anything until he'd had a chance to think this through.
Babs toweled her hair some more and then shook it back, finger combing it into tousled waves around her face. "You know, I was thinking about it. There's really no reason for us to spend the night here. We could get started now and I'm sure we could get to an airport by morning."
"No. I mean, I don't think that's such a good idea. You've had a rough few days and, God knows, I could use a decent night's sleep. We can start out in the morning."
"I don't particularly want to spend the night in this fleabag with you. I hate to be blunt but there it is."
"It's not my idea of heaven, either, but it's the most sensible thing to do. We're both beat and neither one of us is familiar with this area. In the morning, we'll be rested and we can get directions from someone."
Babs stared at him, her jaw set. Sam stared back, his expression calm. For a moment, it looked as though she was going to push the issue and he had visions of sitting up all night guarding the door to make sure she didn't sneak out. With a shrug, she capitulated.
"Okay. We'll leave first thing in the morning."
"First thing." He stood up and stretched. "Did you leave any hot water?"
"There wasn't any to start with but there's still plenty of lukewarm."
"If I go take a shower, can I trust you to be here when I come out?"
She arched a brow, clearly disliking the idea of anyone telling her what to do. "And if I refuse to promise?"
"Then I'll just have to take you in the bathroom with me and tie you to the sink." He smiled but there was something in his eyes that made her wonder if he wouldn't do exactly what he'd threatened.
"I promise I'll still be here when you get back." He looked at her for a moment as if weighing whether or not to believe her, and Babs's chin tilted. She was not accustomed to having her word doubted. He made up his mind abruptly.
"Fine. There's money on the table to pay for the pizza. I'll be out in a couple of minutes." He disappeared into the bathroom.
Babs sat on the edge of the bed. She was safe. She let the thought sink in. Really safe. Sam Delanian might be an overbearing pig but she didn't doubt that he could take care of her. If nothing else, he'd protect his fifty thousand dollars. Funny how that hurt just a little. After all, he didn't know her. There was no reason why he should see her as anything more than a means to get the reward. Heaven knew she ought to be accustomed to people seeing dollar signs when they met her.
She shrugged, tossing the towel over the back of the cheap vinyl chair that was the room's only furniture besides the bed and table. Tomorrow, she would see the last of Mr. Delanian. He would take her home, deliver her into the bosom of her family and disappear with his money. The thought should have made her enormously happy. The hollow ache in the pit of her stomach must be caused by hunger.
By the time Sam finished his shower, Babs was well into her second piece of pizza. She glanced up as he stepped into the room and waved an expansive hand at the enormous pizza box that took up a good portion of the bed.
"Not bad for a hick town. They must have an Italian cook."
"The name of the place is Harry's."
"Well, whatever their name is, it's good pizza."
"Right now even bad pizza would taste good." Babs was sitting cross-legged at the head of the bed. Sam sat down at the foot, grabbing up a paper plate and selecting a slice of pizza dripping with cheese and mushrooms. "If I never spend another night crouched in the bushes, it will be too soon."
"Did you spend all night out there?"
"Uh-huh." He nodded, his concentration on the food.
"You must have really wanted that reward." He glanced at her, catching a momentary vulnerability in her expression.
"I wouldn't have left a dog with kidnappers. But there's no denying that the thought of fifty thousand dollars made last night's sojourn in the rose patch a little easier to take."
Of course, there was no
Babs toweled her hair some more and then shook it back, finger combing it into tousled waves around her face. "You know, I was thinking about it. There's really no reason for us to spend the night here. We could get started now and I'm sure we could get to an airport by morning."
"No. I mean, I don't think that's such a good idea. You've had a rough few days and, God knows, I could use a decent night's sleep. We can start out in the morning."
"I don't particularly want to spend the night in this fleabag with you. I hate to be blunt but there it is."
"It's not my idea of heaven, either, but it's the most sensible thing to do. We're both beat and neither one of us is familiar with this area. In the morning, we'll be rested and we can get directions from someone."
Babs stared at him, her jaw set. Sam stared back, his expression calm. For a moment, it looked as though she was going to push the issue and he had visions of sitting up all night guarding the door to make sure she didn't sneak out. With a shrug, she capitulated.
"Okay. We'll leave first thing in the morning."
"First thing." He stood up and stretched. "Did you leave any hot water?"
"There wasn't any to start with but there's still plenty of lukewarm."
"If I go take a shower, can I trust you to be here when I come out?"
She arched a brow, clearly disliking the idea of anyone telling her what to do. "And if I refuse to promise?"
"Then I'll just have to take you in the bathroom with me and tie you to the sink." He smiled but there was something in his eyes that made her wonder if he wouldn't do exactly what he'd threatened.
"I promise I'll still be here when you get back." He looked at her for a moment as if weighing whether or not to believe her, and Babs's chin tilted. She was not accustomed to having her word doubted. He made up his mind abruptly.
"Fine. There's money on the table to pay for the pizza. I'll be out in a couple of minutes." He disappeared into the bathroom.
Babs sat on the edge of the bed. She was safe. She let the thought sink in. Really safe. Sam Delanian might be an overbearing pig but she didn't doubt that he could take care of her. If nothing else, he'd protect his fifty thousand dollars. Funny how that hurt just a little. After all, he didn't know her. There was no reason why he should see her as anything more than a means to get the reward. Heaven knew she ought to be accustomed to people seeing dollar signs when they met her.
She shrugged, tossing the towel over the back of the cheap vinyl chair that was the room's only furniture besides the bed and table. Tomorrow, she would see the last of Mr. Delanian. He would take her home, deliver her into the bosom of her family and disappear with his money. The thought should have made her enormously happy. The hollow ache in the pit of her stomach must be caused by hunger.
By the time Sam finished his shower, Babs was well into her second piece of pizza. She glanced up as he stepped into the room and waved an expansive hand at the enormous pizza box that took up a good portion of the bed.
"Not bad for a hick town. They must have an Italian cook."
"The name of the place is Harry's."
"Well, whatever their name is, it's good pizza."
"Right now even bad pizza would taste good." Babs was sitting cross-legged at the head of the bed. Sam sat down at the foot, grabbing up a paper plate and selecting a slice of pizza dripping with cheese and mushrooms. "If I never spend another night crouched in the bushes, it will be too soon."
"Did you spend all night out there?"
"Uh-huh." He nodded, his concentration on the food.
"You must have really wanted that reward." He glanced at her, catching a momentary vulnerability in her expression.
"I wouldn't have left a dog with kidnappers. But there's no denying that the thought of fifty thousand dollars made last night's sojourn in the rose patch a little easier to take."
Of course, there was no
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