Meadow's Keep (The Gatekeepers Series) (17 page)

When a
tap sounded at the door, Jasmine jumped as though she’d been caught doing something she oughtn’t. Eryk laughed, a low warm sound from deep inside.

As she got up, she looked back at him, “You jumped, too. Don’t deny it.”

She let Teresa in the door and took her into her arms. Her cousin felt thin and fragile in her arms. Stepping back, she saw worry lines etching her face. “You okay?”

Teresa nodded and saw the bag on the table. “I see Sandra sen
t you guys something to eat.”

“I haven’t even opened it, yet.” Jasmine apologized and stepped toward the bag.

Teresa grabbed her arm and stopped her. “That’s not why I’m here…well…not entirely. Sandra did want to know how you liked what she sent.” Teresa gave a soft laugh. “That girl has really stepped in. She has taken over the kitchen like it was her own. I guess she was paying more attention than Bill gave her credit for. Believe me, that’s not resting so well with his high and mighty, right now,” she added. “I suppose he needs to feel indispensable.”

Thinking of the girls downstairs, Jasmine smiled. “He’s not the only one.
”

“Bonnie and Claire.” Teresa said. “They really are good. You don’t have to worry.”

Jasmine led Teresa over to a chair. “You want something to drink?” she asked.

“No, thank you.”

“How is he?” Eryk asked.

“Doing well. Driving me crazy, which speaks volumes.
That’s why I’m here,” she said and waited for Jasmine to join Eryk on the couch. “Bill wants to make sure a confrontation doesn’t happen in public.”

She
looked at Eryk. “He thanks you for your help.” She took a steadying breath. “But he doesn’t want you to do that again.”

Jasmine was the one that spoke. “Why not? It save
d his life.”

The gaze
Teresa cast on her cousin was full of love. “He knows that. He just feels, and I have to agree with him, that he could turn Eryk here into nothing more than an IV bag full of energy. What he did for Bill depleted Eryk a great deal. Bill saw that.”

Teresa
turned back to Eryk. “We don’t know what’s wrong with Bill. But, whatever it is, it’s been progressing for some time. We don’t want you to feel it’s your responsibility to keep him going.”

“I don’t m—”

Teresa lifted her hand. “I know you don’t.” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I’m relaying a message.” She swallowed before she added, “I think you need to leave.”

Jasmine’s intake of breath came as a gasp
. “You’re asking him to leave Ruthorford?” Her voice was tight.

“For now. I think it’s for the best.”
Teresa rose, holding the back of the chair to steady herself. “I’ll let Sandra know you loved her gift.” She turned to Eryk , who’d seen her wobble and moved quickly to her side. “I’m fine.” She kissed him on the cheek. “You take care of Jasmine…and yourself.” With that, and before Jasmine could say anything, she hugged her younger cousin and walked out, closing the door behind her.

Jasmine
tried to hold back tears. When Eryk took her in his arms, she didn’t resist. “You don’t understand.” She spoke with a sob. “Teresa would never tell anyone to leave Ruthorford. It just isn’t….” She couldn’t finish.

“She’s right, though. I came
over here to suggest we get out of here, too.” He held onto her arms as she struggled to pushed away from him. “Jasmine,” he said, making sure she was looking at him, “you haven’t been yourself since we got here. I may not know you well, but the person I met—and the person I overheard talking with Jenn and the girls downstairs just moments ago—is not the person I’ve seen since we stepped foot in this town.” He pulled her back into his arms. “It’s like it swallows you up and you become something you think they expect you to be. You aren’t that person anymore.”

Every instinct
Jasmine had yelled at her to deny what he was saying. Except, he was right. Almost with relief, she swiped at the tears and nodded. He seemed to know better than she did what she was feeling. It had been driving her crazy, as though she’d regressed into someone who watched everyone else before she spoke. It felt like they were watching her, expecting her to become the girl she’d been before. She wasn’t that girl. She’d never be that girl again.

“Let’s put
our stuff in the car and go to Atlanta. I’ll get us a suite someplace swanky with two bedrooms—I promise to stay in mine until we figure all this other stuff out—and we’ll go see Bask tomorrow. Then, we’ll take that plane back to Virginia where you belong.”

“What about Dorian and Morgan?”

