Guardian Angel (17 page)

"Will you stop fidgeting?"

Alex whirled her chair around and faced Dena with a murmured "Sorry," but the expression in her eyes belied her words.

"Where's that domineering, no-nonsense boss who left here six weeks ago?" Dena demanded, laying some papers on Alex's desk. "She was much easier to handle."

Alex shrugged, appearing indifferent on the outside while a bundle of nerves inside. Why was she so jumpy? "Culture shock after being out in the sticks for so long," she hedged.

Her secretary eyed her skeptically. "I might believe that from Chris, but not you." She studied Alex's set features for a moment, opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. "Mr. Templeton is back in the swing of things even after that trip to the Mideast," she finally told her.

Alex didn't reply. Mr. Templeton had been in the swing of things from the moment he had boarded the company jet that Monday morning almost two weeks ago. She could still remember breakfast had been quiet, almost restrained between them.

When they had boarded the jet, Jared settled Alex in a seat, brought her coffee, and asked politely if she needed anything else. After receiving her negative reply, he had left her alone and immersed himself in a pile of paperwork and numerous telephone calls. Jared the lover was gone, and Mr. Templeton, the living force behind Fernwood Enterprises, had returned. Those idyllic days at Pradera Alta might never have happened for all the attention he gave her.

When they had landed at Los Angeles International Airport, a quiet Jared drove Alex home and assisted her upstairs with her luggage. When he turned to leave her, he briefly placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't rush into the office first thing." His quiet words were a huge disappointment to her. "You're still recover
ing and the work will still be there."

"I didn't get all that much rest," she couldn't resist retorting.

A muscle twitched in the corner of Jared's mouth. With a murmured "Take care" he left her.

Alex spent the remainder of the day unpacking and putting away her clothes. By concentrating on mundane chores, she was able to keep her mind a blank and not recall the reason her body was so relaxed.

She now thrust those memories from her mind. In a matter of days she had reverted back to her old habits except for a few changes.

Alex joined a health club near her apartment and now used their facilities instead of the ones at the office. She never stayed late but instead took her work home and did it there, refusing to answer her phone if it rang or answer the doorbell the few times it pealed. She also lost the few pounds she had gained at the ranch and a few more besides that.

Dena's face shadowed with concern. "Alex, are you sure you're all right?" Her question wasn't out of curiosi
ty, but affection for her boss. "Nothing's wrong, is it?"

Alex flashed her a reassuring smile, but the sparkle wasn't reflected in her eyes. "I'm fine, Dena, it's just get
ting used to the nine-to-five routine again, that's all."

Dena clearly didn't believe her manufactured reply, but knew better than to contradict her in the mood she had been in lately. Sighing, she left the office to return to her work.

When Alex left that evening, she wasn't surprised to see Jared’s silver Maserati absent from his parking spot. He hadn't been keeping late hours either. At least not at the office. She hated to admit that the thought of him with another woman was enough to turn her stomach.

Alex was puzzled to find an envelope tucked under her windshield wiper. Then she knew. She didn't have to open it to identify the correspondent. Her fingers were shaking when she extracted the envelope and pulled out the folded sheet of paper. "Nico's tomorrow at 11:30" was written in a familiar bold slash. There was no signature, but there didn't have to be.

"No, thanks," she grated, crumpling the piece of paper in her hand. Why this after two weeks of silence?

A clear-eyed, more determined Alex entered her office the next morning. It took only one look for Dena to see her boss was plotting someone's demise and in the very far reaches of her mind she had a pretty good idea who that someone was.

Alex handled the budget meeting with the accounting department heads with that same determination, then re
turned to her office at eleven fifteen.

"Get your purse," she ordered crisply.

"What?" Dena looked up, then at the small clock on her desk. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Alex's smile resembled a very dangerous feline. "I have a wallet filled with charge cards that I intend using and I'd adore some company. We're taking a long lunch today."

"Yes, ma'am!" Dena snapped to attention. "Who am I to argue with the boss?"

