Save My Soul (14 page)

I pulled in my driveway, and killed
the engine. "Come inside and keep me company. I have about an hour
to kill before my next appointment, and I need help brainstorming
about what to do about Adam."

We got out of the vehicle and he
followed me into the house like a normal person, instead of popping
from my vehicle to the inside of the house, like the angel he
was.

Hercules ran straight to him, sniffed
of his feet and then sat on his haunches and looked up at Rhyan. I
shook my head as I looked at my dog. "You're turning into a
traitor." I walked to the kitchen and tossed my keys on the counter
where I always put them. Rhyan followed me; I could feel him behind
me. I tried to keep my thoughts empty, but I knew what I wanted to
do.

I turned around to face him, and
pursed my lips together. "I want to ask you a question, Rhyan. You
said that you fantasize about being with me, right?"

He was definitely more alert now. His
eyes grew wide. I didn't know if he was embarrassed about telling
me, or if he was trying to look in my head and see what I was
thinking. I kept my thoughts blank.

He slowly nodded as if he were
confused. "I do."

I sighed. "Well, I'm not offering to
fulfill your fantasy, but do you think it would complicate things
between us if I kissed you?"

He shook his head. "Not at
all."

I lowered my head and could sense him
slowly walking toward me, as if he was afraid that if he moved too
fast, I would change my mind. "If I kiss you now, are you certain
that you won't have resentment towards me later? You know I am
meant to be with Adam, but you've watched over me my whole life and
I want to give you something back, something you want. I don't love
Adam, not yet, but if I do fall in love with him, I will be his,
not yours. You understand that, right?"

He placed his hand gently on my cheek
and stared at me with amazement shining in his eyes. I had never
had anyone look at me like that, and at that moment, I wished that
Rhyan was the one I was destined to be with. I wished the man in
front of me was my soulmate.

He moved his hand to the back of my
neck and pulled me to him. A small sound escaped my throat as our
lips touched. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and then opened
my mouth to him so we could explore further. I had never in my life
been kissed like this. It felt like I was floating on a cloud
somewhere alone with him. The kiss became hungrier. We were pressed
together so close it was like we were trying to switch places with
each other.

I wanted him, and he knew I did. I
wanted to be with him like this, and more, forever. I could feel
the love rushing through my veins, heading for my heart. I knew it
had to be love. I had never felt anything so strong and wonderful
in all my life.

Rhyan suddenly broke the kiss and
pushed away from me. I stumbled a little and braced myself on the
kitchen counter. Before I could even think, he started
speaking.

"I'm sorry, Kendra. I am so sorry. I
didn't mean for it to go that far…"

I reached for him, but he only shook
his head and took a step away from me. "Those aren't your feelings.
You don't love me, not really. Those are the feelings I have for
you. The guardians are very powerful, or very weak. I am very
powerful, because you have chosen me over your guardian demon.
Patrick is very weak, and if he had kissed you the effect wouldn't
have been the same. I was so strong that you were feeling my
feelings for you. They were not your own, and I am sorry to have
burdened you with this."

My chest was aching and I put my hand
over my heart. A tear fell on my arm. He looked at it and cupped
his hands over his mouth for a moment.

"You are now feeling my broken heart."
he said after he let his hands fall away. "I have to go so it
doesn't get worse for you." he lowered his head then, and I wanted
to scream out, "How the hell could it get worse?" I felt like
someone was trying to rip my heart out of my chest. "I will never
touch you again. I'm sorry. I don't feel like I can apologize
enough to make up for this." He popped out of my kitchen, and I
stared at the blank place where he'd been.

My doorbell rang. I wiped at my eyes
and tried to pull myself together. I'd found out how it felt to
love, and moments later, was intensely aware of how a broken heart
felt. I didn't like the second feeling at all.

My first client was more than
forty-five minutes early, but I didn't mind. I needed the
distraction. I took my time with her and gave her more poses than I
do for most clients. I was work focused now, so any thoughts of the
new men in my life, including Rhyan, were pushed into the
shadows.

I finished with her, and was able to
work through two more clients in record time.

I was finishing up with my third
client after lunch when my phone rang. I let the machine get it. If
it was important, they would leave a message, and I could call them
back.

It was Kobhye again. She was
threatening my life if I didn't return her call today. She ended by
saying that she was going to drive over and check on me later.
Panic shot through me. Adam would be here later. I ran for the
phone and got there just before she hung up.

"Hello! I'm here," I said a little
breathless.

"What were you doing, Kendra? Is Aven
over there?" Why did everyone think I was always having
sex?

"No. He isn't. I'm working. I have a
client. Senior shots all this week and next." I took a breath. "I'm
fine. I've just been working really hard since I got out of the
hospital. That's why I haven't returned anyone's calls. I'm
sorry."

"Okay. Hey, what's the name of that
sexy-ass doctor of yours? Can you get his number for
me?"

Shit!

"Um, I'm sort of seeing that sexy-ass
doctor. It isn't monogamous or anything, but I think it may be
soon." There was silence on the line for a moment.

"Oh well, then how about that good
looking nurse that was with you when you came into the waiting
room."

Shit! I was seeing him too, but I knew
it couldn't last with Mason. I had to cut him loose eventually,
better sooner than later. "I'll see what I can do about Mason," I
told her, then I said I had to get back to work and we said our
good-byes.

I hung up the phone and laid it on the
counter. It was good to know I didn't have to worry about her
showing up. I turned and started for my studio when the phone
shrieked again. I answered it. If I let the machine get it, and it
was someone else threatening to drop by, I'd just have to come back
and answer it anyway.

"Hello." I had a slight feeling of
déjà vu.

"Kendra?"

