Return to You by Samantha Chase Page A

for an answer, she made her way carefully back to her room and shut the door. Searching through her luggage, she found a pair of leggings and a T-shirt and put them on the bed. Off in the distance she heard voices and figured the officers had finally come inside for a look around.
    Quickly, she stripped off the boxers and donned the leggings. Hands on the hem of her tank top, Selena jumped at the sound of a knock on her door. Grimacing at the thought of facing anyone while partially in her pajamas, she threw vanity to the wind and opened the door.
    And came face-to-face with James Montgomery.
    * * *
    James did his best to keep his expression neutral, like it was no big deal that he was standing less than a foot away from Selena after ten long years. He did a quick scan of her face and noticed that she seemed to be in shock; her green eyes were wide, her skin pale, and her mouth shaped in a perfect O . His immediate reaction was to pull her into his arms and ask if she was all right, if she was hurt, but then he remembered that he was here on actual business.
    â€œThe screen to this window has been pulled down and was lying in the yard. Did you hear anyone outside?” he asked as he stepped around her and went to examine the window. When she didn’t answer, James turned and saw that while she had turned around and was watching what he was doing, she didn’t seem able to speak. “Selena?” he prompted carefully and ignored the way his own heart rate kicked up a notch at being in the same room as her and being able to speak to her.
    â€œOh…um…no. I didn’t hear anyone outside,” she finally said, breaking the trance she was in. “I heard the first crash and then got up when I heard Jen running by the room. After that, we were either in the living room or the hallway until the police showed up.” Her voice was trembling, and she hated herself for that. Maybe he would just attribute it to the fact that there was an obviously crazy person lurking around.
    James noted that the window was locked and was safely intact before turning his attention back to her. He meant to keep the conversation impersonal; he meant to talk only about the situation at hand. Looking around, he saw her robe hanging on the back of the door. He reached for it and handed it to her. “You should probably cover yourself up. There’s no need to parade around like that.”
    He failed.
    â€œFirst of all, I’m not parading around,” she snapped. “And secondly, I was in here getting changed when you came knocking on the door. If you could have waited five minutes, I would have been decent.”
    â€œYou could have told me to wait.”
    â€œIs this conversation really necessary?”
    â€œWasn’t that you standing in the doorway earlier when we pulled up?” he asked, one dark brow arched.
    Selena rolled her eyes. “Yes, but that was only so Jen could go and get changed, and really, what does this have to do with anything?” she demanded, but before he could answer she added, “Why don’t you go and get more information from Jen so I can actually get dressed. She’s the one you need to be talking to, not me.”
    She was feeling pretty pleased with herself until James leaned in close. “That’s where you’re wrong,” he said. His deep-timbered voice barely concealed his rage.
    She blanched at his words and before she could utter a response, he was gone. With shaky fingers, she closed the bedroom door, quickly finished changing her clothes, and put on shoes to protect her feet from the broken glass. Once she was done, she found Jen speaking with James and another officer out in the living room.
    â€œJames said it looked like whoever did this was going to try to come in through the guest room,” Jen said, her voice trembling slightly. “Thank God he didn’t get in.” She reached out and hooked an arm through Selena’s