Save Me (Taken Series Book 1) (13 page)

As I let the reality of the situation hit me I just cried. I couldn’t help it. I was so relieved that I couldn’t hold it back and Forrest was so comforting. Bringing me into the living room and letting me curl into him and soaking his shirt with my endless tears, soothing me with few words but mostly his embrace.

              I have no idea how long I sat there and cried for. It felt like hours and I was exhausted but it was probably only an hour. It was exactly what I needed and I’m glad it was Forrest who was there to comfort me. He was my rock whether he knew it or not. When my tears finally stopped I realized just how hungry, thirsty, tired and dirty I was. I was even more grateful when Forrest offered to make me something to eat. Anything was better than the granola bars I got every day and even though Jeremy brought me warm food at night I was too afraid to eat for fear it might be drugged even though I was starving.  The fact that I know Forrest isn’t going to drug the soup made my stomach growl in anticipation. I was so thirsty that I finished the bottle of water I grabbed from the fridge in nearly one gulp. It was like heaven drinking the ice cold water and feeling it spread down to my belly. Knowing that it wasn’t drugged made it all the sweeter.

              I knew Forrest wanted answers and I can see the slight disappointment that I wasn’t willing to divulge into my abduction just yet. I know I’ll have to give some answers and probably repeat my story several times to several people but right now I just want to forget for a little while as I revel in my freedom.

              When Forrest offered for me to shower I jumped at the opportunity. I needed it. I wanted to get all the dirt and grime washed off me. I wanted the stench of that horrid cell and the feel of Mr. Morris touching me off my skin.

              “Here’s a towel and I’ll leave you a change of clothes on the counter. I’m not going far from you even in this house so I’m just going to hang out on the bed and wait, ok? Call if you need anything.”

Forrest seems nervous being in the bathroom with me and I’m curious as to why. He never gets nervous with me. Maybe it’s just because of everything that happened. Maybe he thinks that I’ll be scared of him or something because of what happened. I don’t know but I feel like I need to reassure him. It also didn’t escape my notice that he brought me to the master bathroom. He probably wants me to feel like I have room to move and to be more comfortable but I don’t need more room I just need him close and then I’ll feel safe. I don’t want to be alone. I’ve been alone nearly the whole time I was kidnapped, I don’t want that anymore.

              “Thank you.” I raise my hand to his cheek and look him in the eyes so he can see that I’m ok and then I raise on my tippy toes to lightly kiss him on the lips. I know that was a bold move but I needed it. It wasn’t as amazing as the one kiss we shared but any kiss from his beautiful lips is like heaven to me. He looks stunned by the kiss but doesn’t try to push me away or push for more. I don’t know if I could handle more at the moment with my emotions all over the place so I’m ok with it not going further, for now anyways.

              Forrest backs out of the bathroom slowly, never taking his eyes off me until the door is completely shut breaking the contact. I hurry and rip the clothes off my body never wanting to see them again and throw them in the tiny trash can sitting next to the sink. I turn the water in the shower on to piping hot. I want to feel it burn the memories of everything that happened since the abduction from my mind.

I want to wash the filth and grime of not having a real shower from my pale skin. I want to wash Jeremy’s voice from my mind, and the feel of his fists when they hit me, or when he touched me affectionately while he professed his love which was more of an obsession. I can’t stand it as the memories fill my head so I try to scrub it all away. I scrub my skin so hard and so much it burns but the pain is better than the memory of every touch, smell and word uttered from that bastard. My skin is sensitive and raw and even in some parts nearly bleeding. I scrub my hair with my hands so roughly I’m surprised I’m not bald from all the hair I pulled out. I don’t cry though. I can’t. I don’t want to shed any more tears now that I’m free. I just want to put it all behind me and never look back. I know it will be hard but eventually it will just be a bad memory and with my family and Forrest in my life supporting me I know I can get through anything.

