Alluring (25 page)

After about ten minutes, she noticed the room getting a little too warm.  Starting to feel slightly dizzy, she got up and went to the door, ready to leave.  She tried pushing down on the handle, but it wouldn't budge.  She tried jiggling the handle, with the same result.

Alexis had never been claustrophobic but being locked in a boiling  room with no escape, caused her to panic.  She pounded on the window and yelled, trying to grab the attention of the person in the pool.  She had no idea if she could be heard, if the door was soundproof, or if she was too far away.

She stepped away from the door and took a steadying breath.  She need to think.  Now was not the time for hysteria.  She looked at the walls, hoping to see some kind of call button or switch.  Nothing.  It got hotter in the room, and she found it harder to breathe. 

Think, Alexis, think.  She didn't have her cell phone.  She had left it upstairs, not wanting to carry it. Stupid.  There was no phone in here.  She had no means of communication, and the door was the only exit.  She was screwed.

* * * * *

Jack looked at his watch as he left the conference room.  He'd been in the meeting for over three hours.  He entered his office.  The room was empty.  He pulled out his cell phone and called Alexis, but after five rings, it went to voice mail.  He tossed his phone on the desk and saw the note.

Jack

got antsy so went to the gym

xoxo

He tucked the message in his pocket, picked up his phone and headed out the door. 

Becky stopped him on his way out.  "I have some documents that need your signature."

"Put them on my desk.  I'll see to them later.  Right now, I need to find Alexis."

"Is she missing?"

"No.  She's at the gym, but she's not answering her phone and that makes me all kinds of crazy."

Becky looked amused but nodded her head in understanding.  "I'll set these on your desk," she said, waving the papers she held in her hand.

Jack walked into the gym and looked around.  A few people were on weight machines and a few more were on bikes and gliders.  He didn't see Alexis.

He turned to the receptionist.  "Did Alexis Taft come in?"

The girl smiled.  "Yes, Sir."

"Did you see her leave?"  He indicated the room with a sweep of his arm.  "I don't see her here."  He knew he sounded impatient, but he had a sick feeling in his gut that something was wrong.  He'd apologize later for snapping at the girl.  After he found Alexis.

The girl had a frown between her brows.  "I don't remember seeing her leave."

The girl had zero information.  He'd find her himself.  He strode into the women's locker room, heedless to the gasps the few women present made, not noticing them or their state of undress, other than to ascertain whether they were Alexis.  He exited as quickly as he arrived.
             

He entered the pool area.  No one.  He placed his hands on his hips and looked around.  He knew the hall to his right led to the sauna.  He stepped over to it and looked down.  The door at the end had a pool chair jammed under the handle. 
What the fuck?

He sprinted down the hall, pulled the chair away, and opened the door.  He wasn't prepared for the blast of heat that greeted him.  He sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes frantically searching for Alexis.

He saw her lying in a ball on the floor.  She was unconscious and her skin was flushed a bright red.  He scooped her into his arms.  She was hot, too hot.  He quickly jogged to the pool, pulling his phone out and dialing 911.  While speaking to the operator, he descended the steps, submerging Alexis in the cool water.

After being assured an ambulance was on its way, Jack set his phone on the edge of the pool, so he could free his hand to bathe Alexis's face.  He tipped her head back soaking her hair.  The heat coming off her body was ridiculous.  He knew he had to cool her off.  Her breathing was shallow and rapid and he could see the pulse in her neck throbbing.

It worried him that she was still unconscious.  "Come on baby, wake up."  The words rumbled from his chest. 

When he was sure she was totally saturated, he reached for his phone and called Becky.  "An ambulance is on the way.  Meet them out front and directed them to the gym pool right away."  He disconnected before she could speak.

He placed his phone down once more, cupped his hand with water, and dribbled it over her forehead.  He had her submerged to her neck.  That she wasn't waking up, and the paramedics still hadn't arrived was killing him.  He felt powerless.  God, he hated this.  Having Alexis was in his arms, possibly dying, and not knowing what else to do for her was maddening. 

His anger grew the longer he had to wait.  He could feel his body start to shake with it.  He knew he needed to be calm for Alexis's sake, but he couldn't seem to find his control.  He wanted to throw something, destroy things.  Find the person responsible for hurting Alexis, wrap his hands around their throat and squeeze.  Not caring that the person accountable was a woman .

The chatter of voices and the clatter of a gurney rolling across the tile floor drew Jack's attention.  Two paramedics and four police officers along with a nervous looking Becky surrounded the shallow end of the pool. 

Jack quickly climbed the stairs of the pool, his suit dripping water.  He gently laid Alexis on the gurney, all the while, answering the paramedic's questions.  They rapidly surrounded her with ice packs and started an IV.

The police asked him questions, but he didn't answer.  Alexis was being wheeled out and there was no way he was leaving her side.  Of course, they drew attention, Alexis on a gurney, him in his dripping suit.  He followed the paramedics to the ambulance and climbed in.

Alexis regained consciousness on the way to the hospital.  Jack held her hand and talked soothingly to her while they were in transport.  She drifted in and out of sleep and kept mumbling something that he didn't understand.

"It's okay, sweetheart, I'm right here.  I'm not going anywhere."

The ambulance stopped, and the back doors flew open.  Hospital staff surround the gurney as the paramedics wheeled it through the hospital doors.  Jack held onto Alexis's hand the whole time.

"Sir, you can't come any farther."

Jack picked up his head.  A short, heavyset nurse with close-cropped, black hair was speaking to him.  "I'm not leaving her."

"Sir, she needs medical treatment.  The longer we delay, the more damage being caused."

Jack felt Alexis squeeze his hand.  He looked back down at her.  Her lips were moving, and he leaned in close to hear what she was saying.

