She knew, of course, that her reasoning was specious and she was telling herself a pack of lies in an attempt to give herself some moral high ground when in fact she was jealous. Jealous and uneasy with her own attraction to him. She’d long since given up dating and it hadn’t bothered her. Much. Until now.
Now she wasn’t so sure her plan had been a good idea. He didn’t look contrite or apologetic, he simply looked angry. And smug. Surely that wasn’t a good sign. She took a healthy swallow of her drink when she realized she’d lost sight of him in the crowd. Several people had meandered to the bar to order drinks and when they cleared out, he was gone.
She knew he wouldn’t just leave her here, but she had a moment of panic-- relief-- that he had. She had had far more to drink than she normally would because he’d insisted he was driving her home.
It had been a while since she’d really let herself relax and her victory this afternoon seemed like a good reason to celebrate. And her reaction to him had been another good reason to drink. Heavily.
She needed to step back and regroup. She could avoid whatever that self-satisfied smile had told her was coming, and come up with a backup plan for getting home if necessary and then come back to face him when she was properly prepared.
“I’m going to use the ladies’ room.” She told Charles as she stood up. She immediately regretted it when the room spun and she teetered a bit on her high heels. A pair of large warm hands circled her waist to steady her and for a moment she wondered when Charles had grown a second pair of arms. He was holding a drink in one hand and his other was resting in his lap.
She blinked a few times and looked up. Connor was there, grinning at her like a fool. And it almost took her breath away. She’d bet he was just thrilled with himself for catching her in a moment of weakness.
“Whoa, easy.” He said. “You’re mad wi’ it, aren’t you?”
“What?” She said. His accent was thicker than before and she had no idea what he was saying, or why his hands were still on her hips.
“You’re drunk.” He chuckled. “I know you told me to meet you later, but I just couldn’t wait to see you.”
Then he kissed her. It was quick, and hard. A big smack of his lips on hers that left her shocked and confused. Well, more confused. And slightly tingly.
“Hi,” Connor said, reaching a hand out to Charles. “Connor MacLachlan, Alexandra’s boyfriend.”
Boyfriend? BOYFRIEND?!
“You-” She stammered. “You …” Her mind was a blank. She couldn’t decide which epithet to hurl at him so she stood there silently stunned. Charles looked at her with confusion and then surprise. He took Connor’s extended hand and shook it.
“Charles Bennett. Nice to meet you.”
How the hell was she going to explain this to Charles? She didn’t want to worry him, or Janie, or any one else for that matter. It was bad enough that her father had to deal with this after everything else. She couldn’t deal with all the pity and fear all over again.
Pretending he was her boyfriend wouldn’t be the worst way to handle it. It would explain his continued presence until things were settled. When he stopped coming around, she could just say they’d broken up. It could work. And if his plan had been to put her in a difficult situation to embarrass her, then the best way to deal with it would be to pretend it was no big deal.
“You’ve heard all about Charles.” She smiled at Connor. “He’s one of my colleagues from work. The one I went to law school with?”
Connor didn’t miss a beat.
“Oh, yeah. Good to meet you.” Connor turned to her and winked. “Ready to head home, love?”
“Yup.” She chirped. “Just need to use the ladies’ room before we go.”
“I’d better help you get there. Doesn’t seem like you’re steady on your feet at the moment.” He grinned again and she wanted to knock a couple of his teeth out. Or kiss him. “See you around, Charlie.” He tossed over his shoulder as he ushered her toward the bathrooms.
As soon as they were in the hallway leading to the restrooms, she spun on him, almost falling in the process. She reached out and put a hand on the wall to steady herself.
“What. The. Fuck?” She gritted out. “I told you not to invade my life. What the hell was that?”
“That was me watching your arse, like I’m supposed to. I had no idea who he was and you’ve had too much to drink. For all I knew, he could have been some random guy, which meant for all I knew he could be a serial killer.”
“And the bleach blonde bimbo you were talking to is Mother Theresa, I suppose?” She shot back. “Besides, he’s not a random guy, he’s my friend and my co-worker, and you had no right.”
“Looked like a lot more than a friend and co-worker to me,” He growled. He looked positively murderous. “You were sending him so many signals you might as well have been a goddamn radio tower.”
“That’s none of your damn business. Even if I’d wanted to pick up a stranger in a bar, that’s my business, not yours.”
“When it’s my job to keep you safe, it’s literally my business. Picking up strange men in bars is the opposite of safe, which is precisely what I pointed out to the bleach blonde bimbo.”
She blinked. She hadn’t expected that. She’d figured he’d play the, “I’m busy tonight but give your number and I’ll call you tomorrow,” card. She gaped at him, not sure how to respond, or how much of that to believe.
Connor chuckled, which made her mad enough to spit.
“That was very noble of you,” She said coldly. “You’re practically a knight in shining armor, protecting all the fair maidens from the dangers of casual sex. I’m sure your girlfriend really appreciates that.”
