The Romance Challenge, Complete Series Box Set: BBW Hot Alpha Billionaire Romance (15 page)

Just like I remembered. A bronze woman,
with angel wings, standing on a rock that formed the base. A flood of memories
rushed over me. Dad, Michelle and me, laughing as we tried to put it on the
Christmas tree one year. Our plan didn't work, and we nearly toppled the tree
over. I ran my hands over the surface, then shuddered slightly. This was most
likely the object the attacker used to hit Michelle. Nathan put his hand on my
shoulder and I let it stay there.

"That's the statue?"

"Yes."

"Is it damaged?"

I turned it over. Like Chuck said, the
felt covering on the bottom was pulled away, and the base was loose.

"Not really, not much. I can't
imagine why anyone would want to take this. I looked up the value after it was
stolen. Dad only paid about one-hundred dollars new. No way would it be worth
much more used."

"May I?"

I passed it to Nathan. He examined the figurine
and ran his finger over the bottom. "The base might have been removed,
then reattached. Any idea why?"

"Not a clue."

He held it up to the light. "If the
base was hollow, it would make a good hiding place. Judging by the weight, that
might be possible. Do you want me to take the base off? I'll be careful."

A sudden image flashed in my mind.
Michelle, lying in the hospital bed, her face pale as the moon on a cloudy
night. I shuddered slightly. Much as I wanted Nathan to step away, part of me
needed his strength right now.

He must have sensed my hesitation.
"Whatever we find, I'll keep confidential, I swear."

What if it was horrible? What if my dad
wasn't one of the good guys? Did I want to know?

I had to. "Have at it."

He pulled a knife from his pocket and
using the screwdriver attachment, loosened the bottom. I held my breath as he
pulled it off.

A part of the base
was
hollow. We
both peered inside but saw nothing. Something small, the size of a key, might
have fit in there. The angel itself was solid.

"Why do you think anyone would take
this? Did your father hide something inside?"

I took the statue back. Could I trust
Nathan, to tell him more of my life? "My dad, he gave this to Michelle. He
said it was special. And he told my mom that this angel would take care of
us." I put it on the table. I'd worry more about the mysterious statue
later. When Nathan wasn't around.  "How is Robert?"

"Let's take a walk. Get a blast of
energy going for our second shift tonight." He looked around the suite and
his gaze fell on the open wine bottle and empty glass on the table.

I almost said something, then remembered
him telling me not to apologize. This time, I wouldn't. I picked up my light
jacket and we went out, walking the same path we had before, using our phones
as flashlights.

"Robert is doing as well as can be expected.
I called Elena and she let his friend go home early to stay with him. Robert's
going to take time off, get with his family, make funeral arrangements. He
apologized profusely for his behavior, said he didn't drink much and the
whiskey he slammed hit him hard. Between that and the news about his mom, he
went kind of crazy."

"Is he in trouble?" I didn't
want the poor guy to suffer any more.

"I'll write him a warning, to go in
his file. But that's all. Unless you want to press further."

"No, I don't. And hey, thanks for
jumping in, back there, protecting me. I don't think Robert would have really
hurt me, but you never know."

A chilled nipped at my spine when I
remembered Robert's face. My dad never got violent when he drank as far as I knew.
He and mom used to argue, but at least they'd go to their bedroom and close the
door. Michelle and I would put in our ear buds and listen to music when they
bickered.

"I used to fight a lot, as a kid. My
automatic reaction, when I see violence directed at someone I care about, is to
return it. I shouldn't have grabbed him."

I hesitated on the next sentence.
"Most of these people, they're just like you and me. They have a story,
problems, crap going on in their lives. Those of us who are more fortunate, we
should help them, you know?"

A sigh. "I know. I'm working on that,
trying to remember."

We stopped, in one of the secluded areas
near the front parking lot. This one contained a wooden bench and a birdbath,
and backed up to a vine-covered fence. Several concealed solar lights provided
slight illumination, and the muted noise of the road traffic almost sounded like
waves. We sat down, and tucked in this alcove, the rest of the world
disappeared.

