His Deception

by Patricia Rosemoor

He stood staring after her for a while, even when she was gone from the room. Something in his middle stirred. He was glad to see her pulling herself together after being an emotional wreck the night before.

  How long could he keep her in such good spirits before she learned the truth about him?

  The fact that she had no clue as to why he had suddenly appeared in her life was eating at him. Whether he wanted to face it or not, their night together had formed a bond he couldn’t deny. One he didn’t want to end. Of course it would end, and then he would be the one to leave her an emotional wreck.

  Guilt be damned! He would do his best to give her a couple of days free of all worries. He didn’t believe she could completely forget about Sam any more than he could. But he would do his best to share some fun and laughter with Katelyn. Good memories.

  When this was over, memories would be all he would have left of her….

  He only hoped that the authorities would be on point and catch whoever was threatening Hamilton’s family before things became contentious with the woman who was worming her way into his heart.

  Chapter 7

  “Wow, Thorne, this place is beautiful.”

  So different from Geneva Lake, with its busy tourist communities and mansions practically one after another. The home was private, situated in a gem of a setting. A smile, one of the few she’d managed since they’d found Sam the night before, trembled on her lips.

  He said, “I hoped you would like it.”

  Katelyn got out of the truck and took it all in: a modest-sized but fairly new and fancy log cabin surrounded by thick woods on three sides, a small jewel of a lake on the fourth.

  Suddenly, she envisioned Sam’s body in the water…then blinked the memory away. He hadn’t died here. She’d gotten away from Geneva Lake to put her mind at ease while she was forced to close the café and would only have been anxious and grief-stricken had she stayed there. There was nothing else she could do until she had answers about Sam’s death and could get her business back up and running. Right now, the thing she needed was a distraction to take her mind off the stress and shock of the past twenty-four hours, and if that distraction came in the form of a sexy-as-hell piece of man, then she’d appreciate the fact.

  Taking a deep breath, she looked around. Not another house anywhere overlooking the lake. Trees grew down to the shoreline in some places, while other areas were lined with native grasses and flowering native plants. She’d fallen asleep halfway there, and waking up to such beauty was a real pleasure.

  “Is this your place?” she asked.

  Thorne laughed. “I only wish I had this kind of money. This place is more than a dozen acres. It belongs to a friend.”

  “We’re alone, then?”

  “Alone, right,” he agreed, hauling the bags from the back of the truck. “The lake is a central part of the holding. We’re less than a half mile from the nearest town, but there are PRIVATE PROPERTY signs posted all around the perimeter of the property.”

  Giving them enough space just to be together for a time, and taking her away from the horror of what was going on at Lakeside. Though it was difficult to forget crime-scene investigators and reporters crawling over her property, and it was impossible to wipe Sam from her mind, she chose to compartmentalize. For now. Reality would hit her hard soon enough.

  Blinking away the threat of sudden tears, she turned back to the lake and noted the small boathouse on the far side of the cabin. “So what kind of a boat comes with the house?”

  “I guess we’ll find out later.”

  “I wonder if they stock the lake for fishing.”

  “Don’t know that, either. If so, you’ll have to fish alone.”

  “Because you don’t know how or because you find it boring?”

  “Because I don’t take a life of any kind for no reason.”

  She was taken aback by the sentiment—it sounded like he had taken lives before. Remembering he’d told her he’d joined the Army and been sent overseas, it was quite probable, considering the state of the world these days. And here she’d guessed that the kind of action he’d seen peaked at taking care of someone like Steve Nyland when he’d forced himself on her the other night. Undoubtedly Thorne’s military experience had prepared him to do much worse.

  He suddenly said, “I’ll take the bags inside.”

  “I can carry my own bag,” she informed him.

  “What? You don’t trust me with your swimsuit?”

  His mock hurt lightened the moment and made her laugh. “Okay, okay, Mr. Macho, you can carry my bag for me. Thanks.”

  Now she knew why he’d had her pack one. The swimsuit was for the lake. The change of clothing because he undoubtedly meant for them to stay the night. Not that he’d said so. He was subtler than that. Well, in this instance, he was, she thought, remembering some of the scandalous things he’d whispered in her ear throughout their lovemaking the night before. The thought of a similar night with him here brought a smile to her lips as she followed him to the cabin.

  The building was constructed of logs and stone, and wood shingles covered the pitched roof. A porch with rocking chairs and big planters with flowers flanked the front. The cabin looked like it could have been there forever, other than the keypad by the door. Holding both bags in one hand, Thorne tapped in a series of numbers, then swung the door open. Once he crossed the threshold, he set down the bags and found a control panel inside. He quickly tapped in a second code to turn off what Katelyn assumed must be the alarm system.

  Following him into the entryway, Katelyn said, “I wouldn’t think security is such a problem out here.”

  “It may not be, but when you have a high-end property like this, and especially one that’s probably vacant most of the time, I guess you want to be sure you’re safe from anyone breaking in and making themselves at home.”

  “Or walking away with anything they can carry, I guess.”

  “The whole place is wired and set up with cameras inside and out. Just in case. C’mon in, let’s take a look around.”

