ã€ŠHER BODYGUARDã€‹


 1

    In the past four weeks, Kimberly ke had known someone was following her. She could sense it so clearly, that prickly sensation down the center of her spine, hair standing up at the back of her neck, goosebumps marching an eager path down her arms. Someone was there. When she went shopping for groceries, when she got the mail, when she dressed for bed at night. Someone was watching.

    She hadn¡¯tmunicated her fears to anyone, because she feared they wouldn¡¯t believe her and think that she was crazy. Hell, she was actually beginning to think that she was a little bit crazy. Because no matter how weird she felt, she never saw anything to prove that she was being followed.

    But she felt it. She just knew. Somehow she did.

    Who would want to harm her? She often wondered. Fine, maybe she got into a little quarrel and disagreements with people¡­ Everyone did. She was sure it wasn¡¯t enough for someone to want to hurt her¡­. Or was it? People could do really weird things sometimes. For really little things.

    Though you couldn¡¯t be too sure. Her family was wealthy and they had a lot of family friends. Her father and his friend Christopher Keane sometimes held parties at the house. Parties Kimberly usually found boring. She knew most of the people who attended just came to show off their designer clothes and brag about theirtest achievements. The women regarded food as an enemy and the men were so damn arrogant for her liking¡­ People who thought they could get anything they wanted because they had wealth. Sometimes she couldn¡¯t understand why her father hung out with such people.

    She was an only child. Her mother, ra ke, had died when she was still a baby. So she had no memories of her. But she had seen pictures of her and most times she wondered what it would have been like growing up with her mother. It wasn¡¯t so easy when she was a teenager and wanted to talk about things she didn¡¯t feel like talking about with her father. Things she felt her mother would have understood better. And most times she envied her friends when she saw them with their moms.

    Her father, Hiry ke had loved his wife so much and he had been so broken when she died. He never remarried. So he raised Kimberly as a single father. He was filthy rich. He owned his ownpany. And so Kimberly nevercked anything¡­ At least, not any material item.

    Hiry loved his only daughter and only child so dearly. He would do anything for her and everyone who knew them knew that. Kimberly was the apple of her father¡¯s eyes and he would do anything to protect her.

    Kimberly knew this too. She was Twenty five years old and she headed one of her father¡¯s branches. She would soon inherit her father¡¯spany and she knew Hiry would do anything to protect his lovely daughter and heir to his fortune. Which was why she didn¡¯t tell him about her recent suspicions about being followed.

    She knew that if she did, he would immediately order her to do something crazy like move back into his mansion. And that was thest thing Kimberly wanted.

    Kimberly loved being independent. She loved having control over her life and she hated being told what to do more than anything. That was another reason why she hadn¡¯t told her father how she had been feelingtely. She wanted her freedom and she knew she wouldn¡¯t have that if she continued to live in her father¡¯s big house. She also preferred being known as her own person. Not the daughter of billionaire, Hiry ke.

    She didn¡¯t want people walking on eggshells around her and so she hardly told people who she was¡­ Though some people did. Mostly those at work.

    Kimberly loved simple things¡­ And beautiful things too. She had an apartment not too far away from her office and not too far away from her dad too. She didn¡¯t want to be too far away from him. He was all she had and vice versa. And besides, he wouldn¡¯t even let her go too far away from him even if she wanted to. Good thing she didn¡¯t.

    She loved her father dearly. Which was another reason why she didn¡¯t tell him about her worries was because she didn¡¯t want to bother him. She hated to see him worry. And she wasn¡¯t going to bother him about something she wasn¡¯t entirely sure about. She kept it to herself.

    The only person she told about it was her best friend, Phoebe Martin. Phoebe and Kimberly were childhood friends, and they had a very strong bond. They thought of themselves as sisters and told each other everything. They had sworn from childhood to protect and respect each others¡¯ confidences.

    Kimberly needed one person in her life to whom she could say anything. Phoebe was that person. And Kimberly told her everything. And so Phoebe knew about the weird feelings Kimberly had been havingtely.

    But even if Phoebe had tried her best to convince Kimberly that she was just being paranoid, her reaction at first was tough long and hard. Which was another reason why Kimberly wasn¡¯t sure telling her dad was such a good idea.

    ¡°You know when I tell you stuff like this, I expect you to be a good friend and try to make me feel better¡± Kimberly had said to Phoebe. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you tough. Quit being an asshole¡±.

    But Phoebe hadughed some more before she said. ¡°Ohhh¡­ Maybe it¡¯s a vampire. Stalking you¡­ Who knows maybe you are his ¡®mate¡¯ and he¡¯s you know¡­. Protecting and watching over you.¡± She said, cing emphasis on the word ¡°Mate¡±.

    ¡°You know what? I¡¯m done with you. You are an idiot. Just forget it¡± Kimberly had said, smiling.

    ¡°Rx, Kim¡± Phoebe said, finally getting serious. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing, and you are just stressed. You said it yourself that nothing has been out of the ordinary. It¡¯s just a feeling. I¡¯m sure it will pass. Besides you have me. I will watch over you¡±

    Kimberly smiled. Maybe Phoebe was right and she was worried for nothing. If someone wanted to hurt her. The person would have done it by now. Why lurk around in the shadows? She was imagining things. This was one of the effects of watching too many horror movies.

    She wanted to believe Phoebe. But the weird feeling stayed with her. And no matter how much she tried not to think about it. She did, because she couldn¡¯t help it.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

 2

    Kimberly looked at her wrist watch and sighed.

    Okay, maybe deciding to finish work before going to her father¡¯s house was a bad idea. It was her father¡¯s birthday and he had invited a few friends to a party at his house.

    Thest thing she had wanted to do was miss her father¡¯s birthday. But from the look of things, she was going to bete. But at least she had bought a gift.

    She groaned as her phone rang. She checked the caller ID. It was her father. He was obviously calling to know where the hell she was. She picked the call and held the phone to her ear using her shoulder.

    ¡°Hi dad¡± she said, trying to sound cheerful as she tried to concentrate on the file in front of her and listen to her father at the same time.

    ¡°Where are you, pumpkin?¡± her father sounded unhappy and Kimberly groaned again. She hated when he sounded like that.