              I turn off the water and dry myself as carefully as possible. My skin is raw and burning as I pat myself down before I rub the water from my hair out. There’s aloe in the medicine cabinet for sunburns but I assume that it will work just as good for my red and raw skin. After applying the aloe to my sensitive skin, I rub the steam from the mirror with my towel and look at myself noticing how dark the circles are under my eyes and how much more pale I look. I’ve lost a little weight from not eating so I am slightly thinner but not too noticeable and the bruises on my body are nearly gone. Only some yellowing and slight bluish color is around my eye and the cut on my lip is nearly vanished. My nose still hurts like a bitch and you can see it isn’t as straight anymore from when I was slammed into the door. My shoulder still hurts from when it was popped out of place and then popped back in. I’ve been favoring it but it still tender. Other than that I look fairly normal. Just what I want because I don’t want my family to see me and see anything other than normal or ok.

              I haven’t brushed my teeth in a while so I find an unopened toothbrush and toothpaste in the cupboard and scrub my entire mouth and nearly vomit trying to reach every inch. He may not have gotten to touch my mouth with his but who knows what kind of demented shit he did with the food and water he gave me. Maybe he spit in it or something. I’m not taking any chances.

              After I’m done making sure I’ve washed every inch of myself and dress in the clothes Forrest left me, I decide to see if he really did wait for me in the bedroom. It will be a relief to know he didn’t leave me but I don’t want him to feel obligated to sit in the same room or right next to it if he has other things he needs to do.

              As I step into the room, it’s dark except for the glowing red numbers on the clock that sits on the nightstand next to the huge bed where Forrest lays asleep. He looks so peaceful. I don’t want to bother him and wake him up so I try to be as quiet as possible as I tip toe out of the bedroom. I must not have been very quiet though because Forrest speaks up.

              “Where are you going? I can get you whatever you need. Just come lay down and get some rest. I’m sure you’re exhausted.” He’s right in that I’m exhausted. I was just going to go find a spare bedroom and lay down but how can I resist being able to lay next to Forrest all night? There’s no way I’m going to  pass that up so I quietly walk to the bed and crawl up to the pillows, laying on my side facing away from him where he lies on his back with his hands behind his head. I may want to lay next to him but I don’t want to crowd his space.

              There was no reason for me to worry about his space though, as he rolls over and pulls my by the waist closer to him where I’m flush against his body spooning. It’s the best position I’ve ever been in and I feel like at any moment I’m going to wake from this dream. My heart beats faster and my breaths come in short fast spurts probably making Forrest think I’m frightened as he squeezes me in reassurance. We lay like this for a while before I get tired of not seeing his beautiful face and decide to roll onto my other side to see him. His arm stays across my middle the entire time making me think he’s fallen asleep and I’m surprised when I see his face just barely in the dark looking intently at me and wide awake.

              We lay like that for a while not needing words to break the comfortable silence. Just the reassurance that the other is really there is enough. We just need the feel of each other with our skin touching as we lay on our sides. Having the sight of one another knowing this isn’t a dream is calming. I don’t know how long we gazed at each other with no words before the silence was broken.

              “You’re so beautiful.” It’s like music to my ears when he says this. He moves his hand from between us to brush a stray lock of hair from my face as he studies me. This is what I need. This is what I want.

              “I missed you so much. I was so scared thinking that I wouldn’t see you again.” My whisper is just barely audible to my own ears but I know he heard me.

              “Oh baby girl.” His voice sounds strangled. “I would rip this world apart until I found you.” I knew he would, too. Forrest loves me even if it’s not the same way that I love him. When he loves someone he would go to the ends of the world for them. He loves so rarely. I think he only feels that way for my family and me.

              “I…” I want to tell him how I feel. I want him to know before it’s too late. I need him to know.  “I love you.” A single tear slips free because there is just too much emotion running through me.

              “I love you too. More than you know.” I’m not sure he gets what I mean by when I say the words. It’s not just an ‘I love you’ it’s and ‘I’m in love with you.’ There’s a difference and I need to be clear.

