by Kira Hillins
He set the bags down on the bed. “Pretty nice for an old place. Clean.” He turned on the bathroom light. “Go ahead and take your shower while I bring in a few more things.”
“Okay.”
He lifted a curl resting along her midarm and gave it a small tug. “I’m glad I came, Sonya.”
After the blubbering mess he’d found her in, she took that as a good sign. Maybe the weekend would make a turn for the better. “I’m glad you’re here, Soljer.”
“It’s funny,” he said, gazing into her eyes. “Here we are finally together in real life, and I’m still finding ways to get you out of trouble.”
She laughed. “So right. You’ve saved me many times in the game.”
Now he was here, standing before her. Instead of a lighthouse, they were in a hotel room. Alone. No aliens or other players. Just them…in the flesh…beside a king-size bed.
Heart beating at a mad pace, she picked up her yellow overnight bag. Her skin tingled on the way to the bathroom. When she turned to close the door, catching his emeralds still watching her, she lost her breath.
Chapter Seven
Zoe slipped her arms through the sleeves of her leather jacket. After one last check in the mirror, she stepped out of the bathroom. Ben sat on the edge of the bed, strumming an acoustic guitar. When he met her eyes, her heart quickened.
He pulled his fingers off the fret board. “Very nice.” He set the guitar on the floor. He breathed in and grinned. “You smell great too.”
“I don’t always take baths in stinky water, mind you.” She sat beside him on the bed. Her cheeks burned as she straightened the wrinkles on her violet dress. “I rarely bawl like a baby either.”
“It’s understandable. You thought your kitchen would float away. I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get to try the dinner you made. You probably worked hard on it.”
“I did.” She inwardly laughed. “Maybe you should consider yourself lucky. I’m not much of a cook.”
“Says the gal who runs a bakery.” He traced the scar on her forearm. “What happened here?”
His gentle touch sent a jolt of electricity through her body. She shivered.
“I burned myself pulling a loaf of bread from the oven.”
“That must’ve been some loaf of bread.”
“They can get pretty big and heavy.”
He slid his thumb across the thin slanted scar on her index finger. “And where did you get this from?”
“Electric bread knife.”
“You weren’t kidding when you said you were accident-prone.”
“When I was a little girl, my dad sent me to school with a note telling the teacher not to let me use scissors.”
Ben snickered. “No joke?”
“The teacher thought my dad was paranoid.” She breathed a laugh through her nose. “I have several scars on my stomach to prove otherwise.”
“Hmm.” He combed his eyes over her body. “You’ll have to show me the scars sometime.”
Face on fire, she nodded. This was so much better than earlier. The way he looked at her, with eagerness in his eyes, was nice and kind of scary.
“You ready to go back to your place?”
“Yeah,” she said softly.
His cool, musky scent enchanted her, lured her in. Closer. Just a little farther and his lips would touch hers.
His nose slid against hers. His warm lips brushed the top curve of her lips. Her skin tingled. She wanted a taste. She yearned for it. The moment he cupped her face, her heart quickened.
Her shoulders tensed. As much as she wanted his kiss, his hold on her was a little too confining. It wasn’t that she feared he’d take her against her will. It was an uncomfortable smothering sensation, as if the walls of the hotel moved in on her.
A breath passed over her parted lips. She inhaled and then quietly exhaled. She fought the urge to rush out the door and get some fresh air, but it was too hard.
She leaned away from his touch. As she stared into his eyes, she hated to end their moment. He obviously didn’t understand her reason. She hoped he didn’t ask. She wasn’t ready to share the violence in her past with him yet. Just as he probably wasn’t ready to learn about it.
“I should go home to clean.”
He lowered his hands to his lap. “Okay. I suppose we can’t leave your apartment the way it is.”
He rose from the bed. He held out his hand. She hesitated but then placed her palm on his. Regret ate her insides as she walked beside him to his Jeep.