    ¡°You are not really going to miss my birthday, are you?¡± her father asked.

    ¡°I will be there soon, Dad. I promise¡± Kimberly said. ¡°Has the party started?¡±

    ¡°Yes it has,¡± her father replied. Sounding even more distressed -if that was possible. ¡°And you should have been here before it did¡±.

    Kimberly nodded. She knew he was right. ¡°I¡¯m on my way, Dad. She said.¡±Just give me some time¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    When she hung up she sighed and looked at the papers scattered all over her desk. She couldn¡¯t even remember why she had made the decision to finish with work in the first ce. She shouldn¡¯t ce anything before family. And her dad was her only family. He shoulde first. Especially today.

    She began to pack up. She arranged the files and stacked them on top of her table. Then she grabbed her jacket, which was draped on her chair headrest. She grabbed her bag and headed downstairs.

    Most of the staff had gone home so the premises were almost empty except for the security guards around. She waved goodbye to one of the guards, Philip as she got into her car.

    She had to hurry home and get dressed. She didn¡¯t mind showing up at the party in her work clothes. She didn¡¯t care about such things, but her father did. And it was his birthday. It wouldn¡¯t cause any harm to do things his way tonight, especially now that she waste.

    She got to her apartment and parked her car. Then she rushed upstairs. Searching her bag for her keys all the way to her door.

    ¡°Ha, found it¡± she said with relief as she withdrew it from her bag.

    But as she reached forward to slide her key in the lock, she paused.

    Something was wrong.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    She wanted to scream. But she didn¡¯t.

    Her door was slightly open. The lock had been tampered with. It wasn¡¯t too noticeable and she only noticed because she had pushed the door when she tried to slide her key in. Kimberly lifted one hand to her mouth and bit her lower lip. Someone had gotten into her house.

    She pushed the door open and looked inside. Everything looked fine¡­ Just like she left it. Perhaps the thieves had taken what they wanted and left. What could they be after? She asked herself.

    She walked inside and looked around. Everything was intact. She rushed to her room¡­ Still intact. She went to the drawer beside her bed where she kept some cash. The money was still there.

    She stood upright, clearly confused. Then she walked back into the living room. If the person or people who broke into her house didn¡¯t take anything. What could they have been after? She wondered.

    Her mind drifted back to the weird feeling that she had been having. Maybe it was a stalker. She thought. Finally showing himself or herself.

    She picked her phone from the table where she had dropped it, intending to call the police. A noise behind her made her start. She turned to see a man standing behind her. His hair was dyed green and he had narrow, wicked eyes.

    Kimberly looked at him closely. She had never seen the guy in her entire life.

    ¡°Drop the phone, pretty¡± he said with a wicked smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes.

    Kimberly didn¡¯t move. Her phone was still in her hand and it was still locked. The man wasn¡¯t holding a gun, but that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t harm her. She looked to her right. Her door was still slightly open, so she made a run for it.

    Only she hadn¡¯t taken more than two steps when wicked eyes grabbed her. He pulled her down on the couch and fell on top of her. Her phone fell from her hand and he shoved his knee between her legs.

    ¡°Where the hell is this mother fucker?¡± he said and Kimberly wondered what the hell he was talking about. The man was definitely crazy. She thought. Well she wasn¡¯t going to let him do whatever he nned to do without a fight.

    With massive effort, she brought her knee up and jabbed him in the groin. He groaned in pain and let go of her. But apparently she didn¡¯t hit him hard enough because as she jumped up from the couch, he caught her and hit her across the face.

    While she was still reeling, he mmed her back down, pinning her with his hand.

    Barely conscious of her face anymore, she stared wordlessly. ckness threatened, the room seemed to tilt.

    ¡°Bitch¡± wicked eyes said. He grabbed the front of her shirt. Buttons flew. Kimberly screamed. A loud, blood curdling sound that filled the space between them. Kept on screaming until he shoved a hand, the one he had been using to pin her down, across her mouth. She bit him, hard, and struggled into a sitting position.

    ¡°Listen to me, damn it¡± she said. He pushed her, but she shook herself free. ¡°Just listen to me. Look, I have money, okay? My dad has money. And I can give you any amount you want. Just leave me alone and I won¡¯t even try to call the cops¡±

    ¡°Oh for God¡¯s sake.¡± Wicked face swore. He hit her again. ¡°Shut up, Bitch. I said shut up¡± He looked around. ¡°Where the fuck is that bastard?¡±

    Kimberly felt something warm trickle from her mouth. Her lip was starting to swell. She saw his distraction as an opportunity. She jabbed him in the groin again, using all the strength she could muster this time. He let her go as he groaned in pain. Then she got up and ran to the door.

    She yanked it open, but she ran straight into another strange man. She was about to scream again when the second man put something over her nose and mouth.

    Thest thing she thought before she inhaled the sweet, sticky smell and everything went nk was that her Dad was going to be so, so worried.

 3

    Hiry ke looked at his phone again and checked the time. The more he looked at the phone, the more worried he got. Where was Kimberly? He asked himself over and over again. Had she changed her mind abouting home?

    If she had, she could have just called him and told him and told him that she couldn¡¯t make it. There was no need to ignore his calls.

    He tried calling her again, but this time the phone was switched off. Hiry ke began to panic. Christopher Keane, his long time friend, stared at him and moved closer.

    ¡°Is everything okay, Hiry?¡± Christopher asked. ¡°You looked worried¡±

    ¡°I have been trying, but I still can¡¯t reach Kim,¡± Hiry replied. Looking even more worried than ever.

    ¡°Damn it¡± Christopher said. ¡°I guess she must be really busy. Remember she said she was at work. I¡¯m sure she is just busy with something. And whatever it is, it must be very important. Just try to enjoy the party. Kim is a big girl and I¡¯m sure she¡¯s fine¡±.

    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s a work issue, she would have called and told me about it. She said she would be here soon. And she should be by now. I can¡¯t enjoy the party if she isn¡¯t here and I don¡¯t know where she is. Something must be wrong. I have a bad feeling about this¡± Hiry said as he looked around while Christopher looked at him sympathetically.

