Honey Kisses (Romance on the Ranch Series #2) (18 page)

"You have accomplished your latest mission, Roth. We
congratulate you."

Roth nodded his respect. "Thank you, Prominent
Prince."

Another voice spoke, "You are well aware, of course,
that this next assignment may usher you into the ranks of Mastery."

"Yes, Prince Two." Roth could not hide his grin.

"You have mastered all the creatures of your
assignments…"

"Thank you, Prince Five."

"…except one."

Roth’s smile faded. Out of respect, he did not argue. His
mind, however, raced to understand. He had shapeshifted into a wolf, a lion, an
eagle, a horse, an owl, a dolphin, a human, a dog, a tiger, a panther, and
multiple others, including reptiles and insects. He had never failed an
assignment. He did not understand.

The Prominent Prince spoke again. "Although your
assignments have been successful, we believe you have yet to acquire the full
nuance of being human. This next mission will determine if you are ready to
begin Missions of Mastery. It requires you to again shapeshift into a
human."

"As you command. But may I ask in what way I came
short?"

"That is something you must discover on your own. We
will speak no more about this."

"Yes, Prominent Prince." Roth waited for his
instructions, quelling the disappointment and frustration trying to find vent
in his heart. He did not want his decisive assignment to be as a human. He had
protected and saved the lives of innumerable humans throughout his previous
missions as animals. He had also completed many assignments in human form; his
last one being as a Yankee soldier during the American Civil War. He had been
sent to protect a man whom the co-Princes believed would change the course of
human history. On many occasions, Roth had deflected a bayonet intended for the
man, or pushed him out of the line of fire. He had also saved him from being
trampled by a horse, and even gone so far as to befriend him. After the war,
they had gone their separate ways, and Roth had returned to the Cave of
Thirteen for his next assignment.

Prince Thirteen spoke. "I will reveal the details of
this decisive mission."

* * *

"No! No way, Father! I do not want another
personal
bodyguard!
Why can't we continue with impersonal ones shadowing me?"

"This is not open for discussion, Rainey. You know the
stakes were upped when your lab started producing results. I’ve hired a
bodyguard to replace the one you drove away, and that's my final word. He’s
been interviewed multiple times and his credentials are impeccable. He’s
arriving tonight. I expect you to be civil when you meet him. Be in the drawing
room at seven."

Rainey wanted to scream at her father. Instead, she stalked
toward the double doors of the terrace and jerked them open.

"And Rainey…"

She paused, but did not turn around.

"…don’t be late."

Rainey gritted her teeth and continued into the house. She
would be there, of course; but on time—probably not. She climbed the stairs to
her bedroom and slammed the door. She was a prisoner not only in her own home,
but in every aspect of her life. She had forgotten what it felt like to be
completely alone—
probably heaven.
She laughed cynically at her choice of
words. Her overprotective father was trying to keep her from being sent to the
afterlife
before her time.

Fate and genetics had not only made her father fabulously
rich and brilliant, but had bestowed the same gift on her. Or was it a curse?
Like
father, like daughter.
Why wasn't I born more like my mother?
Even
as the thought popped into her mind, Rainey shuddered. Her mother, a complete
airhead, lived a life of endless manicures, pedicures, hair appointments,
facials, shopping, and extended vacations. She had never even called her mother
by any motherly term. She had always been "Stella" to Rainey. Years
ago, Rainey had decided that her father must truly love her mother to have
stayed married to her.

Rainey plopped on the side of her bed. She felt the niggling
of a headache. By the time seven o’clock struck and she had to meet "Mr.
Bodyguard," the headache would be full blown. She rubbed her temples and
glanced toward her dresser, hoping to see a bottle of aspirin. Instead of
aspirin, she caught sight of her reflection. She looked nothing like her
beautiful mother. In fact, at the age of twenty-eight, she almost believed she
looked older than her mother. Stella, being a former Las Vegas showgirl, stood
tall and lean. Rainey stood short and, if not plump, then well endowed
everywhere. Her small waist kept her from looking like a box. She chuckled at
the picture she’d painted in her mind and continued her perusal. Even to her
own eyes, her brownish-blondish hair drawn back in a clip at the nape of her
neck, looked severe and spinsterish.

I may not have been born with looks, but I made
up for it with brains. To a nerd, my 160 IQ is very attractive; which is one of
the reasons I’m stuck with a bodyguard.

Rainey sighed and went in search of the aspirin bottle.

* * *

Roth accepted the glass of wine from his employer. He
swirled the rich color and sniffed.

"Are you a wine connoisseur, Mr. Beowolf?"

"Not at all, Mr. Childress."

"By the way, why don’t we do away with the formalities?
You can call me Hank, because I abhor the name Harold, and I’ll call you Roth.
Is that okay?"

"Certainly, Hank."

"Your name is unusual; I can’t say that I’ve ever met
anyone with the given name of Roth."

"It’s a family name that’s been passed down many
generations."

"Do you know its meaning?"

"Yes—exalted, tower of strength."

Hank laughed. "Well, son, that’s exactly why I hired
you."

"Yes, sir."

"But speaking of why I hired you, that reminds me that
we’re still absent my daughter’s presence. I have to warn you, she's very
averse to having another bodyguard. You’re going to have your hands full. May I
speak frankly?"

"Of course, Hank."

