The Guardian of My Soul (Soul's Desire) (3 page)

The noise of weights clanking from inside the room stopped me in my tracks. Surely Jacob would have come to look for me if he’d arrived. My curiosity kicked in, so I opened the door as gently and silently as I could, then peeked inside to see who or what was causing the racket. A shirtless Alec met my sight and I had to bite my lip to keep from moaning. Drops of sweat dripped down his toned pecs all the way across his lickable abs, stopping at the waistband of his shorts.
Dang. How I’d love to tug those tight cotton cut-offs from his hips and see what forms that tempting bulge.
His chiseled body rivaled the midnight visitor of my dreams. It drew me inside the gym.

Pure lust rose in me, sharp as thirst in summer. My heart raced. I had to open my mouth to get enough air. When he caught me staring at him I felt my cheeks turn red.

His eyes fastened on me and he smiled slowly, a look of satisfaction appearing on his face. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” he said, but I didn’t buy it. He looked pleased to see me. “My father said I could use the gym. I hope you don’t mind.” After looking me up and down, he met my gaze. His eyes were intense and hooded, letting me know he liked what he saw. “If you’d rather be alone, I could leave.” He returned the weights to the rack and pulled a white sleeveless T-shirt on. All I could do was mourn the loss of the view.

“Um...you can finish your workout. My trainer seems to be late today,” I replied hoarsely, closing the door behind me and leaning awkwardly against it. I tried to look anywhere in the room, except at him. I failed miserably.

“Thank you.” He didn’t seem surprised I’d given my permission for him to stay, but he did appear to be satisfied. I wondered how he’d look when he was sexually satisfied. Tingles of awareness danced over my skin, and I jerked myself back to reality.

Why did I tell him he could stay anyway?
I shook my head. He made me feel awkward and unsure. “It looks like you really enjoy working out.” I hunted for something to say that made a little bit of sense as I stole a few more glimpses of him. My body tightened as a bolt of desire coursed through me. My nipples puffed up and tingled. I crossed my legs tightly one over the other, trying to stem the sudden hunger.
Damn it, Kristen! Pull yourself together!
“Do you follow a certain routine in your exercises like that P-90, whatever?”

“No, I’ve developed my own program. I try not to let a day go by without some...physical exercise. But yes...I enjoy it.” His voice was low and teasing. “I can tell you take care of your body.”

Conversations like this were commonplace in gyms, but all I could think of was a bedroom scene. I wanted
him
to take care of my body, so I struck out to combat my own confusion. “You shouldn’t be ogling me.” Never before had I felt so edgy around a man.

“Oh, really?” He raised an eyebrow. “You stand before me in a sexy little outfit specifically designed to entice a man and I’m not supposed to notice?”

“There’s a difference between noticing and commenting.” Something in me realized I was playing a game with him. But was it a game I wanted to win?

A look of pure devilment entered his eyes. “I have no intention of playing games with you. You complimented my body first. I was just returning the favor.”

Damn, he was right. “Good, I hope you remember what you came here for.”

“My place is to stand between you and danger. I’d never forget that.”

His response stole my breath and my thoughts. The very idea of him standing between me and danger gave me chill bumps of the erotic variety. “I won’t.” I managed to croak. Then a tattoo on his right shoulder caught my eye. It appeared to be an intricate, artistic dragon.

“So, what about you? Do you enjoy getting all hot and sweaty?” he asked, turning to one side so his tat was no longer visible to my gaze.

Does my checking him out make him uncomfortable?
I seriously doubted that was the case. “Hot and sweaty? You wish.” I dared to tease. “Actually, there are a lot of things I’d rather be doing, to be honest. But staying fit requires some time spent in the gym,” I said, batting my eyelashes at him in a coquettish manner.
Am I flirting?

He smiled a lopsided, sexy smile as he wiped his face and neck with a towel. His seductive eyes once again gave me the impression he could see deep into my soul.

“It’s good for you, so whether you like it or not, don’t give it up. It flushes the toxins and releases endorphins.” He resumed lifting weights and I couldn’t resist following his every move.

