Page 10

“Who are…” He trailed off, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the oddly familiar features of the stranger in his bed.

No. She couldn’t possibly be…And yet, there was no mistaking those blue eyes, as bleary as they were. The girl from the airport—the American. She was there, in his room, in his bed, looking at him like he was the one imposing.

Fear filled her eyes, and he winced, knowing what was coming next.

FOUR

Claire’s chest constricted, her lungs refusing to work as she sucked in a shallow breath.

“You,” she breathed, finally recognizing the man from the airport. She scrambled to sit upright in bed, leaning against the backboard and pulling the covers to her chin. “What are you…” She shook her head, her confusion giving way to terror. “Help! Melody, Tasha!”

The man took a step toward her, holding out his hands as if to quell her worries, but his actions only proved to anger her further. This guy must have followed her to the studio tour, dinner, and home, then waited to pounce on her until she and the others were asleep. What a total lunatic.

“Now, wait,” he said. “You’ve got the wrong—”

“Get out!” she shouted louder, fury firing through her veins. “Get out!”

She looked to her right, then to her left, settling on a pile of books on the bedside table.

“Listen,” the man continued in a soft voice, “this is my—”

His words ended as Claire hurled one of the books at his head. He shouted, ducking in time for the edge of the hardback cover to just miss him. He looked back at her in disbelief, as if she were the crazy one.

“Help!” she shouted toward the door, then faced the guy again. “What kind of sick freak follows a woman home? Get out of my room!”

She chucked another book at him. This time, she caught the top of his head as he tried to duck again. He cursed, turning back at her with a furious gaze. “This isn’t your room. This is my room!”

His room? First the carry-on, now the room. This guy was unbelievable. Why wouldn’t he leave? And where the heck were Tasha and Melody? Had this psycho already done away with them?

She held another book over her head, ready to haul it at him when an ounce of confusion slithered its way into her chest, pressing against her lungs.

The carry-on. It had been his. The room couldn’t be his, too, though, could it? Her conversation from earlier that evening echoed around in her mind. Tasha had mentioned her son being away on business. Had he returned early?

No, she thought. No, please don’t let this be—

The door burst open, and Tasha and Melody blazed into the room.

“Claire! What’s wrong?” Melody asked at once, followed closely by Tasha.

“Are you alright? We heard…” Tasha’s words faded away as her eyes jumped from Claire to the man standing in her house.

Melody’s eyes widened as she gasped, and shock flashed across Tasha’s features before a smile spread across her lips. She ran forward, her arms flinging around the man’s neck. “Liam? What in the world! What are you doing here?”

The man—Liam, apparently—embraced Tasha in return, glancing sidelong at Claire where she still sat in bed. “I wanted to surprise you,” he said. “Though I admit, not in this way.”

Tasha turned toward Claire with a compassionate smile. “Oh, Claire. I’m so sorry. You must have been scared to death. You don’t have to worry now. This is my son, Liam.”

Her son. Tasha’s son. Claire’s mind spun round, trying to catch up.

She stared in silence as Tasha turned back to Liam, taking his face in her hands. “This is just wonderful. I thought you’d be in France until after New Year’s.”

He shook his head. “I was able to take a few days off for Christmas after all.”

Melody moved forward, embracing who Claire finally deduced was her friend’s cousin. “You’re finally taller than me,” Melody stated.

He smiled, returning her side hug. “I’ve always been taller than you, Mel.”

Claire watched the exchange in silence, her fear and adrenaline slowly melting away, weakening her body and mind. So it was true. The man whose suitcase she’d been accused of stealing, the man who’d criticized her for simply being American, was Tasha’s son and Melody’s cousin. And she’d chucked books at his face. She’d called him a…a sick freak.