Page 27 of Desire Me
“And don’t you find that odd?” Elliot mused aloud. “Even the most safety-conscious woman will slip occasionally, a name, a hint of a location, something on her person. Rae gave you absolutely nothing to work with—you wouldn’t miss it if she had, not with your experience.”
Saint sat, letting the implication of Elliot’s point rise to the surface. “You think there was more to it than just being cautious with a first date.”
“I think she had something to hide from someone besides you. And I should know.”
Elliot had spent most of her life hiding, even lying to her team until just recently.
“You think she’s on the run?” King asked.
It was Dain who answered. “We can’t know for certain, not yet.” He ran a hand over the Mohawk riding the ridge of his otherwise shaved head, thinking. “But I think it’s something we definitely need to take into consideration. It might also explain why you had so much trouble finding her, because if she’s on the run, Rae may not be her actual name. May be close to her name, or a portion of her name, but not her actual name.”
The thought startled Saint, although it shouldn’t. It explained so much—and hurt somewhere deep inside that he didn’t want to acknowledge right now, in front of his friends.
Dain’s dark eyes pinned Saint again. “Second question.”
He refused to squirm under Dain’s scrutiny. Whatever the question was, he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like it.
“Do you love her?”
Of course Dain would ask. The man who’d been married for almost eleven years to the love of his life. The man who had almost lost the love of his life just a few short months ago. But Saint had known Rae for a week, had spent only two days in her actual presence. Still his answer came out with no hesitation.
“I want her. Ineedher, Dain.” And not just physically. But that’s all he would admit to, for right now at least.
Dain stared him down so long Saint thought he wouldn’t accept the answer, but finally he nodded. “Okay.”
“Saint,” King interrupted, “you told her you were living together. What happens when she’s released from the hospital?”
“She’ll come home with me.”
“And how do you intend to pull that off?” Dain asked.
Saint sought out the only female in the room. “I was hoping Elliot would help me.”
Elliot shrugged. “Hey, I can buy girlie shampoo and find some clothes that will probably fit, but that doesn’t mean it will be her style of clothes or the scent she likes.”
“Coconut,” he said, remembering the scent that had filled his nose as he’d held her close, her hair in his face.
“Coconut?” Elliot’s tone held the faintest sneer.
“We can’t all prefer Dial,” King joked.
Elliot shifted defensively in her seat. “Hey, Deacon has expanded my horizons.”
“More like Sydney has.” Elliot’s stepdaughter-to-be loved girlie things, including nail polish, all things pink, and bubbles with fruity scents. “Strawberry, I believe.”
“At least it’s not coconut,” Elliot muttered.
“The point is”—Dain raised his voice to cut through their bullshit—“thingsare not going to cut it. Living with a woman involves a lot more than that, and you’ve never lived with a woman.”
“I have four fucking sisters, bro!”
“But Deacon’s right,” King said. “It’s not the same. And that’s not even the most important thing.”
“What is?” What could be more important than getting Rae home?
“We lost her attacker last night.”
Shit. King was right. In the overwhelming reality of finding Rae, he hadn’t forgotten that she was in danger, but he had forgotten one very important detail. “Her accident was right near my apartment.” Saint narrowed his eyes on his teammate. “You think whoever this was followed us that night.”
