Spring Into Love

by Chantel Rhondeau

  Troy turned to me and waited to see if I was going to respond. “If you really feel like you need your own car, that’s fine. But after you’re here, you will be riding with me in the limo when we go places.”

  Anger flashed in her eyes as she stood up. “We’ll see about that. Let your guard know I will be coming back in a dark blue Jeep Commander.” She turned to walk out the door.

  “Jacquelyn,” I called out before she left the room. She stopped, her shoulders rigid, but she didn’t turn around. “You do know that the third time’s the charm right?”

  She turned then, squinting her eyes ever so slightly. “Third time for what? Actually getting yourself killed? You seem to have a knack for that kind of thing when I’m around.”

  I laughed at her. “There’s that, or that you will fall madly in love with me,” I said with a smirk.

  Her eyes went wide. “Start holding your breath. We’ll see who wins. My money is placed on the fact that your lungs won’t hold out as long as I will.”

  She spun quickly, her hair fanning around her back, and she all but ran out the door. Silence filled the room as everyone waited for me to speak. I laughed as I heard the front door close with a bang.

  “I think I love that woman.”

  “Too bad she doesn’t feel the same way,” Troy chuckled next to me.

  “She will,” I said as I laid my head back on the cushion. “She will.”

  “Better start holding your breath,” he said, and everyone in the room laughed.

  Chapter 8

  Jacquelyn

  As I walked out of the room, I was in utter shock. I was going to be working for Ryan Palmer. The Ryan Palmer. And not only was I going to be working with him, but I had to pretend I was his girlfriend and live in his house! My hair swung around my face as I shook my head at the absurdity of it. The limo driver was waiting, and I climbed into the backseat without a word.

  I leaned against the soft black leather seat as we drove away. How the hell had I gotten stuck doing this? I was a small-town girl who just wanted to do her job and have a life of peace and quiet. Now, I was being thrown into a world that I didn’t want to be part of. I didn’t know anything about protecting someone, and the idea of being with that man all the time pretty much scared the crap out of me.

  His words ran through my mind. “There’s that, or that you’ll fall madly in love with me.” I clamped my eye lids shut. That was the last thing that was going to happen. Why would he even say such a thing? Was it because I refused to talk with him before? I was a nobody who knew nothing about him, and didn’t really want to.

  Okay, as a woman, I did actually have hormones and a brain. So yeah, he was freaking hot and the thought of being held in his arms was an incredible heady thought, but I wasn’t like most women. That concept shouldn’t appeal to me. I wouldn’t let it appeal to me. He was out of my league. Way out of my league. Besides, I didn’t fall in love. I had once, and I’d lost everything because of it. Never again.

  Maybe he had said that to bait me. He couldn’t really want me to like him, could he? Or maybe his ego was so large that he couldn’t understand the concept of someone not wanting to fawn all over him and fall at his feet.

  By the time I got back to the station, I convinced myself that he was not serious and that he was just trying to annoy me. I could deal with annoying; I’ll show him annoying.

  I went into the station, but it was already later than I thought, and there were very few people left inside. I heard Jimmy in his office and walked down the hall.

  “Hey, Jim,” I said as I entered. I collapsed into a chair in front of his desk.

  “What the hell is going on? Why did the Chief give me all your cases?” He eyeballed me over a case file that he had spread wide open on his desk.

  I shook my head. “You’re not going to believe this.” I got up and closed the door. “I’ve been assigned undercover. I’m gonna work as a security guard to figure out who is making death threats against someone.”

  “Who are you working for?” He leaned back slowly in his chair.

  “This is the part you won't believe. It’s Ryan Palmer.” I waited for his reaction. His eyebrows shot up, and his mouth hung open.

  “The Ryan Palmer?” he asked in disbelief, “As in the same one you rescued from the airport? And then the car wreck?”

  “Yep, the one and only.” I shook my head turning away from him as I remembered the sparkle in Ryan’s eyes.

