Traveler (24 page)

Alex glanced up as he heard her passing the kitchen, his blue eyes widening slightly at the sight of her in his robe.  It was to be expected that the robe would be too big for her...and yet to him, it looked just right.  Smiling to himself, he tore his gaze away and returned to the stove to flip the last set of pancakes.  He was going to need a cold shower soon.

Once safely in her bedroom, Aislin was hesitant to slip off the black silk robe.  It felt so comfortable that it was almost like a second skin, but she knew that if she came outside dressed only in it she would drive the man absolutely mad.  So, instead, she dressed in a black and pink bra and panties set, with loose lounge pants and a long sleeve shirt over it to hide the bruises.  She needed to talk to him about them eventually.  Eventually.  She made sure the pendant was hanging outside the shirt and then walked out of her bedroom, the robe loosely held in her hand.  “Here’s your robe back,” she murmured.  “Thank you for letting me borrow it.”

Setting the plates of food on the table, he smiled as she came into the kitchen, his robe in her hand.  “You’re welcome, munchkin.  You can keep it if you like.  I don’t wear it that often.  Though I probably should...considering that I no longer live alone.” He remarked with a laugh, turning away to pull a bottle of orange juice out of the fridge.

“Somehow, I think the sight of you in a black silk robe would be more distraction than anything...well, besides that towel,” she muttered to herself, walking back to her bedroom to put the robe away.  Aislin walked back into the kitchen, going to help him get everything else out of the fridge that they would need for this breakfast.  She smiled at him.  “Everything smells terrific, as usual.”  She sat down at the table, having grabbed the syrup from the fridge to help him.  “You must be starving.”

Alex glanced in her direction, giving her a mischievous grin.  “Mm...I probably would be if I hadn’t eaten practically an entire package of bacon while I was cooking.”  He poured them both glasses of juice before taking a seat.  He let her get some bacon before he grabbed a few more pieces, tossing a few pancakes on his plate as well.  “Well...you are now stuck with me for the whole week or so.  I told the principal I have strep.  Or rather...I texted her...she might have offered to come over and nurse me otherwise.”

Aislin’s eyes narrowed as he mentioned that little tidbit about his boss.  “She would have offered to come over and...nurse...you?” she asked, trying to keep her teeth from gritting.  “And why would she have done that?”  she tried to act as if she didn’t care that much, taking a drink of her juice.

He blinked, setting down his fork.  “Well, the woman is looking for her fourth husband...and she’s not very good about taking hints.  She seems to think she is a cougar.  Quite honestly...she’s old enough to be my grandmother. It’s disgusting.”  Shaking his head, he grabbed a piece of bacon and took a bite before speaking again.  “Thankfully...I don’t really need to stay after you graduate. I doubt the book is going to return to the school without you.”

Aislin put on a few pieces of bacon on her plate before Alex scarfed them all down.  That man could eat, that was one thing she’d give him.  She grabbed two pancakes and cut into them.  “Oh good, so she’s not some sexy college-aged woman or anything that I have to be worried about.  Unless...you have some sort of old lady fetish I don’t know about?” She arched her eyebrow, pointing her fork at him.  “Yup, that explains everything.  Old lady fetish.”  Lin touched the pendant around her neck briefly.  “Like I told you, though, Alex...I don’t think I want to stay in this world longer than I absolutely have to.  Your world is my home, now...and it feels like more of a home to me already, in the little time I have spent there, than this place...even with everything that has happened.”

“Oh yes...a fetish for old ladies that masquerade as red-haired eighteen-year-olds...” He stuck his tongue out at her.  “That’s fine that you want to go there to stay.  I just want you to at least finish high school here.  Don’t give that bastard stepfather of yours anything to gloat about...and make your late mother proud.  Besides...that will give us time to make certain that we can bring everything you want to keep with us.”  He arched a brow, giving her a pointed look.  “Unless you want to leave all of your books behind?”

She bit her bottom lip, her eyes automatically going to her room where all of her books were.  “No,” she whispered.  “I don’t want that.  So...we can’t stay there permanently for a while?” she asked, her voice sad.  Abruptly, she wasn’t very hungry.  “I’ll start working on the classwork today...and if I don’t get my high school diploma done in three months, I will do anything you want.  But if I do...we leave then to stay in your world.  Forever.  Agreed?”

