by Lauren Canan
Would she ever be immune to him? To his voice? His touch? How much longer until she could stop having to fight her own body in order to maintain some small amount of control? Kelly brushed the hair back from her face, striving for practicality. She didn’t need to turn into one of Jace Compton’s groupies, and the past had shown her that was the most she could ever be.
“Kelly? Are you there?”
“Uh...yeah. Yeah. Jace, I can’t walk away from my life. Apparently, you can’t walk away from yours, either. Matt has to go to school and I need to get dressed and go to work.” Why couldn’t he understand? Had he been living the high life so long he could no longer relate to ordinary people living ordinary lives?
He finally agreed, but she could tell by his tone he didn’t like it. “I’ll have Tom send two men to the front door. Tell them where you want to go.”
* * *
Three days later the craziness had not subsided and her cell phone wouldn’t stop ringing. There was no sign the media were giving up. Not only had they increased their ranks, they had been joined by some of the town’s residents, their own curiosity compelling them to be part of the excitement. There were what appeared to be tailgate parties going on just past her driveway as far down the street as she could see in both directions, with dozens of lawn chairs lining the yards on both sides. Her home had become a freak show. For the first time in her life, Kelly felt claustrophobia stir her anger.
The switchboard at work had been bombarded with calls since that first day, overwhelming the phone lines. Just after lunch today she’d had a rather unpleasant one-on-one with her boss, who’d recommended she take off early, adding she had a week of vacation and suggested she use it until she got her life in some semblance of order. And now, apparently, her cell number had been discovered and passed out, free for the taking.
Every day, Jace’s security team picked Matt up and escorted him home. He was having a great time with all the excitement, enjoying the sudden popularity and inspiring the envy of his classmates, which only added to her growing frustration.
Pacing around the small house, her mind was filled with murderous thoughts, and all of them revolved around Jace. How could he do this? And why wouldn’t he stop it? I want to be in your life, he’d said. Ha! What a joke. This media mania was exactly what she’d wanted to avoid. How dare he dump this on her front doorstep?
The cell phone Jace had provided began to ring.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Michaels, this is Tom Stanton of Jace’s security detail. Would you like your mail?”
“My mail?” Why not? What else did she have to do? “Yeah. Sure.”
“One of our men will deliver it to your back door in two minutes.”
“Thanks.” It seemed as if they were going to a lot of trouble. She mostly received advertisements addressed to “resident,” which immediately went into the trash.
At the man’s knock, Kelly opened the door. With a respectful nod, he brought in her mail. Three large bags of it.
“What...? What is all this?”
“They’re all addressed to you. Probably fan letters.”
“Fan letters?” Was he kidding?
By the time Matt got home, Kelly was just about to open the second bag. Sitting on the living room floor with Henry playing on a thick blanket next to her, she’d spent the past three hours reading pure crazy.
“You know,” Matt said as he walked to where she sat, “we should sell popcorn to those people outside. Make some money off this. What are you doing?” Frowning, he dumped his books onto the sofa. “What is all this?”
“Fan letters.” She didn’t look up, but she could feel Matt’s surprise mixed with excitement from four feet away. “Have a seat. I wouldn’t want you to miss one second of this wonderful experience.”
Ignoring her sarcasm, Matt quickly found a place on the floor and pulled a handful of letters out of the newly opened bag.
“Ha!” Matt laughed. “This girl wants to have Jace’s baby but is happy for you in spite of you beating her to it.” He picked up another and began reading.
“Kelly?”
She noticed his face narrow into a serious frown. “You’d better take a look at this.” He handed the page to her.
The letter was filled with alarming descriptions of what they intended to do to Kelly and the baby. Off-the-wall acts of violence directed at her and Henry. She felt the blood leave her face as she realized the implications. Suddenly a crashing sound from the bedroom made her jump. It sounded as if a vase had shattered. “Matt, stay with Henry.”
Kelly scrambled to her feet and hurried in that direction.
“Sorry about your vase.” A woman about her age was standing inside the bedroom, looking around.
“Who are you? How did you get inside my house?” Kelly’s voice was about three octaves higher than normal.
The woman shrugged and looked toward the bed. “Through the window. Is that where Jace Compton sleeps?” She spoke as though she was in a daze, as if she’d just stumbled into Neverland. The woman walked over to the bed, smoothed her hands over the covers, and then proceeded to crawl on top of the mattress.
“What are you doing? Get off my bed!”
“It’s so soft,” the woman said, completely ignoring Kelly’s angry demand. “Wow.”
Kelly ran for kitchen table and the phone Jace had provided. Her call was immediately answered.
“There is someone in my bedroom.” She could hear the anger in her own voice. “She said she climbed in through the window. She’s in my bed and refuses to leave.”
The line went dead and within seconds men were coming in every door to her small house, guns drawn, with Tom Stanton leading the charge. The woman was seized and handcuffed. Notification of the break-in was called into the police, all handled in a practiced and flawless manner by the men in Jace’s security detail.
