Christmas in His Arms

by Avery Chandler

  Sarah returned in fifteen minutes, this time wearing the black trousers and the blue silk blouse. She’d pulled her hair out of the ponytail and the blond strands had a natural wave as they tumbled across her shoulders. Despite the bruise on her cheek, she had her own inner strength that he admired. Sarah Walsh was a survivor.

  Her salad was waiting for her, and she smiled as she sat down. “The clothes fit. I’ll pay you back for them, once I get my finances sorted.”

  He had no intention of taking her money, but a nod was the easiest response. He raised his glass of Prosecco in a toast. “To freedom.”

  Sarah echoed the toast and clinked his glass. After she took a small sip, she began eating the salad, savoring each bite. With a rueful smile, she added, “It’s better than the potato chips and candy bar I was planning to eat.”

  Her ability to maintain a sense of humor amid this crisis was admirable. If she weren’t already uncomfortable with his earlier gesture, not to mention married, he might have told her that she looked beautiful. But he wouldn’t cross that line. Instead, he wanted her to have a decent meal, clothes to wear, and a chance to feel safe.

  “The clothes suit you.” He saw the moment her expression faltered, as if she believed he was hitting on her. To counteract it, he said, “I hope today wasn’t too difficult for you.”

  She shook her head. “Jasmine was very helpful. And it was good to be busy…to keep my mind off the situation.”

  “Do you want me to call a women’s shelter for you?” he offered. “Or you may also consult with my attorney, if you like.”

  She toyed with her salad a moment and then set the fork down. “I appreciate all that you’ve done for me, Mr. Harrow. But I know I’ll have to face Ben sooner or later. I’d rather wait until later.”

  Their entrees arrived, and for a time, they spoke of mindless topics. He learned that she had a degree in interior design, but she’d never had the chance to use it. “Ben cancelled my interviews,” she admitted. “He didn’t want me to work.”

  “And you’ve lived here ever since your marriage?” he asked. When she nodded, he asked, “Did he ever take you out to L.A.?” Most of Ben’s business dealings were based out of California.

  “No, he never did. He flies out there often.” Her expression softened. “It was always more peaceful when he was gone. I felt like I could breathe again.” She sliced a piece off her meat and added, “I never thought when I married him that it would be like this.”

  “Do you have any family nearby?”

  She shook her head. “My brother lives in Florida, but we haven’t spoken in years. My mother died of cancer, and my father died in a car accident when I was ten.” With a shrug, she said, “So it’s just me, myself, and I.”

  “Don’t you have friends in the city?”

  “I had friends back home, but I didn’t know anyone here. I went to a small college in the Midwest, and I met Ben there a few months before I graduated. He had some business in Columbus, and we dated while he was in town.” She finished her glass of Prosecco. “He claimed he wanted to spend all his time with me, since he was only there for a month. We had a whirlwind romance, I guess you could say. I could tell he didn’t like it when I went out with friends. After a while, I stopped going. And they stopped asking when I kept saying no.”

  She spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, as if she were used to the isolation. “It’s all right, Mr. Harrow. I’ll save the money I earn in these few days, and I’ll go to a homeless shelter if I have to.”

  A part of him knew that if he let her walk out and Ben found out about it, his business deal would burn into ashes. But if he picked up the phone and told Ben Carnell where she was, Harrow Suites would have millions of dollars in profits for the next three years.

  All he had to do was throw an innocent woman back into the arms of an abuser. And God help him, he knew he could never do it.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The second day of work passed swiftly, and Sarah inhaled a bag of chips and a candy bar from the vending machine for dinner. Alec had left another envelope for her at the front desk with cash inside, and she was being careful to save as much as possible. Even after a hot shower and television, she felt restless. She tried to fall asleep on the bed, but no matter how she twisted and turned, she couldn’t get comfortable. Despite having more money, she knew better than to imagine that she could stay here indefinitely.

  Soon, she might have enough to buy a train ticket to Florida to see her brother. But Christopher might turn her away. Last year, he’d asked to borrow money after he’d been laid off, but Ben had refused to let her help him. She’d sent Christopher a check anyway…yet he’d never cashed it. When her husband had found out, Sarah had paid the price for her defiance.

  She rubbed at her bruised cheek, wishing her inner fears could heal as easily. You have to find a better job. And it was time to start looking for a room to rent.

  The phone rang, and she jolted from the bed, her heart racing. Don’t answer it, her brain warned. It could be Ben. Though she tried to take deep breaths, the panic swelled inside her with the force of a tidal wave.

  He can’t hurt you now. Alec sent him away. But despite the logical reasons, she couldn’t bring herself to take the risk.

  It rang six times before it went to voicemail. Even then, she gripped her fingers in tight fists, feeling sick to her stomach. The flashing light on the phone revealed that the person had left a message, but she could barely bring herself to check it.

  Just do it. You have to know if it’s him.

  After she dialed the number and waited for the recording, she heard the familiar sound of Alec’s voice. Her panic calmed, and she sank back into the pillow, so glad it wasn’t Ben calling.

