by Sharon Kleve
“Jeremy and I don’t have that kind of relationship.” She looked away, torn between wanting to tell him the truth and needing to keep Jeremy’s secret.
“That’s not what I heard.”
“As I said,” Gwen lifted her face to stare Rob in the eye, “we don’t have that kind of relationship. I wish…” Gwen paused, for wishing had never gotten her anything she wanted. It had taken hard work, and a lot of luck to be in the position she was now. Wishing was a pointless waste of time.
“If you wish hard enough, your dreams will come true.” Rob blamed his frankness on Luigi’s wine. It was a little too easy to drink and its effects were slow acting.
“If you work hard enough, your dreams come true,” Gwen muttered, more to herself than to Rob.
“Do you want to get married?”
“To you?” Gwen’s head shot up. Why was he asking her to marry him? In her current state of mind, it didn’t seem such a bad idea. He was kind and caring, had a strong loving family behind him and a lovely home to live in. Wasn’t that everything she’d ever dreamed of?
“To Jeremy Winters; aren’t you engaged or something?”
Gwen dropped her eyes, a hot flush crossing her cheeks. He hadn’t been asking her, only asking if she was to marry Jeremy. How embarrassing would it have been if she’d said yes?
“Jeremy isn’t the marrying kind.”
“He must be mad, you’re beautiful.”
The hot flush rushed across her cheeks again. She looked up into his eyes.
“You don’t have to say that,” she frowned, not understanding the earnest look he gave in return.
“No, I don’t have to say it but I want to. Tu sei la donna piu bella del mondo ed io voglio spendere il resto della mia vita con te . ”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you are the most beautiful woman in the world and I could spend the rest of my life looking at you.”
Gwen stood, not willing to listen to anything else. She’d never liked being the butt of anyone’s jokes.
“I’m going home now. Give me my keys. I can drive my own car.” Gwen swayed a little and grabbed hold of the edge of the wooden table as the room lurched around her.
“Whoa.” Rob leapt up and immediately regretted it. The last batch of Luigi’s homemade brew was more lethal than usual. “Look, I’m sorry. I seem to be constantly putting my big foot right in it. Please don’t be angry at me for saying that you’re beautiful. I just said what I thought, but I don’t want you to take it the wrong way. I promised you’d be safe here and you are, even from me and my stupid mouth.”
Gwen stared at Rob’s mouth. She couldn’t help herself and she didn’t think it looked stupid at all. It looked firm and determined, and yet soft and oh-so-tempting all at the same time.
“I promised Mrs. Devereaux that I wouldn’t leave you on your own but neither of us can drive. So, let’s make a deal: we both stay here and go back in the morning.”
“Stay here … with you?” What was he suggesting? Gwen didn’t know whether to be offended or excited.
“You can sleep in the bed and I’ll take the couch. It won’t be the first time.” He smiled like a little boy and Gwen could see what an enchanting child he must have been. How could any parent leave him behind?
Gwen found herself nodding, her eyes felt heavy, and the beginning of a headache made her yearn for sleep. Surely he wouldn’t go back on a promise?
“Come,” Rob took her elbow to lead her to a room off the short corridor. He leaned in to open the door, reaching around to switch on the light. “Oh God, I’m sorry.”
Gwen peered around the door jamb to see what he was apologizing for. Beautifully scented candles sat on the two tables either side of the large double bed, the delicate aroma of vanilla wafted on the breeze of the door opening.
The wrought iron bed sat in the center of the room, plain wooden boards lined the floor and a tall wardrobe and one plain dresser lined the white washed walls. The bed’s covers were folded back as beautiful red rose petals lay as they’d been scattered across their surface.
“This is Doro’s doing,” Rob stepped forward, his hands brushing the petals from the bed. “She’s a born romantic, she must have thought…”
“She thought we were lovers.” Gwen finished his sentence for him. How embarrassed did she feel now?
“She gets these ideas in her head and there’s no talking to her. I’ll explain it to her in the morning.” Rob opened a drawer and pulled out a long black T-shirt as he nodded at her dress. “You can’t sleep in that.”
“Thank you,” Gwen moved to the other side of the bed and waited pointedly for Rob to leave the room. She turned a little quickly, one hand reaching out for something solid to steady herself when she touched a small chilled pouch. “Is this Doro’s idea too?” Gwen snapped suspiciously as Rob focused on the unwrapped condom in Gwen’s hand.
“I’m sorry, really I am. This wasn’t my doing.” He reached over the bed, took the condom from her hand before holding out the T-shirt for her to take. “The bathroom’s through there, but if you need anything, I’ll be on the couch.”
****
Rob lay on his back, his hands cradling the back of his head. His eyes were closed although his thoughts wouldn’t let him relax. He had a beautiful woman in his bed but here he was, trying to fall asleep on the couch. How fair was that? He hadn’t planned to like Ms. Lancaster, but it was impossible to get her image out of his mind.
She looked so beautiful in that long red dress. A sexy slit up her thigh had revealed more leg than he was able to forget. The curves of her breasts above the strapless bodice enticed him and he’d found it almost impossible not to stare like a sex-starved hound.
