Hiding Out

by Nicole Andrews Moore

  He nodded. Soon the bill was paid and the valet was driving his car to the front of the restaurant. Once they were on their way, he studied her as she sank into his leather seats with her eyes closed. “I know you have class in the morning,” he said quietly, “but couldn‘t you miss it just this once?”

  She sighed. “I can’t.”

  “Come on, Haley,” He sounded so disappointed. “Don’t you miss being with me even a little?”

  Haley slowly opened her eyes and turned to face him. And for a moment, he regretted he had even mentioned it. “Of course. It’s not that.” She shook her head.

  “Then what? Come on. Give me some reason.” He was impatient.

  “You want a reason?” Her voice showed her annoyance. “Fine.” He winced at her tone. “The only way I can afford to take class on Mondays and Wednesdays is if I give them two hours of my time on Saturday mornings.” She gulped at her admission. “That way I only have to pay for my uniform and equipment.” She stared out the window, the conversation ended.

  He studied her. She was so proud and tough and strong. She wanted lessons, felt she needed them desperately, and found a way to make it possible. She could accomplish anything she set her mind to. And the more he tallied up her qualities in his head the more he wanted to be with her.

  “Okay,” he said, quietly. “At least let me show you what I’ve learned from my time with Abigail.”

  She looked at him quizzically. He reached over and wrapped one arm around her, cradling her as much as possible while he drove. She draped herself across the console and melted into him, her annoyance dissipating.

  “I have to go home,” she mumbled into his chest.

  “I know,” he said quietly. He stroked her back, her hair, her arms, and her side. She was so exhausted she quickly fell asleep. If she had been any other woman, he might have taken her back to his house anyway, but Haley was different.

  Sam knew that he couldn’t just drive her to his home. He wanted her to trust him, which wouldn’t happen if she woke up anywhere other than her own bed. But she didn’t say that she didn’t want me to stay over, part of him argued. She didn’t invite you to either, the other half reminded. Well at least if she wakes up in her own bed I’m not a complete bastard, he reasoned.

  Parking next to the curb less than a block from her apartment, Sam walked around to her side of the vehicle, lovingly picked her up, and carried her up three flights of stairs to her place without even getting winded. He kept waiting for her to wake up, but she seemed so comfortable in his arms, so natural that he couldn’t imagine her not wanting him there. He laid her on the bed and locked up. By the time he reached her side once more, her eyes were open in alarm.

  “I thought you’d left without saying goodbye,” she whispered.

  He smiled warmly. “How could I do that to you?” He sat beside her and caressed her face.

  “Are you staying here?” She asked quietly almost unable to meet his eyes.

  “Only if you want me to,” he said honestly.

  “It’s been a while since we‘ve shared a bed, hasn’t it?” He nodded sadly. “If you stay over tonight, do you still want me to stay with you tomorrow night?” He paused. He was afraid that if he admitted how much he wanted to be with her she would immediately flee. At the moment, with no insight as to who knew where to find her or when to expect him, fleeing might make sense. Still, he didn’t want to lose her. In response to her question, he slowly nodded again while biting his lower lip in worry.

  Seeing his reaction, Haley reached over and touched his lower lip. “Stop that,” she murmured. And instantly he released his lip to kiss her finger. But that wasn’t enough.

  He grabbed her left hand. He kissed the palm and around her wrist while flames shot through her body. He laid her hand against his cheek and held it there with one hand while reaching for the back of her head with the other. Sam leaned over, slowly leaned as close to her as he could without actually touching her and pulled her head to his until they were less than a breath apart.

  In the past he had grazed her lips, but this time he longed to taste her. And Haley looked into his eyes and saw it. Her mouth formed a surprised ‘oh’ that never was spoken. Sam had silenced her with his mouth. Warmth spread though her entire body as his tongue slowly caressed hers. The kiss seemed to go on forever, but she wasn’t going to pull away. A need was building within her and she knew only he had the power to fulfill it.

  Slowly, he drew away from her, his eyes on her face. He took a deep breath. “I’m not going to lie to you, Haley. I will be disappointed if you don‘t want me to stay, but that won’t change how I feel about you.”

  Haley was stunned into silence. Worse, she was gripped with fear. She had never felt like this before. No one had ever had the power to make her warm inside and out. She wanted Sam to stay, she knew that, but it was such an easy habit to get into, being with him all weekend. And she had just grown accustomed to being alone again after living with Ellen. She had been alone in the world for so many years. It was that urge to be with someone that had resulted in her loveless relationship with David. She would never make that mistake again.

  “Do you want me to stay with you tonight?” He asked gently.

  Suddenly, Haley was blushing from head to toe. “Yes,” she responded quietly.

  “Good,” he said with unmistakable satisfaction.

  Tonight was different. Not only was it the first time he was staying at her apartment, but it was the first time she was able to make a conscious decision about it. And that might have explained their sudden discomfort.

