She paused before answering. “No. He is the only one who emails regularly.”
“How often would you say he does?”
“At least three times a week. He uses different addresses. But the sign-off is always the same. He calls himself Ani’s Admirer.”
“I see. When this all started, did you receive these messages with the same frequency?” When he’d first walked in, Adam had been convinced he wanted nothing to do with this assignment. That he was only here to indulge the request of a friend. So why was he now actually trying to convince Ani to hear him out?
He knew the answer, though he loathed to admit it. The moment he’d seen her, his protective instincts had kicked into high gear. The thought that she might actually be in some kind of danger wasn’t sitting well, though he’d sworn to himself he wouldn’t return to fieldwork. He didn’t miss it at all. And the people who worked for him were more than capable without him.
But Ani was acting as if she were doing him the favor. He was downright foolish to continue standing here rather than accept the out she was giving him and simply walk away.
“No. At first he only sent them once a week or so,” Ani answered.
“So things have escalated.”
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I would hardly call a few emails an escalation.”
“Have you at least changed your email address?” He couldn’t seem to help the accusatory mocking in his tone.
This time, her irritation was obvious in the tight gritting of her teeth. “Of course I have. He seems to have somehow discovered what it was changed to.”
“So he’s determined and skilled.”
The other two men in the room gasped with alarm. But Ani wasn’t moved.
“Have you answered any of these emails?” Adam continued.
“Of course not.”
“And what happens if he grows impatient?”
“Impatient?”
He nodded. “If he gets frustrated at your lack of response?”
“I guess we’ll have to cross that bridge if we come to it.” Adam didn’t miss the emphasis on the if.
“Unless it’s too late.”
She defiantly lifted her chin. “Regardless, I do not need a personal bodyguard at the present.” But her statement this time sounded a bit less certain, her voice wavering ever so slightly. “I simply don’t see a need at this point.”
He really didn’t need this. So why wasn’t he walking away already?
Ani stood glaring at him. Adam half expected her to stomp her foot before he gave her a small, affirmative nod. “If you say so, Ms. Terrance.”
* * *
Ani had to resist the urge to stomp her foot. She most certainly didn’t need a bodyguard. And she definitely didn’t need him to be the overbearing, overly smug man that was Adam Steele. What nerve, to ask her if she’d taken the most basic precautions. What exactly did he take her for?
Brant and her father had really gone too far this time.
“Ani, please hear us out,” her father pleaded. She hated that strain in his voice, hated that he was so worried about her. He overworried. He always had. Ever since the loss of her mother.
Adam turned to the other men. “Could we have a moment? Anikita and me. Alone?”
Ani started to protest but couldn’t seem to summon any words. No way she wanted to be alone with him; her insides were quaking just being this close to him in the same room. She was likely to blither like an idiot if he got her alone. How could she not have gotten over a silly schoolgirl crush after all these years? Adam Steele may have changed in appearance, but he was still treating her like a pesky, ignorant child.
But her father and Brant didn’t even hesitate. They swiftly walked out the door, shutting it quietly behind them.
“Your father and brother are very worried about you,” Adam began as soon as they were alone.
She’d thought often over the years what it might be like to run into him. The scenario currently before her had never once crossed her mind.
“They tend to worry excessively.”
“Maybe so. But I know your brother well enough to sense that it’s different this time. He’s very concerned.”
“That’s because he’s used to having me near home. Where he or my father can keep an eye on me. I didn’t even go away for university, I stayed in Dallas. They’re both out of sorts because I’ll be traveling to perform. That’s all there is to it.”
He shrugged. “You might be right. But I’m not the type who can live with myself if Brant’s concern turns out to be warranted and I just walked away.”
“Even if I’m the one asking you to?”
“I’m afraid so. And then there’s your father.”
Sweet honey on a cracker. Why did he have to go there? “So Brant told you?”
“Only that Edward had a health scare a couple months ago.”
“His heart. He’s being monitored very closely. By the finest cardiothoracic specialists in Dallas.”
“Still, the last thing he needs is the added worry and stress about the safety of his only daughter.”
Ani felt her resolve deflate like a pinned balloon. Of course she’d thought of all that. Had almost entertained the idea of canceling her mini performance tour. But ultimately, she’d decided against canceling. If she knew her father, the thought that he’d held her back from her dream would be no less traumatizing for him than his actual concern about her traveling.
She stood and rubbed a hand down her face. “Does it...? I mean, can we...?”
He merely quirked an eyebrow at her.
Better to just say it outright. “What I’m saying is, does it have to be you?” There. She’d just gone ahead and blurted it out.
A muscle twitched along his jaw. She’d hit a nerve. No doubt he was insulted by her question. Ani had a sudden urge to cry. What must Adam think of her? He probably took her as a spoiled, rich dilettante used to getting her own way, with how she was behaving. She’d actually signed an autograph for him thinking he was a fan, for heaven’s sake. Adam no doubt thought her a snob with a superiority complex.