“We’ll come and take care of it. Maybe, by then, we’ll feel a little more settled about things.”

She didn’t ask what things he meant. Instead, she asked,
“What about Meadow’s Keep?”

“I don’t see why we can’t check that out. It’s in Virginia,
right? Not in Ruthorford.”

Jasmine felt the pressure ease.
This was the first time she’d ever looked forward to leaving Ruthorford.

Getting out of Ruthorford wasn’t quite as simple as throwing stuff in the car and heading out of town. There was Morgan and Dorian,
who worried that they’d driven them away. Eryk and Jasmine both promised it wasn’t them, that they just wanted some time in Atlanta before going to Abbott House. Jasmine even threw in a little white lie about going shopping, letting her fashion-diva reputation help persuade them. She wasn’t sure if they bought it or not, but they didn’t argue. Numbers were exchanged and promises made with extra hugs all around.

Unlike Jasmine,
leaving The Shoppe of Spells with Morgan and Dorian waving goodbye made Eryk feel like there was someone happily awaiting his return, a feeling he couldn’t remember ever experiencing. It made him smile and take Jasmine’s hand as they walked to the Land Rover. They drove down Main Street, did the U-turn, waved at Miss Alice walking down the street, and headed back up to the Abbott Bed & Breakfast to grab his clothes and check out.

They decided it would be better for Jasm
ine to say her farewells alone.

Chapter Eight

Teresa was sitting next to Bill when Jasmine stepped into their room. Bill was detailing orders for Sandra while Teresa was writing as fast as she could, rolling her eyes every now and again, just out of Bill’s vision. Bill didn’t stop when Jasmine walked in, but kept on shouting directions, corrections, and making a general nuisance of himself. Teresa just wrote and nodded, added, “Yes, Bill” or “I’ve got it, Bill” or “I will make sure she does it, Bill.” Jasmine was sure Teresa was thinking, “Get off your high horse, Bill” or something far more crass—which Teresa would never say.

Finally, he wound down and smiled at Jasmine.

Teresa hopped up as soon as she had a chance. “I’ll leave you two alone for a moment,” she kissed Jasmine on the cheek. Jasmine knew she had “the watch” while Teresa delivered orders and snuck a chance to do a few things for their guests.

Jasmine leaned over, took his hand and brushed a kiss on his forehead, as he’d done with her so many times. She closed her eyes and tried to summon the feeling she felt when the aura appeared. It didn’t come.
Damn
. She needed Eryk for that. So, she stepped back and did it the old fashioned way, studying him.

“Well, do I pass muster?”

She sat down on the edge of the bed. “Stop giving everyone such a hard time. You scared the hell out of us.”

“Just overworked.”

She made a face at him.

“Don’t you get impertinent with me, young lady,” he scolded
as laughter filled his eyes. “My, you’re a sight for these old eyes. How are you doing?” His voice gentled.

She couldn’t help but look down, the initial embarrassment flooding through her. She straightened her spin
e and looked him in the eye. It had taken a few sessions with Dr. Browne to accomplish this—not to be ashamed for something that wasn’t her fault. “I’m doing well. Safe Harbor has helped. Dr. Browne has helped. Jenn definitely helped.”

He squeezed her hand. “
You are a strong woman. I knew you would come through this. How about physically?” he asked haltingly.

“Healed. No lasting injuries.”

Bill’s eyes changed momentarily, filled with something akin to hatred. “I’d kill the son-of-a—”

She gripped his hand tight, not letting him finish. “I know you would and I love you for that
, but you need to understand, Rob was as much a victim as I was.”

Bill’s eyes widened. “I’ll grant you that
, at some point, those damn Guls drove him insane, but before that, Ian managed to entice him to leave the university and go to work for him.”

Jasmine had thought about this more than she wanted to admit. Now
, she chose to defend him. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting a better paying and more exciting job. It had to be incredible to think he was on the verge of such a discovery—a dimensional portal. I can see where he’d be lured.” Seeing his expression, she added, “Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t seen him, have no intention of seeing him, and won’t forgive him.” She tried to hold back the shudder that passed through her body remembering his cruelty and violence. “I’m just saying vengeance is not an option.”

