Standing There (Love in the Park Book 1)

by C. M. Steele

  Standing There

  Love in the Park Series

  C.M. STEELE

  To Evelyn, Lynne, Mary, and Morgan.

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  Can two people meet in the middle of a crowded park and fall in love?

  Maybe, or maybe everything isn't as it seems to be.

  The music fills the park and the band on stage has the crowd dancing and moving to be music. Well, except for one man in particular. Roman stood there in the middle of the masses lost at the sight of a beautiful woman swaying to the music just ten feet away.

  As people moved around, he never took his eyes away from the woman who had changed his world in a blink of an eye. When she turns to meet his stare, he knows she feels it too.

  Lindsay had to get away from the handsome man that couldn't take his eyes off her. Her body gravitated toward him until a woman slid her hands around his waist. Repulsed and absolutely disgusted with herself and hating him, she left the entertaining music for a place to hide.

  Can Roman find his forever before she is lost in the crowd, or will the memory of her be all he has left?

  Copyrighted © 2018

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written expressed permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is purely coincidental.

  Cover design: C.M. Steele

  Cover Image: Deposit Photos

  The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as advertisement. Trademark names are used in an editorial fashion with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.

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  Prologue

  Roman

  I look at the file in my hand. It’s of the criminal, Stewart Guest. His most recent crime is stalking with the attempt to harm a minor, but he has a laundry list of arrests that span almost his entire life. He’s forty and a fucking total basket case that in my opinion shouldn’t be let out, but he got out on a technicality.

  A knock on my office door startles me, and I shut the file. “Come in.” Normally, I’m not this jumpy, but looking at this fucker’s record and the case itself has me on edge. I never wanted to take a client’s case more. This girl is in serious danger.

  My assistant comes in with a smile on her face. She looks at me and can clearly read my agitation on my face. Doesn’t move far from the door, almost skittish. I’m rarely ever irritated. “Mr. Moore is here to see you. I can tell him you’re not available if you’d like.”

  “Thank you, Laurie, but I’m fine. His case is very important. Please, send him in.” Moore’s the one who needs help from this guy. He sent me all the information this morning. I stand up and walk around my desk to greet the man, shaking his hand and pointing to the chair.

  “Hello, Mr. Moore, please, come have a seat.” He’s tall, about three inches taller than my six foot one. His shoulders are broad, so much so I should offer him a job here because his ass could work on my team. He’s much larger than me. It’s not that I’m small by any means, but my muscle is lean and athletic.

  “Thank you. I won’t be long. I need to get back to Lindsay.” He seems agitated. After seeing this guy’s record, I can’t blame him, but we are the best of the best. When I took over for my father, then made significant innovations, the company boomed. I have a huge staff of sixty, and my team travels all over to clients. Most are security for special events. Rarely they handle private details for some clients. It happens when people like Mr. Moore pay enough money.

  “I’ve already sent someone to her school to look after her. They’ll follow her home. She has only a week left, correct?”

  “Yes, she’s graduating in two weeks, but classes end this week. The damn bastard forced her to miss almost two years of school, so, unfortunately, she’s already nineteen. She doesn’t want to walk across the stage or anything, but they will do it for all the summer groups. It’s a combination of four schools in the district, so it’s about forty late graduates. I want your team to be in full force. I don’t trust this fucker. Money isn’t an object. I wish I could put a bullet in his head and end it all that way, but I’m not prepared to spend twenty in prison.”

  “Yeah, it would be nice if he met his end without you playing a part. Like the fucker gets hit by a car or something.” I could make it happen, I thought.

  “That’s a sound idea,” he says, rubbing his chin contemplating the possibility.

  Shit, I may have set the wheels in motion. I can’t let that go down because it’ll come back to me. We did our business as clean as possible. Some of our men have killed in times of need and inquiries always go in our favor with the authorities because our job sometimes necessitates it. “Well, I was just wishful thinking. It’s against the law even though his record is worthy of it. How is your sister handling it knowing he’s out?”

  He hangs his head in shame, and I don’t even need him to say what he’s going to say. “She doesn’t know. I don’t want to freak her out. She’s supposed to be going to college shortly after the graduation, but I’m afraid to let her leave.”

  “Why haven’t you signed her up for online classes?” That would be the smart thing to do. College campuses make easy fucking targets with their expansive lands and classes spread out over large quads. The schools my sisters go to have miles of buildings.

  He releases a heavyhearted sigh then explains, “Because she doesn’t want to do them. Hell, I don’t think she even wants to go to college, but she wants to be free from the fear. None of us can forget the trauma she went through.”

  “I’m sorry. I read the case file.”

