The Embrace Series: Romantic Suspense Box Set

by Dana Mason

  When Sarah heard the running water, she jumped up and ran to her bedroom. As quickly as she could, she packed a duffle bag, scribbled a note to Mark, and raced from the house as she flipped open her borrowed cell phone.

  Mark took a long shower to give Sarah time alone. After everything that had happened to her over the past couple of weeks, she had every right to freak out. He didn’t want to minimize what she was going through, and yet pushing him away wouldn’t make things easier for her.

  He dressed and went into the living room. She was gone and the room was empty. He walked through the house and into the backyard, and then raced to the front door, which he found unlocked.

  “What the fuck?” His pulse elevated as his worst fears coursed through him. He went back to the bedroom and grabbed his cell phone.

  “Bri, Sarah’s gone!”

  “What?” Brian said. “Where are you?”

  “I’m at Sarah’s. When I got out of the shower she was—” He stopped when he saw the scribbled note on the bed. “Hold on.” He snatched up the note and scanned it quickly.

  Mark,

  I had to leave, I’m sorry. I’ll be in a safe place. Thanks for taking care of me. This—everything was a mistake. I am sorry.

  Sarah

  He read it until the words sunk in. “Oh my God...” He lowered himself to the bed before his knees gave out. “She’s gone.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “She left a note. She...left,” he said as the realization tightened into a knot in his chest.

  “What does the note say?”

  “I’ll call you back.” Mark closed the phone and ran to the window to look out. The Mustang and her truck were still in the driveway. Was she wandering around the neighborhood? Did someone pick her up?

  He dialed her number. “Voicemail—shit—Sarah, what the hell? Come back so we can talk. It’s not safe for you to be out alone. God dammit! What are you doing?” He closed his phone and grabbed his keys.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  When Devon picked her up from the Portland Airport, she didn’t say a word, and as if he knew she wasn’t ready to talk about it, he didn’t ask until they were in the car.

  “Are you okay?” he finally croaked, after several tense and silent minutes.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for picking me up. I’m sorry for the short notice.”

  “Are you going to tell me what happened?” he finally asked.

  Sarah shook her head and closed her eyes, consumed with self-loathing. He’d never understand. How could any man understand her life, much less the reasoning behind her decisions?

  “Can you at least tell me why you’re so beat up? Who do I need to kill?”

  Reluctantly she told Devon about the attack at the club, leaving out all the extra stuff about Mark. She couldn’t let her mind venture into thoughts of him or what she’d done. Her voicemail was full, and all the messages were from him.

  “I have an idea, if you’re up for it,” Devon said when she grew quiet.

  Sarah looked at him wearily.

  “I was thinking about renting a beach house in Newport for a couple of months. What do you think?”

  “Newport, Oregon?”

  “Yeah. Lily, Hayley, and I spent last summer there. The place is incredible. You can walk out the back door right onto the beach. I met this cool chic, Chloe, and I thought you and I could hang out there for a while.”

  “You met a girl and you want to see her again, really?”

  “Yeah, well, the surfing is awesome and the house is available. Some peace and quiet might do you some good.”

  “Some peace and quiet might do me some good,” she repeated, her tone defeated. “Tell me about this girl.”

  “She lives in the house next door with a couple of roommates—they’re all super cool.”

  “I would love to meet your girlfriend,” she teased.

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself. I don’t have a girlfriend. She’s just a cool chic, okay.”

  “Fine, whatever. I would rather stay at the beach than stay with Mama. It’s only a matter of time before we’re at each other’s throats.”

  “Yeah, I made a bet with Hayley already. If you can make it until Sunday, I win.”

  The next morning, Sarah sat up and blinked her eyes at the light shining through the curtains and the rain as it splattered on the windowpane. She couldn’t believe she’d slept until noon. Her first night without Mark had been miserable, and she wondered how he was.

  Her mother’s guest room looked like a floral nightmare. No wonder she couldn’t sleep. The pink walls with floral curtains and the matching pink floral comforter on the bed explained why Devon took the couch instead of fighting for the bed.