"Being with the staff, one-on-one,
I'm not so good at that. I'm used to dealing with high-powered men and women,
where we send emails and texts and don't talk much. Our fighting and deal-making
goes on behind the scenes. When we meet in person, we've all got on our
corporate masks. There's no real emotion. I've got so that behavior seems
normal now." Nathan leaned back and rested his hands on his thighs.

He looked, tired, I realized. He'd been
keeping long hours down here.

"You, you're so good at it, at
talking to people, all kinds. Connecting with them."

I shrugged, aware of his closeness, as
always. "I like people. I don't mind talking to anyone."

"That's true. You've always dealt
with me in an honest, respectful manner, the same way I watch you deal with
everyone here. You don't put on a mask. One of the many traits I admire about you."

Nathan stroked my cheek and though I
longed to lean into his caress, I drew back. My pulse raced, and the wind
brought his scent to me, almost making me whimper out loud. I wanted him so bad.

He knew it, too. I looked him in the eyes
and saw longing, with that slight touch of cockiness I'd begun to find incredibly
appealing. When he scooted closer to me, so close his breath warmed my skin, I
didn't move. Big mistake. He bent and kissed me, his mouth searching and hard. My
tongue met his before I could stop myself.

Instantly, I wanted him. Wanted to be back
in bed with him, naked. To feel our bodies touching, to taste his skin. He
wrapped his arms around me, one hand reaching up my neck and tangling in my
hair. With a low growl, he pulled my head back slightly and trailed his lips
over my throat, biting gently, then harder, at that tender spot above my
collarbone.

I barely noticed as he unbuttoned my
shirt, cupping one breast in his hand, pushing it out of my bra. He moved his
mouth further down, raining kisses along the way, until he reached my nipple. I
should stop him, should push him away. Heat flared through my blood and I let my
head fall back, swimming in the sensations rolling over me.

Desire, right at the top. I wanted to
surrender, to let my heart go and give myself totally to Nathan. Wanted to let my
guard down and enjoy making love with this man, whose hand now traveled to the
v between my legs and stroked me, right through my pants. I pushed against his
hand, wanting to feel the warmth of him.

He moaned, a sound so full of need I
responded automatically. I leaned back into the arm he had around my waist and
dug my fist into his hair, his head still bent over my breast. I trailed the other
hand up his thigh until I reached his cock. Hard, throbbing, right through his
jeans. I rubbed it, delighting in the gasp of pleasure that movement brought from
him.

How easy it would be to fall under
Nathan's spell, to let his skilled hands take where I so desperately wanted to
be. And then what? Back to reality. Nathan in his world, me in mine. Each time I
experienced this perfect bliss, the return would be so much harder.

I pushed away from him. "Stop."

He looked at me, eyes heavy-lidded with
need. "Don't pull away. Please. Let me."

"I can't." My voice choked.
"This will only lead to pain. I can't take any more pain." I stood.

"Amber, I wish you would trust me,
believe that I want to be with you." I heard the longing in his voice.
"I'm not going to hurt you." He rose as well.

Suddenly, the pressure of the day boiled over.
The fear and sorrow from dealing with Robert, my sister's situation, and my
mind going crazy with hunger for Nathan. I pushed him in the chest, hard. His
mouth fell open, and he stepped back.

"How can you say that? How can you
stand there and tell me you won't hurt me? You don't know. You don't know
anything. We have sex, once, and you act like we should start dating, like we could
be this happy couple. We can't."

He moved closer, but I held out my arm,
palm straight up. "Stop. After we leave here, we go back to the real
world. You'll pick up your high-flying life and I'll resume mine. There's no
way the two can work together. We're from different realities. I'm an ugly
duckling and you're a handsome prince and life isn't a fairy tale that ends happily
ever after. I can find my own way back."

I whirled and fled down the path toward
the hotel before he could see the tears running over my cheeks. My vision
blurred, and I stumbled once or twice but I hurried on, desperate to get away
from Nathan. Safely in my room, I caught my breath. Damn, how did I let that
outburst escape? There must be something in the air here, making me act wild. I
should be able to control myself better. All those crazy hormones I'd stirred
up, letting my heart fall for Nathan, were turning me into a tangle of messy
emotions. And I could not let my emotions rule.

The chime of my text pulled me from the
bathroom.

I'll handle the shift this evening. You
get some rest.

