“They are like dragon shifters,” Caine said. “There are only very few of them left. Most people think that they’re extinct.”
“So...her mother was a phoenix,” Amanda said softly.
Caine nodded. “Mark was human.”
When Tia held out her arms, Sarah squealed and happily dove into Tia’s arms. Tia laughed and bounced the little girl up and down. “You’re so adorable! I’m honored that I got to witness your first shift, Sarah.” Tia grinned at her, and the girl grinned back.
A phoenix shifter.
Wow.
This assignment was getting really interesting, and pretty damn cool.
Tia was actually glad that she got chosen for this assignment. She liked the Taylors a lot. She took an instant liking to Amanda and she found herself feeling protective towards Sarah.
She had only just met them, and they were her clients, but somehow, she felt inexplicable close to them.
Tia turned and saw Caine staring at her. He was smiling and gazing at her and Sarah with love and pride in his eyes. The most important females in his life.
Was she one of them?
Tia’s heart skipped a beat and she turned away to hide her blush.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Caine watched Tia cuddle Sarah and walk towards the window. The baby cooed and giggled as she looked up at Tia adoringly.
“She’s good,” his mother said very softly. “Sarah likes her.”
His mother was standing beside him and speaking to him under her breath. Tia wouldn’t be able to hear them, but as a wolf shifter, Caine could catch every syllable his mother uttered. It was one of the games she used to play with him when he was young to train his wolf senses. She would speak in a very low voice, with the barest movement of her lips, and he had to repeat her sentence back to her. Amanda was a human woman raising a wolf pup all by herself. She knew she had to hone her son’s wolf senses so she devised games to train the boy. She did a good job. Caine’s wolf was strong, fierce and lethal.
Caine saw his mother staring at Tia, but he also caught her shrewd, sidelong glance at him.
“Yes.” He tried not to give anything away but his mother knew him better than anyone else.
“So she’s our bodyguard, eh?” Amanda said.
“Yeah. She’s from Chase Security. One of Nathan’s staff.”
“Nathan Chase...” Amanda mused. “I think I met him at one of your company functions. Very nice man.”
“Yes. His firm is now providing most of the security personnel for the hotel.”
“Hmmm.” Amanda stared at her son for a beat and tapped her chin. “You know, I think I would like to have a bodyguard with me round the clock.”
Caine’s eyes bugged. “But you...”
“She can help me with Sarah.”
“But you insisted you didn’t want a nanny...”
“Tia is a bodyguard, not a nanny. Sarah and I could do with a bodyguard, but I have no use for a nanny,” Amanda sniffed.
Caine narrowed his eyes at his mother. “What are you up to, Mom?”
“Me? Nothing.”
But he caught the gleam in her eye.
“Your old room is still nicely furnished. I didn’t move anything,” Amanda went on. “Tia will be very comfortable there.”
“I don’t know...”
Amanda raised a finger. “Listen, I only want Tia. Don’t go asking for another bodyguard from Chase Security. Only Tia can sleep in your old room.”
Caine was about to ask why but decided against it. He already knew the answer just by looking at the smug, triumphant expression on his mother’s face.
His mother had seen the way he looked at Tia. Amanda could see right through him. She knew he was attracted to Tia, and she could tell how much he wanted her.
Shit, did his mother know that they had slept together?
Amanda seemed to know everything. He could never hide anything from her. He had learned that at a very young age. His mother could sniff out his lie the instant it was out of his mouth.
Over the years, his mother had nagged at him to find a nice girl and settle down. But he had never found a woman he wanted to settle down with. Plus, he had been so busy with work.
“Sarah likes her. So do I.” Amanda noted matter-of-factly. “And...so do you.”
“I...”
His mother tsked. “Don’t deny it.”
Caine shook his head and laughed. “You want round-the-clock security, eh? I’ll have to talk to Nathan.”
“Tell him I only want Tia,” she emphasized.
