by Morgan James
“You shouldn’t be alone tonight, Victoria.”
She turned her head toward him and opened her eyes warily. “I’m really exhausted, and I have a ton to do tomorrow.”
His mouth turned down in a frown of displeasure, but he pulled out of the parking garage before speaking again. “I’d feel much better if you weren’t alone. Do you really want to go home to an empty house tonight?”
She shifted uneasily. The thought of going home, wondering if every creak and groan was the house shifting, or if someone was lurking in the darkness just waiting for her was unsettling. A shiver ran down her spine. No, she really didn’t want to be alone tonight.
He seemed to read her thoughts and stretched a hand over the console, slipping his palm into hers. “Stay with me. You can use the guest room.”
With a tight smile, she pulled her hand free. “If you’re sure it won’t be an imposition—just for tonight.”
Dismay tugged at his features and she almost felt bad for him. She noticed that he was touching her more—a hand on her knee, his arm around her shoulders. Was Johnathan slowly trying to move in, put himself in her path so she would have no choice but to acknowledge him? Not tonight, but one day soon, she’d tell Johnathan that she just wasn’t interested in him romantically. Maybe Kate was right—if she started dating Blake, maybe Johnathan would just kind of disappear on his own. He’d take the hint and move on with someone else.
She turned her head to the side and stared out the window into the darkness, watching street lamps whiz by in a blur of light. Twenty minutes later, they turned into a subdivision and pulled around the circular driveway in front of Johnathan’s house. The stately home was the epitome of a wealthy doctor’s house with its intricate brickwork and meticulous landscaping, lit by dozens of soft white lights.
Fancy car, fancy house. Instead of being impressed, Victoria viewed the image as a whole with an odd sense of detachment. She’d been here before, of course, but this was the first time she’d really looked at it, and now she saw it for what it really was: a show. Johnathan had come from nothing. Growing up poor, he’d left that life behind to make something of himself. And he’d done well—very well—for himself. He could afford pretty much anything he wanted now, and he always needed the newest and the best of everything.
Victoria had no such issue. Her parents had been well-off growing up, and she’d never lacked for anything. Leah’s parents had been incredibly wealthy, giving their only daughter everything she could ever dream of. But money hadn’t saved her, and it couldn’t bring her back. Victoria didn’t need expensive things to be happy—she was glad every day just to be here, to be alive. She loved her little house with its big backyard. Living in a giant monstrosity like this would just be overwhelming. She had no desire to play the little doctor’s wife, even if she continued to practice herself. Johnathan would be a great catch for some lucky woman. Just not for her.
Drawing a deep breath, Victoria pushed open the door and stepped out.
Johnathan retrieved his briefcase from the backseat, then rounded the car and guided her toward the front steps. “How are you feeling?”
She lifted one shoulder. “Fine, I guess.”
“You’ve had a tiresome day. You need to relax, maybe take some time off.”
Like that would happen. She hadn’t had a vacation in almost six years, and it didn’t look like that was going to change any time soon. She couldn’t afford to just leave her patients for a week or more. Johnathan traveled all over, attending seminars, sometimes speaking. It suited him, but she preferred to stay home during her time off. A glass of wine and some TV or light reading was infinitely better than jet-setting all over the place in her mind.
He led her inside the house and strode down the hallway to the guest bedroom on the main floor. Flipping on a light, he allowed her to enter first. The room was lovely, the walls a pale blue with cream linens. Everything looked expensive and high quality, but cold and impersonal. She’d seen hotel rooms with more personality.
She turned to Johnathan and offered a small smile. “Thank you for letting me stay tonight.”
“You know you’re welcome to stay here any time.” His dark brown eyes bore into her and guilt turned to lead in her stomach. She needed to tell him she wasn’t interested—she couldn’t deal with this much longer. He would only continue to make advances, gradually try to wear her down and convince her to go out with him. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the energy tonight to deal with it. She aimed for polite gratitude, but the smile felt tight and foreign on her lips. “Well, good night.”
