He was tired, more tired than he wanted to admit. And it would drain him even more to look now. But she needed him to. Not in here, he thought. There was too much interference in here, too many sad stories in this sad little room.

“I have to go outside. Leave me alone for a minute.”

She just nodded, and he left her. Time passed, and she was relieved to find that the need to cry went with it.

Mel didn’t see tears as weak, particularly. She saw them as useless.

So her eyes were dry when Sebastian came back into the room.

She thought he looked pale, and suddenly tired. Odd that she hadn’t noticed the fatigue around his eyes a few moments ago.

Then again, she reminded herself, she hadn’t been looking at him very carefully.

She did so now, and because she did she felt compelled to rise and go to him. Perhaps the lack of roots and family had made her a person wary of outward displays of affection. She’d never been a toucher, but she reached out now, taking both his hands in hers.

“You look like you need the bed more than I do. Why don’t you sack out for an hour? Then we’ll figure out what to do next.”

He didn’t answer, only turned her hands over and stared at her palms. Would she believe how many things he could see there?

“Tough shells aren’t necessarily thick ones,” he said quietly, lifting his gaze to hers. “You’ve got a soft center, Mel. It’s very attractive.”

Then he did something that left her both shaken and speechless. He lifted her hands to his lips. No one had ever done that before, and she discovered that what she’d assumed was a silly affectation was both moving and seductive.

“He’s in a place called Forest Park, a suburb a little south of Atlanta.”

Her fingers tightened on his, then relaxed. If she had never taken anything in her life on faith before, she would take this.

“Stretch out on the bed.” Her voice was brisk, her hands firm, as she nudged him over to it. “I’m going to call the FBI and the nearest airport.”

Chapter 6

She slept like a stone. Sebastian sipped a little more wine, kicked back in his chair and watched Mel. She was stretched out on the sofa across from him in the main cabin of his private plane. She hadn’t argued when he’d suggested having his pilot fly to Utah to pick them up for the trip east. She’d simply nodded distractedly and continued to scribble notes in her ever-present pad.