Good. He probably wanted to see me less
than I wanted to see him. A reply didn't seem necessary, so I didn't. He might
be mad, but I needed time alone. As I showered, I wondered if I'd gone too far
this time. I let him kiss me, touch me, and I kissed and touched right back. He
had to know I wanted him. My panties were soaked and my body responded to him like
a remote control. I teased him, then got angry and pushed him away.

No. I had a right to be upset. I'd asked him
to back off, and he refused. If Nathan got really pissed, nothing I could do about
it. He had to stop trying to seduce me, to get me to believe he wanted a
relationship.

Trust. He urged me to trust him, like I
was some naïve little girl. Sure, he'd always been honest with me. Ditto for
every business dealing I'd seen him work on. I never, ever heard about him
running around with women, or getting in trouble with alcohol or drugs.
Whatever he did, he did discreetly. He jumped in to defend my honor tonight,
and, since we'd been at Bay Paradise Resort, he'd done nothing but treat me
well. Damn it, he really was one of the best men I knew. Probably
the
best.

Blerg! I punched my pillow. It didn't
matter. I had more important things to worry about than love and I refused to
trust him with something as valuable as my heart, no matter how perfect he seemed.
No matter how much he tried to convince me that we could be together.

CHAPTER TEN

Saturday

I did my coffee-on-the-patio routine
again. Having a beautiful, secluded area all to myself to ease into the morning
gave me a boost I needed. Fresh air filled my lungs, along with the aroma of
the beans. Heavenly! I watched a family grab two kayaks and laughing and
chattering away, they sailed out into the bay.

The water was as smooth as glass, and the
sun shone bright. A perfect day for a vacation. We had some great trips, my
parents, Michelle and I. Growing up, I always figured I'd have my own family to
enjoy special times with. At the rate I was going, I'd be more like the crazy
cat lady, living by herself in a crumbling house with felines crawling
everywhere.

I shook my head to dispel that image. I
refused to journey down a dark path today. My future would be what I made it,
and I had a feeling, my life was about to change. Michelle's latest premonition
suddenly popped into my head. Someone chasing me. Who? Did she sense Nathan
pursuing me? Or someone more sinister. Michelle never gave details of her
visions. I didn't know if that was because she couldn't see the specifics or
because she didn't want to.

Should I ask her? No. I went inside to get
more coffee, then decided on juice instead. Michelle was just upset because I wasn't
home. Whatever she saw, it wasn't real. No one had any reason to chase me.

I pushed away my unease, got dressed and
focused on the day ahead. Facing Nathan was the last thing I wanted to do, but
we'd scheduled a meet and greet time slot for the morning, so I headed to Water's
Edge to pick up the coolers and ice. Our caterer arrived with bagels, cream
cheese and pastries, along with cardboard boxes of coffee and orange juice. I
got the music going and as I was in the middle of blowing up a balloon, Nathan
walked in.

He stopped, and the smile that formed on
his lips caused a rush of heat to flood my body. I let go of the balloon and it
fluttered away with a rude sound.

"I'm not even going to tell you what
I was thinking just now, watching you with that balloon." He moved further
into the room and went to the food table, an amused smirk on his face.

"Please don't. How are you?" I
put on my polite-girl smile.

"I'm fine. And you?"

"Fine." Okay, this was stupid. I
had to talk to him when we weren't standing close and my body wasn't begging
for his touch.

"Did many people show up last
night?"

"No, just two."

"Nathan, I…"

"Amber, I…"

We both stepped towards each other, then
both stopped, and smiled.

"You go first," he said.

"I know you keep telling me you want
me, but I just can't. I can't let anyone in my life right now. If I led you on
last night, when we kissed, I'm sorry. I seem to lose control when I'm close to
you. So we shouldn't get close again. Please. Now, what were you going to
say?"

"I'm sorry, for two reasons. For
digging into your family business, first of all. You told me you want me to
back off, and I will."

"And the other reason?"

"For last night. For not putting a
damper on my libido. When Robert came after you, I lost it. That adrenaline
pumping through my body, it made me crazy. Made me want to protect you, to show
you how I feel." He brought his hand up, then dropped it.

