acquiescence. For Jason's peace of mind, she was willing to relive
all her captors had put her through. To keep her love safe, she would revisit
her nightmare.
Jake was
satisfied with her response. He wasn't a man of many words unless something was
important to him, and the most important thing to him was his family. If he knew
they were safe, unharmed, he was content. It had always been that way for him,
and he didn't question it. It was just the way he had been programmed.
“Go back in
there, Jake. I know you need to make sure they're okay. I'm fine. How could I
not be? I have the men of planet Kingdoria protecting me, and more importantly,
each other.”
Jake hesitated,
unsure of what she was talking about. Although he was anxious to get back to
his brothers in case they needed help, although he doubted they did. He was
acutely aware she wasn't making sense. What the hell was planet Kingdoria?
Chapter
6
Moments after
Jake's departure, Jason entered the room carrying the shopping bags with her
clothing. Depositing the bags beside her, he stood looking down at Aviva. She
had pulled herself up on the side of the bed until her feet dangled over the
edge. Jason couldn't help thinking she looked like a confused, lost child in
her oversized bathrobe and bare feet. He wanted nothing more than to take her
in his arms and surround her with the warmth of his love. But he didn’t as he
was unsure how she would react.
Eight days ago,
he wouldn't have hesitated in carrying out the action running through his mind.
But this Aviva was different. She made him uncertain of how she would react to
his touch, and that didn’t sit well with him. He could handle men like the ones
who had just intruded on them, but he doubted he would be able to handle his angel's
rejection of his touch for much longer.
Deciding he had
waited as long as he could bear, Jason knew he had to touch her, feel a part of
her skin against his. He watched her as she tracked the path of its approach.
His intent had been to touch her cheek but somewhere in mid motion, he changed
his mind, not wanting her to pull away from such intimacy. He wanted to run his
fingers down the plains of her smooth face to remind himself how her soft skin
felt against his. Instead, he gathered her fisted hands in his, and kissed them,
determined to show her he would do nothing she wasn't ready for.
Aviva watched
Jason hesitate, change the path of his outstretched hand, his actions so unlike
the strong commanding man she had come to know, and she knew she was to blame.
Or rather what she had been through had wrought the change. She wanted things,
them, to be back in the same position they had shared only days before, but too
much had happened. She needed time to regain her footing, to process what she
had been through and why it had happened.
Aviva knew she
was hurting him. His handsome face depicted how her rejection affected him.
With everything in her, Aviva wanted to reach out and comfort him as he was
attempting to comfort her, but she just wasn't ready. He needed to understand
that – she just wasn't ready.
“It's okay, Angel.
You take as much time as you need. When you're ready, I'll be here waiting. For
you, I'll wait a lifetime.”
“What if...I’m
never ready?”
“There is no what
if . Whatever happened to you, whatever you did, had to do, it's alright.
Everything will be alright.”
“How can you say
that without even knowing what happened?”
“I can say it,
and you should believe it, because you know me. Whatever you've been through
over the last week has been because of me, my worthless life, what I've done,
and I refuse to allow you to bear the burden of any blame. That I will not
allow. So, whatever you need, it's yours.”
“Don’t you dare
say your life’s worthless. I won’t allow it!” she told him, angered at his
denigration of his life.
“Shh, you don't
need to say anything else. All you need to do is get dressed. My brothers and I
will take
all her captors had put her through. To keep her love safe, she would revisit
her nightmare.
Jake was
satisfied with her response. He wasn't a man of many words unless something was
important to him, and the most important thing to him was his family. If he knew
they were safe, unharmed, he was content. It had always been that way for him,
and he didn't question it. It was just the way he had been programmed.
“Go back in
there, Jake. I know you need to make sure they're okay. I'm fine. How could I
not be? I have the men of planet Kingdoria protecting me, and more importantly,
each other.”
Jake hesitated,
unsure of what she was talking about. Although he was anxious to get back to
his brothers in case they needed help, although he doubted they did. He was
acutely aware she wasn't making sense. What the hell was planet Kingdoria?
Chapter
6
Moments after
Jake's departure, Jason entered the room carrying the shopping bags with her
clothing. Depositing the bags beside her, he stood looking down at Aviva. She
had pulled herself up on the side of the bed until her feet dangled over the
edge. Jason couldn't help thinking she looked like a confused, lost child in
her oversized bathrobe and bare feet. He wanted nothing more than to take her
in his arms and surround her with the warmth of his love. But he didn’t as he
was unsure how she would react.
Eight days ago,
he wouldn't have hesitated in carrying out the action running through his mind.
But this Aviva was different. She made him uncertain of how she would react to
his touch, and that didn’t sit well with him. He could handle men like the ones
who had just intruded on them, but he doubted he would be able to handle his angel's
rejection of his touch for much longer.
Deciding he had
waited as long as he could bear, Jason knew he had to touch her, feel a part of
her skin against his. He watched her as she tracked the path of its approach.
His intent had been to touch her cheek but somewhere in mid motion, he changed
his mind, not wanting her to pull away from such intimacy. He wanted to run his
fingers down the plains of her smooth face to remind himself how her soft skin
felt against his. Instead, he gathered her fisted hands in his, and kissed them,
determined to show her he would do nothing she wasn't ready for.
Aviva watched
Jason hesitate, change the path of his outstretched hand, his actions so unlike
the strong commanding man she had come to know, and she knew she was to blame.
Or rather what she had been through had wrought the change. She wanted things,
them, to be back in the same position they had shared only days before, but too
much had happened. She needed time to regain her footing, to process what she
had been through and why it had happened.
Aviva knew she
was hurting him. His handsome face depicted how her rejection affected him.
With everything in her, Aviva wanted to reach out and comfort him as he was
attempting to comfort her, but she just wasn't ready. He needed to understand
that – she just wasn't ready.
“It's okay, Angel.
You take as much time as you need. When you're ready, I'll be here waiting. For
you, I'll wait a lifetime.”
“What if...I’m
never ready?”
“There is no what
if . Whatever happened to you, whatever you did, had to do, it's alright.
Everything will be alright.”
“How can you say
that without even knowing what happened?”
“I can say it,
and you should believe it, because you know me. Whatever you've been through
over the last week has been because of me, my worthless life, what I've done,
and I refuse to allow you to bear the burden of any blame. That I will not
allow. So, whatever you need, it's yours.”
“Don’t you dare
say your life’s worthless. I won’t allow it!” she told him, angered at his
denigration of his life.
“Shh, you don't
need to say anything else. All you need to do is get dressed. My brothers and I
will take
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