I jerked the covers to the side and stood, not bothering with the light and started to the bathroom. I could find my way in the dark with no problems.
At least, usually.
This time, however, I was forced to stop with a yelp when I slammed my upper arm against the dresser drawer that I had no memory of leaving open.
I groaned and stomped my foot twice, trying to offset the pain radiating down my arm. When that did absolutely nothing to help, I slammed the drawer shut in anger. Then, I felt around blindly, but carefully, for the wall and the door to the bathroom.
Pushing into the room, I flicked on the light, lifted my arm and groaned when I saw that I was definitely going to have an ugly bruise the next day.
After taking care of business and washing my hands, I flipped the light switch and stomped back to the bed.
I laid on my back but couldn’t get comfortable, so I flopped over to my belly with a frustrated sigh.
My brain just wouldn’t stop.
I couldn’t believe that I’d lost him. I should’ve waited a little longer before I’d pulled out to follow him, but I’d hurried, worried that I would lose my chance.
Punching the pillow, I sighed.
I was an idiot. A crazy idiot.
He didn’t know me from Eve, and it was a distinct possibility that I’d imagined the whole thing, or worse, I’d blown my shot because I couldn’t be patient.
I’d been this way my whole life, see it, want it, obsess over it and, maybe, hopefully, when I played my cards right, get it.
At least, the majority of the time.
But it had to be said that I’d never been this way about a man I didn’t know. That didn’t seem to make a difference this time, though.
It hit me then that I should’ve gotten his license plate. I could’ve found him. I opened my eyes just so I could roll them at myself. Yeah. Like it was that easy. I didn’t even know anyone who could run the number. I was a world-class moron.
My thoughts raced while I kicked myself mentally for letting him slip through my fingers.
Eventually, sleep took over, and I zonked out.
I was on hyper-alert for two days watching for him. I barely ate or slept, and the only time my thoughts weren’t consumed by him was when I was forced to focus on my work, but as soon as the workday was over, my thoughts centered on my mystery man.
At 5:02 pm, I started my car and turned down the volume on Breaking Benjamin singing about The Diary of Jane. I was way sadder than I had any right to be considering I’d never even spoken to him. And I was beginning to wonder if I really was crazy and I’d made the whole thing up.
As had become habit when I heard a motorcycle, I jerked to attention and immediately started scanning the parking lot.
And there he was.
I couldn’t stop the smile that curved my lips.
My heart rate spiked up, and my palms tingled.
He was mine now.
I watched through my rearview mirror as he sat straddling the bike in the back corner of the parking lot, staring dead at me. My everything tingled when I stared back at him.
If I weren’t hyper-aware of all things motorcycle, I’d have never even known he was there. I could feel his eyes burning into me. Still, I didn’t want it to be obvious that I was watching him, so I flipped down the visor and flipped up the flap that covered the mirror there so I could reapply my screaming red lipstick and check my teeth.
Another quick glance showed he was still sitting there, so I pulled the tie out of my ponytail and shook my hair out. I fluffed my hair twice and heard the engine rev. Waiting, I held my breath as he rolled past me, and that was when I slammed the mirror shut, flipped up the visor, and put my car into drive, easing forward.
I was patting myself on the back for my prowess at following him unnoticed for almost twenty minutes when it really hit me that I’d followed a man I’d never met into the woods. A man whose intentions I did not know.
This was when most women would panic. This was when a sane woman would panic. This was the point I should panic. But I didn’t. I smiled, and I knew it was a smug one.