  “Well,” Sam began after glancing at his watch and realizing that it was only nine-thirty. “Would you like to talk, rent a movie, or watch TV?”

  Her head lowered as she studied the floor. She knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to curl up in bed with him and talk, but how did she tell him that without sounding too forward or giving him the impression that she wanted more?

  She must have glanced down at the bed, since Sam suddenly said, “Or we could go to bed?”

  She raised her eyes to meet his and asked slowly, “Do you ever talk in bed?”

  He pulled her close. “I have never had anyone that I wanted to talk with in my bed.” Her heart sank. “But I would love it if we did. Is that what you would like?”

  Haley smiled nervously. “Yes. I think that would be nice.”

  Wearing a t-shirt with his boxer briefs, Sam slipped beneath the covers. Haley followed soon after, the delay caused by her concern over the proper nightclothes. She settled on a jersey knit two-piece set with a bralette chemise that exposed about an inch of her midriff. He’d seen her in less at the gym, she reasoned.

  Her attire still took his breath away. It couldn’t be the clothes. She wore less when they jogged together. Of course, I didn’t hold her for hours in her jogging wear, either, he reasoned. Then there was the hair. It was still that unnatural shade of brown to cover the fiery red she was born with, but the way it looked all loose and natural around her shoulders practically made him tingle. He tried not to stare as she slipped beneath the sheets. He lay on his side mirroring her. “So, how was your day, dear?” He asked with a warm smile.

  Giggling, Haley said, “I had a great day, especially after work.”

  “What was so great about it?” He asked smiling.

  She sat up now, eyes sparkling. “Well, I saw my friend, Ellen. She just had a baby girl they named Abigail.” He nodded, smirking. “And then I had this amazing meal with an incredible man.” He smiled widely. “But I think the best part is going to come tomorrow.”

  Tilting his head to one side he asked, “What’s so special about tomorrow?”

  She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. “I get to wake up in your arms,” she murmured against his forehead.

  He leaned into her and inhaled her scent. “I’m going to hold you all night, starting right now.” He wrapped her in his arms and felt her relax into him. Suddenly, word
s weren’t necessary.

  Chapter Five

  It was a beautiful sunny autumn day when he woke up. At first he stared at the ceiling and tried to replay the past in his head. His father had pulled him aside at the firm and told him that he was well on his way to making junior partner. He was primed for being the political candidate his father had been grooming him to become his entire life. He just had to make sure he kept his nose clean. There could be no scandal in his past, nor would there be in his future. Immediately after that conversation, he had taken an extended lunch and gone to Haley’s old apartment building. He had only been invited there once, but after the incident, he had driven past dozens of times, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. He had heard she had disappeared without leaving any indication as to her destination or the reason for her departure.

  But he knew how these bitches worked. The minute they thought they could get something out of a man, had something to hold over his head, they came rushing right back making demands, threatening exposure. He had observed the manner with which his father handled his own indiscretions in the past and felt confident he could be as successful with his own dilemma. The neighbor had only been too quick to share the business card the investigator had left.

  This morning he knew what he had to do. He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the slip of paper with all the information he had gleaned off the business card. So Haley was in New York City. He had always wanted to visit the Big Apple. He pulled out his PDA and checked his calendar. He would leave this afternoon, be in the city by late evening and start his search in the morning. He could sit outside her office building and wait for her to come out before he spoke to her, if he decided to speak to her. He couldn’t be certain what feelings would be coursing through his body when he saw her again.

  Maybe he should just act instead. He was more of a man of action type. Stretching leisurely, he then vaulted from his bed, took a brisk shower, and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt for his long drive. He packed quickly but carefully. Within the hour he was at brunch at his parent’s home. His mother tisk tisked his apparel, but he simply met his father’s eyes and explained he had to go out of town for a few days. His father’s face was grim, but he nodded and told him they’d talk when he returned.

  By one-thirty he was on the road. The trip was stressful. He hated long distance driving to begin with. He would have much preferred to take the train or flown, but he knew better than to leave a paper trail. Studying to be a criminal defense attorney had served him well. He had passed the bar on his first try and was working with his father and his partners in their law firm. They were the top firm in Pittsburgh. As for David, well, they had parted ways, since his old buddy had gone into civil law, more specifically, opting to be a divorce lawyer. How well he still remembered their last conversation. It was at lunch that David had said suddenly that he was going to work at his uncle’s firm. Hurt that they were parting ways, he had lashed out and mentioned that it made perfect sense as David always liked his women weak and on the rebound. And David in turn had shot that his path made sense, too, as he had always been shady. He felt more unsettled and angry after recalling that memory.

  He arrived at the hotel about the time he had anticipated, ate a late dinner in the hotel dining room and was careful to pay cash for everything. He couldn’t risk leaving a trace of his visit. After a few laps in the pool, he took a hot shower and went to bed early. He planned to be in front of the building that housed the Davenport Advertising Agency by seven-thirty.

