Sins of the Father (27 page)

He almost regretted it
when her scent filled his senses, making him weak with longing. He
had dreamt of having her in his arms, and just for a moment, he
savoured the feel of her. But it was relief he felt when he set her
gently on the sofa in the front parlour. Because he couldn’t find a
blanket he took off his jacket and covered her with it.

He was unable to stop
himself from planting a kiss on her forehead, a mistake, because he
had to battle with the memory of how she tasted. His eyes dropped
to her wide, full mouth. It took all his strength not to move his
lips to hers.

Movement in the other
room brought him to his senses. He was composed again, at a safe
distance, before Stuart appeared in the doorway.

***

Whilst
Alicia slept, she dreamt of Eric. It was always the same, and one
of her favourite memories. It started with the hotel, one in a long
line of nondescript and depressing places, but better than the
alternative. Alicia followed the path from memory as she made her
way to meet Eric after work. She waited in the shadows, trying to
stifle her excitement before she stepped into his path with a
swagger. “
Hey, mister, can
you tell me how to get to the Southerner. I’m a little
lost.”
She aimed for an
acceptable Irish brogue, but the giddy feeling translated to her
voice.

“
I’m going that way actually, so I’ll show you.”
Eric never tired of playing the
game. A goofy grin lit his features whenever he saw her. How she
missed that look.

“
I’m not sure
about that. Me ma always told me to be careful of
strangers.”

“
You don’t
have to worry about me, miss. I’m not the slightest bit
strange.”

Alicia chuckled, full of
mischief, as she launched herself into his arms and hung
on.

“
You’re a crazy kid sometimes,”
Eric said, as he always did.

“
Yeah, crazy
about you.”

She awoke with a smile
and the kind of warmth that held no relation to the blanket
covering her. Because she was tempted to close her eyes again she
squeezed them shut, making the memories shatter and disappear. As
she pushed her way to a sitting position she realised the cover
across her legs was Brad’s jacket. She slid it around her shoulders
and breathed him in – a mixture of soap and a scent that was all
male.

“
Did you get
enough rest?” Brad pried a surprised cry from her lips. She felt
heat rise in her cheeks at being caught. She should have known he
was watching – even as she slept.

“
Yes, thank
you.” She stood because he was behind her and she felt at a
disadvantage. The slight chill when she removed his jacket made her
want to snuggle into it again. “I appreciate the loan.”

He took it, being careful
not to touch her. He was still recovering from the way she looked
wrapped inside it. She had the ability to bring men to their knees
with just a look. Just now, mussed from sleep, he wanted to grab
hold of her and wrap his arms around her like the sleeves of his
jacket a moment ago.

“
No problem.
You were tired and I-”

“
There you
are, sleepy head.” They heard Stuart’s booming voice a moment
before he stepped into the room. He walked towards her to envelop
her in a hug. “Happy Birthday, princess,” he whispered, giving her
a squeeze.

“
Thanks.” She
kissed his cheek and stepped back, recognising the scheming in his
eyes. “Uh-oh, what’re you up to?”

“
I came to
see the birthday girl, why would I be up to something?”

“
Stuart.”

He squirmed under her
gaze. “Okay, fine. Let’s call it hypothetical. If someone was
planning a surprise party...oh to hell with it, the discreet get
together this evening has become a full blown birthday celebration
and it’s too late to cancel the plans now.”

She let her head fall
back and laughed long and hard. He looked so cute, floundering as
he tested the water. “Boy, I must be a real bitch on my birthday.”
She touched a hand to his cheek. “That sounds lovely,
Stu.”

“
It does?”
His mouth dropped open in surprise.

“
Oh stop it,
I’m not that bad.” She put her hand under his chin, grinning when
he snapped his jaw shut.

“
Several
responses spring to mind, but I’m not going to spoil it. I don’t
know what brought about this change, but I don’t care.” The
scheming look was back. “Be ready in two hours,” he said, pinching
the end of her nose, before dashing from the room.

Alicia looked at Brad
with a shrug. There was a tension between them now - one she didn’t
know how to deal with. Her last attempt ended in disaster. It was
his turn now. But that didn’t stop her from paving the way a
little.

“
If I thought
you’d accept, I’d ask you to be my guest this evening.”

“
You
understand why I can’t?”

“
I know that
it breaks too many rules for a man like you to accept. I imagine
you need to have a certain degree of flexibility but-”

She stopped when he took
a few steps towards her. “If I wasn’t assigned for the specific
purpose of protecting you, I’d like nothing more than to be by your
side as your guest.”

Alicia took a step of her
own. “Then I guess, for now, I’ll have to make believe. I’m pretty
good at it.”

They stood for a few
beats, both wanting nothing more than to close the distance between
them.

“
Well… I only
have two hours, so I’d better get moving.” When he still didn’t say
anything she turned and would’ve walked from the room if he hadn’t
stopped her.

“
You don’t
know what you’re asking of me,” he said, placing his hand on her
arm.

She didn’t turn around,
for no other reason than to answer the silent plea in his voice.
“Maybe I should fire you. Would that help?”

Brad laughed softly,
applying gentle pressure so she spun towards him. “I can’t leave
you now. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with the job.”

“
Then I
should get ready and let you do whatever you need to do.” She
smiled, trying to make it easier. “It wasn’t fair to say what I
did, but it’s hard to regret it because it’s true. I do understand
though…why you have to keep things separate. I don’t have to like
it, but I understand it.”

“
I don’t have
to like it either.”

She didn’t know how long
either of them could stand there without crossing a line, so she
did the right thing. She left him, and hurried up to her room
before she could change her mind.

