Rainwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story (12 page)

He laughed, delighting in my
discomfort. I played with my water glass, biting the inside of my cheek. If I
had been back home I would have told him off. I would have walked out or found
someone else to talk to, but I couldn't here. I had to be polite and not do
those things for Owen's sake. I couldn't let him down.

"That's a kind offer, but I'm
afraid I'm not interested." I finally managed to get out the words, even
punctuating them with a smile. His eyes narrowed on me and I felt like a bug
caught under a magnifying glass.

"What would you like to do
tomorrow, then?"

Nothing with you,
I wanted
to scream. I glanced over to where I had seen Owen last, glad to see him
heading back my direction.

"I'm afraid I have a very busy
schedule." That sounded diplomatic enough to me.

"You and I are going to see
each other. I'll see to it. I think we could do some amazing things
together." The way he said it almost sounded like a threat.

"You'll have to clear that
with Owen. He is the one in charge of where I go and who I see." Owen and
the sheik paused in a doorway, talking like old friends. I hoped Owen would
come back to the table soon. This conversation was making me very
uncomfortable, and I wanted it to stop. I didn't want to be diplomatic to Roger
anymore.

"That won't be a problem. He
and my father have business meetings all day tomorrow. It can be just the two
of us." I was an ant again under his magnifying glass.

"I'll still have to clear it
with him. Thank you again for the offer," I said hastily, standing up and
stepping away before he could say any more. The last thing in the world I
wanted to do was see him tomorrow. If I had my way, I would have set him down
hard, told him in no uncertain terms that I wasn't interested, but I needed to
be tactful for Owen's sake. His contract negotiations hinged on the sheik's
favor, and thus, the sheik's son's favor as well.

Owen's brows tightened for a moment
as I walked over to him, but he quickly relaxed his face before the sheik could
see it. He put his hand on my back, his touch feather light but sending a bolt
of security through me. I was safe with Owen. I could see Roger still lounging
at the table, a frightening grin on his face. He knew I had fled because of
him, and he liked it.

"Thank you for the wonderful
dinner. I will make the adjustments you suggested and get back to you in the
morning." Owen gave the sheik a perfect businessman smile. I liked the one
he gave me better, but I knew the effect that smile could have on people.

The sheik barely batted an eyelash
as he reminded Owen of a key point he wanted changed. No wonder the man was
worth a fortune if he could evade Owen's charms. The two of them shook hands
one final time, and Owen guided me out toward a waiting car. The night air was
cooler than I had expected, but the shiver that went through me wasn't from the
breeze. It was from Roger's eyes following me out the door.

"I
'll be back in time for us
to go get something for dinner tonight. Are you sure you'll be all right
staying in the hotel today? I can get someone to show you around the city or
something." Owen frowned slightly as I adjusted his tie. I made sure it
laid straight and then smoothed the fabric across his shoulders. I loved these
simple moments. They may never make a scrapbook, but that will stay in my mind
forever as perfect.

"I'll be fine. I think I'm
still a little jet-lagged, so staying in sounds nice today. Maybe I'll go down
to the spa or something later," I said, smiling up at him. His blue eyes
still held a pout, so I added, "Besides, Dean will be here with me today if
I change my mind."

Owen glanced over to the kitchen
where Dean sat reading a newspaper. He sighed and looked down at me.
"You're sure you don't want to do anything today?"

"Yes! Now get going, or you'll
be late!" I said, pushing him toward the door. The worry vanished from his
eyes as he picked up his briefcase and reached for the doorknob.

"I love you, Kaylee,"
said Owen, catching my eyes with his. I could feel a happy warmth surge across
the connection, filling me with an inner light.

"I love you, Owen. Now, get to
work!" I gave him a light peck on the cheek and he grinned before
disappearing out the door. The door clicked shut, and I leaned my back against
it. I closed my eyes and counted the hours until he would be home, finding them
far too many. I hoped that Rashid wouldn't follow through on his threat to come
by. I didn't say anything about it to Owen. I didn't want him to worry.
Besides, it was probably just an empty threat anyway.

When I opened my eyes again, Dean
was standing in front of me.

"Why don't you want to go
anywhere today?" he asked softly, his light blue eyes intense as he read
the worry on my face. I sighed.

"Rashid, the sheik's son. He
makes me uncomfortable, and last night, he said we were going to do something
tomorrow. If I stay in the hotel, then I'm hoping he won't bother me."

Dean nodded. "You know I won't
let him do anything, right?"

I smiled. Dean, while tall and in
amazing shape, appeared lanky and unimposing. I'm sure he could hold his own in
a fight, but he didn't look that scary to me. I wondered how he had gotten the
job of guarding billionaires, but I always figured he just had other talents
that made him a good bodyguard. I knew he was smart, and if he was good at
preventing a bad situation, then that was always better than being scary enough
to stop one.

"Thanks, Dean. I know I
shouldn't let him get to me, but just something about him set my teeth on
edge." I shivered at the memory of him looking at me.

