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Page 206
vered. "I wanted to talk to him, to see if I could learn how he next planned to attack you. But I was unable."
Mike remained silent.
"Oh, Mike. You must have believed I told him of your dinner party, but I did not know of it then. You informed me about it afterward."
"You could have called him." She drew herself taut to protest, but he spoke again before she could. "But I know you didn't." His arms tightened about her. His hands began to rub her back. "If you'd been conspiring with him, you'd have told him that you were sleeping in my bedroom. The fire would have been set to hurt me, not you."
She let her breath out in a quick sigh of relief. He believed her. She wished, however, that he had been convinced not by circumstances, but by the trust of her that she craved.
He continued slowly, a forcefulness in his tone despite his hesitancy. "I . . . Abby, I don't know what's happening between us. I don't want to believe you're for real. I don't even know who you are. But I hear you when I'm far out of earshot, I'm drawn to you when . . . Look, why don't you go to Jess's tomorrow? See if you can find those journals. I still can't promise they'll turn me into a believer, but I want"
Warmed, thrilled at the step he was taking toward overcoming his incredulity, she silenced the words that were so difficult for him with an ardent kiss.
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