I blinked and squinted. “You thought right.”
He sat on the edge of the bed. He was wearing jeans and a soft white T-shirt with Vipers written in small red stitching over his left chest muscle. His biceps bulged from beneath the sleeves and I wondered if he had to have clothes specially made to accommodate those damn fine muscles of his.
“Will you be here when I get back about three?” he asked.
“I should go home and check a few things, grab my laptop, but yes, I could be back just after three.”
His face broke into a wide smile. “Great,” he said, dropping a kiss to my cheek. “And then we’ll have a special celebration.”
“I think we celebrated in a pretty special way last night, don’t you?”
“Oh yeah, that was something else. But today, baby, is my birthday and you, quite honestly, are the best present I could have ever wished for.”
I took my time in Rick’s huge shower, letting the piping-hot water rain down on my body and happily remembering the way he’d made me forget everything last night, including my own name.
But despite waking up feeling sated, there was an edge to my libido again that would soon require satisfying. He’d well and truly awakened a part of me that was craving attention.
His attention.
Finally stepping out, I dressed in the clothes I’d worn the day before, thoroughly looking forward to three o’clock and celebrating his birthday.
He’d left a note with instructions on setting the alarm and soon I was heading down the freeway, weaving through traffic and singing along to a summer tune playing on the radio. Mentally I went through my underwear drawer. I had some new pieces from a recent shopping spree and a pretty satin white set came to mind. I had a feeling he would like that, white went nice against my olive skin.
Letting myself into my house, I kicked off my heels and set my purse on the table. As usual, I checked my messages. One from a client and one from Maddie—she was still having trouble with the zoo. I hit delete, I’d deal with it tomorrow. Today was definitely not a day for worrying about elephant bedtimes.
Quickly rummaging through my card drawer, I found one for Rick and dropped it next to my purse. It wasn’t ideal but I guessed he wouldn’t be looking at it much. I wondered if I had some white ribbon. Perhaps I could wrap it around myself and tie a big bow at the front, deliver myself as his gift. Smiling at the thought, I wandered into my bedroom, intent on a serious rummage through my underwear drawer.
I stopped in my tracks.
Lying on the bed was a large photograph.
It was a shot of me from the waist up.
Recent.
It was taken outside my office. I was wearing my new pale-blue cardigan.
Where the hell did that come from?
On weak legs, I walked over and picked it up.
My stomach clenched and an anguished cry left my lips as panic surged through my veins. The photo drifted to the bed and I clutched my stomach in an effort to prevent the overwhelming urge to vomit.
She’d been here. In my house.
The breath in my lungs froze. My heart somersaulted in my chest. My stomach continued to clench painfully.
I wanted to scream but it was as though I was paralyzed and stuck staring at the photograph. At the photograph of me with a crudely drawn bullet hole in the center of my forehead and a spray of red scribbled behind my hair. Scrawled across the base of the picture in the same scarlet pen used for the blood were the words, He’s mine, stay away.
Oh my god! What was I going to do?
She’d followed me, taken pictures of me. She’d been in my house. Rick’s crazy stalker woman had been here, in my space, in my territory. Was she still here? I had no way of knowing and I wasn’t about to hang around and find out. I had to get out of there. Adrenaline injected my system, fight or flight. Flight definitely won out.
Forcing myself to move, I stumbled back out into the hallway. Every breath I took, every step was an agony of wondering if she was about to jump out at me, shoot me between the eyes, splatter my brains behind me.
Heart pounding like a jackhammer, I snatched up my car keys, threw open the front door and dashed toward my car. As I bolted down the pathway, slices of terror pierced my heart, fear raked at my soul. Was she waiting for me to flee the house then shoot me? The still air buzzed with menace. The heat of the sun burned like a million flames. All I could think of was getting to my car. It was a haven, it was safety—of sorts.
I jumped in and locked all the doors, rammed it into gear and sped away. My shaking legs would barely work the pedals, my eyes could hardly focus. Just missing a cyclist, I eventually pulled over and rummaged for my cell.
Rick. I had to speak to Rick.
He answered on the fourth ring.