"I've learned to trust those
gut instincts. I'll make sure he doesn't bother you today."

"Dean, what about tomorrow
though? He's the sheik's son. If things keep going as well as they have between
Owen and the sheik, I'm going to have to see him again. There is already
another dinner scheduled for tomorrow night." I leaned back against the
door again, my shoulders slumping.

"Has he done anything to
actually make you concerned?" Dean's eyes narrowed as he contemplated my
options.

"No. Just implied. I have no
real reason to be afraid of him. He just makes me nervous is all. If I can
avoid him, I want to."

Dean nodded, then gave me a warm
smile. "Well, don't you worry about him. He's probably just a weird kid
who never learned to be polite because he has so much money he never had to.
Let Owen know, though. Owen won't stop scheduling things that involve Rashid if
you don't tell him. He'll understand."

I fiddled with the groove in the
tile of the entryway, pushing the hem of my yoga pants into it with my toes.
"I'll tell him. I just don't want him to be upset or do something that
will endanger his contract. It's pretty obvious the sheik thinks his little boy
is the best thing since sliced bread and will take any affront to Rashid as an
affront to him. I don't want to ruin the contract because some punk makes me
nervous."

Dean put his hands on my shoulders,
and said in a low voice, "Owen knows how to handle situations like the one
with Rashid and his father. You have to trust Owen to do the right thing."

I nodded. "I'll tell him when
he gets home. I just feel like I'm overreacting, and I don't want to mess
things up."

Dean gave me a squeeze before
letting go of my shoulders. His quiet confidence and the way he approached a
problem reminded me a lot of my dad. I could see why Emma trusted him as much
as she did.

"So, what are you going to do
today?" Dean asked, taking a step back into the main room. I glanced
about, and my eyes settled on the kitchen. I loved cooking, and I hadn't had
time to cook anything more than a frozen pizza for weeks. I had been itching to
try out some new recipes after all the good food I had been eating.

"You like pancakes?"

Dean nodded and rubbed his stomach.
"Can't you tell?"

"Then get ready for the best
pancakes you've ever had. I'm cooking today."

***

"Y
ou have the list?"

Dean gave me a look that very clearly
said
Of course I have the list. Stop asking.

I went through the recipes one more
time, making sure I had everything. I only wanted Dean to go out shopping for
me once. He said he was happy to go do it, that he even knew of a market close
by, but I still felt bad. I didn't want to leave the hotel, so I was just going
to stay in the room. Dean was all right with that, because I couldn't possibly
get into trouble. Besides, if anything did happen, hotel security was on speed
dial.

"Remember, fresh cilantro if
they have it," I reminded him one last time as he slid on a baseball cap.

"I'll remember. I be back in
thirty minutes," Dean said, closing the door behind him. The lock clicked
loudly in the quiet room.

I stood staring at the door for a
moment, wondering what I should do until he got back. While playing checkers
with Dean all day, we had started talking about food. When our favorite
homemade meals had come up, I had told him about my mom's secret recipe for
"Cheeseburger Pie. Dean suggested I cook it for Owen, along with some
chocolate chip cookies. It wasn't exactly scallops with black truffles, but I
thought Owen would enjoy it and it gave me something to do. The hotel-stocked
kitchen had most of the main ingredients, but I needed some fresh things that I
couldn't substitute. For a small slice of my infamous Cheeseburger Pie, Dean
had agreed to get them.

I went to the kitchen, pulling out
the various pots and pans I would need for cooking and prepping what I could
without my fresh ingredients. I found myself humming as I put water on to boil
for the potatoes and set out the cutting boards to prep the salad. I was
looking for a second mixing bowl when I heard a noise in the other room. Dean
was faster than I thought.

I peeked around the corner to the living
room, and my blood ran cold. Rashid was on the couch, sitting there like he
owned the place. I nearly threw the wooden spoon in my hand at his head, but
decided that probably wouldn't be the best reaction. A fair reaction, but not
the best.

"How did you get in here,
Rashid?" I hoped my annoyance was apparent. I didn't want him here, and I
wasn't going to be polite after he broke into my room. I could be diplomatic,
but that didn't mean I had to be nice.

He gave me a chastising look.
"It's Roger." Then shrugged his shoulders as if getting into a locked
hotel room were nothing. "I believe the expression is 'I know a guy.' I
get whatever I want, and I wanted to come see you."

I swallowed hard, glancing at the
clock. Dean wouldn't be back for another fifteen minutes at the earliest. I
hoped there wasn't traffic or that he didn't take his time looking for fresh
cilantro. Roger stretched out on the couch, then patted the seat next to him. I
stayed standing.

"What do you want to do today,
Kaylee?" He looked me up and down, undressing me with his eyes. I fought
the urge to cover myself with my hands. He couldn't see through my shirt and
yoga pants, no matter how much he wanted to.

"I want you to leave."