“Good night.” He remained frozen in the doorway for another moment, looking very much like he wanted to say something else.
Tension settled heavily over her shoulders and she placed a hand on the doorknob, hoping he would take the hint. Something flashed quickly across his features before he nodded. “See you in the morning, then.”
He took a step backward, eyes locked on hers as he reluctantly retreated into the hallway. Before he could come up with another reason to stall her, she closed the door and flipped the lock into place. She walked to the large bed and flopped back on the fluffy mattress with a sigh of relief. She lay there, staring at the ceiling for a moment. She really shouldn’t be here tonight, but it was better than being at home, all alone with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company.
And the last thing she wanted to think of right now was what had happened at the healthplex. She’d replayed the evening over and over while she’d sat in the waiting room at the hospital, agonizing over different outcomes. People said hindsight was 20/20, and she couldn’t help but run different scenarios through her mind. She’d wasted twenty minutes checking emails that could’ve waited while some monster had been stalking her friend. She should have called Kate right after her last appointment. Then maybe her friend never would’ve been in the man’s path. If Victoria had gone down sooner instead of waiting, maybe she could have prevented it. Worst case, she could’ve intercepted him and frightened him off before he’d hurt Kate. Maybe if...
There were too many outcomes to contemplate. Pushing off the bed, she strode into the bathroom and twisted the handle on the shower. Water flowed out, and steam rose into the air. Victoria rolled her shoulders, pushing the stress from her muscles. Scouring the cabinets, she turned up a travel-sized bottle of shampoo and a small bar of soap. Stripping out of her clothes, she climbed into the shower and stood under the warm stream of water, allowing the invigorating spray to pelt her skin.
Fatigue pulling at her, she quickly soaped her hair and body before rinsing off and wrapping herself in a fluffy towel. She couldn’t bring herself to care about her hair and she fell into the large bed naked, leaving it to dry while she slept.
She tossed and turned for several hours and finally woke just after dawn, feeling more tired than she had when she’d gone to sleep. She donned her clothes from the day before and made her way to the large kitchen.
Johnathan and a pot of coffee greeted her. “Good morning.” He smiled at her. “Did you sleep well?”
Not wanting to hurt his feelings, Victoria pasted a smile on her face. “Wonderfully, thank you.” She gestured to the coffee pot. “May I?”
“Of course.” He nodded his head to a cupboard to the left of the sink. “Mugs are in there.”
She retrieved a cup and filled it with coffee, then took a long sip as she leaned against the counter. An uncomfortable silence pressed in on them as Victoria drained her coffee cup, studiously avoiding Johnathan’s intense gaze. She waited with bated breath, hating the silence but dreading another conversation with him. Finally, she cleared her throat. “Would you mind stopping by my house before we head to the office? I’d like to change first.”
“Absolutely. Are you ready?” She nodded and set her empty mug in the sink. “Let me just get my things.”
They stopped by Victoria’s house just long enough for her to change and do a quick makeup job, then made their way to her off
ice. As Johnathan pulled alongside the brick building, he reached across the console and took her hand.
“If you need anything, I’ll be here.”
She smiled across the car at him, fighting the urge to pull away. “Thank you.”
She put her hand on the door handle, but he spoke, stalling her once again. “Please be careful.”
Her heart softened as she turned back to him. His eyes were serious, his face sincere, and guilt ate away at her insides. He really did care about her. Johnathan was a good guy—wealthy, sweet, caring. On paper, they made sense—they were almost a perfect match. She wished she could feel more for him.
She squeezed his hand. “I will.”
Climbing from the car, Victoria made her way into the healthplex. Catching a glimpse of Blake across the lobby, she felt heat climb up her neck into her cheeks. Had he seen her get out of Johnathan’s car? Oh, God, what would he think?
