“Probably. Go answer it.”
Sabrina took a deep breath, stood, and walked out to the door. She paused with her hand on the knob for a moment, took another deep breath, and opened the door.
Chase stood there, looking amazing in a charcoal suit with black shirt and tie. In his hands, he held a bouquet of red roses.
He grinned when he saw her and held out the roses. “Good evening, Sabrina,” he said. “You look stunning.”
“Thank you,” she said, feeling her cheeks warm. “So do you.” She accepted the roses and buried her nose into them, inhaling. “They’re beautiful.” She looked around, somewhat absently. “I should put these somewhere . . .” She walked toward the kitchen, but Liz intercepted her.
“I’ll get these into water,” her roommate said cheerfully, grinning and holding out her hands toward Sabrina. “You guys go have fun.”
“You sure?” she asked.
Liz nodded, taking the roses from her, then waved her hand in a shooing motion. “Go.”
Sabrina turned back around and looked at Chase. “I guess I’m ready.”
“Coat?” Chase asked, arching his brows.
“Oh!” This is Boston, not Phoenix. It’s cold in October. She hurried to her room and grabbed her black coat out of the closet and the purse from her bed.
“Ready?” Chase asked, holding out his hand when she returned.
She nodded and took his hand before giving Liz a short wave and walking with Chase out of the apartment. They made their way down to the street. A short, thin man in a black suit opened the back door of a large black sedan as they approached. She slid into the car as gracefully as she could in her narrow-heeled shoes, Chase slipping in next to her. The car door closed, allowing the warmth of the interior to circle around her.
“I thought we would have dinner and then go see a show,” Chase said as the car pulled away from the curb. “Is that all right?”
She nodded. “It sounds wonderful,” she answered with a happy sigh.
“Good.” Chase looked relieved, then tilted his head and looked at her closely. “You look beautiful tonight. I like your hair down.” He reached out and curled a lock of her hair around his finger.
I will always wear my hair down around him . . .
Chase’s knuckles brushed her cheek. She inhaled sharply at his touch. He dragged his thumb across her lower lip, then dropped his hand away. She blinked, feeling the absence of his touch. She liked how it made her feel.
He pulled her close and put his arm around her. She leaned her head against his chest and savored being in his arms.
Safe.
*****
Chase pulled Sabrina toward him as the car headed to a restaurant across town. His heart pounded hard as he thought over what he’d planned for tonight. He hoped she liked it. He’d never been as nervous on a date as he was right now. He’d gone out with plenty of women in the last several years, some of whom had been set up by Richard, but there were plenty he’d asked out on his own. He liked women, liked spending time with them. Though none ever compared to the memory of the woman in his arms right now. And yes, he’d admit that he compared every woman he’d met since he was twenty-one to Sabrina. Though, in retrospect, it probably wasn’t fair, especially since most of what he knew about her came from only one night of talking to her.
But it wasn’t just what he knew about her. It was how being around her made him feel.
A lot of other women made him feel like he had to compete with them. They bragged about things they’d done, places they’d been. All, he assumed, to impress him. They were self-sufficient, independent, proud women. He admired them, but it wasn’t the kind of woman he wanted to spend a lot of time with. He wanted to be with someone who made him feel bold, confident, needed, protective. Not that he wanted a woman who was weak and couldn’t stand up for herself, but he didn’t want to compete for the leadership in the relationship. He didn’t want to be with a woman who felt like she needed to be in control of everything. And he certainly didn’t want to be with a woman who belittled men and thought them beneath her.
His mom was a strong, independent woman. Always had been. She had to be in order to be married to a Green Beret. She took charge of things and made sure the house ran smoothly. She could change a tire, fix a toilet, and keep four young boys in line without a problem, but when his dad came home on leave, she gladly stepped aside and let him take charge. She respected her husband like no one else. She never allowed anyone to speak badly of him or any men around her or her boys, and she raised them to be respectable, strong, honorable men, just like their dad. And Dad loved her until the day he died.
He saw that potential in Sabrina back when she was sixteen and still saw it, though her fears had covered up most of it. Chase hoped, with his help, she’d learn to be the strong woman he believed she could be. It was unbelievably sad to see her so beaten down and afraid. Jayson had said he’d just begun to see her true self emerging when the shithead Aiden came around and ruined it.
Chase would make sure nothing like that ever happened again.
“Have you ever had tapas?” Chase asked, looking out the window and seeing they were close to their destination.
“Tapas? What’s that?” Sabrina asked, looking up at him with her big green eyes that made his heart skip a beat.
“It’s a Spanish restaurant that specializes in small plates containing a variety of food.”
Sabrina smiled, but looked worried. “Sounds complicated.”
“It’ll be okay. I promise.”
She smiled again, but didn’t look completely confident. He worried that he might have made a poor choice of restaurant.
The car stopped in front of the glass and metal building and Rafael, the driver, opened the door to let them out. The sidewalk was busy, and Chase held Sabrina’s hand tightly as he led her up to the modern-looking building. He’d been here many times with his friends and recognized the hostess who smiled brightly when she saw him.
