She gnawed her bottom lip. “I don’t know what I want anymore,” she admitted, seeming to fight a bit of confusion. “Did you ever doubt your decision to leave Paxton?”
The plane jerked and Lindsey jumped, letting a little yelp escape her lips. Mark couldn’t hold back a small chuckle. She glared at him. “Don’t laugh at me, damn it. I hate this.”
He held his hands up in mock surrender. “I’m not, I swear. You’re just cute like this.”
Lindsey shot him an angry look. “Like this?” she asked in question. “Like what?”
A slight smile played on his lips. “I think it’s adorable that you are afraid of flying.”
Lindsey rolled her eyes. “I am not afraid of flying,” she said between her teeth. “I simply don’t like turbulence.” The plane jerked again and Lindsey grabbed her seat arms, shooting Mark a warning look. “There’s a big difference.”
Mark smirked. “If you say so, sweetheart.”
“Ohhhhhh,” she growled. “Anyway, you didn’t answer my question. Did you know you wanted to leave Paxton with absolute certainty?”
Mark’s expression grew serious as he thought about her question. It was time to tell her about the past. “I didn’t want to leave, Lindsey. Your father gave me no option.”
Her eyes filled with a million questions. “I offered to buy your father out.” Mark held up a hand. “Nothing hostile about it, I promise.” He paused to see her reaction. When she nodded her understanding, he continued, “We agreed on the financial aspect of things, but when it came to other things, it got hairy.”
“What other things?”
“He wanted certain partners guaranteed certain things,” Mark said grimly. “I couldn’t do it. The partners in question were ones I didn’t even want to keep around.”
Lindsey understood. “So what happened? Did you pull out or did he?”
Mark put two fingers to his temple. “I did. We argued. It got nasty, and I just finally had enough.”
“I see,” Lindsey said. “So you wanted Paxton.”
Mark eyed her, trying to understand what motivated her words. “I thought I did, but when I left—it felt right.” He paused, thinking back on the past. “When it came down to it, I decided Paxton wasn’t supposed to be a part of my future. When you showed up on my doorstep, it was hard to fathom returning.”
“And now?” she asked.
Her short questions were making him nervous. How was she feeling about him and the past? Had Edward planted ideas in her head? “All I know is how important you’ve become to me, Lindsey.” He took her hand. “I came back for you and no other reason. I want you to know that with certainty. I need to know you believe me.”
Lindsey looked into his eyes, and he saw her soften, yet she didn’t reach out to him. “I know. I believe you.”
He’d hoped she’d say more. He stared at her, searching for any underlying feelings. Finally, he said, “Good.” Forcing himself to sit back in his seat, to not press her, he closed his eyes. Her walls were still there, and as many times as he had promised himself he’d be patient, he wasn’t feeling it at that very moment.
An hour later, air laced with a tension that had seemed to sprout out of nowhere, they were in his car, heading towards his apartment. “Mark, where are we going?”
He stared at the road as he answered. “To my place.”
She cleared her throat. “Aren’t you forgetting to take me home?”
He peered at her from the corner of his eye. “No, I’m not. I have no intention of taking you home.”
She slapped her hands in her lap. “Mark, I have no clothes. I need to go home.”
His response was immediate and clipped. “We’ll go by in the morning.”
“I don’t want to have to deal with it in the morning.” Her voice was sharp.
He wanted to insist, to bully her, to do anything possible to get her to do things his way. He counted in his head, willing himself to calm. This was Lindsey. Pushing would get him further away from her. They pulled to a stoplight, and he turned to her, a soft plea in his voice. “I don’t want to give you up for the night, Lindsey.”
He watched her expression go from anger to understanding. “I need clothes,” she said softly.
“We can either go get your stuff and take it to my place or I can stay at yours.”
Lindsey smiled, laughing with her defeat, but clearly not unhappy about it. “Fine, your place. Mine doesn’t have much since it’s temporary.”
Her words took a bit of his satisfaction. He didn’t want New York to be anything but permanent for her. “It’s settled then. We will get your clothes and you will come home with me.”
“Okay.”
Mark took her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing it softly. “Thank you.” And then he added, “I would never have done your father wrong.”
She looked at him, her eyes wide. “I know that.”
“But yet you’ve barely spoken to me since I told you about the firm.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s not you. I just hate the way things are with my father. He’s on my mind.”
Mark reached over and took her hand. “He’ll be okay.”
“I hope so.”
He knew there was something else. “What is it, Lindsey?”
She looked at her lap. “Just trying to figure out what to do with the firm. That’s now clear as day.”
“It’ll work out,” he said, because it was better than nothing.
He didn’t know what to say to her. Yes, he did.
Stay.
* * * * *
The minute Lindsey walked into her apartment she knew someone had been in it. She stopped dead in her tracks just inside the foyer, making Mark run into the back of her.
“Hey, what are you doing?” His hands went to her shoulders to keep from knocking her down.
“Someone has been in here.” The phone calls were back in her mind. Was it the same person who had been in her house? Worse, could it . . . She cut off the thought, afraid to even think it in her head. No. It wasn’t. This was New York. Anyone could have broken into her place.
“What?” he asked in amazement. “How can you know?”
Lindsey shot him a look. “I make my living knowing things like this.”
Mark held his hands up. “Sorry,” he said. “Let me rephrase.” But he didn’t. “How do you know?”
“One, I smell cologne.” She shivered. The thought of someone being in her apartment made her hair stand on end. She moved to the table a few steps away and pulled out the drawer, removing her gun, which she had left behind. She hadn’t wanted to deal with it at the airport.
“Shit,” Mark said. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Checking it out,” she said shooting him a reproachful look.
“Give me the damn gun and stand outside,” he ordered.
“No, Mark—”
He glared at her. She glared at him. “This is not up for discussion, Lindsey. Give me the damn gun, and don’t you dare ask if I know how to use it.”
Lindsey stared at him and then finally handed him the gun. She didn’t doubt he could handle the weapon. She just didn’t like having to let him. If he had been anyone else, she wouldn’t have. “I’m not happy about this.”
Mark took the gun. “I’ll be back. Don’t move.”
“You’re two seconds from me taking the gun back.”
He turned without saying another word, walking towards the other room. Lindsey could barely stand waiting on him, and was about a second from going after him, when he returned. “Well?”
“It’s all clear,” he said, “but you’re right, someone was in your bedroom. Better call the police.”
Lindsey stared at him. “What does that mean?” He looked like he didn’t want to tell her, appearing to stall as he handed her back her gun. She put it in her purse. Something told her she wanted it near. “Mark? Are you going to answer me?”
He let out a loud breath. “Your sheets are rumpled and lingerie is flung everywhere.”
Lindsey could feel the color drain out of her cheeks. “What?” she gasped.