Guardian Angel (8 page)

"Boss give you all the dos and don'ts?"

"You could say that," she replied dryly.

"Madame Page, please join us." Rashid gestured from the round conference table he shared with Jared.

Alex noted that the only chair left was next to Jared, a fact he was well aware of, judging by the gleam in his eyes. Pasting a falsely bright smile on her lips, she took the empty chair and deliberately turned away from him to converse with Rashid in an animated fashion. What galled was that Jared easily saw through her guise.

"Yes, I agree with Alex." He spoke up, determined that she wouldn't forget his presence. He leaned forward and firmly planted his hand on her knee, stroking her skin.

Two can play at this! She fumed at this blatant attempt to display ownership. Still talking and not sparing a glance in Jared's direction, Alex brought her boot heel down on his foot just above the toes. She had to give him credit. A brief glance showed that his expression hadn't even changed under her punishing boot, although his hand remained on her knee just under the hem of her skirt. Alex merely leaned forward and put all her weight on the one foot. A moment later Jar
ed's hand slowly removed itself
from her knee, and just after that she lifted her foot.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Templeton?" she asked, gaz
ing at him with false concern.

"Not a thing, Mrs. Pag
e.
" He clearly admired her subtle
retaliation.

There wasn't time for further word games, as the an
nouncement came forth that they would be landing soon.

Alex was the first to disembark the jet at the tiny air
port.

"I feel like the lead man for a bunch of gangsters," she muttered to herself as several men approached the jet.

"Hello, Tim," Jared greeted one of the men who looked as if he had just stepped off a western movie set with his
dusty boots and jeans, faded wool shirt, and Stetson in one hand.

"Mr. Templeton." His lined, weather-beaten face was creased in a broad grin. He glanced curiously at Jared's party, in particular, Alex.

Jared made the necessary introductions and seemed to take great pleasure in explaining Alex's function.

"Well, hell, Mr. Templeton." Tim scratched the gray strands of hair on his head. "Who's gonna protect the lady?"

"You don't need to worry about me." Alex smiled, used to this confusion when her profession was revealed.

"Is there a reason why we're out here in the midst of nothing, my friend?" Rashid asked Jared.

"The only way you can reach my ranch is by Jeep. Tim and the others are here to drive us up there." Jared took charge and instructed who would sit in which Jeep. Alex was relieved to be put with Chris and one of Rashid's bodyguards. The other shared a Jeep with Jared and Ra
shid while Rashid's secretary sat in the last Jeep with the luggage. In no time the Jeeps were bumping along the highway.

"No wonder why I'm a city boy," Chris grumbled, looking around at the barren countryside. "It looks as if all you can do around here is listen to the grass grow, if that."

Alex shot him an exasperated look. "Some peace and quiet won't hurt any of us after the wild lives we lead in the city," she informed him in a dry voice.

"Wild lives, don't I wish!" he groaned.

Alex gathered her wool blazer more closely about her. She had forgotten how even closed Jeeps can be drafty. She turned to ask the driver the whereabouts of the ranch, but didn't receive a satisfying answer.

"What did I tell you?" Chris mumbled. "We're in the middle of the wilderness."

Soon enough, the Jeeps turned off onto a side road whose gateposts held a sign stating
Pradera Alta
, which the driver translated as "high meadow" in Spanish.

"Mr. Templeton's grandmother is a descendant of one of the founding Spanish families," he explained. "She lives in Santa Barbara now. Quite a lady too." He chuckled.

Alex settled back in her seat and surveyed the trees, bared of their leaves in mid-winter. Even in this barren land she saw a stark beauty that soothed her mind. With
out warning, the memory of Jared's hands on her naked flesh intruded into her thoughts. Her body began to ache, wanting the sure caress that right now was only in her mind. She hurriedly turned her head, looking out the window, needing a diversion to control her heightened senses. What was happening to her? No man had ever jumbled her mind before, and she didn't intend Jared to be the first.

Twenty minutes later the Jeeps pulled in front of a sprawling one-story adobe ranch house. Alex scrambled out of the Jeep with a grumbling Chris close behind her.

"If I don't sit down for the rest of the week, it will be too soon," he moaned.

"Shut up," she ordered mildly, looking around with interest. She turned when the front door opened and a small gray-haired woman walked out onto the veranda.

"You're late," she brusquely informed Jared, resting her hands on tiny hips.

"Hello, Mavis." He greeted her with obvious affection, throwing his arms around her for a bear hug.

"None of that now," she scolded, drawing away from him, but the twinkle in her eyes belied her words. Her dark eyes surveyed the group, hesitating only once on Alex, then moving on.

"Are the rooms for my guests ready?" Jared asked.

"Naturally," she snapped, although the smile never left her eyes. This was clearly no normal servant/employer relationship, as Mavis treated Jared like her son.

"My housekeeper, Mavis," he explained to the others. "She'll show each of you to your rooms."

As they entered the house, a fine misting rain fell, giving the countryside a gray cast. They were led into the living room, which boasted fine antiques much to Alex's delight.

"Mr. Kalim." Mavis pronounced his name with a broad a. "Would you come with me please?"

"Would you care for some coffee?" Alex spun around, disconcerted to find Jared standing next to her.

"Exactly why am I here?" she demanded without preamble. "You don't need bodyguards in such an isolated place."

"Rashid has his."

"I'm sure if you had asked him nicely, he would have shared them with you." She kept her voice low, anxious that no one overhear her.

