Familiar Strangers (10 page)

****


“
After Fates arrives, it will begin!”

Those had been the Cajun woman’s words. Surely, she couldn’t have been talking about a hurricane. What was supposed to begin? The evil she’d been warned of? And was it mere coincidence that timed the hurricane’s arrival so close to the anniversary of her attack?

Regin turned away from Galen to stare sightless at the view. Her mind raced as she wrapped her arms tightly around her waist. Why had she allowed Damon to leave when she needed his quiet strength the most? She wanted to run and hide, to pull a blanket over her head until the world righted itself. But she would be damned if she’d let Galen Matthews think she was a coward.

She turned back to face him. “What do you need me to do?”

If he was surprised at her acceptance, he hid any sign of it. He stood, gracefully stretching his arms and back, making his T-shirt tight across his broad shoulders. Her eyes were glued to the spot where his jeans pulled against his taunt backside. Her pulse sped up and she had trouble swallowing.

“We board up and hoard up,” he said, walking over to her and casually draping his arm across her shoulders. “And we’d best get busy.”

He propelled her from the porch, across the lawn, and in the direction of the main house. Her only thought as she meekly let him lead her was she was going to kill Tatum if she managed to live through Fate and Galen Matthews.

****


The next two days passed in a blur of strenuous non-stop activity. Regin helped nail plywood over all the windows in Galen’s house and tape each window in case the wood didn’t hold. Plants were moved indoors, lawn furniture stored, the boats moored, and supplies gathered.

Then they secured her cottage.

It amazed her when Galen walked into the house with several ropes and wrapped the ends around the legs of the furniture. She was about to ask him the point of it when he looped a line from a hook in ceiling she hadn’t noticed before. Within minutes the living room furniture was hanging suspended from the ceiling. In less than an hour, most of the furniture was dangling from ropes, and she’d packed her trunks for the second time in a week. When he tried stringing up her bed, she took a stand.

“Look there’s no point in trying to stay here when the storm hits.” Galen glowered. “This place is going to flood quickly, and I don’t want to waste the time doing later what I can easily take care of now.”

“But where am I supposed to sleep?” she questioned in the most rational tone she could conjure. No small feat considering every muscle in her body hurt. “The ceiling?”

He rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh. “You’ll sleep at the main house with me.”

She felt her eyes widen. “Huh?”
“What part didn’t you get?”
Regin’s mouth opened and closed without making a sound. She cleared her throat in an attempt to speak. “Ah...you...we...that is...we can’t.” God! She sounded like an idiot. “Is this really going to be necessary?”

Galen looked at the floor, shaking his head and finished tying the ropes securely. When he finally bothered to look up, she stepped back from the anger she saw.

“I don’t mean to burst your bubble, Princess, but there is a hurricane out there.” He pointed toward the water out her bedroom window. “Unless it changes course pretty damn quick, she’s going to hit us hard.” He made to step closer, but stopped when she automatically stepped back. “Have you ever been through one of these storms?”

Silently, she shook her head.

“Fine. Then that makes me the expert. Now when she hits, we won’t have time for anything but holding on to our asses and praying real hard.”
“If it’s going to be so bad, why don’t we just leave the island and come back after it’s gone?” That plan made much more sense than staying here praying not to die.

His hard gaze pinned her. “I won’t leave my home. You’re more than welcome to leave anytime you choose.”

Automatically, Regin’s chin jutted out and her head rose with pride. “If you can handle it, so can I.” Hopefully, she wasn’t lying to both of them.

Now, waiting for the storm to hit, she paced back and forth on his screened-in sun porch, looking toward the sky and ocean. She’d never seen such power. The massive darkness building on the horizon was enthralling.

She shivered and rubbed her arms trying to ward off a sudden chill. Whatever was coming looked as if it had been unleashed from the deepest bowels of hell and was headed straight for them. Why hadn’t she just left the damned island? She could have ignored Galen’s taunt and stayed in a nice dry hotel until everything was over. Instead, here she was, like a big dummy, waiting for the storm to happen.

Pride, she told herself. Her actions all had to do with showing one stubborn man she could handle anything he could. Now she wasn’t so sure. Nothing in her life had prepared her to deal with a force of nature that no one controlled.