Caine rolled his eyes at his mother. “I know what you’re doing.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She didn’t bother hiding her smirk as she left the room. “Sarah is in good hands. I’ll be in the kitchen.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
“So, how’s the new client?” Kerry asked as she served Nathan and Corinne some steamed vegetables.
Nathan grimaced but dutifully picked up his fork and began to eat his vegetables with feigned enthusiasm. He had to set a good example for his daughter.
Corinne studied her father skeptically and turned to Tia. “Aunt Tia, do you like broccoli?”
“I love broccoli!” Tia declared and followed her brother-in-law’s lead. Kerry watched her mate and sister with narrowed eyes as they made exaggerated sounds of appreciation in an attempt to convince Corinne that steamed broccoli actually tasted better than the meatloaf.
“Eat your veggies, Corinne,” Kerry said sternly.
“Yes, Mummy,” the little girl answered glumly. She took a small bite of her broccoli and made a face. She chewed and swallowed quickly, and asked, “Now can I have some meatloaf? Please?”
“Of course! A growing wolf needs plenty of protein!” Nathan said at once.
Kerry rolled her eyes at her mate. Corinne was daddy’s little princess, and Nathan could never say no to his little girl. Kerry always said that Tia and Nathan spoiled the girl rotten.
As Nathan cut his daughter a large slice of meatloaf, he glanced at Tia and repeated his mate’s question, “Yeah, how’s your first day with the new client?”
Tia took a sip of water and said, “Do you mean Caine Taylor? Or Amanda and Sarah Taylor?”
Nathan exchanged a glance with Kerry and smiled. “Well, Caine’s the one who hired you so he’s a client of the firm. But yes, your principals are actually Amanda and Sarah.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that I was being assigned to a sweet elderly lady and a baby? You told me to report to the CEO of Treasure Hotel.” Tia put down her fork. “I thought I was going to be part of the security team at the hotel.”
Nathan shrugged. “You’re guarding his mother and daughter, so you’ll still be reporting to Caine, and he is the CEO of Treasure Hotel.”
Tia blew out a breath. “You could have briefed me on the true scope of my duties,” she muttered.
Nathan opened his mouth then clamped it shut. He pretended to concentrate on his meatloaf as Kerry leaned forward and said worriedly, “Are your duties...too tough? Can you manage, or would you like to transfer to...”
“Too tough?” Tia glared at her sister over the table. “I was a cop, Kerry. I patrolled the roughest, grittiest part of the city and I took down big, bad dangerous criminals. How hard can it be to watch over a grandmother and a baby? I was an officer of the law, and now I’m a trained, qualified security personnel of Chase Security. I worked damn hard to be a cop, and I love my job...”
“You got shot,” Kerry said. Kerry’s voice was quiet but Tia saw that her sister’s knuckles were bone white.
“The danger comes with the job. I signed up for it. But I didn’t sign up for this,” Tia answered. “I didn’t sign up to be a babysitter.”
Kerry shook her head. “I won’t let you put yourself in danger, Tia...”
“You can’t take care of me forever, Kerry. I know you’re worried for me. But I am well now. Please don’t treat me as if I still have cancer. I d
on’t want to live in fear, in the shadow of my cancer all my life. I’m cured, and I want to live a normal, full, free life. I want to take risks, face challenges and dangers...”
“You got shot,” Kerry repeated, her voice trembling. “You almost died, Tia...”
Tia inhaled a long breath. A hush had fallen over the dinner table. Corinne was staring at her mother and aunt with wide, anxious eyes. “Aunt Tia,” the girl said in a small voice. “What’s wrong? Are you and Mummy fighting? Why?”
Tia turned to smile at her niece. “No, sweetheart, we’re not fighting. Siblings sometimes disagree with each other, and that’s all right. I just don’t agree with Kerry about some things...”
“Oh, I don’t agree with Mummy about some things too. She thinks veggies are great but I think they taste awful,” Corinne declared.
