That feeling that something was wrong writhed in her gut, insistent and demanding. Wherever Ashley was, she was in trouble, and it was getting worse by the day.
Elise washed her hands at the sink and splashed water on her face, wishing she knew where to go from here. All she wanted was to find Ashley and get her back home, safe and sound. For the first time in her life, she understood why her mother had been so overprotective.
If Elise had the choice, Ashley would never leave her house again. She’d have armed guards posted at all the doors, and no one would get in her home without a background check and security clearance.
Talk about repeating her parents’ mistakes. Even her and Ashley’s carefully controlled lives had been less restrictive.
Elise let out a long sigh and had to bite back the sob that threatened to rise up out of her. She needed to get a grip. Seeing that body had rattled her, but she couldn’t let it continue to do so. She had to push it from her mind so she could move forward. Keep searching.
Ashley was not going to end up like that woman, not while Elise still drew breath.
Trent was sprawled on the far bed, his long body stretched out on top of the bedspread. His tight shirt clung to his torso, revealing muscles that not even the relaxation of sleep could diminish. His face was softer, though. More intriguing. Light from the bathroom shadowed his jaw and accentuated the angular line of his cheekbones.
Elise stepped closer to his bed and watched him, feeling all the tight, worried places inside her start to loosen up. There was something about him that made her feel stronger, safer. Maybe it was the way he helped her keep going despite her consuming fear for Ashley. Maybe it was simply that he was the only one who’d stepped up to help her, been there for her. Maybe it was the fact that he seemed completely capable of handling whatever came their way.
Even asleep he looked invincible. She had no idea why he’d decided to help her like this, but she was grateful he was here. She didn’t think she would have made it through the past few hours without him at her side, supporting her.
Under different circumstances, she could fall for a man like Trent. Hard.
Maybe after they found Ashley.
If they found Ashley.
No. Elise wasn’t going to go there. Not yet. There were still things she needed to do to help the police find her sister. She wasn’t sure exactly what those were yet, but she had a long drive back to Haven to figure them out.
Trent would help her, too. She trusted his guidance and judgment.
“Are you going to stand there and stare at me all night?” he asked in a quiet voice.
“Sorry. Did I wake you?”
“I was just dozing.” He pushed himself up on the bed, making dozens of muscles bunch. What she wouldn’t give to have half his strength right now.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Better. Sorry I freaked out on you like that.”
“It was completely understandable.”
She sat down on the edge of her bed, giving him some space. “Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“Running off in the middle of the night with a near stranger to ID a body.”
He let out a big yawn. “You needed me,” he said, as if that was a complete explanation.
“You don’t even know me.”
“I know Ashley. Isn’t that enough?”
Maybe for him it was, but for other people, she didn’t think so. “I want to go back as soon as you’re ready.”
He glanced at the bedside clock. “You should try to get some more sleep.”
“I don’t think I can. I need to
do
something. I can’t just sit around and wait for another call that a body’s been found.”
Trent nodded and rubbed his eyes. “I understand, but I also don’t want us to crash the car on the way back because neither of us is awake enough to drive.”
“I’m fine.”
“You slept for three hours. From the looks of the circles under your eyes, my guess is that you haven’t slept since you left Hong Kong.”
“I slept on the plane.”
“Sunday night. It’s Tuesday. Granted, just barely, but still, you’d be foolish to drive, and I’d be an idiot to get in the car with you.”
“I need to get back.”
“Why? Bob has your cell number, and mine. He can reach us if he hears anything.”
“There has to be some clue that I missed—something to tell me where to find her.”
“Now you’re just grasping at straws. I get that you want to do something proactive, but there isn’t a whole lot left you
can
do.”
“I’ll put up flyers, start a Web site, launch an e-mail campaign. Someone somewhere has to know where she is.”
Trent came and sat down beside her. The mattress dipped under his weight. He took her hand in his and laced his fingers through hers. The comfort of human contact radiated out from that touch, helping to calm her frantic nerves. His thumb stroked the back of her hand. “Do those things if it makes you feel better, but you have to be realistic. We already know she left the bar with some guy. The police know it, too. I talked to Bob and he said he’d send one of their artists to get a composite sketch from the man you talked to at Sally’s. In the meantime, they’re searching all the security footage from the bar. Let the police work this angle. Give them a few hours to do their job.”
“It’s not enough.”
“It’s going to have to be. I know you feel helpless, but you’re just going to have to deal with that the best you can. You can’t control this situation. These kinds of things happen
to
you, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”
“Are you speaking from experience?”
He looked away from her, turning his head so that it was hard to read his expression. “I was a cop. I saw a lot of people in a lot of bad situations. The ones who came through it best were the ones who accepted that they were not in control. They took things in stride, did what they could, and let go of the rest. That’s what you need to do here. Let go. Take care of yourself. If Ashley is hurt when they find her, or even if she’s just scared, she’s going to need you to be there for her. You need to stay strong.”
“I’m fine.”
“No. You’re not. You need to sleep, just for a few more hours. Let your body recover from the strain you’re putting on it.”
He was right, but what he was asking—letting go—was a lot harder to do than it was to say.
“I dreamed about her,” whispered Elise.
Trent squeezed her hand. “Do you want to tell me about it?”
“No. I just don’t want it to happen again.”
“I could go get you something to help you sleep,” he offered.