  “So what do you have to do?”

  I took a deep breath. “It looks like someone close to him is making threats. I don’t know all the details about it yet, but they want me to move in and stay by his side. Try to figure out who is doing it and why.”

  “Are you still going to be working here?” he asked as he started to swivel back and forth in his chair.

  “No, the Chief wants it to look like I’ve taken a leave of absence. I have to move into the house tonight. Then I start tomorrow.” I glanced up and saw something flash across his face.

  “You’re moving in with him?” His chair stop moving, and I bit my lip.

  I knew he wouldn’t like it. I wasn’t crazy about it myself. “Yeah, and speaking of which, I need to get going.” I stood up. “I have to go through my files and get the rest of my stuff for you. I’ll leave my passwords, too, in case you need something off my computer. I’m sorry about all of this; it’s not like you don’t have enough to do.”

  He stood and walked over to me. Jimmy was about six inches taller than I was. A comfortable height when we were in front of each other. He studied me intently for a few moments.

  “How long are you going to be gone?” he asked quietly, pushing a lock of hair behind my ear.

  “I’m not sure, hopefully not long, but they hired me for up to six months.” He peered over my shoulder and blew out a breath before he stepped closer.

  “Am I going to get to see you?” he slid his hand along my cheek and I leaned into it smiling. Jimmy and I had something going. I wasn’t sure when it had started, or what exactly it was, but we saw each other from time to time. No one knew, and we kept it as quiet as we could. Most people never questioned seeing us out since we worked so closely together. It just appeared as two co-workers going out for dinner or a beer.

  “I don’t know when I’ll get time off or what I’m going to have to do, but I will let you know.” I tipped my head back so I could peer into his green eyes better.

  “I don’t like the fact that you’re going to be living there with him.” What could I say or do? Nothing really, so I only shrugged.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure out what’s going on and be back soon. Look, Jimmy, I have to go.” I started to turn away, but he pulled me into his arms. His kiss was deep and much more passionate than it normally was, especially here at work. Normally, he might sneak in a kiss here or there, but this was different. It was as if he didn’t want me to forget it.

  I was breathless when he let go of me. I removed my arms from around his neck where they had found themselves drawn, gave him a lopsided grin, and stepped away to open the door.

  “I’ll talk to you later, Jimmy.”

  “Jackie,” he said, and I turned around. “Be careful with him.” He seemed so serious that it made me nervous. I laughed quietly.

  “Jimmy, I’m always careful.” I turned and was about to walk out of the room when I stopped and surveyed him again. “Hey, Jim, do me a favor and don’t believe everything you might see, okay?” He narrowed his eyes, and I knew he would question my words; so, I walked out before he could. I wasn’t sure why, but I didn’t want to tell him about the whole girlfriend thing.

  In my office, I went through my files, took notes, and made sure all of my information was in order so that I could hand them off to Jimmy. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been working when my cell phone rang.

  I glanced at my phone, taking in the phone number on the screen. Instead of it being a caller ID number telling me who was calling, it
was my phone number, well, a virtual number anyway. A virtual number was a telephone number that was not directly associated with any particular phone company. It’s harder to trace, and I used it for work quite often. I had one for personal use, too. You could have multiple virtual numbers all ringing to one phone, or even ringing to multiple phones.

  This particular virtual number told me it was work related. I was going to have to forward this number to Jimmy while I was on my leave of absence. “Hello,” I said as I put it to my ear.

  “Jacquelyn, is everything alright?” I heard the man’s voice on the other end of the line and froze.

  “How did you get this number, Ryan?” I sat back in my seat.

  “My attorney gave it to me earlier. I guess your Chief must have given it to him. I was worried about you. I thought you would be here by now.”

  I glanced up at the clock and saw that it was almost ten o’clock. I had been here for five hours.

  “Sorry, I got caught up at work. I’m leaving here shortly, but I still need to go home and get my things. Maybe I should just get packed and come by in the morning.”