  Katelyn followed him inside. The main living area’s ceiling was vaulted and the walls were made of logs, except for the front wall. There, huge windows were set on either side of a massive stone fireplace, giving her a spectacular view of the lake. The couch and chairs were upholstered in a red-and-black plaid. An interior fireplace, also of stone, sat across from a big wooden dining table and chairs covered with what she assumed was cowhide.

  “Very country,” she said, turning to Thorne.

  Grabbing the front of his shirt, she rose on tiptoe to thank him. She’d meant the kiss to be an affectionate brush, but he caught her by the waist and pulled her to him for something more intimate. He seduced her mouth open. Her body responded. Her breasts tightened. So did her stomach. Wanting him but not just yet, she somehow managed to find the resolve to push herself away from him.

  “Hey,” he complained softly.

  A soft smile curving her lips, she wandered into the connected kitchen area. The wood cabinets matched the feel of the log cabin, but the appliances were stainless steel.

  “Uh-oh, I just thought of something.” She turned to face Thorne, who’d followed her but stopped at the entry. “We forgot to pick up something for lunch on the way. Any grocery stores in the immediate area?”

  “I believe the freezer and pantry are well stocked. I don’t think we’ll starve in a day or two.”

  “Or two.” She didn’t miss that inference.

  There undoubtedly was no need to be back in Lake Geneva until Tuesday lunch anyway. She wasn’t sure how far north they were, but it couldn’t be more than a half hour or so back to town. She checked out both freezer and pantry and found enough food for a couple of weeks.

  When she turned again, Thorne was directly behind her.

  “Hungry?” he asked, moving in on her.

  “We just ate breakfast a couple of hours ago.”

  “I didn’t mean for food.”

  He touche
d his forehead to hers, bringing the flat of his hand to her stomach.

  “I’m always hungry,” she said, her voice catching a little, “but when it’s something worth having, I can wait for it.”

  He slowly inched his hand lower. “Are you sure you want to wait to be satisfied?”

  Despite her physical response, the sudden wetness between her thighs, she somehow choked out, “Positive!”

  He stopped moving his hand. “All right then.” He kissed her quickly and stepped back, giving her room to breathe. “So what do you want to do instead?”

  Getting hold of herself, she asked, “What are my choices?”

  “Boating. Swimming. Hiking. Or maybe just sitting on the front porch and watching for wildlife.”

  “All sound great. After that ride up here, stretching my legs sounds like a pretty good place to start. How about a walk around the lake? We could get the lay of the land.”

  “Sounds good to me. Let’s leave cellphones and anything we could easily lose here.”

  He took his phone, wallet, and truck keys from his pockets and left them on the counter.

  After doing the same, she said, “All right. Let’s get going.”

  “Hold on a minute.” Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out two bottles of water. He turned to her and said, “Catch!” and tossed one to her.

  She easily snatched the bottle in midair. “Good thinking. It’s hot out there today.” Luckily, she’d worn a pair of light cargo pants that she could roll up and secure into capris if she chose to. A long pocket along her thigh easily contained the bottle of water.

  Then they were off, Thorne setting the alarm before leaving the cabin.

  “You need to give me those codes,” she said.

  “Why?”

  “In case I need to escape, of course. Or use the bathroom when you’re not around to let me in.”

  He arched an eyebrow at her, then said, “Fat chance that I’d let you escape.”

  Though she grew warm at Thorne’s teasing, Katelyn tried not to let him know it. With a Hmph! she set off to walk around the lake counterclockwise. Ahead, she could see that a flat area had been mowed along the shoreline, giving them something of a walking path.

  He caught up to her quickly. “I’m not sure this path goes all the way around.”

  “If it gets too difficult for you,” she said, “we could always backtrack.”

  “Or I could throw you in the water and let you swim back,” he threatened.

  “But wait! I’m not wearing my swimsuit.”

  He shrugged. “Just strip down to the natural one God gave you.”

  She punched him lightly in the arm. They laughed together, and he took her hand. Nice, she thought. Warmth and humor were exactly what she needed today.

  “So who is this friend of yours that owns a multimillion-dollar property?” she asked.

  “He’s more of a friendly business acquaintance.”

  “Really. Exactly what business are you in?”

  “I’ve done a little of this and a little of that. Right now I’m a bartender.”

  Right. While he appeared comfortable behind her bar, he didn’t seem at all like the business type.

  “Why so mysterious?” she asked.

  “Driving people around isn’t exactly an impressive job.”

  “You’re a taxi driver?”

  “Chauffeur. Was. That’s what I did when I got back from Afghanistan.”

  Afghanistan. She shuddered. She wondered if he ever talked about what he’d done there. How it had changed him. Why he’d said, Because I don’t take a life of any kind for no reason. How many had he taken while in the Army? Not wanting to spoil the day so early, she didn’t ask.

  “So this friendly business acquaintance,” she said instead, “you were his personal driver?”

  —

  Thorne hated lying. But what was he going to do when she kept pressuring him for information? Actually, he had been a chauffeur when he’d come home from the war, and he had to tell her something that sounded authentic.

