Page 79 of Burn of Obsidian
The look she shot him caused his lips to curve, because she was as desperate for him as he was for her.
“Seriously?” she said with a raised brow. “Sex is what gets you to smile?”
They heard a knock, followed quickly with the door opening. Jax turned, blocking Thea with his larger body.
“Clothes,” Sam said, eyeing Jax’s bare torso with a smirk. “The T-shirt is one of Payne’s, so the fit shouldn’t be awful, but the only spare jeans are mine. You’ll have to deal with soggy shoes, sorry.” He lay the clothes on the desk, his leopard prowling behind his amber irises.
Jax nodded, waiting until Sam closed the door before turning back to Thea. She’d already moved around him, reaching for the jeans and tugging them on. The size was a little big, but not enough to cause issues. She hesitated when she touched the hem of his T-shirt, and Jax simply leaned against the glass, watching her with a craving only she could relieve. He caught the fabric when she threw it at him, unable to take his eyes away even when she pulled down the ‘Drunken Beast’ work shirt. It fit snugly against her breasts, highlighting the gentle curves.
Grabbing her bra and underwear, she shoved them in the back pocket of the jeans before searching through the rest of her wet clothes. She picked up her phone, frowning at the screen.
Jax peered over, finding she had fifteen missed calls from her mum and sister. Without a word, she scrolled until she found her mum’s name, but when she didn’t answer, she tried her sister.
“Thea? Where have you been?” Molly asked, Jax able to pick up the conversation clearly. “We’ve been trying to get hold of you!”
Something was wrong.
Thea met his gaze, worry dripping from her tone. “What’s happened?”
“Dad’s been rushed to hospital. It’s bad; you need to get here right now.”
Chapter 29
Thea
Thea wrapped her arms around herself, only half listening to the doctor.
“His portacath’s been… morphine drip will…”
A small hand wrapped in hers, Rosey squeezing with all her strength. It broke Thea out of her stupor, allowing her to thank the doctor before turning to her baby sister.
“It’s okay,” Rosey said, her eyes red from tears. “It’s going to be okay.”
Thea swallowed past the knot in her throat. “Of course it is, jellybean.”
“Rosey baby, come here.” Their mother held out her hand, and Rosey ran across to crush her with a hug. “Go with your sister to grab some food.”
Molly took Rosey’s hand, her eyes just as red-rimmed as they walked out of the ward.
Dorothea stood straight, her smile gentle when she turned toward the window of her dad’s room. “He’s been asking for you.”
“I came as soon as I could.” Thea rubbed across her cheeks, finding her dad making the nurse laugh through the little window. “How long does he have?”
Jax was a warm presence against her back, and she found herself gravitating towards him. He’d been steady and cool while she’d panicked, somehow calming her enough to get her to the hospital.
“They’re not sure.” Her mum closed her eyes, exhaustion lining her face. “Likely a few weeks. Maybe a month, if we’re lucky.”
“Weeks?” Years – that was what he was supposed to get. Not months, and definitely not weeks. “I don’t understand. I thought the treatment was working?” She’d pretty much had to bribe the company to allow her father on the trial. He’d been sick, really sick, when Thea had been researching alternative medicines. But once he’d started the trial, he’d improved considerably.
When her mum opened her eyes, they were sad. “He stopped the treatment during the last cycle.”
Thea tried to calm her emotions, her wild magic reacting to the stress. “Why didn’t you tell me he stopped?”
“He wanted to explain it to you himself.”
“You should have told me.” A single tear burned from the corner of her eye, and rather than wipe it away, she let it fall.
“Oh baby, don’t cry.” Dorothea wiped across her cheek. “Go, spend some time with him. Jax here can keep me company.”