Kelly went back to the front room and picked up Henry. Matt stood next to her, not saying a word.
“The police will need a statement, Ms. Michaels. They should be here any minute.”
Kelly nodded and sat down on the sofa, holding Henry close.
“I think you need to see this.” Matt shoved a letter into Tom’s hand.
“Where did you get this, son?” Tom frowned.
“In the mail. We were reading all this mail.” He gestured to letters spread over the floor and one of the bags, still partially full, next to the sofa. “Most of them are stupid. But this one...”
Tom took out his phone and punched a number before turning and walking out of the room. Kelly could hear his voice. She couldn’t understand what he said or who he was talking to.
But she had a pretty good idea.
Six
It took Jace most of the drive from the ranch to Kelly’s house to bring his temper under a small bit of control. Tom’s phone call had his heart racing, his fear for their safety mounting. Someone had gotten into their house. The lives of both Kelly and his son had been threatened. He blew out an angry sigh. Kelly was going to listen to reason. This time he was not going to accept any damned excuses. If he had to play the role of bad guy, so be it. If pleas didn’t work, maybe a bluff would. One way or the other, she was leaving that house.
He knew in time the press’s feeding frenzy would die down. News of him having a child was enough of a story to bring the cameras to Texas. But no one wanted to read old news. Eventually, some new story would replace the old. The question was, how long until this was considered old? A call to Bret was necessary to ensure he didn’t do anything to prolong this mess. The last thing any of them needed was for the manager to jump into the mayhem and milk it for all it was worth.
Putting his sunglasses in place, Jace got out of the truck with two members of his security team, one behind and one next to him. He ignored the shouts from the reporters and what had to be a quarter of the town’s population standing behind the yellow tape. Three police cars, lights flashing, were blocking off the street, the officer
s trying unsuccessfully to disband the gawkers. With more calm than he felt, Jace opened the front door of the house and stepped inside.
Kelly was sitting on the couch, holding Henry. Matt sat on the floor next to her, reading letters. Tom, two of his men and two police officers stood in the small kitchen, quietly talking among themselves.
When Jace approached Kelly, she glared at him with a force that could hurt if it had any substance. But his concern effectively deflected any anger she might have and replaced it with some of his own. He crouched down next to the sofa, his face only inches from hers.
“Are you guys okay?”
“Physically. Obviously I don’t appreciate that woman sneaking into my house and crawling up on my bed. You were supposed to do something. She broke my grandmother’s vase.”
“I’m about to do something. Kelly, this is finished. Do you understand?” His gaze caught hers and he didn’t let go. “You’re going to pack some clothes and you and Matt and Henry are moving to the ranch until this blows over.”
“I don’t want to live in your house.”
“That’s too damn bad.” Jace could feel the tight control he had on his temper slipping. “You’d rather stay here and have someone break into your house again? Next time, it might be someone worse than that mentally disturbed woman. It might be the crazed idiot who wrote that letter. Don’t be stupid, Kelly.” He could hear the growl in his own voice.
Her quick intake of breath and the flash of surprise in her blue-green eyes told him he’d crossed the line. Damn. For the first time in his life, with Kelly of all people, the mother of his child, he was in danger of letting his anger override his common sense, doing exactly what he’d been afraid of for so many years. He clenched his jaw in an effort to maintain control. He had to keep it together. For Kelly. He felt a wave of guilt wash over him for what he’d said.
He reached out and gently took her face in his hands, determined to make her understand. “What if someone took Henry?” Her eyes widened. Apparently the thought had not occurred to her. “A ransom demand is not that far-fetched.”
“Then stop it,” she snapped at him, a whispered plea. “You caused all of this. We were fine until you came back. Make them leave us alone.”
“I’m trying, but it isn’t that simple and you’re smart enough to know that. I intend to do everything in my power to give the reporters what they want and see if I can make them leave. But the ranch is the only place I can protect you until that happens.”
Jace let his hands drop and she looked down at Henry, who was sleeping peacefully in her arms. Jace could see the resentment in her face, the need for all of this to go away. She was frustrated and angry and probably a little scared all at the same time. He knew Kelly well enough to know she was going to try to bluff him out of their moving to the ranch. And no way was that going to happen.
“We can go to my friend Gerri’s apartment and—”
“Do you really think that will make any difference?”
As she thought about his question, she moistened her lower lip with her tongue. He remembered all too well his mouth doing the same thing—tasting those lips, sucking the nectar from them before going deeper, enjoying the sweet taste he’d found in the hidden recesses of her mouth.
“I don’t know. But I’m not moving to your house.”
Jace ran a hand through his hair and huffed out some of the frustration. “Kelly, I can’t legally make any demands of you, but Henry is my son and one way or the other, he is leaving this house. Now. It isn’t safe. If I have to, I’ll get a court order giving me temporary custody. And don’t imagine any judge is going to stand by and let a five-month-old baby live in a threatening environment.”