This time, Connor gaped. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Don’t play dumb,” She snorted. “I heard your phone call. ‘What’s wrong, angel? I’m working now. I can’t come over until late, will you be up? The best, huh?” She imitated him, even going so far-- to her utter horror-- of affecting an accent. A terrible accent.
He blinked again, and then he laughed. Son of a bitch.
“I need to pee,” She huffed and turned away. He stepped around her and blocked her path.
“One, that accent was fecking awful. Just… just rubbish. Second, that was my baby sister.” Connor said, subduing his laughter, though his eyes still danced with humor.
“Right. You call your baby sister ‘angel?’” She said skeptically. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
“Yes,” He said. “Because that’s her name. Don’t ask me why, but that’s what my mother named her.”
She gave him a disbelieving look and his answering glare made her swallow. Hard.
He leaned forward pressing her back to the exposed brick of the wall. She could feel the heat from his body and smell his cologne. Woodsy, masculine with a hint of something spicy. Sexy.
“Listen, I understand this is uncomfortable for you. Few people enjoy having someone watch their every move, but this is my job. If I think you’re in a potentially dangerous situation, I will step in. And although I’m not sure why you’re interested in my personal life enough to be upset at the thought that I was merely talking to another woman while having a girlfriend, it was a simple misunderstanding which I have explained. I am an honest man, Ms. Hughes. If I tell you something, you can take it as gospel.”
She stared up at him intently, attempting, and failing, to ignore her intimate physical reaction to his proximity. She refused to be intimidated or made to feel foolish by him. Her concerns were perfectly valid as far as she was concerned.
How was she supposed to trust a man to protect her, to risk his life for her if necessary, if she couldn’t trust him to be honest? Before she could articulate any of that, he stood back and motioned her toward the ladies’ room.
“Go ahead. I’ll wait here.” He turned and leaned against the wall facing the dance floor.
Alexandra made her way to the ladies room which, thankfu
lly, had no line. She was even more grateful to find Janie inside, fixing her makeup in the mirror.
“There you are!”
“Here I am.” Janie said with a grin gesturing broadly at the room. Alexandra smiled. Janie could always make her laugh.
“How’s it going? You’ve been busy since I got here. I’ve hardly seen you for more than five minutes altogether.”
Janie caught her eye in the mirror and gave her a positively lascivious grin.
“I’m on the prowl.” She waggled her eyebrows for emphasis. As if Alexandra had any doubt what she meant.
As much as she resented Connor’s arrogance for swooping in to “rescue” her from Charles, he wasn’t totally wrong about the situation as he’d seen it. If it had been some random guy in Charles’ place, it would have been very stupid of her to drink so much and flirt so blatantly.
It wasn’t fair that women had to watch their words and actions and how they dressed and how much they drank to protect themselves from certain types of men, but that was the way of the world.
Because Alexandra kept herself off the market, she didn’t worry so much about the intentions of men she met in bars because no matter what, she wasn’t leaving with them. She was careful coming and going, but didn’t much think about what happened inside the bar because that’s where it would stay.
Women like Janie who were actually interested in meeting men for the potential for romance had to be careful when it came to what they said and did and how much information they gave.
“Any luck?” Alexandra asked.
“Some. Two numbers so far. Going to try for the hat trick before I head home.”
“Only two?” Alexandra laughed.
“I’m selective.” Janie shrugged. “I don’t take numbers I don’t intend to call. Why give any man false hope?”
“Very gracious of you.” Alexandra said. Aside from enjoying Janie’s stories about her adventurous dating life and a few happy hours here and there, she hadn’t given much thought to the possible risks of Janie’s lifestyle.
“Any immediate plans for the evening?”
Janie gave her a startled look.
“No, why?”
“I just want you to be careful, that’s all. There are a lot of assholes out there.”
Janie nodded as she packed away her makeup and did a final check.
“Oh, I know. Don’t worry, chica. I don’t go anywhere alone with a man until we’ve been out in public three times and I do a very thorough Google search.”
“And, I carry a taser in my purse, just in case.” Janie turned to her and winked.
Alexandra laughed.
“Good. Do me a favor then, will you? Make sure Charles makes it home safe and sound? I’m heading out.”
“Can do. See you tomorrow.” Janie waved on her way out.
“Happy hunting.”
✽✽✽
Alexandra had been quiet on the drive. Connor felt a little guilty about how hard he’d come down on her in the club, and for making up that story about being her boyfriend in front of someone who was a colleague. He felt like an ass. He knew better than to act without proper intel, and, despite what Alexandra thought, he wasn’t in the habit of inserting himself into the lives of the people he was paid to protect.
She’d asked him to stand back and do his job without interfering, which was precisely what he would normally do. Unless he needed to ask something or if there was something he needed them to do for their own safety, he was generally seen and not heard.
For some reason, he didn’t seem to be able to keep from antagonizing her. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her, quite the contrary. She was beautiful. When she was being sassy she was damn sexy. When she blushed she was unbearably sweet.
Each of those he could handle, but all three in one woman and he was out of his depth. The real hell of it was how quickly things changed. Whatever went on in that head of hers happened so fast that he couldn’t keep up. He was constantly changing tactics and apparently not fast enough.
