sure how to respond to his manhandling her coffee carafe.
“I’m not completely helpless,” she said, struggling to get back onto the barstool.
“No—yeah.” He gestured to the stool. “You’ve got everything under control.”
He actually had the nerve to smile at her when he said it. As if she cared about the cute little dimple on his left cheek.
“Well, Mark, thanks again for your help. Sorry you can’t stay longer, but I need to get back to bed.”
Mark ran a hand through his short, chocolate brown hair. “Sorry. I really am only trying to help.” His eyebrows drew together. “Do you even remember what happened to you last night?”
She lowered her eyes and fought the slow suffocating pressure that overcame her. The things that might have happened...
“Are you okay?”
“Yes...fine.”
“Do you remember anything?” His voice softened again, and she glanced up at him.
“Some. Enough. It’s kind of fuzzy though.”
“I’m not surprised, between the trauma and the drugs they sedated you with.”
“They sedated me?”
“Yeah...you were pretty out of it. Do you remember being at the hospital, talking to the police?”
She shook her head. “Not really.”
He sat quietly for a long moment, and then said, “Do you have someone who can stay with you?”
“I don’t need help.” She thought about calling her mother and cringed. She didn’t have the strength to deal with that invasion. “I’ll be fine on my own.”
“You don’t have any family?”
“Not nearby. My parents live out of state.”
“I’ll sleep on the sofa tonight. You can call someone in the morning to come help you.”
She jerked her head up to look at him. “No—no, I’ve imposed too much already.” Her eyes traveled his face, taking in the dark circles and disheveled hair. “You look completely exhausted and I’m—I will be fine.”
Mark rubbed at the scruff on his chin. “Yeah, I must look pretty frightening myself. I stayed awake, thought you would need someone when you woke up.”
Sarah started to refuse again, but before she could, she saw the concern etched in the lines of his face. A complete stranger—the emotion and the fear for her was all there in his deep blue eyes. As she looked at him, she couldn’t deny the sincerity she read on his face and felt as if she needed to comfort him. What had he gone through over the last two days? She would have said something to show her gratitude, but she was too busy fighting tears. Usually she guarded herself better around people.
“I’m sorry,” he said in reaction to her tears.
“No, I am.” She cleared her throat and waved off his apology. “I’m sorry you’ve been dragged into this mess. I’m sure your wife is furious with you.”
“No, she doesn’t know anything about it.”
“What? Your wife doesn’t know where you are?” she shot back at him, her face getting hot.
He raised his hand in defense. “My ex-wife, sorry, didn’t mean to confuse you. I’m divorced.”
“Oh,” she said, lifting a hand to her chest. “I was about to feel even more guilty. I’m not comfortable with you uprooting your life to babysit me. You don’t even know me.”
“There’s no need to feel guilty at all,” he said with a little more force in his voice. “I’m not comfortable leaving until I know you’re going to be okay and... safe .” Mark hesitated a little too long on the word safe.
Sarah’s pulse kicked up in reaction to the look on his face.
He waited a heartbeat before he said, “I don’t think you fully understand the situation.”
Chapter Three
“What do you mean by situation?” Sarah asked, wide-eyed.
“The guy who attacked you took your wallet and keys.”
The force of what he said sunk in slowly.
“He took my wallet and my keys?” Her stomach rolled and coffee burned the back of her throat. With her hand over her mouth, she tried to swallow back the sick.
“I’m not going to let anyone hurt you,” Mark
“I’m not completely helpless,” she said, struggling to get back onto the barstool.
“No—yeah.” He gestured to the stool. “You’ve got everything under control.”
He actually had the nerve to smile at her when he said it. As if she cared about the cute little dimple on his left cheek.
“Well, Mark, thanks again for your help. Sorry you can’t stay longer, but I need to get back to bed.”
Mark ran a hand through his short, chocolate brown hair. “Sorry. I really am only trying to help.” His eyebrows drew together. “Do you even remember what happened to you last night?”
She lowered her eyes and fought the slow suffocating pressure that overcame her. The things that might have happened...
“Are you okay?”
“Yes...fine.”
“Do you remember anything?” His voice softened again, and she glanced up at him.
“Some. Enough. It’s kind of fuzzy though.”
“I’m not surprised, between the trauma and the drugs they sedated you with.”
“They sedated me?”
“Yeah...you were pretty out of it. Do you remember being at the hospital, talking to the police?”
She shook her head. “Not really.”
He sat quietly for a long moment, and then said, “Do you have someone who can stay with you?”
“I don’t need help.” She thought about calling her mother and cringed. She didn’t have the strength to deal with that invasion. “I’ll be fine on my own.”
“You don’t have any family?”
“Not nearby. My parents live out of state.”
“I’ll sleep on the sofa tonight. You can call someone in the morning to come help you.”
She jerked her head up to look at him. “No—no, I’ve imposed too much already.” Her eyes traveled his face, taking in the dark circles and disheveled hair. “You look completely exhausted and I’m—I will be fine.”
Mark rubbed at the scruff on his chin. “Yeah, I must look pretty frightening myself. I stayed awake, thought you would need someone when you woke up.”
Sarah started to refuse again, but before she could, she saw the concern etched in the lines of his face. A complete stranger—the emotion and the fear for her was all there in his deep blue eyes. As she looked at him, she couldn’t deny the sincerity she read on his face and felt as if she needed to comfort him. What had he gone through over the last two days? She would have said something to show her gratitude, but she was too busy fighting tears. Usually she guarded herself better around people.
“I’m sorry,” he said in reaction to her tears.
“No, I am.” She cleared her throat and waved off his apology. “I’m sorry you’ve been dragged into this mess. I’m sure your wife is furious with you.”
“No, she doesn’t know anything about it.”
“What? Your wife doesn’t know where you are?” she shot back at him, her face getting hot.
He raised his hand in defense. “My ex-wife, sorry, didn’t mean to confuse you. I’m divorced.”
“Oh,” she said, lifting a hand to her chest. “I was about to feel even more guilty. I’m not comfortable with you uprooting your life to babysit me. You don’t even know me.”
“There’s no need to feel guilty at all,” he said with a little more force in his voice. “I’m not comfortable leaving until I know you’re going to be okay and... safe .” Mark hesitated a little too long on the word safe.
Sarah’s pulse kicked up in reaction to the look on his face.
He waited a heartbeat before he said, “I don’t think you fully understand the situation.”
Chapter Three
“What do you mean by situation?” Sarah asked, wide-eyed.
“The guy who attacked you took your wallet and keys.”
The force of what he said sunk in slowly.
“He took my wallet and my keys?” Her stomach rolled and coffee burned the back of her throat. With her hand over her mouth, she tried to swallow back the sick.
“I’m not going to let anyone hurt you,” Mark
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