Alex stared at her for a moment before replying, his expression serious.  “Aislin...we can go there permanently.  Once you’ve learned enough to control your jumps, you could back and forth between here and there, and quite honestly, I would feel better about taking you there if you can control your jumps and get yourself to safety if need be.   I have a feeling that the only reason you would come back are for the books.  Let me handle getting those moved to a safe place I have, and by the time you’re ready, you won’t have to think about this place ever again...if that’s your wish.”  He sighed softly.  “But...before you do any work or leave this table...you need to finish your breakfast.  You’ve missed too many meals lately, and those jumps take more out of you when they are uncontrolled.  You need the energy and calories it will provide.”

Aislin scowled at him.  “I’m not hungry,” she said stubbornly.  “I had enough food this morning...just eating a lot right now doesn’t appeal to me.  I’m sorry.  So that means, if I have you for a week, that we can begin my training...right?  But first...I promised you the truth.”  Aislin looked at her juice.  “But..do you have anything...stronger to drink?”

Silently he rose to his feet and went to a cabinet near the sink, pulling out of a bottle of vodka.  “I probably shouldn’t let you have this.  But after the past couple days, you probably need a drink as badly as I do.”  He commented calmly, setting the bottle in the middle of the table before taking his seat again.

Aislin poured herself a shot of vodka, slinging it back in one swift motion.  This was going to be rough.  Rougher on Alex than on her.  “Just...sit still for a moment, ok?  You wanted to know what happened to me, before you got there...on the, Islands.”  She stood, and in one swift movement she took off her shirt and her pants, standing before him in her bra and panties.  She had chosen this particular set because it looked more like a bikini than lingerie...which she hoped would make it easier to have him look at.  Bruises, purple and dark now, were on her wrists, her arms, a few on her abdomen, one on her collarbone, and a few on her thighs, were showing their ugly faces now.  “I needed to show you...first.”

Though he had gotten a glimpse of her bruises last night, it looked much worse now in the daylight.  He closed his eyes for a moment, struggling to rein in the vicious anger that the sight of her bruised body caused.  Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and looked at her, reaching over to gently grab her hand.  “Come here...”  He pulled her onto his lap before wrapping his arms around her.  “Whatever happened...it changes nothing between us...and you don’t have to tell me until you are ready.  It is enough for me to know that you are willing to...not hide...”  He wasn’t quite sure how else to put it without coming across the wrong way.

She buried her face into his shoulder, trembling a little.  “I need to tell you now, Alex,” she whispered.  “I don’t want anything between us, even something like this...and if I am going to let myself be...close to you...I need to do this.”

His arms tightened around her, holding her close to him.  He sighed softly before replying softly.  “If that is what you wish to do, Aislin...then I will support that choice.  I just don’t want you to feel like you have to.  Obviously something bad happened...and you think that I will be angry about it.  And most likely I will be...but not at you.  Take your time...I can wait as long as you need.”

Still keeping her face in his shoulder, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  “All right....when we pulled into the harbor at the Islands, Brileia got taken by the harbormaster.  The Captain said that he had cargo to deliver, but that he didn’t want her to be sold into slavery.  So they took her.  Once she was gone...something broke in him, and he asked me to go find her, and bring her back...using whatever means necessary.”  She swallowed.  “I knew what that meant, when he asked me...knowing the people of that particular Island and what they traded in, what they made their money doing...so I sought out the harbor master.  I found him, at his home...and he took his payment for the information on Brileia from my body.”  She trembled slightly, but steeled herself so she could keep talking.  She needed to get it all out.  “I didn’t think it was going to be so...rough.  I mean, I wasn’t a virgin before this, but...I didn’t think he’d be so abrasive about it...after it was done....that’s when you found me.”  Her voice trailed off, and she was afraid to look at him, afraid that despite his words he’d somehow think less of her.  Tears threatened at the corners of her eyes, but oddly a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She had told him...it was done.