              “No. I mean I love you. I’m in love with you. I’ve realized that you never know how much time you have with the people you love. I almost lost the chance to tell you how much in love with you I am when I was abducted so I need you to know how I feel now.”

              He looks stunned by my admission as his eyes go wide and he just stares at me without so much as uttering a single word. I feel nervous now with my admission but I needed him to know even if he doesn’t feel the same way for me. And by the looks of it, he doesn’t.

              “Wow. Umm. Just wow. I never thought I would hear those words come from you.” He definitely doesn’t feel the same way for me. I try turn away from him because I don’t want to hear how he loves me but not in that way. I knew that was a possibility. Actually, I knew he didn’t feel the same way but I had hoped and I am glad I told him how I feel even if it wasn’t reciprocated. Rejection stings like a bitch.

              “Baby girl, don’t turn away from me. We need to talk about this.” He stops me from turning away from him and my heart hurts. I don’t want to talk about how it pains me that he doesn’t feel the same or how I came to feel this way. I don’t want to hear how it’s a bad idea and that nothing could happen between us. I especially don’t want to talk about these feelings. I said them, he turned them down, and now I just want to move on and forget about this.

              “It’s ok. You don’t have to tell me you don’t feel the same way. I just wanted you to know because I thought I would never get the chance to tell you. I told you and now it’s done. Let’s just drop it.” I don’t look at him as I say this because I don’t want to see the pity on his face so I stare down at the sheet as I wait for him to say ok.

              “I’m in love with you too.” My eyes snap up to his face after he utters the words I’ve been dreaming of hearing since I realized how I felt for him. I thought maybe I heard him wrong but as I look at his beautiful face I realize he meant what he said. He’s in love with me too.

              His smile is bright and happy. He truly means it. My heart sores and I can’t help the huge grin that splits my face to match his. To know that he feels the same way is truly the best feeling in the world. How did I not realize he felt the same as me?

              I giggle a little with happiness causing Forrest to chuckle along with me before it turns quiet with just the smiles on our faces as we stare at each other with a whole new understanding. I don’t know who leaned in first before we meet in a soft, sweet kiss. The kind of kiss that makes you want more. No tongue, just lips but I want more. So much more.

              I want to taste him. I want to lick his sweet lips, bite his supple bottom lip and explore every inch of inside his mouth while dueling with his tongue for dominance.

I want to consume him.

I want to be consumed by him.

I don’t want to give sweet kisses. I want passion.

I slowly skim the seams of Forrest’s mouth with my tongue requesting admittance to delve deeper into his essence. Slowly, oh so slowly he opens for me, granting me permission to slide my tongue in to lightly touch his. Just as I start to pull my tongue away his lips close around it and suck. The action causes heat to gather in my lower abdomen as I squeeze my thighs together to relieve the ache between them, only making it worse.

I want this. I want all of Forrest. I want him in and around me in the most intense, erotic way possible. The kiss becomes deeper, more passionate as we become one. Our tongues sliding over the other, our essence mingling causing a whole new flavor that is uniquely us. Our hands roaming over each other as I feel the hard planes of Forrest’s chest beneath them. Feeling his strength and the erratic beat of his heart beneath my fingertips is like an aphrodisiac making me throb with need.

Our breaths blend together as our excitement grows with every second until we are both ready to explode. Forrest rolls me onto my back as he covers me with his body. I can feel him harden against my stomach as his hands roam my body, sliding down to my thigh to lift my leg up and around his waist as he grinds into me turning me on more than I thought possible.

Slowly his hand slides back up my side causing goose bumps to caress my soft skin. Skimming my stomach causing it to tighten, he slides it up under my shirt to cover my breast and massage it. The feel of his hand touching me causes my heart to pick up speed, feeling like it’s going to burst out of my chest. Lightly, he pinches my nipple and tugs it causing me to soak my panties more than I thought possible. His other hand is gripping my hair to control my head as he devours my mouth.