His Demands (16 page)

Thank
you and know how much you mean to me and because of that, I will never allow
myself to get close to you again. Take care my sweet, and may you find the man
of your dreams. Forgive me and forget this happened. You deserve much more.

Broden

As the tears continued to slip past
her lashes, Kaela realized she was falling in love with him. One word continued
to haunt her – monster.

Chapter
Six

Broden had never considered himself
a coward, although he was well aware there were some in his hometown of
Scotland who refused to speak his name any longer. His family name had been
sullied by his
actions,
or perhaps his actions after
the fact. Right now he felt like nothing but a yellow belly, one who’d allowed
an incredible woman out of his life without even a fight. As he stood in front
of the only place in town that seemed to give him any comfort, he shook his
head and gazed into the sky. There was going to be a storm later. The
blackening skies matched his ugly mood, everything reminiscent of that damning
day.

Even though it was late spring, he
was shivering from the wind whipping across his neck and face. He really hadn’t
intended leaving the house without at least talking with Kaela, but the instant
he realized she’d seen a glimpse into his wretched past, he realized he could
never get away from anything.
And especially the horrors.

As he stood on the banks of the
small lake, one surrounding by trees, he glanced across to the other side. The
graveyard was protected, a hallowed piece of confederate history. He’d found
the serene and very secluded place one day when he’d been running, or maybe
attempting to get away from the world.

Ever since the day he’d merely
happened on the beautiful spot a few months before, he’d come here at least
once a week. Only twice had he seen other people and the peaceful reverence
allowed him to regroup, perhaps pretend he was the man in the United States he
was portraying himself to be. Inhaling, the scent of oncoming rain and the
fresh flowering plants and trees reminded him a bit of home, and of the
loneliness he’d felt.
So damn lonely.

He rubbed his eyes, longing to find
solace and forgiveness at least within himself. Then again, he would never
forget. His burden in life was to carry the cross of losing her. His pain and
misery was deserved and there was no way he could allow another woman into his
life, to get close to him. Why would he even offer her a life with a man who
was…unholy?

As the wind continued to whip in the
trees, he slipped his hands in his pockets and thought about Kaela. He hadn’t
intended on the party or enticing her seduction. And he certainly hadn’t
intended to come up with such a ridiculous plan. As if he’d ever consider
firing her. The blasphemy was ridiculous, horrendous. The woman was his backbone
in the company, the only one who could take his moods, his odd behavior. She
challenged his authority as well as his libido. He’d imagined her coming to him
late one night, becoming the vixen he’d always known was inside, and offering
more than just her body.

At those very precious moments, he’d
become her warrior as well as her lover, and her hero. He was nobody’s hero.
Broden knew what he had to do with Kaela and while she would hate him for a
little while and he could lose her in his company, she would be better off in
the end. As he glanced back over at the graveyard, he could almost hear her
crying.
Samantha.
The lovely young
woman had entrusted more than just her body with him. For some reason he’d lost
control on one night, one freaking lousy night, and she’d paid with her life.

Of all the nights.
Of all the times.
They were developing something so special and he knew he cared about Kaela more
than any other woman he had in his life, including the very woman who’d stolen
his heart years before. As he heard the first claps of thunder, he groaned and
realized this was very much like the day she…the day Samantha died. Some
experts had told him the lack of electricity while others said her heart was
weak. They didn’t know for certain. None of the explanations mattered to him,
her family or to the closely knit community he’d grown up in. He and his sister
had been ostracized almost immediately. Broden had refused to allow his sister
or Samantha’s memory to suffer.

Sniffing, a tear slipped from the
corner of his eyes and he pushed back his sadness. He wasn’t allowed to be sad
or happy, nor did he deserve any success in life. He deserved to die. For a few
seconds he contemplated walking out into the water and remaining. Yeah. As if
he had the courage to kill himself. As the first crack of lightning flashed
across the horizon, he gazed into the sky, watching the ominous patterns the
clouds were making, crisscrossing the sky. His heart was heavy.

Swallowing hard, Broden held out his
hands, staring at the instruments of death. He darted his eyes back and forth
from hand to hand, the realization of what he was capable of never leaving him.
As if it should. “Fuck!” Raging to the wind, he threw his arms into the air as
another crack of lightning slammed down somewhere in the distance. He so longed
to succumb to the pain, relinquish control and
end
the
torture, but he couldn’t and he knew better. He was going to live out his life
as God intended, paying for his sins. Looking down, he was haunted by
Samantha’s playful laughter, something he never hoped he’d forget.

As the wind howled around him,
thunder rolling closer and closer, he was going to have to either face Kaela or
leave for a little while, just to clear his head. Neither idea suited him.
There were few choices. As the first drops of rain began to fall, Broden
glanced up at the sky. His mother was Irish and a song that always gave her
comfort he would never forget. The words seemed to flow…

“Oh Danny boy, the pipes,
the pipes are calling.
From glen to glen, and down the
mountain side.
The
summer's
gone, and all the
flowers are dying.
 
'Tis you, 'tis you
must go and I must bide.”

Lowering his head, the rain felt
good against his heated skin. And he allowed himself to cry.