"Don’t take any of her crap. She’s been raised with a
silver spoon and knows nothing of the real world. If she had been born less
brilliant and more like her mother, I’m sure her life would have been quite
different; not as mundane and ordered. As it is, her brilliance has landed her
a top position in my company. And, as you are aware, we are a think-tank
organization with multiple patents for amazing inventions. Being both a
research scientist for Childress Enterprises—with a hefty income, I might
add—and my daughter, Rainey is one of the wealthiest women in the world.
Because of that, and the fact that she is on the brink of an amazing discovery,
she must be protected from those who desire not only her money, but her
brilliance to be used for the wrong reasons. Even if she had been born in
poverty, I have no doubt she would still have made a name for herself among the
scientific community and become a very wealthy woman. Her discoveries in the
medical field have eased the suffering of untold numbers. She…"

Roth wanted to yawn with boredom. He wanted to run into the
night, strip off his confining clothes, and utter the prayer that would shift
him into a wolf. He wanted to howl and roam the woods. He wanted…

"Is my father boring you?"

Roth jolted and turned toward a husky voice. The voice
reminded him of the wine in his glass. His first impression, however, was
anything but that. His charge was short and round and plain looking, and she
appeared to go out of her way to create that effect.

"Rainey, it’s about time you graced us with your
presence," said Hank.

"I would apologize if I really meant it, but since I
don’t, I won’t."

Roth glanced from Rainey to her father. Although Mr.
Childress turned slightly pink, his facial expression of fatherly patience did
not waiver.

"Roth, may I introduce Rainey, my very tardy daughter.
Rainey, this is your new bodyguard, Roth Beowolf."

"My pleasure, Rainey."

"You say that now. I’m sure you’ll change your mind in
a few days. Although I understand the necessity for protection, I hope my
father informed you that I abhor the restriction of
personal
bodyguards."

"And why is that?"

"Surely, you’re not serious?"

"Yes, I am."

Rainey gave a humorless laugh. "I am constantly in the
presence of a bodyguard not more than a few feet from me. I cannot ride in a
car by myself. I cannot take a walk by myself. Even when I sleep, there is a
guard outside my room. If I have a bad dream and cry out, I find myself with a
guard hovering over me. Need I continue?"

"I understand your frustration. But is the possibility
of being kidnapped anymore comforting?"

She ignored his last sentence, and her green eyes flashed
impatience. "How can you understand my frustration? You come and go as you
please. You have a life of freedom."

"How can you judge my life when you know nothing about
me?" he replied.

Roth listened to the poor little rich girl with half an ear
and responded automatically. He was growing weary of sparring words with her.
He wanted the evening to conclude so he could explore the woods behind the
estate. His "watch" of the spoiled heiress would begin at eight the
next morning. He had been hired as the lead guard among her three personal
bodyguards, each with eight-hour shifts. Thank God, he didn’t have the night
shift. It gave him freedom to soar or roam for at least a few hours.

* * *

Hank watched the interplay between Rainey and
Roth. He almost laughed aloud. It appeared Rainey Childress had met her match
in Roth Beowolf. Hank knew his daughter well enough to know she was flustered.
Roth looked unfazed by her protestations.

Although Roth's remarkable qualifications had
landed him the job as primary bodyguard, Hank was secretly pleased by his
amazing good looks. Perhaps a handsome bodyguard hanging around would motivate
Rainey to do something about her own looks and get a life other than scientific
lab work.

* * *

Roth shut the lights out in his new digs which
came complete with kitchenette, separate bedroom and living room. He opened the
French doors to his balcony and stepped into the cool breeze of deep night. A
three-quarter moon glazed with thin clouds greeted him. Even the cloud cover,
however, could not completely obliterate the moon’s brightness and cast ominous
shadows across the manicured grounds three stories below. Roth sucked a lungful
of air, grateful for freedom if only for a few hours. The woods called to him.
He bowed his head and prayed the Prayer of Secrecy, shifting into his favorite
animal.

* * *

Rainey punched her pillow yet again. She wanted
to sleep, needed to sleep because of the workday ahead of her. She opened her
eyes and sat up.
Damn bodyguard. What was his name? Ross… Ron… Rat… Roth.
Wolf… Beowolf. What the hell kind of name is that?

She walked to her window and pulled the drapes
aside. Shifting clouds played with an almost full moon. Eerie shadows waltzed
across the grounds of her father’s estate. Unexpectedly, the clouds cleared and
the moon shone brilliant. Rainey gasped when a huge bird swooped from the sky
and soared past her window, its magnificent wings agilely directing its body.
She watched the creature until it disappeared in the direction of the woods.

I wish I could fly with you
.

* * *

Roth waited for his charge in the foyer. The
previous night’s shifting, first as an eagle and later as a wolf, had renewed
him. Being a shapeling, he required little more than two or three hours sleep.
The night guard, Jack Jackson, looking sleepy and bored, had gladly given over
a changing of the guards.

Rainey walked into the foyer. "I see you’re
punctual,
Mr. Beowolf
."

"It’s my job, Rainey."

"I would rather be called, Ms.
Childress."

"As you prefer,
Miss
Childress."

"Are you always this irritating?"

"Not usually."

"It must be me, then."

Roth remained silent.

"Mr. Beowolf, I’m sure you have been
apprised that we use different cars to keep the ‘bad guys’ guessing."
Rainey made quote marks with her fingers.

"Yes, I'm aware of that."

"We also use different exits when leaving
the estate. Again, keeps the ‘bad boys’ confused." She made quote marks
again.

"Yes, I am also aware of that. Your point
is…?"

"No point. I’m just making conversation
until our ride shows up…and look, here it is." Rainey pointed out the
window beside the intricately carved front door.

A black Escalade with tinted windows pulled to
the entrance of the portico. Without a backward glance, she opened the door and
skipped down the steps. The driver rushed to open the rear door of the Escalade
and Rainey ducked inside. He opened the front passenger door for Roth. Roth
thanked him, closed it without entering, and opened the back door, sliding in
beside Rainey.