He hated playing the badass, but clearly they were in danger. If something happened to any of them he would never forgive himself. At this point it wasn’t beneath him to toss her over his shoulder and carry her out kicking and screaming. If that’s what it took, so be it. He would to keep them safe.
Pale and distraught, she looked up at him. Apparently just the mention of taking her child was enough to terrify her. Jace knew a surge of guilt for what he’d said, but he had to get her to relocate somewhere safe.
“Kelly? It doesn’t have to be forever.” He ignored the extra beat of his heart and the odd sinking feeling in his gut when he spoke those words.
She nodded. “You don’t have to threaten.”
“I apologize. You’re making the right decision.”
“Don’t patronize me, either. You’re giving me no choice. Of course I’m concerned for Henry’s safety. You have to realize how...uncomfortable this will be for me. And in the meantime I expect you to make all this insanity go away.”
She would try the patience of a saint. His eyes held hers for countless seconds, and he became aware that he was almost close enough to kiss her. He wanted to. Even now. Even in the middle of this crazy situation. He remembered holding her, making love to her. His body was hard with expectation and he knew she wouldn’t be the only one uncomfortable while she lived under his roof. Only a few steps down the hall from his bedroom.
Kelly watched as Jace stood and walked over to Tom. There was a lot of nodding during their low, quiet discussion. Minutes later, they disappeared out the front door. Kelly listened to the muffled conversations as Jace apparently talked to the press. Ten minutes later, they came back inside.
“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Jace said, returning to where Kelly sat. “It’s almost dark. That will work to our advantage. Tom will have a car in front of the house in a few minutes, allowing time for some of the media to disperse. It’s the same dark green SUV that’s been taking you to work. Go to the car. Don’t stop for anything. You know the drill.”
Kelly stood and handed Henry to his father. Jace accepted the baby as if it were something he did every day. Which, come to think of it, he did. Or at least, he had for two weeks.
“I need to get some things together, unless you have his formula and plenty of diapers?” Knowing the answer, Kelly turned toward the bedroom. With her heart racing, she grabbed the baby bag and shoved it full of bottles, formula, baby food, clothes, diapers and a couple of stuffed toys. She pulled a small suitcase from the closet and packed jeans, assorted T-shirts, toiletries and a few more baby items.
Thirty minutes later it was time to go.
Matt stood waiting by the door. He wore a backpack, no doubt full of clothes, and held a tote bag with his books.
Jace stepped up behind them, still holding Henry. Kelly watched through the front windows as a green vehicle pulled up in front.
“It’s here.”
The short walk to the SUV was made without incident, although Kelly could feel the bevy of cameras recording every step. The throng of people standing behind the yellow tape surged forward when Jace emerged with his new baby. That provided a few seconds of apprehension but again, his security team took control. The ride to the grocery store parking lot where a helicopter awaited was made with no problems. Soon they were leaving the ground, quickly ascending into the darkened sky. Kelly watched the baby, afraid the sound would frighten him. But Henry took it in stride and continued to chew on Jace’s shirt. Teething. Jace would have a major wet spot by the time they landed. Welcome to fatherhood.
“Cool,” Matt muttered in fascination as he looked out the window.
In minutes they descended into the clearing of a pasture behind the stately home, setting down on a large round landing pad. The pilot immediately killed the engine, and they were escorted to waiting vehicles. The ride to the house was made in silence other than Henry’s babble. Part of her wanted to be grateful to Jace for stepping in to keep Henry safe. The other part resented the fact that were it not for him, the protection wouldn’t be needed in the first place.
The mansion was ablaze with lights. Jace escorted them down a path, his hand on her lower back.
“This is Carmen.” Jace introduced a robust Hispanic woman who came forward with a wel
coming smile as soon as they entered the house. “I need to speak with Tom. Carmen will take you all upstairs and show you where you’ll be staying.”
Not for long, Kelly thought, her mind slowly coming back on track. She took the baby from Jace and they followed the housekeeper up the stairs. Kelly remembered the day she’d cleaned the house and thought what a great place it was for a family. Never in a million years would she have guessed it would be her own family, let alone that she’d be living here with Jace. She swallowed hard.
The bedroom she was shown was only slightly smaller than the two rooms she’d cleaned a few weeks ago. The color scheme was green and blue pastel. It presented a relaxing and welcoming feel.
“You are next door, Mr. Matt,” Carmen said in a strong accent. “This way. Make yourselves at home.” She smiled at the baby in Kelly’s arms. “I have four daughters, two sons and five grandbabies. Anything you need for your baby, you let me know, Mrs. Compton. I know what to do.”
“Thank you. But I’m not...” Carmen and Matt disappeared around the corner before Kelly could explain she was not Mrs. Compton. She never would be. But why bother to correct her? They wouldn’t be here long enough for it to make any difference.
Henry had finally wound down and was fast asleep in her arms. She put him in the center of the large bed, his little arms falling out to the side as he slept.