“Hey, Kris...” Jake greeted me as soon as he walked in. “Oh, you brought a friend,” he said, glaring at Alec. His voice was odd sounding, betraying a level of menace I’d never known he possessed.

“Hi, Jake.” I was relieved to see him, yet slightly baffled by his reaction to the younger man. “Alec is Ryan’s son. You’re late.” I watched them measuring each other up, as though they were in some sort of competition. I wondered what was going through their heads.

“Um, sorry...I had a few things to take care of before coming here,” Jake said coolly as he arranged weights on a mat for my use.

“I’ll leave you to it.” Alec put the bar back on the rack. His facial muscles were tense, his strong jaw clenched as if to control some strong reaction. He gave me one last look before he started for the door.

“Don’t slam the door on your way out, Alice.” Jake slung the words out like he was emptying garbage.

Alec stopped in his tracks and turned to glare at Jake. “Anytime you want to test your strength, Old Man, just let me know. I’d love to see how tough you’re not.”

“Hey!” I yelled. “What’s going on with you two?”

Jake just shrugged and Alec turned slowly to leave, but not before he winked at me and said, “Have a good workout, Miss Mancuso. I doubt you’ll get overheated under Gramp’s tutelage.”

Jake looked pissed and I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. “Hmmm…I don’t like him. What’s he doing here?”

“His dad brought him on to help with security for the party.”

“Good, the sooner he leaves, the better. At least he’s just your employee. I was afraid you had a boyfriend and didn’t tell me about it,” Jake murmured.

“Wow, I didn’t know I had to.” I forced a smile, toying with him. “Although, I can’t understand why my having a boyfriend would bother you either way, Jake.”

“So...he could be your boyfriend after all,” he argued, pushing the subject.

I crossed my arms over my chest, partly to show my displeasure at his needling me and partly because my nipples were still hard from all the male testosterone in the room. “Enough with the inquisition. I just met him yesterday. I don’t even know him. End of story.”

“I’ve seen you fool around with guys you didn’t know before.”

My lips parted in surprise. “Jake, stop it. I’ve had all the interference I can stomach from my mother. I sure don’t need it from you.”

He put his hands up in defense. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I sure hope not, Jake.” To tell the truth, I was confused. It felt like my life was spinning out of control.

He nodded and stepped closer to begin our session. I pushed Alec out of my mind as I concentrated on what I had to do, eager to get it over with. Whatever the future held, I needed to be ready to take it on.

*  *  *

An hour before my birthday party the makeup artist finished with me. Checking myself out in the mirror, I was pleased with my look for the evening. I was wearing smoky eye shadow and liquid eyeliner, mascara, and a light peach-pink lipstick. My long brown hair fell down my shoulders in loose, wavy curls and the hairstylist beamed at me, pleased with the finished product. I could barely recognize myself. Glamorous was the word that sprang to mind. I was beginning to get excited about what the evening held in store.

“Thank you,” I said to them before they left my room. Standing up, I dressed before putting on my jewelry—a pair of diamond stud earrings, diamond necklace and matching bracelet, and a couple of my favorite platinum rings. My ensemble was complete when I sprayed on my new Chanel perfume.

Mom found me standing in front of the mirror and she couldn’t hold back a grin, staring at me approvingly. “Oh, look at you! You’re gorgeous, dear!” She lovingly wrapped her arms around me, refusing to let go right away.

“Look who’s talking. Are you competing with me tonight?” I teased, stepping away so I could get a better view of her black satin strapless dress with crystals studded along the waistline. Her black pumps and bold jewelry complemented her dress, while her flawless makeup and perfectly coiffed blonde hair made her look stunning.

“Oh, well. I’m just trying to keep up with you.” Her lips parted in a smile. “Ready to go?”

“Yes, I guess so,” I murmured, feeling rather lightheaded and giddy.

“Now you can have this back,” she said, returning me my iPhone.

“Thank goodness!” I slipped it into my purse and followed her downstairs. “I was lost without it.”

