Broken Pasts (15 page)

“
He
fed you lies,” I said as I looked at Glen and thanked my lucky
stars that I wasn't his wife anymore. He really was a spineless
piece of shit. “Gary has been stalking
me,
and
Nathaniel isn't a private detective, he's a bodyguard.” Glen
looked from Nathaniel to me and back again.

“
I
– ”

“
And
I would never,
never
do anything to put Rhea in harm's way,
not physically, not emotionally.” I paused and watched sweat
bead on Glen's forehead. “You will do
nothing
to take
her away from me. If you try for custody, I will take her from you
and you will never see her again.” I took a deep breathe.
“And the next time you decide to tell our daughter a life
changing secret, say for example, that she's adop
ted,
you will come to me first or I'll kill you myself.” I smiled
and moved forward, nodded at Nathaniel who opened the door, and held
out my hand. “Nathaniel will see you out.”

CHAPTER 17

“
Pick
up, pick up, pick up,” I whispered as I paced the bathroom
floor with my fingernails in my mouth and my phone to my ear. I was
waiting desperately for Jamie to answer, so I could dump all of my
emotional baggage on her shoulders. The weight of it had lifted
briefly in Nathaniel's arms and now it was all crashing back down on
my head and threatening to drown me. I had to tell someone or I was
going to burst. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't going to be
my best friend. She didn't answer. I ended the call and sighed,
leaning over the counter while my heart pumped and my thoughts
whirled.
Now what?
Did I invite Nathaniel to stay the night?
What about Cedric? Did they have to switch out now? Could
Nathaniel just … I don't know, spend the night with me? Was I
moving too fast?

“
Theresa?”
he asked from outside the door. “Is everything okay in there?”
I looked up, caught my expression in the mirror and realized that I
was now
terrified
of the man. He'd given me my first orgasm
and now I was choking on my own fear at the thought of even
looking
at him.

“
Yeah,
I … just a minute,” I said as I thought about someone to
call. There was nobody but Jamie to tell this to. I was on my own.
With another sigh, I approached the door and opened it slowly.
Nathaniel was waiting in the doorway between the hallway and kitchen
with his arms crossed over his chest and a soft, tentative smile on
his face. “I'm sorry about Glen,” I told him and he
shook his head.

“
Don't
be. It's actually fairly common for a stalker to try and turn the
situation around and blame the victim. Happens all the time.”
I nodded, but that didn't make me feel any less sick. Gary might not
have been sitting outside my window, but he was still there,
searching for a way back into my life, however that opportunity may
arise. At least I had some idea what to do with the gun now, and a
basic knowledge was all I needed because if I took it out, it was
going to be a life or death situation and I refused to go down
without a fight.

“
Should
we, uh, maybe put Glen down as a witness?” Nathaniel shook his
head again and stepped forward, running his hand across my cheek and
through my hair. I shivered at the casual touch and tried to puzzle
out exactly what was going on here. If I didn't determine the
boundaries soon, things were bound to get awkward between us.

“
I
think he'd do more harm than good to your case,” he said with a
smile. “And don't worry about the restraining order, there's
no way Gary could get one, especially not since we already filed a
police report on him. He's bluffing.”

“
He's
going to try and kill me, isn't he?” I asked, my mouth set in a
thin line. It was a horrible thought, imagining Gary out there
plotting to take me down, but it was the truth. I couldn't run from
it anymore.

“
He
can try,” Nathaniel said. “But I won't let him. I'll
protect you, Theresa.”

“
Until
Wednesday,” I said as I stepped back and rested my body against
the bathroom door. “And then – ” Nathaniel put
his hand out by my head and leaned forward, making my body hum with
excitement.

“
I'm
not leaving you,” he told me, but I was already shaking my
head.

“
Yes,
you are. Nathaniel, I can't really afford – ”

“
Really,
Theresa?” he asked, but his voice wasn't angry, just confused.
“Do you really think I'd charge you after what just happened
between us? Of course I'll refund your money.”

