Safe in His Arms Read Free Page B

lowered his head, but kept his hazel eyes on hers. Sexy didn’t even begin to describe him.
    “You and Rob have different last names?”
    “Geez, didn’t you ever wonder why Sarge hated me? And you’re the best of the best?” she muttered. “My brother would be so proud.”
    He simply stared at her, his gaze flickering over her face, hair, then down to her lips until she wanted to lick her lips so badly she had to fist her hands on the chair arms to stop the urge from becoming reality. Out of sheer desperation she blurted, “I can’t believe you never knew that. How is that possible? I mean the best training in the world and you can’t find out what my real name is?”
    As she imagined he would, he jerked his head back and frowned at her. “Hey, wait one second there, sugar, I’m much better than that.”
    She rolled her eyes.
    “So, you just left using your own ID. That’s how, but I want to know why.”
    Now they were entering tricky territory. She’d just arrived, and so far, so good. No attacker would find her here, anyway. And if Mac didn’t know her last name… She discounted that as quickly as she’d thought it. Mac hadn’t known because he was too close to her, too into her world, since she’d been little. He’d assumed. Her attacker had known her number, where she’d worked, where she’d parked her car and what days she’d had school and what days she’d studied at the library. He’d even known what market she went to, and probably where she’d kept her hidden stash of Zingers at home. No way would he not know her real name. But would he be looking for her still? Why bother?
    “Mandy, come on, sugar,” Mac urged.
    Sugar . She loved that. He’d never called her anything but Mandy, or scaredy-cat. Not until the one and only night he’d shared her bed. Then he’d called her sugar in his deep, husky voice while he’d made love to her.
    She wanted to tell him everything when he looked at her like that. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t tell him that she’d left because he’d cheated on her and some lunatic would have killed him if she’d stayed.
    His phone buzzed, breaking the silent battle of wills. He pointed a finger in her face and got his phone out of his cargo shorts with his other hand. “You’re staying here. Right here in this room—”
    The complete jerk! Two minutes back in her life and he thought he could order her around like she was ten all over again? She had news for him—she’d not only grown up, she’d grown a backbone. “You can’t keep me in here. I’m supposed to meet Lacey for a swim—”
    “Too bad.” He stood and she got up too. Watching him, she frowned at the door but he caught her looking, flipped his phone open, and pointed a finger at her to stay.
    “Hey, what’s up?” he asked into the phone, then paused, grimacing and muttered, “Not much. Nah, gonna take a break. Maybe in a bit.”
    He turned away and said, “Yeah, I have.” Another pause and she moved an inch just to see what he’d do and he turned to watch her. How did he do that?
    “Yeah. Thanks, man, I’ll catch up with you later, Trigger.” He clipped his phone closed with a snap and set it on her table. With a heavy sigh, he anchored his fists on his hips and stared at her, his tanned face all business. Her heart skipped a beat at how handsome he was, then slowed at the long line of a scar running along his jaw and down his neck. Before she could ask him what had happened, he said, “Now, tell me. Tell me why you left, Mandy.”
    She turned sideways and gazed at the surf crashing below them. What could she say? He’d done more damage than the attacker because her wounds had all healed, good as new, but her heart, her heart still ached for him. Talking to him now, all she wanted to do was throw her arms around him and demand he explain why he’d been such a jerk.
    He took a step towards her, and she fought the tears rising up. She could still remember how painful it’d been