Ryan was waiting for us in the hallway, dressed in an elegant black suit, but Alec was nowhere to be seen. “Looking great tonight, ladies. Nervous?” He put his arm around my waist, leading me outside to the black BMW SUV where his other men were waiting.

“I am and it’s only because you’ve all been so secretive about the whole thing. Now I have no idea what to expect.” I settled myself on the backseat with Mom.

She took my hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You’ll love this, I promise.”

I sat quietly throughout the entire trip, lost in my thoughts, all the while trying to guess where we were headed. My anxiety reached a new level of intensity the farther we drove from home, and I found myself nervously twisting a lock of hair around one of my fingers.

When I recognized our destination, my jaw dropped and my heart began to pound faster, as if trying to break through my chest. We had arrived at the exclusive Midnight Sun club and the crowd in front looked as though they were waiting for Oscar nominees to walk down the red carpet.

“Mother! What have you done?” I gaped at her in shock.

CHAPTER TWO

Ryan pulled up in front of the club. A swarm of paparazzi surrounded us in an instant, and a group of men wearing black suits rushed to the car, struggling to keep everybody out of our way. The minute the car door opened, I was swallowed by the horde. The flashes blinded me, so I was forced to look down, letting Ryan and the other men guide me toward the front door. The photographers yelled at me to turn this way and that to get a better picture, making me extremely uncomfortable. Instead, I covered my eyes, refusing to cooperate with the unruly crowd.

On the other hand, Mom smiled at them and waved hello with practiced ease, used to the insanity. But I was desperate to escape them, hating every moment of the unwanted attention and all the annoying questions being thrown at me.

The club’s door opened for us and I breathed a sigh of relief when we finally made it inside. “I can’t believe this! How do movie stars put up with this sort of madness all the time?”

“It’s their job, Kristen. I know some may be quite annoying, but just smile and ignore them like I do.” She winked and took my hand in hers. “So...what do you think? Happy with the location?” She looked so expectant.

“Are you kidding me? You couldn’t have found a better place! Mom, thank you,” I exclaimed and locked my arms around her tight.

“I’m friends with the owner, so...it’s all yours for the night.” She smiled.

“Welcome to Midnight Sun,” a male voice said brightly, causing me to turn around. I instantly recognized Tyler Stuart, the owner of the club. Tall and imposing, perfectly groomed and wearing an expensive gray suit that seemed to be tailored just for him, Tyler beamed at us. His expressive green eyes radiated joy and his copper hair was stylishly arranged. Next to him, his girlfriend, whom I recognized as well, smiled at us while holding his hand, fingers entwined. Her light brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail and by the bright grin on her face I could tell she was happy. She was one very lucky girl.

A pang of jealousy hit me out of the blue. Everyone around me seemed to be happy and in love. Except me.

“Tyler, it’s so good to see you,” Mom said as they hugged. “Thank you for everything. It looks wonderful in here.”

“My pleasure, Mrs. Mancuso. I’m honored you chose my club for this important event in your daughter’s life.” He paused, looking at us appreciatively. “It seems like your presence here has caused quite a storm outside.” He chuckled. “But don’t worry. My men will work with yours to keep everything under control,” he said and turned to me. “You must be Kristen. Happy birthday!” His broad grin came with a tremendous display of white teeth.

“Hi.” I smiled in return and allowed him to hug me as well.

“This is Ellie, my girlfriend.” He introduced her to me as he produced a small box from the pocket of his pants.

“I know,” I said before I could catch myself. The puzzled look on their faces, including Mom’s, requested an explanation. “I...I was here when you celebrated her twentieth birthday. I’ll never forget how you sang to her on the stage in front of all those people. I’ve never seen any man do such a romantic thing for his girl. You’re a lucky woman,” I told her and watched her cheeks turn slightly pink.

“I am,” she agreed, looking up at him with awe. “I’ll never forget that either.” She smiled and I could see her hand lightly squeezing his. Tyler looked a little emotional at the memory and I thought it was cute.

“Could you sing tonight?” I asked, again without thinking. “You have a wonderful voice. You should sing professionally,” I added when he hesitated. I noticed Ellie gazing at him expectantly as if she was trying to convince him to accept.