His lips drew together tight. “All right,” he conceded, then changed the subject, raising his brows
. “Tell me about the magician.”

Jasmine let out a laugh. “Talk about frying pans and fires,” she said. “There’s nothing to tell. Met him at a state fair, brought him here at Bask
’s request.”

He slowly shook his head. “There’s more to this story, though I doubt it’s been written. He seems like a nice young man. Saved my bon
ey ass. You be happy, young lady. That’s all I want for you. You know that. And for you to know that I love you.” Bills cheeks heightened slightly. He’d never been one for being “mushy” as he called it. He always said actions spoke louder than words. In fact, this was probably one of the longest conversations Jasmine had ever had with him.

“I know.” She leaned over and rested her head against his chest, listening to the s
low steady heartbeat as she had after her parents had died. The sound of his heartbeat had soothed and comforted her. She felt his hand stroke her hair and the rumble of his voice in his chest when he spoke.

“I’ve missed our Yahtzee games. You owe me.”

She sat us, smiling. “Is that a challenge I hear?” It seemed to be the only game with enough chance that neither of them felt the other had an unfair advantage. When they were young, Dorian would join them, but he began getting too many Yahtzees and, although they would never accuse him of cheating, they wondered if his “charge” could be influencing his rolls somehow.

“Any
time, little girl. Any time.”

Teresa stepped in.
“Eryk’s waiting downstairs.”

Jasmine gave Bill a resounding kiss on the cheek. “I love you,” she said and turned before he could see the tears in her eyes.

“Don’t forget our game!” he called and she heard the hoarseness in his voice. All she could do was nod and get out of the room before she completely broke down.

Teresa followed her and took Jasmine in a tight hug.
“Go on, now. You have things to do.”

“Take care of yourself and him. I love you.”
Jasmine’s voice broke.

“I love you, too.
By the way…,” she halted for just a second, as if weighing her next words, “…I really like Eryk. He’s very different from Dorian, even if he looks like him.”

Jasmine
whispered, knowing Eryk could probably hear them, “You know, I barely notice that he looks like Dorian anymore.”

Teresa just smiled and put her arm around Jasmine’s w
aist and led her down the steps, through the lobby to the front porch where Eryk was standing, looking down Main Street.

He turned when he
heard them on the porch, saw the remnant of tears in Jasmines eyes and took a step forward. She gave a slight shake of her head and hugged Teresa one last time. “Call me. Call us, if you need us. Promise.”

Teresa’s smile didn’t reach her eyes this time. “I will. Go on, now.”

****

A few quick calls and everything was set. Jasmine watched
with awe the efficiency with which Eryk arranged everything. There seemed to be new sides to Eryk’s personality every time she turned around. She listened to the consummate businessman take command of the conversation and, in a most cordial manner, get exactly what he wanted.

Jasmine
leaned back in the seat and watched the rolling scenery pass by. She’d missed the lushness of the mountains of Georgia and those sloping pastures encircled by black—the favorite fence color of late, except for one purple fence on a small goat farm. It seemed like mile after mile afforded glimpses of horse farms and luxury. Trees stood tall and swept long limbs over the road, dripping color in front of them. She was glad he’d opted to take the back roads to Atlanta. He drove with confidence, appearing to know where he was going. Thank goodness for GPS.

Jasmine
watched his profile. She wanted to say something but didn’t know what or how. He probably hadn’t felt the sting she had when Teresa had asked them to leave. To ask a descendant to leave was unheard of and for Teresa to do so was monumental. Granted, the circumstances were unusual. It wasn’t done because of him but because of Bill. Jasmine wondered why it bothered her so much. Except for that, everyone had welcomed him, accepted him. There would probably be several discussions about it before they returned for Morgan’s delivery. Jasmine knew that, no matter what restrictions they placed on him, Eryk would offer his help if there was a need.

She must have drifted off.
It felt like they were in downtown Atlanta, pulling in front of the St. Regis, in no time at all. Eryk handed over the keys and led her inside.

“Good evening, Mr. Vreeland,” the Concierge g
reeted Eryk. “Everything is ready.” He handed Eryk a keycard.

“Thank you, Martin. It’s good to see you again.”

“You, too. How are your parents? We haven’t seen them in some time.”