"It's okay, let them do their job."  Her voice was raspy and weak.

"I don't want to leave you."

"I'll be okay."

"Promise me, Alexis.  Promise you'll stay with me."  He whispered in her ear.

"I promise," she whispered back.

He gave her a light kiss on the lips, let go of her hand, and stepped away.  He watched as the nurses wheeled the gurney down the hall, disappearing behind a set of double doors.

Jack impatiently paced the waiting room.  Becky, Stan, and Steph had arrived at some point.  He wasn't sure who called whom and he really didn't care.  All he cared about was news concerning Alexis. 

Becky brought him a dry change of clothes, jeans, T-shirt and boots that he changed into, throwing his sodden suit in the trash.  She also brought a change of clothes for Alexis for when she was ready to leave.  And he had no doubts that she would leave.  She had promised him.

"For Alexis Taft?"

Jack turned.  Standing in the entrance to the waiting room was a  good looking, thirty-something man in scrubs with a stethoscope around his neck.  Jack felt his blood pressure rise at the thought of this man being Alexis's doctor.  He pushed those feeling aside.  He was really going to have to get a handle on his jealousy.  Maybe in about twenty years, it'll wear off.

Jack raised a finger in the air as he walked toward the doctor.  "Yes."

The doctor held out his hand.  "I'm Dr. Kaplan."

Jack took the doctor's hand.  "Jackson Cole."

He gave Jack a nod.  "We were able to regulate Ms. Taft's body temperature.  There doesn't seem to be any damage or malfunction of internal organs and all brain functions appear to be normal."

Jack closed his eyes and exhaled the breath he held while the doctor spoke.  He opened his eyes and pinned them on the doctor.  "When can I see her?"

"She's resting comfortably in the private room you ordered.  She's stable enough to have visitors, but keep it to a maximum of two at a time."

Jack gave him a slight nod.  "What room is she in?"

"Room 212, right down the hall."

Jack gave him another slight nod.  "Thank you, doctor."  He left the room, not caring if anyone followed.  His primary goal was reaching Alexis.

* * * * *

Alexis slowly opened her eyes to a room filled with sunlight.  She must have made a noise because Jack was instantly hovering above her, lightly caressing her face and smiling down at her.

"How are you feeling, love?"  He lightly kissed her forehead.

"Thirsty."  Her voice sounded like a family of frogs had taken up residence in her throat.

Jack held a cup with a flexible straw to her lips.  "Sip it slow."

After a couple of sips, Alexis indicated she was done.  Jack took the cup away and placed it on a side table.  He sat on the edge of the bed, near her feet and held her hand.

"What time is it?" 

"It's eight o'clock Sunday morning.  You've slept through the night."

Alexis ran a hand over her face, wincing from the pull of  the IV.

"We have to talk about what happened.  Are you feeling up to it?"

Alexis gave a slight nod.  "I don't remember much.  I went to the gym and worked out, for a ridiculously short time," she gave him a small smile, "then wanted to see the pool.  I remember looking around, saw the hall that led to the sauna, I'd never been in one and wanted to see it.  I went inside.  The heat was relaxing, so I laid down for a few minutes. I got too warm and I decided to leave."  This was the part were her memory got fuzzy.  She rubbed her head, trying to remember.

"Take your time."  Jack gave her hand a squeeze.

"I remember trying to open the door, but the handle wouldn't move.  I yelled and banged, but no one heard me."  She remembered it getting so hot.  "I started feeling dizzy and sat on the floor.  The air felt cooler there so I laid down."  Alexis closed her eyes.  "That's the last thing I remember."

Jack recited the events that happened after he found her.  "The police discovered the main unit control box on the outside of the sauna had been tampered with.  The heat setting was turned up to maximum.

"I have never been so scared."  Jack gripped her hand tighter, but Alexis didn't complain, the look on his face caused her greater pain.  "When I was holding your limp body in my arms ... I don't think you realize what you mean to me Alexis.  If I lost you, it would break me.  You're my whole world."

Alexis felt tears running down her cheeks.  Jack tried to sweep them away, but they kept coming.  "Don't cry, sweetheart."

"I love you too, Jack.  So much."

He leaned over and kissed her, gently at first, and then with more intensity.  A throat clearing in the room broke them apart.  When Jack leaned away, Alexis saw a doctor standing at the foot of her bed.

"Well, I guess you're feeling better," he said with a smile.  "I'm Dr. Kaplan, in case you don't remember.  You were pretty out of it yesterday."  He picked up a chart at the end of the bed and flipped through it.  "If everything checks out okay, I'll release you today, but only if you promise bed rest for at least two days.  Also, you'll need to stay out of the sun for about a week.  Your body will be sensitive to the heat for a while.  And finally, no exercise and plenty of fluids."  He looked up from the chart his eyes meeting Jacks.  "There's a couple of officers outside wanting to take a statement from Miss Taft.  Shall I let them in?"

Jack looked over at Alexis.  "You ready for that, sweetheart?"

She gave him a nod.

"Send them in,"  Jack said, to the doctor.

"Jack, the doctor said two days and it's already been three."

"I'm not taking any chances with your heath, Alexis. You almost died."

They were fighting about Alexis staying in bed yet another day.  She would go stir crazy.  She understood she couldn't leave the hotel, knew she couldn't go outside, but she had to get out of the penthouse.  She wanted to get out, walk around, go shopping.  Hell she didn't care if she just stood in the lobby, as long as she was out of this room.

Alexis rolled her eyes.  "I did not almost die.  I've got to get out of the house.  I feel like a caged animal.  You of all people must know how I feel."

"Why do you say that?"  Jack inquired.

"Really?  Being
told
you had to stay in one room and that you couldn't leave.  That would drive you insane.  Now I've humored you for a whole extra day, warden.  You have to let me
out.
"