The Guardian of My Soul (Soul's Desire) (7 page)

“I guess not. But please don’t shove me out of your life.” She lowered her head.

“I’m not going to do that. Why would I? You silly woman...I don’t understand where all these ideas are coming from.”

“I fear the day when you’ll move out and I’ll be left alone,” she confessed.

“It won’t happen any time soon, so don’t fret. But this is why you should concentrate on finding yourself a trustworthy man instead of trying to hook me up with whoever you think is right for me. Or should I do that for you?” I teased her.

“Okay, you’ve made your point.” She held her hands up, warding off any further dispute. “But just so you know, I didn’t introduce him to you with the purpose of hooking you up with him. I did it because of the perfume project. I’m not going to force you into a relationship. Ever. I married your father because I loved him and I want the same thing for you. Someone to love, cherish and protect you like he did with me.”

“You’ll be the first to know when that happens,” I assured her. “My sheer happiness will be hard to go unnoticed, especially by your hawk eyes.”

“All right, enough with the heavy talk. I’ll let you sleep.” She kissed my forehead. “Good night, Kris.”

“Good night. Hopefully when you wake up in the morning you’ll be much more reasonable and less pesky.”

“Hmm, I shall see about that.”

“Mom, don’t make fun of me,” I grumbled.

She offered me a broad grin before walking out the door.

Glancing out the window at the moonlit sky I let my mind drift. Was I truly being stalked? Was there a real threat, or just Mom’s imagination? And what about Alec?
Alec.
I gulped as a little sigh escaped my throat, squeezing my eyes shut. My earlier conversation with him came back to haunt me, keeping me wide awake. Curling into a ball, I searched to uncover and decode his true feelings for me, replaying our discussion over and over in my head. Soon I came to the conclusion that he had a really bad opinion of me.
Why does this hurt so much?

CHAPTER FOUR

On Sunday, deliciously lazy but ravenous, I forced myself to get out of bed in search of food. Gilda told me Mother had left for an early business meeting so I had breakfast with her, until Mr. Confusing showed up and ruined my mood.

“Good morning,” he greeted, settling at the table with us.

“Good morning, dear. Hungry?” she asked, getting up to serve him too.

“A little,” he replied, glaring at me as if he expected me to smack him. He opened his mouth to speak again, but I quickly cut him off.

“Good morning,” I said, then tore my eyes away from him.

“Well, good morning to you too, sunshine.” He laughed. Gilda gave us an awkward look when she came back with his meal, as if we were two ornery children she had to keep from poking one another.

“So what are the plans for today?” he asked eventually.

“You want to know my plans?”

“I was told to accompany you wherever you go. So yes, I’d like to know your plans.”

“I don’t know if I can trust you with my safety. You like me so much you’d probably be the first to push me in front of a speeding train.” I had the odd urge to stick my tongue out at him like an unruly child.

“Miss, don’t say that,” Gilda muttered appalled.

“Oh, don’t listen to her, Gilda. She’s just being difficult,” he said evenly, making my blood pressure skyrocket. “She knows I take my job seriously.” Looking at me, he asked again, “So where will you need to go today?”

Deciding to tease him, I took a deep breath. “I have a hair appointment, a nail appointment and I thought I’d visit my psychic.” At his wide-eyed look of panic, I giggled. “Nowhere. Sam’s game starts tonight at eight thirty. I’m staying home till then,” I replied tersely, letting him off the hook.

Realizing I was being sarcastic he resumed eating. “All right, very well. Let me know if you change your mind. I could do with a haircut too.” Damn, the man was too handsome for his own good.

Being in the same room with him was just too much. Thanking Gilda with a kiss on the cheek, I returned to my room and changed into a bikini. I needed to cool off.

*  *  *

The sun’s rays rose over the treetops and penetrated the crystal clear water of the pool, luring me inside. I let my towel fall to the ground and took a running dive into the swimming pool. The water felt wonderful against my overheated skin and I swam beneath the surface until the urgent need to breathe made me come out and fill my lungs with precious air. After a good twenty minutes swim, I hoisted myself from the pool and stood dripping in the sun. I looked around me at the beauty of the garden, the sweetness of the birds singing in the trees and the gentle lapping of the pool comforting me. Bathed in sunlight and the dizzying scent coming from the multicolored lilies blossoming all around the garden I sat quiet, until the heavy footfall of someone approaching me disturbed my paradise.

I opened my eyes reluctantly and wheeled toward the source of the sound only to find Jake gawking at me with my towel in his hand. “Good morning to you too,” I said wryly, bringing him out of his reverie.

“Morning, Kris.” He smiled as I leaned my head to one side.

“Give me that!” I grasped the towel from his hand and wrapped it around my body before relaxing onto a lounge chair. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence so early in the morning?”

“Just checking on you,” he replied.

“I haven’t seen you since my birthday. Why didn’t you come to help me work out? I think I’m upset with you.” I pouted playfully.

“I thought you needed some time off to relax.”