It was so far from reality.
The truth was, her sanity would be sorely tested if Adam Steele was the one guarding her. The two of them together as she traveled for her two performance dates. In close quarters. How in the world would she even be able to concentrate on her playing? He had no idea the affect he would have on her. The havoc he might wreak on her equilibrium. As much as she wanted to deny it, and as much as she wished it weren’t so, he still had an effect on her. Just as he had when they were kids.
She’d only laid eyes on him again about thirty minutes ago and already she was behaving uncharacteristically—less like the accomplished musician she was and more like the silly schoolgirl who’d been shooed away at every turn.
Adam’s answer was abrupt, and hardness rang in his voice. “You’ll have a full detail. A team of professionals. But I’m the one in charge.” Clearly, there’d be no arguing that. “As competent and highly trained as they are, all of those professionals work for me.”
“I see.”
“I’m the best there is.” There was no bragging or conceit in his voice. Simply a matter of truth he had no qualms stating. “Trust me, I’m the man you want at the helm.”
That was it. She had no response. But she wasn’t about to fold completely either. “In that case, I’ll agree to a trial run.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You have to realize this was all thrown at me unexpectedly. I have to wrap my head around it somehow.”
“What do you suggest?”
“You accompany me to the first venue. The Le Trianon theater in Paris. After that trip, I need to have a heart-to-heart with my brother and father. Perhaps bring the Dallas authorities in, see what they
have to say.”
He studied her. “I know what they’re going to say. Would you like me to tell you?”
She simply shrugged.
“They’re going to say they’ll put their cybersecurity guys on it. But your case will be low priority. As you said yourself, so far you’re only dealing with a couple complimentary emails. After that, they’ll tell you that without any specific threats or any kind of leads to go on, there isn’t much they can do for you.”
Ani had to fight the urge to bristle at his smug tone. “Nevertheless, it’s all I can agree to at this point. You and your team accompany me to the first performance. After that, the four of us will revisit this whole matter.”
He gave her an exaggerated nod that bordered on a slight bow. He was mocking her. “As you wish, Ms. Terrance.”
She managed to stammer out a resigned thank-you, despite her annoyance. The man bothered her on so many levels.
I’m the man you want...
Little did he know, that was what scared her the most.
* * *
“Is this really necessary?” Ani asked in a defiant tone as she begrudgingly let Adam into her apartment.
“I’m just going to take a look around. Get a feel for your surroundings.” He stepped past her through the doorway. “I’ll study the outdoors on my way out when I leave.”
He’d been satisfied enough by the footman at the high-rise building’s entrance and the solid lock on her apartment door.
Her place wasn’t quite what he would have expected. A grand piano sat in the corner. Music books were strewn about all over the floor. A book sat open on its face on the cream-colored couch that was the centerpiece of the room. Behind the piano was an open doorway that led to a small kitchen. There was a pet bed next to a water dish, and a feed bowl against the wall on the opposite side.
“You have a dog?”
She nodded. “He’s at doggy day care for a few more hours.”
“Good. It’s good to have a pet around, under the circumstances.”
She released a small laugh and her eyes lit up with amusement. For an insane moment, Adam wished things could have been different between them. That he was somehow here to pick her up for a date and they were merely getting acquainted, learning about each other.
Maybe in a different universe.
He squashed the useless pining. Meaningful relationships with women weren’t in his cards.
“He’s hardly a guard dog,” Ani said. “He’s about twelve pounds.”
Adam returned her smile. “Still, any dog is useful for alerting their owner to unexpected visitors.”
She laughed again. “Right. You might change your mind about that when you see Snowball. He’s more likely to lick any visitors with boundless affection.”
A twelve-pound dog named Snowball. Clearly, they weren’t speaking about a German shepherd or a Doberman.
He made his way to the window. Her blinds were open. Anyone in the building across the street would have an easy view into her apartment with the right eye gear. He would have to address that further with her at some point. Once they got past this trip to Paris.
He pulled his notebook out from his back pocket. “Does anyone else have a key to the apartment?”
“Just the building manager.”
“No one else? A friend? The person who waters your plants?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“A boyfriend?” Why was he holding his breath after asking that?
“No. I’m not seeing anyone seriously. Certainly not serious enough to share my key.”
The unknotting at the base of his gut was not due to some sort of relief at her answer.
“Are you seeing anyone at all? On any dating sites? I’ll need names if so.”
She visibly bristled. “Is that really necessary? We seem to be getting into some personal areas here.”
“It’s my job to get this personal, Ani.”
“Not yet, it isn’t. Your assignment hasn’t even begun.”
“I beg to differ,” he countered.