She’d liked the kiss. It was the firm hold he’d had on her that brought back unwanted memories. If he tried to kiss her again, she’d let him. She’d try her best to keep the flashes from her mind.
Chapter Eight
Zoe drew in a deep breath when they arrived at the apartment. As Ben parked the Jeep, she closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat. The engine cut out. She heard the keys rattle when he took them out of the ignition.
“I’ll help you clean your apartment on one condition,” he said.
“What condition?”
“Let me take you away.” He gave her a mischievous grin. “To Denver.”
She laughed. Being kidnapped by Ben wasn’t a bad idea. It had been a while since she’d taken a vacation.
“We’ll leave tomorrow morning. I’ll show you around. You can stay at my house.”
“I don’t know. That’s a lot of driving for you.”
“It’ll be fun,” he said as he got out of the Jeep. “The two of us on the open road, top down, wind blowing through our hair.”
She met him on the sidewalk. “God knows I need a break from this place.”
His left shoulder shrugged once as she unlocked the door. “Think about it.”
He followed her through the front door. The strong garlicky scent about blew her over. They had their work cut out for them.
She scrubbed the kitchen floors and counters with hot bleach water. Ben cleaned the tub and tossed the soiled towels into the washer.
When the lasagna went into the garbage, reusable pan and all, the heavy garlic scent worsened. Ben quickly took the bag out to the large green trash bin at the end of the lot.
Zoe sighed. Even if her kitchen hadn’t flooded, dinner would’ve been a disaster. Eight full cloves of garlic might have been a bit too much. How was she to know? Maybe it was supposed to have a heavy garlic smell. It was an Italian dish, after all.
She opened the windows and lit mulberry-scented candles around the room to get rid of the odors. She took another quick shower. While Ben took his, she hopped into her soft lounge pants and tank top.
By the time they both sat down on the couch, it was twelve thirty a.m. Normally she’d sit here alone, turn on the game to meet Soljer, and then play with him for a while. This time he sat here for real, handsome, eyes closed, yawning. The game didn’t call to her at all.
She pushed her bare shoulder up tight against his arm. “Thanks for helping me clean.”
“You’re welcome” He opened his eyes. As he slid his hand over hers, he gazed at her. “I have to be honest, Zoe. This was a really fucked-up day.”
“It was a terrible day.” She glanced down at her hand, the one he fumbled through his long fingers.
He stroked the back of her thumb with his. Her body tingled as his other hand slid gently against her cheek. “For such a bad day, it was also one of my better ones. I finally got to meet Sonya. And she’s more than I imagined her to be. Beautiful. Kind. Sexy.”
“Sexy?”
“Mm-hmm.”
When her gaze met his, he leaned down and ever so softly kissed her lips. One single kiss. No tongue. The simple press lasting a good several seconds sent Zoe’s head spiraling out of control. Her body trembled. She became dizzy, wanting more of him, afraid to confess it.
She touched his face with her free hand, loving the way the short hairs on his shadowed jaw felt against her palm. His lips parted. When his tongue briefly touched hers, he drew back. A
fter another short kiss, he leaned away.
“I better go,” he said in a low, even tone.
“We just sat down,” she whispered, trying to find the voice he’d stolen from her.
He stood, pulling her with him by the hand. She staggered as he led her to the front door. “I’ll pick you up around six a.m. You’ll be ready?”
“I’ll be ready.” She stuck out her bottom lip and batted her lashes. When she smiled, he did too. “See you tomorrow.”
He kissed the back of her hand before letting her go. He gave her a quick wave as he left her standing at the open door. The ache in her heart spread through her as she watched him drive away. If only he’d stayed longer, enough to get in a few more kisses.
This was a good sign, though. He wasn’t here to hurt her. Leaving with him was a little scary, but it also felt right. Right and exciting.
Renji walked up the sidewalk. A sly grin spread across his face as he shoved his large body in the doorway and leaned against frame.
