Chapter 12
Veer pulled the motorbike into the parking lot of the lodge. Ariya’s trembling body was stuck to his, and he felt like going back and punching the men one more time, but he knew better. He placed his hand on her clasped fingers on his chest and dialed Stefan’s phone number.
“Veer, Ariya,” Stefan called out from the balcony. Veer had heard the men make a call to Stefan from his phone and demand ransom in return for their freedom. Stefan and Andy were the first ones to come to meet them in the parking lot. The crew followed right behind them and stood staring as Veer pulled open the parking stand on the bike and helped the visibly shaken Ariya off the motorbike.
She clung to him like a scared child, and it just ripped his heart to shreds to see her like that. He put the blanket the team offered around her and looked at Stefan.
“I need you to have the local police look for a man with facial fractures in the local hospitals and look up the license plate information of this motorbike, so you can find the address of where we were held. Make sure they are put away forever, Stefan.” Veer growled as he took Ariya into the lodge.
“Ariya… take deep breaths,” he whispered as he walked next to her to her room. The hotel staff followed and opened the door for them.
“Veer… I…” She put her arms around him and started to cry. A piece of his heart broke off when he felt the moisture from her eyes on his chest. Guilt enveloped him when it hit him—she went through what she did that night because of him and his negligence.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have put you in danger.”
“Veer, it’s not… it’s not the men. I was scared to go on the bike… I was in a car accident…” He hushed her by pulling her into his arms.
He planted a kiss on the top of her head. “I will help you change, and then you need to go to bed.”
“I don’t want to change.” She buried her face deeper into his chest.
“Can I get you something to eat?”
“No.”
“Okay, just go to bed… you’ll be fine in the morning,” he said, softly.
“Veer… I’m scared… don’t leave me,” she pleaded, digging her fingers into his flesh.
He took a deep breath tightening his hold on her. “I will stay right here with you. Can I help you change?”
She stepped back from him but kept her eyes lowered. He cupped her face wiping the moisture on her cheeks as he raised her chin. “It’s okay if you don’t want to change.”
“I want to lie down, but I can’t sleep…”
“Come.” He took her to the bed and sat her down. He slowly lifted her feet off the ground and let her back slide onto the mattress, his hand supporting her shoulder. She rested her head on the pillow and took his hand to her chest. “Stay here… with me.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Can you close your eyes?”
“I’m scared.” She sobbed into his hand.
“Ariya, the cops will get them. There’s nothing to be worried about.” He tried to comfort her as every tear that rolled down on his hand burned him on the inside.
“I’m not… I’m not scared of those men… I…” Her voice trailed off.
Veer sat on the bed next to her and pulled her up to his chest and rested his back on the headboard. “What’s wrong?”
“I thought I was going to die,” she mumbled.
“I’m sorry, I had no other way of getting you out of there.”
“No… it wasn’t you. I remembered the accident I was in when I was ten…” She sniffled.
“What happened?”
“My mom… she was driving and talking to me, and my dad called. She got upset, and she lost control of the car.”
“Is that why you avoid riding in cars?” She nodded and was slightly surprised he was able to connect the two.
“We can talk more in the morning. I want you to sleep now.”
“Veer, sleep here with me.” She got off his chest and scooted to the other side of the bed and lay her head down on a pillow. He smiled and reached to dim the light and slipped into bed next to her.
He lay next to her aware of her unsteady breathing and sniffling. He waited a few more minutes before putting an arm around her and pulling her to him.
Ariya moaned welcoming the warmth his tough body offered. “Hold me, don’t leave.”
“I’ll be right here.” He kissed the back of her head as she wrapped his arm around her and pushed her back against his chest. He waited for her fall asleep before he went to his room to change and get back.
She was awake when he stepped into her room and he could tell she was still shaken up by the combination of the traumatizing experience and the memory of a childhood accident.
“Ariya, what are you thinking about?” he asked softly.
“I’ve never been on a date like this.” Her observation was so adorable, he couldn’t help but smile.
“Me, neither.”
“You are my hero… I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“No, I’m not… you would have avoided all of it if you hadn’t gone out with me.” He growled, guilt gripping him.
“I feel safe with you.”
“Why?”
“Because I know you can beat up the bad guys.” She laughed, sending waves of relief through him.
“That I can, I guess.” He smiled at her when she turned to face him.
“It was an interesting night.”
“Yeah, I got a lap dance, too.”
She laughed, slapping his arm. “That was not a lap dance.”
“It wasn’t a bad lap dance, and I’ve never had one on a date.” He laughed.
“Stop saying that.”
“I liked hanging out with you… you are a lot more fun when you are slightly drunk.” He smiled, slowly pushing the hair away from her face to tuck it behind her ear.
She looked up at him cupping his cheek with her hand. “I want to kiss my hero.”
“And?” He smiled.
“I want to kiss my hero.” Her tone was deliberate.
“I won’t object.”
“I want to kiss…” she murmured before taking her lips to his. His lips were warm, gentle and welcoming. She moaned into his mouth when his tongue tapped on her lips before making it past them to explore her mouth. He angled her face and pulled her to him to deepen the kiss. She ran her hand through his hair and pressed down on his lips.
When they finally let go of their lips, they looked at each other as they caught their breath. Her heart beat against her ribcage, and her cheeks were on fire. She slowly ran her hand back to his cheek and looked at him, a smile playing on her lips.
“Thank you,” she whispered, burying her face in his chest and slipping into a deep sleep. He felt the warmth of her and smiled into the darkness as he held her to him unsure of where they would go from that moment. She told him she wanted to kiss him, and he couldn’t deny her.
Who was he to deny her wishes?