“Mr. Ralston,” she said, her smile turning flirtatious. She glanced at Sabrina, her smile faltering as she looked down at the list on the narrow metal podium she stood behind. “Your table is all ready for you.”
“Thank you,” he said, feeling Sabrina tremble slightly. He let go of her hand and put his hand on her lower back to gently guide her through the crowded restaurant as they trailed behind the hostess.
*****
Sabrina trembled as she walked through the crowd of people on the sidewalk and into the equally crowded restaurant. The woman behind the podium seemed to know Chase and smiled brightly at him until she saw Sabrina. Chase spoke pleasantly to her, but didn’t flirt back.
The restaurant was warm, both in temperature and atmosphere, with wooden walls and floors. It was loud and every table was filled, some with large groups and some with intimate twosomes. The hostess began walking away. Chase let go of her hand, momentarily causing her heart to speed up, then his hand found her back and he guided her through the room. He was a bubble of safety in a stormy sea of noise and strangers.
They were led to a small wooden table in the corner, where it was a little quieter. After handing each of them a menu, the hostess rattled off a bunch of things she couldn’t follow, but Chase seemed to understand. Sabrina smiled politely and nodded, as if she understood what was going on, thankful when the woman stopped talking and walked away.
Sabrina looked down at the menu. She didn’t understand most of what was on there. Foreign words. Wine. None of it made any sense. She’d been out to restaurants a few times with Ramon to do business, but he had taken care of everything, while she had only pretended to look over the menu. Now she was out on her own and had no idea what to do or even what to think.
This is a mistake . . . I don’t know what to do on a date . . . I shouldn’t have agreed to go out with him . . . he’s so far out of my league .
. . maybe I should pretend to be sick so he’ll take me home and leave me alone . . .
Her heart started thrashing around in her chest, her breath catching in her throat. Tears formed in her eyes and she blinked rapidly to keep them from falling. The room began to spin, and her mind wildly tried to catch up with her emotions.
When Chase reached out and touched her hand, the world stopped moving.
She gazed up into his kind gray eyes and took a deep breath. He smiled.
“Maybe I should have picked a quieter place?” he asked, understanding in his eyes.
Sabrina bit her lip and looked away. When he squeezed her hand, she looked back at him. Warmth spread from his hand into the rest of her body. She found herself wanting to be brave. For him.
She took another deep breath and smiled. “I-I’ll be okay.”
Her heart fluttered at his smile. “Have you ever been on a date before?”
She shook her head.
His smile broadened. “I’m honored to be your first.”
Twenty-one years old and she was finally having her first date. With the man she’d envisioned being with for so many years. “I-I’m not really sure what to do,” she confessed quietly.
“Just relax and try to have a good time.” He squeezed her hand, then released it to lean back in his chair. “Do you want me to order?”
Sabrina nodded violently, making Chase laugh. Her cheeks warmed at his affectionate look.
“I’ll be happy to. Is there anything you don’t like to eat?”
“Not that I know of.” She paused. “I’ll try whatever you suggest.”
It must have been the right answer because his eyes lit up. “I’ll take it easy on you,” he added with a laugh.
*****
Chase was rapidly losing his heart as dinner progressed. When they first sat down, he’d been concerned she was having a panic attack. He could see her pulse going wild in her throat and her face paled. Something told him to reach out and grab her hand. She’d calmed down almost immediately. The glint of determination that had shown up a minute later made his heart swell with pride. She was trying to be brave and his heart melted for her.
They’d been here an hour now, eating, drinking wine, chatting. He intentionally steered the conversation away from anything that might dim the light in her eyes. He wanted her to have a good time, not dwell on her past. So far, it had worked tremendously well. Her eyes sparkled with happiness, and he’d never had a better date in his life. Whenever a topic got too close to her pain, he guided it back to safer ground, and he could see the relief on her face. It was challenging and kept him on his toes, but her happy expression made it all worth it.
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” she asked as the dessert was set before them.
“Connor, Bryce, and Joel,” he responded with a smile. “My younger brothers.”
“No sisters?”
“No, but Connor and Bryce are both married, so I have two sisters-in-law. Joel’s determined to stay single until he finishes college, but I think he’s got a pretty serious girlfriend.”
“Are you close to them?”
“Not as much as we were when we were kids. Joel is at Boston College, studying engineering and playing football. Connor is an architect and lives in New York. Bryce just graduated from UMass and moved to Georgia to be a graphic designer.” Chase shrugged. “They come home for holidays, and Joel comes home when he’s broke, which is every month or so.”
Sabrina laughed when he rolled his eyes. “And what do you do now that you’re out of the army?”
Chase hesitated. His mind worked rapidly to figure out how to explain what he did without telling her too much. “I started my own business a few months back,” he said quickly.
She nodded. “Liz said it was some sort of security firm?”
“More or less, yeah. That’s the easiest way to explain it.”
“What do you do?”
He hesitated again, wondering how much he should say. “I use the skills I learned in the army to help people.”
