Broken Pasts (4 page)

“
Death
threats?” I said, wondering how he knew about that. I had only
told Emily about the incidents of the past few days, not about the
end of our marriage when Gary had said things that still made my
spine tingle with fear. I wasn't sure if I wanted him to know. I
played dumb. It wasn't difficult with my body doing its best to
short circuit my brain.
And he probably hasn't even noticed me.
How embarrassing. I'm a client for goodness sake.
“What
do you mean?”

“
Most
often, when it comes to stalkers, there is no paranoid and there is
always
something to worry about.” He paused and the
lines of his face became harsh for just a moment as he frowned. As
quickly as it had come, the expression passed and he continued
talking. In his voice though was an intense passion bordering on
hate. “They start off with little things: letters, phone
calls, e-mails. And then they start following you, vandalizing
property, trying to tarnish your reputation. After that, there's
nowhere to go but down.” Gary closed Rhea's door and started
down the hallway. “Are these two doors bedrooms?” he
asked as he checked the two hallway closets.

“
Yeah,”
I said and before I could form another question, Nathaniel was
talking again.

“
Most
stalking cases last less than two years,” he said as he opened
another door and swept my office with me behind him. “Do you
know why that is?” I shook my head as Nathaniel tested the
locks on the windows.

“
No,”
I said and despite my instant attraction, I was almost annoyed with
him.
He's acting like he knows more about my situation than I do.
I crossed my arms over my chest and realized for the first time
since meeting Nathaniel that I had forgotten to put on a bra. I was
not wearing a
bra.
I tried not to blush. How would that
look? A thirty-two year old double
divorcée
blushing like a kid?

“
Because,”
he said and his voice dropped from dark, almost sensual, to sad,
morose even. “Once they're worked up enough, something's got
to give and it's either you or them.”

CHAPTER 5

After
Nathaniel had swept the entire house and checked all of the locks, he
had retrieved a briefcase and a laptop bag from his car (with me in
tow) and had us both sit down at my dining table.

“
You
need to record every incident,” he told me as he handed me a
packet of papers, all identical copies of a form with a place for
date, time, witness information, and a detailed account of my
encounters with Gary. “If you have time today, I think it
would be advantageous for us to go down to the police station and
file a report. That way, if it comes to a trial or violence of any
kind, they'll have you on record.” I stared down at the
documents in front of me and hoped, wished and prayed that things
would not go that far. “If you can afford it, I'd also
recommend a security system.”

“
This
is so overwhelming,” I said, my breath escaping in a rush. For
just a moment there, I forgot how sexy Nathaniel was and got lost in
the stupidity of it all. If Gary could just sign the divorce papers
and leave me alone, I could go on with my life. Instead, here I was
on the second day of the New Year worrying about a problem that I
should've been done with several months ago. I pulled my phone out
of the pocket on my sweats and saw fourteen missed calls and half as
many voice mails. With a sigh, I turned the phone over to my new
bodyguard. “What do I do about these?” I asked. When
our fingers touched, I saw his chest expand with a massive breath, as
if he could feel my attraction to him.
He couldn't possibly be
attracted to me, though,
I thought as I examined my clothes and
felt suddenly vulnerable. I wanted to change, put on makeup, and don
my best dress. Even if he was unavailable, I wanted to be attractive
for him. I don't know why, but I just felt this need to match up to
him. It wasn't just the simple matter of wanting to be desirable; it
was as if Nathaniel's appearance suggested a sense of organization
that I just did not have. If I could put myself together like that,
maybe I could bring some sense of order to my life.

We'd
known each other for the better part of an hour and already I was
making strange psychological connections that would never hold up.
Not good.

“
When
you get calls from him, record each and every one on this sheet and
don't delete anything from your phone. It may need to be used as
evidence later. Listen to all of the voice mails and if he threatens
you, even once, call the police and report it.” I nodded and
took a big, calming breath.

“
Is
it okay if I shower?” I asked and he nodded. When I rose to my
feet, Nathaniel followed. This time, he let me take the lead down
the hallway. I paused at the bedroom door and he nodded again.