    ¡°I should call Phoebe, they always make ns and go out together. If anyone knows where Kim is, it¡¯s her.¡± Hiry said.

    ¡°Good idea¡± Christopher said.

    Phoebe picked the call after the fourth ring. ¡°Oh hi, Mr ke¡± she said cheerfully. ¡°Happy birthday. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t make it to your party, I¡¯m sure you are having a great time though. How¡¯s Kim doing?¡±

    Hiry sighed deeply. ¡°She isn¡¯t here Phoebe. She said she was going to be here soon and she isn¡¯t. That¡¯s why I called you. I thought you might know where she is¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr ke. But I don¡¯t¡± Phoebe said. ¡°But maybe she¡¯s just stuck at work. She was really looking forward to the party too. I will try and see if I can reach her¡±.

    ¡°Please do that. Thank you¡± Hiry said as he hung up. What Phoebe said had made him even more worried. Kimberly never did stuff like this.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know where Kim is either,¡± Hiry said to Christopher. ¡°What if she¡¯s in some kind of trouble?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a few minutes,¡± Christopher said. ¡°And if she isn¡¯t here or we don¡¯t hear from her. We are calling the cops¡±

    Hiry liked that idea. He nodded in agreement. Kimberly was all he had. He couldn¡¯t lose her. Couldn¡¯t think of what he would do if he did.

    His phone rang almost immediately and Hiry almost dropped it. He fumbled in his haste to see who it was.

    ¡°An unknown number?¡± Hiry hissed. He didn¡¯t have time for this right now. But he picked the call and lifted the phone to his ear.

    ¡°Hiry ke¡± he said impatiently and obviously irritated.

    ¡°Hello, Mr ke, I trust you are having a great time at your party. Listen very carefully¡± a voice he didn¡¯t recognize said. ¡°We have your daughter, Kimberly, and if you want her to continue breathing, you will do exactly what I tell you¡­ And I mean EXACTLY what I say¡±

    Hiry froze. And he almost dropped the phone. He nodded helplessly. Forgetting that he was on the phone.

    He moved into the nearest room, away from the guests and motioned for Christopher to follow him, which Christopher did.

    ¡°Do you understand what I just said?¡± the harsh voice on the other line barked, and Hiry clutched the phone to his ear tightly.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Hiry said. He could barely recognize his own voice. Beside him Christopher stood. He was beginning to look worried too as he saw the fear written on Hiry¡¯s face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to involve the police,¡± the man said. ¡°Trust me, I will know if you do. And you won¡¯t believe what I will do to your daughter if you try to mess with me. You don¡¯t want to take chances with your daughter¡¯s life.. Do you?¡±

    ¡°No I don¡¯t¡± Hiry said. His hand shook. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt her. I will do whatever you want¡±.

    The man on the other endughed. ¡°Just what I thought. You will do anything for your daughter. Now what I want is really simple, and it shouldn¡¯t be too hard for you¡­. Since you are¡­ You know¡­. You¡±.

    The manughed again, and all Hiry could think of was how badly he wanted to wrap his hands around the bastard¡¯s throat. He didn¡¯t say that though. He kept quiet and kept his thoughts to himself. For Kim¡¯s sake. He didn¡¯t want to do anything that would put Kimberly in more danger than she already was. God! Who knows what they might have done to her already. He thought.

    ¡°Money.¡± the man¡¯s voice said, interrupting Hiry¡¯s thoughts. ¡°That¡¯s all I want. You have a lot of it so like I said before, it shouldn¡¯t be hard for you. All I want is a ransom of Forty million. And I want it in cash. I don¡¯t want the damn police tracking me through the fucking bank. I will call you to let you know where I expect the money to be. I don¡¯t think I need to remind you that I have your daughter. If you do anything stupid like involving the cops, I promise you that I will slit your daughter¡¯s throat and I won¡¯t think twice about it.¡±

    ¡°I want proof that my daughter is safe and alive,¡± Hiry said hurriedly before the man hung up. ¡°How do I know that you truly have her¡­. Or that you haven¡¯t killed her¡±.

    ¡°Oh your daughter is alive alright¡± the man said. ¡°But she definitely isn¡¯t safe.¡± Heughed again. And Hiry had to bite his tongue to keep from telling the idiot to burn in hell.

    ¡°I will let you talk to her for a few seconds,¡± the man said. Hiry heard a few muffled sounds and people whispering before he heard Kimberly¡¯s voice. His heart sank when he heard how distressed she was.

    ¡°Dad,¡± she said. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m scared. Please get me out of here. They broke into my apartment¡­. I¡¯m¡­.¡±

    Hiry didn¡¯t hear anything else as the phone was snatched from Kimberly. He heard her scream ¡°Dad¡±.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°You heard her. Hope you are motivated now¡± the man said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hurt¡­.¡± Hiry began, but he said the remaining words of that sentence to himself as the man hung up.

    Hiry sat in a nearby chair. Scared for his daughter¡­. And angry as hell. That bastard better hope he never found him. He thought. But for now, he was more concerned with finding and bringing his daughter home.

 4

    When Hiry ke¡¯s phone rang again, he could barely hear it. His thoughts were on Kimberly. He wasn¡¯t a religious man, but he prayed Kimberly was fine. That they wouldn¡¯t hurt her. Kimberly was all he had.

    ¡°Your phone is ringing, Hiry¡± Christopher said. He looked worried too. ¡°We can¡¯t start panicking now. You have to pull yourself together so we can figure out how to help Kim. Before they hurt or God forbid, even do something worse.¡±

    Hiry nodded in agreement and checked the caller ID. It was Phoebe. He held the phone to his ear with shaky hands.

    ¡°Mr ke, I can¡¯t reach her¡± Phoebe said. She sounded so distressed and obviously she had been crying. ¡°I went to apartment. It was open. Someone messed with the lock. The living room was scattered. Like there was some kind of fight in it. I think something really bad has happened to Kim¡­ And no one knows where she is¡±.