“Yeah, right...” I rolled my eyes at him. “We both know you’re not happy with me skipping a training session. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing...”

“Jake!” I insisted.

He sighed and turned to look away. “I saw you.”

“What?”

“With him...”

“What are you talking about?”

“You were all cuddly with a guy at your party.”

My brows shot up.
Ian?
“So?”

“You said you weren’t dating anyone.”

“Come on, that has nothing to do with you. Did you stop coming over because of that? You’ve seen me with men before, you said it yourself. Why does it bother you so much anyway?”

He stared blankly at me as if waiting for me to catch up with the obvious.

“No! Jake...no...” I mumbled as the realization he liked me more than a friend finally dawned on me.

“It’s not something I can control,” he answered, confirming my suspicions.

“I don’t understand. I didn’t see it coming...”

“You see only what you want to see.” He paused and I gave him a worried look. “What does he have that I don’t?”

“Jake, you’re my friend and my trainer. Please...I don’t want to lose your friendship.”

He fell silent for what seemed like forever, his eyes purposely avoiding mine.

“Should I look for a different trainer?” My voice was low and shaky.

“No. Unless it’s what you want...”

“Of course I don’t want that! But...won’t it be awkward?” I worried.

“Not for me. It’s definitely not the ideal situation, but I can work with it. I’ve been rejected before, so...”

“Jake...don’t feel rejected. You know I care about you and enjoy your company. I can’t give you more than that and I’m sorry. You’re a great guy and deserve to be happy with someone who feels the same way about you.”

“I guess...”

“She’s out there somewhere. You just need to keep looking and don’t give up until you find her.” I encouraged him.

“I need to get you out of my head first. If that’s even possible...” He turned to leave and I jumped to my feet. Grabbing his arm, I forced him to look at me.

“I’ll be away with the girls for a week. Will you be okay?”

“Yes. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Of course I worry when you say stuff like this to me.”

“I didn’t have high hopes we’d ever be together. Just thought you should know. Maybe I shouldn’t have told you, though. It was useless.”

“No, I’m glad you did. I consider you my friend and you can talk to me. I know I don’t tell you much when it comes to my relationships, but it’s because I’m a private person.”

“I see. Well...I’ll see you when you return from wherever you’re going. Have fun!”

I embraced him briefly before he walked away, leaving me restless and even more confused.
So much for my attempt to relax.
Inhaling sharply, I returned to my room, trying to ignore Alec’s curious gaze as I passed by him in the hallway. He was once again entertaining my dog. The image disturbed me, but I chose to keep quiet and walk on, not stopping until I had reached my shower. I took a long hot one, finishing with a blast of cold. The blood raced around my body and a hint of color glowed in my cheeks.
Why do I always attract the wrong men?

*  *  *

Flanked by Alec on my left side and Megan on my right, I sat down to watch the game. Her continuous babble and the roar of the crowd was a refreshing change after the silent treatment Alec had given me on our way to the stadium. His ignoring me had been disconcerting. For a moment I wished I could read his mind, but on the other hand I was afraid of what I’d discover. His handsome poker face gave nothing away, which only added to my frustration and anxiety. He had cut me out, masking all of his feelings and thoughts from me.

When the two teams eventually showed up on the field I abandoned my own worry about him and focused on the game, prepared to root the Chargers to victory.

The atmosphere was electrifying and soon I began to relax, feeling the energy of the large enthusiastic crowd.

“Go, Sam!” I yelled as loud as I could every time he touched the ball, but I could barely hear myself over the tumultuous fans.

The game was a close one, but when the Chargers pulled ahead for good in the fourth quarter we could finally breathe relieved.

Alec locked his hand tightly around my wrist as he led me toward the exit followed by my friends. As much as I felt the need to free myself, I didn’t want to make a scene in front of everybody and attract unwanted attention.

When we reached the parking lot we stopped and waited for Sam to come so we could go somewhere and celebrate.

“It was freaking awesome!” Megan exclaimed, while I leaned into her arms. “Sam should get a lot of action tonight.” She grinned teasingly at Ana, who shook her head amused. Megan seemed to be in a better mood, yet there was something in her eyes that told me she was off. She couldn’t fool me. I knew her too well.

“He’ll be too tired for whatever kinky stuff is going through your head right now,” Ana replied, giggling.

“Whereas, I’m perfectly well rested, and since you’re deserting me for a week, you’d better give me your best tonight,” Matt growled, leaning to kiss Megan. She gave him an awkward look, which had me even more confused. Normally she’d have had an equally naughty answer for him, but this time she just kept quiet.

I stepped away from them, laughing. “Seriously? Is that all you people ever think about?” I asked, trying to lighten up the mood.

“Hush, Kristen! I won’t be seeing her for a week. A week!” He put on a startled face, amusing me more. Matt seemed to be fine, but that could be deceiving. He was such a good actor when he wanted to be. He could make everything look okay, when in reality it wasn’t. Something weird was going on and I was determined to find out what it was as soon as I caught Megan alone.