Unable to look at him, she averted her eyes and hurried to the bank of elevators. She could practically feel his gaze burning into her back, and she stabbed the button to summon a car. The elevator to her left pinged almost immediately, and the doors opened. She stepped inside and raised her eyes just in time to meet Blake’s intense gaze before the doors slid shut. Was that disappointment she saw in those stormy hazel depths? Anger, maybe?
She let out a shaky breath and slumped against the wall, tipping her head back and closing her eyes. Damn it. She never should have gone home with Johnathan last night. There was something between her and Blake—the way he looked at her, the way he’d held her. It meant something. Maybe she’d give it a couple days, try to approach him and smooth things over.
A quiet ding sounded as the elevator doors whooshed open, depositing her on the fifth floor, and she ambled down the hallway to her office. Phyllis’s face appeared in the doorway, and the older woman yanked the door open with a small exclamation before pulling Victoria into her arms.
“Dr. Carr, thank goodness you’re okay!”
Victoria fell into Phyllis’s warm embrace and wrapped her arms around the older woman, soaking up her strength and compassion. Tears sprang to her eyes. She hadn’t realized how much she’d needed the hug, and the physical closeness was like a balm to her soul.
Pulling out of the woman’s hold, Victoria swiped her fingertips under her eyes, drying the errant tears that had managed to escape.
“Oh, you poor dear,” Phyllis clucked. “Go sit down, and I’ll make some tea for you.”
With a shaky smile, Victoria entered the lobby and closed the door behind her. Phyllis had already disappeared into the kitchenette, and Victoria headed down the hallway to her office and dumped her bag into the bottom drawer of her desk. Avoiding the couch where Blake had held her and dried her tears, she sank into one of the plush armchairs and closed her eyes.
She heard Phyllis enter the room and glanced up to see the woman carrying a tray with two steaming mugs. Her assistant set the tray on the small, round table between the chairs and handed a mug to Victoria, who gratefully wrapped her hands around the warm porcelain. She let the tea steep another moment before removing the bag and setting it on the tray between them. Working in comfortable silence, Phyllis did the same.
Victoria took a small sip, allowing the liquid to warm her from the inside out. She closed her eyes and savored the feeling, but her thoughts kept drifting; first to Kate, then to Blake.
As she’d tossed and turned last night in the guest room of Johnathan’s house, she realized that she wasn’t uncomfortable because she was afraid—no, the discomfort was caused by the man sleeping only a few rooms away. Guilt assailed her, and she needed to address the issue before it consumed her completely. Johnathan was a good friend, and it had been kind of him to offer her solace, but she felt horrible for taking him up on his offer knowing that she could give him nothing in return. More than ever, she knew that he hoped she would finally see the light and agree to go out with him. Instead, it had reinforced her decision to tell him the truth—that there would never be anything between them.
She’d stared at the ceiling until the gray light of dawn began to push away the shadows of night, replaying the events of the evening in her mind over and over. Despite the unsettling events of the past couple of weeks, first the phone call from the murder scene, then the altercation with Greg, she wasn’t as scared as she had been initially. She’d been terrified yesterday when she’d seen the man standing over Kate, but, ironically, she’d feared more for Kate than herself. She was disturbed that someone had tried to hurt her friend, but there was no reason to be scared, she’d rationalized as she fought sleep until almost dawn. After all, the man had made no attempt to follow her as she’d run for help. For some reason, the attack against Kate was personal. He’d wanted to hurt her, but he wasn’t desperate or deranged. Instead of chasing after Victoria to keep her silent, he’d fled even knowing that she’d run for help.
Why? What had Kate done to attract someone of that nefarious sort? Was someone infatuated with her? That made even less sense. If someone was obsessed with her, they shouldn’t want to harm her. The nature of the assault itself screamed that it was personal but, aside from the divorce, Victoria couldn’t begin to think of what may have prompted the violent act. Kate hadn’t been with any lovers since she and Steve had split up. She’d been too torn up over his infidelity, and she’d told Victoria once that it would be a long time before she could trust a man again. Sex was an act of commitment for her friend, just as it would be for Victoria.
