Running from Fate

by Connelly, Rose

  James followed her in and shut the door. “Ms. Fairchild only has one bedroom,” he pointed out reasonably. “So it must be cramped. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stay with me? I could offer you a nice big bed.”

  As if. She spun toward him and crossed her arms. “That’s a rather weak argument James. I have to say that I expected much better from you. Anyway,” she asked suspiciously. “How do you know the size of Amy’s apartment?”

  “Despite what you may have heard about my lifestyle, I don’t date employees.”

  She raised an eyebrow.

  “All right,” he conceded. “I didn’t date employees until you.” He turned away and paced to the window. Things never went as planned when he was dealing with Mira. “I know the company who built her apartment complex,” he heard himself explaining. “And how did we get so off topic?” With a sigh he walked back to the table and pulled out a chair. “Why don’t you have a seat?” Perhaps he could think better if she wasn’t standing there glaring at him.

  “I’m fine standing.” Suddenly restless, she turned and walked over to the windows. She wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, but James was acting uncommonly nervous. For some reason her temporary living arrangements were much more important to him than they should have been.

  “I know that I’m being pushy,” James averred, “but have you thought about the fact that you could be in danger?”

  “I can handle Kim.”

  He crossed the room and laid his hands on her shoulders. Despite her bravado, her body was still fragile and too easily broken. He wasn’t sure yet what his feelings toward her were, but the thought of her being hurt tore at something in him. He moved his hands to her waist and pulled her back against his chest, wrapping his arms around her. Whether she wanted him to or not, he vowed, he would protect her.

  “Look,” he said softly. “I saw the state of your personal things. Anyone who could do that is either unhinged or very angry. That makes them especially dangerous. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

  Despite Amy’s assurance the other night that it was Kim, Mira felt a part of herself agreeing with his assessment. The thought that there could be some violent psychopath after her was terrifying. She leaned into James and wrapped her arms over his, gaining some comfort from the solid warmth of his body.

  “I live in a house with a state-of-the-art security system,” James continued. “And my butler could take on an armored tank. I promise that I’ll keep you safe. Say that you’ll at least think about it. I promise to be on my best behavior.”

  “Why don’t I just get a dog or get my own security system?” She shivered slightly as he rubbed his cheek against her hair.

  “I think that’s a very good idea.” He unwound his arms and stepped back. “I’ll get in touch with my security company right away. Fine,” he said when she glared at him. “I’ll give you the number and you can call. But,” he reminded her. “It will still be at least a week until you can move back in. Devon says that the profiler is still going over the place and clean-up hasn’t even started yet.”

  “All right,” she conceded. “I’ll think about it.” Damn it, she thought as she headed back to her workspace, she should have just avoided him. He was way too persuasive.

  **********************************************************

  Mira did think about it. While she ate lunch with Amy at a downtown café, while she made a few miniscule adjustments on a drawing, and while she consulted with her co-workers before beginning a new project, she thought about it. By the end of the workday she had made her decision. She was going to stay with James. They were bound to clash and she knew that there would be some problems, but his logic made sense.

  It wasn’t that she didn’t feel capable of looking after herself but, if there was someone after her, she couldn’t put Amy in danger. Technically, she didn’t relish the idea of putting James in danger either, but she figured that he could handle it better. Plus, it was probably his psycho ex-girlfriend causing the problem so he should help with it. Now, she thought as she walked to her car, all she had to do was tell him. The question was how.

  If she came straight out and told him that he was right he was bound to gloat. Then she might end up punching him. The best thing to do, she finally decided, was to brazen it out. She would show up at his door with her suitcases and act like it had been her idea all along.

  She made a quick stop at Amy’s to grab her things and swung by her own house to pick up some more clothes — from the pile that weren’t damaged — and other essentials.

  When she pulled into his driveway half an hour later, it was obvious that the confrontation would have to wait. His car was nowhere to be seen. With any luck the butler would at least be in and she would be able to talk her way past him. Darkness was starting to creep across the sky and she didn’t relish the thought of standing out here in the deepening shadows waiting for James to get home.

  The door opened at Mira’s second knock and she tried to come up with an explanation as she bent down and picked up her suitcases. To her surprise, however, she was asked no questions and instead was ushered right in. In fact, the battered, stoic face that she remembered from her first visit actually showed the faintest hint of a smile and there was a definite twinkle in the butler’s slate gray eyes.

  “We have been expecting you,” Winston said in his crisp voice with its faint British flavor. He took her suitcases and guided her toward the elegant staircase.

  Still slightly ill-at-ease in the man’s intimidating presence, Mira followed along meekly, but her curious nature finally asserted itself. “Who’s we?” she asked suspiciously. “I don’t see James anywhere and I’m sure that I didn’t tell him I was coming. How could you expect me?”

  Winston stopped in the middle of the staircase, almost knocking her over, and turned around. “The master can be very persuasive, but I apologize if I presumed too much miss,” he said as he looked down on her. Far from appearing sorry, though, he looked a little menacing and haughty and, somehow, disappointed. Mira had to fight against the urge to apologize, for what she wasn’t sure.