  “She’s fortunate that my neighbor heard her. We moved from there because there was no way in hell I was bringing her back to the pain. First, the loss of our parents followed by the attack by someone who had been there for us when they died.” A nagging suspicion in me wonders if the stalker may have been the reason their parents died. I think it’s a coincidence, but you never know. I’ll have to take a look. Asking him when he’s already anxious seems a bit of a dick move. Instead, I return my focus to the mission on hand.

  “I’ll have a facial recognition scanner. I’ll make sure that we secretly scan every attendee.”

  “That’s a bit of a relief.”

  I open up my file for notes and begin questio
ning him. “No problem. It’s what we do here. Every guy on my team has been in the service or has been in law enforcement. They know what they’re doing. He won’t get her. Does she have a job outside of the house?”

  “No, we don’t need the money, so there’s no sense in putting her in serious danger for a few bucks.” I click on the picture he sent me this morning that I hadn’t looked at because my computer was down for some damn update that took too long. I did forward it to my team I assigned to her via secured email. Now that it’s up and running, I get my first glimpse at Lindsay Moore.

  I can’t believe my eyes. Lindsay Moore is fucking breathtaking. There are two pictures of her, and I rotate between the two several times pretending to be making notes on my laptop. One at fourteen with her family smiling so innocently. She looks so happy like there’s not a care in the world. I suppose because at this point there wasn’t a care in the world. Her parents’ death came shortly after this picture was taken. My heart’s clenching in my chest, feeling as if I can feel her pain. Then I take in the more recent photo of her cropped just to show her by herself, and there’s that smile again; this time it’s coming from a woman. The innocence of the past has washed away, but the genuine good-hearted nature is evident in that ear-to-ear grin. My chest is pounding. She’s sexy yes, but it’s more than that. I want a fucking piece of that happiness she’s giving. I clear my throat and respond. “That’s smart. I just want to know what we’re up against. Any boyfriends, or friends that she tends to go out with?” Even asking the question churns up a gut-wrenching, tortuous feeling.

  “She has one who’s a real pain in the ass. They are always together.” I hold back a growl that she has a boyfriend. I know that a woman this beautiful would have a man. I hate that I’m insanely jealous. It’s more than jealousy though. I’ve fully lost it. One look at her photo on my computer screen, and I’ve already staked my claim on her. I’ll deal with the guy and get him out of the picture today.

  “Okay, well if they’re together it makes it a little safer than going alone,” I mutter in response. “Do you have a picture of the P.I.T.A?”

  “Sure.” He pulls out his cell, and there’s a cropped photo with a cute girl. A wave of instant relief comes over me, and I release the breath I was holding to steady my emotions. I can see long blonde hair, so I’m assuming that the woman next to her had been Lindsay. I wonder if she’s really a pain in the ass or a young girl he shouldn’t be interested in? I know what to do.

  “Wow, she’s stunning.” A low rumbling growl comes from deep within the big man, and I chuckle.

  “Well, that answered my question. Now, good luck with that one.” I wink, handing him back his phone. “So, she doesn’t have a boyfriend that we need to be made aware of?” We don’t really need to know it, but I do.

  He looks at the photo once more before putting the phone away and answering me distractedly, “No, she doesn’t, Mr. Wolf.”

  “Call me, Roman. I’ll make sure my men are aware that there shouldn’t be any guys lingering around her, Mr. Moore.”

  “Call me, Brent. My sister means the world to me, and I didn’t protect her before. I won’t let her down again.” I nod because I can’t even fathom the pain and guilt he has been dealing with since this happened. I think back to the smiling beauty in the photo and know that she’s mine. One way or another after this is over, I’m going to win her. “Now, I’m going to let you get back to business as I have to get back to mine.”

  “Sure thing. I’ll see you at the graduation, but you won’t see me.” I give him a wink.

  He smiles and rises to his feet, and I follow along, walking him to the door and shaking his hand. “Good, the sooner this fucker is locked back up, the better I’ll feel.”

  Chapter 1

  Roman

  The shower sprays on me, my hand ever on my cock where it’s lived for the past three weeks. I hate myself for needing this so much. I close my eyes, stroking my cock from the leaking tip down to the thick base. Taking in a breath, I try to prolong the inevitable, but floods of scenarios run through my head. I thrust my hips forward, picturing her kneeling before me with her lips parted and bright blues looking up at me while she sucks on just the tip, teasing and tormenting me with a glint of amusement in her eyes. The humor disappears as she slides down my length, wrapping her lips around me. She moves back and forth off my cock several times, each pass growing bolder and sucking harder. I growl leaning one hand on the wall the other pumping my dick faster until I’m coming all over the tiles.