  “No, I want you here tonight,” he replied quickly.

  I thought for a moment. “Why? Is there something going on that I need to know about? Are you all right?” Maybe they got another threat and needed me to start now instead of tomorrow.

  “No, I’m fine.” He hesitated. “I just want to know you’re here.”

  His earlier comment echoed through my mind again, but I dismissed it. “Look, it will be better if I come tomorrow. It’s going to be a while, and I’m tired. I want to get a good night’s sleep, get my things packed, and then I’ll be out first thing in the morning.” I might have to work for him, but I was not going to let him control me.

  He was quiet for a few seconds, mulling over my words. “Fine, but be here as early as you can. I’ll see you in the morning.” He hung up before I could respond to him. Needy much? I shook my head, dropped my cell phone on the desk, and closed the file I was looking at. He was like a moody child, one minute laughing and grinning, the next sullen and pushy. I forced thoughts of him out of my mind and finished what I was working on.

  A few minutes later, I dropped the last case file onto a pile with the others and made my way down the hall to Jimmy’s office. The room was dark. He must have gone home without saying anything else to me. I set the files on his desk and walked back to my office to turn off my lights.

  It felt strange walking out of the station; almost as if I were leaving for good. I examined the building as I pulled out of my parking space. I knew I would be back, but somehow, it felt like my life was about to be seriously altered.

  After arriving home, I packed some of my things. Luckily, I had already done laundry, so most of my clothes were clean. I put them in piles and then climbed into bed to get some much needed sleep. I would get up early and pack them into bags.

  As I lay down on my pillow, I dwelled for a moment on the fact that I was going to work for Ryan Palmer. Everyone thought he was an amazing, talented, funny, and yes, a very sexy actor. I’d never commented to anyone about him, and not a soul knew that every night since I’d first met him, as I laid down to sleep, his face came to my mind, his eyes filled my thoughts, and I drifted off to sleep.

  Tonight was no different. Although, instead of seeing him lying in a hospital bed or standing in an airport terminal, he was sitting on a couch smirking at me with sparks lighting up his blue eyes.

  My alarm went off at four forty-five in the morning, just as it did every workday. I showered, threw my clothes into two suitcases, and then made sure I locked up the house before I left. I would call my neighbor and have her grab my mail and keep an eye on my place.

  I drove out to Ryan’s estate. It was about thirty minutes from my house and was nestled among rolling green pastures. The vibrant sunrise was shining on the front windows of the house as I drove up the winding driveway. The colors were reflecting brightly off the glass. I could barely see through it because of the reflection, but I was able to make out someone standing on the third floor. The person faced my direction, looking down on me. I knew instantly it was Ryan and my heart skipped a beat.

  As I climbed out of my truck, I watched him. With the sun shining in, it formed a hazy halo around him. He looked like the god I had commented on during my press release. I swallowed. What in the hell am I doing here?

  He walked away, and I wasn’t sure where he had gone. I directed my attention to the front door as I heard it open and Troy stepped out.

  “Jacquelyn, good morning!” he called from the entrance. He walked down the three stone steps that led to the walkway and out to the driveway as I made it around to the back of my truck.

  “Good morning, Troy.” Smiling at him was easy. He was a very attractive man and when his lips spread in a wide grin, his whole face lit up. I opened up my hatch just as he reached my side.

  “I’m glad you’re here. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep him calm.” He laughed as he spoke and reached in to grab one of my suitcases.

  “Why isn’t he calm?” I questioned as he put the suitcase down and reached in for the other one.

  He laughed again. “He’s been pacing since you left. He was afraid you weren’t coming back. I doubt he even slept last night.”

  I grabbed my laptop bag out of my truck and closed the hatch. I didn’t know what to say.

  “Come on, let’s get your things up to your room before we have breakfast. The team will be here around nine, and we’ll start going over everything then.”

