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SHOVING THE REST OF her things into her straw tote bag, Everly grabbed both it and her purse. She still couldn’t figure out where her missing dress, bra, and panties had gone. Each of the bloggers had a separate dressing section in the tent, and she didn’t think the other girls would go through her things. They had their own gorgeous clothes to wear, and they’d been busy nonstop today.
She reached into her purse for her phone and then remembered she didn’t have one yet. They’d have to stop by Ace’s house to pick up her new one. He should’ve transferred everything she needed over by now. Actually, Mark might just drop her off there anyway. She’d stayed with Mark last night, but all of her belongings were still in the guest room at Ace’s. Although Mark had asked her to stay here in San Diego a while longer, they hadn’t actually discussed specifics, like where she’d sleep tonight.
That kiss on the pier earlier had been sizzling. He hadn’t hesitated, hadn’t held anything back. Mark had moved in and claimed her mouth with his own. And when he’d said in that low tone that he’d make her his?
A delicious shiver snaked down her spine.
She felt safe with Mark but loved the assertive side of him. He had no qualms about letting Everly know that he wanted her. He was respectful, but wow. He was also gruff and take-charge in a way that almost made her panties melt. Surprisingly, that didn’t scare her. She loved knowing that he’d take care of her—both in and out of the bedroom. No doubt he was more experienced than her, but she loved the idea of Mark’s hands and mouth eventually exploring her entire body.
Everly took one last quick glance around and then strode toward the tent opening, a smile playing on her lips. She still didn’t know what had happened to her things, but Mark was about to take her home. They’d been rushing around all day, and she was looking forward to spending some quiet time alone with him. She didn’t want to presume they’d go hang out at his apartment, but he’d stuck around for the entire day, hadn’t he? She didn’t think he’d drop her off at Ace’s house and disappear.
Pushing open the tent flap, she nearly jumped in surprise as she saw Mark rushing toward her.
“Everly,” Mark said, his voice urgent. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, why? Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked, looking up at him in confusion.
Mark was on-edge, clearly agitated about something. His entire body was tense, his fists clenched. “I just got off the phone with Ace.” He scanned the area, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he took the tote bag from her. “Did anyone come into the tent while I was gone?”
“What? No. Of course not. What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain when we get to the car,” he said. “Trigger’s looking around some more. I never found those worthless security guys either. I want to question them, but I’ll let Trigger handle it. We should go.”
“Did something bad happen?” she asked, her chest beginning to tighten. Mark was starting to scare her. He was looking around like he expected someone to jump out at them. He was holding her tote bag though, not a weapon, so they couldn’t have been in immediate danger. Why was he suddenly so worked up?
A minute later, he was helping her into his large SUV. Mark blocked the passenger side from anyone possibly trying to see in with his large frame. He reached across her to fasten her seatbelt, checking it after it clicked into place. She still wasn’t sure what was happening or why he was acting so protective of her. Mark closed the door and rounded the front of his vehicle, climbing in and starting the engine. “Ace just called me,” he said without any preamble. “The guy stalking you texted your old cell phone again.”
“What’d the text say?” she asked, nervously swallowing.
Mark leveled her with a gaze. “They were pictures, Ev. One was you on the pier, posing earlier today.”
Surprise washed over her. She’d been having fun today, feeling safe as the day went on with both Mark and Tyler there. Her palms began to sweat, and her heart raced as everything began to sink in. This guy had been watching her. He’d been lurking in the background taking her photo. Mark had said pictures, as in plural, though. There was something he wasn’t telling her. “And the other picture?” she croaked.
“It was your missing panties,” he growled. “We thought it might just be a sick joke, but he took a picture of your driver’s license, too. He was holding them both, presumably to prove they were yours and he was inside the tent where you’d been changing.”
“My wallet. That’s why my purse was on the floor. Shit. Now he knows my address.”
Mark pressed his lips together, nodding.
“And he was inside the changing area?” She shuddered. “That’s so creepy and...violating. He stole my underwear? Gross.”
“It looks that way. Is your license in your wallet?”
She grabbed her purse and pulled out her wallet, quickly checking. “It’s here now, so he put it back. Oh! Maybe we can get fingerprints. Shoot. I just touched my purse and wallet though. Oh my God. Would the police even fingerprint that?”
“He was wearing gloves, Ev. I can’t believe no one noticed him though. It has to be someone involved in the photoshoot. Or a friend of someone there. No one could’ve snuck in unassisted, especially into the dressing area. The set was closed off, the tents had the security guys nearby. Somehow, he got in there though.”
“Did the texts say anything? Or were they just pictures of me?”
“He sent a few messages, too. It doesn’t matter. We’ll go to the police again. He stole your dress and belongings, so they’ll take a report. I’ll fill them in. How about I just get you home for now.”
Something wasn’t sitting right with her. She knew that Mark wasn’t telling her everything. After all the lewd messages this creep had sent? It had to be something bad. “But what did the texts say?” she pressed.