  “Yes, I was his driver, but I mostly drove his family.” He gave her a truth that sounded like it would fit the circumstances. He only hoped she wouldn’t ask for more specifics. He had no idea what the owner of this property did for a living. And all he knew about the man other than his name was that he had a younger wife and two teenagers, a son and a daughter. “I basically got him to work and home, but his wife wanted to shop. A lot. Plus, she had a busy social calendar. And the kids had multiple activities every day.”

  “Wow, sounds like they kept you busy.”

  “Very.” He really had been on the move most of the day. “But I liked the family and I didn’t mind the work, so I stayed with the job longer than I thought I would.”

  “What did you think you were going to do?”

  “I had no idea.”

  “So you, what? Went back to taking other jobs and moving around the country like you did before enlisting?”

  “For a while.” His gut went tight when he realized where this line of questioning was taking them.

  “But surely you settled on something?”

  “Eventually” was all he said.

  He couldn’t tell her that he’d chosen to be a bodyguard because he’d learned he was good at protecting people. Saving lives. Taking lives when necessary. His time in Afghanistan had become a nightmare that she wouldn’t want to visit. He could tell she wanted to push for a real answer, and for an instant he thought she would. Then she relaxed and he could breathe again.

  Until she asked, “So what is your business friend’s name?”

  Fearing to lie about that—for who knew what Katelyn might find in the cabin to contradict him?—he said, “Daniel Westergard,” and held his breath waiting for her reaction. That had been the name Robert Hamilton had given him. He only hoped it wasn’t one she knew, since the man was a friend of her father’s.

  But when all she said was “Westergard…sounds familiar for some reason” and shrugged, he relaxed, too.

  Though how many more lies he would have to tell to keep her safe was a matter of concern to him. The more lies, the more likely he would be to trip up. It was getting harder for him to deceive her. As his feelings for her grew, so did his guilt. The more lies he piled on, the worse this would end. He would have to keep her distracted so she wouldn’t have time to seek the truth.

  They’d gotten nearly a third of the way around the lake. Looking across the water to the cabin, he thought it was a picture-perfect scene.

  “Hey, look at the view from here,” he said, taking a seat on a log near the bank. “Why don’t we hunker down and appreciate it for a while.”

  “All right.” A smiling Katelyn sat next to him and pulled out her water bottle to take a long drink. “It is really gorgeous, isn’t it?”

  He loved that smile of hers. Every time he saw it, something lit inside him. Made him feel.

  Yearn.

  For more.

  He’d never belonged to anyone, and no one had ever belonged to him…but what if?

  He’d never met anyone who’d made him long for it.

  But now he’d met Katelyn Wade.

  “Lakeside is gorgeous, too,” he said, “if in a different way. And you get to live there full-time.”

  Her smile shattered. “If living there will ever be the same after what just happened.”

  Of course she would be sensitive about what was going on in their absence. Regretting his thoughtless remark, he wished he could reassure Katelyn. Unfortunately, he knew she could be correct. The idea of her friend turning up dead on her property, undoubtedly murdered, would stay with her always. He would make damn sure she would survive, but he wouldn’t be surprised if she eventually walked away from it all. Her dream may already have been ruined by the crazy bastard who was out for this sick kind of revenge.

  Whoever killed Sam Gilbert needed to pay.

  He felt like this was personal, but he’d been hired to protect
Katelyn. No matter how many times he reminded himself of the fact, he simply couldn’t keep that straight. Being with Katelyn took him out of himself, made him forget the things that had made him who he was, even if only for moments at a time.

  Shaking away the first thought of this case that actually scared him, Thorne asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No. I don’t even want to think about it until I’m forced to. Besides, I feel safe with you. Like you’re my personal hero. You keep coming to my rescue.”

  That was enough to tie up his gut with even more guilt. Of course he kept coming to her rescue. He was being paid to do so. Hamilton had told him he expected Thorne to do whatever was necessary to keep his little girl safe. Not that he wouldn’t have protected her anyway. Her smile was payment enough.

  “Why don’t you tell me something more about you,” he suggested. “Something from your past.”

  “How far past?”

  “I don’t know. High school? In your yearbook, did they name you the most positive person in your graduating class?”

  She cracked a small smile. “Is that how you see me?”

  “From the second I met you.” Before that, even. From the moment he’d seen her photo, he’d been certain she was someone he wanted to get to know. “You have a way of putting people at ease. And dealing with people who aren’t easy.”

  “You’re referring to Gerard Eklund.”

  “Primarily. But with other customers and staff,” he said. She was blessed with a personality so appealing and different from that of anyone else he’d ever met that he couldn’t help but be drawn to it. If anyone could heal old wounds, he imagined that Katelyn Wade could. She seemed to know how to make everything right. “You keep that shiny, positive aura around you.”

  At least she had until they’d found her bartender’s body. Though somehow, with Thorne, she’d found a way to put that temporarily out of her mind.

  “So you’ve been watching me?” she asked.

  “Hard not to, considering where I work. Behind the bar, I see all….”

  “But you continually have customers to take care of.”

  “Between customers, then.” More than that. He’d been aware of nearly her every move since Wednesday. “So back to high school. You were voted the girl with the best smile?”