by Eden Robins
“Isn’t gatito the Spanish word for kitten?” he had asked after finally getting himself back under control.
Keeping her attention on the cat behind the glass, she’d smiled and nodded her head.
From that moment on, Sabrina had been his gatita. It felt natural to call her that. It was just one of the many intimacies they had shared.
But it had been a mistake to use that endearment now.
He needed to change tactics.
Fast.
“Listen, Sabrina. I—”
“No. You need to call me Dr. Reyes. Just like everybody else. Because you are now like everybody else, remember? Not lovers, not friends, nothing. That’s how you wanted it, Eric. I hold my Ph.D in anthropology, and as such I deserve the respect that accomplishment entails. I expect that courtesy from all but my family and closest friends. And you’re neither.”
Her words opened up a wound he thought healed. Two years had passed. Why the hell couldn’t he get over her? But, as was his usual way, he showed none of the emotions he felt. His expression remained guarded and shuttered.
“Fine. Dr. Reyes it is. But as much as your education and the degrees you hold interest me, I’d really like to discuss the reason for my visit.”
Sabrina didn’t even bat an eye at his comment. Good. His little cat was learning not to be so soft and naïve. She would need that to get on in this world. So why did he suddenly feel sad about that bit of lost innocence?
“Of course, Eric,” she said easily, smiling in a way that never reached her beautiful green eyes. “I was contacted by Dr. Dow, the head of the department. Edgar mentioned that they would be hiring extra security. But I don’t see why that’s necessary. Arizona State University has a very capable security staff. I even have a security guard assigned to walk me around campus, as needed.”
Eric raised an eyebrow arrogantly.
“And you’re comfortable with campus security after your life has been threatened?”
Sabrina raised her chin stubbornly.
“The on-campus security is very effective.”
“Well, it’s obvious your boss disagrees,” he said with a knowing grin. “Vlad talked to Dr. Dow about your case and they agreed immediately we could help you.”
“I understand that. But why did he choose you? Does he know our, uh, history?” Sabrina almost stammered but seemed to catch herself.
Was she blushing?
Eric didn’t want to think about it. Her blushes had always turned him on.
Struggling for control, he snapped at her. “Of course he does. But he and I both agreed that would make no difference in this case. I can maintain professionalism as long as you can.”
She nodded quickly, too quickly. “Of course I can. That’s not an issue for me any longer. However, the fact remains that I don’t need this kind of extra security. Our campus staff will suit me fine.” Sabrina folded her arms across her chest, glared at him and dared him to disagree.
He knew that stance as well as the look in her eyes. Her stubbornness had set in. She wouldn’t budge on this. He would have to retreat for now and try another tactic. Either way he would win.
He always won.
“I understand. I’ll let Vlad know that you won’t be using our services. Goodbye, Dr. Reyes.” Turning around, he strode to the door and walked out.
Sabrina never said goodbye.
That bothered him.
It shouldn’t have.
But it did.
The minute the door closed, Sabrina’s shoulders sagged. Tears welled in her eyes despite her efforts to hold them back. Damn it, the man shouldn’t still be able to affect her in this way. She had been too choked up to even say goodbye. She’d thought she was over him. She’d thought the hole in her heart was healed.
She’d thought wrong.
And she was scared. Scared in a way she hadn’t been in a long time. Not only about her stalker but also about Eric. He wouldn’t give up that easily. It wasn’t in his nature. He would be back, she was sure of it. And most likely, he’d have a new plan and reinforcements.
Of course, she would refuse his help, again and again.
She was already trying to be more careful. Carrying mace on her keychain was only one of many precautions she was taking. She kept campus security close to her and she felt strongly that they would eventually catch the freak who’d tried to strangle her the other night. Since then, he had been calling her every day, leaving scary, threatening and sometimes obscene messages.
Sabrina had notified the police and they had tapped her phone. They put a trace on it as well, but so far, the psycho kept calling from pay phones around the valley. The police said it was from a different one each time, so as of yet they weren’t any closer to catching the guy. She’d spoken to a police detective, and he’d said he would keep her updated on any developments and he’d also let her know that every night a squad car would drive by her house several times to check out the area.
It was enough. She didn’t need more security. She certainly didn’t need a full-time bodyguard. And she knew, without a doubt, she didn’t need Eric Drache. The painful roller coaster ride she had experienced toward the end of their relationship had been one she never wanted to repeat.
She wasn’t going to let him back into her life, no matter what.
Chapter Two
She was in trouble.
Real trouble.
Not only was her car not starting, but she had already told her campus security escort that she was fine and he could leave. What was she thinking? Why hadn’t she waited until she started her car?
Time. That’s what had betrayed her. It had been two weeks since her last attack, and although the psycho still called her every day, she felt almost certain that he was now too scared to attack her due to the security she kept with her. He probably didn’t have the guts to attack her again.
The fact that he hadn’t tried to get her at home also wasn’t lost on her. The man was a coward. His one attack, though frightening, had been a one-off event. Sabrina had been feeling safe and confident that she could put this nightmare behind her. The police were working on the case. At least that had been her theory.