    ¡°I know¡± Hiry said, almost surprised he could even speak. Though he hardly recognized his own voice. ¡°I just got a call for a ransom. They didn¡¯t even waste any time. Kim has been kidnapped and they threatened to hurt her if I involve the police¡±

    Phoebe burst into tears. ¡°Oh my God. I¡¯ming over. Mr ke¡± she said, before she hung up.

    When she got to the house, the guests were leaving. Hiry had announced that he had to end the party because some important family matter hade up and it had to be handled immediately.

    Phoebe met Christopher in the living room. He was talking to some guest who were wanted to know why such a nice party had to end so abruptly. ¡°Where¡¯s Mr ke?¡± she asked him sniffing, her eyes red and swollen from all the crying she did on her way there.

    ¡°He¡¯s in there¡± Christopher said, gesturing with his hand. But you have to calm down a bit. I know Kim is your best friend and it¡¯s okay to be scared for her safety. I am too. Very scared. But right now we have to encourage her father and be there for him. Try to make him see that we will do everything possible to make sure Kim gets out of this. If he sees you this way he¡¯s only going to get more worried. Please¡±

    Phoebe nodded. Knowing he was right. When she saw Hiry, seated in his office, looking lost. She wanted to start crying all over again.

    ¡°This is partly my fault¡± she said to Hiry.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°How?¡± Hiry asked.

    ¡°Two weeks ago, Kim told me that she had a feeling that she was being watched and followed. I should have made here to you to talk about it. But instead Iughed about it and convinced her she was just being paranoid. If only I hadn¡¯t, she wouldn¡¯t be in this mess. This is all my fault. She¡¯s in this situation because of me¡± Phoebe said. The tears fell freely again. She couldn¡¯t help it.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault¡± Hiry said. ¡°How could you have known? What we should focus on right now is ensuring that Kim stays safe and find a way to bring her home.

    Phoebe nodded.¡± But how can we do that without involving the police?¡±

    ¡°Did she see anything suspicious?¡± Christopher asked Phoebe as he appeared in the doorway.

    ¡°No¡±, Phoebe shook her head. She said it was just a weird feeling. I guess she just knew something was wrong some how.

    Christopher nodded and Hiry stood up.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Christopher asked as Hiry walked out of the office.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know¡± Hiry replied. ¡°Gonna go think of a way to save my daughter¡±

    When he got into his room, he locked the door and sat on the bed and then buried his face in his palm. He had toe up with something¡­ and fast.

    He couldn¡¯t just trust that idiot with his daughter¡¯s life. What if he killed her even after getting his god damn ransom. He wasn¡¯t just going to sit and wait like a coward. He thought.

    Few minutester, he picked up his phone and made a phone call.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Kimberly had been awake for a while now. At first when she woke up. She had banged on the door of the little room in which she was kept.

    ¡°Let me out.¡± She had screamed.¡± Look, you guys don¡¯t have to do this. Just tell me what you want. Let me out of here¡±

    She moved back when she heard footstepsing closer to the door. She stepped back and the door flew open. Wicked eyes came into the room, looking furious.

    ¡°Shut the fuck up, bitch¡± he yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever stop talking? You can scream all you want. No one is going to hear you. But I promise you, if you try to scream again, I will slice off your tongue. After all, I only told your father I would return you to him alive. I never said anything about a few parts missing ¡°.

    He grinned at her as he shut the door again and Kimberly sat on the floor and wept.

    It was even harder when he had his men drag her out and put a phone to her ear so she could talk to her father. The worry in his voice made her cry all over again.

    Now she listened to the raised voicesing from one of the rooms.

    ¡°We almost lost her because of your stupidity¡± wicked eyes was saying to someone.

    ¡°Rx, Alex¡± another voice said. So Alex was wicked eye¡¯s name. Kimberly thought.

    The other person was still speaking, so she listened. ¡°We have her, don¡¯t we?¡± he said.

    ¡°Well, we would have lost her because you decided to take your damn sweet time¡± Alex yelled again.

    ¡°I told you I had some personal stuff to handle¡±..

    ¡°Well handle your personal stuff on your own time¡± Alex said. ¡°All you had to do was show up with the stuff and knock her out. Still you werete.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who couldn¡¯t handle one girl¡± the second man said and heughed scornfully. ¡°He got beat up¡±

    ¡°Fuck you, Johnny¡± Alex said with some heat. ¡°You better hope I don¡¯t tell the boss about this. Stupid mother fucker¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Johnny asked.

    Kimberly heard more yellinge from them and she heard voices. Apparently other members of the gang were trying to prevent Johnny and Alex from getting onto a fight.

    She pulled her knees to her chest and wept some more. She just wanted to leave this horrible ce and people.

 5

    Given the choice, Asher Adams preferred darkness to light, and tonight was no exception. It had taken him Forty eight hours to find thedy and her kidnappers, but he had waited another Forty Eight before going to rescue her-just so he could learn about their schedule and then go in the night.

    He liked the shadows, the silence, the fact that most people were asleep. Even those awake were on the low end of their energy cycle -although not his men. He made sure of that.

    Asher checked the time, then nced back at the two story house. After nearly two weeks of watching over the woman, the guards had grown sloppy andcent. They patrolled the estate on a schedule now, instead of at random intervals. After so many days of quiet, they no longer expected trouble. All the better for him. He thought.

    He reached for his night vision binocrs and trained them on the second story bedroom windows. The third one from the left had drapes open, which allowed him a view of the darkened room. A woman paced there -restless, worried, scared.

    Not too tall, she moved with the grace of someone trained in dance¡­ And the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Brown hair, beautiful and worth millions.

    Oh yeah. He knew pretty much everything about her and he wasn¡¯t impressed. Even now, he didn¡¯t shift his binocrs to her. She was the target, but incidental to the moment. What he really needed to know was who else was in the room with her. How many watchers had been left on duty?

    There were a total of five assigned to her-usually working in shifts of two. Except at night. From midnight until seven, there was only one woman keeping watch.

    He scanned the room and saw the guard sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. From the tilt of her head, he would guess she had fallen asleep.

    Very sloppy, he thought. If she worked for him, she would be fired. But she didn¡¯t, and her bad habits were his gain.

    He turned his attention back to the prisoner. Kimberly ke crossed to the French doors and opened them. After ncing over her shoulder to make sure her keeper continued to doze she stepped out into the night and walked to the railing.