“So how was your date?”
“It was great, except for when my kitchen flooded.” She shook her head. “Come in.”
He followed her into the apartment and shut the door. “How’d that happen?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ll check it out tomorrow.”
Without looking back, she walked down the short hall to her bedroom. He followed. She plucked her dusty suitcase from the closet and tossed it on the bed.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m leaving town for a few days.”
His eyes widened. “You’re leaving with him?”
“Tomorrow morning. I’m going to his house in Denver.”
He ran his fingers through his slick dark hair. “Are you crazy? You’re leaving town with someone you just met today.”
“He’s not a stranger.”
“He’s a charmer, fooling you into going with him.”
She smiled. “I’ll be fine.”
Renji shook his head. “What if he overpowers you? What if he gets you to his house and rapes you like Nicholas did?”
“Shut up!” She pressed her hands against her ears. “I don’t want to hear that word.”
“You need to hear it!” He pulled her hands down to her sides. “You’re walking on a ledge.”
“I’ll be okay.” She wriggled from his grip. “Ben’s a very kind man. I trust him.”
“You trusted Nicholas too.” Renji growled. “That’s the way these guys reel in their victims. They’re charming at first. Cool. Once they win your trust, they turn on you like a venomous snake.”
Renji was right. Nicholas had charmed her. But even at the beginning, when they’d first met, he’d shown signs of shadiness. There was something evil in his tone of voice. Demanding. Her gut had told her not to go out with him, but he’d practically forced her to.
She didn’t feel any of that with Ben. She felt…safe with him.
“I can’t be afraid forever.” She sat on the bed. “I’m going with him.”
“If he turns out like Nicholas, nobody will be there to save you.”
“I promise I’ll be fine.” Zoe glanced down at her hands. “It’s like I’ve been asleep all my life. Meeting Ben woke me, let me trust someone again. I’m not afraid of him. It must mean something.”
“Fairy tales.” He shook his head. “I don’t want you to find out the hard way that he’s not the one.”
“This one will work out. I know it.”
“He lives in Colorado, Zoe.”
“Technicality.” She shrugged. “I’m still going with him.”
He rolled his eyes. “Fine. It’s your decision. Just…don’t go all bat-shit crazy and elope.”
“Get out!” She laughed as she picked up her pillow and threw it at him. It hit his chest and landed at his feet.
Renji tossed it back at her. “Be safe, Zoe.”
She followed him to the front door. He gave her a quick hug good-bye and then left the apartment.
Zoe locked the dead bolts, twisted the knob, and slid the bolt in place.
Excited, she hurried back to her room. She packed her suitcase. It was a little tight, but she managed to zip it up and heave it off the bed.
She strode to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. Birth-control pills sat on the top shelf. She’d got them from her doctor not long ago but never had use for them. Until now.
Maybe.
She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Did she really want to do this? Was this the time to overcome her fear of intimacy? Whatever the answer was, she couldn’t let the anxiousness she’d experienced at the hotel room happen on this trip. She had to find a way to forget about her past and think about her future.
Chapter Nine
At six a.m., Zoe waited for Ben to arrive, front door open, sitting on the stairs in her khaki capris, tugging on the hem of her pink T-shirt. She’d stretched so many shirts out this way. It was a nervous quirk, one she’d had since childhood.
Excitement fizzled as the minutes passed. At six thirty, she called his cell phone, but he didn’t answer. Didn’t even have the guts to call or text her with a reason why he hadn’t come. A “good-bye and no-thanks” would’ve been fine. At least then she’d know.
Figuring he’d left for home, never desiring to look back, Zoe left her luggage sitting inside the front door and headed for the bakery. She greeted Millie in the kitchen, getting a sympathetic sad-face from her.
