Free Dark And Dangerous by Faye Sommer Page A

instead took her arm and led her out of the
apartment, closing the door behind them.
      They walked down to the car in silence, and
not until they were safely inside did he give in to his need to comfort her.
The moment the car door closed behind them, he pulled her into his arms and
lifted her onto his lap. He wrapped his arms tight around her and felt her
tremble against him.
      It took her completely by surprise when he
hugged her close. She had been sure he would turn away from her, just as
everyone, except her teacher, always had.
      Relief swept through her as she trembled. She
couldn't stop the shaking that had begun the moment she had seen her father
again. And now that it was over, it seemed to be getting worse.
    She bit her teeth
together, in order to keep them from chattering.
      " It's okay,
Kayley. Just let it out." Nathan kissed her hair.
      "But I ca … ca … can't seem to stop s … shaking," she stuttered.
      "It's simply your body's way of
releasing stress and adrenaline. Just take it easy and let it run its
course." Pulling her closer still, he tried to warm her. She felt as cold
as an iceberg.
      "Just breathe baby. It's going to be
okay." He held her gently, murmuring softly to her as they drove through
the city.
      He had planned on taking her to a nice lunch
after they had seen her father, but realizing his big miscalculation after the
meeting, he had told their chauffeur to order a picnic basket from a
restaurant, and drive them to someplace uncrowded. He thought she needed peace
and he had to admit he certainly needed it after that experience.
      He had known Kayley didn't have a good
upbringing. She had definitely tried to tell him.
    But he had never expected
it to be as bad as that.
    As the car stopped Kayley
stirred in his arms.
      "It's okay, you can just relax, Kayley.
I asked Timothy to get us a picnic basket. Then we'll eat somewhere in private."
      "Okay." She leaned her head against
his shoulder again and closed her eyes. The shaking was beginning to subside
slowly. But she discovered that that left room for her mind to begin engaging
again.
      Too embarrassed by her own reaction, on top
of the embarrassment she had already felt, she couldn't force herself to open
her eyes. Instead she held them tightly closed, as an armor against the world.
      "I'm sorry I fell apart like that,"
she said stiffly.
      "You didn't fall apart, Kayley. You had
a completely normal reaction to a very stressful situation." He stroked
her hair and kissed it. He had a weight to get off his shoulders as well.
"I'm sorry I made you see your father. And I'm sorry I didn't believe you
when you said it was futile." He had regretted it the second he had seen
the pain in her eyes, and had known he could have prevented it.
    Surprised at his words,
Kayley lifted her head and looked at him. "You're sorry?" she
repeated. "But I thought — "
      "What did you think?"
      "Well, I … I thought you … " Taking a deep breath she looked him
squarely in the eyes. "I thought you would blame me." And judge her,
but she left that out.
      "Why would I blame you? You didn't want
to go, I did. In fact you did your very best to warn
me, but I just didn't listen."
      "It's just that I thought you might look
at me differently if you saw what I came from."
      "Kayley, you should really give me some
more credit. I know I've had a privileged upbringing, but that doesn't mean I'm
ignorant about the darker sides of life. Neither of my parents had an easy
childhood, although it was nothing compared to yours." He tucked her hair
behind her ear. "Your past certainly affects you, but it doesn't make you
who you are. Who you choose to be is always up to you."
      "I didn't know your parents came from
hard backgrounds," Kayley said surprised. "They were some of the
nicest warmest people I have ever met."
      "They both understand that what they
came from didn't make them who they are, only they do. My mother came from a
very rich