Four-foot waves crashed violently on the beach, wind picked up and swayed through the trees, and Regin prayed.

“Quite a sight, isn’t it?”

When she heard Galen’s voice, her heart jumped in fear and her body followed the reaction. So deeply absorbed in her thoughts, she hadn’t heard the screen door slam shut. She whirled around to face him and lost her words before she’d even formed them.

He stood with his back to the water, so the waning sun framed him in its last light. The glow highlighted the blackness of his hair and obscured his face in shadows. He looked like a warrior of old facing yet another battle he might not win.

“Damn it, woman, do you have to jump every time I speak?”

He stepped from away from the dying light and the image faded as his words penetrated her fogged brain. “I don’t jump every time you speak.” At least she didn’t think she did. Hard to tell considering the strange effect Galen had on her. Now that they would be sleeping under the same roof, her agitation would probably only get worse. It was bad enough to have fantasies about the man all by her lonesome, but it was a whole other problem having them when the man was sleeping down the hall.

“You jump whenever I get within five feet of you, and I don’t have a clue why. Care to fill me in?” He raised one eyebrow in a now familiar gesture.

Damon had taught her the best defense was a good offense. She learned her lessons well. Regin closed the remaining distance between them and poked her finger in the middle of his chest. “There I’m touching you and I haven’t jumped once. Feel better?”

Galen could feel the heat from her finger through the thin cotton of his shirt and wished he’d never started something he couldn’t finish. Regin didn’t have to know that though. He turned on his heel and stomped out, not bothering to answer.

He’d put himself through hell the past few days working to get the island ready for the coming storm. Trying to exhaust himself so he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her. His plan had worked well for the daylight hours. Night was another story. When he fell into bed, his mind and body took over.

His dreams were becoming more vivid with details he never knew himself capable of. He considered himself a normal healthy man and, as such, had his share of hot dreams. These typical dreams were nothing compared to the nights he spent making love to Regin in his mind. He was familiar with every soft inch of her body, the taste of her was constant in his mouth, and the feel of her silky skin was better known to him than his own.

If his dreams had been about just hotter sex, he could have dealt with them, but he was dreaming of more. His mind painted pictures of them together talking, laughing, sharing dinners and more. He had no idea what to make of the dreams. How he could make them stop was something he hadn’t figured out yet.

His job was to protect his client, not to seduce her. He wasn’t going to be able to protect a damn thing if he didn’t stop picturing what she looked like naked. He didn’t like the man he was turning into around her. He could handle lust. Lust was familiar and safe. What he was feeling around Regin was more than lust though, and it grew deeper the more time they spent together.

He didn’t want to care about her. He didn’t have room in his life for someone like her. She was commitment. Someone who would want more than just the few nights he could give her. Galen was determined to offer her the only thing they both would accept, his friendship.

“Hey, I wasn’t finished talking to you.”

Galen started at the feel Regin’s hand on his arm. So caught up in his fantasies, he hadn’t noticed she’d followed him into the house. He scowled down at her hand where it was tightly grasping him. “Do you mind?”

“As a matter of fact, I don’t.”

She wasn’t going to back down no matter how fierce he looked. She had done everything he wanted for the past two days. He’d been amazed at the easy companionship in which they worked. He was surprised to find himself genuinely liking her. She shouldn’t be blamed for something she hadn’t done.

“We’re going to be stuck together until this thing blows over or we die.” She stepped closer until her face was just inches from his. “Do you think you could put your bad ass attitude to rest till one or the other happens?”

He quirked his eyebrow at her. Seeing the anger in her eyes, he was sure Regin wanted to hit him

“Don’t you raise your eyebrow at me, I want an answer. Do we play nice together or do I go back to the cottage and strap myself down with the rest of the furniture?”

****


Regin waited for him to tell her to go to hell or simply walk away. What she didn’t expect was his laughter. Oh God, the man was handsome scowling. When he laughed, he was beyond compare.

He seemed to hesitate before he stuck his hand out. “Truce, then?”

Regin tilted her head to the side in suspicion before shaking his hand. “You’re not going to change your mind then lock me out when the storm hits are you?”