  When she entered the kitchen, Lily and Sean were sitting at the table chatting quietly. They both stopped talking when she entered.

  “Don’t let me interrupt. I only came for coffee.”

  “Well, darlin’, we can’t talk about you behind your back while you’re in the room.” Her mother smiled as she said this.

  “Great, once I have my coffee, I’ll get out of your way so you can continue to talk about me,” she said, thoroughly irritated.

  “Actually, we would like to talk to you, if you don’t mind?” Sean said. Her stepfather had all the manners that her mother lacked, and Sarah wondered what he saw in Lily.

  “Sarah, you don’t need to be so sensitive, I’m only kiddin’ with you.”

  “I know, Mama, but I didn’t sleep well, and I feel like I’ve been through the spin cycle in your washing machine.”

  Sarah slowly lowered herself to a chair and looked at her mother. Lily hadn’t changed at all since the last time she’d seen her. She had deeply tanned, olive skin and pin-straight, long, dark hair, the complete opposite of Sarah.

  “What’s up?” she asked, sipping her coffee.

  “Well, sweetheart, we would like for you to stay for a while. There’s no reason for you to go back to Santa Rosa, and you don’t really need to work.” Lily placed her hand over Sarah’s. “We would love to have you here. We miss you.”

  “Mama, thank you, but I like Santa Rosa and I love my job.” She sighed and bowed her head. “It hasn’t stopped raining since my plane landed last night.”

  “Sarah, we have some great schools in Portland. You can easily get another job, and you can stay here until you find your own place,” Sean said.

  “Aren’t you already looking for a new place, especially since you walked out on that new man in your life?” Lily smiled. “Sarah, maybe you need to settle down. Devon told me about Mark and what he’s done for you. Why did you leave?”

  Sarah threw her hands in the air. “God, Mama—you know. Why can’t you believe I’m happy on my own? I’ve built a life for myself—for myself and by myself.”

  “Lily, you’re not helping. Sarah’s not you, she wants to be on her own and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “Thank you, Sean,” Sarah said, relieved to have some backup.

  “For a while I thought you might be a lesbian. I’m thrilled that you have a boyfriend.” Lily shrugged. “I wish you would get married, have some babies—”

  “Mama! Jesus!” She stood and snatched up her coffee mug and nearly ran Devon over as she left the room.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Mark looked at the clock and rolled out of bed. Why waste time lying in bed when he couldn’t sleep. He went downstairs and put on a pot of coffee, and then he looked around his kitchen.

  “Man, what a mess.” He needed to get a grip.

  He felt sick at the thought of her. Would she ever understand the hell she’d put him through by running out on him? The last week had been the worst of his life, even worse than what he’d been through with Ali.

  When the doorbell rang, he plodded to the door. Shane’s hulking form nearly took up Mark’s entire front porch.

  “Took you long enough. You got it?” Mark asked, holding the door open for
Shane to enter.

  “Yeah, bro, you look like shit.” Shane looked Mark up and down. “Maybe you should shower and shave first.”

  “Not now,” Mark growled. “Give me the address. Are you sure it’s the right one?”

  “The mother’s club checked out. This is Lily Lange’s home address, and this is the nightclub. She co-owns it with her husband, Sean Metzger. She’s a singer and he manages the business.”

  “That doesn’t mean that’s where Devon and Sarah are.”

  “Trust me, she’s there. My contact did some snooping and Lily’s been bragging all over town about her kids visiting. It’s no secret, every regular from that club knows about Sarah and Devon being there. Devon’s even been to the club a few nights.”

  “Great security.” Mark shook his head in disgust. “It’s amazing this rapist hasn’t found her yet.”

  Shane lips tipped into a smile. “He doesn’t have me looking.”

  “Thanks, brother...I seriously owe you one.”

  “Nah, you could’ve done it yourself if you pulled your head out of your ass. You going to Portland?”

  “No, you are.”

  Shane scoffed. “Too chicken shit to face her yourself?”