"Adam…" My elbows had been propped on
the edge of the counter, but the moment I heard his voice, my knees
buckled and I went down. The cordless phone fell out of my hand,
hit the floor and slid under the dining table. I crawled quickly to
retrieve it and put it to my ear.

"Adam,"

"Kendra, are you all
right?"

"Yeah, sorry I…I fell." I felt like
such a klutz.

He laughed. He had such a good laugh,
and I was sure he didn't do nearly enough of it. "Well, you're
really one for accidents this week. Are you normally so
clumsy?"

"No." I said as I rolled my eyes. "You
need directions?"

"Actually, I don't. I got your address
from your medical records, and I used my GPS to find your house.
I'm standing at your front door." I looked at the phone then heard
the knock at the door. Well, shit. I thought I was going to have at
least thirty minutes to mentally prepare for his
arrival.

I walked, phone in hand, to the door
and opened it. Kobhye had been right; he was sexy. He didn't have
to try to be, he just was. He was still wearing the smile I'd heard
over the phone a second ago, and I felt myself start to swoon. I
regained my composure enough to turn my head. I had to get better
control over myself. I was going plain stupid over men
lately.

I opened the door a little wider so he
could enter. "Come on in, Adam. I'm just finishing up with a
client." I looked at my watch. 4 p.m. Where had the time gone? "My
next appointment should be here any minute." I glanced over his
shoulder, and saw that my next appointment was indeed arriving now.
"And there he is."

I could hear the girl I'd been
shooting walking up behind me. "That was great, Ms. Larkin. I know
those pictures are going to look awesome." She handed me some
folded bills and walked past me. She slowed a little when she
passed by Adam, no doubt trying to make eye contact with him, but
he wasn't looking at her. His eyes were on me. She turned back to
me and smiled. "Thanks again, bye."

The girl stopped to talk to the guy
that was getting out of his truck. I wasn't going to wait on him.
He could knock or come in when he was ready. I turned to head back
into the house and asked Adam to shut the door behind him. He
closed the door and joined me in the kitchen. I got down a glass
from the cabinet. "Want something to drink, tea, coke, Mt. Dew, Dr.
Pepper, Sprite, water…"

He laughed softly. "Dr. Pepper is
fine." I grabbed two of those from the fridge and handed one of
them and a glass with ice in it to him.

"What time does your on call shift
end? I have a bottle of wine I was thinking of opening up after my
last appointment leaves." I opened my soft drink and took a drink
from the can. I noticed that Adam had set his glass on the counter
and was drinking from the can as well.

"I actually got out of being on call
tonight. Richardson is taking over for me." So, I was important
enough for him to find a replacement. I must be making progress. "I
don't have any objections to wine later."

I heard my front door open, then
footsteps coming toward us.

My next client was Quarterback of the
Cougars and class president. Alex Marks stood, in all of his
splendor, at the edge of my kitchen. I could see why all the girls
in school were in love with him. He definitely had the looks, but I
knew Alex and his family, and he was really a down to earth nice
guy. He also had a very large crush on me.

He had on that nervous smile he always
wore around me. "Hi, Kendra." He eyed Adam a little
suspiciously.

"Well hello, Alex. Are you ready to
get your picture taken?" I said with a smile.

He nodded toward Adam. "He gonna be
here the whole time?" It really wasn't like Alex to be rude, but
like I said, he was crushing on me big time; had been ever since he
was fifteen and hit puberty.

Adam gave a snicker. "I can leave if
it's going to be a problem for you, man."

"No, you're not." I said, then gave
Alex "the look".

He dropped his eyes, like a toddler
who had just gotten in trouble for touching something he wasn't
supposed to. "It isn't a problem."

"I don't think so either. Now, let's
go take some kick ass photos of you so you can give them out to all
those girls who dream of you at night."

He smiled shyly. "Can I give one to
you?"

I gave him my best smile. "I would
love a picture of you, Alex. I'll put it in a frame on my bedside
table." I knew it was wrong to lead the boy on, but he would grow
out of this nonsense sooner or later. I looked at Adam. He was
watching the whole thing with silent laughter.

Alex assessed Adam again, then said,
"You a nurse or something?" I took that as my cue to get my props
set up for his first shots. I was listening to their conversation,
but wasn't adding in any of my thoughts.

"Or something…I'm a doctor, a surgeon.
I actually saved Kendra's life a couple of days ago." Adam said and
I could feel Alex' stare when he looked at me. I cringed. As far as
I knew, he hadn't heard anything about the accident, and I had
wanted to keep it that way.

"That true, Kendra? Did you almost
die? You didn't call me? I mean, you didn't call my mom?" The look
of horror was real in his eyes. He was really smitten with
me.

I shook my head. "It wasn't as bad as
Adam is making out, but yes, he was there when I needed him." I
gave Adam "the look" and he must have understood me, because he
changed the subject.

"So, you play football…or something?"
Adam nodded to the Nike duffle bag Alex was carrying. There was a
helmet sitting atop it.

Alex nodded then went straight to
talking football. Guys were so easily distracted. I finished
setting up then gave a deafening whistle through my fingers. It
would be the only way to get the guys' attention away from sports.
They both shut up and turned to stare at me. Good, I still had it
in me. I hadn't whistled like that in years.

"I'm ready for you. We'll take a few
shots with what you're wearing then you can change behind that
screen over there." I wanted to make it perfectly clear where he
would need to change. I didn't want any misunderstandings like I'd
had the other night with Mason. I was positive the boy had a nice
body, but I was eleven years older than him, for Christ's sake, and
I wasn't a cougar. It was sooo not going to happen with me and
Alex, no matter what he dreamed would someday happen.