“
No,”
I said firmly as I looked up into his face and touched his cheeks
with my hands. “That's not fair to Cedric. Besides, what are
you going to do? Move in with me? Protect me round the clock
without sleep, without pay?”

“
If
that's what it takes.”

“
Nathaniel
… ” I began, and when I realized I was using my 'mom'
voice, I cringed. “Let's just get through the next few days
and see what happens. We still have a date on Friday if I remember
correctly?” Nathaniel nodded and pulled his arm back, wrapping
his fingers around mine and pulling them away from his face.

“
It's
not a weakness to ask for help when you need it,” he told me.

“
I
know,” I told him, and didn't know what else to say to that.
My bodyguard has just thrown me over a desk and given me the best
oral sex I have ever had and now he's trying to go all white knight
on me, and I'm freaking out. Is there a fucking problem here because
there shouldn't be, Theresa. Stop being a bitch.
“Want
something to drink?” I asked and then paused. “Something
nonalcoholic. I think I'm going to stay away from the booze for a
couple of days.” Nathaniel smiled softly and dropped my hands.

“
Tea?”
he asked as he stepped aside and let me slide past. It was the same
sort of thing we'd done a dozen times in the past few days except on
this occasion, he didn't stand back all professional like. In fact,
he pressed his body against mine and ran his fingers across my belly
as I sidled past and started rummaging around in the cabinets.

“
I
hope you're not a tea connoisseur or anything,” I said and
nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt his warm breath on my neck
and his hands on my hips.

“
Nope,”
Nathaniel said. “Anything you have is more than fine with me.”
I spun around in his arms and nearly groaned as he used his hips to
push me against the counter.

“
Even
six month old generic brand black tea?”

“
Perfect,”
he said as we locked gazes and I found myself struggling to catch my
breath. Apparently the little tryst between us had only whet
Nathaniel's appetite for me. “Weren't we in the middle of
something?” he asked as he grabbed the box of tea from my hand
and tossed it onto the counter behind me. I moaned and nearly
collapsed in his arms when his mouth found the hollow of my throat
and began to nibble down towards the edge of my dress …

And
then his fucking phone rang.

“
Shit,”
Nathaniel said as he gave me an apologetic look and pulled it out of
his pocket. “With what happened yesterday, I – ”

“
No
problem,” I told him as I slid out from between his body and
the counter. “It's okay. Take it.” Nathaniel smiled
apologetically at me and answered the call, switching instantly from
suave and sexy to perfectly professional.

“
Yes?”
he asked tentatively, pausing as if he wasn't sure who was on the
other end of the line. After a moment, he sighed with relief and a
gentle smiled teased the corners of his mouth. “No problem,”
he told the caller. “I'll take care of it. You take the rest
of the week off.” Nathaniel paused again. “Cedric, you
only get married once.” And then Nathaniel cringed, and I
watched as his eyes snapped over to mine. I looked away and
pretended to be super busy with the flimsy plastic wrap that covered
the tea box. It was the kind that always got stuck to your fingers
like it was possessed. “Okay. No, no, it's fine. I've got it
covered, and Cedric,” Nathaniel said as I struggled frantically
to get the plastic bits off of my fingers and into the garbage.
“Congratulations.” Nathaniel hung up the phone, but he
didn't try to apologize or explain himself which I appreciated. You
are only supposed to get married once. Nobody goes into it thinking
that it's one of three.

“
She
said
yes,
I presume?” I asked instead as I filled the
kettle and put it on the stove to heat. Nathaniel slipped his phone
back in his pocket and nodded.

“
She
did.”

“
And
Cedric is taking the week off?”

“
He
is.”

“
Nathaniel,”
I began, turning to face him again. He was leaning against the
counter in a much more casual position than I'd ever seen him. If
I'd thought smooth and polished Nathaniel Sutherland was hot then
mussy haired, T-shirt wearing Nathaniel was even better. “I
can't let you stay here without paying you.” A dirty little
smile turned up the corners of his lips.