Mark shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. That’s why Ace held onto your cell phone and Trigger got you a new one. You don’t need to see that shit.”
Everly took a deep breath and looked at him. “Mark, I want to know. If this jerk is threatening me, I deserve to know what it said. You know that.”
He reached over and took her hand, squeezing gently. Everly stared down at their joined hands, watching as Mark’s thumb softly caressed her skin. She could see the veins on his muscular hand, and she felt so small and almost helpless compared to him. He didn’t like that this asshole had been there watching her. That much was obvious. “It was just more gross bullshit, Ev. He said the next time he took a picture of your panties, it would be after he ripped them off you.”
Gasping in surprise, she pulled back her hand, choking out a sob.
“Hey,” he said, reaching across the console and pulling her into an awkward embrace. “I’ll keep you safe. You know that, right? This bastard isn’t going to touch you.”
“But he was there. He went through my things and touched my stuff.” Tears streamed down her cheeks and she shuddered in Mark’s arms.
“I’m going to take you home,” he said. “Back to my place. I’ll get one of the guys to bring over some of your clothes and your new cell phone. We don’t need to stay around this set any longer. Hell, he could still be here, somewhere. Trigger will handle things tonight and talk to the police about the stolen items. Let’s get out of here.”
“Okay,” she whispered, clutching onto his bicep with one hand as she tried swiping her tears away with the other. Mark was so strong—so calm. She felt like she was breaking into a million little pieces, completely shattering apart. When would this creep leave her alone?
Mark brushed some of her hair back that had fallen free, his large hand palming her face. The look he was giving her right now made her want to cry harder. His tenderness shouldn’t have been a surprise. Last weekend on the beach, he’d been oh so careful with her, too.
She nodded tearfully at him. “Let’s go home.”
***
EVERLY TWISTED AND turned, tangled in the sheets later that night. She was hot and sweaty, her heart racing. Someone had been chasing her down the street in the dark. They were yelling at her as they ran, getting closer and closer. Loud footsteps sounded behind her, and she stumbled, trying to get away.
You’re mine, princess.
Mine.
You just don’t know it yet.
I’m going to photograph all of you.
Take off your clothes.
She cried out in her sleep, finally waking up, gasping. For a moment, she couldn’t even remember where she was, and it hurt to breathe. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she choked and shook, trying to catch her breath. Her chest hurt, like it was getting tighter, and she couldn’t get enough air. Her heart raced, and even as she told herself to calm down, that it had been a bad dream, she couldn’t.
“Everly.” Mark’s deep timbre came across the dark room.
A low light turned on, and then Mark was crossing toward her, sinking down onto the bed at her side. He had on a soft, worn tee shirt and boxer shorts, and without a word, he gathered her into his arms, his body heat seeping into hers.
She babbled incoherently, trying to tell him what was wrong.
“Just breathe, Ev. Just breathe. It was a bad dream. I’ve got you.”
Pulling her close, he lay them back down on the bed, wrapping his body around hers. Strong arms crossed her chest, holding her tightly. She was still gasping, struggling for air. “You’re okay. You’re safe,” he murmured. Slowly, her panic began to recede. Her breathing slowed closer to normal, and Mark continued murmuring low words in her ear.
Everly wasn’t sure how long they lay there in Mark’s bed with him holding her. It felt like it took forever for her heartrate to slow and the tightening of her chest to ease. Her face was wet with silent tears that kept streaming down her cheeks, and Mark kissed the top of her head.
She felt like a basket-case, unable to control her emotions. Even with him here holding her, she cried. Finally, she took a deep breath when the worst of her anxiety attack was over, feeling cleansed somehow. She’d cried hard and been nearly hysterical, but she was okay. Mark had held her together.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked in a low voice.
She turned her face to the side, burying it into the pillow as she took a deep breath. His legs shifted, the hair on them tickling her bare skin. It was intimate to be lying together in his bed like this. She had on her tank top and sleep shorts—no bra. No panties. She felt safe though with him behind her, cocooning her body with his larger one. His groin was nestled against her ass, but that didn’t frighten her either. This was Mark. She knew instinctively that he’d never hurt her, and he’d shown her with his words and actions many times over that he cared.
“It was him,” she finally said. “I dreamt he was chasing me. I couldn’t even see his face—just heard some scary man running after me in the dark. He was telling me I was his and didn’t know it.”
Mark blew out an irritated sigh. “I hate that he’s scaring you. We’re going to find him, Ev. Believe it or not, his sending us those photos from today was pretty damn stupid. It was a closed set. I already had collected a list of people working there when we first arrived. I gave it to Ace, and he’s cross-referencing that with the names of followers you blocked. The names on social media could very well be faked, but it’s a start. The businesses around the area have cameras—surveillance. The photographers at the photoshoot today have endless pictures. Even those other bloggers were snapping selfies left and right. We probably have him on camera. He wanted to taunt us—to taunt you. It was a dumb move though. All he did was help to narrow down who he could be. He was either working there today or knows someone who was and gave him access.”
