The chime of my text pulled me from the bathroom.
I'll handle the shift this evening. You get some rest.
Good. He probably wanted to see me less than I wanted to see him. A reply didn't seem necessary, so I didn't. He might be mad, but I needed time alone. As I showered, I wondered if I'd gone too far this time. I let him kiss me, touch me, and I kissed and touched right back. He had to know I wanted him. My panties were soaked and my body responded to him like a remote control. I teased him, then got angry and pushed him away.
No. I had a right to be upset. I'd asked him to back off, and he refused. If Nathan got really pissed, nothing I could do about it. He had to stop trying to seduce me, to get me to believe he wanted a relationship.
Trust. He urged me to trust him, like I was some naïve little girl. Sure, he'd always been honest with me. Ditto for every business dealing I'd seen him work on. I never, ever heard about him running around with women, or getting in trouble with alcohol or drugs. Whatever he did, he did discreetly. He jumped in to defend my honor tonight, and, since we'd been at Bay Paradise Resort, he'd done nothing but treat me well. Damn it, he really was one of the best men I knew. Probably the best.
Blerg! I punched my pillow. It didn't matter. I had more important things to worry about than love and I refused to trust him with something as valuable as my heart, no matter how perfect he seemed. No matter how much he tried to convince me that we could be together.
CHAPTER TEN
Saturday
I did my coffee-on-the-patio routine again. Having a beautiful, secluded area all to myself to ease into the morning gave me a boost I needed. Fresh air filled my lungs, along with the aroma of the beans. Heavenly! I watched a family grab two kayaks and laughing and chattering away, they sailed out into the bay.
The water was as smooth as glass, and the sun shone bright. A perfect day for a vacation. We had some great trips, my parents, Michelle and I. Growing up, I always figured I'd have my own family to enjoy special times with. At the rate I was going, I'd be more like the crazy cat lady, living by herself in a crumbling house with felines crawling everywhere.
I shook my head to dispel that image. I refused to journey down a dark path today. My future would be what I made it, and I had a feeling, my life was about to change. Michelle's latest premonition suddenly popped into my head. Someone chasing me. Who? Did she sense Nathan pursuing me? Or someone more sinister. Michelle never gave details of her visions. I didn't know if that was because she couldn't see the specifics or because she didn't want to.
Should I ask her? No. I went inside to get more coffee, then decided on juice instead. Michelle was just upset because I wasn't home. Whatever she saw, it wasn't real. No one had any reason to chase me.
I pushed away my unease, got dressed and focused on the day ahead. Facing Nathan was the last thing I wanted to do, but we'd scheduled a meet and greet time slot for the morning, so I headed to Water's Edge to pick up the coolers and ice. Our caterer arrived with bagels, cream cheese and pastries, along with cardboard boxes of coffee and orange juice. I got the music going and as I was in the middle of blowing up a balloon, Nathan walked in.
He stopped, and the smile that formed on his lips caused a rush of heat to flood my body. I let go of the balloon and it fluttered away with a rude sound.
"I'm not even going to tell you what I was thinking just now, watching you with that balloon." He moved further into the room and went to the food table, an amused smirk on his face.
"Please don't. How are you?" I put on my polite-girl smile.
"I'm fine. And you?"
"Fine." Okay, this was stupid. I had to talk to him when we weren't standing close and my body wasn't begging for his touch.
"Did many people show up last night?"
"No, just two."
"Nathan, I…"
"Amber, I…"
We both stepped towards each other, then both stopped, and smiled.
"You go first," he said.
"I know you keep telling me you want me, but I just can't. I can't let anyone in my life right now. If I led you on last night, when we kissed, I'm sorry. I seem to lose control when I'm close to you. So we shouldn't get close again. Please. Now, what were you going to say?"
"I'm sorry, for two reasons. For digging into your family business, first of all. You told me you want me to back off, and I will."
"And the other reason?"