Tyler cleared his throat, his eyes straying from me to Mother, then back to me before he eventually spoke. “I guess I could. What song would you like me to sing for you?”

“The way you sang Keith Urban’s
‘Your Everything’
blew my mind and brought tears to my eyes. If you could do that for me tonight I will be forever grateful to you, Tyler.”

“All right. I’ll see what I can do,” he said right before he leaned and gave Ellie a sweet quick peck on the lips. His gesture somehow made me smile. “Please accept this. Our birthday gift to you.” He offered me the box in his hand.

Inside, a platinum key-shaped brooch had the number 21 studded in diamonds on it. The jewels sparkled, causing me to grin. It was the best gift. “Wow, thank you. This is actually perfect!” I hugged them both. “See, Mom? Please help me put it on.” I giggled, watching her eyes widen at the sight of it. “Do you know what this means? Freedom!” They both laughed with me, but Mother seemed to focus on attaching it to my dress so she wouldn’t have to say anything.

“We’ll let you greet your friends now,” Tyler said. “Enjoy your birthday!”

“Thank you, Tyler. I’ll see you guys later.” I beamed at them and let Mother lead the way.

“So...you’ve been here before.” Mom looked at me over her shoulder as we walked.

“Yes, but I’m sure you knew that already.” I narrowed my eyes playfully. It worked because I noticed a hint of a smile lightening up her countenance. “Isn’t this pretty?” I pointed at my new brooch.

“Very,” she answered, then let out a long sigh. I knew she was well aware of my need to be free. I just didn’t think she was ready to offer me that. It had me a little worried.

*  *  *

The first thing I noticed when entering the main room were the elegant chandeliers hovering above the sunken dance floor. The place was crammed with people having fun. I was stunned by the number of guests who cared enough to celebrate with me. Everybody looked up when my name was announced over the microphone and the sudden eruption of cheers completely blew me away. Their warm reception touched my heart and I went down the stairs to greet my friends, flashing the brightest of smiles.

“Happy birthday, Kristen!” One by one they showered me with kisses, hugs and loads of gifts. Ryan’s men were kept busy shuttling the gaily wrapped packages to a location where they could be collected and brought home afterwards.

“Thank you all! I’m so glad you’re here,” I said over the loud music, pleasantly surprised to see everyone, especially those whom I hadn’t seen in a long time.

“You look absolutely amazing tonight!” Megan said, gracing me with a sweet smile. Her golden locks and light makeup made her gorgeous blue eyes pop. Daughter of one of my father’s associates, Megan Riley was my childhood and dearest friend, more like the sister I never had but always wished for. Two years older than me, with an incredible sense of humor and love for life, she was always extremely fun to be around.

“Damn, I’m so relieved to see you!” I wrapped my arms around her, upset that Mom had kept us apart for almost a week so she could plan the party for me.

Megan gladly returned my hug. “I missed you too. You’ll never know how much I’ve needed to talk to you.” I stepped back to look at her, trying to read her expression. Before I could ask why, another member of our entourage approached.

“Looks like you made it to twenty-one. Congratulations! Nothing can stop us now.” Matt chuckled, while enveloping us both into one of his usual bear hugs. Matt Orson, Megan’s steady boyfriend, was a tease. Despite being thirty years old and running a successful IT business, his playful nature made him look younger.

“Thanks, Matt.” I noticed Megan looked a bit sad. “What’s going on? Is everything all right?”

“Sure...” She gave me a small smile, but she wouldn’t look at Matt. “This is your birthday, we’ll talk later.”

Wanting to lighten the mood, I lifted my hand and purposely ran my fingers through Matt’s dark hair, messing it up. His brown eyes widened in alarm and I laughed, knowing how much it irritated him when I did that.

“You!” He laughed, stepping away from me, desperately trying to fix his hair. “Fine, fine...I forgive you just this once ‘cause it’s your birthday. Otherwise...” He trailed off, giving me his normal wicked grin, but something was off. The smile on his face wasn’t reflected in his eyes.

