Dangerous Embrace (Embrace #1) (7 page)

She arched an eyebrow at him, wishing like hell she didn’t believe him. What was it her mama used to say,
if it seems too good to be true than it probably is too good to be true
. So was she missing something with Mark? Was he too good to be true too? “I think I believe that.”

“Why wouldn’t you believe that?”

She shrugged. “Most men wouldn’t care, and you sort of...don’t fit the stereotype. I mean, well.” She paused, searching for the right words. “Most guys wouldn’t devote this much time helping me without expecting something in return—unless you are expecting something in return?”

When his expression changed, she squirmed uncomfortably. So...maybe she wasn’t missing something about him. God, what a bitch she was. Mark had done so much for her and she openly questioned his motives.

“Well, your stereotype sucks, Sarah. You might find it hard to trust people after what you’ve been through, but I’m only trying to help you feel safe in your home.”

Mark’s statement made her sick to her stomach. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

“Forget it,” he said, his tone laced with hurt. “I’ll get out of your hair if you don’t need anything else.”

“Yeah...of course, go ahead.” She tried to look at him, though she couldn’t pull her attention from the floor. “Thanks again, Mark, for everything.”

When the door closed behind him, she curled up and held her knees to her chest. Who had she become? A liar and a bitch who insulted good people who helped her.

On Wednesday morning Mark was surprised when Sarah’s number came up on his caller ID. He leaned back in his office chair and answered on the second ring. “Hello.”

“Mark, hi, it’s Sarah Jennings.” She sounded hesitant and used her full name as if he wouldn’t remember her. Ha—yeah, like he could forget. He hadn’t stopped thinking about her since he’d met her.

“Is everything okay?”

“I’m sorry to bother you, but ah...I wanted to apologize for my behavior before. The system is great...reassuring. I sleep better.”

“Good, I’m glad. Your brother got there all right?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Your brother?” He bowed his head and shook it. “Didn’t actually come up from San Diego.”

“Oh, shit.” She sighed heavily on the other end of the line. “No, um...he’s not here.”

“You’ve been alone the last two nights?” He stood, walked to the window and looked out at the traffic on Coggs Boulevard. “Why?”

“It doesn’t matter. Nothing happened. I’m fine by myself.”

“If only things were that easy,” Mark muttered. “Well, you called, I guess you need something.”

“Yeah.” She laughed, but Mark didn’t catch the joke. “I actually need a favor—I know, it’s ridiculous. I treat you like a jerk, lie to you, and now I need a favor.”

She laughed again, and this time Mark didn’t miss the sarcasm.

“Feel free to hang up on me if you like. I’ll understand.”

“I’m not going to hang up. Come on, give me a break.” He rubbed his forehead with his hand. “But you need to take this seriously. Your safety isn’t a game.”

“I promise to be more careful if you get me out of this freaking house.”

Her voice elevated as she spoke, and Mark had to fight the same smile he wore when she threw a temper tantrum in her driveway.

“I can’t drive, or exercise, or anything. I have a doctor’s appointment today—but I can’t drive.”

He restrained his smile. “Do you need a ride?”

She exhaled heavily. “I’m sorry.”

“Sarah, don’t cry. I’ll take you to your appointment.”

“I’m not crying,” she said through what sounded like gritted teeth. “I’m frustrated.”

“What time?”

“Ten thirty. Dr. Davidson, he’s on Sonoma Drive.”

“I’m in my office across town. Give me fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

He hung up smirking and muttered, “And I thought Ali was stubborn. Why is it hard to simply ask for help without the drama?”

~

Sarah tried not to let it get to her. She hated relying on other people, and she tried to convince herself that calling Mark for help didn’t mean anything. It certainly didn’t mean she was afraid to get into a cab with a stranger. It didn’t mean she was comfortable with Mark, and even if she
was
comfortable with Mark, that wasn’t the point. And, most importantly, it didn’t mean she couldn’t have driven herself, she just didn’t want to get caught. She’d already lied to the police once this week. She didn’t want to push her luck further. Besides, she liked Brian. He’d treated her like a person, not like a victim. Giving things to her straight was what she wanted and Brian did that, which made lying to him even worse.

She watched from the window as Mark pulled into her driveway. When he climbed out of his truck, she couldn’t help but admire his confidence. A lot of divorced men had a beaten and defeated way about them. Not Mark. He moved with purpose and strength, his broad shoulders back and his stride solid. And damn if he wasn’t the best looking guy she’d laid eyes on in years.

Sarah wondered about his ex-wife. What was she like? Why divorce? Did he cheat on her? When his eyes locked on hers through the window, she almost blushed.

After a quick wave, she dropped the curtain and looked down at herself before opening the door.

“Hey,” she said through the screen.

“You ready?”

“Yeah.” She picked up her purse and stepped outside.

Mark stood still, staring at her like she’d forgotten something.

“I’m ready. Are you?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “The alarm?”

“Oh.” She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. “Yes, sorry. I’m a little preoccupied.”

She stepped inside, still mumbling excuses.

He followed her in and closed the door for her to set the alarm. “It’s okay,” Mark said. “But try to be more diligent.”

“I know, I...” She shook her head and tugged the door back open when the beeping started. “How long do I have to get out of the house again?”

Mark stood too close to her, she couldn’t think straight. He must have thought she was a complete nutcase. How odd that he had the ability to make her feel safe and comfortable, yet inadequate and weak at the same time.

“Thirty seconds.” Mark followed her out and pulled the door shut behind him.

