He leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips. "I'll send Jordan in until I get back."
Chapter Nineteen
Jordan sat with me and tried to make me feel better as Tristan reprimanded the driver right outside the door. I couldn't hear everything he said, but as Jordan raved about how beautifully the house was decorated, I heard Tristan say, "I want him taken care of. Now. Do I make myself clear?"
I truly hoped he wasn't talking to Rogers about firing Jenson. It wasn't his fault Mrs. Phillps' crazy grandson was some kind of addict and probably stole my bag for money to buy his drugs. I tuned out much of what Jordan said as I strained to hear more of what Tristan was saying, but his voice was so low I couldn't make anything more out.
When he returned, his expression was softer and he smiled when his gaze met mine. As he sat down next to me, he squeezed my hand. "How are you feeling? The doctor should be here any minute."
"How did you get here before us?" I asked, realizing he couldn't have left the city before Jenson left Sunset Park.
"I drive faster than Jenson," he said with a laugh. "Remember how fast my car is?"
"Yeah." The memory of that first night and us racing up the highway toward this house flashed through my mind, and then I heard Jordan speak.
"I think I need to go home, Nina. You look like you're in good hands here."
All I could think about was her going back to where that asshole was. Who knew what might happen if he caught her alone? I looked over at Tristan and squeezed his hand. "Jordan can't go back there. That guy might be there, Tristan."
"Honey, I have work. I have to go back to the city," Jordan protested.
I silently pleaded with Tristan, hoping he understood the look in my eyes. When he spoke, I fell in love with him all over again.
"Jordan, Nina's right. You can spend a week or two at my hotel downtown while my people find the man who did this."
"Are you sure? That's really nice of you."
I brought Tristan's hand to my mouth and kissed it, mouthing "Thank you."
He looked deep into my eyes as he said to Jordan, "It's my pleasure. I think you'll enjoy one of the suites, and the menu for room service is second to none." Breaking his stare, he turned to face her. "I'll be sure to check in on you to make sure you're comfortable. Jenson will escort you back to Brooklyn and wait until you get your things."
Jordan leaned over the bed and hugged me tightly against her. In my ear, she whispered, "Feel better, sweetie. And if you let this man get away, I'll never let you live it down."
Rogers appeared as he always did, just at the right time, and took Jordan to the car. Alone again with Tristan, I pulled on his tie to bring his mouth to mine. Never before had I wanted to show someone how much I loved them as I wanted to at that moment. He kissed me like he'd missed me for ages, covering my mouth seductively as he caressed the inside of my mouth with his tongue. The feeling was sensual and caring at the same time.
I pulled away and ran my hand over his cheek. "Thank you for what you did for Jordan. I can't tell you how much it means to me."
"I would do anything to make you happy, Nina. I'll find the man who did this and he'll understand what happens when he hurts someone I love."
Something in his eyes told me Mrs. Phillips' grandson was in danger, but before I could ask him what he planned to do about him, Rogers knocked on the bedroom door to announce the doctor had arrived.
"Good. Show him in, Rogers," Tristan said in the butler's direction.
The doctor examined me and pronounced me healthy, other than a tennis ball size goose egg on the back of my head. He assured me there wouldn't be any permanent damage and that I'd be fine. It took all of ten minutes for him to complete the entire examination and prescribe a pain killer, and Tristan thanked him and led him out to meet Rogers, returning to my side not a minute later.
He looked at me oddly, and I realized I still wore my red dress and stockings. I didn't know where my shoes were, though. "I wanted to surprise you for our date. Do you like it?"
He removed his black suit coat and tie and laid down next to me. Taking me in his arms, he slid his hands up and down my leg, feeling the stockings. His touch excited me as the pain killer began to dull my pain.
"I do. Did you wear this just for me?" he asked in a voice heavy with sex.
I ran my hand over his shirt and unbuttoned two buttons so I could touch his skin. It felt cool against my fingers. Lowering my mouth to his neck, I licked just below his earlobe. "I did. I thought it would be sexy."
Tristan groaned and ran his hand further up my thigh to where the garter belt connected to the stockings and then between my legs, where my sensitive skin lay bare. "You went into the city like this?"
His voice had a strange edge to it, and I lifted my head to see his expression had changed from just a minute earlier. His eyes had narrowed into angry slits.
"It's okay. I just went to see Jordan, and you know what happened after that. Nobody else saw me." I didn't mention the guys across the street from the apartment or that the wind had blown my dress so high it was likely that at least a few of them had seen a bit more than I'd wanted to show.
He slid his hand between my legs and stroked his fingers slowly over my tender folds. "I don't want you leaving the house like this without me."
The odd mix of gentleness in his touch and the harsh tone of his voice confused me. "Okay. It's no big deal, though."
One finger slid over my clit and sent a jolt of excitement through me. He stared down at me as my face showed the effect of what his fingers were doing to me. "It is a big deal. You're with me, Nina. No one else sees that part of you."
The possessiveness he was showing me was new between us. Until that moment, I'd never gotten the sense that he was jealous or overprotective when it came to me. There hadn't been a moment since I'd met him when he didn't act as if he were the only man in my life. This change in him baffled me even while it excited me. I liked the idea that he was protective about the woman he loved, although I knew there was no reason for him to be jealous.
I loved him so completely I couldn't imagine even thinking of another man touching me the way he did. Looking up into his eyes so intense, I smiled. "I don't want anyone else but you, Tristan."
He drew circles with his fingertip over my excited clit and kissed me deeply before he pulled away and I watched him slide down my body and settle in between my legs. Lifting my dress around my waist, he lowered his head and whispered against my skin, "No other man, Nina."