Sarah slanted him a look.“I thought you said we had reservations?”
“I chartered a private plane and a pilot,” he told her.“So that could technically be calledreservations.”
She eyed him balefully.“You wanted me to hurry.”
“Damn straight.”He was unapologetic.“I’m getting you out of here.Now.We would have left last night, but I didn’t want to make a move in the dark.This morning, I checked my truck thoroughly for any tracking device someone could have attached and found nothing.”Again, he glanced in the rearview window.“Currently, we are in the clear.I’d damn sure like to keep it that way.”
****
The charter flightwas uneventful, the pilot polite, and the plane small.It lacked the luxurious amenities Sarah had been accustomed to on private planes during her time in the limelight.She didn’t say a word.Surprising herself, she slept the entire flight.
Several hours later, it was early afternoon by the time they went wheels down.When she woke, her headache had faded.Ben had arranged for his car to meet them, and as soon as they stepped off the plane, a dusty SUV rolled up.The driver tossed Ben the keys and they were off.
“You’ll stay with me,” he told her.“In my condo.There’s a guest bedroom and it’s all yours.But during the day, I have to work.You’ll go with me.If you need a nap, there’s a couch in my office.Sorry, I can’t leave you home alone.I can’t leave you anywhere.”
“That’s okay,” she said.
“Besides, a security company is the safest place for you right now.”
She smiled.“I’m curious about your business anyway.“Maybe I can even make myself useful to your office staff.Like doing the filing or something.”
“How’s the bruise?”
“My headache’s gone.I’m just a little lethargic.”
“You’ve had a head injury.It’ll take a few days, but soon you’ll be a hundred percent.”
“If you say so.Right now, I’m starving.Neither one of us has had anything to eat or drink all day.Can we stop for something?”
“Like fried chicken?”he asked.“I know a great place.”
“Does it have mashed potatoes?”she said with relish.“I have to have mashed potatoes.”
He grinned.“You’ve got it.”
Ben called in an order and within twenty minutes they stopped at a restaurant and their food was delivered to his car.In seconds, the cab filled with delicious scents of chicken.
“We’ll eat at the condo,” Ben told her.
She scowled at him.“How far away is that?I’m not sure I can wait.”
“Not far, a few miles.Smells great, huh?”
****
Ben’s condo was compact, utilitarian, and clearly occupied by a bachelor, with no houseplants, no art, little furniture except a huge flat screen TV and a black leather couch.There were no flowery throw pillows, no colorful vases, no curtains.She couldn’t spot a single thing that might reveal a woman’s touch.
“It’s not fancy.”He watched her scan the living room.“It’s just me here and I don’t need much.”
“It’s great,” she said, her manners automatically rising to the surface.
He placed his keys and the sack of food on a console table by the door.Turning around, he fiddled with a complicated keypad by the door.“While we’re here, and each time we leave, the security system will be activated.Now, I’ll show you around.”
They passed a sleek kitchen of white subway tiles and stainless appliances and headed down a hallway, which led to two bedrooms.On the right, he opened the door to show her the master bedroom featuring a king-sized bed with a white comforter and attached bathroom.
“This is my room,” he said, “but it can be yours, too.Say the word.”Reaching out, he ran a slow hand down her braid.
Sarah wasn’t sure what to make of his very direct offer.Although he was only touching her hair, the tug of his big fingers gently smoothing the plait she’d fashioned that morning felt intensely intimate.She smelled his unique scent, like hay bales and ranch breezes.He smelled familiar and good.
