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T-shirt seeming to highlight the curve of his muscles and—why was it so warm all of a sudden? She wondered as a wave of heat slid over her. Perhaps her fever hadn’t completely passed, she worried, unaware that Leigh had stood up too and moved around the table until she touched her arm, saying, “You can’t.”
    Relieved by the distraction, Valerie turned to Leigh, but asked with confusion. “Can’t what?”
    “Go searching for Roxy. You’re in no shape to go anywhere just yet. You need to rest and recover,” Leigh said.
    Roxy, Valerie remembered. How could she forget Roxy? Frowning, she gave her head a shake and said, “She’s been out there for two weeks, Leigh. Anything could have happened to her. She might be at the pound. What if they put her to sleep or something?”
    “They won’t put her to sleep,” Leigh assured her firmly, urging her back into her chair. “She has a license, doesn’t she? Maybe even a name tag with your number on it? They’d know she has a home and have probably been looking for you.”
    “And haven’t been able to find me. I should go—”
    “You haven’t got any clothes, Valerie,” Leigh pointed out patiently. “And you’re taller than me. None of my clothes would fit you. The best thing you can do right now is sit down and eat and rebuild your strength. I’ll call around to the animal shelters myself while you eat. Go on,” she added firmly when Valerie didn’t pick up her spoon right away. She didn’t wait for her to start, but turned away, saying, “Anders, make sure she eats while I make the calls.”

 
    Three
    A nders watched Valerie as Leigh left the room. The woman’s expression was full of concern and dissatisfaction. She obviously cared for, and wasn’t pleased not to be looking for, her pet. His gaze slid over Valerie, noting that her hair was nearly dry and now fell in soft, golden waves around her face. Her clean face, he noted. Anders hadn’t seen Valerie since delivering her to the Enforcer house. The dirt that had covered her then had hidden what he now saw were very fine features.
    The woman had incredible eyes: wide, almost emerald green, with long thick lashes surrounding them. She had a pert nose and lips that were lovely: full and puffy like tiny perfect, pale, rose pillows that needed kissing. Beautiful.
    “Do I have something on my face?”
    Anders’s gaze flickered at the question as he realized he’d been caught staring. Shaking his head in answer to her question, he glanced away, but then he shifted his eyes back and gestured to her bowl. “Eat.”
    Valerie picked up her spoon, but she didn’t start eating. Instead, she simply fiddled with the utensil and bit her lip, her gaze shooting to the door again. Thinking about her dog, he guessed.
    Sighing, she set down the spoon. “I’m afraid I’m not hungry anymore. I mean, it’s very good, but it is a very thick soup, more like stew, really, and I haven’t eaten much lately. I should be hungry, ravenous even. I’ve always been a healthy eater, and . . .” She paused, biting her lip, and then muttered, “Sorry. I’m rambling. I guess I’m worried about Roxy.”
    Anders began loading Leigh’s empty bowl and glass back onto the tray, and simply said, “Drink your milk and finish telling me about the night you were taken.”
    Valerie nodded, but didn’t speak right away. Instead, her expression became thoughtful and Anders suspected she was mentally taking herself back to the night she’d been kidnapped. It worried him. He couldn’t read or control her. If putting herself back in that moment upset her to the point of hysterics, he couldn’t slip into her mind and soothe her. He was just thinking that it might have been better if he’d waited for Leigh or someone else to be present to ask these questions, when she began to speak. Much to his relief, her voice was perfectly calm.
    “It all happened very fast. I’m not even sure what exactly took place. I remember Roxy