    Her life had taken a turn for the unpleasant, Asher thought without sympathy. Two weeks ago she had been living in her rich woman¡¯s world and now she was held captive, threatened and never left alone. That was enough to ruin anyone¡¯s day.

    ¡°Red two, go¡± a voice murmured into Asher¡¯s earpiece.

    Asher tapped the tiny device by a way of response. He was the operative closest to the house. Until it was time, he wouldn¡¯t be doing any talking.

    Kimberly lingered by the railing. Asher tucked his binocrs in his backpack. There was no point in looking at her-he had spent the past four days studying everything about her. He knew her age, her rtionship status, distinguishing marks, where she liked to shop and what she did with the day. She might be worth enough to keep a man in style, but she wasn¡¯t his type. Not her pedigree, not her life.

    Rich women tended to be very high maintenance and spoiled.

    He checked his watch again. Nearly time. He talked once on his earpiece, then reached for his gun.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    The modified pistol in his hand shot strong, incredibly fast sedatives. They incapacitated in less than five seconds. He preferred something a little faster, but he couldn¡¯t risk the potentially fatal reaction to a quicker acting chemical. Mr Hiry ke had insisted on no dead bodies.

    Pity, Asher thought as he began to creep toward the ss doors on the side of the house. He didn¡¯t have much sympathy or patience for kidnappers. The outrageous ransom Forty million of unmarked bills had annoyed him so much.

    He hated when criminals watched too much TV and took their ideas from bad spy movies. To his mind they should either act like pros or stay out of the game.

    He reached the ss doors and waited. In less than three minutes, two things urred simultaneously. Tanner, their rm maestro, tapped the ¡°All clear¡± signal on his earpiece. A quick double click told Asher that the system was down. Tanner was good enough to keep the cameras moving back and forth while all the red lights continued blinking just as they should. The only difference was that the rm wouldn¡¯t go off.

    The second thing that happened was that a guard strolled by, right on time.

    Dumb ass. Asher thought as he spun silently, popped the guy full of sedative and held him immobile for five seconds. He dropped the dead weight not too gently onto the patio and rolled him out of sight next to the nter. There wasn¡¯t any sound.

    He touched his earpiece twice. Three more individual clicks followed.

    ¡°Red two, go¡± a soft voice came again.

    James Wardwell, Asher¡¯s best sniper, sat up high in a tree, out of range of the action. He kept an eye on everything happening. Only an idiot walked into hell without an angel watching for trouble.

    Asher moved to the locked ss doors and removed a small container from his utility belt. One minuteter, the custom acid mixture turned the locking mechanism to mush and he was in. He pulled on night vision goggles, double clicked his earpiece to tell the team that he hadpleted the next phase of the operation and headed for the stairs.

    At the top of thending he encountered and immobilized another guard. But he didn¡¯t head to the door midway down the hallway. Not until he had heard three more individual clicks, followed by a soft ¡°Red two, go¡±

    Still clear.

    Asher emptied his mind of everything unessential. The floor n of the suite had been etched into his brain. Whenst he had seen Kimberly ke, she had been on the balcony. Given her few freedoms in the past couple of weeks, he doubted she would have moved. Her guard would still be sleeping on the job. One shot would take her. With a little luck, she wouldn¡¯t know what hit her.

    He turned the container he still held and shot the second st of acid from the back end. A slow count to ten, then he eased the door open.

 6

    ¡°Man on the stairs, Asher. Watch your back¡±

    Asher swore under his breath. There was an extra man on duty tonight. Wasn¡¯t that always the way?

    He left the door, pivoted and pressed his body into the shadows. Someone walked into view, his gun drawn.

    ¡°Hey, Mildred, are you alright? There¡¯s been some trouble. Chase is missing¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    When things went to hell, they did so at light speed. Kimberly¡¯s female guard aka Mildred, stumbled from her seat. Asher heard the sound just as he zapped the guard. Unfortunately she tried the door and found it unlocked. There was the sound of a pistol being cocked.

    Asher dropped the guard onto thending and waited for Mildred toe out, hoping she was just stupid enough not to follow orders. That rather than staying with her prisoner, she would venture onto thending.

    Sure enough, the door cracked open. He got her in the arm before she cleared the threshold. Which left Kimberly ke all alone.

    Asher dragged a now unconscious Mildred out of the way and headed into the suite. He hoped he didn¡¯t have to go looking for the rich princess. He also hoped she wasn¡¯t a screamer. He hated screamers¡­. Well, not in bed.

    But Kimberly hadn¡¯t hidden. She still stood by the railing, watching him approach.

    ¡°I¡¯m one of the good guys,¡± Asher said to her. ¡°Let¡¯s move¡±

    Her long brown hair hid most of her face, but he thought he saw her smile. Coolly though. Not with relief. She wasn¡¯t going to throw herself at him with gratitude, but at least she didn¡¯t seem to be a screamer.

    ¡°I have always thought my rescuer would have a better line than that.¡± She said, ¡°¡®Maybe hold on to me and don¡¯t let go¡¯ or ¡®Come with me if you want to live''¡±

    Asher couldn¡¯t help an answering grin. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a terminator fan too, but I would rather talk on the helicopter. Unless you would like to stay here?¡±

    She didn¡¯t answer. Instead she walked towards him.

    ¡°Shoes,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat which ones

    We are not going to a fashion show¡±

    Kimberly wondered why he would think she would be bothered about what shoes to wear. Especially at a time like this. But she stuffed her feet into loafers and hurried toward the door. He followed her. Once they reached thending, he took the lead. After grabbing her hand in his, he hustled them down the stairs.

    There was no point in telling the team that he had her. Everyone would have heard their conversation.

    ¡°You are clear,¡± James said quietly. ¡°Chopper will be here in soon¡±

    They headed out of the rear of the house. Asher pulled off the night vision goggles as they went. The rumble of a helicopter started in the distance while he and Kimberly hovered by the end of the patio.

    ¡°How did you find me?¡± Kimberly asked him.

    He nced at her like had just asked a stupid question. ¡°That¡¯s my job,¡± he said simply.

