The Guardian of My Soul (Soul's Desire) (24 page)

His whispered words were making my body hum. “You don’t sound sorry, Alec. You totally enjoyed marking me.”

“I can’t deny that. I told you I love your taste. So I tend to bite,” he said and I could almost see him smile.

“You’ll be sorry about this,” I replied playfully.

“Bring it on, baby!”

“Crazy!” I giggled. “What were you doing?”

“Thinking about you. Dad called to make sure I’ll be there tomorrow.” He paused. “Hey, are you bathing?” There was a trace of excitement in his voice.

“Yes,” I murmured innocently, my lips twitching up into a smile. “Wish you were in here with me.”

“Soon, sweetheart. Soon...”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

It was almost ten in the morning when I woke up and found Fred stretched across my tummy. I couldn’t fight the smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. After waking him up with gentle strokes, he got to his feet and started licking me, waving his small tail, showing affection.

“Alec is coming home too, lovely. I bet you missed him as well.” I grinned and jumped out of the bed to get ready to meet him.

Twenty minutes later I exited my room and headed downstairs toward his, after making sure no one was around to see me. Just when I was about to knock I heard Ryan’s angry voice on the other side of the door and my heart stopped in my chest.

“What’s going on between you and Kristen, Alec? Answer me!” He snapped threateningly.

“What in the world are you talking about? I don’t appreciate you attempting to involve yourself in my life at this late date!”

“Right now, I’m not only your father, but also your supervisor. I thought Kristen merely tolerated you until she totally freaked out when she found out you were gone. You’d better tell me the truth, boy,” he warned, suspicion coating his voice. My knees began to shake.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Alec snarled, equally furious. “I am a grown man, and I don’t need your permission to do anything. So stop acting like my father! You never were! You have no right to meddle in my life. Who I see is my business! I don’t know where you come up with such crazy, outrageous ideas!”

Ryan’s voice dropped to a more reasonable, cajoling tone. “Alec, I’m your father whether you like it or not. And I care about you more than you’ll ever know. Which is why I’m asking you to be careful. Don’t play with fire, kid. She’s not for you. You saw the kind of people she hangs out with. You could never afford to offer her the lifestyle she’s accustomed to. She’ll get tired of you and dump you. Don’t fall into her trap.”

Anger swept over me and I started to shake uncontrollably, hardly containing myself from barging inside and punching him in the face.
How dare he say such things about me? Is that what he really thinks of me?
My hands turned into fists, while I stared at the door in shock.

“That’s enough!” Alec retorted upset. “Can you even hear yourself? It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. There’s nothing between me and her. It’s actually funny that you think she’d look at me. I’m not the guy for her, just like she’s not the girl for me. End of story!”

“Just stay away from her, Alec. Or else Mrs. Mancuso will skin you alive and nothing, not even me, will be able to protect you from her anger.”

“I don’t need your protection. Now please get out of my room,” Alec muttered through gritted teeth.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Out!” he barked.

I rushed into the gym just moments before Ryan exited his son’s room. Pools of tears blinded my eyes and I had to sit down as I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Now he had to lie about us.
How much more can I stand? I hate all the lies!
My heart hammered in my chest, scared that I might lose the only man I ever loved.

“Kristen...” Alec’s startled voice caused me to look up and glance at him. He closed the door and hurried to me. “What’s wrong? Are you sick? Talk to me!” He cupped my face, his beautiful emerald eyes wide with terror.

“Alec,” I cried, clinging to his T-shirt. “Don’t let them separate us. Take me away from here.” My voice was low and weak, choked with tears. “I can’t take it anymore.”

He pulled me in a tight embrace and I sobbed, unable to control the tremors in my body. “You heard us?” he barely whispered, running his hands up and down my back to calm me.

“How dare he say such things about me? I’m shocked he’d think I’d play with—” I stopped mid-sentence as it suddenly dawned on me.

“Kris?”

“Right. I guess your father is well acquainted with the way I’ve treated men before. He must think I’m a soulless bitch who finds pleasure toying with men.”

“I don’t care what he thinks. He has no idea what he’s talking about!”

“He suspects us. And it’s all my fault.” I pulled away from his arms and hid my face in my hands, worried as hell. “I’m so sorry, Alec. I did freak out when you walked away. I may have acted a little strange. I don’t even remember. I was too scared to think straight.”

“Baby, please don’t blame yourself.” He took my hand and kissed it softly. “This will all work out, I promise. We’ll be careful until we figure out a way to be together. Don’t stress yourself. Please...”

“Maybe we should just tell him. And ask him to keep our secret until I find a way to tell Mom.”

“What?” He blinked, glaring at me puzzled. “I don’t trust him, Kris. I’m afraid he’ll go running to your mom and do everything he can to end this.”

“You really think he’d do that to his own son?”