She planted her hands on her hips. “And I beg to argue.”
Adam blew out a deep sigh. He wasn’t going to debate the point with her. The time would come soon enough when she could no longer deny his involvement. And whether she liked it or not, he’d considered himself on the clock as soon as she’d walked into her father’s office earlier.
“Nevertheless, we need to go over some ground rules.”
Ani crossed her arms over her chest. “What sort of ground rules?”
“You need to keep your phone on at all times, so that I can track it.”
She glared at him.
He continued, “Please forward me your password so that I can monitor your emails.”
Her jaw fell open. “Some of those messages are personal.”
“I’m sorry if this is uncomfortable for you. But some things are nonnegotiable.”
She visibly gritted her teeth.
“Furthermore, don’t make any sudden changes in plans. I need to know where you are and what you’re doing at all times.”
“You can’t be serious. The tour hasn’t even started yet.”
He ignored that. “Do you have any plans for the rest of the day? When do you leave to pick up your dog?”
“He’s getting dropped off here later by the day-care staff,” she answered. Adam could have sworn she hesitated before she answered. “Why?” She wanted to know.
“I told you. You’re not to go anywhere without letting me know exactly where you’re going and the timing.”
A tinge of red appeared on her cheeks. “This is preposterous. Please tell me my father and brother didn’t agree to any of this.”
“It just so happens they did.”
Before she could argue further, he made his way down the hall to her bedroom.
“Hey, wait a minute,” she protested behind him.
He halted in his tracks at the urgency in her voice. “Is there a problem?”
She brushed past him, rubbing against his shoulder in the process. A delicate flowery scent tickled his nostrils as she moved by. “I wasn’t exactly expecting company. Give me a chance to pick up some things.”
Adam leaned back against the wall. He felt off balance, out of sorts. This wasn’t how his usual gigs worked. Never before had he been assigned a VIP who didn’t want his protection. Not to mention, he’d been out of the field for the better part of two years. It was all throwing him off. Not at all how he liked to run his game. Even the smallest mistake could be too costly.
He should have asked her for permission before trying to enter her bedroom. She probably had all sorts of personal items lying about. After all, it was probably where she undressed.
He made certain to stop that train of thought completely in its tracks.
He entered the room when she gave him the okay moments later. The shades were pulled wide open here as well.
“Do you keep these blinds open mostly?”
Her mouth formed a tight thin line. “Only when I want natural sunlight. That’s their purpose after all, isn’t it?”
“At all times? What if you’re not dressed?”
Ani gasped.
“Did it ever occur to you that someone might be watching?”
“If you’re asking if I prance around the apartment naked with my shades wide open, the answer is no. Obviously.”
Adam bit out a curse. Again, he found himself redirecting the path of his thoughts. How utterly, shamefully unprofessional. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d convinced himself that he could handle this assignment because he owed it to his friend.
One thing was certain, he had to refocus and pull it together or he was bound to make a mistake. His new VIP was distracting him like none other before.
He knew firsthand and all too well exactly how costly distractions could be.
* * *
Ani watched Adam leave her apartment twenty minutes later and blew out a breath as she shut the door behind him. That had gone even worse than she’d anticipated.
He sure seemed to take up a lot of space. His mere presence in her living quarters had made her edgy and tense. She was too aware of all the pure masculinity he exuded. And when he strode into her bedroom, she’d wanted to kick herself for the wayward thoughts that had shot through her head like a mini movie. If someone had told her years ago that Adam Steele would be standing in the middle of her bedroom, she would have offered to sell them a bridge.
More was the pity, considering the frustrating reason for his presence.
She had to stop thinking of him like that. He was only a temporary fixture in her life for the next few weeks. For all the wrong reasons. Once her two-city performance tour ended, Adam would go back to being the unreachable, distant teenage crush from her past just as he’d been all along. Nothing more.
Well, he may think his responsibility toward her had already started. But he was wrong, as far as she was concerned. She hadn’t agreed to any of this. And she still had a few days of freedom left before the tour started and Adam became an unwanted presence in her daily life.
She hadn’t really lied to him earlier about her plans for the day. She’d simply answered only the question about having to leave to get her dog. That part of it was completely true. Snowball was due to be delivered to her later this evening by one of the doggy day-care staffers. As far as the rest of it, that really wasn’t any of his business. Not yet.
She waited several moments after he’d left before returning to her bedroom closet. She slipped off the summer dress and replaced it with her most comfortable pair of jeans and a soft cotton blouse. Pulling her hair up, she secured it in a large tortoise shell clip.
Then she sneaked out of her apartment.
* * *
Adam had just finished making some cursory notes outside about Ani’s block when he saw a familiar figure exit her building. He watched as she strode confidently to the street and hailed a cab.
Reunited by the Tycoon's Twins Page 16