    Kimberly nodded. ¡°Ah,¡± she said. ¡°The strong silent type. That must have impressed my father.¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°You are here because my father sent you right?¡± she asked. ¡°This isn¡¯t another kidnap right?¡± she noticed the way he was staring at her and she added angrily. ¡°Oh don¡¯t look at me like that. You could simply answer my question instead of looking at me like I¡¯m crazy¡±

    Nice move Kim. She thought. Really nice move. Getting mad at someone who came to rescue you. But she couldn¡¯t help it. The man¡¯s silence was damn annoying. Why couldn¡¯t he just say ¡®Yes your Dad sent me¡¯. Being locked up with strangers for almost two weeks had made her so damn suspicious¡­ Of everyone and everything. He shouldn¡¯t me her.

    Asher looked at her for the first time. Really looked at her. Kimberly ke was no longer a glossy photo, but a real breathing woman. Her long brown hair began to fly around her face as the helicopter started to descend. She tried to hold it at the back of her neck. One of the lights from the copter caught her full in the face.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Not much shocked Asher Adams -not anymore. But he was unprepared for the intense attraction that stabbed through him that very moment. His reaction was a filthy curse at those pictures he had seen for the shoddy portrayal of the woman who would turn heads wherever she went. Because the real life version was so much better than the pitiful digital imitation.

    She was so fucking beautiful. Despite having no form of makeup on. He watched her bite her lower lip, and he didn¡¯t know why that made him think things. He shook the thought out of his head.

    Kimberly saw him watching -staring -but she didn¡¯t blink or turn away. She stared right back. He was very handsome. She thought. And boy, were his eyes eating her up. She could feel it from where she stood.

    And she was giving it right back.

    The helicopternded. Before they could board, there was a yell from behind the house. Asher swore and turned in that direction.

    ¡°Two guards,¡± James said into his earpiece. ¡°Son of a bitch. Early shift change. They just drove up. Paul, get down. On your left-¡±

    The sound of gunfire cut out the rest of James¡¯ words. The pitch and volume of the sts told Asher that they hadn¡¯te from his men¡¯s guns. Not good. He thought grimly. His teams quietly checked in, except for Paul.

    ¡°Go¡± he said to Kimberly, pushing her into the helicopter.

    Kimberly scrambled inside.

    Asher hated stepping in next to her, but his men were trained. They would fan out and find their fallen team member. Sure enough, less than two minutester, three men appeared, they were helping Paul as he leaned heavily on them. He had been shot in the leg.

    ¡°Get going,¡± James said into Asher¡¯s earpiece. ¡°Paul got both of the other men after they got him, but they had already made a call requesting backup. They are gonna be here any moment¡±

    ¡°Will do,¡± Asher replied. ¡°You get out of there as well¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already gone, boss,¡± James replied.

    Asher helped his men bring the bleeding Paul onto the floor of the helicopter, then he signaled for the pilot to take them up.

 7

    As they rose high in the sky, he checked his man. One gunshot in the leg. Damn it all to hell. He thought grimly and red at the youngdy huddled in the far seat. There were things worth getting shot for, but saving someone like her wasn¡¯t one of them.

    The other team members had already started emergency first aid. Asher moved back to give them room. He picked up a headset and motioned for Kimberly to do the same.

    ¡°I need to get my man to a doctor,¡± he told her, speaking into the attached microphone.

    Her gaze moved from him to Paul then back to him. ¡°Of course,¡± she said. ¡°I can stay with you at the hospital¡±

    There was no point telling her that they weren¡¯t going to a hospital. Public health facilities required too much paperwork, and the staff would have too many questions. Asher had his own state of the art medical center with trained specialists -all former students military doctors -on call.

    ¡°One of my men will take you to a safe ce¡± Asher told her. ¡°You can wait there until I¡¯m avable¡±

    He figured Kimberly and her father could hold on a few hours before seeing each other¡­. maybe even more. As his was the only face most of his clients ever saw, he would have to return her himself. Just as well-he could pick up his sizable check at the same time.

    He jerked off the headset and fought his temper. It should have been an easy job. He told himself. No one was supposed to get hurt. Certainly not Paul -the youngest and newest member of the team.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Kimberly ke paced the length and width of the small room. She had no idea how long she had been held there -no windows provided light, she wasn¡¯t wearing a watch and she couldn¡¯t find a clock. She figured at least a couple of hours had passed. Maybe more.

    The space was spare to a point of being monastic -a single bed, a sink and a toilet. No closet, no desk. Nothing to read, nothing to look at, nothing to do. She supposed she should have slept -she hadn¡¯t been able to do more than doze since the kidnapping

    But anxiety kept her moving. While she wanted to believe she had been rescued, she knew it was unlikely.

    Fear gripped her. In the part Twelve days she had grown used to the cold fingers clutching her midsection and the sense of looming disaster. She tried to tell herself that everything was going to be fine. But she was still so scared.

    The only door in the room was locked from the outside. She had already tried it several tines. There was no way she could break through the metal door and she doubted she could w through the walls. So she was trapped till her rescuer returned.

    The man who had rescued her was being unnecessarily mysterious. He hadn¡¯t even answered her question about her father. Hell, he hadn¡¯t even told her his name¡­ And he probably knew everything about her. For all she knew, this might even be another group kidnapping her. There were a lot of weird people around. She knew that now. People who would do anything for money.

    Why else would he rescue her and then lock her up again. He was really handsome though. She thought. She remembered the way he had stared at her before they entered the helicopter and she shivered.

    She didn¡¯t get the guy. One minute he was staring at her like -she didn¡¯t even know what to think about that stare. Because secondster, he was staring at her like he wanted to grab her and strangle her.

    She thought about his team member who was shot. She hoped he was going to be okay. She hated that someone had gotten hurt because of her.

    She was worried about her Dad¡­ And Phoebe. She knew they would be so damn worried about her. She hoped they were okay. That they hadn¡¯t been kidnapped too¡­ Or maybe hurt. She shook her head. Willing the thought out of her head. Thinking like that wouldn¡¯t help her in any way. Right now she had to figure out a way to get the hell out of here.