Elise shook her head. “I don’t want to do that. I want to be alert if Bob calls.”
Trent nodded. “Is there anything else I can do? Anything you need?”
She gathered up her courage. She knew what she needed, even though she knew it would bruise her pride to admit it. “I don’t want to feel alone. Having you near me helps.” His touch helped calm her, but she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable by telling him so. “You’ve already done so much for me, and I hate asking . . .”
“Just ask, Elise. I want to help.”
She forced the words out, knowing it was the only way she was going to make it through the night. “Do you think you could hold me, just for a while?”
He hesitated for a long moment, so long she was sure he was going to turn her down. For all she knew, he was in a committed relationship. His girlfriend certainly wouldn’t appreciate him holding another woman in a motel room.
“Sure,” he finally said. “I’d like that.”
Trent had overestimated the width of his heroic streak. He never should have agreed to sleep with her, no matter how vulnerable and fragile she looked. But he had, and now he was stuck in the lovely position of physically comforting an alluring woman in need.
The comforting part he could handle. He understood exactly why she would need to not feel alone right now. It was the part where he remembered why he shouldn’t seduce her that was starting to elude him.
Elise had fallen asleep about ten minutes ago. He felt the shift in her breathing, felt her fingers loosen their tight hold on his arm. Her chest expanded, pressing her breast against his side, and all he could think about was how he promised himself that if he ever got to feel that again, he’d take the time to enjoy it.
Too bad his tense muscles and throbbing erection kept him from enjoying much of anything.
The woman turned him on, and if that didn’t make him a total ass, he didn’t know what would. Just thinking about her in a sexual way was taking advantage of her. She was in a vulnerable mental state, not thinking rationally. She was all relaxed and sleepy, and totally trusting of him. It wouldn’t have taken any effort at all to seduce her.
Hell, he could literally do it with his eyes shut.
Trent kept his eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. He wasn’t going to touch her—at least not like he wanted to. He was not going to be the asshole who took advantage of a woman in need.
And then, when the sun came up, and his dick was still safely in his jeans, he’d congratulate himself on a job well done. Maybe he’d even go and buy himself that motorcycle he had his eyes on.
He’d sure as hell deserve it.
Elise shifted, curling into his side more closely. Her cheek was pillowed on his shoulder and her fingers were splayed over his abdomen. Every bit of her fit against him just right, making him grit his teeth against the urge to pull her even closer. Instead, he kept his hands to himself, balled into fists so he wouldn’t accidentally forget and start touching her.
He knew for sure that if he started touching her, he wouldn’t stop until she’d come, and he was the lowest form of scum on the face of the planet.
The happiest, lowest form of scum on the face of the planet.
E
lise pulled into Ashley’s driveway just before nine. Trent had slept most of the way back, giving her quiet time to think, which wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
At least she now had some idea of what she needed to do next. After printing up flyers and finding someone to get a Web site up and running fast, she was going to go through Ashley’s house, looking for address books, phone numbers, names, and anything else she could find that might help her locate the mystery man. Then, she was going to head over to campus to talk to Ashley’s friends and see if any of them knew who he was.
Maybe the cops were already working on that angle, but she could help.
Having a plan made her feel better, as had the few hours of sleep she’d been able to find in Trent’s arms. Whatever it was about him that made her feel stronger had also managed to replace the nightmares with something pleasant. She’d dreamed about Ashley as a little girl, covered in finger paint and chasing the bubbles Elise had blown for her. Ashley was smiling and happy, a carefree spirit going whichever way the wind blew.
The memory gave Elise the strength to keep going, to face another day of uncertainty and fear for her sister. She had Trent to thank for that.
She put her hand on his shoulder. “We’re back.”
He straightened and stretched his long body, filling the space next to her. He blinked a few times to clear his eyes, then looked at the clock. “I have to go to work, but I’ll make time for breakfast if you want some.”
“Thanks, but I’m going to get to work, too.”
“Are you sure? You had a pretty rough night.” He reached over to caress her cheek. He wouldn’t have done that yesterday. She wouldn’t have let him. But today was different. He’d spent hours touching her last night, which, somehow, gave him the right to keep doing so.
Elise leaned into his touch, soaking up the comfort it brought her. “I’m sure. I need to keep looking for her.”
“You’re not going to do anything dangerous, are you?”
“I’ll be careful.”
He nodded. “You’ve got my cell number. Promise you’ll call if you need anything.”
“I will.”
He got out of the car and jogged across the street to his house. Elise watched him go, appreciating the view and the pleasant distraction it gave her. It had been more than a year since she’d taken a lover. She’d chosen, instead, to focus on her work. But Trent was making her think about taking another one. He was kind, caring. Not to mention gorgeous. She could see herself getting swept away by a guy like him, just for a little while.
Elise was sure that after a few days in his bed, she’d be able to go another year without sex.
Maybe after they found Ashley, that’s what she’d do.
Once he was inside, she was able to stop staring and unlock the door. After a quick shower and a cup of coffee, she got to work.
It was noon by the time Elise had gone through all of Ashley’s recent e-mail, and her e-mail address book. Most of the entries were merely online names and meant nothing—none of them screamed “Abductor of Women.” Elise drafted a letter explaining what had happened to Ashley, and e-mailed it to every one of them, asking them to please pass it along to whomever they could. After that, it was time to make the flyer she’d post on campus later today.