He grasped her hands and pressed the key in one. “I have more money than I know what to do with. It means nothing to me. This. This means something.”
“It’s too much.”
His gaze burned into hers. “Let me give you back a little of what that bastard took from you. Please. For me.”
Tears misted her eyes. Dance. She could dance again.
“Hell. Don’t cry on me now.” He wrapped his arms around her.
“I’m sorry. It means so much to me. I—”
“Shh.” He pressed his lips to the top of her head. “Just promise me one thing.”
“What?” She clung to his shirt, one hand fisted with the key inside.
“That you’ll let me watch you. I want to see you dance.”
She nodded against his chest.
Yeah. She loved him.
Bruce drove Sarah back to her suite and kissed her at the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early.”
“You coming for breakfast?” she asked.
“Do you want me to?” He cocked his head. “I can’t promise not to touch you.”
She snaked her arms around his neck. God, he smelled amazing. Like the fresh, salty sea. “I don’t care what anyone thinks.”
“But you said you didn’t want me to stay because of Debbie.”
“I meant overnight. People knowing we’re dating is different than them hearing us having sex.”
“Okay.” A smile played at the corners of his mouth.
“What?”
He leaned down, his lips brushing the lobe of her ear. “Think I’m about to ruin Greg’s day tomorrow.”
Sarah laughed and drew her hands back. She pulled out her keys, went to unlock the door, and tensed.
“What’s wrong?”
Her stomach knotted. “It wasn’t locked.”
“Maybe you forgot to lock it.”
She shook her head. “I never forget.”
“Stand back.” He opened the door and flicked on the lights.
Fluffy jumped up and ran over to him. He whined and sniffed around the room, snout to the carpet.
“Stay here.” Bruce entered the suite and checked the rooms. “All clear. It’s safe to come in.”
Sarah shut her eyes. She’d left from the front of the house.
“It’s okay.” Bruce stroked her arm.
“I don’t remember when I used this door last.”
“Maybe Joe let the dog in through it and forgot to lock up. No one’s here.”
She glanced around. Sometimes Joe did take care of the dog. “Everything looks the same as when I left.”
“So relax.” He took her hand. “Do you want me to stay with you?”
“No. I’ll be fine.” She rubbed her arms and glanced around the room again. “I have Fluffy with me.”
“All right. Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He brought his lips to hers for a soft, tender kiss. “Thanks for coming today.”
“Which time?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Naughty girl.” He gave her butt a playful slap. “I better go.”
She followed him to the door and locked up.
Sleep didn’t come easy, but at some point, she must have drifted off because her alarm awakened her bright and early.
She topped off a bowl of fruit for the breakfast she’d prepared in the main kitchen. Her gaze shot to the door every time someone opened it.
Joe sauntered in and went to the coffee maker. The man had his focus on caffeine first every morning.
Greg had already loaded his plate with food and ate at the table.
Debbie had some paperwork out and wrote notes while drinking her coffee. She glanced up when Bruce entered, and went back to writing.
Greg yelled out a hello as Bruce crossed the room. Bruce nodded to him and stopped next to Sarah.
Her stomach flipped and sizzled like a pancake on a hot griddle.
“Morning. You sleep well?” he asked.
She cleared her throat. “Yes, and you?”
“I was up all night, after leaving you,” he said low enough that no one else could hear.
Oh God. Maybe she wasn’t so ready to let the world know about them.
“I warned you.” He leaned over and kissed her.
Silverware clattered to the floor. Sarah shot a glance at the table. Greg bent down to pick up whatever he’d dropped.
“About time,” muttered Joe from his station at the coffee machine.
Bruce snatched a plate and serving spoon. “This looks awesome. I’m really, really hungry this morning.”
Debbie slapped her pen down and stood, grabbing her empty coffee mug. “For God’s sake. Get a room, you two.”
Joe snorted.