“Veggies are good for you,” Kerry told her daughter. “And they don’t taste awful.”
Corinne smirked. “I disagree. And Aunt Tia says it’s okay to disagree.” The cheeky little girl quickly stuffed a broccoli into her mouth and said, “But I’ll still eat my veggies, Mummy. Even though they disagree with me.”
Nathan cleared his throat and said, “Caine Taylor spoke to me before I left the office. He asked if you could provide twenty-four hour security for Amanda and Sarah.”
“Twenty-four hours?”
“Mrs Taylor would like to have a bodyguard with her round the clock. She is asking for you to be in her house...even at night. She just wants you in the house. You don’t have to stay awake at night and patrol the premises.” Nathan quirked a crooked smile. “She has a spare bedroom, so...”
“Amanda’s house? I’ll be living there? Sleeping there?” Tia’s eyes rounded.
“I told Caine I’ll talk to you. But if you don’t want to do it, I’ll get another of my staff to...”
“I’ll do it.”
“You don’t have to decide now. You can take your time to consider,” Nathan told her. “See if you’re comfortable working with Mrs Taylor...”
“I am. She’s really sweet. So is her granddaughter. And...if I’m with them at night, I can help with the night feeds and diaper changes. That’s what a babysitter is for, right?”
“Tia...” Kerry began and rounded on Nathan. “How well do you know these people? Why are they requesting for twenty-four hour protection? Will Tia be safe?”
“There’s only Caine’s mother and daughter in the house. And Caine lives right next door. This is really a babysitting job.” Nathan held his mate’s hand and said, “It’s the safest assignment I could find for Tia. Basically, she’ll be helping Mrs Taylor take care of the baby. That’s all. It’s just for a few weeks. I thought you wanted this for her, Kerry,” Nathan said quietly.
“I do, I do. It’s just that...”
“The Taylors are good people. I’ve known Caine for some time now. And I’ve met Mrs Taylor. She’s a lovely lady, intelligent and considerate.”
“But...”
“This job—it’s good for me. I want to do this, Kerry,” Tia said, seeing the apprehension on her sister’s face. “I know you love me and worry for me. I’m alive because of you, Kerry. That’s a fact. You never, ever gave up on me, and you sacrificed so much for me. I know all that and I will never forget that. But I am well now. And...I’ve grown up, Kerry. I know what I want. I want to be able to do my job well, and...I hope you’ll be proud of me.”
“I am proud of you,” Kerry said fervently, squeezing her hand. “I’ve always been so proud of you.”
Tia’s eyes shone as she gave her sister a radiant smile. “I know.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Caine parked his car in his garage and walked briskly into his house. He took the stairs three at a time, pulling off his tie and unbuttoning his shirt as he went. He was in a hurry to get out of his work clothes, shower and rush over to his mother’s house.
He’d been getting off work right on time for the past three weeks. And he had been having dinner every night with his family, to his mother’s delight.
“See? I knew what I was doing,” his mother had crowed as she nudged him and winked.
Tia had been with Sarah and Amanda for three weeks now, and she brought so much life and laughter into the house. Caine got off work on time and rushed next door as fast as he could. And it was only now that he realized how much he had been missing.
He had been focusing so much on his career, working late most of the time and hardly having dinner at home. He visited his mother often since she lived right next door, but on weeknights, he was usually in the office till ten or eleven. He just gobbled down a quick meal at his desk and carried on working. By the time he got home, the lights were all out in Amanda’s house.
But for the past three weeks, he had been spending the evenings with his mother and daughter in the house where he grew up. Tia was great with Sarah. She was patient and gentle, but she was also lively and wildly entertaining. She could make Sarah shriek with laughter and excitement as she crawled around the couch after the little girl. Sarah could crawl really fast, and Tia was slowly encouraging her to stand up and take her first step.
And his mother looked so much less stressed and tired now. She trusted Tia with Sarah, and she told Caine that Tia was always the first to get to Sarah when she heard the baby’s cry over the baby monitor.