****

“Shit!” Kaela jumped as the clap
grew echoed into the room. The storm was close. Folding her arms she had to
force herself to look away from the table. Tears
brimmed
her eyelashes and she growled in an attempt to fight them away. She wasn’t a
crier. She wasn’t a woman who succumbed to her emotions, at least not for years.
Then why are you crying?
Shaking her
head, she looked at the note again before tossing it down on the table. If he
didn’t want her, then Broden was missing out. Damn the man. Damn his bullshit
and his untrusting spirit. Damn his roguish behavior and harsh tactics.

And damn the fact he was so fucking
good looking. Laughing, she pressed her hand over her mouth, her tummy aching
just seconds later. She sauntered toward the window, thinking about the way he
kissed her, the way he’d touched her and for the life of her she was so wet her
pussy was aching with need. When she drew close to the glass, she remained
unblinking, watching the trees swaying, the dark clouds rolling. She could
almost taste his
lips,
smell him, his scent so very male.
Tilting her head to the side, she palmed the glass and sighed.

What could she really offer him
other than attitude?
Undying
love.
Shivering, Kaela wasn’t going to allow her mind to think about
this. She couldn’t. The single promise made to
herself
was just that. No love at any time.
Ever.
But you do.
Cringing, she looked away,
so many thoughts, so many ideas.
So many desires.
“Shit!” The clap of thunder followed by a hard strike of lightning meant the
storm was close, too close. She hated thunderstorms, everything about them. Her
teeth were chattering as she took a step back from the window. The rain was
just staring to pelt hard against the siding of the house.

She wasn’t certain she could help
him. How could she? For a few seconds she stood quietly, trying to control her
breathing, until the next hard strike of lightning made her recoil into the
corner of the room. “Fuck!” Shivering, she rocked back and forth as she crowded
the wall, so many ugly memories crowding the last vestiges of peace.
All she’d accomplished and all she knew she was as a woman, he
still had some hold on her.

After a few seconds and a rumble of
thunder, she snarled. “No more.” She was going to search the house for anything
that might help her, try and call Broden
and
she was going to be able to encourage him to come and talk with her.
Period.
The table reminded her of their passion and she was
determined to help him see how special they were…no they would be together -- one
way or the other.

Kaela walked by the window and something
caught her eye. Another flash was enough to send her reeling but even in the
darkness she could make out a form, someone lurking in the shadows. Straining,
she pressed her face against the glass.
“Oh God.”
There was no doubt in her mind the person was Broden. For some reason she knew
he could see her watching, waiting. Her heart was racing so badly a lump was
caught in her throat. “Broden…”

She was frozen, unsure of what to
do, or how to react. He’d come back and damn it she was going to find a way to
him, both mentally and physically. Her feet finally moving, she stumbled toward
the back door. Her fingers wrapping around the doorknob, she tugged. The door
refused to budge. “Fuck!” Slapping her hand on the doorjamb, she stared wide-eyed
at the lock. “No. No!”

She struggled and fought with the
door, finally managing to throw both open. Racing out into the rain, she
couldn’t see anything in the steady stream of water.
“Broden!”
She could see him standing on the outskirts of the property. Gripping the deck
railing, she shook her head, every part of her body shaking. “Broden, please
stop.” He seemed to be waiting, as if wanting her to come to him.

Her heart pumping, she raced down
the set of stairs, her feet flying. When she finally made it to the foot of the
stairs she stumbled slightly almost falling to the ground. The rain was heavy
and as Kaela moved forward, the sheet of rain blinding her.
“Broden!”
Kaela brushed her hand across her face and squinted. He was no longer there.

“No…no…” She ran forward but could
see he’d gone.
“Broden.”
As the rain continued pelting
down, she stood up straight, her lower lip quivering. For a few minutes she
remained still, staring at the forest of trees bordering the back of the
property. There was no reason to follow and no way
she was
going to find him. Broden didn’t want her to be in his life.

Shivering, she turned away, walking
back to the house, her resolve crushed. Kaela had no idea what to think as she
walked up the stairs, her feet heavy. By the time she walked inside, she was
freezing, soaked. How dare he do something like this! How fucking
dare
Broden not care enough to tell her personally he never
wanted to see her again. How fucking dare he! Fisting her mouth, she whimpered
and pressed her back against the wall, cramps settling into her stomach. There
was no way to describe what she was feeling. Maybe she wasn’t feeling any
longer.

She leaned her head against the
doorjamb, listening to the sounds of the storm. A myriad of thoughts were
jumbled in her head, but her gut told her the key to Broden’s behavior was
definitely whatever happened with the girl. Still shivering, she shook her head
and walked out of the kitchen and toward his office. The moment she opened his
door she knew he’d taken or locked up the file. Kaela pressed her hand against
her forehead and sighed. “Why?” What have you done? What are you hiding that’s
killing your soul?

Rational thoughts were difficult but
as the scattered bits of information continued to flow, she remembered Angel
had certain connections in her family that might be able to help her figure out
just who Broden was. However she knew if she said anything to Angel, Broden’s
past would be exposed, no matter what his previous life had entailed. She
weighed the concept, the worries but she knew what little she might gather from
the Internet she guessed would be just a portion of the story. Whatever
Pandora’s box
had him tied in knots, few men or women were
going to be able to help him. And now she was more than determined.

She wiped the water from her eyes
and lifted his officer phone receiver. As she dialed Angela’s number, she
stared out the window, praying he might just be there.

“Angel Barnes.”

“Hey.”

Kaela heard hesitation.

“Kaela?”
Angel scoffed.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“You?
As in
the you
best friend who suddenly disappeared without a single word?” Angel huffed.