“You really think so?”
“There was security there, Ev. Trigger and I were walking around. It was a closed set, and only people on the list got through. We have a record of everyone who was supposed to be there. If someone snuck in, they had help. We’ll narrow it down and find this fucker.”
She let out a shaky breath, and Mark nuzzled against the back of her head. “I hate that this asshole is scaring you, and I hate that you have another photoshoot tomorrow.”
“You guys have training, right?”
“Yep. I’ll take you to the warehouse in the morning though and have a word with security. I don’t think this asshole will be dumb enough to sneak in again. After he sent those texts to your phone, he knows we’ll be looking for him. Trigger had the police there earlier taking the report. Everyone will be extra vigilant tomorrow.”
She let out a sigh. “Yeah. Okay.”
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“I feel better now that you’re here. I like you holding me,” she admitted.
“I like it, too. Maybe too much. I can go back and sleep on the sofa though if you’d feel more comfortable that way.”
“No. Will you stay with me tonight?”
“Yes, but only if you want me to. I’m fine with crashing on the sofa for as long as you want. I do like having you here in my bed though, in my space. I’m fine with just holding you, Ev. I wouldn’t ever push things further until you were ready.”
She laughed softly, her breasts pressing up against the cage of his arms. She loved Mark holding her tightly like this. “I’m pretty sure my brother saw us kissing earlier. At least he wasn’t telling me to stay away from you anymore.”
“I get that he’s protective of you, because I feel that way, too. I want to keep you safe, Everly. I mean, I like you in a different way than your brother does,” he added with a low chuckle. “Ever since I saw you on the beach, I can’t stop thinking about you. Meeting a woman was the furthest thing from my mind, but there you were.”
“Well, I flipped out and panicked when we were heading to the ambulance because I was scared I’d never see you again,” she said, blushing. “It didn’t make sense given that we didn’t even know each other. You saved me and made me feel safe from the moment I woke up on the sand. I couldn’t let you go.”
“It makes sense,” he assured her. “I couldn’t have stayed away from seeing you in the hospital even if I’d wanted to.”
“God, I’m sorry I freaked out and woke you up tonight,” she said, twisting around in his arms so that she was facing him. Mark reached out and settled a large hand on her hip, his thumb lightly stroking her. “Yesterday was so amazing—the photoshoot, posing on the pier overlooking the Pacific. It should’ve been a perfect day, and here I’m having nightmares.”
“I don’t like that you’re scared, but hell, sweetheart. I’ll never mind holding you close.”
“I just—I feel so silly. So needy or something. You’ve got this crazy brave job where you go on dangerous missions all the time, and I’m freaking out over some texts.”
“They’re not just texts, Ev. Some asshole is stalking you. And you don’t need to apologize for how you feel,” Mark assured her. “Trust me, I like being the one to hold you and keep you safe. Maybe it makes me a selfish bastard, but I like that you need me.” His thumb stroked her hip again, and she resisted the urge to shudder. “You respond to me,” he continued in a low voice. “I’ll admit that I like being in control, and knowing that I’m the one to soothe you or kiss you until you’re breathless just makes me want you all that much more.”
Warmth washed over her. She didn’t know why his words affected her either. Somehow, just hearing the sound of his voice made her feel safe. And his kisses? Holy hell. No man had ever kissed her so thoroughly before or made her feel so alive. One touch from him nearly sent her up in flames, and they hadn’t come close to being intimate yet. He’d kissed her, yes, but that was it.
“I’m scared,” she admitted.
“Of me?”
She shrugged, trying to think of how to explain. “Of getting hurt. You kind of overwhelm me, Mark. I’m shocked that I could feel like this about someone I just met. I need you, and it frightens me.”
“I’ll never hurt you, Ev. Never.” His eyes shone with sincerity in the dim light. Yes, Mark was intense, but she didn’t doubt his promise. “I’m twenty-nine. I’ve dated over the years, but I’ve never felt the need to get to know a woman on a deeper level. It was just for fun. I want to know everything about you, to see you first thing in the morning and have dinner together when we come home at night. It’s fast for certain, but I’m a man who knows what he wants. I’ve got a risky, stressful career, but you make me happy. If you stay in San Diego a few weeks longer, I want you to stay here with me. Let’s see what can happen between us and give things a real shot.”
“You want me to stay with you,” she repeated.
“Hell yes, Ev. I want all of you. We’ll take things at your pace though. I’d never rush you into something you’re not ready for.”
“Yeah. I want to stay here with you,” she said, heat washing over her skin. “You’ll hold me tonight?” she asked.
He turned her in his arms, snuggling up against her and pressing his lips to her temple. “I’ll hold you. Go to sleep, sweetheart. You’re safe here in my bed.” He kissed her again, and she relaxed, letting his strength and warmth seep into her. Mark would keep her safe. If she wasn’t careful, she’d end up falling for him more than she already had.