As he listened to her haltingly tell her tale of what had occurred while they were apart the previous day, Alex found himself clutching tighter to her as if she would disappear from his arms. Gods, he was never going to let her out of his sight if he could help it!  How dare that man treat her so harshly?!  And how could that damned pirate dare to send her out to find a girl he threw away so easily?!  He would take care of that bastard later...but for now he had a half-naked girl on his lap to reassure.

He buried his face in her hair for a moment, letting the scent of her shampoo calm him.  Finally he spoke softly.  “I am so sorry, Aislin.  You should never have had to make that sacrifice.  Dragon should not have sent you to fix his mistake...and I should have found you sooner.”  

Aislin shook her head, pulling her face back to look at him, her eyes wide.  “No...not at all.  You couldn’t have known where I was...you didn’t even know I disappeared until that idiot told you I had gone...so don’t beat yourself up over this, please.  None of it was your fault.  Not at all.  Understand me?”  she took his face between her hands, looking at him, searching his face.

He stared into her green eyes for several moments, not happy with the shadows he saw within their depths.  Gently caressing her cheek, he gave her a reassuring smile.  “Of course, Aislin.  If I am not to beat myself up over it, I think the same should go for you.  Yes...it was a horrible experience...but you did it with the best of intentions, right?”

Aislin let her face rest in his hands, closing her eyes, a single tear running down her face.  She had told him...and he didn’t think she was a monster.  “I did do it with the best of intentions,” she whispered.  “And all I could think about was that when you found me, everything would be all right after that.  And it was, once you found me,” she smiled softly, her thumbs caressing his jawline.  “But...I should probably get my clothing back on...shouldn’t I?”  It was most definitely a question.

“Only if you want to...” Alex murmured softly, resting his forehead against hers.  “Personally...I think you’re fine just like this...besides...I’m beginning to think you like showing me your panties...” The last part was said teasingly as he wiped away the tear on her cheek.  

Aislin snorted, trying to bite back her remark.  Unable to help herself, it blurted out anyway.  “And if I told you I do?” she asked saucily, slapping her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide.  That was way too bold!  

“Ah...well, if you were to tell me something as bold as that, I might be tempted to tell you that I am not wearing any at all.  Underwear, that is.  But you haven’t said that yet...so it all remains unsaid.”  He replied nonchalantly, his eyes dancing with mischief.

Her mouth dropped open.  “You...you go commando?” she asked, her eyes wide.

Alex laughed at her reaction.  “Truthfully...you’re lucky that I’m wearing anything at all.  I usually don’t wear anything to bed.”

Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she had to take deep, calming breaths in order for her to not die.  “Don’t tell me that again...” she whispered.  “That piece of information might kill me.  Let my mind just run wild for a moment with fantasies of that....” her voice trailed off for a moment, a dreamy look on her face.  “All right, we’re good,” she said teasingly.

He blinked in surprise before laughing again.  “That was surprisingly quick.   Your fantasies must be quite dull.”  Shaking with laughter, he stood up, still holding her in his arms.  “Alright, I do believe there was mention of staying in bed today.  So...now that you’re my helpless captive, you get to join me.”  He playfully tossed her on his shoulder and carried her down the hall towards his bedroom.

Lin laughed with him, her eyes lighting with mirth.  “Stuck in bed with you all day?  In just my lingerie?  That seems...scandalous, Mr. Bookman.   Whatever will your roommate say?” she asked, from over his shoulder, trying to struggle off from where he held her.  She hated being carried like this; but with Alex...it was fun.

He grinned in response to her comment, lightly dropping her on the bed.  “Who said anything about lingerie?  New rules state all occupants of my bed must be naked.”  Of course he was joking...but this was far too much fun to stop playing around now.  Fingers tugged his tank top up and over his head before he dropped it on the floor beside the bed.

For a moment, all rational thought left her mind.  His upper body...Aislin wanted to drool.  He looked absolutely scrumptious, and it was suddenly with a jolt of self-consciousness that Aislin looked down at herself.  But he thought she was beautiful...he had said so last night.  So, with a mischievous glint in her eye, Aislin merely answered, “Very well.  If that’s your new rule...” she sat up, reaching a hand behind herself, ready to unclasp her bra in a swift movement if he continued on this path.  
Ball’s in your court, librarian.  I dare you.
 This was fun.