  “I’m not going after her. She knows where I am if she needs me. If I keep chasing her, she’ll keep running and I can’t take that.”

  Shane’s brows lifted. “She’s done this before?”

  “No, but only because I’ve talked her out of it.” Mark bowed his head, feeling stupid for letting her get the best of him. As much as he loved her, he wouldn’t chase her. She loved him, too. He was sure of it. Maybe she just needed a little time to figure that out.

  “You want work or not? I could leave you on disabled status if you prefer.” Mark shrugged. “I’m sure Randy would like the easy work.”

  “I’m not dragging your girlfriend home from Portland for you.”

  “No, asshole, I want you to keep an eye on her. If she wants to come home, she’ll have to do it on her own.”

  “Ha, yeah, easy work.” Shane rolled his eyes. “I got this.”

  Mark smirked. “Yeah, okay, big guy, but you let anything happen to her, don’t bother coming home.”

  “Here.” He handed an equipment order to Shane. “Give this to Seth when you get back to the office.”

  Shane looked over the schematic and the order. “You’re going to install cameras on her house without her permission?”

  “She can sue me when she gets back if she wants. I want this fucker caught.”

  Shane held his hands up. “All right, I got my orders. I’ll keep in touch.”

  Sarah rolled her eyes at her mother’s exuberant exclamation at how beautiful the beach house was that Devon rented. She acted as if she’d never been there before. But that was Lily. She went overboard on everything, even her praise.

  Devon met Sarah’s eyes and they both snickered.

  “Mama, you’ve been here before,” Devon said when she gasped at the view.

  “I know, baby, but it’s so beautiful. I can’t help myself.”

  “You didn’t have to come. I’m fine with Devon, Mama.”

  “Sarah, you’re a mess. I’m not about to leave you injured and brokenhearted in the hands of your flaky brother.”

  “Ha.” Devon laughed a sarcastic and loud laugh. “On that note, I’m going next door to say hi to Chloe. I’ll be back by morning.” He kissed Sarah on the cheek and muttered, “Have a nice evening.”

  “Well, Dev wants the downstairs room, why don’t you go ahead and take the master suite? You’ll love the room, and I know how you like your privacy, so I’ll settle into the third bedroom.”

  “I can sleep anywhere. Mama, you can have the master if you want.”

  “No, no, I wouldn’t hear of it. You go on up and get yourself settled in and I’ll get started on dinner.”

  Grateful for the escape, Sarah climbed the stairs to her room. Her mother had been right in her praise though—the house was over-the-top gorgeous. It was tall and narrow with three floors, fully furnished, and stocked with all the linens they would need.

  Sarah found the top floor and entered the master suite in awe of the beautiful room. The first thing her eyes landed on was the double-sided fireplace, one side enjoyable from the bedroom, the other from the sitting room. While staring into the lifeless grate, she thought of Mark and clicked the switch on the wall, a gas fireplace just like his.

  Thinking of Mark siphoned every ounce of energy out of her. It’d been a week since she left him...a very long week without him. She walked over and sank onto the bed. With her face in her hands, she inhaled, trying to fight the tightness in her chest. She hugged herself, wishing she could push him out of her mind, but she couldn’t turn it off. His smile, his frown, his touch...his deep, beautiful blue eyes and the way he looked at her. God, what had she done?

  She dropped back and turned over. That’s when she saw the spectacular view through the large picture window. A huge stretch of beach and the never-ending Pacific Ocean was shadowed by dark, angry storm clouds. She lay there and watched the surf until she fell asleep.

  Sarah woke up hours later to pounding thunder that shook her senseless. She watched the light show for a few minutes, and then got up, washed her face, and went back downstairs.

  She found her mother sound asleep on the sofa with a movie on the TV. She tiptoed to the kitchen, following the scent of food. On the stove was a fully prepared meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and green beans. In the warm oven sat a dozen homemade, buttermilk biscuits to die for.

  “Ah, yeah, sometimes it is nice to come home for a visit,” Sarah muttered.

