And as she continued to sit there - miserable, terrified, and frozen - she wished with all her might that Ian was beside her at this very moment. He would make it all go away, she consoled herself, would make everything better. But he was still in London, half a world away, and until he returned she had only herself to depend on.
‘Just like old times,’ she thought tiredly.
***
By his calculations, he’d been awake for more than twenty-four hours, given the time zone difference and the number of hours he’d been either waiting in airports or actually in flight. Ian was exhausted, especially since he’d had precious little sleep on the very long flight home from London. Since he had changed his flight at practically the last minute, there hadn’t been any seats available in either first or business class, and he’d been forced to fly coach. For a man of his height and bulk, falling asleep in the restricted space had been all but impossible, especially when coupled with the crying child in the seat behind him, and the very chatty couple in front of him. He’d considered the wisdom of taking this last minute flight a dozen times over during the rather hellish journey, but each time he questioned his decision he didn’t regret it. How could he, when it meant he would see his beloved Tessa that much sooner than planned?
Wanting to surprise her with his early arrival, he hadn’t told her about his change in plans. He’d made up some excuse for why he wouldn’t be able to call her as usual this evening, and she sweetly hadn’t questioned him further. But now that his flight - the departure having been delayed by more than two bloody hours due to heavy fog at Heathrow - had finally landed, he was making a beeline to her apartment, so that he could sweep her up and take her home with him. He knew she wouldn’t mind being woken at this late hour, even though she would have to get up early for work in the morning. And he’d already written off the possibility of actually having sex with her, since his own exhaustion would probably impair his ability to perform, even given their long separation and how damned much he’d missed her.
A quick glance at his phone showed that it was actually already morning, half past midnight to be exact. As he exited the plane and walked towards baggage claim, he hit the speed dial for Tessa’s cell phone. He knew she kept it by her bedside to use as an alarm, and was therefore concerned when it went to voicemail after several rings. Frowning, he tried it three more times in quick succession with the same result.
As he located the number for her landline, he tried not to panic, telling himself that perhaps she’d simply forgotten to charge her cell phone. But when the landline also went to voicemail repeated times, he couldn’t control his agitation, and the dreadful feeling that something was wrong. After all, didn’t Tessa always claim that bad things happened to her on Wednesdays? And though it was barely the next day, it was in fact a Wednesday.
Ian was relieved and grateful to find Simon waiting just outside of the terminal, and left the luggage for his chauffeur to handle as he got inside the car. He tried both of Tessa’s numbers again, and this time didn’t even attempt to control his panic.
“Something’s very wrong,” he told Simon as the older man slid behind the wheel. “Tessa isn’t answering either of her phones. She hasn’t been in touch with you, has she?”
Simon shook his head as he pulled away from the terminal. “No, sir. Haven’t seen or heard from the young lady since the day you left town. When did you speak with her last?”
“Last night. A text or two earlier today. Or was it yesterday? I’m so bloody mixed up with these damned time zones that I don’t even know what day it is. Christ, Simon, where is she? Why isn’t she answering the phone?” Ian raked a hand through his already rumpled hair.
“I’m headed directly to Miss Lockwood’s place now, sir,” assured Simon calmly. “Would you like me to call my contact at the police department during the drive to see if they’re aware of anything, ah, amiss in her area?”
Ian closed his eyes, not wanting to imagine any one of a dozen horrible things that could have happened to Tessa - being robbed, raped, stabbed, God knew what else in that questionable neighborhood she lived in. “Yes, please, Simon. And thanks, mate.”
While Simon made his call, Ian tried like hell not to overreact. There could be a perfectly logical explanation as to why Tessa wasn’t answering either of her phone lines. There could be a power failure in the area, which would account for why her landline wasn’t working, and why she hadn’t been able to charge her cell phone. Or maybe there had been some sort of gas or water main leak in the neighborhood, and all of the residents had had to be evacuated temporarily. Or just perhaps -
“Sir.” Simon’s voice intruded on his thoughts and then Ian was listening in horror at what his chauffeur was very reluctantly telling him. “I’m afraid Miss Lockwood’s apartment building - well, there’s been a fire, Mr. Gregson.”