  “I’m sorry,” she suddenly heard herself saying. It was strange, she thought, but for some reason this bear of a man reminded her of Sister Beatrice. That woman had only to look at her and she had felt hell, or at least purgatory, nipping at her heels.

  Winston nodded regally, as if he had expected nothing less, turned, and continued the conversation as it there had been no interruption.

  “Despite his many faults,” he said. “James has always been a good judge of people. I assumed that, since he had brought you over here, you were a reasonably intelligent woman and would accept his logic. I promise that you will be safe here. Now,” he continued as he stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway. “I have put you in what was lady of the house’s room when this place was built many years ago. James is at the other end of the hall.” He turned to Mira and raised an eyebrow. “I assumed that you would want separate rooms. If that wasn’t too presumptuous of me.”

  Since that was exactly what Mira wanted this point, she decided to ignore his somewhat tart tone and, instead, tried to see him as an ally. “It’s perfect thank you.”

  “I’ll leave you to get settled then.” His forbidding face softened somewhat as he opened the door and sat her cases inside. “James has assured me that he will be home for dinner. It will be served promptly at 7:00. Don’t be late.” With that final warning, he backed out of the room and shut the door, leaving Mira alone and wondering what she had gotten herself into.

  Chapter 28

  When Mira came downstairs for dinner she found James leaning indolently against the sidebar in the dining room, sipping what appeared to be a glass of whiskey. As she walked into the room he sat down the glass and came forward to greet her. After a tantalizing, but brief kiss on the back of her hand, he pulled out a chair for her and walked around the table to take his own.

  She braced herself, expecting a
t least some gloating from him. After all, she appeared to be giving in completely. What person wouldn’t rub it in, at least a little bit? Apparently, James was in the minority and didn’t feel the need to do that as he said nothing about her appearance in his home. In fact, besides a noticeable gleam of satisfaction in his eyes, he did everything that he could to keep the conversation light, steering away from any touchy personal issues between them and sticking to work and amusing stories from his past.

  By the time he had finished a funny tale about an ill-fated college prank and dessert was done, Mira was feeling relaxed and comfortable and beginning to think that she had been wrong about his intentions. The sexual tension, at least on his part, seemed to have completely disappeared. He was, she thought with some ire, treating her exactly like a younger sister. When he reached for her hand and started pulling her toward the stairs, she was almost afraid that he was going to tuck her in and read her a story. Then she got a good look at his eyes. They were far from calm and unfeeling. They burned with an inner light that almost scorched her.

  “Where are we going?” she asked suspiciously. It was gratifying to learn that he was not unaffected by her presence, but she certainly wasn’t ready to jump back into bed with him. Not that he wouldn’t be able to talk her into it, but she wouldn’t be telling him that. “It’s only 9 o’clock,” she added a little desperately. “And I’m not tired in the least.”

  James ignored her attempts to pull free and determinedly continued up the stairs. “I’m taking you to bed,” he grated out. He had originally intended to do something relaxing with her after dinner. If only to prove he wasn’t the ravening monster she thought he was. They could have curled up on the sofa and watched a movie. He even had a few in mind. For her own safety and his own personal reasons, he needed Mira to stay. Making her skittish was the last thing he wanted. A tranquil evening would have been good for the both of them.

  Unfortunately, he had underestimated his reaction to seeing her sitting at his table. It was a great deal different from having her over for dinner. She looked like she belonged there. He could easily imagine her sitting and his table and sleeping in his bed night after night. It had stirred something primitive in him. There was no way he could sit calmly in a room with her for two hours without jumping her. It was much safer to leave her behind a closed door. She was going to her room whether she liked it or not.

  Well, she had been right, Mira thought as James continued to drag her. The fact that he seemed so desperate to take her to bed sent a sensuous tingle through her body, but she could not allow herself to be swayed. James may believe they could pick up their relationship as if nothing had happened, but she could still remember the look on his face as he had stood in her living room and flung accusations at her. Until she could be completely sure of herself and of him they needed to stay out of the bedroom.

  She took a deep breath and wrapped herself in the tattered remains of her flagging resolve. They had stopped at her bedroom door and he was still holding her hand. She pulled away and stood in front of him, braced for a battle.

  Instead of attacking her, his blue eyes clashed with her green ones and something in his gaze held her spellbound. When he raised his hands to cup her face, she found it impossible to move. His fingers stroked gently across her cheeks and, slowly, he lowered his head and settled his lips gently on hers. She thought that she had resisted but, as the soft kiss continued, Mira found her arms rising to twine around his neck. She grasped his hair, trying to deepen the kiss. He laughed softly and nipped her bottom lip.

  In the end, he was the one to pull away, leaving her standing bemusedly in front of her door as his whispered “good night” floated down the hallway.