  “Hi Sarah, this is Alec Harrow. I’ve arranged for you to gain access to your bank account and personal belongings in the morning,” he said. “I made some calls on your behalf.”

  There was a click, and the message ended. She hung up the phone, wondering why Alec was still helping her. She was a stranger to him, and there was no reason for him to give her so much. She couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more going on.

  She knew so little about him. Her mind turned over the mystery, even as she donned her maid’s uniform and grabbed the room key card. The business center was open twenty-four hours, and she wanted to find out more about Alec Harrow.

  Sarah closed the door behind her and went down to the elevators. Once she had access to a computer, she might be able to find out the answers. Some of his questions had brought a sense of uneasiness.

  When she reached the ground floor, she walked toward the business center and used her key card to enter the room. The computer was already on, and she accessed the Internet, searching his name.

  Most of the information was what she already knew—that Alec was the owner of Harrow Suites, a self-made billionaire. He managed properties across the world, and she ran across a few photographs of him with supermodels at various galas.

  He had never married, it seemed. But she stopped scrolling through the photos when she saw a picture of her husband, who had apparently attended one of the same events.

  Her jaw tightened as she clicked the photo and brought it to a larger size. Though her husband was standing in the background, there was a beautiful woman on his arm, a brunette wearing a royal blue strapless gown. Ben was leaning in, laughing and kissing her cheek. The woman wore a diamond bracelet on her left arm, and a large wedding ring adorned her finger. The date of the photo was two months ago.

  It was his ex-wife, Miranda.

  She recognized the woman from a few older pictures Ben had kept around the apartment. Hot anger rose within her, followed by a sickening feeling in her stomach. Her husband had been cheating. There was no doubt of it from the way Ben was smiling at her. The caption mentioned a Los Angeles art gallery opening.

  He had taken Miranda to a public gathering with media present, while he’d insisted that Sarah wasn’t ready to face
the media. But why would he flaunt her in front of everyone?

  She was torn between wishing she’d never searched the Internet and wishing she’d searched it sooner. She’d been unprepared for the cold rush of anger that blasted through her. Not only had Ben abused her, but he’d also been stringing her along.

  Her face burned with humiliation. He’d never taken her to any public events, claiming that she wasn’t ready for the paparazzi, and if she said the wrong thing, she might embarrass him. That had stung, but still, she was his wife. It wasn’t so hard to wear an evening gown and sip champagne, behaving like a quiet listener.

  Now, she realized that he didn’t want anyone to know who she was. Ben had taken her to dinner parties with a few clients, but usually the dinners were hosted by one of his friends or at their own house. There was never any media presence anywhere they’d gone. He’d done everything in his power to keep her hidden.

  Her gut tightened, and she was starting to wonder if there was more that he hadn’t told her. The uneasiness encircled her, making her wonder if there were other women besides his ex-wife. For all she knew, Ben could have had a different woman in every city. And he traveled often.

  She did another Internet search on Ben Carnell. The initial search only brought up his company’s webpage, Venture Enterprises. She scrolled through a few pages, but there was nothing beyond the company profile and a few articles interviewing him.

  The second time, she did an image search. The first dozen photographs were of Ben meeting with high-profile clients. But as she scrolled through more pages of pictures, she saw his ex-wife standing in the background. Some of the dates were from years ago, while others were more recent.

  She could already imagine the confrontation if she dared to say anything to Ben.

  Of course, she was there. We were married years ago, and we’re invited to the same events. I can’t exactly ignore her, can I?

  He would find dozens of reasons why she was wrong. I would never cheat on you, he’d say. You’re being stupid. How could you think I’m that kind of man? I have to be polite.

  The air in the business center felt stifling. She’d never thought to dig up information on Ben. Two years ago, she’d fallen for his flattery, dazzled by his wealth and power. It had never occurred to her to investigate the man she’d loved.

  Sarah shut down the computer, telling herself it didn’t matter. Even if he’d been cheating, she wanted out of this marriage. He could have a hundred mistresses if he wanted. As long as she became his ex-wife, it wasn’t important.

  But the hurt balled up inside her, making her wonder what was wrong with her. She’d tried so hard to change herself, to somehow be the perfect wife for him. But no matter what she did or said, it was never enough.

  She stood and pushed the chair in, leaving the business center. It was nearly midnight, and she ought to get some sleep before work tomorrow. But she was still restless, unsettled by what she’d found. She wandered into the lobby and smiled at Cora. The front desk clerk returned the smile and said, “Did you need anything?”

  “I’m fine, thanks.”

  But Cora interrupted, adding, “I hope you liked the clothes. Mr. Harrow let me pick them out, and I thought that color would look great on you.”

  She stopped a moment and turned back. Before she could ask anything else, Cora said, “He told me to buy you something nice. I hope it was all right?” She offered a friendly smile, and Sarah tried to return it. It did make her feel better to know that Alec had been telling the truth.

  “The blouse was gorgeous. Thank you.”

  “I do love shopping,” Cora sighed. With a wink, she added, “But it’s more fun when your boss is paying for it.”

  “I agree.” She nodded her thanks and went over to the beverage station to make herself a cup of tea. She didn’t want the extra caffeine, so she chose an herbal tea and filled the paper cup with hot water. After stirring it, she glanced up to see Alec returning. “Don’t you ever sleep?”