Ruling out a disgruntled lover, who else could it be? Steve, of course, but he’d seemed genuinely distressed last night. She wasn’t an expert on behaviors, but she spoke with enough people on a daily basis—she knew when someone was lying or hiding something. The only thing she’d seen in Steve’s eyes was grief and worry. She’d told the detectives that she would stop in this afternoon to give her statement, so she’d tell them what she thought and see what they could dig up. They were more highly trained and better equipped for that kind of thing.
Now that she knew Kate was safe, her thoughts turned to Blake. Even when she’d been beside herself with fear, he’d put her at ease, made her feel safe. She couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing him again, never feeling the way she had when he’d held her. His eyes had swept over her, inspecting every inch, and her palms tingled at the memory of his thumb stroking softly over the tender, scraped flesh. She turned her hands over and examined the reddened skin, the tiny abrasions already beginning to heal. She just had to convince him that there was nothing between her and Johnathan. What he’d seen was an act of friendship only.
“What happened?”
Victoria traced a finger over the sensitive flesh and offered a small shrug. “I think Blake saw me get out of Johnathan’s car this morning.”
A lengthy silence ensued, and Victoria met Phyllis’s expression of confusion. She was asking about Kate, not...
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, and she quickly spoke up to cover her blunder. “Someone attacked Kate last night. It was pretty bad.”
Her assistant raised her brows. “I caught most of that story on the news this morning, but it sounds like your version of events is much more interesting. Not that Kate isn’t important,” she rushed to add.
A small smile tipped the corners of Victoria’s lips. Phyllis was like a dog with a bone. She may as well just tell her. Besides, some good womanly advice might come in handy.
“Well, it’s kind of a long story.” She relayed the events of the previous evening, pouring out every detail. “Anyway, I didn’t want to be home alone last night, so I stayed at Johnathan’s. He brought me back to work this morning, but I think Blake saw me get out of the car.”
Phyllis finally spoke. “So, by Blake, I assume you’re referring to Mr. Lawson, our very handsome new security guard?”
Victoria’s gaze dropped to her lap, and she toyed with a non-existent piece of lint on her skirt. “Yes. His name is Blake.”
&nb
sp; “And since when are you and Blake on a first name basis?” A mischievous smile curved the receptionist’s mouth and Victoria couldn’t help the answering grin that spread over her own.
“Since he kissed me last Tuesday.”
Phyllis’s mouth rounded into an ‘O’ of surprise. “Oh, my goodness! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because...” Victoria sighed. “Because I wasn’t sure what to do. He left me his number, so I think he likes me.” She was silent for a moment. “We got off to a bad start, but... he’s a good guy.”
Realization dawned clear and bright on Phyllis’s face, and she gestured to Victoria. “Would Blake have anything to do with the recent change in your wardrobe?”
Victoria blushed. “A little. I was just... tired of blending in.”
“Good for you. I, for one, am glad to see the last of those frumpy suits.” With a glance at her watch, Phyllis patted Victoria’s hand and rose to her feet. “Your first appointment begins in twenty minutes. I’ll let you get settled.”
Grateful for the reprieve, Victoria composed herself and moved to one of the large windows. Bright morning light spilled onto the floor, and she stepped into the rectangular shaft. She gazed out over the city bustling below her, watching as people went about their day. She knew that Blake had been hired through a group called Quentin Security. She’d vaguely remembered seeing the logo on the chest of that God-awful shirt she’d cried into just over a week ago. The memory made her smile and, just as quickly, it slid from her face.
She knew nothing about him. His job here was only temporary. Once his post was up, where would he go? For that matter, where did he live? Would he travel all over the state on different security details, just disappear from her life as if he’d never existed?
Voices in the outer office drew her attention, and she knew that her first appointment of the day had arrived. A glance at the clock on the wall told her they were almost fifteen minutes early. Eager to do something other than ruminate on what might, or might not, happen between her and Blake, she invited the first patients—Mr. and Mrs. Walters—into her office with a smile.