  I wash off and get out because I have a lot of security issues to handle, then a concert in the park with my sister. Shit, I forgot I have to pack for my work trip in the morning. After slipping on some shorts and a tee shirt, I make coffee and look for some food. I should hire a cook or something, but I’m not going to do that yet because maybe Lindsay likes to cook. Soon this will be her kitchen to do whatever she wants. I’ll let her make that choice. See, I’ve already laid out the future. As soon as this fucker is caught, I’m going to come clean with her, steal her heart, and fill her up with my babies. Damn, this is hell. Thinking about her, learning about her, falling in love with her all from a fucking safe distance.

  The past three weeks have been a mix of hell and pleasure. Ever since I saw her picture, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to stay away from her. I had to know her. I had to protect her. Fuck, I felt torn between breaking my rule and getting mixed up with a client or fucking going against the client’s wishes. He doesn’t want her to know about the stalker’s release, but I feel she should know. Then again, I don’t want to see the pain in her eyes.

  The day of the graduation, I fucked up and almost blew my cover just to say hello to her. My man interrupted my walk, stopping me from going to her. “What the fuck are you doing?” he said. I didn’t get pissed because he was right. You don’t risk your cover.

  After that, I stayed away. As hard as it’s been, I had to keep my distance. If I had to be there, I would have caved. They’ve even gone ahead and stopped telling me where she’s going because they know there’s a huge chance I might show up.

  Tonight, I’m actually taking the night off to take my sister out to a concert in the park. It’s a festival that happens every year, the Taste of Crest Hill. I’m sure my thoughts will be on Lindsay, and I’ll be looking for her everywhere. It’s what I do all the damn time. From the grocery store to my office lobby and even my house, I picture her there. I’m fucking too damn obsessed. Not like this fucker though, I could never imagine hurting her. He needs a bullet to his nuts first, then a few cuts before getting the business between the eyes. If he comes near her, nothing will save him from me. Nothing.

  I go into my kitchen for a cup of coffee. It’s three in the afternoon, but I love coffee. The doorbell rings, checking the phone surveillance, I see it’s my little sister and my dad. I walk to the door, then let them in. “About time,” Casey complains like a typical teenage sister. I’ve gone through two of those already.

  I bow mockingly. “Excuse me, madam. My house isn’t small. What brings you here so soon?” She’s not supposed to be coming for another two hours. That cut out one more fantasy of Lindsay tonight. I’m like a crack fiend or something. I haven’t seen her in a week, and it’s fucking painful.

  “Your mother and I have a date, and I didn’t want her coming on her own,” my dad fills me in.

  And the whining begins in 3…2…1

  “I’m seventeen, Dad. I have my own car even though you have excuses for me not to drive it most of the time. I could have come by myself.” I knew it. She’s as typical as they come, but I love her.

  “You’ve crashed twice.”

  “Fender benders,” she contests.

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  I break it up before she gets really pissy and doesn’t want to go which will likely happen. “Anyways…it’s cool. I have that movie you wanted to watch. We can see it before we leave.”

  “Yay,” she squeals, clapp
ing her hands together like she’s a little kid. I know she has a crush on the actor. I shake my head and chuckle.

  “I wanted to have a word with you about tonight.” Oh no. The way that came off, I know my dad has something shitty to tell me. “I need you to meet with the mayor while you’re there.”

  Yep, shitty it is.

  Chapter 2

  Lindsay

  It’s mad how packed the park is. Every year there’s the annual Taste of Crest Hill, but this year they have a Beatles tribute band called, Standing There. We search for a parking space in the lots they set up for the event. It’s a large festival at the end of every summer. People from outside the area come in to enjoy the music and food. We have our lawn chairs to sit, but I know the second the band comes on, we’ll ditch them for the stage. I came here with my best friend Katherine because we love the Beatles and saw this posted online.

  With over twenty-five vendors selling food and drinks, we get to taste so many different bites that you burn off as you dance to the band. It’s such a perfect night for the concert. No rain in sight and the breeze is enough to keep the summer heat from being unbearable. A couple other bands are listed, but they are all tribute bands of sorts. Some to the eighties, rock, and to the Stones. It’s been going on for three days and now as it closes out with the Beatles tribute band.

  We set up our chairs, swaying our bodies as Karma Chameleon comes from the stage. I look around a bit afraid of my brother. I didn’t tell him where we were going because I know damn well he’d show up and try to have a good time, but worry the entire night, never relaxing and enjoying. My attacker is locked up, so I don’t think having a violent crazy bastard hunting me is liable to happen again. Instead, I’m ready to have fun and live a little.

  “Do you want to get a drink or something to eat before they come on?” I ask her. I’m freaking starving. I was too busy getting ready to go out to eat.