When the cinnamon rolls were baked and ready for eating, she wiped tears away, fixed her makeup, and ventured out to the pastry case. She ate three rolls, one after another. The buttery goodness of the bread and sweet sugary drizzle made her feel a little better. A chocolate doughnut would’ve curbed the depression more, but Millie stopped her with a gentle slap on the hand and then a hug.
Around seven fifteen, Ben stalked through the entrance of the store, hands in the front pockets of his dark blue jeans. Zoe’s heart pounded.
“Sorry I’m late,” he muttered. “It’s been a fucked-up…” He pursed his lips. “It’s been a crazy morning.”
“What happened?”
“Front tire on my Jeep went flat overnight. My cell phone disappeared. I tried calling you from the tire store in Wichita, but you didn’t answer.”
“I thought you went home.”
“No way am I leaving town without you.” He cleared his throat. “Unless…you’ve changed your mind.”
“No, I haven’t.”
Ben led her out to his Jeep. He gave the brand-new front tire a light kick before hopping up in the driver’s seat. After picking up her suitcase from the apartment, they started their trip to Denver.
“Nice day for a drive,” Zoe said, enjoying the sunshine.
“Got off to an iffy start, but hopefully things’ll turn around.”
At the moment he said his last word, he clenched his fists around the steering wheel. “Shit!” He slammed his foot down on the brake pedal.
Zoe jerked forward. The seat belt kept her from flying through the windshield and out onto the pavement. When the Jeep came to a stop, she fell back against the seat.
Pain shot down from her nape to the middle of her back. Shoulders tense, she groaned. A cool breeze winded through the Jeep, sending a chill up her spine, which intensified the ache.
Ben stared at a black cat sitting in the middle of the road. It was like an omen telling them to turn around. Don’t leave town.
“I’m not a superstitious guy,” he said. The cat arched its back and hissed. It scurried to the sidewalk and then disappeared behind an old dusty trash can.
“I’m not either. Let’s go.”
He looked at her. “You okay?”
Determined not to submit to pain, she nodded. “Just drive.”
“You sure?”
“Drive, babe. Drive.”
He let his foot off the brake. Slowly, cautiously, he drove the Jeep across the town’s border. The sky didn’t fall.
&nb
sp; * * * *
For the first hour of the drive, neither of them said a word. The engine’s hum played a monotone song with the roaring tires. The Jeep’s cover tied in the back flapped in the constant wind that seemed to blow colder with each passing minute.
Zoe held her mouth closed, fearing she’d swallow a bug. It wouldn’t surprise her if the wheel of the Jeep fell off, or a tornado spawned in front of them and lifted them into the sky like a toy.
Her shoulders ached. The hard wind twisted her hair that lashed her face and stung her eyes. It hurt. Swiping locks away from her mouth and nose became a constant motion. After an hour and a half of Ben driving way above the speed limit, through desolation and dust, through her pain and misery, and silence—lots of cold silence—she couldn’t take any more.
“Pull over!” she shouted in the howling wind.
He hit the brakes and pulled to the side of the road. She jumped down to the ground and drew in a deep breath. Holding her shoulder with her left hand, she watched Ben round the Jeep to her side.
“What’s wrong?”
“My shoulder hurts. Happened when we stopped for the cat.”
He took off his sunglasses and placed them on the hood. “You’ve been in pain this long?”
It hurt when she nodded. He turned her to position her back toward him.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“I thought it’d go away,” she said, wondering what in the world he was going to do. She tried to turn around, but he held her still.
He touched her shoulders. He gently squeezed, thumbs working their way up and down the back of her neck. His touch stirred a fire inside her. “That the spot?”
“Yeah,” she whispered, closing her eyes. Putty. Legs weakened, she leaned back against him, hoping he’d never stop touching her. Another breathy moan escaped her open mouth.
“You like that?” he asked, warm breath on her cool ear.
“Yes.”
He moved her hair to the side. His mouth found her skin. Heat spread down through her arms to her fingertips. Her belly quivered as his hands slid down to her sides.