“
Why
not?” he asked. “I believe I already offered up my
services free of charge.”

“
Stop
that!” I said as I pointed at his thick, delicious muscular
chest. “You see? That's the kind of stuff that just makes me
crazy. You can't keep talking like that.”

“
Theresa,”
he said as he reached out and wrapped his hands around mine. “You
already paid for the week anyway. I'm here until Wednesday afternoon
from a purely business standpoint. If it makes you feel any better,
I'll dock a bit of Cedric's pay and take you out to dinner.”

“
You're
horrible,” I told him as the tea kettle began to whistle and I
moved it off the burner. “Are you sure you haven't been on a
date in years? Your flirting skills are a bit above the average
Joe.” Nathaniel's face dropped for just a moment, and I wished
briefly that I hadn't said that. Then he smiled at me and pushed
whatever feelings I'd just stirred up back down.

“
Only
my flirting is above average?” he asked as I poured hot water
into a pair of tea cups. “What about my other skills?”
I grabbed one of the saucers and spun around, placing it between us
before he touched me again, and I forgot that I had not only a
business to run, but a stalker to worry about
and
a daughter
that I was more than likely going to be late picking up from school.

“
I
don't know,” I said as I stared him straight in the face. “I
haven't tried them all yet.”

***

“
I'm
glad you're back,” Rhea said as she beamed at Nathaniel like a
ray of sunshine. Her smile was stretched from one side of her face
to the other and I think she was even batting her eyelashes.
She
has a worse crush on the guy than I do.
“Because I drew
you another picture, but the art teacher took it to show at my
parent-teacher conference. I think she's going to steal it and hang
it up on her wall.”

“
I'm
sure she is,” I said, trying to keep my voice light. Glen
hadn't said a single word after we'd thrown him out, and he hadn't
called. I would make good on my threats, believe you me, but I was
still worried. I didn't want to get into something with one ex when
I was already knee-deep in shit with the other. “So, what did
you learn today?” I asked as I tried and failed to distract us
both from Nathaniel.

“
Are
you going to move in with us?” Rhea asked. “Because I
like you
way
better than Cedric. Mom does, too, I think
because she gets pink when you're around.” She pointed at her
cheeks and strained forward in her seat belt. Nathaniel laughed and
caught her gaze in the rearview mirror, tossing in a little wink for
good measure.

“
I'm
going to stay with you for a few days,” he said. “If
it's okay with your mother.” I sighed and glanced out the
window. Of course it was okay, how could it not be? He'd asked with
his mouth on my neck and his hands cupping my ass. What was I
supposed to say?
I let you give me some tongue over the desk, but
no you cannot stay the night and protect me from my evil stalker, you
bad ass, sex machine.
I snorted and covered my mouth with my
hand when Rhea cast a strange glance my direction.

“
Well?”
she asked, daring me with her eyes to say
no
to the man.

“
Of
course he can stay,” I said as we pulled into the driveway and
Nathaniel shut off the engine.

“
And
are you going to have sex with him?”

“
Rhea!”
I said, but she was already done with the conversation and was
halfway out the door. I sighed and tried not to smile when Nathaniel
opened mine for me.

“
Always
a gentleman,” I said as I climbed out and caught his gaze,
smoldering at me over the top of the door.

“
Always,”
he told me as he closed it behind me and stepped back into his
bodyguard position. We were in a bit of a strange spot, he and I,
and it was anyone's guess how it was all going to work out.

I
followed Rhea into the house and spent the next several hours
wondering how I was going to get
anything
done with Nathaniel
behind me, always behind me. He was playing bodyguard again, sure,
keeping his eyes trained on the doors, the windows, sweeping the
rooms before we went in them, but he was standing so close that I
could feel the heat of his body burning through the thin satin of the
robe I was wearing. When Jamie finally called, I was halfway to
tears, not from sadness but from sheer desperation.

“
I
can't resist him,” I told her and meant it. Jamie laughed and
chewed noisily in my ear.