With trembling hands, I did as I was told and handed it back to him.
“See you in about an hour.” He stood. Before he walked out, he turned. “I haven’t told you my name yet. It’s Jude, Jude Macknight.”
Blood rushed to my head and my lips parted. My knight in shining armor was no ordinary man. I hadn’t seen a photo of him before—since he was known to be a very private man—but I knew his name, read about him in the papers, heard him mentioned on TV. Jude Macknight was the owner of the Devine Luxury Hotels and Resorts that were spread out all over the country—including Serendipity—and abroad.
I had been on his property when he’d found me. A realization hit me. Maybe the reason he was helping me was to avoid a scandal.
CHAPTER TWO
A cramp wrung my intestines, causing just enough pain to wake me up. I opened my eyes and blinked several times, trying to focus. Where was I? My gaze took in the massive room, the heavy damask curtains, the ornate dresser with a white, flower-filled vase, the crystal teardrop chandelier. I inhaled deeply. The air smelled clean, light. Definitely not the stale air I was used to waking up to.
My heart started to thump as I turned to look at the pillow next to me. It had not been slept on.
Suddenly, the fog in my mind cleared and I remembered some of what had happened, remembered enough to send my pulse skittering. A shot of fear caused my head to spin and my vision to blur momentarily. I had not woken up from my worst nightmare.
Feeling dizzy, I slipped out of bed. I dropped my gaze and looked down at my dress, still stained with dry blood. Bile rose up my throat but I pressed it back down. My mind urged me to run to the bathroom, to empty my stomach of vomit. But my legs would never carry me that far. I was already swaying. I sank back down on the bed and just sat there staring at the window, watching the edges of the curtains glow from the early morning sunlight, a bright promise that it would be another perfect summer day. Just like yesterday had been, and the day before.
A few ragged breaths took the edge off the nausea, and I sighed.
It’s all right, Haley. Everything will be just fine.
Who was I fooling? My life as I knew it, was over, destroyed in one single night.
A knock on the door made me jump, the sudden movement shaking the contents of my mind. My head screamed as an unexpected headache slammed against my temples like two hammers trying to crack their way out.
Another knock.
I breathed in and pushed myself with difficulty to my feet, took a few steps forward until I reached the door. My fingers drifted over the doorknob and then stilled.
What if he had changed his mind? People did it all the time. They went to bed feeling one way and woke up feeling another. Yesterday he wanted to protect me. Today, he might want to kick me out of his house. I was a burden, even to myself. Who in their right mind would willingly take on the responsibility of taking care of a stranger who had done something unforgivable?
As I turned the knob, tears burned my eyes. If he told me to go, I’d be lost. I couldn’t go back to my life. Even though I had no recollection of some of the events that had transpired at the resort, I held the evidence on me, inside me. The life I thought I’d had, damaged as it had been, had been snatched away, leaving me with nothing to hold on to. Even though I had wanted to escape it before, right now, I wished I could have it all back. I wished for the chance to repair it as best I could. But it was too late. I was at the mercy of a man I didn’t even know.
He looked more handsome than he had last night. His face resembled a carving someone had taken great care to get just right. And his eyes were like two deep pools. They reminded me of a deep, dark lake that made me want to dive into it, but at the same time the fear of what lay beneath terrified me.
“Good morning,” he said in a voice that was both authoritative and gentle.
“Morning.” I brought my hands together, twisting them.
He studied my face for a long time, just as he had done last night. He probably couldn’t bring himself to tell me to go. I’d make it easy for him.
I dropped my head and bit my lip to hold back tears. “Thank you for letting me sleep in your home.” I wiped my eyes and looked up again. “I’m sure you changed your mind…about letting me stay.” I studied his face for signs of anything. His expression gave me nothing I could hold on to. No smile, no hope. But he didn’t look unkind either. I nodded. “I understand. I’ll go today. Can I…maybe wash my dress first?”
I wouldn’t stay long enough to let it dry. It would have to air dry on my body. This man had been kind enough to help me escape the resort without getting arrested. And he had given me shelter instead of calling the police.