To see her sitting in his kitchen, eating his food and drinking his sweet red wine, made him wish she had been the girlfriend Doro suspected her to be. He’d brought her here to make her feel safe, for the fear in her eyes had pulled at something deep within his chest.
He’d had many personal security jobs, it had been his specialty and he’d gained a reputation for being one of the best in the field. But none touched him in the same way as Ms. Lancaster. Nor had he ever brought one of them back to his home territory. There was something unique about Gwen. She held many secrets and he renewed his vow to found out what she feared so much.
He smiled at the thought of Jeremy Winters, and Gwen’s declaration that they would never marry. He’d already guessed at Winters’s sexual orientation, and it pleased him to know their supposed loving relationship was little more than a mutual beneficial pairing. Winters enhanced his name by partnering a well-known, well-liked author and Gwen gained a sense of safety by being ferried about by a man who didn’t want to get her into bed. Rob didn’t know how he’d react if they had been partners in the true sense for he didn’t think that simple fact would have quelled the emotion building in his chest.
He sat up as a distressed sound caught his attention. Silently, he pushed open the door that led to his bedroom. Gwen lay in the bed, the covers pushed to her waist although disappointedly to Rob’s thinking; she didn’t display anything he wouldn’t be happy for Doro to see. He’d given her a T-shirt which was too long, he decided.
He moved to the side of the bed as she whimpered again, one hand held to her mouth as though to smother the sound. Tears she couldn’t have known she shed wet her cheeks and flowed into her hair. Rob bent to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder but hesitated before he made contact, realizing it wasn’t the best thing to do. Instinctively, he realized he mustn’t wake her no matter how distressed she became. He guessed bad dreams were part of her life and she wouldn’t thank him for an intrusion into her private world. Regardless of how he had begun to feel about her, or how much he wanted to crawl into his bed and throw his arms around her, he knew he needed to back awa
y and leave her to whatever demons ruled her dreams.
Chapter Eight
Gwen stretched out in the large comfy bed moments before the pounding headache struck her brain. The delicious smell of coffee wafting through the air offered the kind of sanctuary she needed, but as she opened her eyes, she realized she wasn’t where she’d expected to wake up. This wasn’t her bed, and this certainly wasn’t her bedroom. The T-shirt she wore wasn’t hers and—gulp—she was naked beneath it.
The wooden blinds on the window allowed a little light to filter into the room, enough to give her a view of the unexpected scene.
Where the hell was she?
She sat up very slowly, and her eyes danced around the room as she struggled to remember the events of the previous night.
Oh yes, she’d gone as arranged to the restaurant although she’d been accompanied by the new driver and not Jeremy as planned. She remembered the tarty brunette with the low-cut dress and overly inflated bosom that sidled up to Denning.
Denning!
Oh my God, that’s where she was. She rubbed her eyes, and glanced at the unfamiliar surroundings as she remembered something about red wine, rose petals scattered on the bed and an unused condom waiting on the top of the bedside table.
Oh no, she didn’t! She couldn’t! But she couldn’t remember anything else, and as she slid open the top drawer, she found a new pack of three condoms with one missing. How tacky was it to sleep with a man she’d known for only a few hours?
How could she be so stupid? Denning was a damn good-looking man, and she hadn’t had the attention of such a man for far too long, but that didn’t mean she should have jumped into a stranger’s bed—especially one on her payroll. But the image of a large glass of a claret wine stayed in her head. Had he done this on purpose? Had he gotten her drunk just to get her into his bed? What if Denning was working for him to gain more incriminating photos?
She crawled out of the bed, and as her bare feet touched the smooth wooden boards, she noticed the dark red rose petals scattered across the floor. It hadn’t been a dream.
A tap on the door was accompanied by Denning’s voice.
“Help yourself to anything to wear in the cupboards. I’ve got breakfast on the go whenever you’re ready.”
Gwen sat on the end of the bed. It should have been a dream come true— a loving, handsome man making her breakfast—but instead it was a nightmare. How could she have allowed this?
After she used the bathroom, she dressed in a long black T-shirt and tight leggings, and hoped they weren’t his. She didn’t like the idea of wearing something that perhaps his last conquest had left behind, but she couldn’t fasten the red dress on her own and she’d be damned if she would ask for his help. She tucked her spare mobile phone into the pocket of the leggings and wrapped up her underwear in her red dress before she slipped out into the hallway. The sound of a horn from the street outside let her know the taxi arrived.
“There you are…” Denning stepped in front of her, his eyes appraising the gorgeous sight of her in his black T-shirt, but weren’t they Bonnie’s leggings? Doro had mixed up the laundry again.
“Don’t come near me, you bloody bastard!” Gwen punched Denning in the middle of his chest as he stepped between her and the front door. “You are a low-life, conniving brute,” she hissed, bringing her fist back for another strike.
“I don’t…” Rob began but stepped back as he realized how angry the woman was. “Where are you going?”
Gwen held the scarlet dress up to her chest as though for protection and although she was tiny up against him, her right fist was posed for battle.
“I’m going home where I should have gone last night. And don’t follow me. You’re fired! I never want to see you ever again!”