"But you've told me how
you
feel,
so I'll respect your wishes and leave you alone. For now."

That last sentence he delivered like a
challenge. Like there would be a "later."

Fine. Let him think that. As long as he
kept his distance while we finished this job, I'd be good. I wouldn't get
distracted by those ocean-deep eyes of his that even now, threatened to pull me
in and take me under. Wouldn't pay any attention to the way my heart raced like
a gazelle when he got within two feet of me. I could handle Nathan Cameron, no
problem.

I stepped back a pace. "Thank you.
For both apologies. Want to help me blow up balloons?"

+++

I told her I'd leave her alone, and I would.
Mostly. I needed to be more subtle, to show her I wanted her, but let her make
the next move. Needed to not get so close to that luscious body and definitely
needed to stop touching her. Shit, every time I did, I wanted more. I got hard
watching her blow up a balloon, picturing those lips around my cock. Pathetic.

I saw in her eyes, she wanted me too. But
I also picked up the distrust and fear, too strong to let her other emotions
rule. Guess I couldn't blame her. From what she told me, her life had been pretty
rough. I got that. I knew about not letting yourself trust. Anyone.

So my mission would be, show her I meant
what I said. Show her I wanted her, and would put the effort into making a
relationship happen. No, life wasn't always a fairy tale, but like I told her,
I got what I wanted. And now, I wanted that happily ever after, for both of us,
and I intended to show her it was possible.

Our meet and greet flowed smoothly. I felt
more relaxed talking to the employees today. Having Amber around helped. I didn't
lie to her; she had great people skills and got along with everyone. She could
talk to the employees, make them feel special. I saw them respond to her, shy
or defensive at first. Then, she'd give them that cute, warm smile, and they'd
smile back. Soon, they'd be chatting about cats or dogs, or whatever the hell,
laughing along with her.

I
paid attention to her all morning. Maybe some of that charm would wear off on
me, the cold, tough guy, trying to relate to the staff.

The more I watched, the more I wanted her
in my life. She radiated such joy, even though I knew she faced problems. Why
didn't she have a boyfriend? From our lovemaking that night, I learned she was
shy about her body. Did she really consider herself an ugly duckling? She
looked perfect to me. The face of an angel and I loved her lush body, all
curves and softness. I shifted in my seat and adjusted my growing cock. Not
going to think about Amber's body.

Late morning she got a phone call. She
moved to the back of the room to take it, but when her eyes opened wide and her
face turned bone-white, I walked back to listen in.

"What does he look like? Okay. I'll
be careful, I promise. Thanks for calling me."

"What's going on?" I wasn't even
going to pretend I hadn't heard.

"That was Chuck Taylor. He said Max,
from the pawnshop, called him and made a confession. The man who originally
brought the statue in, paid Max five-hundred dollars to notify him if anyone
ever bought it. Max was supposed to get an address, or some way to contact the
buyer. After Max sent the package here, he gave the guy my name and shipping
info."

Hell. Not good news. Just what Amber
didn't need. "What did Chuck find out about this dude?"

"Nothing. Max was drunk, or drugged.
He cried on the phone to Chuck, told him he was sorry, he needed the money,
blah, blah. I guess the guy had a fit of conscience and decided to own up."

"So the only information the dude has
is your name and address here, right?"

"Sounds like it. But maybe he could
track down my sister. Or my mom. I need to call them." She started to pace.

Damn, this woman was unbelievable. Her
first thought was for her family, not that
she
might be in danger.
"I'll have someone watch their houses, patrol their neighborhoods."

"You don't need to do that."

"I want to. My guys are discreet.
They won't be seen and they won't contact any members of your family directly
unless there's a problem. Tell your mom and sister not to talk to anyone they
don't know. Give me their addresses, then call your family. Now."

She gave me a look, her eyes narrowed and
forehead drawn. I could have made my tone less demanding, but we needed to move
fast. Concern for her family won out over any argument she wanted to make,
though, and she gave me the addresses. I texted my assistant the information
while listening to her phone call again. I could almost see the wheels spinning
in her mind, and imagined she was looking for the right words, to warn her
family but not scare them.

