Alex looked over at Rob who tapped his fingers against his thigh. “You’re quite right, Rob. That is an oversight I intend to fix.”
He spoke quietly, but Tara gave him a nervous glance nevertheless. She should be nervous.
There were going to be a lot of changes in her life.
***
Tara looked over at Alex as he drove his car through the streets. They’d both grown silent once they’d entered his car. She was so tired she didn’t really think she could string together an intelligent sentence. They’d spent hours with the police and she still had to go in tomorrow to talk to a sketch artist.
Alex insisted that she come home with him, so she’d made him drive to her apartment so she could grab a change of clothes. She’d decided to grab her laptop too—she felt better having it close at hand.
Tomorrow she’d have to contact her brother and let him know that her phone had been stolen. She really, really wasn’t looking forward to telling Tim that her company phone had been taken.
He’d probably fire her.
That would really be the icing on this god-awful week.
“Tara? Tara?”
She glanced up, only to see that not only had they stopped moving, but Alex had gotten out of the car and was holding her door open for her.
“Shit.”
With hands that shook, she really should eat something, she undid her seatbelt then took his hand. She groaned as they entered his apartment and she looked at the clock.
“What’s the point of going to bed? I’ve only got to get up again in four hours.” She sat and waved her hand at the drink he held out. “No thanks.”
“It will help you sleep.”
“I don’t drink much.” She rested her head back. “I’m just going to sleep here, okay?”
“No, it’s not okay.”
Tara gasped as he pulled her up into his arms.
“Shouldn’t you be more upset?” he asked.
“Should I?” she asked as he walked with her down the hall. It was kind of nice to be carried like this. “Why?”
“Why?” He paused, looking down at her incredulously. “Because you were just robbed. A man drew a knife on you. Most people would be terrified. They’d be thinking about taking some time off, not getting to work the next day.”
She had been terrified. She just didn’t want to think about it, because if she did then she might freak out. She didn’t have time to indulge her fear. She had things to do. Maybe people who had next week’s rent in the bank could spare the time to freak out.
Alex placed her on the bed, his hands on his hips as he stared down at her. “Do you normally work so late?”
“No. I was late to work the other morning. I was just making some time up.”
Alex raised his eyebrows. “I’d say you made the time up and more. What kind of boss would let you work until ten at night when there was no one else around?”
The asshole kind. But she didn’t say that out loud. It was disloyal, even if it was the truth.
“Why didn’t you take a taxi home?”
Because she couldn’t afford it. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Alex, I’m tired. I’ve had a hell of a night and I have to be up soon. Could we talk about this another time?”
Alex held out his hand and she took it, letting him pull her off the bed. He began stripping off her clothes. She grabbed hold of his hands as he reached for her bra.
“I can do that,” she told him.