Bruce’s mouth twitched as he piled food on his plate. His gaze darted to Sarah, and she fought the urge to smack that smug look off his face. Good thing he was so freaking amazing in bed, or she’d kill him.
He picked up a strawberry. “These look fresh. Did they come from the farmers market?”
Sarah tapped her foot. Prickly heat singed her face. Now he was swapping recipes and having fun quizzing her about the food while everyone stared at her.
“Yes, as a matter of fact.”
“How about the maple syrup? Looks like a new—”
She kicked her foot against his. “Could I have a word with you?”
“Sure. Which one?”
Another snort came from Joe.
“Out there.” She pointed to the porch and stomped past him. When he followed her out, she whirled around to face him.
“What do you think you’re doing?” She crossed her arms.
“You’re gorgeous when you’re angry.” He swaggered over, and she took a step back. “Why are you so upset?”
“You know damn well. Why don’t you wear a T-shirt that says, ‘I slept with her’?”
“I would if I could.” He smiled. “You told me you didn’t care if they knew.”
She frowned. “Well, I didn’t realize how embarrassing it would be.”
“Sorry.” He put a hand on her arm. “I’ve wanted you for so long. I can’t act like nothing happened, and they were going to figure it out sooner or later anyway.”
“I suppose.” She had to get used to them as a couple.
He brought his face close to hers.
“I wasn’t kidding. I barely slept.” He traced a finger along the line of her neck, and she shivered. “All I could think about was making love to you again.”
His arms came around her, and heat blasted through her body.
He covered her mouth with his for a long, sensual kiss. “Better get used to this. I intend to do it a lot.”
The door opened, and Debbie stepped onto the porch. Sarah tried to move away, but Bruce had her in a vise grip.
Debbie waved a hand in their direction and shook her head. “Geez. I’m heading to the stables.”
Bruce’s lips curved, and Sarah took a deep breath.
He kissed her again. “My trip is this Saturday. We’ll have to make the most of our time this week before I leave.”
She frowned. Morgan. Alone with Bruce for two days.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I wish you weren’t going with Morgan. She…bothers me.” Sarah’s jaw tensed.
“We’re just friends, and this horse looks really promising. It’s exactly what we’ve been searching for from what I can tell, or I wouldn’t go so far to see it.” He stroked her cheek. “I can take on more patients if I get another horse. I already have two more vets interested in the program.”
That mattered much more than her jealous peeve with Morgan. “I’m sorry. I really hope it works out.”
“I am worried about leaving you, though.” He frowned.
“It’s only for one night.” She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I haven’t heard from the stalker in over three weeks. Besides, you don’t sleep here anyway. What’s the difference?”
“Well, I aske
d Joe to stay here the night I’m gone.”
She winced. “That wasn’t necessary. Now I feel stupid. Like I need a babysitter. I’m surrounded by people all the time, and I have the dog.”
“Joe sleeps over sometimes anyway. Just an extra precaution. Debbie has a shotgun, and they both know how to use it.”
“Okay.” She would feel safer. “Thank you.”
He smiled. “Now are you done chastising me so I can get some food? You did invite me.”
“Yes, but go easy on the PDA.”
“You wanna start tossing around acronyms? That’s a battle you’ll never win against a military man.” He brought his lips to hers and she smiled against them.
Leonard placed the tarp on the dirt, knelt, and pulled out his binoculars. All weekend with no sight of Sarah. His eyebrows twitched. Since it was Monday, she’d be back to her routine and he could keep track of her.
After drawing a tissue from his pocket, he dabbed at the sweat under his eyes. He raised the binoculars and trained them on the front porch where Sarah stood in front of a man. The guy stepped closer to Sarah, his Sarah, and kissed her.
Leonard flinched and gripped the binoculars tighter. His heart jackhammered in his chest. The rubber lens hoods dug into his eye sockets. No. She didn’t fight or slap the man. Impossible. She appeared to kiss him back, letting him hold her like a lover. Leonard’s stomach lurched. This man must have seduced her. He’d soiled her. Ruined her. Somehow made Sarah forget how much she loved Leonard.
