LITMIR.BIZ

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rented van. She thought it might have been Chris again, and the call had left her mired in confusion.

      Dare spoke to Chris with familiarity, affection and ease—proof that they shared a definite closeness. Maybe even … intimacy.

      If Chris was a girlfriend, then why would Dare have kissed her? He didn’t strike her as a user, as a man who would cheat. He was far too protective to be deliberately hurtful to anyone he cared about.

      It was possible she was making too much of the kiss. He’d wanted to snap her out of her shock, and … the kiss had certainly done the trick, and then some.

      After turning in the van, Dare gave her enough time to go into the ladies’ room to change into her new clothes. While there, she’d cleaned the blood off her knees and elbows and tidied her hair. If she thought of how those men had tried to get her, it made her ill.

      She never, ever wanted to be at someone else’s mercy again. Not like that. She couldn’t bear it.

      But Dare had saved her, and now, Chris or no Chris, it sounded like he planned to protect her. She drew a calming breath and reminded herself to take it one step at a time. It was the only way she could hold it together.

      As soon as she’d emerged in the clothes that mostly fit and were much more comfortable, Dare began hustling her to the plane.

      Remembering her mother’s death left her aching with fresh hurt. Thinking of her father’s disapproval always filled her with burning resentment. And yes, Natalie would be frantic, a fact Molly hated.

      But someone had put her through hell, and she had to concentrate on that, and only that. She didn’t know who to trust—except for Dare.

      He’d kissed her. What did it mean?

      When one pilot came out to greet Dare with a healthy dose of deference, Molly realized that Dare must be affluent. How else could he afford to pay for a spur-of-the-moment charter flight from one side of the country to the other?

      Or … did he expect her to pay for it? Would this be added to her expenses?

      She eyed the spiffy-looking plane anew. Unlike her father, she’d never flown privately before. The plane was small enough to make her extremely nervous.

      Until they got aboard.

      “Wow.”

      Distracted, Dare glanced down at her. “What?”

      “This is … decadent.”

      He gave a cursory look around the plane, but just shrugged. “It’s comfortable enough. Grab a seat.”

      There were only seven, but Molly wanted as much privacy from the two young, GQ-looking pilots as possible, so she headed toward the rear of the plane, near the lavatory. The backseats faced forward, so she could see Dare still up front talking to the men, discussing a short layover to refuel and the estimated time of arrival.

      At her seat was an entertainment console with a monitor, satellite hookup and a DVD/CD/MP3 player. Still looking around, she made note of the burl wood cabinetry, the butter-soft tan leather seats, plush carpeting and a fully stocked bar.

      Dare knew how to travel in style. She only hoped it wouldn’t break her bank account. She had no idea what something like this might cost.

      He joined her a moment later. “Want a drink?” He indicated the fancy lighted bar she’d already noted.

      “No, thank you.”

      “You sure? Might steady you a little.”

      “I’m plenty steady, thank you very much.” How many times did she have to tell him that she would not fall apart? She couldn’t afford to. If she wanted to survive this, she had to keep her nerves steady. Later she could give in to the panicked hysteria that still gnawed on her façade of calm.

      Shrugging, Dare sat beside her and fastened his seat belt. “Buckle up.”

      She scowled at the order but still connected the seat belt around her.

      Lifting his armrest and turning in his seat, he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, his hands hanging loosely. He studied her.

      “What?” Just then the pilot started the engines, startling Molly. She grabbed for the armrests. “We’re taking off?”

      “It’ll be easier to get home that way.”

      She scowled again. “Sarcasm is unnecessary.”

      He said nothing. Molly cleared her throat. “Where is home, and when will we get there?”

      “Kentucky, and it’ll be late.”

      As the plane rolled forward, she sucked in a breath and then swallowed hard.

      Dare eyed her. “So, you’re one of those women who panics at flying?”

      “No.” But she was, sort of. That the plane was so small didn’t help matters. Rigid from her head to her toes, she repeated, almost by rote, “I’m fine.”

      “So you keep saying.”

      He took her hands, and it reminded her of the differences in their sizes. Dare was huge, and she was not. His big rough hands totally engulfed hers, making her feel extra small and delicate.

      She didn’t quite know what to make of that.

      “Molly, look at me.”

      When she did, she got snared in his bright-blue gaze. He had the most amazing eyes….

      “Tell me why you haven’t contacted your sister to let her know you’re okay.”

      The pilot announced something over a speaker system, and the plane moved, jarring her heart. She squeezed Dare’s hands and when she spoke, her voice was a little too high and squeaky. “Natalie might be a little younger than me, but she’s a teacher—meaning she’s used to governing with ultimate power.”

      Dare didn’t smile at that small jest. “Yeah, so?”

      “So if I had called her, she’d be grilling my dad and Adrian and anyone else she thinks could be responsible. There’s no way Natalie wouldn’t be on the warpath, trust me. If either of them is involved, they might be clued in. They could hide evidence or, in Adrian’s case, maybe even skip town.”

      Dare looked a little stunned at her reasoning, but damn it, she couldn’t take chances.

      “Whoever did this to me, I want him to be taken by surprise when he sees me free and unharmed. I want to blow his mind, and then maybe he’ll give himself away.”

      Consternation lowered Dare’s brows. “Not a bad plan, really. But you do realize that whoever arranged this must already know that you’re free. That’s what those thugs at Walmart were about.”

      “I know. But they don’t know when they’ll see me, or if the thugs will get me again before it becomes a concern. I can’t believe they’ll just give up, which means—”

      “People are still after you.”

      “Yes.” She shivered and then shivered some more when the plane began lifting. She squeezed Dare’s hands as tightly as she could. “Oh, God.”

      Dare searched her face, looked resigned and … maybe a little expectant. Then he leaned forward and kissed her again.

      Molly was so shocked, she leaned away from him—until he pulled his hands free from hers and cupped her face, bringing her back.

      His hands holding hers had been startling; his hands gently framing her face were more so.

      This kiss wasn’t hard and fast. It was warm and easy, slow, lingering and oh-so-distracting. When she didn’t retreat again, he turned his head to better fit their mouths together and deepened the kiss.

      A rush of heat chased away her icy fear. Her rigid muscles went liquid. Wow.

      Molly

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