  I followed him into the house and up the stairs. I didn’t see Ryan, but I knew he wasn’t far away. My heart was still beating more rapidly than I wanted it to. I took a deep breath as we stepped up onto the third floor landing. Troy started to walk across the bridge that led through the atrium, and I stopped—probably right where Ryan stood earlier—and looked out through the window at the beautiful sunrise.

  It took my breath away as I scanned over the land. “Wow.”

  Troy glanced over his shoulder and stopped, following my line of sight. “Pretty awesome view, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, one of the best I have ever seen.” I took another moment to absorb it and figured I would probably get a chance to see many more of them, so I turned back at Troy and smiled. “Where’s my room?”

  “Right down here. Ryan’s room is at the end of the hall, and I am across from you.” He walked to an open door, and I was hoping he didn’t hear me stumble when he mentioned Ryan’s room. I looked up and saw a door at the end of the hall. I was going to be right next to him. I swallowed again and hoped Troy couldn’t hear that either.

  I followed him into my room. It was bright and much larger than I expected it to be. The windows faced east, allowing the colorful sunrise to shine in. Troy set my suitcases down and turned to me. I stood just inside the door and took in the room.

  It was decorated simply, but elegantly, with dark woods and shades of greens and purples. If I had been the one to decorate this room, it would have probably been almost exactly like this, but nowhere near as expensive.

  “Hope you like it. Ryan had it redone recently. Your bathroom is through that door, and the other door is your closet.” He pointed to the two doors off to the side, and I nodded. Ryan had just redone this room. Had he done that for me?

  “It’s beautiful,” I said almost breathlessly, “Thank you.”

  “Hey, don’t thank me. Thank your boss.” He grinned and then moved toward me. I stepped aside so that he could get to the door. “You get yourself unpacked and then come downstairs. I’ll be out back on the patio. It’s a beautiful morning, so Ryan wants to eat breakfast out there.”

  I acknowledged him, and he left me alone to get settled. I guess what Ryan wanted, Ryan got. I shook my head and moved to one of my suitcases. It didn’t take me long to get my stuff put away and to lay out my toiletries in the gigantic spa-like bathroom. It was larger than my whole bedroom at hom
e. As I was zipping up my suitcase to put it away, I felt someone behind me. I spun around and found Ryan standing against the doorjamb, his hands shoved into his battered blue jean pockets.

  How did his eyes always have a way of making my heartbeat faster? He was wearing a light blue T-shirt today that brought out the little flecks in his eyes.

  “I hope your room is all right,” he said casually.

  “It’s beautiful, thank you,” I responded. I didn’t know what else to say with him studying me the way he was. There was a hunger in his eyes that I didn’t understand, or maybe I didn’t want to.

  He pushed off the doorjamb and came toward me, stopping a foot in front of me. “Nowhere near as beautiful as you are.”

  My heart pounded against my chest, my palms felt damp. I wiped them on my pants gently. I didn’t know what to say and I wasn’t sure I could speak if I tried. I could see that he did have circles under his eyes, making what Troy said about him not sleeping a more believable statement.

  He took another step closer as he reached up to touch the side of my face, his knuckles brushing over my cheekbones. I felt a pulse of energy run through my body as his hand slid over the sensitive skin. I couldn’t move as he came closer to me.

  He stopped just inches from my face. His eyes were intent on mine, his breath fanned over my lips, a slightly minty scent as it caressed me. My heart thumped so hard that I was certain he could hear it. I couldn’t help but lick my lips and swallow. He came closer to me, our lips a breath apart.

  I didn’t know what I was doing. I honestly didn’t want anything to do with this man, this movie star god who had everyone doing exactly as he asked. But, I also didn’t want to step away. A part of me wanted to know what it would be like to feel his lips on mine, to feel his arms around me. The intelligent, coherent part of me was ready to shove him away. It knew that everything this man was about was not something I should get involved in.