Tiny, bright pinpoints of light appeared before his eyes, and he became dizzy. He lowered the binoculars and leaned against the tree. He’d warned her. Told her how much he loved her. She’d had the chance all along to come back, to admit her love. He shook his head and dragged a hand down his face.
Traitor. A complete fake. He couldn’t allow her to live and be a walking reminder of his misplaced faith. They would have been perfect together, only she was flawed. His world crashed down around him. He gasped for air and bent over, squeezing his eyes shut as he rocked. No way out. She’d left him no choice now. He wouldn’t need the closet or the locks.
She’d made a fatal mistake in betraying him.
Just like Audrey.
Chapter 34
Sarah gave Bruce the stink-eye as he managed to slide a hand along her thigh when he passed her leading a horse out of the stall. It had been almost a week since the breakfast fiasco, and still, every time she came anywhere near him, heads turned. To make matters worse, he seemed to be enjoying the whole thing. He found creative ways to brush against her and keep her body humming.
She’d gone to the ballet studio the last five nights, and between that and the sex, every not-normally-used muscle in her body ached. As if he hadn’t done enough, Bruce bought her an iPod, downloaded the music from her solo performances, and pumped the compositions through the sound system.
The first night, after running some errands, he’d returned to watch her practice. At the end of the piece, he’d framed her face with his hands and told her he could see her soul when she danced. He’d taken her back to his condo and made tender love to her, worshipping every part of her body.
She shivered at the memory and forced her focus back to cleaning buckets.
Bruce approached and stopped in front of her as Morgan’s car pulled into the lot behind him.
“Sorry you got stuck working on a Saturday. You have to be tired,” he said.
“Becca never calls in sick. I’ll be fine.” Sarah shrugged. “Besides, I won’t dance at the studio again until Monday.”
“True. Morgan and I are leaving soon.”
One day without seeing him shouldn’t seem like it would be forever, but it did. Maybe his travel companion had something to do with that.
Sarah wiped her hands on her jeans and tried to keep his goal of helping more veterans in mind. “I hope this horse works out.”
He held his palm to the side of her face and kissed her. Soft and slow, with the promise of more to come. When he pulled away, he stroked her cheek. “Want to go out on the boat when I get back?”
“For a repeat?”
“Hell, yeah. We never made it to the aft berth where the other bed is,” he said with a glint in his eye. “I intend to get on the road early. Rest up for me.”
Sarah went back to work but kept glancing at Bruce. Morgan laughed and put a hand on his shoulder. The Ice Queen always had her paws on Bruce. Sarah slammed the bucket down.
She lugged the pail inside and brought out another. After Bruce drove off in his truck, Morgan sauntered across the lot and stopped next to her. Sarah kept her head down and squirted water into the pail.
“Well, well. A little workplace romance going on?”
“It’s none of your business,” Sarah said.
“I like to keep up. You know, I’m going to be spending the night with Bruce, and that man has stamina you wouldn’t believe.” Morgan sighed. “Wait, maybe you would know.”
Sarah wiped an arm across her forehead and huffed out a breath. “You can cut the act. Bruce told me you’re just friends.”
“Oh, we are, dear. Friends with…benefits.” She winked and strolled to the stable entrance.
Sarah’s stomach bottomed out. Lie. It had to be a lie. Bruce wouldn’t do something like that. She shut her eyes. Morgan’s hand on his shoulder, the familiar way she touched him, she acted like his booty call. No. The witch lived to mess with her. Probably jealous. Still, Morgan had a clear interest in him and a body that screamed sex.
“You okay?” Lynn asked.
“What? Sorry, I didn’t see you come over.”
“I saw Morgan talking to you, and you looked kinda upset.”