  A steaming hot coffee helped him on his way in the morning. He parked his car and took a seat on a low wall near the building to drink it and eat his bagels. He studied each person that walked into the building for the next two hours, but gave up at nine-thirty. No one even closely resembled Haley. Maybe she had already moved on. A red head had a tendency to stick out, especially when it was that red head. She was tiny and perky, all fiery. He felt himself grow hard as he thought about her. It was unfortunate that she had been his friend’s girl. That’s all. And if she hadn’t taunted him with that virgin stuff the night might have turned out differently. Announcing virginity was like offering a challenge. She might just as well have said, “Take me now.” It would have had the same effect.

  He paced around in the park, trying to determine his next move. He had to know for sure if she still worked there. What would be his next move? Slowly, he walked back to his car and drove over to his hotel. Once there, he walked purposefully over to the courtesy phone in the lobby, pulled the phone number for the investigator from his pocket and dialed. It rang twice before being picked up.

  “I’m calling to verify employment information,” he said as calmly as he could manage.

  “Certainly, sir,” the gentleman on the phone replied. “And this would be for which employee?”

  “The name on the application is Haley Daniels.” He held his breath.

  “Haley Daniels? Hmm.” The sound of papers being shuffled followed. “I’m sorry sir, but there is no employee here by that name.”

  He exhaled in disgust. “I see.”

  “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

  He was silent. “No, thank you.” After hanging up, he sat stewing. It didn’t make sense. She had to be working for them. The investigator who left his card was doing a background check for her employment. Maybe she didn’t pass the background check. Maybe she was never hired. Now he was back to square one.

  Tense and angry, he decided to read the newspaper while he waited for a sudden brainstorm to come to him. He had read through almost the entire paper when it happened. In the Public Record section, one birth announcement stood out. It was strange. He had taken to reading the birth announcements starting a month ago. He always thought he might just see his name in there linked with Haley’s. It wasn’t so far fetched. In his passion he had failed to use any protection. But no, the announcement that caught his attention was that of Ellen Sanders-White and her husband Ryan who had just had a baby girl. Wasn’t Ellen Sanders Haley’s roommate at college? She might know where Haley was. Or maybe Haley was masquerading as her roommate and found some sucker to marry her and raise his child.

  With a satisfied smile, he stood up, folded the paper under his arm, and headed for the nearest department store. He couldn’t very well visit an old friend empty handed. He even began humming as he drove away, confident of the plan he now had in place.

  Sam’s private line was ringing insistently at eleven in the morning. He felt his stomach knot up in anticipation. It could only be Jake. And if it was, it was bad news. He sat heavily in his chair as he answered.

  “You may want to come down to my office when you have a minute,” Jake said seriously.

  “Is it bad?” He asked as he gazed at Haley through the open door.

  “Definitely.”

  He growled. “I’ll be right there.” He stood and walked to the door, trying to figure out how he was going to make it past Haley without her picking up on his dark mood. She would be concerned and want to question him. It was all falling apart.

  “Hey,” she said, grabbing his sleeve as he tried to slide past her.

  “I have to run out for a minute, Miss Iverson,” he said seriously.

  She studied his eyes for a moment. She didn’t like what she saw there. He was way too intense given that they had spent the entire weekend together. “Okay.” She sighed. “I just wanted to get your approval for the letters and ad proposal packages we were going to send out to the companies on your list.” She shrugged. “I guess it can wait.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said honestly. “I’ll look it over after I get back, okay?” He gave her hand a quick squeeze and exited the office.

  By the time he reached Jake’s office, he had worked himself into such a state with the scenarios he had created in his head that he didn’t have the energy to burst through the door. He slowly let himself in and all but collapsed in his usual chair.

  “Man, you’ve got it bad,” Ja
ke commented with a grim smile.

  “Just tell me why I’ve been summoned. I can’t take it anymore,” Sam said sadly.

  “Well,” he began seriously, “I just had an interesting phone call from a man who claimed to be verifying Haley’s employment.” Sam nodded. “He called this line, so I know he was the one who talked to the neighbor, otherwise employment verification would go through Human Resources.” Sam clenched his hands together, his knuckles turned white. Jake glanced at them. “He didn’t give a name, but from my Caller ID I know that he’s staying at the Weston near the park.”

  “Is that all?” Sam asked. Jake stared at him a moment. “I mean, that’s enough, but give it to me like you’re taking off a Band-aid. Just slam me all at once, okay? Look at me.” He gestured at his demeanor. “Certainly, you don’t think you need to build suspense, right?”

  Jake smirked. “I’m going to have to guess her name is really Haley Daniels.” Sam opened his mouth to speak, but anticipating what he would say Jake added, “I’m going to check that out.”