  **********************************************************

  The next several days passed in almost the exact same manner. James always insisted that he go running with her in the morning, never on the same route in case they were followed— he was taking the perceived threat to her way too seriously—and then they ate a quick breakfast together and went to work in their separate cars. In the evening they had a late dinner before retiring to their separate rooms for the night. When they were in each other’s company James was unfailingly courteous, polite, and amusing. He hadn’t yelled, demanded, or even attempted to kiss Mira in days. It was driving her crazy.

  So, when Saturday morning rolled around Mira found herself awake and restive at an ungodly hour. The idea of spending an entire day, without even the dubious escape of work, with the exceedingly correct, distant man that James had become just didn’t appeal to her.

  With a muttered oath, she pushed back the blankets and jumped out of bed. She hadn’t seen a sign of Kimberly in over a week and there had been no hint of a threat since the night that her house had been broken into. She was restless and itchy and the idea of having an hour alone in the fresh morning air was sounding more and more tempting by the minute. As quickly as possible, she pulled on some clothes and her running shoes and tiptoed down the stairs.

  When she walked outside and the cool morning air it her face, Mira breathed deeply and sighed with pleasure. When her lungs were full she turned to the right and headed for the stretch of woods that bordered the estate. She had spotted a glimpse of what appeared to be a trail there on yesterday’s run and she was determined to find it.

  Twenty minutes later, as she ran steadily along the packed dirt path, she caught a glimmer of something sparkling through the trees. She kept up her steady pace and soon emerged into a large, tree-lined clearing with a beautiful, glistening lake in the center of it. The path curved and wound around the small lake before heading back the way it had come.

  As she topped a small incline and began the arc that would take her around the lake, she felt her troubles melt away. The air was sweet and pure, the soft hues of dawn blanketed the world, lending a magical quality to the light, and power was rushing through her body. At that moment Mira felt as if she could have run forever.

  She was still feeling that rush fifteen minutes later when she rounded the lake and started down the other side. Suddenly, from up ahead, she heard a loud rustling sound in the trees and the dawn chorus of birds went silent.

  With a wariness that was not yet alarm, she slowed her pace and edged forward. Something as simple as a fight between two squirrels or the presence of a fox could be causing the problem. Unfortunately, the noise got louder and this time it was accompanied by muttered swearing in a distinctly masculine voice. It could just be a hiker who was lost, she told herself bracingly. But her intuition, the weight in the air, and the prickling of her skin said something different.

  She stopped in the middle of the trail and debated the wisdom of turning around. The path back, however, would take longer and it was filled with lonely shadows. If she put on some speed and ran forward, she could get back to civilization that much sooner. She could take her chances and pray that she was faster than whoever lurked in the woods. As fast as the notion had popped into her head, she discarded it. It was too dangerous and her instincts were screaming at her. In a split second, she turned on her heel and sprinted back the way she came, but it was too late.

  A heavy weight smashed into her from behind, throwing her to the ground. She had a brief second to be grateful that the path wasn’t paved before he landed on top of her, pushing the breath from her lungs and leaving her momentarily dazed.

  By the time Mira had regained her breath, she was on her back with her legs pinned under a muscular thigh and her wrists held in a tight grip above her head. In the midst of her fear, she realized that there was something very familiar about the blue eyes and the shaggy blond hair of the man who stared down at her, but her brain seemed to have stopped working.

  She had always believed that she was a fighter, but now, when she needed it the most, her courage seemed to have fled. This man was muscular and strong and easily able to subdue any struggles. Fighting now would just get her hurt. She was not, however, going to give up. She choked
back the fear and tried to think. She may not have had his strength, but she had a decent brain. All she needed was a plan. Perhaps, if she could get him talking.

  “Who are you?” she croaked in a voice gone dry with fear.

  His eyes stayed frozen, but he moved his free hand to lightly circle her throat. “I’m the man who’s going to see that you get what you deserve.”

  She swallowed thickly, tasting the fear like a bitter pill in the back of her throat. His voice was hollow and his eyes held a sheen that could only have come from drugs. This was not a man she could reason with. “Please,” she begged. “Don’t hurt me. Whatever you think I’ve done, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

  “You ruined everything,” he spat out as his hand moved from her throat to her breast. He squeezed hard, laughing when she cried out in pain. “Now,” he continued as pushed his thigh between her legs, prying them apart. “I’m going to use you like the bitch you are. You know,” he mused and he squeezed his hand again and bent his head. “You might even enjoy it.”

  It was probably a very stupid thing to do, but she just couldn’t stand his greasy touch. The moment his lips touched hers and his tongue forced its way into her mouth, she bit down — hard. He yelled in pain and jerked back. With a quick prayer for accuracy, she bent her knee and slammed her leg upward, hitting him in the crotch. His voice went silent and he rolled away, hugging himself in agony. Mira was up in a flash and pelting down the path as fast as her shaky legs could carry her.

  Chapter 29

  James angrily paced the length of the foyer and cursed every stubborn, irrational woman who had ever been born. He had heard Mira as soon as she passed by his room, but by the time he had shoved on some clothes and raced downstairs she was already gone. It had been almost an hour and she still wasn’t back.