***
The scene surrounding the two block radius near Tessa’s apartment building was utter and complete chaos. Ian pushed his way past barricades, completely ignoring the shouts of the police officers who had undoubtedly been told to keep all but essential personnel out of the area. He didn’t give a flying fuck if a dozen strong men tried to make him leave - no one was going to prevent him from finding Tessa.
He and Simon had smelled the thick, acrid smoke in the air blocks away, could see the flashing lights and beacons of all the emergency vehicles. Simon had been able to obtain some additional information from his contact at the police department - the man evidently was both a neighbor and a fishing crony - but the data hadn’t helped ease Ian’s fears in the least. There were no casualties reported, at least not yet, but several residents of the building had been taken to the hospital. Initial reports indicated that the fire had started on the uppermost floor of the building - the fifth - while Tessa’s unit was on the second. It was that bit of news that gave Ian the most hope that she’d found her way out of the building unharmed, but nothing was going to fully appease him until he found her.
A task which was going to be a near impossibility from the looks of it. There were emergency vehicles parked haphazardly all along the street - fire trucks, police cars, ambulances - and dozens of people running to and fro, shouting at each other, with no one person seemingly in charge of controlling the scene. The fire was still burning, filling the air with thick black smoke, and the heat from the flames was stifling.
A young Asian policewoman made a rather feeble attempt to get Ian to vacate the area. “Sir, you really can’t be here, I’m afraid,” she told him, trying to sound authoritative. “Emergency personnel only. You’ll have to leave this area at once.”
He shook his head. “Not until I find someone. I’m looking for a young woman, mid-twenties, tall, blonde hair. Have you seen anyone fitting that description?”
“Sir, I really have to insist -”
“Please.” He turned the full measure of his charm on the pretty young policewoman. “Please, officer, I’m desperate to find her. Do you have any idea where they took the people who had to be evacuated?”
The policewoman hesitated before giving a slight nod. “I’m not positive, but I thought I overheard someone saying they were taking the residents into the Chinese restaurant down the street. You can check there, but then you’ve really got to leave.”
Ian gave her a dazzling smile. “Thank you, officer. I truly appreciate it.”
And then he was off, running as fast as his weary, jet-lagged body would move, trying to stay out of sight before another emergency responder noticed him and tried to get him to leave.
Ian was not an especially spiritual man, but he offered up every prayer he could remember from his youth as he hurried along. The very thought that Tessa could be injured, or worse, was not something he could bear to think about. If he were to lose her now, when they’d really just found each other, he wasn’t sure he’d want to go on living either.
The Chinese restaurant in question was closer to two blocks away than one, he realized as he walked inside the dimly lit establishment. Inside, the chaos continued, as the victims of the fire seemed to be either shouting or crying, and speaking in at least half a dozen different languages. A couple of individuals carrying clipboards with Red Cross badges clipped to their collars were bustling about, attempting to calm as many people as they could. Ian considered approaching one of them to see if they knew if Tessa was here, then gave up and went to look for her himself.
He’d very nearly given up, the despair he felt sapping the little energy he had left, when he finally spotted her.
She was sitting by herself at a little corner table, her hair wildly tangled, and her face streaked with tears and soot. Someone, presumably the Red Cross, had given her one of those ultra-light space blankets, which she was huddled inside of, her body shivering with cold or more likely fear. Beneath the unsubstantial blanket, she wore only a pair of sleep shorts and a flimsy tank top, and her feet - Jesus - her feet were bare and dirty. She looked so forlorn and terrified that he wanted to weep. Instead, he pushed past all the other people milling aimlessly about until he was kneeling in front of her.
“Thank Christ,” he muttered hoarsely, taking her face between his hands. “God almighty, Tessa, tell me you’re all right.”
She gasped, her hands drifting up to cover his as the ridiculous excuse for a blanket fell away from her body. “Ian. Oh, my, God, how are you here? How did you find me?” Her voice was hoarse, either from crying or smoke inhalation.