"For last night. For not putting a damper on my libido. When Robert came after you, I lost it. That adrenaline pumping through my body, it made me crazy. Made me want to protect you, to show you how I feel." He brought his hand up, then dropped it.
"But you've told me how you feel, so I'll respect your wishes and leave you alone. For now."
That last sentence he delivered like a challenge. Like there would be a "later."
Fine. Let him think that. As long as he kept his distance while we finished this job, I'd be good. I wouldn't get distracted by those ocean-deep eyes of his that even now, threatened to pull me in and take me under. Wouldn't pay any attention to the way my heart raced like a gazelle when he got within two feet of me. I could handle Nathan Cameron, no problem.
I stepped back a pace. "Thank you. For both apologies. Want to help me blow up balloons?"
+++
I told her I'd leave her alone, and I would. Mostly. I needed to be more subtle, to show her I wanted her, but let her make the next move. Needed to not get so close to that luscious body and definitely needed to stop touching her. Shit, every time I did, I wanted more. I got hard watching her blow up a balloon, picturing those lips around my cock. Pathetic.
I saw in her eyes, she wanted me too. But I also picked up the distrust and fear, too strong to let her other emotions rule. Guess I couldn't blame her. From what she told me, her life had been pretty rough. I got that. I knew about not letting yourself trust. Anyone.
So my mission would be, show her I meant what I said. Show her I wanted her, and would put the effort into making a relationship happen. No, life wasn't always a fairy tale, but like I told her, I got what I wanted. And now, I wanted that happily ever after, for both of us, and I intended to show her it was possible.
Our meet and greet flowed smoothly. I felt more relaxed talking to the employees today. Having Amber around helped. I didn't lie to her; she had great people skills and got along with everyone. She could talk to the employees, make them feel special. I saw them respond to her, shy or defensive at first. Then, she'd give them that cute, warm smile, and they'd smile back. Soon, they'd be chatting about cats or dogs, or whatever the hell, laughing along with her.
I paid attention to her all morning. Maybe some of that charm would wear off on me, the cold, tough guy, trying to relate to the staff.
The more I watched, the more I wanted her in my life. She radiated such joy, even though I knew she faced problems. Why didn't she have a boyfriend? From our lovemaking that night, I learned she was shy about her body. Did she really consider herself an ugly duckling? She looked perfect to me. The face of an angel and I loved her lush body, all curves and softness. I shifted in my seat and adjusted my growing cock. Not going to think about Amber's body.
Late morning she got a phone call. She moved to the back of the room to take it, but when her eyes opened wide and her face turned bone-white, I walked back to listen in.
"What does he look like? Okay. I'll be careful, I promise. Thanks for calling me."
"What's going on?" I wasn't even going to pretend I hadn't heard.
"That was Chuck Taylor. He said Max, from the pawnshop, called him and made a confession. The man who originally brought the statue in, paid Max five-hundred dollars to notify him if anyone ever bought it. Max was supposed to get an address, or some way to contact the buyer. After Max sent the package here, he gave the guy my name and shipping info."
Hell. Not good news. Just what Amber didn't need. "What did Chuck find out about this dude?"
"Nothing. Max was drunk, or drug
ged. He cried on the phone to Chuck, told him he was sorry, he needed the money, blah, blah. I guess the guy had a fit of conscience and decided to own up."
"So the only information the dude has is your name and address here, right?"
"Sounds like it. But maybe he could track down my sister. Or my mom. I need to call them." She started to pace.
Damn, this woman was unbelievable. Her first thought was for her family, not that she might be in danger. "I'll have someone watch their houses, patrol their neighborhoods."
"You don't need to do that."
"I want to. My guys are discreet. They won't be seen and they won't contact any members of your family directly unless there's a problem. Tell your mom and sister not to talk to anyone they don't know. Give me their addresses, then call your family. Now."