"Hey mom, I want to let you know, I've
got the angel statue. And, there might be some guy contacting you about it.
Don't talk to anyone. It's a long story. I'll tell you when I get home."
She paused and her lips drew into a thin line. "No, I didn't do anything
else
to ruin Michelle's life. I wish you'd quit saying that."

Another pause, and this time I saw tears
wet her eyes. "We don't need to have this conversation again. I've said I
was sorry as many times as I can. Yelling at me won't make Michelle better. I'm
doing my best to take care of her." She swiped her hand across her cheek.
"I need to get back to work. I'll call you when I get home."

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she
plopped down into a chair. "Well, that sucked the sunshine right out of
today."

I risked putting a hand on her shoulder.
She didn't shrug it away.

"Bad feelings from your mother?"

"Yes."

"Want to talk about it?"

But two staff members walked in.
"Call your sister, and whoever else you need to. I'll talk to these guys."

Amber was back at my side five minutes
later, a smile in place, but not one that reached her eyes. Tension rolled off
her. We finished the afternoon and while she packed up, I checked my texts to
make sure my security guards were being dispatched, then pushed back my
schedule for an hour. Work could wait.

"Give me that." I nudged her out
of the way and pushed the cart. "After we put this away, you're coming
with me for lunch."

"Look, I told you…"

"Not a date. Just a quick bite, at Water's
Edge. Then take time off until our next shift later tonight."

We got the food put away and settled in at
a table. I'd never tire of this view, if I looked at it the rest of my life.
The ocean in California was beautiful in its own way, but there was something
special about the water at this southern tip of the country. Smooth as silk, quietly
lapping at the shore. The bay could hypnotize anyone into staying here, like
the sirens of Greek mythology.

I wanted to spend time on this island. Playing,
not working. Preferably, playing with the beautiful woman sitting across from
me, whose shoulders slumped and mouth turned down into a frown. I especially
wanted to kiss the sad away, to bring back that smile that lit up a room with
her spirit. Sensing she needed a few moments with her thoughts, I checked
emails on my phone until our food arrived.

"Want to tell me about your
mom?"

"No." She bit into her sandwich.

"That didn't sound like a real
friendly conversation."

"It's usually not so bad. Mom's under
a lot of stress right now. Her husband's sick and her stepson is having issues
with bullies at school. She doesn't need more crap."

Again, more worried about her family than
herself. Whatever her mom said to her cut deep. I wanted to ask questions and
offer more comfort but knew she would push me away.

"Listen, I want you to be very
careful now. This guy, he knows you're here. He could come after you, for
whatever he wants."

"I'm always careful." She took
another bite, and I resisted the urge to wipe a spot of mustard off her mouth.
Or lick it off.

"Be extra cautious. Tell me about
your dad. What would he have put in that statue if he wanted to hide something
and leave it with you and your sister?"

She blew out a breath and for a minute, I
thought she'd tell me to piss off.

Then she sighed. "I guess you deserve
to know, since you're footing the bill for a security team."

"I would do that anyway. There aren't
any strings attached to that offer. I'm only trying to help you."

My annoyance must have come through in my tone
because she allowed a small smile to cross her lips.

"And I appreciate it. Really. My dad,
he was a police officer, then a detective. Your typical, Irish cop. Loud, liked
to drink, half-crazy. He loved Michelle and me and we adored him right
back."

Her eyes took on a shine, remembering
better days.

"Mom worked part-time in a clothing
store at the mall when we were kids. She wanted to be around the house to take
care of us. We didn't have a lot of money, but I don't ever remember going
hungry or wanting anything. Well, just the stuff all girls want growing up. A
pony, a trip to Europe, you know."

"No, I don't know. I didn't grow up
with my sibling."

She cocked her head at me, like she wanted
to ask questions. I wouldn't answer if she did. I wanted to talk about her, not
me. "Go on. What might he have hidden?"

"I can't think of a thing. I remember
when he brought that statue home to Michelle. I was a bratty teenager, she was
still kind of sweet. I got pissed because he bought her something and not me.
But later, he slipped me fifty bucks, told me not to tell Mom." She
grinned. "Anyway, the night he brought home that statue, he was all
smiling and happy, twirling my mom around the room and dancing to some goofy
song. He told her we were set, that we'd be living the good life one day
soon."