    A faint sound came from the hallway. Kimberly turned and braced herself for the inevitable. For the sight of God knows who. Maybe her kidnappers hade back for her. Maybe this was all a prank. Instead the door opened and her rescuer stood in front of her.

    He was tall, muscr and dark in a way that went deeper than his ck hair and dark eyes. He was the kind of man people walked around rather than confronted. Power and confidence surrounded him like a visible aura. He wore ck and there was a gun at his belt. Just how much did he know about her? She asked herself. Would he be using the gun on her?

    ¡°Sorry to have kept you waiting¡± the man said, sounding more angry than actually sorry.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Kimberly said, forcing herself to look directly at him. ¡°How is your friend? The one who got¡­. Shot¡± she asked.

    ¡°He is still in the hospital,¡± Asher replied. ¡°But he¡¯s going to be fine¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness. I hope he¡¯s going to be all right¡± she said. She didn¡¯t need the weight of a stranger¡¯s injuries on her already burdened conscience.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    A case could be made that the shooting wasn¡¯t her fault -she hadn¡¯t asked to be rescued or even kidnapped in the first ce. But the injured man had been there because of her, and she couldn¡¯t make herself believe that she wasn¡¯t somehow responsible.

    The man who stood in front of her looked her over. ¡°Are you hungry? Did they feed you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Kimberly replied. She couldn¡¯t imagine ever eating again. She couldn¡¯t imagine life ever being normal. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you never told me your name,¡± she said.

    ¡°Adams,¡± he replied. ¡°My name is Asher Adams. It¡¯s Mr Adams to you¡±

 8

    Kimberly stared at him and bit her lower lip. Wondering what she had done to make the man dislike her so much. It wasn¡¯t her fault she got kidnapped and she didn¡¯t force him toe rescue her. She was sorry about his friend if that was what he was so mad about¡­ And she was grateful for their help

    But that wasn¡¯t her fault either.

    She breathed deeply.

    ¡°Mr Adams¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m assuming my father hired you to find me? You didn¡¯t answer me before and I just wanted to be sure¡±

    He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°Yes, your father came to me a week ago. He didn¡¯t want to contact the police because he didn¡¯t want to spook the kidnappers. He hired anotherpany to locate you after the kidnapping, but they didn¡¯t have much luck.¡± He raised one shoulder and let it fall. ¡°I¡¯m better¡±

    ¡°How is he?.. My father¡± she asked.

    He shrugged. ¡°Really worried, obviously. His daughter is missing¡±

    Kimberly nodded. She wanted to ask more questions, butck of sleep made her fuzzy.

    ¡°There was a ransom¡± she said.

    He nodded. ¡°Forty million¡±

    Kimberly felt her head start to swim. ¡°That much, huh¡±

    She crossed to the bed and sank down onto the mattress. ¡°Was it paid?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It would have been,¡± Asher replied. He nced at his watch. ¡°In about two hours. I put in a call to have it intercepted. I will be returning the money to your father when I take you back to him.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°and thank your team too¡±

    Asher gave her a smile that didn¡¯te close to reaching his eyes. ¡°Miss ke, you have been through a very traumatic experience. I¡¯m sure that when you are back home with your husband and your father, you will feel much better. In a few weeks, you will be able to put this whole experience behind you¡±

    ¡°I hope you are right,¡± Kimberly said.

    He turned to go and she stopped him by touching his arm.

    ¡°Wait¡± she said.

    Touching him wasn¡¯t such a good idea. The man hated her for¡­ For whatever reason. But boy! Did he have impressive muscles that stretched out the cotton of his shirt? If he was so busy being amando guy and saving the world, when did he have the time to work out? Because he had to -no guy was so physically perfect without a little effort. She thought.

    He stared at her hand for a few seconds before he lifted his gaze to her face. Kimberly wasn¡¯t sure of what she saw in his eyes. She dropped her hand like she had just got burned.

    ¡°Ermmm¡­ My dad. I have to see him. And honestly I¡¯m tired of being locked up in here like a prisoner.¡±

    ¡°Is this room is not good enough for you¡­ Princess?¡± he asked, lifting his eyebrow.

    Kimberly gasped. ¡°Excuse me?¡± she said. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°It means exactly what it means,¡± Asher replied carelessly. ¡°You are not here to make demands and just get whatever you want¡­ Obviously that¡¯s how life has always worked out for you. But not here.

    ¡°You can¡¯t talk to me like that,¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh really, I can¡¯t?¡± he asked sarcastically.

    ¡°Yes you can¡¯t,¡± Kimberly shot back. ¡°Look, I¡¯m grateful for you rescuing me and all that. I really am. But I really don¡¯t like your attitude. I don¡¯t know if you are just having a bad day or you just hate me for some reason. I honestly don¡¯t care but I won¡¯t let you speak to me that way¡±

    Asher held a groan. He had neither the time nor the patience to deal with a drama queen right now. He wanted Kimberly ke out of his life so he could focus on what was important. Damn it all to hell, what was it about rich women and their need to be the center of the universe?

    The more annoying thing was this attraction thingy he had for her. He had known the woman for just a few hours and he had caught himself a few times thinking about how her mouth would taste. He hated when people got into his head¡­ And she had¡­ Even without trying.

    ¡°My dad¡­¡± Kimberly repeated, wrapping her hands around herself. ¡°I¡¯m so worried about him and I have to see him. I know you probably have a lot of things to do, but please just take me to him now. Plus I¡¯m tired of being locked up in here¡± she said.

    Asher watched her. She looked so vulnerable, and tired, yet, she was trying so hard to look tough. His eyes dropped to her hands, which were still wrapped around her. She looked cold, and he suddenly had this urge to wrap his hands around her.

    He shook his head, wondering where that thought hade from. The woman was his responsibility, but only till he returned her to her father. And she wasn¡¯t the kind of woman he would go for.

    ¡°Are you cold?¡± he asked, when his eyes found hers again.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Kimberly replied. ¡°I just want to see my dad¡±. She did that lip biting thing again and he groaned inwardly.

    ¡°You can¡¯t right now¡± he said simply.

