his
arms around her and supporting her, hiding the room from her gaze.
It was nice to be held and rocked so gently and easily. After a minute
she opened her eyes and stared into his dark intent gaze. He rubbed
her cheek. 'Okay now?'
'I think so. Sorry about being so stupid.' She was shaky when she
stood back from him, but he kept his arm around her waist until she
sat carefully on the bed.
His face crinkled into a smile. 'If you don't stop saying you're sorry, I
may get violent!'
Sara laughed shakily, appreciating his effort. 'Sorry.' He growled.
As she looked around, the mess all over the floor brought the same
fear back again, and her mouth shook when she saw her favourite
blouse thrown into the corner, ripped in two. When she looked back
at Greg, her eyes reflected her hurt and fear and vulnerability. 'Why?'
she whispered. 'Why me? Why would someone want to do this? I
don't understand it.' She bent and picked up a broken piece of
ceramic near her ankle. It had been a hand-painted vase, picked up in
Mexico along with the coffee mugs. She said a little forlornly, 'It was
my favourite piece, too.'
Greg knelt at her side and looked for the other pieces, finding four
altogether. He concentrated briefly and looked up with an
encouraging smile. 'Maybe we can glue them together again. See, it
didn't shatter, and the jagged edges fit together perfectly.'
Seeing him at her feet, eager to comfort and reassure after being so
intense and huge and violent, made her smile involuntarily. 'We'll
try.' His hand came up and gripped her a moment, then fell away as
he stood up briskly. A trip to her half open closet had him pulling out
a suitcase and dumping it on the bed. She watched, eyes huge in her
exhausted face. He started to pull out clothes that were still hanging
up, dumping them in the open suitcase. 'What are you doing?'
He grinned. 'Favourite question for the evening, is it? I'm packing for
you, sweet Sara-Sue. You're going to come home with me.'
She didn't feel guilt or embarrassment at this, perhaps because she
was so tired. Instead, she felt suffused with an intense relief. 'Oh,' she
sighed, 'can I?' It earned her a quick kiss on the forehead.
'Just try and stop it.' Greg looked around the room assessingly, and a
slightly puzzled expression puckered his eyes. 'How did you manage
to get out of the house, if you were all the way down at this end of
the hall, and the front and back doors at the other end of the house?'
She stood and went to the window, pulling back the curtains to show
him the unlatched side. 'I was lucky. There wasn't a screen on the
window, and I just slipped outside.' With a finger, she showed how
easily and silently it swung open, then she closed and latched it again
with a shudder.
Greg had watched her with a frown. 'Well,' he muttered, 'that's
something we can thank your landlord for, although normally I'd
chew him out for not properly covering the windows. Funny, isn't it?'
He ran an eye quickly down her, and she looked down at herself at
that. The dressing gown looked dirty, and the bedraggled nightdress
peeped out from underneath. 'You might like to put on jeans or
something until we get back. It looks like your nightgown has just
about had it for the night.'
She chuckled wryly. 'I see what you mean. It's so cold out, I'd
appreciate something warmer, anyway.'
He was walking towards the door and paused. 'How long do you
think it will take you to finish packing?'
Sara glanced at the mess he had made of things. 'Maybe fifteen
minutes?'
'I'm going to check out the rest of the house while you dress and
pack. Don't shut the door all the way, all right? Yell if you need
anything. I'll be just a call away.'
A call away. It sounded nice. She gave him a sweet smile before he
left, causing him to stop and stare at her with an unreadable
expression. She turned and, shivering slightly, twitched the curtains
closed, blocking out that black night. Alone, she
arms around her and supporting her, hiding the room from her gaze.
It was nice to be held and rocked so gently and easily. After a minute
she opened her eyes and stared into his dark intent gaze. He rubbed
her cheek. 'Okay now?'
'I think so. Sorry about being so stupid.' She was shaky when she
stood back from him, but he kept his arm around her waist until she
sat carefully on the bed.
His face crinkled into a smile. 'If you don't stop saying you're sorry, I
may get violent!'
Sara laughed shakily, appreciating his effort. 'Sorry.' He growled.
As she looked around, the mess all over the floor brought the same
fear back again, and her mouth shook when she saw her favourite
blouse thrown into the corner, ripped in two. When she looked back
at Greg, her eyes reflected her hurt and fear and vulnerability. 'Why?'
she whispered. 'Why me? Why would someone want to do this? I
don't understand it.' She bent and picked up a broken piece of
ceramic near her ankle. It had been a hand-painted vase, picked up in
Mexico along with the coffee mugs. She said a little forlornly, 'It was
my favourite piece, too.'
Greg knelt at her side and looked for the other pieces, finding four
altogether. He concentrated briefly and looked up with an
encouraging smile. 'Maybe we can glue them together again. See, it
didn't shatter, and the jagged edges fit together perfectly.'
Seeing him at her feet, eager to comfort and reassure after being so
intense and huge and violent, made her smile involuntarily. 'We'll
try.' His hand came up and gripped her a moment, then fell away as
he stood up briskly. A trip to her half open closet had him pulling out
a suitcase and dumping it on the bed. She watched, eyes huge in her
exhausted face. He started to pull out clothes that were still hanging
up, dumping them in the open suitcase. 'What are you doing?'
He grinned. 'Favourite question for the evening, is it? I'm packing for
you, sweet Sara-Sue. You're going to come home with me.'
She didn't feel guilt or embarrassment at this, perhaps because she
was so tired. Instead, she felt suffused with an intense relief. 'Oh,' she
sighed, 'can I?' It earned her a quick kiss on the forehead.
'Just try and stop it.' Greg looked around the room assessingly, and a
slightly puzzled expression puckered his eyes. 'How did you manage
to get out of the house, if you were all the way down at this end of
the hall, and the front and back doors at the other end of the house?'
She stood and went to the window, pulling back the curtains to show
him the unlatched side. 'I was lucky. There wasn't a screen on the
window, and I just slipped outside.' With a finger, she showed how
easily and silently it swung open, then she closed and latched it again
with a shudder.
Greg had watched her with a frown. 'Well,' he muttered, 'that's
something we can thank your landlord for, although normally I'd
chew him out for not properly covering the windows. Funny, isn't it?'
He ran an eye quickly down her, and she looked down at herself at
that. The dressing gown looked dirty, and the bedraggled nightdress
peeped out from underneath. 'You might like to put on jeans or
something until we get back. It looks like your nightgown has just
about had it for the night.'
She chuckled wryly. 'I see what you mean. It's so cold out, I'd
appreciate something warmer, anyway.'
He was walking towards the door and paused. 'How long do you
think it will take you to finish packing?'
Sara glanced at the mess he had made of things. 'Maybe fifteen
minutes?'
'I'm going to check out the rest of the house while you dress and
pack. Don't shut the door all the way, all right? Yell if you need
anything. I'll be just a call away.'
A call away. It sounded nice. She gave him a sweet smile before he
left, causing him to stop and stare at her with an unreadable
expression. She turned and, shivering slightly, twitched the curtains
closed, blocking out that black night. Alone, she
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