“I’m still not having a threesome with you two!” I fell back on an inside joke we shared, trying to fix whatever was wrong, but it didn’t seem to work. Something was wrong in paradise.

“Hush, Kris. If Lillian hears you, she’ll think you mean it. You and your silly jokes. Besides, I’m not interested in sharing Matt.” Megan’s smile faded. She was serious.

“Hey, look! There’s Ana!” Matt motioned behind me. I turned to see who was coming, but I fully intended to find out what was going on with my best friend as soon as possible.

“Kristen!” Ana called, her arms opened wide to receive me.

I grinned and let her hug me. My college classmate and friend, Ana Mitchell was a tall brunette with sparkling green eyes. Her dream was to become a professional model. After doing a couple of runway shows for Mom, she fell completely in love with the business and did everything to improve herself. I was glad Mom had taken Ana under her wing. I understood Mother’s passion. I just didn’t share it.

“I was surprised when I heard where the party was being held.” She giggled.

“Yeah, it looks like Mom was informed I’ve snuck in here before. I’m surprised she never said anything about it.”

“Maybe she’ll give you a break now. You’re finally of age to go clubbing and do whatever you want.”

“I sure hope so. I’ve been dying for this day to come. It was really annoying to always be the youngest in our group.”

“Kris, I’m just two months older than you.” She giggled. “But, yeah...now that we don’t have age limits anymore, it should be fun.”

I nodded. “Hey, where’s Sam?” I asked, looking for her boyfriend in the crowd.

“He went to get some drinks. There he comes.” She pointed in his direction.

“Hey there, birthday girl!” He grinned, handing me a glass of champagne before kissing my cheek.

“Hi, Sam. Thank you.” I took a sip. “How are the Chargers doing?” I asked, staring at his huge biceps. Six feet four inches tall and incredibly muscular and strong, typical for a professional football player, Sam Matthews was the sweetest, most even tempered guy I’d ever met. What I liked about him most was that he was never afraid to show his love and affection for Ana. They seemed more in love with each passing day and we sometimes enjoyed teasing them about being headed to the altar. Sam was adamant, though. He had his life mapped out, wanting to make first string running back and buy a house before settling down.

“It’s great! We have a game on Sunday. Wanna come?”

“Cool! Sounds like fun!” I smiled. Somebody suddenly embraced me from behind. I jumped, but immediately relaxed as I recognized his lips on my neck. “Ian...” I murmured, turning around to face him.

“Hi, cutie!” He squeezed me a bit tighter. “Missed me?”

I allowed him to hold me, cutting my eyes around the room to see if Mom was nearby. I didn’t want to have to explain. After meeting him a few months ago while out with the girls at the Santa Monica beach, I could never get rid of the handsome gray-eyed blond, Ian Rodney. Several times I’d made out with him, so our friends assumed we were a couple. I never bothered to deny it. Having a boyfriend came in handy at times, even if it was a pretend one.

He slowly leaned nearer, his eyes locked on my lips, clearly intending to kiss me.

I stopped him and looked around me. “Not now,” I mumbled. Mom was talking animatedly to a group of people not far away from us and I nodded in her direction. He understood and backed away.

“Maybe later then...” He suggested, giving me a wink.

“Maybe...” I teased him, sinking my teeth into my lower lip.

He groaned a bit, seemingly aroused by my gesture. “Wanna come over to my place after the party?” he whispered in my ear.

“My dear Ian...is this an invitation to take our relationship to the next level?” I arched a brow inquisitively.

“Hell yes! I’m tired of waiting. I want you.”

“I thought we agreed to keep it casual for now.” I defended. “Being friends with benefits never really appealed to me. We might end up hating each other. Is it worth risking what we have now for something more physical?” I asked, caressing his chest, toying with his shirt.

His mouth opened, but no words came out. He didn’t look happy at all.

“Come on, let’s dance and enjoy ourselves. It’s my birthday. We’ll discuss this another time.” I straightened his tie, which was slightly askew, and turned to the others. We danced for over an hour, only stopping for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

“Jake!” I smiled when he made his way through the crowd to reach me. “You’re late again.”