“Doing very well. I’ll tell them you asked about them.” Only Jasmine heard the tightness in his voice.
With his hand barely touching her back, he guided Jasmine to the elevators.

They stepped into the quiet elevator and waited until the door closed.

“I take it you’ve been here before,” she spoke softly.

“I
’ve done shows for the Children’s Hospital Gala a number of times. They always go out of their way to accommodate us.”

“Money talks.”

When she stepped into the suite, Jasmine let out a low whistle. “Boy, does it talk.”

“I specified two bedrooms.
” He escorted her through the living room and opened a door to her suite.

She glanced around and down at her black jeans.
“I feel positively heathen.”

His eyes darkened to a forest green. “You look
positively delicious.” He took a step toward her and stopped when there was a knock on the door.

As the
valet brought in their bags and hanging clothes and put them in the separate bedrooms, Jasmine took the time to look at the luxurious bathroom. She stepped back into the living room and saw the fireplace and piano for the first time. A large dining room sat off to the side.

“Would you like me to unpack your bags, Miss
?” the valet offered.

“No,” Jasmine
said. “I don’t think so.” She felt as if she should have packed something a bit more elegant from her boutique, if she was going to let him unpack it. Now, that was a twist, packing for the valet.

Eryk walked over and handed her a glass of deep red wine, set
ting his aside, as he tipped the valet, and turned back to her with a toast. “To an evening where
nothing
happens.”

“Cheers,” she agreed and tapped her glass to his.

“They have excellent room service, if you prefer to eat in. Or, we can go downstairs.”

“I have a feeling they dress for dinner here and I didn’t bring anything—
”

His raised brow stopped her.

“Okay, maybe I did,” she admitted. “Can we stay in, anyway?”

From the look in his eyes, she wasn’t sure what she’d suggested was the safest idea.
Their eyes locked and the air in the room warmed.

She
jumped when her phone went off. Scanning the message, she looked at Eryk. “Is there some place I can get a printout?”

He walked across the room and
pulled open what she thought were a pair of closet doors. Tucked neatly inside was a fully functional office. Computer, all-in-one printer/fax, phone, and a shredder. She looked at the card on the desk, punched the number into her phone, and sent it. In a flash, several pages printed out. She picked them up and moved over to the couch, took a sip of wine, and scanned the sheets.

Eryk sat across from h
er, watching. When her eyes met his, her heartbeat did a staccato thrum. She couldn’t seem to move. Then it was gone. “Are we going to be able to do this?” She set the wine glass down.

“Yes.” He set his own glass down and moved over to the couch, sitting next to her. “May I kiss you, before I put my desire under lock and key?
I promise it will go no further.”

She swallowed. Had a
hint of an accent crept into his voice or was she imagining it? She sat perfectly still as his warm hands eased under her jaw and around her neck, his thumbs tilting her head ever so slightly. She closed her eyes.

“Look at me, Jasmine.”

Her eyes opened and she watched the color in his eyes change and began to swirl. He stayed a breath away for a long time, looking into her eyes. The energy was low and eased into her body. She felt his warm breath on her lips. Soon their hearts picked up the other’s rhythm and beat as one. Finally, his mouth moved down to hers, fitting as though they’d come from a matching mold. His tongue barely touched the seam of her lips and they opened, welcoming him. He kissed her thoroughly but never forced her.

It was the most sensual thing she
’d ever experienced. Jasmine thought she’d go crazy. She wanted to grab him and pull him closer—or push him back and fling herself across him.

Gently, he ended the kiss
. She felt bereft. He turned, picked up his glass, took a huge swallow of wine and moved to the chair across from her.

“What did you get, if I might ask?” He nodded to the papers lying
crumpled in her lap.

“Huh?” Her lips still tingled.
It took her a moment to figure out what he was talking about. “Oh,” she said, shaking off the feeling and looked down, quickly straightening the papers.

She briefly told him about Lily, sparing
him a lot of detail. “I told Jenn to have her choose people for the fashion show and send me particulars. Jenn opened up the clothes closet for her. I was scanning this report on the phone and wanted to get a better look at it.” She looked down and became lost in thought for a moment, then looked up at him. “She knows clothes…and style.” She slapped the papers on his leg. “I’d bet odds she comes from money.”