Within Range

She gave herself lectures. She couldn’t forget that friendship wasn’t what had him spending his Sunday here with her and Jacob. He was keeping an eye on her so she wouldn’t take off. Yes, and guarding them, too; she couldn’t deny that.

What disturbed her most was that by the time she escaped from Richard, she hadn’t been able to imagine ever letting a man close enough to hurt her again, emotionally or physically. Her several-month stay in the battered-women’s shelter had reinforced her determination. Every woman there was running from a man who’d once promised to love and cherish her but chose instead to use his fists on her—or systematically destroy her confidence. Most had been in damaging relationships much longer than Robin had been, in part because she’d had more confidence to start with and been lucky enough to grow up with parents who were happily married. Her father was often laughing in her memories. He’d had a special glint in his eyes for her mother until the day he died.

Robin felt ashamed, thinking about her father. With him as an example, how could she not have seen beneath Richard’s charming surface before she married him?

But she also knew what Dad would say. You got out of it as quick as you could. You’ll for damn sure make sure he never has a chance to hurt your baby. If Dad had still been alive, she suspected she’d have left Richard much sooner—and gone home instead of hiding out in a shelter.

But Allie hadn’t been sick then; in fact, they hadn’t known that she had only one kidney. Mom hadn’t become worn with worry for both her daughters, the sick one and the one who could so rarely be bothered to call or take time to stop by the house, who invited her mother and sister to dinner at her elegant home only on rare occasions. When, of course, Richard had seen to it that they didn’t have time for private conversation. When he’d been at his warmest, funniest, and they, too, had fallen into that force field.

Until Robin had called from the shelter to tell them what her marriage had really been like, they’d undoubtedly thought she was glad to leave them behind for a more glamorous life with a wealthy, politically influential man.

She shook off memories of him when it came time to tuck Jacob in for his nap.

“I like Seth,” he said sleepily.

She kissed his still-round cheek and murmured, “I do, too.”

She eased the door almost closed and stayed facing it for a minute. Why Seth? Why did he feel...trustworthy? Why was her body all too responsive to him, when she hadn’t thought about a man in a sexual way since a year into her marriage?

With a sigh, she returned to the living room.

Wouldn’t you know, he looked up immediately, his blue eyes piercing her.

“Come sit down.” He patted the cushion next to him.

Her feet quit moving. “Is this going to be another interrogation?”

His mouth curved. “No.”

She approached reluctantly, finally sitting beside him. He turned his laptop slightly to allow her to see a photo of Richard engaged in intense conversation with the previous mayor.

“Handsome man,” Seth said, tone neutral.

Taken by surprise, Robin couldn’t tear her eyes from that face. Lean, his strength wiry, his face thin with perfect bones, a sensual mouth and extremely dark eyes beneath a slash of dark brows.

A shudder racked her. “Looking at him makes my skin crawl.”

Seth slapped the laptop closed. “I’m sorry. God! What was I thinking?”

“You...you wanted to know more about him.” With each hand, she gripped the opposite forearm, kneading hard.

“Robin.” Seth took her hands, prying them away from her arms. “Don’t. Please.”

She shook her head. “I’ve been following him on social media and in the news. I wanted to be sure he was in Seattle where he belongs. I’ve seen pictures before. Tonight... I don’t know why it hit me that way.”

But she did. It was because of what she’d been thinking, comparing Richard to Seth. Richard’s touch, his cold rebukes, had been cast in sharp relief. She hadn’t known she could act until that last year, but she’d hated every minute.

She shivered.

With an exclamation, Seth dropped her hands and pulled her into his arms. Without a second thought, she all but burrowed into him, wrapping her arms around his hard torso.