So when the security escort had brought her to her car, she had told him she was fine. But instead of starting her car right away, she’d answered her cell phone when her friend Ruben called. Sitting in her car, she had listened to her childhood friend go on and on about his dating woes. The fact that he was a homosexual male working as a fireman was a constant issue for him.
It wasn’t until she hung up that she realized she hadn’t started her car. Turning the key in the ignition over and over again brought little result. The car was making that “ticky ticky” noise it made when the battery was dead, yet when she turned her lights on they were bright as could be. No flickering, no wavering, just bright and strong. Her internal car light worked also. Strange.
Looking around the almost deserted parking lot, she knew there was no one close by to ask for help. Digging out her roadside assistance membership card, she dialed the 800 number listed on the front. Just as someone answered, Sabrina heard a loud crashing noise. Before she registered what it was, her passenger side door opened and a large man wearing a ski mask climbed into the car. Grabbing her phone, he tossed it out the window then closed in on her. She reached beside her to open her door, but it was too late. The man was on top of her before she could move.
He grabbed her shoulders and yanked her against him. She screamed and struggled but it made little difference. The man was just too big. She tried to think of her self-defense lessons, but the wild look in his eyes was distracting her. His gaze narrowed dangerously as he took in her face, each feature catching his attention for a few seconds. His stare became hungry as it focused on her lips. She heard him inhale deeply as if trying to catch her scent.
This man was not just planning to rob her. He wanted more. This was not the same man who had attacked her before. And that was a good thing. He hadn’t used the words t
he other man had. He didn’t hold her the same way the other attacker had. She knew what she had to do.
Renewing her struggles, Sabrina began whispering the chant she had known since before she was born. The words were part of her, just as the action they brought about was. The man moved in closer. He was going to kiss her.
He was going to kiss her!
Fear and revulsion filled her. She didn’t want him to kiss her. She didn’t want him to touch her.
She didn’t want him to rape her.
That last thought almost made her lose her chant, but she kept at it. Pushing against the man’s chest, she leaned as far away from him as possible. She kept repeating the words until she felt a familiar tingling inside her.
“That’s enough, Jason. I think we’ve proven our point.”
Those words stopped her in her tracks. That voice. She knew that voice. No, it couldn’t be. He wouldn’t, would he?
Eric Drache!
The man in the ski mask didn’t seem to hear Eric’s words. Despite her struggles, he brought her tight against him, buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply once more. It was as if he were trying to catch her scent. When he finally pulled away, he looked at her curiously, as if he saw something he wasn’t sure about. Then his gaze gentled and his eyes crinkled at the corners as if he were smiling.
“Eric has quite the surprise in store for him, doesn’t he?” he asked softly.
Sabrina gasped.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell him. I’m going to enjoy seeing his face when he finds out.”
“Jason, I said stop—” Eric called into the car.
“I heard you. It’s just that your woman is so tempting. And of course, like all women, she wants me.”
The laughter in the man’s voice was deep, rich and more than a little sexy as he pulled away from her and yanked off his ski mask. Sabrina sucked in her breath as he revealed himself. The man was stunning. Dark, silky hair tumbled down his back. He had a square jaw, heavy eyebrows, strong nose, intense silver eyes and an incredibly sensual mouth. When a woman saw a mouth like that, she thought of only one thing—what it would feel like on her body.
He smiled at her in that kind of crooked way that tugged at a girl’s heart. Self-mocking and cynical at the same time. Then he cocked his head to one side and studied her for a moment.
“Eric’s going to have his hands full with you, lady. I can tell already,” Jason said, slowly shaking his head as he got out of her car.
Despite his words, he sounded pleased rather than upset.
Sabrina didn’t have time to ponder that because as soon as Jason was clear of the door, Eric laid his jacket down over the glass and slid into the passenger seat.
“So, gatita, what were you saying about security?”
The mockery in his voice wasn’t lost on her, nor was his use of her nickname.
“I asked you not to call me—”
“Right. Okay. So, Dr. Reyes, what were you saying about campus security being enough?”
“I don’t think this has anything to do with the abilities of on-campus security. I told my escort he could leave. That was my doing, not his.”
“Your decision is something we need to definitely address but nevertheless, your escort should not have left you. You’re at high risk and your safety should be of the utmost importance. I know for a fact that campus security was instructed to stay with you until you pull out of the parking lot. The fact that the man didn’t will be mentioned to his superior.”
“Now wait just a minute. I am not a child, Eric. I’ll decide who guards me and who doesn’t, as well as who gets into trouble and who doesn’t. Not you.”
“That responsibility has now been taken out of your hands, gatita. Professor Dow is here also, and he agrees with me.”
“Edgar is here? Where is he?” Sabrina frowned as she got out of the car and searched the parking lot. She spotted him right away. He was speaking with Jason.
“Edgar, what’s going on?”
Her department head looked uncomfortable and a little sheepish but stood his ground.