"Aw, Kaylee. I can't do that.
I came all this way just to see you. Don't be a bad hostess," he said as
he stood. I was suddenly very aware of just how much taller he was than I.

"Please leave." I tried
to say it forcefully, but it just came out as a whisper. I didn't want to mess
anything up for Owen's contract with Roger's father, but I desperately wanted
him to go away. He just smirked at me, knowing exactly the position I was in.
He knew I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the contract and he was counting
on it. He took a step closer to me.

"You don't want that, baby.
You know you want me." His voice was smooth like oil, sliding over my skin
and making me feel dirty. I bumped into the wall behind me, not even aware that
I had been stepping back. He gave me a smug smile, knowing I had backed myself
into a corner.

I spied the phone on a small table.
With my left hand, I reached for the phone's receiver, but my right hand never
got to the numbered buttons. As fast as a snake, he grabbed my hand. The
receiver fell out of my hand, and I looked up at him with fear in my eyes. I
struggled, but his hands were bigger and stronger than mine, and held me
easily. I tried to bring my knee up into his groin or at least to drag my foot
down his shin- anything to cause him pain- but he was pressed so close to me I
couldn't move. I was powerless to stop him, no matter how much I fought and
squirmed.

His cologne filled my nostrils. It
was strong, like he had bathed in the bottle instead of a shower, and
sickeningly sweet. I wanted to throw up. I wanted to be anywhere but here, with
anyone but him.

"Please, don't," I
whispered, struggling against him. He just laughed, the sound striking fear
deep into my bones. Where was Dean?

"Just relax, Kaylee. You'll
enjoy this so much more if you just relax," he said softly, his breath
giving me unpleasant chills. The calmness and surety in the way he moved told
me this wasn't the first time he had done this.

"Get away from her." A
commanding voice boomed from across the room. I felt my knees go weak with
relief as the door slammed behind Dean. Roger turned his head to glance at him,
but didn't let me go.

"This isn't your problem, man.
Beat it." Roger turned back, leering at me. He wasn't afraid of Dean.

Before I could move, Roger was
ripped off of me like an old band-aid and thrown to the ground. He lay on his
back, a dazed expression on his face as Dean stood over him like a tiger about
to pounce.

With a shake of his head, Roger
rolled to his side, then up to his feet. Dean moved around to stand between me
and Roger, gliding along the floor like a big cat. I rubbed my wrists, trying
to keep my panic under control.

"Get out." Dean's voice
was like ice.

"She wanted it, man,"
Roger said, trying to appeal to Dean. "Just wait until my father hears
about this." Dean's face only hardened. Roger swallowed and started
backing up toward the exit. He stopped and gave me a wink and an evil smile.
"I
own
this city. There isn't anywhere you can go to escape me, so
I'll see you later, Kaylee."

I shuddered, then looked back at
Dean. When I first met Dean, I didn't understand how he was a bodyguard to the
billionaires. He was tall and in shape, but he just wasn't physically imposing.
Now, watching as he strode toward Rashid, his eyes gleaming violence, I
understood. I would willingly take on ten muscle-men bodybuilders before I even
thought about messing with Dean.

In one fluid motion, Dean had Roger
pressed against the wall, his hands wrapped in the front of  Roger's shirt.
Roger started spluttering, the whites of his eyes growing bigger until he
looked like a scared rabbit. Dean held him there, then leaned in and whispered
something. I couldn't hear it, but somehow Roger's eyes grew even bigger. His
hand started scratching at the wall, desperately looking for the door handle to
make his escape.

Dean let him go, pushing off of him
like he didn't want the stench of Roger on his hands. Roger scrambled for the
door, running like a beaten dog with his tail between his legs. The door
slammed shut behind him as he scampered down the hallway.

"Are you okay?" Dean
asked, turning to me. He grabbed my wrists and looked them over, checking for
any sign of damage. A single tear rolled down my cheek.

"He was gonna... he was
gonna.." I couldn't get the words out. They were too horrific. Dean
wrapped me up in his arms, protecting me from the world. He touched my hair
softly and made a soft soothing
shush
noise as I broke down in tears.

I sank to the floor, and Dean
followed me, still holding me. I cried into his shoulder, letting the terror
and frustration work itself out. He just kept quietly comforting me, keeping me
safe until I was ready to talk. Finally, the tears wouldn't come anymore and my
ragged sobs slowed to where I could speak.

"Are you okay?" Dean
asked again, concern showing in every word. I nodded.

"How did he get in here, Dean?
I didn't let him in. I was in the kitchen, and then he was just there."

"I don't know, but I'll find
out. I'm sure he just bribed someone or stole a key from housekeeping. I'm so
sorry, Kaylee. This never should have happened."

I looked up at him, not wanting him
to feel guilty for this. This was Roger's fault and no one else's. "There
is no way you could have known he was going to do this. I should have been safe
here."

Dean sighed and pulled me closer. I
liked how secure he made me feel, like the way I did when my dad would keep me
safe from monsters. "I still feel bad. It's my job to keep you safe."