He chuckled and embraced me warmly. “Happy birthday! I arrived a little earlier, but watched you from the second level. I didn’t want to disturb your time with your friends. By the way, you seem to be in great shape. You rocked the dance floor even in those killer heels.” He stared at them rather disapprovingly.

“Thanks, Jake. For a moment I worried you’d forgotten about my party. You’d have been in trouble if you hadn’t showed up.” I teased.

“Oh, and I thought you’d be happy not to see my face tonight since you keep complaining I’m too hard on you in the gym.” With his hand on the small of my back, he tried to pull me closer, but I resisted.

I opened my mouth to deny his assertion, but Mom interrupted us. “Kris, I want you to meet somebody.” She put a hand on Jake’s shoulder. “You don’t mind, do you, Jake?”

“Not at all.” Jake realized he had been dismissed. “I’ll speak to you tomorrow, Kris. Mrs. Mancuso.” He nodded to both of us, then headed toward the bar.

“Who do you want to introduce me to?” I was in a good mood, so I didn’t mind the intrusion.

She turned to welcome a man who was coming toward us. “This is Niall Tomlinson. He is the CEO of Jaya Cosmetics Company and we’re thinking of launching a fragrance together. Niall...my daughter, Kristen.”

The man gave me a sweeping head-to-toe glance before he spoke. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Kristen. Happy birthday!” He offered me a broad grin, taking my hand to kiss it. His penetrating eyes seemed to be turning my soul inside out, and when they dropped to my breasts, I felt the inexplicable need to move away from him.

Finally meet me?
I nodded, staring at the man as I tried to guess his intentions. He looked about thirty years old, perfectly groomed with not a hair out of place. His eyes, a beautiful shade of blue just like my mother’s, traveled across my body greedily, making me decidedly uncomfortable.

“Mrs. Mancuso told me you’ve just graduated with a degree in management from UCLA. Congratulations! You must be very eager to start working with your mother.”

“Not really. It’s been a hard year for me and all I want right now is to take some time off to enjoy summer. After that, I’ll probably work with her, yes.” I was waiting for the right time to spring my jewelry design idea. In fact, I already had a name for my designs. Lucio Jewelry, after my father.

“I see. Um...we were hoping you’d agree to be the face of the new fragrance we’re working on,” he told me, excitement coating his voice.

I stepped back in surprise, putting even more distance in between me and Mr. Tomlinson. “What? Mom, you know how much I hate the spotlight. Absolutely not!”

“It’s not such a big deal,” she retorted. “There would be a photo shoot, a commercial, and that’s pretty much it. I don’t expect you to make public appearances and you’d never go anywhere without our security team. You know I’d never put you in a position to be in any danger.”

“Never go anywhere without…” Putting my hand to my forehead, I rubbed my temple. I could feel a headache coming on. “I don’t want to be on TV, Mom. Didn’t you see what happened outside when we arrived? That’s not the kind of life I want to have.” Turning to her companion, I summed up my position. “I’m really sorry, but I’m not doing it.”

“I’m sure if you thought about it for a few days, you’d—” He didn’t give up easily.

I ignored him and turned to my mother. “Have Ana do it, Mom. She’d love this and she’d be much better at it anyway.”

Mother wasn’t giving up either. “Yes, but this fragrance is ours. I thought it would be nice to work on it together. You know it’s been my dream to have you involved in the company.”

“I am happy to help you with the fragrance campaign as long as my image doesn’t show up on anything. It’s just not me. I’m sorry I’m not like you or Dad. You both felt comfortable in the limelight. I don’t.”

“It’s a pity. You’re so beautiful. You’d make an amazing model or even an actress,” Niall said, pinning me with his gaze.

“Acting requires talent as well and I’m fresh out of that commodity.” I didn’t want to argue. This wasn’t the time or the place. “Now please excuse me. I need to return to my friends.”

“Wait! Honey, I want to show you your present first,” Mom said, softening a little.

“Oh. What is it?” I was grateful for the topic change.