Night Visions (Night Series) (11 page)

He swung his gaze toward the dancing shadows in the tree line. Of all the times for this to happen. Someone would pay. Would answer for stealing this precious moment he'd waited on for so long. When he found out—

"Hey." The soft sound of her voice wrapped around him. As did her hands on his face as she urged him to look at her. "What's wrong?" she repeated.

"It's nothing." He tipped his head toward the darkening sky. "It looks like a storm is coming. We don't want to be caught out here when it hits."

The heat of her body faded from his when she turned away, releasing his hand. But not before Ian caught the pain in her eyes.

Damn.

He raised his hand to reach for her. To explain that he hadn’t changed his mind. That he still wanted her more than the air he struggled to breathe. Because that’s what she was thinking. That he’d had a change of heart.

His chest tightened. Didn't she realize the restraint
it took for him to stop? He would have made love to her in the middle of a hurricane. But her life meant more than his needs. And right now an even bigger threat loomed.

* * *

Sam wiped the steam off the mirror with the palm of her hand, revealing pink cheeks. Whether from the shower or remnants from her swim with Ian, her body still tingled from his touch.

What is wrong with me? I was an ear nibble away from having sex in a public pool.

She picked up her brush, letting it glide through her damp hair. They had barely made it back to their room when the storm clouds unleashed a torrent of rain. The way Ian insisted she take a shower now, instead of letting her walk Ginger seemed strange. It's not like she'd never walked her in the rain before. She was already wet from their swim.

A steady buzzing began to surface in her head.

“Go away,” she moaned. She braced her hands on the cool porcelain, her eyes closed against the impending pain. Seconds ticked by without a twitch of discomfort. Slowly opening her eyes, she gazed up at her reflection. The moment her eyes landed on the mirror, her breath caught in her throat. Not even the brush clattering against the tile floor fazed her.

Frozen in place, Sam could only stare at the image before her. Long
, ebony hair and violet eyes stared back at her.

As Sam struggled to form words, the woman's arms lifted. Each one encircled by glittering gold bracelets embedded with rubies and emeralds.

“He
will
hurt you. Don't believe his lies.” Her voice grew desperate with each tear glistening in her eyes.

“Who?” Sam asked, confused. But the image vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Reaching her hand toward the mirror, she pressed her palm against the cool glass.

W
hat is she trying to tell me?

Who was going to hurt her? Ian? No. She refused to believe that it was him. Not after the way he held her, touched her. Each caress conveyed his passion. And he was the one that stopped them from going further. Why would he do that if he wanted to hurt her?

She needed to trust her heart.

Threading her fingers through her damp hair, she massaged her temples, trying to ease the tension building in her head. What the hell was she supposed to do? Tell Ian that she had to go, because the strange woman in the bathroom told her to. Ginger trusted him and she didn't trust anyone.

A knock on the door shot her a foot in the air. “Yes,” she said, pulling her towel tighter.

“Dinner's ready,” Ian called through the door.

“Okay. I'll be there in a minute.” She let her face fall into her hands.
It can't be Ian. Please God don't let it be Ian.

Releasing her breath
, Sam hurried to get dressed, before he suspected something was wrong. Everything would be fine. Soon they would meet up with Jason and she would finally know if Ian really did intend to stay with her. Until then, she’d have to trust him. Regardless of what the woman said. If she wanted Sam to listen, she should quit being so cryptic.

Tugging a creamy cowl neck sweater over her head
, she adjusted the collar before slipping on a pair of gray leggings.

There was no time to blow dry her hair. She’d have to leave it damp. Once the bathroom door swung open, the smell of cheap pizza greeted her nose. Along with the scent of wet dog. Scrunching up her nose she sat in the empty chair across from Ian.

He'd changed out of his swim trunks into a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt. His hair spiked from the rain.

After what they’d experienced in the pool, she didn’t understand why she felt so awkward around him. If anything, it should have been while their lips were molded together. As well as their bodies.

Her eyes darted to the bed. Would they sleep there together? Or did he change his mind, realizing he'd made a mistake?

Don't
over think it Sam. Whatever happens, happens.

Ian pried the cap off a bottle of beer, sliding it across the table. Her lips brushed against the opening, allowing the cool liquid to slide down her throat. But even it couldn’t extinguish the burning fire inside.

"How was your shower?"

"Fine." But would have been better if he had joined her. An image of her hands gliding over his soapy body filled her vision. Her fingers roamed lower, teasing, then pulled away.

"Sam."

She blinked away the image until Ian's face came into focus. "Sorry, what did you say?"
I was busy trying to finish what we started.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

Her eyes fell toward the table, trailing over the large, red box atop it. She reached for a piece of pizza, suppressing a laugh at how much it resembled the cardboard containing it. Before she could take her first bite, Ginger walked by, shook her sodden fur, spraying Sam from head to toe.

“Ugh. Thanks Gin, but I already took a shower!” she scolded, wiping the moisture off her face with the back of her hand. So much for smelling nice. She wondered if Ian liked the scent of wet dog.

Ian pushed himself away from the table. “Sorry, I was waiting for you to come out so I could grab a towel to dry her off,” he smirked as he walked to the bathroom. He stopped before he entered, flashing her the smile that melted her heart. "Maybe I should get you one, too.”

Yeah. Maybe he should. But only if it included a shower with him.