Nathan had told him that Tia’s assignment would only be for a month. “I have to be fair to her,” Nathan said. “Tia is a capable, intelligent young woman. I know she wants more challenging assignments and missions. She’s not a babysitter. We all know that. And...I think Kerry is slowly learning to let go. Kerry realizes that she shouldn’t hold Tia back.”
Tia had been with them for three weeks now. And it was the best and most torturous three weeks of Caine’s life.
Caine wished his mother would stop being so stubborn and insist on staying in her old house. His mother had brought him up, and now that he was doing so well, he wanted to provide for her, give her a life of comfort and luxury. That was the reason why Caine built his large, luxurious house right next to his mother’s house. He thought it would be easier to persuade her to move if the new house was just next door.
Boy, was he wrong. Even after Sarah came into their lives, Amanda refused to move. When he tried to persuade her again, his mother had rolled her eyes and huffed, “You’re right next door. What’s the point of moving me into your big house? I like living in my own house. You know I value my independence. And this isn’t just a house. It’s a home!”
Caine saw her point and he respected her wishes. But he wanted his whole family to be living in the same house, sleeping under the same roof. He wanted this more than ever now.
Tia was next door, sleeping in Amanda’s house every night.
He wanted her in his house. Every evening when he walked into his mother’s house for breakfast, he would be greeted by the sound of Tia’s voice, her laughter and her lovely, sweet scent. He wanted to have her in his house. He wanted to see her face first thing in the morning, and hold her in his arms as he fell asleep.
Tia was so close, yet he couldn’t have her. His mother had chuckled gleefully as she watched him stare at Tia with undisguised yearning over the dinner table.
“She’s the one,” Amanda had stated one evening as Caine helped her load the dishwasher. “I knew it the moment I met her. And...I have never seen you like this before. No woman has ever had this effect on you.”
His mother had done this on purpose. She had arranged for Tia to be with her and Sarah round the clock, so she could see for herself how well Tia cared for the baby. And she wanted to see if her son was really serious about this young woman.
“The three of you belong together,” Amanda had told Caine last night as Tia put Sarah to bed. “You make a lovely family.”
Family.
Caine smiled. He found that he was really enjoying family life with Tia.
Tia was already part of his family. His mother and daughter lo
ved her. So did he.
He wanted to take things further with Tia, but she seemed determined to keep their relationship strictly professional. “I don’t want any distractions while I’m on a job,” she had told him.
Was that what he was to her? A distraction?
But the woman was driving him to distraction! He had never wanted any woman like this before. He loved everything about Tia. He loved the way she cared for Sarah and Amanda, he loved her sweet, vivacious nature, and he admired her strength, determination and dedication. Tia was young, but she had gone through so much.
She didn’t let fear and regret hold her back. There was so much love and courage in her heart. She continued fighting the good fight, but she made compromises for her loved ones. She didn’t turn up her nose at this babysitting job. Instead, she made sure that she was the best babysitter-cum-bodyguard ever.
But they all knew that this was just a temporary assignment for her. Tia was a bright, capable woman, and she had a very promising career in front of her.
He wouldn’t hold her back.
But—he couldn’t let her go either.
He had found his mate.
But no one told him that finding her was the easy part.
His wolf was going crazy. And so was he.
Caine wanted to claim Tia and keep her by his side. He wanted to hold, cherish and love his mate for the rest of his life.
Was that too much to ask?
No wonder Tia and Amanda got along so well. They were both iron-willed, infuriating, impossible women!
And he loved them so damn much.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Tia sat on the couch in the living room with Sarah on her lap. She opened the book and began to read “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” to the little girl. This was Sarah’s favorite book, and the girl pointed excitedly at the pictures and cooed and gurgled as she tried to read along with Tia.
The Wolf's Mate: Billionaire Shifter Paranormal Romance (Hearts on Fire Book 4) Page 6