“Oh.” She looked down. He knew she could tell he was holding back.
He reached for her hand. “Sabrina, it’s . . . complicated. I don’t want to upset you.”
“Why would what you do upset me?”
Why was that question so hard to answer? He normally had no problem telling people, especially women, what he did. They became enamored at the spy-like, enigmatic answers he gave them. But with Sabrina? He wanted to be honest with her, but at the same time, he didn’t want to admit that he assassinated people as part of his job. Not that killing was all he did. Maybe he could leave that part out. For now.
“I have a team of guys I work with and we do a bunch of stuff.”
“Okay.”
She was emotionally pulling away from him. Answer her, you dumbass. Just leave out the killing part.
“I have a computer guy who can write the meanest computer virus this side of the Atlantic. I’m in the process of watching over a business merger to make sure all parties’ interests are protected throughout the process. A few months back, a client’s ten-year-old daughter was kidnapped. We found her and returned her to her parents.”
Sabrina looked up at the last statement, eyes wide. “You did?” she asked, her voice full of wonder. Chase nodded. Her face broke out into a smile. “That’s a wonderful thing to do.” She paused, looking thoughtful. “Was she okay when you found her?”
“Yeah, she was.” He chewed his lip, wondering if he should go where his mind wanted him to go. “I really did look for you,” he blurted out.
Sabrina blinked, but didn’t say anything. He wondered if she was wondering why he hadn’t found her when she’d been kidnapped.
“Once we figured out you’d been taken, I looked everywhere for you. I scoured the police reports. I had friends looking. People who are smarter than me. And I couldn’t—we couldn’t—find you anywhere.” He reached for her other hand and held them both in his. “I’m so sorry, Sabrina,” he said, his voice growing hoarse. “I feel like I failed you.”
She was still for a long moment, then squeezed his hands and shook her head. “I think I was just someplace you couldn’t find me.”
*****
Sabrina stared at the earnestness in Chase’s face. He was completely sincere. She didn’t even have to read him. His eyes told her everything she needed to know. She honestly believed he had searched everywhere for her.
A memory seeped into the forefront of her mind from when she was first taken. It was faint, but she was certain it was real. Ramon’s voice filled her mind . . .
“You’re sure no one will find her? Can’t they be traced?”
I moan softly when Ramon pinches my nipple. Everything hurts as I lay on the wooden table in the arena. I didn’t think I could feel anything else after the past several hours of torture, but when he presses on the burns, I feel it.
“Normally, yes, they can. But I put a ring of protection around the area.” I’m pretty sure that’s Khyan’s deep voice above my head. “No one will find her here. Keep her name hidden and you’ll have nothing to worry about.”
Sabrina blinked and looked back up at Chase before her memories delved deeper than she wanted them to. She didn’t want to remember what happened next. But now she remembered what was said. “I think I was just someplace you couldn’t find me. I don’t think anyone could.”
“I’m glad you escaped,” Chase said. “It was killing me, not knowing where you were.”
“Why?” She knew how she felt about him, but it wasn’t possible that he’d held onto those memories as she had . . . was it?
“You stole my heart that night,” he admitted softly, reaching up to caress her cheek. “It felt as though part of me was missing when you disappeared.”
Sabrina felt her cheeks warm again at his inte
nse gaze. She looked down at her dessert, then smiled when she returned her gaze to his. “I used to have imaginary conversations with you,” she confessed. He looked confused. “When I was first taken. It was the only thing that kept me . . . from losing my mind.”
“What did we talk about?”
“Well, at first, I just replayed our time on the yacht over and over again. But then I’d tell you about my childhood and . . . stuff like that,” she finished lamely. She felt her cheeks warm as she realized how stupid she sounded.
He squeezed her hand. “I relived our night in my head, too.” He frowned. “Did you ever get my letters or emails?”
She shook her head. “You sent me letters?”
He smiled. “I told you I would. For the longest time, I wondered why you didn’t write back. But that was before I knew you’d disappeared. I thought you’d changed your mind about me.”
“I kept imagining you busting through the door to rescue me,” she said softly.
“Had I known where you were, I would have been there in an instant,” he said earnestly.
“I believe you.” And she did, especially now that she knew no one would have found her.
He pulled her hand up to kiss the back of it. “I’m so glad you found your way back to Boston.”
She couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face. She felt . . . complete. Dancing with the ballet company had filled a void in her heart that had been open ever since she’d left Boston. But there had still been something missing. Being with Chase filled a hole she hadn’t wanted to admit was there. For the first time in years, her heart was whole.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chase glanced at his watch. They had about thirty minutes before the show started. “You gonna eat that?” He nodded toward the tiny cup of chocolate mousse in front of Sabrina.
She looked down at her plate and back up at him apologetically. “I think I’m full. I’m sorry.”
“No apology needed. It’s amazing how much tiny plates can fill you up.” He wouldn’t have minded eating it, but he didn’t want to look like a pig in front of her. Instead, he motioned to their server, who arrived a moment later with the check.
Master of My Heart Page 27