“Yeah. No sex for a week, my friend. What a tragedy!” I poked my tongue out at him playfully. Alec had nothing to say. He looked like he was rather bored as he regarded us all, arms crossed at his chest in what was becoming his arrogant signature pose. His biceps were bulging and I found myself gawking at him. It was only when he glanced at me that I tore my eyes away from him.

We stood around and talked for half an hour until Sam finally showed up and Ana rushed to him with a huge welcoming smile. When they finished making out they approached us, arm in arm.

“You bastards! Just wait until Denver. We’ll kill you!” An angry man barked at Sam out of the blue. We tensed, realizing he was drunk.

“Dude, why don’t you mind your own business?” Sam muttered coolly.

“Don’t you tell me what to do, asshole!” he blustered in response.

“Hey, how dare you speak to him like that?” My mouth uttered the words before I could stop them and the man’s attention was now riveted on me. I moved back against my car, his angry look pushing me.

“You bitch!” He snapped, heading toward me, seemingly determined to teach me a lesson.

He didn’t get very far because a mountain stepped in front of the man and a quick unforeseen punch in the stomach sent him to the ground, doubled over in pain. Alec hovered over him for a moment before he grabbed him by his shirt.

“Do you get off on picking on women, jerk? Not on my watch,” Alec spat, shaking him with fury. He pulled the idiot to his feet and pushed him forcefully into his frozen buddies. “Get out of here or I swear to God, you’ll wish you were never born!” he commanded, the tensed muscles of his arms seeming twice as big as they usually were. “What are you looking at?” He stepped toward them menacingly.

The other men dragged their addled friend away astonished. One of them even clamped his hand over his mouth to make sure he’d stay quiet, cleverly choosing not to mess with Alec, to my relief. Alec’s furious expression even had me startled.

“Holy shit, that was amazing!” Megan said, visibly shaken as well.

“Maybe we should celebrate another time. I want to go home,” I whispered, trying to collect myself.

“Oh, come on, don’t let this ruin our night,” Ana pleaded.

“No, seriously. I’ll see you girls in the morning. Great game, Sam!” I hugged him and then the others before returning to the car.

“I’m driving,” Alec said firmly when he noticed how agitated I was.

This time I didn’t complain and offered him my keys after climbing into the passenger’s seat.

“Never respond to drunk people. They’re unpredictable. And by the look on his face, he was probably high on something else, not just alcohol,” he mumbled, pulling out of the parking lot. I thought I could detect a trace of pain in his voice, but I was still too shaken to analyze what it meant.

I turned away from him, not in the mood to be scolded. But the way he defended me made me feel safe, protected and a little off center. There was no doubt about it. The man was good at his job.

“Don’t tell Mom. She’d freak out.” I instructed him once we arrived home.

Mom greeted us as soon as we stepped inside, wrapping her arms around me. “Hey, kids. How was the game?”

“Great. Sam won.”

“Oh. And you didn’t go out to celebrate?” she asked surprised.

“No, I’d rather get in bed early. It’s a long drive to the ranch and I want to be well rested,” I answered, deliberately omitting to tell her about our little incident.

“Yes, Alec should be well rested too. After all, he’s driving you there.”

Goose pimples rose all over my body. I felt like I was in a slow motion movie as I turned around to face him. Our eyes locked, holding each other’s gaze. My hopes for a quiet week with the girls went down the drain at the news of him joining us. How was I supposed to relax with him there? My mixed-up feelings about him were one of the main reasons I needed to get away. I closed my eyes and sought calm. I knew Mom was still concerned over those cards, but nothing more had arrived since contacting the police. I needed to think.

“Have a lovely night, Mrs. Mancuso,” Alec said to her, flashing a broad grin at me. “I’ll see you in the morning, Miss.” He retreated to his room, taking that smug self-assured look on his face with him.

Mom held her palms up as soon as I tried to speak. “I know you’re about to complain, but think about it first. Three girls going all the way to Kentucky by themselves...I mean...what if you get caught in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire? You don’t even know where the spare one is, let alone how to change it. You need a man with you to make sure you get there safely. Plus, the police said—”

“No one’s stalking me, Mom. And nothing will happen with the tires.” Even as I argued, I knew she was right. Still, I was disappointed. “This was supposed to be a girl’s trip.”

She crossed her arms, letting me know that no matter what I said she wasn’t going change her mind. “He’s not going to be interested in your girl talk. I’m sure he can entertain himself. You won’t even know he’s there.”

“Why can’t things be like they used to be?” I turned and fled to my room.

“Kristen!” she called, but I did not stop until I was in my room. She didn’t understand how I felt and I didn’t know how to explain it anymore.

I was so tired. For a few minutes I debated about cancelling the trip, but that would be foolish. We could still have a good time. I’d just have to control my feelings for Alec. I couldn’t afford to let him know how I felt about him. “Hell, I don’t know how I feel. That’s the problem,” I mumbled. One minute I wanted to push him away and the next to pull him close. Damn! I rolled over and tried to get some sleep.