When You Dare - Lori Foster [63]
Fascinated by her writing process, Chris said, “I’m sure I have some extras stored in the library.” She trailed him as he started out of the room. “You can use the computer in the room Dare gave you.” But maybe she didn’t want to be alone there, so he quickly added, “Or the one in his room, or the library… Doesn’t matter, really.”
“I’ll use the one upstairs.” She wrinkled her nose. “I like a lot of privacy when I write.”
Was that a hint for him not to try looking over her shoulder? Bummer. It’d be cool to watch a writer at work.
Chris located a flash drive in the library desk and handed it to her. “There you go.”
“Thanks.” She juggled her glass of milk and the plate with the sandwich and pushed the flash drive into the sweatshirt pocket. Then she gave Chris a direct look. “And since I’ll be occupied, you really don’t need to hang around—that is, unless you want to. But don’t change your plans on my account, okay? I really, really detest being a bother.”
Telling her that she wasn’t a bother wouldn’t have made a difference to how she felt about it. So instead, Chris asked, “You’re going to stay in the house for the rest of the night?”
Molly hesitated. “Do I need to?”
“No.” God, he hoped she wasn’t planning another jaunt around the perimeter. “You’re safe enough anywhere on the grounds right around the house, under the security lights, but I’d rather know what you’re doing, and where you’ll be.” Just in case.
Her shoulder lifted. “If it’s okay, I might go down to the dock again later. The change of scenery jogs my muse, and the fresh air keeps me alert. Will that be a problem?”
Since the dock was closer to his place, and monitored, Chris was relieved. “That’s fine. Just be careful, okay?” And then to tease her, “We wouldn’t want you to fall in.”
As he started out of the room, the dogs followed, making Chris pause with a laugh. “I guess they’re ready to turn in for the night, so now they’re coming with me.” He eyed Molly. “You don’t mind being alone?”
She shook her head. “I usually am.”
And for whatever reason, that damn near broke Chris’s heart.
THROWING HERSELF into her work, Molly spent two hours on the computer and managed to write the entire scene before her muse took a rest and reality sank back in. The house was so quiet, and when she looked at the clock, she saw it was almost 10:00 p.m.
She saved her file and stored the flash drive with the few belongings she owned. Earlier, she had carried her dishes back down to the kitchen and stowed them in the dishwasher. The silence of the big house hadn’t really sunk in then; she’d been too anxious to get back to her story.
Now, however, she heard every unfamiliar noise.
Arms wrapped around herself, she walked over to the French doors to look out. Her head started to ache, so she freed her hair from the haphazard topknot fastened with paper clamps she’d found on the desk. Of course two men with short hair didn’t have any hair clips or bobby pins just lying around.
She shook her hair free, rubbed her temples a little. And still the tension continued squeezing in.
Earlier, the walk had helped. Then the hot bath. And then writing. But now…
Surely Dare would come back tonight…right?
She looked at the bed and shuddered at the thought of trying to sleep there, alone, with only her turbulent memories.
Regardless of how Dare had told her to come to him, it wasn’t fair to impose on him that way.
But…she didn’t want to sleep alone with her nightmares, and she had no one else.
Pacing the room, she took note of all the shadows cast from the glow of the computer monitor and the full moon outside. She took note of the silence, the chill, how the walls closed in.
She fought it, but anxiety tightened around her, smothering, insidious, consuming.
She drew a deep breath, then another—and knew she had to move now, before she lost control.
Swiping the quilt off the bottom of the bed, she went down the stairs, through the house and out the back door. Immediately, a million stars shone down on her, twinkling bright around a fat