Lone Rider by Lauren Bach Page B

lay out the better.
                  “Twenty. It was a Cub Scout camp back in the sixties, ” he said.
                  The irony hit her. Cub Scouts. And Bogen was the den mother from hell.
                  “How many acres?” she pressed.
    Dallas took the glass from her and stood. “The compound is huge, Tess. There’s only one road in , and it’s guarded. If you’re thinking of making a run for it, I’d advise against it.”
    “Then can I have my own cabin?”
    Dallas chortled at her audacity. “With or without room service?”
    “Either.”
    He moved to the chair and began yanking off his boots. “Consider this home for now. Granted, it’s not the Marsh Suite in New York , but it’s got the basics , and it’s private.”
                  Tess’ mouth opened. He knew her identity!
    She thought back, remembering that he’d strapped both her backpack and duffel bag to his motorcycle. He had no doubt gone through her things and made the connection. Possibly even read her letters.
                  Maybe he planned to ransom her. She leaned forward. “My father will pay wel l for my safe return. My fiancé --”
                  “You and your fiancé broke up two months ago, much to your mother’s chagrin.”
                  “You--”
                  Dallas cut her off. “Look, Bogen doesn’t do ransom notes. In fact you’d be wise to keep your identity a secret. It could backfire on you.”
                  Dallas had s earched her bag, burning her identification and the letters from her mother -- after reading them. Though he hadn’t made the connection right off, he’d done so after searching her wallet. He knew the Marsh reputation, was familiar with their elite social status, the hotels and department stores that bore their name. Hell, Tess had been a news story at age ten when her parents fought a bitter custody battle in a very ugly, very public, divorce.
    If Bogen got wind of her pedigr ee, he’d order her dumped. High- dollar names like Marsh attracted too much media attention. Bogen was already nervous.
    “So what do you intend to do with me? Kill me?”  Tess fought to keep her emotions under wrap.
    “I told you before I wouldn’t hurt you, Tess. You’re safe with me.”
    “My family will miss me. They’ll start a search.”
    “They won’t find you. Besides, I doubt anyone misses you at this point. You were scheduled to be gone a couple more weeks.”
    Tess looked away, not wanting him to see that he was probably right. Like a fool she had told him her plans for the summer. Plus he’d read her mother’s letters. “They’ll still expect me to call.”
    Dallas tugged off his socks. “We’ll talk later.”
                  Tess shot up from the couch. A wave of dizziness caught her off guard. Her steps faltered. She closed her eyes. If she got sick , she’d be mortified.
                  “You’re not feeling well.”  Dallas closed the small distance between them and pulled her into his arms.
                  She pushed at his chest, finding it solid. “Let me go!”
    “And let you fall flat on your face? How long have you been dizzy?”
                  “Just that once. Don’t worry, I’m not going to faint.”
                  Dallas drew her closer, knowing she didn’t want that, yet knowing he needed to establish who was in charge. “Is it so hard to believe I’m concerned? Or have you already written me off with Snake and Bogen?”
                  She tried to wriggle free. It was difficult to reconcile his soft-spoken worry with her image of him as a ruthless kidnapper. And being held close to his broad chest, so intimately, proved even more disconcerting. Her head hurt terribly , and her thoughts felt fuzzy. A heavy ripple of fatigue washed through her once more. She fought