Galen tried to cover his laugh with a cough, but Regin heard it just the same. “No, I won’t kick you out in the middle of the storm. I’m sorry I gave you the impression I would. I’m really not that bad of a guy.”

She clasped his warm hand in hers before quickly dropping it. She still felt the heat of his body all the way to her toes and every place in between. “Yeah, I’ll have to get back to you on that one. In the meantime, is there anything else we need to do before the storm hits?” She refused to call the hurricane by its name. Doing so might somehow bring Caprice’s prediction to life.

He shook his head before answering. “No, we’ve done everything we can. The rest is up to God and nature. We just have to sit tight and wait it out.” His broad shoulders shrugged in easy acceptance, as if he wasn’t going to spend any more time worrying about something he couldn’t change.

He was right. They had worked hard to make the island as secure as possible. The rest was out of their hands. “So what do we do until then?” She regretted the words the minute they left her mouth. She didn’t want to encourage closeness, but there didn’t seem to be any other choice. Besides, there was that nagging voice in the back of her head, whispering Galen wasn’t what he said he was. Was he someone she should be afraid of?

If Galen read more into her words, he showed no sign. His answer came quick and easy. “For now, we wait. Watch the weather while we can, track the storm and, take advantage of the electricity before it goes out.”

Her eyes widened in fear. “Do you really think the power will go out?”

“I don’t know what the storm will do. It could turn at the last minute and hit the Texas coast, missing us completely. It could stay on track and nail us. You just never know what a hurricane is going to do. The best we can do is be prepared and hope it turns. Why don’t you take advantage of a hot shower while you can? I’ll start dinner while you get cleaned up.” He turned toward the kitchen, not bothering to wait for her answer.

Regin wasn’t going to be stupid and refuse what could be her last shower for days. “Okay, thanks. I’ll hurry and give you a hand with dinner.” She wasn’t sure, but she thought she heard a groan come from his direction. Too caught up in the promise of a shower, she let it go.

They had a tentative truce going, and Regin was determined not to be the one who crossed the line. She’d followed whatever orders he gave. This was his territory and, though she wouldn’t admit in to his face, he did know best.

She hurried through her shower, giving Galen no room to reprimand her for using up all the hot water. The peace between them was fragile. No sense risking the cease fire before it had barely started. Regin threw on her clothes and ran a brush quickly through her wet hair before pulling it back.

****


The relentless rain and harsh lightning did little to ease Galen’s mood as he prepared for bed. Knowing Regin was down the hall made his unease worse. A few short feet separated him from the woman who was both infuriating and captivating. She tested his patience with her incredible body, as well as her contrary behavior and flippant attitude. He could be in her bed within minutes, finally giving into temptation, but he didn’t make a move toward the door. How could he? He’d agreed to protect her, plus they were finally getting along well enough to share a pleasant dinner together. Still, the lure of her soft skin and her full mouth was still there, even after separating for the evening.

The wanting was too powerful. Galen didn’t like this need he had for her. Used to being on his own, answering to no one, doing as he pleased, this new development with Regin was proving to be more difficult than he’d anticipated.

Like many of the men he’d served with in the military, he needed no one and relied on no one. He was an independent man with no ties to anyone. Unfortunately, the ugly truth of being a superior warrior was, when they were killed, there was no one to notify. Until Regin, his lifestyle had never bothered him.

And now, the lone wolf was stuck with a woman he was attracted to in the middle of a hurricane on an isolated island living under the same roof. He could only pray the storm would be brief and their interaction impersonal. A man had only so much self-control, and Regin Neff trampled all over his.

Her presence in his home wasn’t the real problem. If it were that simple, he could camp out by the beach and be done with it. No, there was something more going on and he knew exactly when it started. The first night he saw her in the bar. Their eyes had met across the room and, no matter how much she might want to deny the truth, there had been instant recognition.

He shook his head and gazed out to the black night. How could there be recognition when they had never met? He didn’t consider her his type, but it didn’t matter. He would have noticed Regin any place under any circumstance.

His hand absently rubbed a thin crescent birthmark on his chest as he thought back to the conversation Caprice had shared with him many years ago.