Alex knew she was deliberately ignoring Jared's sum
mons for lunch, but wasn't exactly sure why. She wanted to make sure he understood that she wouldn't jump when he snapped his fingers. There were plenty of women in this state alone who'd jump through his hoops, but she wasn't one of them and this was her way of letting him know that.

Alex and Dena toured as many boutiques as they could cram in for the next three hours and had the packages to prove it. Alex grimly thought of the many charge receipts in her purse and the whopping bills she'd receive next month. She only hoped she'd like her purchases just as much when she unwrapped them at home. Impulse buying had never been one of her habits. She hoped she hadn't set a precedent.

"Whew!" Dena let out a tired gust of air while they entered the elevator. "I think you bought enough clothes to last you for the next five years."

"Good, because it will probably take me that long to pay off the bills," Alex joked.

When they reached the office, Dena checked in with the message center while Alex walked into her office and slipped her leather pumps off one pair of very sore feet. The shoes were comfortable for anything but all the walk
ing she just did. She turned when Dena appeared in the doorway.

"Mr. Templeton's office has been calling every half hour since noon," the secretary announced. "I just now talked with Chris and he said to remind you of your three o'clock meeting with Mr. Templeton. A meeting you forgot to tell me about, therefore, it wasn't on your calendar," she scolded.

Alex hadn't forgotten to tell Dena because there had been no meeting planned for this afternoon. At least there hadn't been until Jared had arrogantly manufactured one and she knew why. She had ignored his lunch invitation and now he would demand to know why.

"Chris also said to tell you that Mr. Templeton's in a really foul mood," she warned. "He's already torn Chris's head off, so be careful."

Alex offered Chris a silent apology for bearing the brunt of Jared's displeasure with her. "I think I'll be safe enough." She heaved a weary sigh as she slipped her shoes back on. "I guess it wouldn't do to go up there in my stocking feet."

Sara greeted Alex with a wry smile. "It's not too safe in there," she advised.

"So I've heard."

Chris glanced out of his office and shuddered theatrical
ly. "You're braver than I am," he told Alex in a rueful voice.

"We'll see," she murmured, then raised her voice. "Don't bother to announce me. I don't want you in the line of fire." She approached Jared's office door, turned the ornate knob, and entered without knocking.

Jared's back was to her while he gazed out the window. "It's about time," he grated.

"Shouldn't you identify your visitor before railing at them?" Alex asked lightly. An inner voice told her Jared's temper was at the boiling point, but she didn't feel the need to worry.

"I knew it was you." Now he turned around. "Where the hell have you been?" he demanded.

Alex was shocked by the new carved planes on Jared's face. If she didn't know better she'd swear he had been suffering from the same inner torment that plagued her. She mentally braced herself before she replied. "I had shopping to do."

Jared's movements were jerky as he lit a cheroot and drew deeply on it, then blew out the smoke. "I expected you at Nico's," he said finally. In a sarcastic voice he added, "Was your shopping so important you couldn't bother to let me know?"

"There wasn't an R.S.V.P. on your note." Alex's voice emitted a chill to the air.

He took several deep breaths but they did nothing to calm his temper. It was so frustrating to stand there and yell at her while all the time he wanted her back in his arms. He wanted to hear that cat's purr while he made love to her, to hear those throaty moans when he explored every inch of her satiny skin. He wanted to taste her mouth and see if it was what he remembered. Damn it, he wanted her!

"It shouldn't be this way, Alex." His voice hinted at the nights they shared.

Icy eyes sliced through him. "What shouldn't be this way, Mr. Templeton?" She deliberately ignored his sensu
al undertones. She had no intention of giving in to him now. "You were the one who called this meeting. If there's nothing pertaining to Fernwood to discuss, I have a great deal of work to do."

A strange light flashed in Jared's eyes and a predatory smile curved his lips. "Are you that wary of me, Alex?" he asked softly.