“She has that effect.” Sarah glared at the stables. “She was suggesting she and Bruce…well…never mind.”
Lynn’s eyes narrowed. “She wishes. She’s been after him since the second she came here.”
Ugh. The last thing Sarah wanted to hear.
“Don’t worry about her.” Lynn placed a hand on Sarah’s arm. “Listen, as long as I’ve known Bruce, I’ve never seen him happier.”
“Well, that’s something, I guess.”
“You’re good for him. I was starting to worry he’d never date again. Four years is a long time to mourn.”
Sarah’s heart froze and then jump-started. “Wh-what?”
“His wife. You didn’t know?” Lynn’s eyes grew large. “I just assumed—”
“I can’t believe this.” The blood drained from Sarah’s head. This couldn’t be true. He would have told her.
“I shouldn’t have said anything. He’s so private.” Lynn squeezed Sarah’s arm. “I’m so sorry.”
If he’d kept that a secret, God knew what other ones he had. Maybe friends with benefits. Sarah’s world spun. She’d shared the most intimate parts of herself, and he’d kept something so huge from her. “I need to know. Please, tell me.”
“Come, sit down.” Lynn went to a bench in front of the stables and sat.
Sarah took a seat next to her and forced a deep breath. “What happened?”
“His wife was a nurse. One night, driving home, she was killed in an accident. He never had the chance to even say goodbye. It crushed him.” Lynn tugged at the neckline of her shirt. “Everyone here knows about it. I figured by now you would too.”
Wonderful. Common knowledge to everybody. Except her. A wave of nausea rolled in her stomach. He knew everything about her life, but she didn’t really know too much about his. He’d mentioned his parents were dead, but he never talked about them or how they died. In fact, he didn’t discuss much of anything about growing up. And forget about his time in the service, although she couldn’t blame him for not wanting to relive those experiences.
God, it all made sense now. The hot-and-cold treatment. He must have been battling with guilt. She lowered her head into her hands.
“Please, Sarah. Don’t overreact. He’s a good person, and I can see how much he cares about you.”
Lynn rubbed her back. “You know how guys are. They don’t like to talk about feelings.”
“Thanks for telling me.” Sarah stood on shaky legs and dusted off her pants. “I should get back to work.”
Lynn ran a hand through her hair and blew out a breath. “Shit, I’m sorry.”
Chapter 35
Leonard parked in the lot of Mario’s Pizzeria & Restaurant across the street from the strip mall that housed the ballet studio. He checked his watch. Eight thirty, Saturday evening. Sarah should be there. For the last five nights, she’d shown up at eight o’clock, driven by her lover from the farm. He twisted his mouth and shook his head.
Last Monday, after he had witnessed Sarah’s betrayal, he’d followed them to the studio. He couldn’t risk being spotted as a tail, so he’d parked across the street to watch on Tuesday. Sure enough, they’d shown up at the same time.
Every night of the week, they’d followed the same routine. The man parked around the back of the building. He always came to the front and yanked on the door, as if checking the locks. A few minutes later, he would leave and return within an hour or so. Perfect. Leonard wouldn’t need much time for what he had planned. Same routine, all week. Except they weren’t here tonight.
Through his binoculars, he scanned the face of the building. A glass door and windows provided a view of the interior. To the left of a counter was a hall with restrooms at the end. The studio itself had to be behind the door to the right of the desk where people came in and out. The reception area remained unoccupied at certain times. Leonard wrote down when and for how long. Each entry on a separate line, evenly spaced, in military time for accuracy. At nineteen-thirty each night, everyone left the building, and a woman locked the door.
Tonight, more people kept arriving, and it didn’t appear the place would be closing at the usual time. Leonard got out of the car, crossed the street, and strolled along the sidewalk in front of the stores. He paused at the dance studio. A flyer on the window advertised beginner classes Saturday and Sunday nights from seven to nine. No wonder Sarah hadn’t shown up. She must only come on weeknights.
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