Ava Gray - Skin Tight

But that wasn’t all that drew her eye. In the nearly empty lot, she spotted the silver Infiniti G37. Hands shaking and sticky on the wheel, Mia turned into the lot. If she was wrong, it wouldn’t be the most embarrassing mistake of her life. As she drove past, she checked the license plate. Her stellar memory for numbers permitted her to identify his vehicle, no question, no doubt.

She stashed her car alongside a giant SUV. Much as she hated those vehicles, the size offered some concealment, as she hadn’t yet decided what she meant to do if he was here. Maybe she would just uncover his secrets and slip away. She could always use the info later.

After checking her reflection in the rearview mirror, she rummaged in her bag for a little lipstick and a comb for her tousled hair. That was the best she could do, so Mia climbed out of the car. Deep breath. Show time. Striding toward the white stone building, she had to admit she was worried about how he might react to her invasion of his privacy. Then again, he had turned her over to his enemies to buy time. On the karmic scale, he owed her this much at least. An apology could only take them so far.

Inside, it was cool and hushed. A woman in white sat at the front desk, monitoring some medical equipment. She was somewhere in her midthirties, pretty without being ostentatious. Though the lounge area was richly appointed in jewel tones, it couldn’t conceal the true nature of the place. The walls and floors were hospital issue.

This wasn’t what Mia had expected at all. Nonetheless, she was committed, so she strode toward the visitor’s station, wearing a confident smile. “Good morning. I’m supposed to meet my boyfriend. He probably arrived recently.”

Don’t ask his name. She had no idea which of a thousand aliases he might have used or who he was visiting.

But the nurse’s face fell a little. “Oh, you’re his girlfriend? He’s never brought anyone before, but… good for you. He’s a keeper. So devoted.” She pitched her voice low, as if confiding a secret. “He never misses a visit, you know, rain or shine. And it’s such a shame: both his mother and his daughter being here. I don’t know how he bears it.”

Her insides turned to ice. Holy-

Mia made herself smile, acknowledging the saintly qualities of the man she was fucking-and didn’t know at all. Of all possibilities, she’d never imagined anything like this. God, he was going to be livid. Maybe she should go.

“It’s tough,” she agreed. “Remind me of their room numbers?”

The nurse complied, not even needing to check the computer. “He usually visits his mom first, so if you hurry you can catch him there. Otherwise, he’ll be in his daughter’s room. Did you know her mother?” Her blue eyes invited gossip; it was obvious the woman was more than half in love with the man who came every Saturday morning, rain or shine.

His daughter. And she lived in a place like this. However luxurious, there was no escaping the reality of it. Whatever was wrong with her, it was so severe he couldn’t take care of her at home. Her heart felt like it had caught fire in her chest.

“No. I don’t.”

“I assume she’s passed on,” the nurse-Debbie, her name tag read-continued. “He doesn’t even have a pale place on his finger. So it’s been a while I think.” Her pause suggested she’d like it a lot if Mia filled in the gaps for her.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t.

The sensible thing would be to slip out. But if he visited his mother first, that meant she could see his little girl, at least glance through the doorway. She didn’t want to bother an ailing child, but she felt sick with the need to understand what drove him.

She gave a noncommittal smile. “Do I need a guest pass?”

Stifling a disappointed sigh, Debbie answered, “Yes, I’ll need your ID, please. You can retrieve it when you leave the facility.”

When she handed it over, she was committed to the pretense. Mia hung the badge around her neck and followed the woman’s directions. Apparently, the two patients occupied separate wings. She went right at the T, following Debbie’s directions.

The quiet was eerie, and she recognized the rasp of respirators. Was everyone in this section on life support? She ached for him.

At last, she came to room 158. Alexis Winter. Was that his last name? Winter? The bed wasn’t visible to passing strangers, so before she could think better of it, she stepped through the door. She was prepared with an excuse if the kid questioned her, but the minute she saw her, Mia knew that wouldn’t happen.

God, she was beautiful-the ultimate sleeping princess. She had his light brown hair, but it curled against her pale cheeks. A glance at the chart told her Alexis was twelve years old, but her growth must’ve stopped after-whatever rendered her comatose. Because she looked no older than six.

Mia turned to go, wishing she hadn’t come. Had she really thought he was going straight from her bed to another woman? He wasn’t the type. She drew up short, every muscle locking as the shadow fell across the threshold seconds before Søren appeared.

“What are you doing here?” he growled.

Mia put up a hand, as if to ward him off. He didn’t lay hands on her because he might kill her. He should kill her. Nobody knew about Lexie. It had to be that way.

Not least of all, he felt the awful burn of inadequacy. He could spot a tail for two miles, and yet he hadn’t known she was following him? Inexcusable. Unacceptable. Loss of vigilance would ruin all his plans. He couldn’t afford to get sloppy. And now she’d compromised everything.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

It wasn’t what she said, but rather how she said it. As if she cared. It ran him through like a pike.

“Come on,” he bit out.

She did step into the hall, but she planted her feet there. “I’m not going anywhere with you while you’re in this mood. Why don’t you have your visit with her and then meet me for breakfast? I think we have some talking to do.”

Talking wasn’t what he had in mind, but he guessed she knew that. Which was why she was insisting on a public place. He’d said it before-clever girl.

Teeth clenched too tightly to speak, he jerked his head in answer.

“Can you recommend anywhere nearby?”

With effort, he reined his temper. “Nina’s Country Kitchen. It’s three miles away, straight into town. You can’t miss it.”

Not awaiting her reply, he went back into Lexie’s room. Pointedly, he closed the door behind him. Damn her. And damn him for being stupid enough to let her blindside him.

A garrote in the dark offered a permanent solution, but he didn’t know if he could end her. He’d killed before, but his target had never been a woman who’d shared his bed. Crossing that line would turn him into a monster, less than human. Most days, he might say he’d passed that point already.

What the hell. It didn’t matter. Nothing did, nothing but revenge. He wouldn’t think about Mia right now. It wasn’t fair to Lexie.

Søren sank down into the chair beside the bed and took her hand. He’d often wished she would squeeze his fingers or give some sign she heard him, but there was nothing. The doctors had recommended taking her off life support; they gave no hope she would ever awaken-and even if she did, she had lost too much ever to live a normal life.

Massive brain damage.

Her hair had grown back, years ago. She looked like the little girl he’d lost now. Except she was empty.

He knew he should sign the papers, but if he did, he’d be alone. There wouldn’t be anyone who remembered him. Selfish, but he’d never claimed to be otherwise. Søren leaned his head against the bed beside her leg. The tears had long since frozen inside him, and now he was cold to the bone, burning like dry ice.