He had been a boy, still believing in honor, honesty, and the basic goodness of his fellow human beings. She’d understood and had encouraged his belief while cautioning him to keep his eyes open.

“
Bébé
, you have the true heart to see what others don’t,” she’d told him in her soft musical accent. “But make sure to protect yourself first and everyone else second, because they won’t think about taking care of you.”

“Ahh, Caprice, people aren’t like that,” he’d argued with her.

Theirs was an old fight, and she didn’t seem to want to waste the night going over old ground. “Like I say, you have the true heart. It’s a good and noble thing, but it won’t always be such. There is coming a time when bad will overcome good. Not for long, Cherie, but long enough to taint your view and change you heart. I don’t like thinking of this time to come, but I must.”

Galen knew better than to interrupt. He sat quietly by her side, looking out over the water and letting her voice caress his innocent soul.

“There is ancient evil gaining strength. It’s coming after the keeper of your soul. Everything you possess to fight it will fail. Only when you have nothing left to fight with will you rise and defeat that which cannot be defeated.”

To his sixteen-year-old credit, Galen didn’t laugh or mock her words. He thoughtfully considered them and turned to give her a cheeky grin. “Trust me, Caprice, if something like that ever comes after me, you’re the first person I’m calling.”

He could still hear the soft ripple of her laughter over the water as she replied. “Ah, Cherie, by the time your destiny is at hand, I’ll be the last person you’re thinking of.”

He was startled to remember the conversation. He hadn’t thought of it since the night it had taken place. Another example of Regin messing with his mind.

He swore he wasn’t going to go near her no matter what. He’d shove these strange emotions, dreams, visions aside and do his job. Regin was just another client and it was about time he treated her as such.

His vow just made, the silent night was shattered when he heard a scream of pain and terror. He was up and running toward Regin’s room before his eyes finished opening.

Instinct alone kept him from shouting her name as he closed the space between their rooms. He barely registered the sweat covering his body and the slight shaking of his hands. Everything in him was focused solely on the woman screaming behind the bedroom door.

He stood along the side of the door, slowing his breathing and running options through his head. Regin was on the other side of the door in trouble and pain. Knowing that made keeping calm hard. He wanted to kick the door down, run in guns blazing, but he couldn’t until he knew the threat facing him.

Galen believed this until her next scream rent the air and all the hair on the back of his neck stood straight.

“No!” He heard his own choked shout. “The hell with this!” he hoarsely cursed and sent his leg crashing through the oak door. His eyes adjusted within seconds as he swiftly made his way across the room to the bed.

Galen could see Regin thrashing across the mattress, her legs tangled between sheets and tears streaming down her face.

His swift survey of the room showed nothing out of order. The French doors were firmly latched with every glass panel intact. There was no one inside the room trying to harm her. The demons attacking her were locked inside her mind where only she could see them.

He didn’t think, just acted and leapt across the room, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “Shhh, baby, everything’s okay. You’re not alone. I’m here.” His voice sounded shaky to his own ears. He continued whispering softly. The words were nonsense, but he couldn’t seem to stop.

He could feel his own pain swelling in his chest as her horror-filled voice cried out. “No, not this way. Not again. Colin! Where are you?”

Galen’s blood surged hotly in his veins hearing another man’s name spilled from her soft lips. He didn’t know who this Colin was or what part he played in Regin’s nightmare, but he meant something to her or she wouldn’t be crying out for him.

In spite of, or maybe because of, his jealousy, he tightened his embrace, wanting nothing to intrude on the darkness they shared. He wanted to help her. No, he needed to help her. Something was bursting within him to fight her demons on her behalf. “Regin, hush, love. You’re not alone. I’m here with you now.”

He willed his arms to release her when her body shifted and her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

****


Regin was dreaming. Though she knew the images in her head were a dream, they seemed so real she couldn’t stop the panic growing within her. She was running through a dense forest toward a light she couldn’t see, but instinctively knew was there. There was a man waiting there for her. Someone she knew. Someone she loved. If only she could reach him in time. She needed to run faster. There wasn’t much time. Another man, an awful man, was gaining on her. And if he caught her, she wouldn’t only lose her life, but her heart and soul as well.