"Yes." She saw no reason to lie. If Jared wanted to know, he could find out easily enough. She was only too knowledgeable of his methods. "But don't start patting yourself on the back yet, Jared. Because I am wary, I will take more caution around you. Thank you for this two week breathing space." She paused, determined that this last thrust would find its mark. "And thank you for that extra week's vacation at your ranch. It was very instruc
tive." With that, she turned on her heel and walked out, but not before she saw the white slashes in the corners of Jared's mouth. Her words hit a nerve with deadly accura
cy.

Alex spent the rest of the afternoon in her office waiting for Jared to storm in and announce to the world that she was fired. When the clock showed one minute after five, she picked up her briefcase and for the first time in two weeks, didn’t take any paperwork home.

Alex didn't go straight home. She had too much energy boiling inside. She stopped at her health club and worked out, hoping to erase her inner frustrations. Instead, her unease only increased.

She spent the balance of the evening putting away her new wardrobe, all the time wondering if some of her pur
chases were wise.

For some unknown reason she chose a new nightgown to wear that night. She smiled to herself as she recalled Dena's reaction to the bright red silk and lace nightgown that fell to the floor in body-hugging folds. A nightgown meant to be admired by a man.

Alex's restless thoughts continued as she tossed and turned in her bed. She had barely slipped into a light doze when the doorbell rudely interrupted her sleep.

She groaned a wish that the intruder would go away, and pulled her pillow over her head. Five minutes later, with the shrill buzz of the doorbell still penetrating her cocoon, she decided she would be better off to find out the identity of her visitor. Alex stumbled out of bed and pulled on a matching hip-length quilted kimono-style jacket.

"All right, all right," she muttered as she approached the door. She squinted through the peephole but the last person she expected to see was Jared, now dressed casually in jeans and a sweater. She barely remembered opening the door. "Jared! Is something wrong?" She scanned his shadowed features.

Without saying a word he hauled her into his arms. "Not now," he muttered, sliding an arm under her legs and lifting her up to cradle her against his chest. "Not now." He walked into the darkened bedroom and set her down on her feet. His hands lifted to slip her jacket off then slid under the narrow straps of her nightgown. It fell to the carpet, leaving her standing naked in a pool of red silk. Jared sucked in a sharp breath as slivers of moonlight filtered between the partially drawn drapes and highlight
ed her skin.

He kept his eyes on her as he hurriedly shed his clothes and steered her toward the bed.

Alex had kept silent because she truly didn't know what to say. She was startled to see Jared and even his presence, here in her bedroom, couldn't penetrate her numb brain. She could only stare up at his sharply etched features and pray she wasn't dreaming. She reached out to touch him with hesitant fingertips after he stretched out beside her.

"Jared, why are you here?" she finally whispered while her fingertips blazed a trail along the slightly bearded jaw.

He brushed his palms over her breasts, then suddenly slid his hands around to her back and drew her up to him. "I couldn't sleep without you." His words were muffled in her hair.

It wasn't the kind of admission Alex wished to hear. She braced her hands against his chest and pushed him away.

"How touching," she drawled icily. "Tell me some
thing, Mr. Templeton, how did you manage without me for the past two weeks? Did it take you this long to go through your current list of bed partners?"

Jared's face first paled then reddened in anger from her attack. Before Alex could react, he had shackled her wrists with one hand and pulled them over her head while he trapped her lower body under his leg.

"You always have to get your digs in, don't you, Alex?" he ground out. "If anyone has suffered from your verbal nails, it's me and I've got the scars to prove it. No more, lady, I'm just not going to put up with it." All the while his hand roamed intimately over her body, touching and teasing those sensitive areas, delicately probing with sen
sual expertise. He was seducing her with his touch and it wasn't long before he could see Alex's reaction—the heavier breathing, her eyes bright with desire, the pupils dilated, the coral tips of her breasts blooming in silent invitation for his caress, and a lethargic heaviness to her limbs which were warm to the touch. Nor could she hold back the unconscious writhing of her hips arching toward him and seeking his potent desire. Alex could no more renounce her physical response to Jared than he could to her.