“
I've
cleared the house,” he said. “Unless we have reason to
suspect a break in, I'll maintain my position behind you.” I
swallowed hard and tried not to read sexual innuendo in his words.
His voice was just so …
smooth.
Everything he said
sounded like an invitation. This was going to be a long, long week.
“I'll be with you every moment for the next few days. After
that, I'll switch out briefly with my partner, Cedric, for awhile to
sleep. Then I'll be back. If you ever have any questions, just ask.
Otherwise, you can pretend I'm not here. Just go about your day as
usual. If we need to drive anywhere, I'll take you in my car. We'll
work on your case throughout the week whenever you have time and if
you see Gary anywhere, at anytime, you need to let me know
immediately.” I nodded and opened the door to my room, feeling
awkward and strange with this man in my bedroom.

“
Thank
you,” I said as his massive, dark form filled the doorway with
a commanding presence. Ignoring Nathaniel Sutherland was not going
to be easy. He didn't answer, but he did smile and it was downright
nasty. If I hadn't known better, I'd have said he was flirting with
me.

I
picked out some pretty lingerie, trying to shield the drawer with my
body, but Nathaniel never looked. He kept his gaze locked on the
wall behind me like I wasn't even there. Somehow though, I had the
sense that he knew every single thing that I was doing. I even
imagined that the corner of his lip quirked up when I selected a
little black dress from my closet. When I went to leave the room, he
moved out of my way without hesitation and followed me down the hall
and to the bathroom where he immediately turned around and faced out
towards the arch that separated the hallway from the dining room. It
was only when I went to close the door that he turned back around.

“
Please,
Ms. McMaster,” he said and my name on his lips was like fire,
hot and sensual. He made it sound sexy. “If you could leave
the door open while you shower, I can assure you that I am a
professional first and a gentleman second. I will not look at you
unless there's reason to believe that you're being assaulted.”
I didn't know how to respond to that. The thought of Nathaniel
seeing me naked was both electrifying and terrifying.
And if he
were to come up, pull back the shower curtain and wrap his hand
around the back of my neck, lift my face to his …
I shook
my head to clear it and saw his dark brows raise. I forced a smile.

“
Okay,”
I said and then paused. “Are there any women that work for
your organization?” Nathaniel's smile widened, almost
imperceptibly, but it was there.

“
Of
course,” he said. “A handgun's a handgun. Gender is
barely relevant when it comes to self-defense in today's society.”
He paused. “Would you prefer a woman?” he asked and
again, there was that sense of innuendo being thrown. I blinked
several times before answering.

“
Oh,
no. I was just curious.” Nathaniel nodded and turned back
around so that I was looking at a perfect ass and long, lean legs.
Gorgeous.
I grabbed a towel from the stand behind the toilet
and tossed it over the curtain rod before climbing into the bathtub
and undressing there. I felt stupid the entire time, certain that
Nathaniel had other things on his mind besides checking out his
clients. Once I was naked, I tossed my clothes onto the floor and
grabbed the shower head, pointing it at the back of the tub while I
adjusted the water temperature.

It
was odd knowing that one of the most beautiful men I had ever seen
was standing just a few feet away from my naked form. My reaction to
him was nothing short of miraculous and it was one hundred and ten
percent romance novel cliché. When I finally got a hold of
Jamie, I was going to kill her. Despite my own good advice, I'd gone
out on that date with Stuart, been prepared to give him a chance, and
he'd left me alone in a parking lot with my crazy ex. Dating was not
a priority of mine.
You made a New Year's resolution, remember?
I told myself with a sigh, convinced that Jamie had set this all
up. If I found out that Nathaniel was actually a stripper or god
forbid, a hooker, of some sort, I wouldn't have been surprised.
Jamie had pulled that kind of stuff on me before.

The
ringing of the doorbell pulled me out of my thoughts.

I
wasn't sure what to do. Did I ask Nathaniel to get it for me? Did I
pretend he wasn't there and run to the door with nothing but a
towel? I decided to ask him.

“
Um,”
I leaned my head out of the shower curtain and tried to get
Nathaniel's attention. “Excuse me?”

“
Yes,
Ms. McMaster?” he asked without even turning around.
Impressive.

“
I
don't know if this is against the rules or not but would you mind
seeing who's at the door?” He didn't even hesitate before
answering.

“
I'm
sorry,” he told me as I admired the muscular curvature of his
back. My hormones were on high alert, sounding the alarm for all the
rest of my body to hear. It was a strange feeling considering I
hadn't even remotely felt this way since I'd broken up with my high
school sweetheart. And even then, this trumped that. “I can't
leave you naked and alone, Ms. McMaster. It just wouldn't be right.”
Again with the sexual undertones!
I was certain about it
this time.
Is my bodyguard flirting with me?

