Aria POV The next few weeks I alternated between tears, fear and anger. How could Lori not tell me something was going on? How could she not trust that I would do anything to protect her. I spent half the time crying in Jasper’s arms as he held me close to him throughout the nights. The other half I pushed him away because I didn’t feel I deserved to be comforted when Lori is missing and possibly being hurt. The what if’s clouds my head to the point I can’t function. Jasper refused to let me be a part of the search which caused a whole lot of tension between the two of us. I was refusing to be intimate, but he just laughed and pulled me close like it didn’t faze him that we weren’t having sex. It was honestly infuriating. I had the right to search for Lori. Linc and Jasper had taken Lori’s work computer from the shelter and were searching for clues on it that would hopefully lead us to whoever had stalked her and taken her. I was curren
Jasper POV By the time I arrived Asher had already rushed in. An ambulance sat out front of the building. I could see Asher fussing over Lori. Linc was assisting a police officer in putting a man in the back of a police car. He was yelling for Lori. I shake my head; Of course I missed it. Asher wasn’t going to wait on anyone trying to get to her. I turned to the ambulance and holler out at him, “It took me ten minutes.” Asher turned and shrugged. “Get out,” Lori said to him. “I am not going anywhere,” he said. I could see her roll her eyes. “He’s not related to me.” she starts saying to the EMT crew. “I’m her fiancé.” he says, producing a ring from who knows where. I rolled my eyes; I was not getting involved with that. “No, he’s not!” Lori yells. I turn when Linc comes up beside me. “Why even call us to help?” I say nodding at them with a grin. “I was already with h
I shake my head, “I’m calling Aria, we’ll meet you at the hospital.” I say to Linc before I climb into the car and call Aria. “You found her?” she says without saying hello. “Yes, Asher had rushed in before I arrived, I don’t know all the details, but I saw her. She’s alive.” “I’ll grab Eli and we will be waiting on you.” she says. “Be there in ten.” She hangs up the phone and I drive back to our home and see Aria and Eli standing in the doorway. Eli is bouncing up and down. I smile, everything is going to be better now that our family is safe. She helps Eli into his car seat and secures him before hopping in the front seat and buckling herself in. I press a kiss to her cheek before heading to the hospital. I drop them off at the entrance to the ER, before parking the car and heading in myself. Asher was at the front desk growling at the nurses with Aria and Eli beside him. She was patting
Aria Eli launched himself out of my arms onto Lori’s hospital bed and wrapped himself around her like a spider monkey and broke down in tears. “Lo, you can never ever leave me again. I missed you so much. I cried and cried without you. You’re my best friend Lo. You can’t ever go away again.” He cried as she wrapped her bruised arms around his little body and held him tightly to her body. “I’ll never leave you buddy. I didn’t want to leave you. I missed you so much little love.” she whispered into the top of his head. I sat at the edge of the bed as he held her tightly. I cried silently watching my best friend love my son like he was her own. Her eyes locked on mine. I know the question was reflected in my eyes, the one I couldn’t bring myself to ask out loud. She swallowed deeply and shook her head no. Thank God! I thought and took a deep breath. “How bad are you hurt?” I asked instead. She shook her head and ti
“Join me?” I say softly holding my hand out to him. He jerks away from the doorway and grabs his shirt at the back of his neck and pulls it off slowly. I moan and then blush because his eyes catch mine and he smiles. “You like when I strip for you?” He asks the laughter evident in his voice. I blush but nod my head. He comes up to me and presses a kiss to my neck causing a moan to escape. “Baby I’ll strip for you another day. I just want to hold you right now.” I smile sleepily up at him, “Okay love.” He grins and helps me step into the bathtub before taking his jeans off followed by his boxer briefs. I moan at the sight of his erection. He shrugs. “Happens when you are near. Ignore him.” I laugh softly as he climbs in behind me sliding his legs around me and leaning against the back of the tub, my back to his front as I lean against him. “I love you.” he whispers in my ear before grabbing my loofah and body wash.
The next few weeks were filled with Aria going over to Asher’s where Lori was. Lori was apparently helping plan the wedding. I would drag Asher out with Eli and I to grab what Lori instructed we needed, mostly to help keep Asher out of her hair. It was going to be awhile before we knew what was going to happen to the man who abducted her. I knew Asher was planning on making sure he was thrown in prison. Lori had only hinted to Aria about what happened. But Asher had admitted that Lori was slowly opening up to him every day. I had a feeling that they were going to end up together. He would kill for her. James Conner doesn’t know how lucky he is that he wasn’t already six feet under the ground. I shake my head at the thoughts and watch Asher interact with Eli. He could bring anyone out of a funk. I focused on the suit jacket and pants that Lori said would be the perfect shade of grey for the wedding. A deep purple dress shirt finished th
Jasper POVAsher grins, “I went and picked one up a few days before everything went down. I told you I’m playing the long game. I want Lori for life.” I hold up a finger, “Not to put a damper on this, but what if she doesn’t want you?” A cocky look crosses his face, “If she chooses to not want to be with me, then I’ll walk away. I can’t force her to be with me. But I am going to convince her to be mine.” I shake my head and look over at Linc, “What’s going on with you and Braylin. You’ve been quiet on that front.” He shakes his head and looks up, “She’s going to be the death of me. She keeps playing pranks and trying to piss me off. Every time I think we’re going to end up close she plays me.” He crosses his arms over his chest and leans back. “I can’t get a read on her. Every time I think I have her figured out she ends up in another area code in my brain.” I throw my head back and laugh. “Dude, that’s what's so great. It’s
I couldn’t believe I had asked him to strip. I bit my lip as I followed his instructions. I sat in the chair in the middle of the room waiting. I hear him walking down the hall. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I look up at him, but he is putting his phone on the Bluetooth speaker dock. He turns to me and smiles when he pushes play. I laugh as Booty Work by T-Pain starts playing. He starts moving to the beat and I stop laughing. I suck my lips into my mouth as I watch his body move in front of me. He grinds in front of me, and I moan. I lick my lips, my eyes locked on him as he grabs the back of his shirt and throws it off. How the hell do men manage to take off their shirts without messing anything up or getting caught up in the clothing. I could never just throw a shirt off. Hell, it's a production to get them on most days. Jumping to get jeans on, juggling pulling a shirt down over my breasts etc. But no, he somehow can just… I grin at my thoughts and