"Ah, but I preferred to have my own nearby," he mur
mured, keeping his eyes on the enticement of her heaving breasts. Without warni
ng his voice turned serious and
impersonal. "There are reasons why we're conducting the meetings here instead of my office."

"Then I should have been the first to know them."

"You will, after lunch," he said cryptically. "Would you care for some coffee?"

Alex shook her head. "All I want is a hot shower." Her mint-green eyes narrowed. "I feel grubby."

The white lines around Jared's mouth told her that her thrust hit home.

"Yes." His voice was hoarse. "I know just the feeling."

Alex paled under the unexpected attack. Well, she couldn't complain, could she? All Jared had done was
defend his pride the best way he could. Past experience had her see him use a few well-chosen words to flay a supposedly self-assured man to ribbons. Just the way her father would deal with someone. Alex wasn't aware that her eyes had suddenly clouded over and her jaw had tight
ened. Jared was alternately puzzled and concerned by her abrupt withdrawal.

"Alex?"

Slowly the eyes cleared and the taut muscles relaxed. She tipped her head back and smiled at him, a narrow, bitter smile.

"You have it down pat, Mr. Templeton," she said soft
ly. "You missed your calling. You should have been in the navy. You would have had a brilliant career." She turned away and walked swiftly toward Chris.

Jared watched her with confused eyes. Although Chris didn't seem to notice anything unusual, he was quick to see that Alex's voice was pitched a shade higher than normal and her gestures weren't natural. Again he fought the urge to go over and shake the truth out of her, to demand the reason for these chilling withdrawals. He also suffered from an irritating jealousy that Alex could act so natural and carefree with Chris while she was tense and abrupt with him. Except ... His lips curved with the memory of her slender warmth curled against him. What would it be like to have that warmth all night? He turned away and cursed himself for these tormenting thoughts that only served to heighten his frustration.

When Alex was shown to her room, she was surprised to be steered toward a different wing of the house than the others had been taken to.

"Aren't the others in a different wing?" she asked Ma
vis.

The housekeeper nodded as she drew back the drapes
to reveal a breathtaking view of the mountains. "Mr. Tem
pleton thought you'd be more comfortable here."

Away from the men is more like it, Alex thought to herself, setting her tote bag on the bed. Her suitcase had already been delivered to her room and was sitting on the carpet next to the bed.

"Lunch is at one," Mavis told her. "There's plenty of towels in the bathroom. If you need anything, just say so."

Alex shook her head. "I don't think I will. Thank you."

After Mavis left her, Alex busied herself unpacking and putting her clothes away. She looked around the bedroom, finding the Spanish theme repeated in the dark wood four- poster and heavy dresser with an ornate mirror hung above. A painting of a Spanish castle hung over the bed and an Indian print blanket partially covered another wall. The brick-colored bedspread was heavy cotton, yet soft to the touch. The bathroom was completely modern, including a separate shower cubicle next to the bathtub.

Alex was surprised by the simplicity of the furnishings in the house. She had heard that Jared's house in Brent
wood was very plush compared to this. This was a home and another side of the man she hadn't seen before. She had an idea that her time here would be very informative, if not dangerous to her peace of mind.

Without warning Alex's knees suddenly buckled and she collapsed onto the edge of the bed. Was she fighting some type of physical attraction for Jared?

"God help me," she whispered, looking down at her clenched fists lying in her lap. While she did an excellent job of protecting other people, could she perform that same duty for herself, not just her body, but her emotions as well?

CHAPTER FOUR

A few moments before one o'clock Alex returned to the living room to find everyone already there. After seeing Jared standing away from the others talking to Rashid in low tones, she felt comfortable enough to join Chris, who had been valiantly att
empting a conversation with Ra
shid's two bodyguards and male secretary.

"Their only other main language is French," he mut
tered to Alex, "the only subject I flunked in school. The secretary can understand Eng
lish; he just doesn't speak it
very well. I hope we're having lunch soon."

As if hearing Chris's fervent prayer, Jared glanced up and suggested they move into the dining room.

Lunch was simple, but filling. Mavis served them chick
en with parsley dumplings and apple cobbler for dessert. Jared had been his charming self, including asking Alex to play hostess and sit opposite him at the table.

During the meal she experienced Rashid's dark specula
tive eyes on her. She wondered, with a spark of humor, how he'd react if she told him that she knew his unspoken question was if she'd like to live in a harem.

"If you gentlemen will excuse us, I need to go over a few points with Alex." Jared was still the gracious host when they left the table after the meal.

"Obviously he didn't get it all said on the plane," Chris commented in a low voice.

"Obviously," Alex murmured, moving to follow Jared into his study.

"Have a seat, Alex." He gestured toward a soft leather chair while he perched himself on the edge of his desk.

"I hope I now get to hear the details." There was an ironic twist to her words. "It seems we didn't get down to business on the flight up here."

Without bothering to reply, Jared twisted his body so that he could pick a sheaf of papers up from the desk. "These will explain why we're having the meetings here." He tossed the papers onto her lap.

Alex carefully studied each crudely scrawled note. A cold lump settled in the pit of her stomach at the meaning of the words. She had seen enough of these letters in the past that they shouldn't bother her, but they always did. "It's the same group who's been writing all those letters and sending those cassette tapes for the past few months," she commented, working hard to remain objective. "Why didn't you have me contact the police about this new one?" she asked him, raising her head to stare at him. "These people mean business
. They're not your run-of-
the-mill cranks. This letter proves it."

Jared shook his head. "I couldn't afford to advertise these negotiations any more than necessary."