The
doorbell sounded again, forcing me out of the shower and into a pink
robe that was hanging from a hook behind the bathroom door. I put it
on at breakneck speed, faintly suspicious that Mr. Sutherland had
eyes in the back of his head. I could almost feel his green gaze
raking my naked body and he wasn't even looking at me.
It's your
imagination, Theresa,
I told myself as Nathaniel stepped out of
my way and let me pass through the dining area and into the living
room. He strode confidently behind me, a strong, warm presence at my
back.

“
If
you don't mind,” he said, moving just ahead of me and checking
through the peephole. He stepped back and nodded, allowing me a look
as well. It was Jamie. With a sigh of relief, I went for the
doorknob and then paused. Nathaniel tossed me a smile and a wink.
“It'll get easier, I promise.” I crossed my arms over my
chest and tried not to sigh. Having a bodyguard sounded cool at
first until you realized that you were hardly allowed to do anything.
He'd said to just go about my business as if he didn't exist, but I
was starting to think that wasn't going to be possible.

“
Holy
shit,” Jamie said as the door swung open and she caught her
first glimpse of Mr. Sutherland. He didn't say a word, just stepped
aside and allowed her through before closing the door and locking it
behind her. “You didn't call me. I got worried,” she
whispered as I grabbed her arm and dragged her into the kitchen. I
didn't think I was going to get any real privacy from Nathaniel, so I
made myself happy with the fact that I could put the counter island
between us.

“
Is
he a stripper?” I asked her in a low whisper as her perfectly
manicured brows rose.

“
A
stripper?”

“
Is
this like the time you sent the 'cops' to come over to come check on
me.” Jamie giggled and I slapped her arm. “I knew it.”

“
No,”
she whispered back fiercely as both our gazes slid over to Nathaniel.
He was staring at the cabinet above my head, but I swear, somewhere
in that perfectly professional frown was a lurking smile. “PPSD
is a perfectly professional organization. Just security, no sex. I
swear it.” I breathed out a sigh and leaned back so that my
butt was propped by the counter. “But that's just what they
advertise. You should see if you can get a two for one deal on
that.”

“
Jamie
… ” I warned, but she ignored me and made a beeline for
my fridge. She was dressed in the sexiest, loudest, brightest dress
suit in blood red with seamed tights and black pumps, perfect as
usual. I would not have been surprised if Nathaniel was using his
radar vision to scope her out as she bent over and dug around the
crowded shelves for something to eat.

“
I'm
just here for lunch,” she explained as she reemerged with a
couple of last night's takeout containers. “I just wanted to
make sure you'd held up your end of the bargain.” She grabbed
a couple of forks and handed me one.

“
I'll
be right back,” I said as I moved towards the bathroom and past
Nathaniel. I tried to keep my eyes off of his perfect form, certain
that if Jamie were to see the expression on my face, that she'd know
I was interested in him. If she found out, she'd never let up.
Nathaniel followed as I turned off the shower and threw a towel over
the puddle of water I'd left on the floor. When I went back into the
kitchen, he stayed right behind me.

“
So,”
she asked as she eyed Nathaniel critically. “Can you talk?”
He smiled, but it wasn't as wicked as the ones he'd thrown me.

“
If
it's alright with Ms. McMaster, I can.”

“
Ooh,”
Jamie said as she clapped her hands. “He's a bottom, I like
that.”

“
I
can assure you, Ms. … ” Jamie pretended to pout and
stepped forward, extending her hand in greeting. He gripped it and
shook firmly.

“
Ms.
Knowles,” she said. “Married, kept my own name. You?”

“
I
can assure you, Ms. Knowles, that I'm not a bottom.” Jamie
squealed and slapped her hand on her thigh. I'm glad she thought it
was funny; I was mortified. I tugged my robe over my chest and hoped
that she'd let it go at that. “And no, I'm not married.”

“
Gay?”

“
No.”

“
So
you're single, straight, and available. Am I right?”
Nathaniel's smile drooped just a bit.

“
I
don't know about available,” he said. “But the other two
are correct.” She put her hands on her hips and gave him
another once over.

“
My
friend over here needs a little rebound sex. Would you be available
for that?”