  “What’s that?” Devon said, coming up behind her.

  Sarah jumped, slamming the oven shut. “Dammit, Devon!” She smacked him as he laughed hysterically, bending over, grabbing his sides.

  “Sorry.” He cleared his throat and tried to remove the smile from his face. “I’m really sorry. I wasn’t trying to scare you.”

  “No, right, that’s why you tiptoed in here and told me to be quiet,” Chloe said.

  Sarah straightened and looked around for the person who went with the voice. Behind Devon was a pretty, young woman with an amused smile. Sarah watched her for a moment and wished like hell she had a reason to smile like that.

  The girl’s light blond hair had a few pink, blue, and purple streaks through it. The super-short bob cut came down to frame her face in the front. Her beautiful smile and bright green eyes softened her perfectly square face. She seemed to be exactly Devon’s type.

  “Hi,” Sarah said as she peered around Devon.

  “This is Chloe.”

  “Hi, Chloe, I’m Sarah, it’s nice to meet you.” Sarah had some trouble pulling off a smile.

  “How are you, Sarah?” Chloe asked.

  Sarah dropped her pretense of a smile and looked at Devon.

  “I’m fine. I guess my big mouth brother told you.”

  Chloe nodded. “Sorry.” She grimaced. “Honestly...the black eyes would’ve clued me in.”

  Sarah threw her hand up to her face. “Yeah, they’re hard to hide. I look worse than I feel,” Sarah said, and hoped they believed the lie. “I’m fine, really. Thank you for asking.”

  “I know you don’t like the sympathy, but if it gets me some action, I’m using it,” Devon said smugly.

  Sarah laughed at that. “I’m glad my misfortune has given you an advantage with the ladies.”

  “My roommates and I are having a little get together tonight—would you like to come over with Devon? We live right next door.”

  “Thanks, but I don’t think I’m up for a party yet.”

  “Chloe, I’m gonna hang with my sister tonight. I don’t think she should be alone,” Devon said as he gave Sarah a long look.

  “No, Devon, go have a good time, I’ll be fine. Besides, Mama’s here.” She didn’t mention that their mother was passed out on the sofa. She looked forward to bein
g alone. “You guys should eat, Mama cooked up a feast.”

  Devon looked under the pot lid. “Oh damn...”

  “I know, I can already feel my arteries clogging,” Sarah said. “It was nice meeting you, Chloe.

  “You, too. I hope you feel better soon.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Sarah looked out the window at the bright blue sky. She’d been at the beach house for over a week, and this was the first sunny day she’d seen.

  After changing, she snuck downstairs, hoping to get out before her mother saw her. No luck. Lily sat at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee.

  “Morning, darlin’, want coffee?”

  “Morning, Mama. Thanks, but I’m anxious to get some vitamin D while the sun’s out.”

  “Excuse me—I hope you’re not planning to run on that beach in your condition. You got three more weeks before you’re healed enough to do anything like that, Sarah Jean.”

  Sarah rolled her eyes. “No, Mama. I’m just going for a walk.”

  “Please be careful.”

  “Will do,” Sarah said, and rushed out the sliding glass door toward the beach.

  Instant freedom, beach for as far as her eyes could see. So why didn’t she feel better? She jogged over the dunes and went to the water’s edge, ignoring the pain in her arm.

  The wave of homesickness and loneliness hit her hard as the sea air brushed her face. She could no longer deny how much she missed Mark. Their day on the beach together was so like this one. He had been incredible to her. God, she was stupid. What had she done by walking away? And, damn, how it hurt that he stopped trying to call her. Her phone hadn’t rung in days.

  She pulled out her borrowed cell and fingered the keypad. Willing it to ring, wishing like hell she could take back what she’d done. She plopped down on the sand and lay back as her eyes darted over the cloudless sky. Then she lifted the phone and dialed his number.

  When his voicemail came up, she listened intently on the sound of his voice. She missed hearing it, missed his whispered breaths on her cheek.