“No, neither do I,” Jacob added, narrowing his eyes over the top of Summer’s head in Mårten’s direction.
“I’ll be fine,” Summer reiterated, keeping a smile plastered on her face.“I’m sure you already have plans; it’s the weekend after all.”
Before Nikki could open her mouth to offer another objection, Mårten jumped in.It seemed this woman only ever reacted to an ultimatum.“Yes, you’re right; we have some things we were going to do,” he admitted.“But we all want to make certain you’re safe.Surely you can respect that?”
Summer glared at him, but didn’t dare argue.
“I propose I walk you back to your apartment while these guys get ready to go out.I’ll wait with you until your friends arrive, and then we can continue our Saturday as we planned.Is everyone in agreement?”
He raised his eyebrows and turned to look squarely at Summer, hoping she could see the determination in his face.He wanted her to know that if she didn’t comply, there would be consequences.If she refused to phone her friends for support, then he’d stay in her house until she did.Much the same as he’d done last night, he was prepared to stand in her way for however long it took, until this feisty little lady accepted his help.He could see her running through the scenarios in her head as she pursed her lips.
“That sounds fair enough,” she finally agreed.But he could see the same hot fury from this morning glinting in her eyes, burning just below the surface.She didn’t like his implied ultimatum.Not one bit.But she was smart to know when she’d been backed into a corner.“Give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready.”
Nikki and Jacob, who’d remind silent during this conversation, turned two pairs of curious eyes toward him as Summer exited the kitchen, both of them feeling the strange undercurrent of the things that remained unsaid between himself and Summer.But right now he didn’t need anyone trying to dissect the reasons Summer seemed to push all of his buttons.So he rose from the table and went to his room to get changed.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMER STRODE ALONG beside Mårten, keeping her head down and not saying anything.It was a beautiful morning, but in her dark mood she hardly noticed the bright sunshine and birds singing in the trees above.She hated being manipulated; being controlled.And this was the second time this man had ordered her around in less than twenty-four hours.She wasn’t sure why Mårten pushed her buttons; all she knew was that he did.
They stopped in front of the main door of her building so she could punch in the access code.In the silence, she heard Mårten’s stomach rumble, reminding her she hadn’t eaten breakfast because she’d been so keen to get this over and done with.And by the sounds of it, he hadn’t had anything either.She shouldn’t feel bad, but she did.She almost turned and told him there was a little cafe down the street and did he want to grab a pastry?But then she remembered he was forcing her to phone at least one of her friends, and she hardened her heart and kept the words locked behind her lips.He wouldn’t be in the apartment very long; she’d make sure of that, so he could wait until he got home.
Mårten held the door open for her, and as she passed by, she caught the aroma of his cologne.Something light, like sandalwood, it reminded her of a fir tree in the middle of the forest in summer.Clean and natural.His small chivalrous action took her by surprise, reminding her that Mårten was a nice guy at heart.Few other men she knew would’ve tried to chase down a fleeing felon, stayed with her until the police came, and then offered her—a complete stranger—a safe place to sleep.He was only trying to help, and she needed to remember that, even if he was going about it in a manner that rubbed her up the wrong way.
She glanced back at him as they climbed the stairs, and he fixed her with his pale-blue gaze, face serious, and her heart stumbled for a few beats.Why did he have to be so damn good-looking?It just made her more confused.She didn’t want to be attracted to him, but she was.Not that he ever needed to know that.She had no room in her life for love.And even if she did, Mårten was a cop.And cops weren’t to be trusted.So she had plenty of reasons to wish to squash this unruly attraction way down deep and forget it ever happened.
She opened her front door and let them into the apartment.Nothing had changed.It still looked like a nightmare, even in the fresh light of day.Where the hell was she going to start?
She should be on a flight to Montana right now.Getting ready to track down the elusive lynx.But instead she was stuck here, her life altered forever, in subtle ways she might never fully understand.She’d got in touch with Claire, the US Forest Ranger who’d organized the project, early this morning while she’d been out on her run, to tell her she couldn’t make it, and apologize profusely.Summer had met the other two wildlife photographers also engaged on this assignment once or twice before, and was sure they could get the pictures Claire needed.But she hated letting anyone down.And she was also sad she wouldn’t be there to capture the moment as well.Summer told Claire that a personal issue had come up unexpectedly, not wanting to go into the details of the break-in, but the ranger had been more than understanding, which only made Summer feel worse.
She refocused on the room, sensing Mårten’s presence close behind her as he waited for her to make the first move.She might as well begin by calling a friend.At least that would get Mårten off her back.But who should she call?Bianca was still in the desert and wouldn’t be back for a week.Summer settled on Mayte.She dropped her bag on the kitchen island and pulled out her cell, waving it in Mårten’s direction.“I’ll just call in backup, then you can be on your way.”