  “I can sleep when I’m dead.” He chose a paper cup and filled it with coffee for himself. “Do you want some food? We might have cookies left over from the complimentary reception.”

  “No, that’s okay. I should probably go back to my room.” She didn’t want to linger because he was entirely too easy to talk to.

  “Did you get my message about tomorrow morning? I’m sure you need access to your accounts.” He stirred creamer into his coffee, and she wasn’t certain how to respond. Though she was grateful for his help, it also felt somewhat intrusive. This was her mistake, and she needed to fix it on her own. If she could just get her driver’s license from home, the bank would have to give her access to her account.

  “I got your voice mail.” She sat down in the wingback chair and faced him. Though she ought to tell him to stay out of her business, she couldn’t bring herself to say it. He was trying to help, and she didn’t want to seem ungrateful. Instead, she deflected the subject and said lightly, “I’m working tomorrow, and I can’t afford any time off. I have a tough boss.”

  Alec caught her irony and shrugged. “You can work extra hours to make up for the time off.” She raised an eyebrow and he corrected, “Cleaning, I mean. There are always rooms to clean.”

  He sat down across from her and took a sip of his coffee. Sarah knew she ought to go, but there were too many questions burning inside her. “May I ask you a question?”

  “Go ahead.”

  A part of her didn’t want to know the answer, but she felt the need to ask. “I saw a photo of you online at an art gala in Los Angeles a few months ago. My husband was there.”

  His face was completely impassive, revealing nothing at all. “There were hundreds of people there.”

  “There was a woman with him.” Her voice had a hard edge to it. “Miranda was her name. What was he…doing with her?”

  His face remained neutral, like granite. “There are some questions you don’t want to know the answers to, Sarah.”

  He was wrong. A wrenching pain twisted her gut with humiliation. She had done everything possible to please Ben, and it was never enough. Now, she knew why—it was because he had gone back to Miranda.

  “I do want to know,” she said quietly. “Were they romantically involved?”

  Alec shrugged, but he met her gaze with a steady look. She set down her tea, feeling both nauseous and furious. How could he do that to her? After all she’d done to try to give Ben a wonderful home, a quiet life away from the media, he’d gone to someone else. And worst of all, he’d punished her when she’d dared to stand up to him only a few days ago. She’d been terrified of his rage, never expecting such a reaction, but now her fear had transformed into something else—a slow burn of anger.

  Her emotions gathered into a tight ball, and she leaned back in the chair, not really knowing what to say now. Her gut burned with humiliation, and she had the reckless desire to break into the minibar in her room and drown her sorrows with alcohol. Or chocolate. Or maybe both after she screamed at the top of her lungs.

  But maybe the best vengeance was to regain some of what she’d lost. Even if that meant getting help from another powerful man.

  She knew better than to trust Alec Harrow, and she didn’t fully believe him when he had offered to help. There was another reason, something that ran deeper. He wanted something from her, but she couldn’t say what it was.

  Possibly it was redemption for the other woman he’d neglected to save.

  The thought was sobering. She sensed, without asking, that the woman had died from the abuse.

  She did need help right now. There was no one in the city to help her, and she saw no choice but to accept what he was offering. She just had to be careful to maintain the boundaries between them.

  “You said you could help me get my personal belongings,” she said slowly. “How would I do that? Ben could come home while I’m packing.” She didn’t like to imagine the confrontation if that happened.

  “When he was he
re yesterday, he mentioned that he had an important meeting this afternoon at his office. I could have someone ensure that he hasn’t left yet.”

  She pondered that for a moment, knowing it was a risk. But if there was a way to move her belongings and get the money and identification she needed, this was her best option.

  Alec added, “You should have plenty of time. My driver will take you there so it’s safe. I can even send a private security guard with you as an escort.”

  It was too much. Hiring a guard went above and beyond her fragile boundaries. She was torn by wanting to push him away and refusing…and recognizing her vulnerability. The thought of seeing Ben again terrified her. He had a gun at home, and her heart pounded at the thought of him using it.

  You have to put aside your pride and accept the help. There was no other choice.

  “Thank you,” she managed to say. She held back the urge to ask him why he was doing this, when the truth was, it didn’t matter.

  Sarah stood from the chair, and he caught her hand. Her first reaction was to pull away, to flinch at the touch. But she forced herself not to move.

  Alec didn’t do anything else except hold her hand in his. She felt like a wild animal caught in a trap, but he didn’t press for more. After a moment, she grew aware of the heat of his palm and the strength of his fingers. She glanced back into his ice blue eyes and found herself transfixed by the reassurance of his gaze. “It will be all right, Sarah. I promise you that.”

  She wanted to believe him. But he exuded a confidence she simply couldn’t feel right now.

  The car pulled in front of her building, and Sarah felt the icy fear freezing through her veins. The doorman, Ellis, stood outside with a scarf covering half his face. He wore the familiar gray coat and a hat, but there was no mistaking his authority. He wouldn’t allow anyone inside who wasn’t a resident or an approved guest on the list.