Broken Pasts(6)

“Most often, when it comes to stalkers, there is no paranoid and there is always something to worry about.” He paused and the lines of his face became harsh for just a moment as he frowned. As quickly as it had come, the expression passed and he continued talking. In his voice though was an intense passion bordering on hate. “They start off with little things: letters, phone calls, e-mails. And then they start following you, vandalizing property, trying to tarnish your reputation. After that, there's nowhere to go but down.” Gary closed Rhea's door and started down the hallway. “Are these two doors bedrooms?” he asked as he checked the two hallway closets.

“Yeah,” I said and before I could form another question, Nathaniel was talking again.

“Most stalking cases last less than two years,” he said as he opened another door and swept my office with me behind him. “Do you know why that is?” I shook my head as Nathaniel tested the locks on the windows.

“No,” I said and despite my instant attraction, I was almost annoyed with him. He's acting like he knows more about my situation than I do. I crossed my arms over my chest and realized for the first time since meeting Nathaniel that I had forgotten to put on a bra. I was not wearing a bra. I tried not to blush. How would that look? A thirty-two year old double divorcée blushing like a kid?

“Because,” he said and his voice dropped from dark, almost sensual, to sad, morose even. “Once they're worked up enough, something's got to give and it's either you or them.”





CHAPTER 5

After Nathaniel had swept the entire house and checked all of the locks, he had retrieved a briefcase and a laptop bag from his car (with me in tow) and had us both sit down at my dining table.

“You need to record every incident,” he told me as he handed me a packet of papers, all identical copies of a form with a place for date, time, witness information, and a detailed account of my encounters with Gary. “If you have time today, I think it would be advantageous for us to go down to the police station and file a report. That way, if it comes to a trial or violence of any kind, they'll have you on record.” I stared down at the documents in front of me and hoped, wished and prayed that things would not go that far. “If you can afford it, I'd also recommend a security system.”

“This is so overwhelming,” I said, my breath escaping in a rush. For just a moment there, I forgot how sexy Nathaniel was and got lost in the stupidity of it all. If Gary could just sign the divorce papers and leave me alone, I could go on with my life. Instead, here I was on the second day of the New Year worrying about a problem that I should've been done with several months ago. I pulled my phone out of the pocket on my sweats and saw fourteen missed calls and half as many voice mails. With a sigh, I turned the phone over to my new bodyguard. “What do I do about these?” I asked. When our fingers touched, I saw his chest expand with a massive breath, as if he could feel my attraction to him. He couldn't possibly be attracted to me, though, I thought as I examined my clothes and felt suddenly vulnerable. I wanted to change, put on makeup, and don my best dress. Even if he was unavailable, I wanted to be attractive for him. I don't know why, but I just felt this need to match up to him. It wasn't just the simple matter of wanting to be desirable; it was as if Nathaniel's appearance suggested a sense of organization that I just did not have. If I could put myself together like that, maybe I could bring some sense of order to my life.

We'd known each other for the better part of an hour and already I was making strange psychological connections that would never hold up. Not good.

“When you get calls from him, record each and every one on this sheet and don't delete anything from your phone. It may need to be used as evidence later. Listen to all of the voice mails and if he threatens you, even once, call the police and report it.” I nodded and took a big, calming breath.

“Is it okay if I shower?” I asked and he nodded. When I rose to my feet, Nathaniel followed. This time, he let me take the lead down the hallway. I paused at the bedroom door and he nodded again.

“I've cleared the house,” he said. “Unless we have reason to suspect a break in, I'll maintain my position behind you.” I swallowed hard and tried not to read sexual innuendo in his words. His voice was just so … smooth. Everything he said sounded like an invitation. This was going to be a long, long week. “I'll be with you every moment for the next few days. After that, I'll switch out briefly with my partner, Cedric, for awhile to sleep. Then I'll be back. If you ever have any questions, just ask. Otherwise, you can pretend I'm not here. Just go about your day as usual. If we need to drive anywhere, I'll take you in my car. We'll work on your case throughout the week whenever you have time and if you see Gary anywhere, at anytime, you need to let me know immediately.” I nodded and opened the door to my room, feeling awkward and strange with this man in my bedroom.

