He actually opened his mouth to ask her when the phone in his pocket began to vibrate. Pulling it out, he saw that it was one of the select few people within the agency that were higher on the pay scale than he was.
“I’m sorry.” He stood and turned to Sophie. “I have to take this.”
“Of course.”
With the phone still vibrating in his hand, he spared another second to tell her, “You’re one of the strongest women I’ve ever met, Soph. You’re going to be just fine.”
Though her skin wasn’t at all pale, he could still make out the slight flush rising into her cheeks. He suddenly found himself standing there, wondering if she looked that way when she made love.
Not the time, asshole. Not. The. Time.
The silent ringing on his phone ceased. Damn it. He really needed to return that call ASAP. So why wasn’t he walking away?
When the call came through again, it kicked his ass in gear. “We still have a few hours before we land,” he informed her. “Try to get some rest.”
“I will.”
Turning to leave, he took a single step before a delicate hand grabbed his, stopping him in his tracks.
“Jason?”
Ignoring the electric burn her touch created, he turned back around. “Yeah?”
“You saved my life.” Her voice cracked, but she cleared it and continued on. “I know it’s not enough, but...thank you.”
Momentarily forgetting the call, Jason gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “You don’t ever have to thank me for that, sweetheart.”
Then, before he did something monumentally crazy like pull her out of that seat and into his arms, he released her hand and walked away, answering the phone as he went.
Chapter 3
“For the millionth time, Liv...I’mfine.” Sophie lifted her bottle of water and put its rim to her lips.
Three weeks had passed since the incident in Djibouti, and everyone she knew still acted like they were waiting for her to break. Some moments she felt as though she would, but for the most part, she really did feel as though she was handling it all okay.
“And for the millionth time, I’m calling bullshit.” Sitting across from her at their usual table in the hospital cafeteria, Olivia McQueen shot her a pointed look. “This is me you’re talking to, remember? I’m like the poster child for this sort of thing.”