****
Rob sat in the high-backed wooden chair, his legs crossed at the ankles as he finished his coffee in a sedate manner. A half-eaten croissant lay forgotten on his plate, nest to a second loaded with fresh strawberries and an untouched cinnamon and raisin croissant.
It was his fault of course; he should never have brought her here. This was his home and he had no right to mix business with pleasure, no matter how vulnerable the client. Ms. Gwen Lancaster was a tiny bundle of trouble and he should just have taken her home.
“Where is your lady friend?” Doro stood in the doorway, her wise eyes flicking about the room and noting straight away that Rob was alone and unhappy about it.
“She went home,” Rob sighed and drained the last of his coffee before he rinsed it under the tap and placed it on the dinner plates in the sink.
“She didn’t like the rose petals?” Doro offered her soft cheek for a kiss and Rob gently obliged.
“Doro, she wasn’t that kind of friend.” Rob tried to explain but his aunt didn’t understand. Maybe she didn’t want to.
“You have never brought such a friend home before,” she smiled softly. Her head barely reached the broad expanse of his shoulder and he was immediately reminded of how tiny Gwen was. Was it right that he should be so protective over his client, a woman he’d met the day before? “I only wanted you…”
“I know, darling.” Rob’s arm slid around her shoulder as he pulled this wonderful woman into his embrace. “Ms. Lancaster is the client I’m paid to protect until Monday. She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Oh my goodness.” The small Italian woman stepped back, her hand held to her lips as she realized the enormity of her mistake. “I put something on the dresser, one of those things…”
“It’s okay, I took it away before she saw it,” Rob lied, not wanting Doro to feel any worse about the situation. He gazed down at the woman who’d become his mother. He’d never regretted his decision to live with her and he wondered what she would have thought of Gwen. Would they have gotten along? He liked to think Doro’s warm kindness would melt Gwen’s frosty exterior. Still, it was all too late now.
“Will you see her again?” Doro’s voice sounded hopeful and Rob knew how badly she wanted to see him settled down with a good woman—she voiced it often enough.
“Ms. Lancaster is just a job, darling.” He reached for the Merc’s keys and his jacket. He kissed her again, this time on the forehead as her hand reached for his.
“This lady isn’t just a job, bambino. You take care with her.” Doro reached up, and placed her soft lips on his cheek.
“I always take care, darling. Don’t you worry about me.”
****
Gwen sat up. Was that the front door? She put her pen down and rushed to the stairs, with her bare feet skimming across the lavish carpet. She looked down the stairs, and saw the silhouette of a large man. It could only be Denning.
“What are you doing here?” She started down the stairs, determined to show that he didn’t frighten her.
“I work here,” he muttered, not bothering to raise his head to look at her, although she wanted him to.
“I sacked you.” She corrected him. He looked up at her, but she couldn’t read the expression in his eyes. Was that relief? What did he have to be relieved about?
“And I told you that you can’t sack me. Mrs. Devereaux hired me and she’s the only one who can fire me. Now, since she’s out of the country until the beginning of the week, I suggest we just try to get on. What do you think?” He stood his ground and Gwen felt the need to back up a few stairs, if only to get the benefit of a little extra height.
“You don’t want to know what I think,” she hissed. She’d never met a man like Denning before. He could make her angry just with that sardonic smile.
“Perhaps I do.” His voice was soft and appeared- unbothered by the rage flushing across her face.
“I think you’re a lying bastard. You promised I would be safe, but you got me drunk and then you had sex with me.”
“Is that what you think happened?”
“Don’t take me for an idiot, Mr. Denning, because I’m not.” Gwen paused to take a deep breath. Regardless of the rage running through her chest, the embarrassment hurt deep inside. He’d assumed she was just a cheap one-night stand and the thought of that hurt more than anything else. “I don’t want you here. Pack your bags and be gone within the hour or I will phone the police and have you removed.”
She was better on her own, she decided as she turned her back on him and retreated up the stairs. She’d always been better on her own. Sam didn’t count, not really. He was family although he had no real idea of who she was. She’d only employed him because he couldn’t find another job, although she’d never tell him that. And he wasn’t so bad, she realized as she sat back down on the couch. He was very funny and knew what she liked and how she liked things to be. Denning hadn’t cared enough to find out; he wanted things on his terms and that wasn’t how it was meant to work. Wasn’t she the boss?
“I’m not going anywhere.” Denning stood in the doorway, his intense eyes brushing over her face. “You’d a little too much to drink, Luigi’s brew is potent if you’re not used to it and I have to confess I fell under its spell too. That’s why I didn’t drive you home.”
“I don’t care what you have to say,” Gwen snapped but she could see that Denning hadn’t finished.
“You slept in my bed…alone. I slept badly, I might add, on the couch, all night, on my own. Yes, there were rose petals scattered across the bed because my Aunt Doro had the crazy idea that I brought you home because I wanted to make love to you. She is desperate for me to marry a good woman and went a little over the top. The condom was her idea too.” He reached into his pocket and retrieved the offending item. “And here’s the other two… we didn’t have sex. I told you that I would keep you safe and I never break my promises.”