“Thank you,” I said as his massive, dark form filled the doorway with a commanding presence. Ignoring Nathaniel Sutherland was not going to be easy. He didn't answer, but he did smile and it was downright nasty. If I hadn't known better, I'd have said he was flirting with me.

I picked out some pretty lingerie, trying to shield the drawer with my body, but Nathaniel never looked. He kept his gaze locked on the wall behind me like I wasn't even there. Somehow though, I had the sense that he knew every single thing that I was doing. I even imagined that the corner of his lip quirked up when I selected a little black dress from my closet. When I went to leave the room, he moved out of my way without hesitation and followed me down the hall and to the bathroom where he immediately turned around and faced out towards the arch that separated the hallway from the dining room. It was only when I went to close the door that he turned back around.

“Please, Ms. McMaster,” he said and my name on his lips was like fire, hot and sensual. He made it sound sexy. “If you could leave the door open while you shower, I can assure you that I am a professional first and a gentleman second. I will not look at you unless there's reason to believe that you're being assaulted.” I didn't know how to respond to that. The thought of Nathaniel seeing me naked was both electrifying and terrifying. And if he were to come up, pull back the shower curtain and wrap his hand around the back of my neck, lift my face to his … I shook my head to clear it and saw his dark brows raise. I forced a smile.

“Okay,” I said and then paused. “Are there any women that work for your organization?” Nathaniel's smile widened, almost imperceptibly, but it was there.

“Of course,” he said. “A handgun's a handgun. Gender is barely relevant when it comes to self-defense in today's society.” He paused. “Would you prefer a woman?” he asked and again, there was that sense of innuendo being thrown. I blinked several times before answering.

“Oh, no. I was just curious.” Nathaniel nodded and turned back around so that I was looking at a perfect ass and long, lean legs. Gorgeous. I grabbed a towel from the stand behind the toilet and tossed it over the curtain rod before climbing into the bathtub and undressing there. I felt stupid the entire time, certain that Nathaniel had other things on his mind besides checking out his clients. Once I was naked, I tossed my clothes onto the floor and grabbed the shower head, pointing it at the back of the tub while I adjusted the water temperature.

It was odd knowing that one of the most beautiful men I had ever seen was standing just a few feet away from my naked form. My reaction to him was nothing short of miraculous and it was one hundred and ten percent romance novel cliché. When I finally got a hold of Jamie, I was going to kill her. Despite my own good advice, I'd gone out on that date with Stuart, been prepared to give him a chance, and he'd left me alone in a parking lot with my crazy ex. Dating was not a priority of mine. You made a New Year's resolution, remember? I told myself with a sigh, convinced that Jamie had set this all up. If I found out that Nathaniel was actually a stripper or god forbid, a hooker, of some sort, I wouldn't have been surprised. Jamie had pulled that kind of stuff on me before.

The ringing of the doorbell pulled me out of my thoughts.

I wasn't sure what to do. Did I ask Nathaniel to get it for me? Did I pretend he wasn't there and run to the door with nothing but a towel? I decided to ask him.

“Um,” I leaned my head out of the shower curtain and tried to get Nathaniel's attention. “Excuse me?”

“Yes, Ms. McMaster?” he asked without even turning around. Impressive.

“I don't know if this is against the rules or not but would you mind seeing who's at the door?” He didn't even hesitate before answering.

“I'm sorry,” he told me as I admired the muscular curvature of his back. My hormones were on high alert, sounding the alarm for all the rest of my body to hear. It was a strange feeling considering I hadn't even remotely felt this way since I'd broken up with my high school sweetheart. And even then, this trumped that. “I can't leave you naked and alone, Ms. McMaster. It just wouldn't be right.” Again with the sexual undertones! I was certain about it this time. Is my bodyguard flirting with me?