* * *

Ian grabbed two towels off the shelf as he was about to leave the bathroom, a glint of silver caught his eye. He turned to the sink, where there was a pendant attached to a chain. Ian picked it up, turning it over in his palm. The same Celtic knot he had given Sam on her eighteenth birthday. He'd kept the blue box tucked in his pocket. Hidden from her until just the right moment when they were alone. Her skin smooth and warm under his hands when he clasped it around her neck.

His fingers rubbed over the pattern. Each intricate weave of silver mirrored their intertwined souls. She swore she would never take it off. Then he kissed her. That same kiss that became their last. The one that shattered their happiness.

Until tonight.

"Ian, hurry up, your pizza's getting cold."

Not wanting her to know he found the necklace, Ian replaced it on the counter. A flash of movement in the mirror caught his eye. He spun around expecting to find Sam behind him, but was alone.

His gaze swung back to the mirror, reflecting his puzzled expression. Had he seen a remnant of the woman? Had she appeared to Sam again? His gut screamed a warning at him. Sam was keeping something from him. But only one question burned in his mind.

Why?

CHAPTER 10

Sam closed her laptop with a soft click. She placed it on the bed next to her and rubbed her eyes. The physical and emotional drain of the last few days began to weigh on her.

Ian's eyes remained on the T.V., engrossed in an old western. Or at least he pretended to be. She caught him glancing out the window, concern lining his face.

He hadn't said much through their meal. The strained silence forced her to do a mental retake of everything that happened. After ten minutes of a stilted conversation, she refocused on her computer, pretending to work. Pages of jumbled words littered her screen.

So much for getting any writing done.

"Are you expecting someone?" she asked, waving her hand toward the window.

It was a simple question, yet he hesitated. "No. Just checking for a break in the weather." He tipped his head toward the dog. "Figured Ginger might want to go for another walk."

Why the urgency? Ginger lay sprawled at the foot of the bed. The only running she planned to do was in her dreams.

Her phone rumbled on the dresser. Ian dragged his gaze from the parking lot to Sam, as she stood to answer it.

"What are you doing?"

With a backward glance, she replied, "Answering my phone." When he lifted an eyebrow she continued, "Don't worry, I won't give away our secret location."

Ian uncrossed his arms and leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees, ready to eavesdrop.

Scott's name flashed across the screen on her phone. She debated letting it go to voicemail. It was easy to lie in a text, but over the phone, he would hear the deception in her voice.

"Hello?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice steady.

"
Sam? Thank God, I've been losing my mind. Are you okay?"

"Scott, I'm fine. Really."

"Then why did you take off in such a hurry?"

Because she was the worst kind of friend. Glancing down at the pen near her laptop, she cursed herself for not leaving a note. "I'm sorry I worried you. I should have called. Jason had an emergency and needed me." Not a total lie. Her eyes drifted around the room, settling on Ian. His jaw set in anger, hands fisted on his knees.

"Tell me where you are. I'll get on the next plane and meet you."

The guilt knife twisted deeper, the lump in her throat nearly choked her. How could she lie to him when he was so concerned for her? "No…no. You don't need to meet me. Jason's fine. I'll be back before you have time to get out here."

"Well at least tell me where you are."

"I can't tell you." Sam held her breath, unsure of Scott's reaction. She ran her finger over the bedspread, wishing he would say something. When he didn't respond, she continued. "It's just that Jason didn't want me to tell anyone. I'm sorry, Scott."

"Are you in trouble?"

"No. It's nothing like that."

Another brief pause lingered before he exhaled a long breath. "I don't know what's going on, Sam, but I guess I have to trust you. Just promise me that if you need anything you'll call."

Relief flooded her body as she turned her back to the chair Ian sat in. "I promise."

"I love you Sam."

"Love you too."
She ended the call, letting the phone fall to her lap. Averting her gaze, she stared at the television. Tension rolled off of Ian in waves.

"So have you had one with him?"

Her eyes snapped to Ian's as her mouth opened in shock. Was he really asking her if she had sex with Scott? No…not sex…an orgasm.

"Wha…what do you mean?"

Ian leaned back against the chair, his eyes still locked with hers. "Have you had one with him?"

Awkward just reached a whole new level. How could he ask such a personal question? She leaned forward, pulling the bottle of beer out of his white knuckled grip. Holding it to her lips, she tipped the contents back, swallowing half of the bottle.

"No." Taking another swallow of beer, she bit out, "Not that it's any of your business."

Guns blazed on the television as two cowboys stood face to face in the middle of a dusty street. A showdown would be preferable to the questions being fired at her right now.

"So am I the only one you had one with? How about in the bathroom earlier?"

Dear God this was getting worse. How could he be so flippant? And what exactly did he think she was doing in the bathroom? Had he mistaken her cry of surprise as something else? Hiding the color creeping up her cheeks, she dropped her head, smoothing the creases out of
the dingy bedspread.

"How do you even know I had one?"

"Because I saw your face. You can't exactly lie about something like that."

Her face that once burned with embarrassment, now burned with anger. Tearing her eyes from the bed, she flashed them back at him. "How can you be so rude?"

Ian's steely gaze assessed her from head to toe. "I'm just trying to figure out what's going on here. This isn't a game."

"Well
, I never thought it was. I have feelings, you know. I'm not someone you can just use and toss aside."

"I never said that." His eyes narrowed as he sat up in his chair, causing the legs to creak under the sudden movement. "Wait a minute. That's not what I meant."

"No, you've made yourself perfectly clear."