Chapter
20

Alicia took a deep breath
as she approached the top of the staircase. She knew her guests
were waiting for her downstairs, anticipating her arrival. To give
herself a moment, she paused to look at the girl she had once been,
because it helped to remind her of what she had become. She wasn’t
a stranger to the flutter of anxiety that preceded a performance or
the moment right before she stepped from the car, when she knew the
press were waiting for her to make a mistake. But this, this was a
new kind of fear. It wasn’t about her friends or what the night
signified, it was because she had made an effort to impress a man
who was so much more than her protector. If only he could see
it.

There were a sea of faces
below her, but his was the only one she sought out. When their eyes
met, she felt the heady kick in her blood when she saw his
expression – it was all she’d hoped it would be. The sight of him
in a tuxedo set her heart racing. But the thing that won her heart
was when he framed her image with his hand, and clicked as though
to take the shot. The symbol was an intimate touch that reached
over everyone and brought them together. They could have been the
only ones in the room.

A distinct wolf whistle
from the crowd caught her attention and the spell was broken. Her
eyes searched for Josh, but came to rest on Greg. Giving in to the
excitement, she took the stairs two at a time, virtually flying
down them. Josh surprised a laugh out of her when he caught her in
his arms.

“
Hey, little
lady,” he said, hugging her close.

“
I can’t
believe you’re here. What about Italy?”

“
I worked my
charm on Ericsson and he gave me a few hours grace. You know he has
a soft spot for you.”

She smiled against his
shoulder. “I suppose it helps that he comes with his own
jet.”

“
Yeah,
baby.”

“
Move over,
big guy, and stop monopolising our girl,” Greg said, putting a hand
on his shoulder. With some reluctance, he let her go.

Brad watched the scene
with a touch of envy. When he’d seen her round the corner, he felt
a burst of need so strong it almost floored him. It was like
forgetting how to breathe. In that moment, he knew he was in love
with her.

It was impossible to take
his eyes off her – quite a few people were having the same problem.
It wasn’t the figure hugging ball-gown in burnt gold, or the way
her hair, made up in soft curls accentuated her pretty features, it
was her aura. That alone was pure gold.

He noticed the bruises
from the accident had been expertly covered, unless you knew they
were there they were invisible to the eye.

Shaking his head to clear
it, he surveyed the room. He knew every guest; had memorised their
faces and background. So he recognised the notorious director, Scot
Ericsson, when he entered the room. He followed at a discreet
distance.

“
Jelly tot!”
Ericsson’s voice boomed around the hall.

Alicia squealed and
rushed to meet him. “Thank you for bringing him. You’re one in a
million.”

“
Anything for
you. Besides the BFG has been no fun at all these past few
days.”

Sarah stepped in beside
Brad and lowered her voice so only he could hear. “Scot is a hoot,
you’ll enjoy him. He likes to give pet names.” She motioned to
Alicia. “She’s jelly tot, you know, because he loves her a lot.
Josh is the big friendly giant; Stuart is Arty, though I have no
idea why. Dad is Duke, and I, well I’m...”

“
Hey, Red,
get your hands off the action hero and come give me some
sugar.”

Brad grinned as she
walked over to do just that. As an artist, Scot Ericsson was
extremely talented, but as a man, he was a kid at heart. He’d
arrived ahead of the rest, giving Brad the time to get to know the
person behind the reputation, and he liked what he saw.

The smile disappeared
when Alicia stepped forward and looked up at him. His eyes dropped
to her mouth, the plump lips highlighted with a slash of
red.

She took in the tuxedo
with a secret smile. “You really don’t need any qualifications at
all,” she said, grinning.

All her saw were her lips
moving, so he missed what she said. It didn’t matter, her attention
had already diverted, which saved him from a response. She was a
gracious host, and allowed herself to be whisked from one person to
the next. He stuck close without being intrusive.

The sound of laughter
filled the air, along with a dozen conversations at once. That was
until Stuart announced dinner, in a voice loud enough to wake the
dead.

Alicia moved to Stuart’s
side, linking one arm through his and the other through Greg’s.
“Relax, Stu Pot. I’m sure James anticipates delays such as
this.”

He bent to kiss the top
of her head. “Sorry. I just want this night to be
perfect.”

“
It already
is.” She couldn’t help smiling as they moved towards the dining
room. “Two of my favourite men as escorts – what more could a girl
ask for?”

The only person missing
was Jack, and since they’d had their own private party it made up
for his absence.

She didn’t have any time
to dwell on it. The meal was a hive of activity, reminiscent of
Stuart’s earlier events. Her attention was swept up trying to share
her time with those around her – it involved a few rounds of
musical chairs but it was a great deal of fun.

She didn’t know whether
to be grateful or disappointed that Brad made himself invisible
during the feast. If she’d had her way he would be a guest at the
table.

He’d certainly missed
out. James had outdone himself. She could only hope he was able to
sample the delights separately, perhaps with other members of the
residential team.

“
You really
do look great, honey. It benefits the soul to see that first hand,”
Josh said, sneaking the left over sweet from her plate.

“
Go on then,
you can say it…I’m the man, right?” Scot enjoyed
gloating.

Josh nodded. “Scotty, you
are indeed the man. How will I ever repay you?” He put a hand on
his heart, his face a picture of the utmost sincerity. “Oh yeah,
that’s right, I could star in your movie and make you tons of
money.”

Scot barked out a laugh.
“You’re a son of a bitch, Joshua, but I’ll be damned if you’re not
right.”