“Didn’t you hear him? He’s convinced you’re going to hurt me. Can you believe his audacity? He couldn’t care less about how much I suffered when he walked out of our life, and now, out of the blue, he’s extremely concerned about me.”

“Why the hell did we come back?” I got up and walked over to the large wall of glass, staring at the pool outside. I spotted Mom lying on a lounge chair spreading sun cream on her arms. “I should just tell her and get this over with.”

“Kris...she’ll never accept me. No matter what I do, she’ll never think I’m good enough for you.”

“I won’t let her plan my life for me, Alec. At some point she’ll have to accept my decisions. If not, she’ll lose me. And that’s what scares her the most.” I crossed my arms at my chest. “I’m twenty-one years old. I’m no longer a kid she can manipulate to her liking. If she’s that cruel to reject you solely because of what her rich friends might think, then it means she doesn’t truly love me. She should put my happiness above anything else.”

“Honey...” he murmured and I turned to him. “Please think things through. Don’t act on an impulse. Let’s wait some more and test the ground before we do anything. Our future together depends on it.”

I nodded. “Okay,” I whispered, approaching him.

He smiled. “I see you’re wearing my bracelet.”

“Yeah. I told you I was going to put it on as soon as I got home. I’m never taking it off.” I looked at it, rubbing the frog between my thumb and forefinger. “This one is my favorite.” I smiled.

Alec grinned. “You’re my love. There is no one else like you in the whole world.” He pressed his lips to my forehead and my arms circled his waist, never wanting to let him go.

“Kristen?” Paola called, opening the door. We immediately stepped away from each other.

My heart was beating in my throat, but I forced myself to look normal. “What is it, Paola?”

She looked from me to him, then back at me and didn’t speak right away, her eyes assessing us with curiosity. “Um...am I interrupting?”

I arched my brow. “No, of course not. What’s up?”

“I was looking for you. Come swim with me and Lillian. The water is perfect!” She smiled.

I opened my mouth to accept eager to get her out of the gym, but then I remembered my marked chest and pouted. “Oh, I can’t.”

“Why not?” she wailed like a child, not acting her age at all. “Come on, it’s Saturday. Let’s just hang out by the pool.”

“Paola, I can’t. Don’t be such a baby.”

She leaned her head to one side. “Oh, I see. Lady problems?”

“Yeah.” I shrugged.

“Damn it! Well, I’ll let you do your workout then. Oh, by the way...Jake asked me out tonight. I’m so excited!” Beaming from ear to ear, she dashed out of the gym.

“Shit, that was close!” I sat down, my knees still shaking, but Alec’s intense gaze concerned me. “What is it?”

“Are you really having your period?”

“Jeez. No, silly. But how can I explain these?” I lifted my T-shirt and let him get a quick look at my chest before I rolled it back in place. A silent groan vibrated in his throat, but my body registered it loud and clear as a strong involuntary tingling washed over me. My pelvic muscles tensed, seeking to gain control of my sudden surge of lust.
Holy cow, how can he arouse me so easily?
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. “Why do you ask? Are you planning something sexy for tonight?”

“You know I’d love to. But maybe it’s not such a good idea right now. There are too many suspicious eyes around.”

I lowered my head, feeling the need to scream in frustration. “Yeah...bad idea...”

“But it looks like Paola is having fun. I thought Jake was in love with you, though.”

“I don’t know and I don’t give a damn anymore.” I got up and started for the door, but he gently grabbed my arm.

“Kris, are you upset with me?” His voice was low, his mild eyes worried.

“No, Alec. Why would I be? I just hate this situation. I feel like a villain in my own house. I can’t live like this. I want to be able to enjoy you without hiding. Will that ever be possible?”

*  *  *

It was a little past midnight, yet I was still wide awake, fighting in vain to shake off my worries. I wriggled endlessly from one side to another, missing the warmth of his body and his soothing embrace. I’d gotten used to sleeping with him by my side, and now that he was gone, I felt empty and strange. “Damn it!” I slid off the bed onto my feet, determined to close the distance between us. When I reached his room I hesitated for a moment, but my need for him took over, clouding my mind. So I stepped inside and shut the door quickly behind me. “Alec...” I whispered when I found him huddled on his sofa in the dark, the only source of light coming from his half-closed bathroom door.

“Kris...” he muttered surprised, clearing his throat as if he were trying to clear his mind.

I was by his side in an instant. “What happened? Alec...”

“I’m okay. My nightmares are back...that’s all.”

“What nightmares?”

“Ever since the accident...I kept having bad dreams periodically. I kept remembering. They always feel so real, as though I’m reliving the damn thing over and over again. It’s maddening.” His hands clenched around my nightgown. “I never spent the night with Jenna. I was afraid she’d see and hear me. I was afraid to sleep by your side also. That night when you first asked me to stay...I couldn’t sleep at all. But then...these last few days we spent alone...I felt so good. Sleeping in your arms felt so good. I thought the dreams were gone. But now they’re back. You weren’t in my arms, so they returned.”