She gave me a look, her eyes narrowed and forehead drawn. I could have made my tone less demanding, but we needed to move fast. Concern for her family won out over any argument she wanted to make, though, and she gave me the addresses. I texted my assistant the information while listening to her phone call again. I could almost see the wheels spinning in her mind, and imagined she was looking for the right words, to warn her family but not scare them.
"Hey mom, I want to let you know, I've got the angel statue. And, there might be some guy contacting you about it. Don't talk to anyone. It's a long story. I'll tell you when I get home." She paused and her lips drew into a thin line. "No, I didn't do anything else to ruin Michelle's life. I wish you'd quit saying that."
Another pause, and this time I saw tears wet her eyes. "We don't need to have this conversation again. I've said I was sorry as many times as I can. Yelling at me won't make Michelle better. I'm doing my best to take care of her." She swiped her hand across her cheek. "I need to get back to work. I'll call you when I get home."
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she plopped down into a chair. "Well, that sucked the sunshine right out of today."
I risked putting a hand on her shoulder. She didn't shrug it away.
"Bad feelings from your mother?"
"Yes."
"Want to talk about it?"
But two staff members walked in. "Call your sister, and whoever else you need to. I'll talk to these guys."
Amber was back at my side five minutes later, a smile in place, but not one that reached her eyes. Tension rolled off her. We finished the afternoon and while she packed up, I checked my texts to make sure my security guards were being dispatched, then pushed back my schedule for an hour. Work could wait.
"Give me that." I nudged her out of the way and pushed the cart. "After we put this away, you're coming with me for lunch."
"Look, I told you…"
"Not a date. Just a quick bite, at Water's Edge. Then take time off until our next shift later tonight."
We got the food put away and settled in at a table. I'd never tire of this view, if I looked at it the rest of my life. The ocean in California was beautiful in its own way, but there was something special about the water at this southern tip of the country. Smooth as silk, quietly lapping at the shore. The bay could hypnotize anyone into staying here, like the sirens of Greek mythology.
I wanted to spend time on this island. Playing, not working. Preferably, playing with the beautiful woman sitting across from me, whose shoulders slumped and mouth turned down into a frown. I especially wanted to kiss the sad away, to bring back that smile that lit up a room with her spirit. Sensing she needed a few moments with her thoughts, I checked emails on my phone until our food arrived.
"Want to tell me about your mom?"
"No." She bit into her sandwich.
"That didn't sound like a real friendly conversation."
"It's usually not so bad. Mom's under a lot of stress right now. Her husband's sick and her stepson is having issues with bullies at school. She doesn't need more crap."
Again, more worried about her family than herself. Whatever her mom said to her cut deep. I wanted to ask questions and offer more comfort but knew she would push me away.
"Listen, I want you to be very careful now. This guy, he knows you're here. He could come after you, for whatever he wants."
"I'm always careful." She took another bite, and I resisted the urge to wipe a spot of mustard off her mouth. Or lick it off.
"Be extra cautious. Tell me about your dad. What would he have put in that statue if he wanted to hide something and leave it with you and your sister?"
She blew out a breath and for a minute, I thought she'd tell me to piss off.
Then she sighed. "I guess you deserve to know, since you're footing the bill for a security team."
"I would do that anyway. There aren't any strings attached to that offer. I'm only trying to help you."
My annoyance must have come through in my tone because she allowed a small smile to cross her lips.
"And I appreciate it. Really. My dad, he was a police officer, then a detective. Your typical, Irish cop. Loud, liked to drink, half-crazy. He loved Michelle and me and we adored him right back."
Her eyes took on a shine, remembering better days.
"Mom worked part-time in a clothing store at the mall when we were kids. She wanted to be around the house to take care of us. We didn't have a lot of money, but I don't ever remember going hungry or wanting anything. Well, just the stuff all girls want growing up. A pony, a trip to Europe, you know."
"No, I don't know. I didn't grow up with my sibling."
She cocked her head at me, like she wanted to ask questions. I wouldn't answer if she did. I wanted to talk about her, not me. "Go on. What might he have hidden?"
