her room. Well, it wasn’t her room, yet. But if he had his way, it would be.
When Tori’s sobs relented and her body relaxed under the soothing strokes o
f his hand down her back, he kissed the top of her head. A few minutes later, she pulled her head from his neck and found his eyes. Red, puffy eyes stared back at him as she sniffled.
He smoothed her hair out of her face and waited for her to talk to him. Fortunately, she didn’t make him wait much longer. With a hitch in her voice, she told him that Mack was her old neighbor, that he was the one to save her from Damien. She explained about the scar on her stomach and how she thought it had ended Lexi’s life before it even began.
Tori explained how Damien threatened to ‘take care of the problem’ because her body belonged to him. Tori told him how her full name was Victoria, but she went by Tori now because her full name reminded her too much of Damien. Also hoping it made it harder for him to find her. Then she told him that she’d understand if all of this was too much to take on, and that if he chose to be without her, she would let him. But he had heard enough.
In a stern voice, he silenced her, “I’ve heard all I need to hear, Tori.” He paused and watched as her eyes widened at his words, so he continued, “Out of everything you just said to me, do you want to know what pisses me off the most?”
A tear slipped from the corner of her right eye, crossing over her scar. Unconsciously, his hand sought out her cheek, and his thumb gently ran over its path. She hadn’t answered him, and she didn’t need to, because he would tell her anyway. “It was the part where you said that if I wanted to go, you would let me. Now I can’t say for sure which is worse. The fact that you think I would want to go, or that you would let me go.”
“Jason …” Her voice came out choked and pleading. He hushed her with a finger to her lips.
“Tori, did you believe me last night when I told you I loved you?” he asked, hoping she couldn’t tell how scared he was she’d say no. So when she answered with a nod, the tightness in his chest released. Pushing forward, he asked, “Did you mean it when you said you loved me?”
Love Required (The Real Love Series) Page 18