“I’m sorry about this, Sabrina, but Sundown Security knows this business better than I do. Tonight was proof of that. I not only hold campus security at fault for leaving your side but also you because you sent them away before you were safe. I have no other choice. If you won’t let Mr. Drache guard you, then you’ll have to take a sabbatical. I cannot have stalkers on campus, endangering the lives of faculty or students. If you won’t take this seriously, then I will. It’s your choice. Please let me know what your decision is by tomorrow.”
After a brief nod and “good night” to Jason and Eric, Sabrina watched Edgar walk away.
This was just great. Sabrina realized she was between a rock and a hard place. She either let Eric guard her or she lost her job. And it was partly her own fault. She should never have sent her escort away. That had been stupid of her.
Now she would have to face the consequences of those actions. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time. And it certainly wouldn’t be the last. But in this case, it was quite a bitter pill to swallow.
Pasting a smile on her face, she turned around to where Eric and Jason stood. Jason was grinning like a little kid, and Eric couldn’t hide the mockery from his smile.
Gritting her teeth, she did the only thing she could do.
“Fine. You win this battle, Eric. But don’t think you’ve won the war. If there’s some way to get you the hell out of my life, I’ll figure it out. And then you’re gone, you bastard. I’ll be waiting anxiously for that day.”
Eric’s mocking smile slipped from his lips. Good. She was glad to wipe that away. Sabrina bristled at but ignored the sound of Jason’s roaring laughter as she walked to her car without another word. Starting it, she rolled down her window and made one last parting comment before driving away.
“I expect Sundown Security to pay for the repair of my smashed window.”
She was in control.
She was empowered.
She hadn’t let Eric push her around. Granted, he’d used an underhanded way to get what he wanted, but she had let him know loud and clear where she stood and what the ground rules would be. She would accept his protection, but she didn’t have to like it, or him, while he did it.
And the sooner he was out of her life the better.
She didn’t need a rerun of the shame and pain she had experienced that last night they were together. They had gone out to dinner and then headed back to her place. She had rented some movies and had been looking forward to a quiet evening with Eric, watching movies and cuddling, or maybe more than cuddling. She had begun to feel like she was ready for so much more with him. But things had gotten somewhat strained between them, and instead of coming inside with her, he had parked his car in front of her house, turned to her and told her it was over.
“It’s just not working out, Sabrina.”
“Wh-what do you mean?” she had asked. His words didn’t seem to be penetrating her brain.
His face had tightened and he’d started clenching and unclenching his jaw.
“I mean it’s over. We need to stop seeing each other.”
“Stop seeing each other?” she repeated, dumbfounded. She hadn’t been able to grasp what he was saying. It was just too much of a shock. Everything had been going so well. They had gotten so close, so intimate with each other, and the attraction was undeniable. Pair all of that with the fact that she’d had some of the best conversations of her life with Eric, and she just couldn’t understand how he could be saying the words he was. Had it been all her imagination? Had it all been one-sided? Had she perceived something between them that was actually nonexistent?
No, it couldn’t be true.
“Yes. I think it’s time to move on,” he had replied as casually as if he were asking her to pass the ketchup at the dinner table.
Tears had welled unbidden in her eyes and a large lump formed in her throat.
“But, but
I don’t understand. I love you, Eric,” she had said in a wobbly voice.
She’d waited for him to say something then. To tell her he felt the same way. To tell her this hadn’t just been all on her part. To tell her that she wasn’t crazy.
The words never came. Instead, Eric got out of the car, walked around to her side and opened the door for her. At first she’d sat frozen, looking up at him in disbelief. He’d held his hand out to her. She’d taken it without another thought, always ready to touch him at any opportunity.
He’d helped her out of the car and walked her up to her front door.
Her mind had turned to mush at that point. The tears had slid down her cheeks unchecked. She’d just stood there while he took her keys and opened the door, not knowing what to do. Her reality had shifted in those few minutes. Everything she’d thought was real no longer applied and she wasn’t quite sure how to handle it.
Then she did the unthinkable.
As he gave her back her keys, she’d grabbed his hand tightly and searched his eyes desperately.
“How do you feel about me, Eric?”
Eric had met her stare, but she could tell he hadn’t liked it. He ran his other hand through his hair in frustration and cursed under his breath.
“How do I feel about you? I care about you, Sabrina. You’re a great lady whom I admire. You make me want to be a better man. I’d protect you with my life, if need be. And I feel closer to you than I have to anyone for a long time. You’re beautiful, smart and funny. But am I falling in love with you? No, I’m not.”
Those final words had almost brought her to her knees. An ache had started deep in her stomach and radiated up into her chest. She would become familiar with that ache over time. That and the emptiness inside would become her best friends for a while. But in that moment, as those words left his lips, she’d been completely devastated, blown away like she had been hit by a tornado.
Sabrina hadn’t been able to speak.
She hadn’t been able to move.
She hadn’t been able to do anything but stare up at Eric. This was a man whom she had believed so many things about. Yet she had needed to somehow come to terms with the fact that she had been wrong about him, about everything.