He’d planned to give her a stern talking to about his job description and needing her cooperation, for her own safety and his sanity, but when she’d come out of the bathroom and told him she was ready to go, she’d seemed… subdued. She even gave him a tight smile as if she was trying to smooth things over.
She’d been quiet since, and without knowing which Alexandra was brooding out the window, he didn’t know where to start. So instead, they’d barely spoken two words to each other aside from her directions. He’d gotten the information before picking her up at work and already knew where to go, but he didn’t want to rock the boat.
He pulled into a space a few doors down from her brownstone and asked her, politely, to wait a moment. He got out, looked down the street, first one way, and then the other. Satisfied that there weren’t any places to hide in the vicinity and that no one was loitering suspiciously on the street, he turned and glanced higher up. He scoped out the buildings on both sides of the street and saw nothing to concern him.
He skirted the hood and opened her door, keeping a wary eye on the surroundings. He walked her to the front door, and as she turned keys in hand, probably to send him on his way, he motioned for her to open the door. She looked confused for a moment and then rolled her eyes. He wanted to smile, but this was purely professional and he didn’t want her getting the idea that he was trying to charm his way into her apartment for some other reason.
It was one thing to flirt, and he had been flirting he admitted to himself, in her office or the bar, but flirting at her front door or in her house where she was most vulnerable, was not something done lightly. His job was to keep her safe, and make her feel safe. That was hard to do if she thought she wasn’t safe from him.
She unlocked the door and turned again to dismiss him, but he gingerly took her elbow and escorted her through the door. He took a deliberate step back and locked the door behind them.
“Do you have an alarm system you need to disarm?” He asked softly.
“No.” She replied, looking a little uncertain. She was fiddling with her keys as if she might
need to use them as a weapon.
“I’m going to check the house and make sure it’s secure.” He said, keeping his voice low.
She took a steadying breath and relaxed a fraction. She nodded.
“Just stay here by the door and if I shout, I want you to run outside, get in the Hummer, lock the doors and call the police.” He added, handing her his keys.
She nodded. This time looking a little frightened.
“Just routine.” He said. He reassured her with a hand on her arm and he could tell she was shaking.
The hall light had been left on, or was on a timer, but the rest of the house beyond was dark save for a nightlight here and there and the glow from the streetlights streaming in through the sheer curtains over the windows of the living room.
He turned on lights as he went, making his way carefully from room to room on the first floor. He made it back to the foyer and held up a hand to Alexandra when she looked like she was going to say something. He followed the same process on the second floor, and returned to the hall.
“All clear.” He said with a smile. She nodded and gave him a strained smile. “I even checked under the beds.” He added with a wink.
Her face relaxed some and her smile became more genuine and he felt a warm tingle in his chest that he’d been able to lighten the mood a bit.
“Lock up behind me and call me first thing in the morning and let me know what’s on the agenda.” He said handing her a card from the back pocket of his jeans. She took it and stared at it, thinking hard.
“Good night, Ms. Hughes.” He said and made for the door.
“Wait. Do you have a minute? I mean, would you like a drink, water or something?” She seemed… nervous. Maybe a little scared. He could spare half an hour to try and make her feel better, couldn’t he? Angel’s hunk of junk wasn’t going anywhere.
“I wouldn’t say no to a beer.”
✽✽✽
What was she thinking? She couldn’t wait to get rid of him when he pulled up to the curb outside her house. Why had she invited him to stay a moment longer than necessary?
Because you’re scared.
She hated to admit it, but she was afraid. Her home had always been her sanctuary. The one place in the world where she could just be. The one place where she didn’t have to worry about other people and what they were thinking or what they would do. She felt completely and utterly safe.
She was used to being anxious to some degree almost everywhere else and she’d learned to cope with that. She hadn’t ever thought for a moment that she’d have to worry about being afraid in her own space, and the idea rattled her. Badly.
“I hope this is okay. It’s all I have.” She apologized, handing him a bottle. It was left over from the last get together she’d had. Someone else had brought it and she didn’t drink much at home so there were still several bottles in her fridge.
“This is great. Thanks.” He took a sip and set the bottle down on the coffee table. He sat in an overstuffed chair that was arranged next to the couch at an angle that made it convenient for conversation. He was perched on the edge, elbows on his knees. Casual, relaxed- everything she wasn’t.
Alexandra opted for water, head still spinning slightly from too many gin and tonics at the bar. She sipped at her water before tucking her legs beneath her on the couch and hugging a throw pillow to her chest.
Her house didn’t look like something a well paid attorney would live in, and she liked it that way. It was the one place she could be whatever and whoever she wanted. The chair Connor sat in was a bright turquoise, which matched the patterned throw pillows that occupied the grey linen couch.
The walls were the same color turquoise and prints hung on every spare inch of wall space. Van Gogh, Monet, Klimt- anything that she liked. She even had a few miniature reproductions of sculptures by Bernini and Rodin. She wasn’t an art expert, but she knew what spoke to her.
Her Protector Page 4