Sarah turned to lock the door, but her hands shook with nervous energy. At this rate, thirty seconds wouldn’t be long enough. She fisted the keys, hoping Mark didn’t notice. She’d hoped in vain.

He reached out and took them from her. “Here, let me do it.”

She sighed and muttered a thank you, before stepping off the porch and walking to his truck.

He stepped ahead and opened the door for her. When he offered his hand to help her up, she accepted it. The warmth of his skin left a lingering pulse behind when he finally pulled away.

Her agitation grew on the ride to the doctor’s office, forcing her to swallow back the nausea. It was ridiculous that at thirty years old, she was still frightened of doctors. She looked over at Mark and wondered how pissed he’d get if she puked in his truck. When he smiled back at her, his little dimple flashed, setting off another wave of nervous fluttering in her stomach.

When he caught her staring, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “How long were you married?”

Once the question was out, she could’ve slapped herself.

“Excuse me?” Mark asked.

“I’m curious,” she said, hoping to smooth over her previous bluntness. “You said you’re divorced. How long you were married?”

“Almost twelve years.”

“And you didn’t have any children?” She turned toward the window and let the bright, morning sunlight warm her face.

“Yes, I have a son...Jamie.”

“Oh, I assumed since you hadn’t mentioned—although we haven’t exactly had time for normal conversation over the last few days.” She turned back to him. “Do you get to spend a lot of time with him?”

“We split his time evenly. We didn’t go through the big court battle for custody. It’s been pretty civil considering the circumstances.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow. “Circumstances?”

“It wasn’t a pretty divorce.” His smiled faltered a little. “He’s away at science camp this week with his class.”

“Oh yeah, our third graders went too. Does he go to my school?”

“No, he’s at Highland.”

“He must be, what, eight years old?”

“Yeah.” His grin returned. “Eight is a fun age.”

“Too bad they can’t stay that age forever.” She smiled wide, hoping he couldn’t see through it. His enthusiasm made her feel a little vacant. While she loved and cared for her students, she couldn’t pretend to understand what it was like to be a parent. She knew that kind of love was an entirely different thing.

“Ali and I met when we were eight.” He chuckled at that and shook his head. “We got together in high school and were inseparable for a long time.”

Sarah took the chance to satisfy her curiosity. She wanted to know how similar their stories were. Mark didn’t seem like the type of guy who would hurt a woman, but abusers didn’t exactly wear the label on their sleeve. “Why did you get divorced?” She waved her hand to stop him. “Um, none of my business—never mind—forget I asked.”

He glanced at her with an amused expression. “It’s okay. I don’t mind talking about it.” He turned back to face the road. “Ali had an affair.”

The opposite of what she’d thought. Her heart thudded hard in her chest at the reminder of her own broken relationship. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Mark. It must have been hard for you.”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “She joined a law firm in San Francisco. That’s when we started to grow apart. She met Carl while working on a case for the State of California.”

“Carl?”

“Her current husband,” Mark said.

“And of course she had to kick you while you were down and marry the guy.”

He gave her a sideways grin. “Of course.”

They grew quiet. Sarah didn’t know what to say and needed to give herself a moment to slow her angered pulse. She understood more than she wanted to, but she didn’t understand why he was okay with it, so relaxed about his wife hurting him. Sarah wondered how many times Kevin had cheated on her before she had finally caught him. How different would her life have been if she hadn’t caught him? Would her baby have lived and been raised, at least in part, by a monster?

Mark’s story just proved to her that being alone was the way to go. Love wasn’t worth the heartache it brought. Of course it was the good people who got hurt, not the cheaters. Even though he acted like he was over the divorce—over her—it was perfectly clear on his face that his ex-wife had truly hurt him.

At least being single meant you could do what you wanted without someone trying to control your life. Why fall in love, why marry, why live together if it was just going to turn out sour in the end? Between her relationship with Kevin and her mother’s numerous failed relationships, she’d learned firsthand putting that much faith in someone just wasn’t worth it.

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked when she failed to look away from him. “You’re staring at me like I’m a woman in men’s clothes.”

“Oh, sorry—you just surprised me. I don’t meet many people who are so open about their past.”

“I don’t mind talking about it, why would I? I haven’t done anything to be ashamed of.”

She tried not to hear a double meaning in what he said. How would he know anything about her shame?

“How long have you and Ali been divorced?”

“About three years.”

“So...” She grimaced. “How did you take it when you found out about the affair? You must have been devastated.”

“I tried to work things out, but she didn’t want to. Until then, we seemed pretty solid.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I had to be strong for Jamie. He’s the real victim. We agreed not to put him through a fight.”

“So you get him, what, a couple days a week?”

“We rotate weeks. This is my week, but he’s at camp.”

“You won’t get him next week, either?”

“I’ll see him for a while on Friday before he goes back to Ali’s.”

“Sorry,” she said, unable to articulate anything else. He seemed so civil when he talked about his ex-wife. Most couples were awful to each other after a divorce, but Mark had somehow managed to push all of that aside for his son.

“It’s a daily struggle, but we manage.”

Mark pulled into a parking lot next to a large warehouse.

“Where are we?” Sarah asked, sitting up in her seat to look around.

“This is Summors Security. Do you mind? I need to take care of a couple of quick things.”

“Ah, okay,” she said, staring out at the tall warehouse.

“This will only take a few minutes.” He climbed out and opened her door.

“I’ll stay here.” She focused on her hands, not meeting his gaze.