“It’s good,” she murmured, absorbed by the sensation of their hands touching, and his thumb moving against her. She’d never known that holding someone’s hand could make her feel so much she might burst. She gave herself over to his ministrations. Their eyes locked. His were dark, and watched her with a fierce tenderness that had her heart flip-flopping in her chest.
He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. Then he let her go. Electricity danced over her skin where his lips had been, and she could still feel them there even as they got to their feet.
He cleared his throat. “We should head back.”
“You’re probably right.” She wasn’t in a good headspace to be getting close to anyone. But that didn’t stop her disappointment as he stepped away and started back down the track.
11
From his vantagepoint just outside the foyer, Tione watched Megan stand motionless in the parking lot. At any moment a car could hurtle down the drive and smack straight into her. What the hell was she doing?
She glanced over her shoulder and he ducked out of sight. It seemed like she was having some kind of breakdown—or breakthrough—and he didn’t want to end it prematurely. He counted to ten and peeked back around the corner. Perhaps it was his imagination, but he thought she’d moved closer to the driveway. She took a step forward, then another.
Finally, it clicked. She was trying to work up the courage to leave Sanctuary. It hadn’t escaped his notice that she hadn’t done so yet, except during their hike to the waterfall. She was acting like a fugitive, too afraid to venture from her hideout. She kept walking, all the way to the bridge that demarcated the edge of the property, then stopped. She seemed to be debating something internally, and he found himself holding his breath.
Come on,wahine. You can do this.Kia kaha, be strong.
But she turned away, stuffed her hands in her pockets, and headed back toward the lodge. Stepping out of the shadows, he gestured for her to stop, thinking quickly. If he let on that he’d been spying, there was no telling how she’d react.
“Hey, Megan.”
Her eyes met his, then slid to the side. “Hi, Tee. Have you been there long?”
He shook his head. “Nah. I’m about to head into town. Need to pick up some things from the minimart. Want to join me?”
She looked wistful. “I’d better not. I have other things to do.”
“Like what?”
She seemed taken aback by the question. Her spine stiffened and her arms folded protectively over her chest. “Just stuff. Nothing important.”
He leapt on that. “If it’s nothing important, then you won’t mind delaying for an hour.”
“But…” She trailed off, her cheeks pale.
Guilt squelched in his gut, but he kept pushing her. It was for her own good. “What are you afraid of?”
He didn’t think she’d answer, but she surprised him. “I’m scared he might be in the area. Or that Seeley will have shown everyone a picture and told them to call if they see me.” Her eyes glittered, and her voice rose. “I haven’t done anything wrong, but that bastard will have spun a good story, you can count on it.”
Who was the “he” she was talking about? The way she’d mentioned “him” first, and then Seeley James by name made him think they weren’t one and the same.
“It’s okay,” he said, gentling his tone. “I promise you that no one will give you up. Our people are loyal, and if they see you with me, they’ll have your back. The locals always trust each other over outsiders.” He offered her his hand, and she eyed it for a long moment before taking it. He pulled her closer, but not close enough to make her nervous. “They’ll protect you, and so will I, okay? If you leave Sanctuary with me, I swear that no one will lay a finger on you.”
“I don’t know…” She worried her lower lip. “It would be safer just to stay here.”
With his free hand, he tilted her chin up. “But that’s not what you want, is it? If it was, I wouldn’t have caught you trying to build up the courage to leave.”
Pink blossomed on her cheeks. “You saw that?”
He fudged the truth. “Only the tail end of it.” He could see he hadn’t swayed her, so he played his trump card. “We could bring Trevor.”
She softened, a smile flickering over her features. “That would be pretty great. You’d walk him though, right? I couldn’t keep him under control with my ribs the way they are.”
“Of course. I have a harness for him.” The dog was too strong for a regular leash. “Does this mean you’ll come?”
She took a deep breath and nodded, a determined slant to her mouth. “Yes. Let’s do this.”
* * *