Safe in His Arms Read Online Free PDF Page A

asleep in the nook of Zac’s arm. In the second before Zac had looked up, she thought she’d seen him gazing at Parker with something akin to longing. Seeing her, he carefully extricated himself from the sleep-heavy limbs of their son and stood, his lean, muscular body unfolding with a panther-like grace.
    She waited until he’d shut the door before she demanded, “Have you made contact with Parker before?”
    He shook his head.
    “How did he know you?”
    Zac rubbed a hand over his close-cropped sandy hair and flopped into an overstuffed chair. She perched on the edge of the loveseat facing him. “I don’t know. I have a sixth sense—an ability to know things without being told. I’m guessing he inherited it.”
    She’d considered this before. Parker had an uncanny habit of knowing her thoughts, or saying truly bizarre things about people.
    “I think maybe we have a connection. There have been times when I’m in extreme discomfort, I have out-of-body experiences. A few times I’ve ended up with Parker.”
    She took a breath. “What you mean, ended up with him?”
    He shrugged. “I mean, suddenly, I’m in his room, or at his school. I can see him, but he doesn’t see me. It’s like I’m dead already—a ghost.”
    Every hair follicle on Becca’s body lifted. She rubbed her arms, trying to remember the things Parker had claimed about his father.
    My dad bought this car for us, but my mom thinks she won it in a drawing.
    “Did you buy my car?”
    His eyebrows flickered. “Did Parker know that?”
    “Did you?” she demanded, angry at the rearranging of her reality.
    He nodded.
    “What else?”
    He shrugged.
    “What else?” her voice cracked. “How else have you interfered in my life?”
    He looked wary.
    “Tell me! Have you been in my apartment before?”
    He looked at her, then nodded once. She remembered another one of Parker’s claims. “Do you own the building?”
    He tilted his head to one side. “I arranged for its purchase.”
    “What does that mean?”
    “I don’t exist, remember? So I don’t own anything, either.”
    She stood up and began to pace. “But you’re the reason we live in a three-bedroom, but pay the rent of a studio?”
    He shrugged, rising from the armchair and approaching her. “I couldn’t support you directly, other than arranging for the pension. But now that you know about me, it will be easier. I’ll find ways to funnel you money. I’ll take care of you.”
    “How?” she demanded, turning her shoulder on him to reject his advances. “By spying on us and murdering our nannies?”
    He wrapped his arms around her from behind. She felt his breath hot on her ear. “I’m sorry, Becca,” he murmured. She made an attempt to free herself from his embrace, but he pressed his chest against her back, containing her with gentle strength. “You deserved a real father for your baby. You deserve a real man in your life.” He swayed, rocking her in standing. “I can’t give you that. A ghost can’t give much. But I will protect you. I’ll make sure you’re safe to live your lives without me.”
    Tears spilled onto her cheeks. He had just answered her most underlying question—the one she hadn’t even dared to allow to surface. Assuming he wasn’t a psycho stalker, and she was able to get beyond her anger and resentment for his abandonment, surveillance, and meddling, assuming they got out of whatever danger they were in—there was still no hope Zac would stay in their lives. She elbowed him off her. “I need some time alone, okay?” she choked.
    He released her slowly, as if reluctant to let her go. “Yeah, okay. I’m going to take a quick shower. Don’t unlock the door, don’t go near the windows. If you see or hear anything, call to me.”
    She nodded. “Okay.”
    He picked up his bag and headed to the master bedroom.
    Wiping her tears, she did another round in the kitchen before she remembered her objective to get her phone operational. She grabbed