My chest swelled with the need to protect him, to free him of his demons. I grabbed his hand and led him back to the bed, climbing under the covers with him. I cradled him in my arms and pressed my lips against his hair, soaking in its sweet scent. I loved the hardness of his chest against my own.

“I came all the way to your room, but I didn’t dare enter,” he confessed low and raspy.

“You should have come inside. I was hopelessly waiting for you.”

He tightened his grip around me. “You will never leave me, right? Tell me you’ll never leave me...”

I grabbed his face between my hands, devastated by the palpable pain in his voice. “I’m never going to leave you, Alec. Never!” Pulling him closer, I brushed my lips to his, sweeping them like a broom of kisses.

Just as the fire began to ignite in me, he spread my legs wide and quickly accommodated himself between them, his hands rolling my nightgown up to my waist. With no underwear to block him, he pushed his pants down and entered me with one swift movement.

I gasped at the sudden invasion but welcomed it, needing it as badly as he did. My hands clamped on his shoulders and he buried his face in the pillow next to my head to muffle his cries, while he pumped in and out of me. He took me hard, harder than I was used to, but I loved the pounding motions, the deeper thrusts. When I felt his teeth graze across my shoulder, across my neck, I knew that my orgasm was going to be intense. I bit my lip until it hurt in my tremendous effort to keep quiet. Trying to match his tempo, I threw my hips upward as he came down. His pelvis slapped against mine, causing me to mewl and writhe, growing desperate at his wild pace. I cried out as I fell off the edge of the world and he immediately kissed me to silence me, my orgasm so powerful my entire body quaked with each glorious spasm.

Alec withdrew right before he found his own release and I shivered when I felt the hot liquid exploding on my belly. He collapsed on top of me, trembling in my arms. I hung onto him for dear life, loving the feeling of his weight pressing me down.

*  *  *

I spent the whole Sunday with Mom and Paola, forced to listen to Paola’s ongoing babble about her date with Jake. Surprisingly, Mom did not seem to be bothered by her hanging out with a simple employee like Jake. For a moment, I was inclined to think maybe there was a slight chance she might accept Alec, but I quickly shook the thought. I knew her too well to dare hope for such a miracle.

On Monday I returned to work, but my mind was foggy and I had a hard time concentrating on what I had to do knowing Alec was right outside my door guarding me. I was tempted to invite him inside, but I knew seeing him all the time would only make things harder for me, so I was forced to abandon the idea.

“Alec, I have an appointment at the doctor,” I said to him when we headed to the car later in the afternoon.

“Doctor?”

“Yeah. My gynecologist...”

He stopped in his tracks and stared, his eyes growing large.

“Relax, I’m okay. It’s just a check-up. And, well...I want to get a prescription for birth control pills. The other night was great. I loved how you felt in me with no condom. I don’t want any more barriers between us,” I murmured low.

“Last time could have ended in disaster. I don’t know what came over me. I wasn’t thinking straight. Thank God I pulled out in time.”

“Alec, stop punishing yourself. I loved every second of it. I wasn’t myself either. We both needed it and I’m glad it happened.” I got into the passenger seat and waited patiently for him to take me to the doctor.

The consultation lasted a little over thirty minutes and then I returned to the car with a smile on my face. “See? I’m all right. Now I need to go to the pharmacy and buy the pills. Would you mind going in for me? I don’t want to be seen.”

He blinked. “Me? Buying birth control pills? Kris...” He smiled.

“What?” I laughed, amused by his expression.

“The things you make me do...”

I bit my lip sexily and watched how his jaw clenched, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tight. “If you do it for me, I promise to repay you for the embarrassment. In bed...”

“When’s your period due?”

“In a couple of days. How will I survive without your touch?”

He grinned. “Who said you had to? There are many ways we can pleasure one another. Besides, there’s nothing about you that turns me off.”

I giggled, every muscle fiber in my body screaming to jump into his arms. He always knew the right thing to say. Yet, I sat innocently in my seat and watched him drive through the crazy afternoon traffic.

Exhausted after the long day at work, I retreated straight to my room. A beautifully packed box rested on the bed. I approached it curiously, but found there was no card to indicate the sender. When I took the wrapping off I uncovered a white box marked Victoria’s Secret. “Oh, Alec, what did you do?” Removing the lid I found a sexy red lace bra and a pair of panties. “Oh, my...” I grinned, but quickly put the lid back on when I heard a knock on the door.

“Yes?”

Gilda walked in with a glass of fresh orange juice. “Here you go, Miss.” She handed it to me and I thanked her. “I see you opened the box. A courier brought it this morning.”