He stood and lifted her into his arms, letting the blanket fall to the floor as he cradled her against his chest. “I’ll always find you, my love. Now, let’s get you out of this place and take you home.”
He carried her out of the restaurant, managing somehow to dig his phone out and pressthe speed dial for Simon’s number. The chauffeur answered on the first ring.
“I’ve got her, mate. Yes, unharmed so far as I can tell. Meet us on the southwest corner of the block, past the barricades. Be there shortly.”
He stuck the phone back in his pocket and hefted her a bit higher in his arms, scarcely noticing her weight. He would have gladly carried her for miles, crawled through the actual fire, or walked over broken glass, just as long as she was safe.
“Ian,” she murmured huskily. “Put me down. I’m too heavy for you to carry.”
“Hush, darling. It’s no bother at all, and you are not walking a step on these filthy sidewalks in bare feet. Ah, there’s Simon.”
Faithful, devoted Simon was standing anxiously by the side of the car as they arrived, holding the back door open.
“Give Miss Lockwood to me, sir, while you get inside,” offered Simon. “I’ve left a blanket on the back seat.”
Ian quickly shifted Tessa to Simon’s waiting arms, giving his loyal chauffeur an appreciative pat on the back. “You think of everything, mate. Thank Christ you were here tonight.”
He slid inside the town car as Simon gently set Tessa down on the seat next to him. Ian wasted no time in covering her shivering, scantily clad body with the much more substantial wool blanket, and then pulled her onto his lap as Simon started the car.
“I want you to be seen by a doctor,” he told her firmly. “Tonight. Simon, would you take us to the University Medical Center, please?”
“No,” she protested weakly. “Please, Ian, I just want to go - go home. The paramedics checked me out and aside from being in shock I’m okay.”
“Tessa, I would be much happier if you’d agree to this,” he argued. “Your voice - you must have inhaled a lot of smoke.”
She shook her head before resting it wearily on his shoulder. “Not so much. My voice - I think it’s like this from crying so much. I was so scared, Ian.”
“Christ, and I was terrified, Tessa, absolutely fucking terrified. I kept calling your phone numbers and when I didn’t get an answer, I started imagining all sorts of terrible things that could have happened to you. God knows this wasn’t one of them.”
Tessa began to cry, burying her face against his chest, and he rocked her gently, murmuring to her in a soothing voice. Her hair reeked of smoke, her face was grimy with tears and soot, and her body still shook uncontrollably within his arms. He rubbed his cheek against hers, uncaring that his skin, too, was now smudged, or that his suit would also begin to smell of smoke. The only thing he cared about was making sure Tessa was safe and well, to offer her comfort and shelter, and most of all, his love.
By the time they reached his house, he was almost numb with exhaustion, and was grateful for Simon’s assistance in bringing Tessa inside. She was nearly collapsing in shock and fatigue herself, but he forced himself to strip off their clothing before lifting her into a hot shower. While she sat slumped over in helpless surrender on the built-in bench, he shampooed her hair and soaped up her body, washing away all traces of soot and smoke. The water was almost scalding hot, but still her body felt chilled to his touch, and he forced himself not to panic, hoping it was only shock that was responsible for her continued shivering.
After toweling both of them off, he wrapped her in her robe while tiredly searching around for some night clothes. He cursed softly as he realized the few nightgowns he’d bought her were all sheer, lacy confections that would do absolutely nothing to warm her up. He managed to dig out a pair of her yoga pants before grabbing one of his own sweatshirts and some thick athletic socks.
Ian dressed her as though she were a little girl, a task made that much more difficult by her limp, uncooperative limbs. He tucked her into bed before belting on his own robe, then ventured downstairs to pour them each a brandy. He practically had to force the first few sips down her throat, until the liquor finally seemed to have its desired effect, warming her up enough so that she was able to drink the rest of it down on her own.
He slid into bed next to her, cuddling her still trembling body close, and stroking her hair comfortingly.
“Ian, I -” she began.
“Hush, love. Not now. We’re both exhausted. Sleep now and we’ll talk in the morning.”