“Put her on a speaker if you don’t mind,” Mårten said blandly.
Was this guy for real?Did he not even trust her to make a simple phone call?But when she looked up into his face, she could tell he wasn’t joking.Blast him to hell!She hit the speaker button with exaggerated force.
Mayte’s sleepy voice echoed out of the phone.She was probably languishing in bed after a late night, but Summer plowed on regardless.Her friend’s drowsy tone soon turned anxious and then solicitous as Summer told her what’d happened and asked for help.Of course she would be there as soon as possible she said, and did Summer want her to call Trent as well?And perhaps even Serena.Summer decided in for a penny, in for a pound, and if she was going to admit defeat and ask for help, she may as well go big and get most of her friends involved.Mayte made more promises to see her shortly and hung up.
“Happy now?”Summer lifted her chin in Mårten’s direction.
“Yes,” he said simply.Then he took a deliberate step closer.“But I still don’t get why that was so hard for you.That’s what friends are for, isn’t it?To help in times of need?”
Summer raised one shoulder in reply.For most people that was probably true, but for her…it was a knotty mess of emotions she’d rather not delve into.And his proximity was sending her nerve endings tingling again, exactly as they had this morning on the front porch, when something primitive and sizzling had sparked between them.If he hadn’t been such a jerk about her going for a run, she might’ve even leaned in and… And what?Kissed him?No, she wouldn’t have done that.Not in a million years.And yet?Something in her softened as she stared up into his face.
“It’s complicated,” she answered finally.“I’m used to dealing with things on my own.I don’t like to depend on others too much.People have a way of abandoning you right when you need them the most, and then you get left with a giant hole in your life.So it’s just easier to be independent.”She wasn’t sure why she was telling him all this.Perhaps it was her way of atoning for her bad behavior toward him earlier.But she’d already told him more than enough, and so she turned and pretended to busy herself at the kitchen countertop.“Anyway, thank you again for your incredible help.”She pivoted and flashed him a genuine smile.“But as you heard, my friends will be here soon, and you’re free to go.I hope you have a wonderful day with Nikki and Jacob.Can you please tell them once more how much I appreciated their kindness.”
Mårten remained standing in the middle of the room, as if rooted to the spot.Normally, he had a very good poker face.She guessed it was a requirement when you were a police officer not to let your emotions show.But right then the uncertainty in his features was almost palpable.He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then shut it again as a strange vulnerability shone in his eyes.
He said nothing for many long moments, merely stared at her, and she began to regret telling him even that much about her life.“It was great to meet you, Summer,” he said at last, his lips twisting upward in an odd version of a smile.“I’m truly sorry someone did this to you, and I hope you get it all sorted soon.Remember, if you ever need anything, I’m only a phone call away.”They locked gazes for an instant, but when it became clear she was going to say no more, he turned and picked his way through the debris that was once her home, disappearing through the doorway.
“Goodbye,” she called after him.Then, as if her feet had a mind of their own, she raced across the room so that she could watch him descend the first set of stairs.It hit her that this would be the last time she saw him.And part of her wanted to etch him into her memory once more.
As she watched him walk away, a strange feeling of loneliness crept over her.She hadn’t felt this alone in years.It was a bad sign.Because it meant she was beginning to need him.Which was unusual.How could she need someone after only knowing them for twenty-four hours?It was preposterous.And best for both of them if she never saw him again.
Hoping to rid her mind of all these traitorous thoughts, she busied herself with the dustpan and broom, sweeping up the spilled dirt from her pot plants.Before she knew it, Mayte appeared in her doorway, her long dark hair tied back in a messy bun, and her shirt buttoned wrong as if she got dressed in a hurry.Mayte lived in the nearby neighborhood of Fremont, so she hadn’t had far to come, but even so, she’d made it here in record time.
“Oh, Dios mío.”Mayte clapped a hand over her mouth as she took in the mess.“Ese bastardo.Esto es terrible.”She often reverted to Spanish to express herself when her emotions became too much.Mayte felt things deeply, and that, along with her Cuban heritage, gave her a passionate and excitable personality.Her friend rushed through the debris, nearly tripping over a small pile of books in her haste to get to Summer.She gathered her into her arms and hugged her hard.“When you said on the phone that you had a break-in, I never imagined anything as bad as this,” she said, tears forming in her dark-brown eyes as she surveyed the apartment.“This is terrible… It is beyond shocking.Why would anyone do this?”
“I don’t know.”The same heaviness that’d settled over Summer last night returned with a vengeance.She wished she knew why she’d been targeted, but this was just as confusing to her as it was to everyone else.Mayte stepped away, not letting her friend out of her embrace, but so that she could search Summer’s face with her sympathetic gaze.“Tu pobre pobrecita.You poor, poor thing,” Mayte crooned, rubbing comforting circles on Summer’s back.“This is an abomination.”