"I can't think of a thing. I remember when he brought that statue home to Michelle. I was a bratty teenager, she was still kind of sweet. I got pissed because he bought her something and not me. But later, he slipped me fifty bucks, told me not to tell Mom." She grinned. "Anyway, the night he brought home that statue, he was all smiling and happy, twirling my mom around the room and dancing to some goofy song. He told her we were set, that we'd be living the good life one day soon."
Her shoulders dropped again, and she looked down at her lap. I reached out to touch her, but she jerked her head up, a flash of anger in her eyes.
"We didn't live the good life. Six months later, Mom kicked him out. She got tired of his drinking and suspected he cheated on her. Turns out she was probably right. He married again soon after he left us, a young, blond woman he met at work. Traded Mom for a newer, shinier model. He sent us money, but Mom went back to work full time. We did okay. I finished college on grant money, bought clothes at the thrift store and learned a million ways to cook hamburger. I got a decent job, and Michelle and I moved to a small house together."
She poked her burger with a French fry. "Mom met a guy, married him, and moved to Wisconsin. Michelle got attacked, we moved away from that house to an apartment, together. That didn't work out, so now she lives by herself and so do I. I got the job at Cameron Industries and really want to keep it. Anything else you need to know?"
The last line she delivered in a bitter tone.
"I didn't mean to pry, and I don't want to dredge up bad memories. No clue to what your dad was talking about? What it might have to do with that statue, or why anyone would want to take it, and then track you down?"
"None. My mom just told me, Dad said the statue was Michelle's guardian angel. That she should keep it close and never get rid of it. I have no idea what he meant."
Her eyes held enough pain for one day.
"Relax, until this evening. We're only scheduled for two hours tonight. Take some time off. Enjoy the pool, paddleboard, watch the sunset again. You've been working hard."
She nodded and gave me a weak smile. Dark smudges showed under her eyes that hadn't been there before. I would find a way to put a full smile back on her face, to bring the light back to her soul.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
What could Dad have put in that statue? I sat at my little patio table and wa
tched the sky, imagining animals, monsters, and all kinds of other creatures in the clouds. Dad never got into games much, so if he hid an object, it had to be valuable, not just fun. And remembering his excitement when he brought the angel home and danced around with mom, he had a reason for giving it to Michelle.
I stood and stretched. Enough. My brain was turning to mush. I decided to follow Nathan's advice and take a break. From everything. I didn't want to think about the job, about the statue, or about Nathan. And I sure didn't want to think that I'd put my family or myself in danger, by tracking down that angel.
So I went down by the dock, to the area that had the water toys, and found a helpful woman to show me how to use a paddleboard. Way easier than I imagined. I only went out a little way into the bay, far enough to see plenty of the ocean's floor. I could skim along the shallow water and look down at the sea grass, the fish, and pieces of coral. Then I sat on the dock and let my feet dangle until they shriveled up like prunes.
After that, my mind and body relaxed enough so I could take a short nap. When I woke up, I felt way better than I had all day. I puttered around until sunset, working on my freelance editing job, pushing all other concerns away. Mostly. Wanting more time alone, I enjoyed the sun's evening show from my little hideaway outside my door. Cloudy, but still blasting out colors like a crazy gumball machine. I would sure miss this ritual.
Then, since I couldn't blank my thoughts any longer, I sat on the couch with a toasted bagel in one hand and the angel on my lap, and concentrated. What would our father have done so we could "live the good life?" I knew he wasn't perfect, and that stuff went on at his job he didn't tell us about. Bad stuff. But I couldn't see him stealing, or committing any kind of crime, even to provide for his family. Dad was honest, at his core.
"Tell, me, little angel, what is your secret?" I held her up to the light, turned her all around, even rubbed her like a magic lamp. She remained silent.
I showered, dressed, and was about to head out early when a knock sounded at my door. I looked out the window and saw Chris holding a bag in one hand and waving at me with the other.
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