Ignoring my phone, I close my eyes to soak in the warmth of her skin against mine. My phone goes off again, insisting that I come back to reality and leave the bliss I’m enjoying. Reluctantly, I slide Tessa off my chest, pulling my arm free from under her. She grumbles and groans in protest as she releases my arm, curling up around my pillow instead and settling back to a steady sleep. Crawling from the bed, I quietly pad over to the desk and swipe to answer the call.
“What!” I bite out in an annoyed whisper, not wanting to wake Tessa if I can help it.
“Sawyer, we found them. Get yer shit together, we’re rolling out in an hour,” Gage states on the other end, but the line goes dead before I can respond.
I set the phone on the desk and drag my hand down my face. I hadn’t expected Tinker to find them so quickly, but he always seems to do things ten times faster than he says he would. Either way, the less time Evan is in the hands of these fucks, the better, but the thought of leaving Tessa alone right now makes my heart feel like it’s in a vise grip.
I take another deep breath before I cross back over to the bed, crawling in behind Tessa’s serene form. Nuzzling my nose into the crook of her neck, I press a kiss to the spot where her neck meets her shoulder. She lets out a little breathy sigh in her sleep; I smile against her skin and continue my effort. Coming more fully over her, I brace my arms on either side of her shoulders and start kissing my way from her shoulder, up her neck, and to her ear.
I kiss and lick my way along the shell of her ear before lightly taking the lobe between my teeth with a soft growl, “Tessa, Babydoll,” I rumble in her ear, attempting to ease her awake. She gives another little mewling grumble and buries her head deeper into my pillow, attempting to curl up even tighter but my knees at her hip block her. I can’t help but chuckle at her effort as I try again, kissing her cheek and dragging my scruff across her soft skin in a gentle tease. This earns a more exasperated grumble and a sleepy swat of her hand against my chest, trying to ward me off.
“Mmmmm, sleepy,” she mumbles into the pillow.
“Come on Babydoll, time to get up,” I say a little louder, pressing a kiss to her temple.
“Comfy. Warm. Sleepy. Stop ruining it,” she grumbles, her voice raspy and thick with sleep as she scrunches her eyes shut in protest.
“We gotta get up Tess. They found him; Tinker found Evan. We are heading out in less than an hour to get him.”
That gets her up. She flips over onto her back and stares up at me with wide, instantly alert eyes. “What? They found him?” she all but yells, rubbing the sleep and cloud of hair from her face.
“Yeah Babydoll, Tinker’s pretty sure he’s found where they ended up. We’re heading out to go recon the site and save your boy. I don’t know how long we will be gone…” I lean down and kiss the tip of her nose, because I just can’t help myself. “But I’ll be back, and I will have Evan with me when I am.”
“You’re leaving now?” she asks. I nod, bracing for the fight I can see building behind her eyes. “And I’m supposed to just stay here waiting for you?”
“Umm… Yes?” I say, knowing the second it leaves my mouth that it’s the wrong answer. She shoves against my chest, her face twisting in anger.
“Like FUCK I’m just going to sit here and wait for the men-folk to come home! You’re a special kind of stupid Sawyer McGrath if you think I am just going to sit here and twiddle my thumbs while my son is out there!” she shouts at me, scrambling from under the covers and getting up on her knees near the head of the bed… completely unaware that my shirt has made its way up to her waist, exposing those lovely warm legs. Now was NOT the time for me to be noticing things like the glimpse I catch of her pussy as she moves. Nope. Not the time.
“And if you think I am letting you get anywhere near those psychos, you are fuckin’ delusional,” I state, struggling to keep eye contact, “no fucking way am I risking you getting hurt again,” I grind out, sitting back on my heels and mimicking her position.
“He is my baby! He needs me!”
“And I’m going to bring him back to you, dammit! I am not letting you within a thousand miles of that asshole. No fuckin’ way am I entertaining even the possibility of him getting to lay eyes on you again. I am…” she cuts me off.
“That piece of shit sperm donor means nothing to me. NOTHING. I can handle myself whether you want to admit that or not,” she says, getting even more fired up.
My voice breaks with emotions I am trying to keep in check, “fuck Tess…I know you can, you’re a strong woman who’s done amazing things, but I can’t lose you. If you’re there, I’ll be worried out of my fucking mind about where you are, what you’re doing, and if you’re safe. What I should be doing is watching for Pikesmen, searching for Evan, and planning ways to make sure David regrets the last moments of his pathetic life,” my voice hardening as I continue. That shit-stain is going to pay for everything he’s done.
“I don’t want any distractions for the Brothers or me so I can bring him home to you as quick as possible. Please. Please, don’t make this any harder than it has to be. Please stay here where I’ll know you are safe.” I say, all the fight leaving my tone by the end. I meet her eyes and hope she can see the pleading need in mine as she stares back at me.
I see her processing my words, thinking through what I’m asking, and I can see the moment she acquiesces to the rationale. She collapses in on herself and drops back onto the bed, every ounce of fight draining from her. She nods. She won’t look at me and it drives me insane. I lean forward and capture her chin with my fingers, tilting her head gently up toward mine as I mutter, “need your eyes Babydoll”. at this she looks up at me, tears running down her cheeks.
“Just keep him safe Sawyer. Bring him home to me,” she pleads before she absolutely crumbles. I catch her up in my arms and bring her to my chest, tucking her onto my lap and holding her close.
“I promise, Babydoll. I will bring him home to us,” I say, kissing the top of her head as I feel the silent sobs wracking through her. Unsure of what I should say to make this moment any better, I just hold her. I turn and adjust my position so I’m sitting with my back against the headboard, Tessa curled in my lap with my arms around her and I hold her.
We stay like that as long as I can manage it before I need to get my ass in gear and get ready to head out. Ten minutes before I am supposed to be on my bike and ready to go, I squeeze Tessa just a little tighter and press several kisses to the top of her head. She snuggles into me for a moment before she uncurls from my hold and climbs off my lap. Leaning forward, I press a quick kiss to her lips before I climb off the bed and dig a duffel out of my closet.
I rifle through my dresser and throw clothes onto the bed to pack for the trip. As I turn back, I see Tessa refolding the pile of clothing and carefully tucking the items into my bag without a word. A strange warmth blooms in my chest at the surprisingly domestic sight. Shaking it off, I go into the bathroom to collect my toiletries. Coming back from the bathroom I’m confronted with a sight that stops me in my tracks. Tessa is standing awkwardly in the middle of the room wearing nothing but one of the shirts, fidgeting with the hem. She’s tamed her hair, gentle chocolate waves flowing around her shoulders. I catch her eyes wandering over my body, just as mine have been exploring her; a smirk crosses my face.