*****
Ariya woke up to soft snoring in her ear and smiled when she realized she was cocooned in Veer’s arms. It was the best sleep she’d had in a long time. Something about last night was special, in spite of the craziness and the flood of memories that threatened to consume her. Her head was resting on the thick muscle of his arm, and he held her to him, protectively.
She turned her head slowly and looked up at him. He was in a deep sleep, his thick lashes melded to block out the light. She sat up slowly without disturbing him and got out of bed. She had barely moved a step away before his fingers wrapped around her wrist.
She turned to look at him, smiling, and her eyes gleaming at him. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” he said, pulling her back to sit on the bed.
“Veer, I haven’t slept like this in… years.”
“Umm… with a man?” He ran his fingers through his hair.
“No, silly. I slept well. I usually have sleepless nights for days when… whenever I get reminded of the accident, but… with you… thank you.”
He smiled, running the back of his hand over her cheek. “Glad to be of service.”
“You make a good body pillow.” She laughed.
“Really? No one has told me that before.”
“Maybe because you never offered to be just a body pillow.” She winked.
“Good point… are you okay?”
She nodded, looking down at her hands.
“You should eat something.”
“I’m gonna go shower… do you want to go eat together?”
He raised a cocky eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t work while you eat.”
“You are not working anymore… we are done with the assignment,” she teased.
“What am I?” His voice was a low rumble.
“You are the guy who saved me last night, my hero.” She put her arms around him when he stood up.
“Let’s go eat. I am going to go shower.” He planted a kiss on the top of her head and left without another word.
She looked at him as he walked away and smiled when he turned to look at her before closing the door. “Fifteen minutes, don’t be late.”
He smiled and closed the door quietly behind him.
Ariya knocked on the connecting door between their rooms. A few moments later, he opened the door and stood in the doorway, bare-chested and a towel wrapped around his waist.
“You’re late.” She scowled, her eyes locked with his.
“Aren’t you used to it?”
“You have one minute, let’s go.”
“Meet me on the other side.” He nodded and shut the door.
“One minute,” she said against the door, laughing.
She took her phone and key card and opened the door. Veer stood outside the door, his hair damp from the shower, and his t-shirt stretched over his chest in a hurry.
“You’re late.” He winked.
“You are silly.” She pulled the door closed and followed him to the dining area. She was glad they were able to maintain a casual manner after sharing a kiss last night.
A moment of gratitude turned into an intense moment, so intense she almost gave into it, and it turned into a beautiful moment. A moment of bliss and calm, a feeling she had not felt in many years.
*****
Later that day, she looked down through the window as the plane took off from the small airport. The crew was on a packed commercial plane with a few of the crew upgraded to business class, Veer being one of them. In a way, she was relieved that she would have some time to contain her thoughts and declined Stefan’s offer to fly in the business class cabin. She sat next to Jerry who stared intensely at his laptop playing the footage back and forth. She leaned back in her seat and shut her eyes to catch a nap.
“Andy wants to talk to you,” Veer’s voice interrupted her lazy state, but she didn’t open her eyes or move.
“Now? I’m still working on the edits.” Jerry complained.
“You can go sit my seat and work with Andy.”
“Sweet. Thanks, Veer.” Jerry got up in a hurry shaking the entire seat.
A moment later, she felt Veer in the seat next to her, his shoulder rubbing against hers. He was too big to be in the not-so-wide economy cabin seats. She didn’t know why he was in Jerry’s seat and how long he planned to sit next to her. She kept her eyes shut, and he didn’t move or make an attempt to wake her up. She could tell he was looking at his phone.
She pretended to be asleep for a few more minutes before she finally felt crappy about faking sleep. She slowly lifted her head off the backrest and turned to look at Veer. He was staring at his phone and hadn’t noticed she was awake.
“Where is Jerry?”
“With his boss,” he responded without looking up from his phone.
“Why are you in Jerry’s seat?”
“Because he is in mine.”
“Okay.” She didn’t know what else to say. She didn’t know what was going on in his head and if he was there to talk about the time they spent together.
“Are you up for another assignment with me?”
“Sure… as long as it is a local one.”
“Local to San Francisco?”
“Not necessarily.”
“Would you do an assignment with me for the Monterey Bay Aquarium?” he asked, softly.
“Oh my… if it is for the Aquarium, I would do it for free. I love that place.” She had the best memories with her parents at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
“Nice… don’t accept any other assignment before talking to Stefan or me,” he said in a steady voice, and she nodded.
“Where do you live?”
“In the Mission District of San Francisco, and you?”
“I’m not far from you. I live closer to the baseball stadium.”
“Oh… Oh… Are you in those super fancy condos they built last year,” she teased.
“They are nice.” He smiled sheepishly.
“Nice is an understatement. It’s one of the newest constructions in the city.”
“Okay, whatever you say. We can ride together from the airport,” he offered.
“No… my sister is coming to get me, and I’m going to my mom’s house.” She looked up into his eyes.
“Where does your mom live?”
“Down south, Palo Alto.”
“Call me when you are back in the city… I’d like a retake on our date.” He chuckled.
She laughed shaking her head. “Does that include the kidnap?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said looking ahead.
“I had fun. One of my favorite assignments.”
“What is your other favorite assignment?” he inquired, curiously.
“My assignment in Cherrapunji in Northern India.” Her eyes sparkled.
“Interesting… doesn’t it rain almost every day in that town?” What did you do there?”
“I spent a week there as a local to draw the contrast between living in that town and Seattle.”
“Nice… you do like the rain.”
“I love it… I love the rain in India. I loved the rain in the rainforest and was enjoying it until someone showed up.” She glared at him making him laugh and run his fingers along the almost invisible scrapes she left on his skin over a week ago.
Veer smiled, and they spent most of the remaining journey talking about their favorite assignments.