    Kimberly¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You can¡¯t keep me here. Mr Adams. I don¡¯t appreciate being locked up in here like a prisoner. There¡¯s actually no difference between you and the people you rescued me from.¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the kidnapping enough for two weeks?¡± Asher asked, barely able to restrain his temper.

    ¡°I¡¯m not ying a game,¡± Kimberly replied. Her eyes wide with a lot of emotion he wasn¡¯t interested in reading.

    ¡°It¡¯ste¡± he said in a calm manner that made Kimberly want to throw something at his head.

    ¡°Those people are going to be looking for you right now,¡± he said. He came into the room and stepped closer to her. ¡°And if you had any sense in that pretty, little head of yours, you would sit down, and wait till I know it¡¯s safe before I take you back to your family. Do you understand me?¡±

 9

    He watched her take a step back and smiled inwardly. For some reason he just felt like they were in some kind of fight. Like she was taking something from him. Something he knew he shouldn¡¯t let go of, and he just had to fight to hold on to it.

    ¡°Or would you prefer to get kidnapped again?¡± he continued. ¡°If you do, that¡¯s your problem, not mine. But I¡¯m getting my money from your dad first. Then if you wish to get kidnapped again, suit yourself. So that means that for now, you are stuck with me. And if this ce isn¡¯t good enough for you¡­. Well, you are just going to have to suck it up¡±

    For once she didn¡¯t reply. He was a bit surprised, she seemed to have a reply to almost everything. But she just stared at him. Her beautiful eyes shone. She didn¡¯t move away from him anymore and he was standing right in front of her. He leaned towards her. She didn¡¯t flinch. He had to acknowledge that she had some backbone. And she wasn¡¯t a screamer. Two small points in her Favour.

    He was so close. So close that he could see her bottom lip quiver. He could also see she had a cut on her cheek.

    He felt horrible immediately. He didn¡¯t want to feel sympathy for her¡­ He didn¡¯t want to feel anything for her. But at that moment all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and hold her close. She looked like she needed a hug. A long, warm hug. And to be honest, he felt like he needed one too.

    He stepped away from her. Before he would do something crazy like give in to those thoughts. They confused the hell out of him.

    He red at Kimberly. He didn¡¯t have time for this or her. He wanted her gone. But he couldn¡¯t shake this feeling in his gut. ¡°I have to go take care of some things. Try to get some sleep. You will feel better after you sleep¡± he said. ¡°Or should I get you something to eat?¡±

    Kimberly shook her head.

    He didn¡¯t say anything, just turned and left the room. Shutting the door firmly behind him.

    Kimberly waited until he locked the door before she dropped into the bed and let it all out. She cried so hard.

    For two weeks, she had put on this tough act. She hadn¡¯t wanted to show her kidnappers just how scared she was. She had tried too hard to be brave, even when she wasn¡¯t, and now she couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. She was bruised, hungry, tired and sleepy.

    So she cried.. Letting it all out.

    Outside, leaning on the door, Asher stood. Listening to her sobs. The sound of her crying did things to his heart that he couldn¡¯t understand. His heart went out to her¡­ And he had to fight to keep from opening the door and pulling her limp, tired body against his.

    He moved away from the door, shaking his head. This kind of attraction and attachment to her wasn¡¯t good for either one of them. Getting emotionally involved was a terrible idea. He pushed her out of his mind and went away. He had work to do. And the sooner he got rid of her, the better for him.

    Kimberly had a good cry. Which was exactly what she needed to feel a little better. After that, she fell into a deep, troubled sleep.

    She dreamt that she was safe, away from her kidnappers and away from Asher. Away from everything that hurt¡­ And she was with her Dad, with Phoebe. In her house where she felt safe and loved.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Asher left Kimberly in the holding cell and returned to the front office of the small building he rented.

    He reached for his phone and his thoughts went back to Kimberly. She wasn¡¯t anyone he would respect, but that didn¡¯t mean he wanted her in danger. She was his responsibility, but he wasn¡¯t entirely sure that was the only reason he wanted to her safe. He sighed and made the phone call.

    ¡°Hiry ke¡± a voice answered.

    ¡°Asher Adams¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    ¡°Oh atst. Mr Adams¡± Kimberly¡¯s father said. ¡°I have been waiting for your call. But I didn¡¯t want to bother you by calling insistently. Please give me some good news. Where is Kim?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I have her with me,¡± Asher replied. ¡°She is safe¡±

    Hiry breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank God. I¡¯m so d I involved you in this. Is my daughter alright?¡± he asked.

    ¡°She is perfectly fine. Anxious to see you¡± Asher replied.

    ¡°Good, good. Well done. Mr Asher.¡±

    ¡°Just doing my job.¡± Asher said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t brought her back yet. I just want to make it¡¯s safe before we leave¡±

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s perfectly fine.¡± Hiry said. ¡°Just take good care of my baby girl. Do whatever needs to be done. I don¡¯t mind if it costs more¡±

    ¡°I will look after her, Mr ke,¡± Asher said. ¡°Oh I almost forgot about the ransom¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh yes¡­ Was it paid?¡± Hiry asked.

    ¡°No¡­ once I had Kimberly, I sent my men to intercept it. I¡¯m having the ransom delivered to your office. I wanted to bring it with me but I changed my mind. I have notified your banker as well, so he will be there to take possession of the money. It¡¯s a lot of cash to have lying around. I wouldn¡¯t want anything to happen to it¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ You are very thorough¡± Hiry said, barely able to conceal his happiness that his daughter was safe.

    ¡°That¡¯s what you pay me to be. Speaking of which, you still owe me the second half of my fee¡±

    ¡°That will be waiting for you as soon as you and Kimberly get here¡­ I¡¯m so grateful for your help¡­ Thank you so much¡± Hiry said.

    ¡°You are wee¡±

    Minutes after he hung up the phone, Asher came back into the holding cell. She had finally fallen asleep and she still looked beautiful. He carried a nket in his hand which he carefully put around her. She curled into it immediately, murmuring words he didn¡¯t understand. Good thing she was finally asleep. He thought. She needed it.

 10

    It would be very weird if she woke up suddenly and found him staring at her like some kind of creep. He thought. Hell, he felt like a creep. Standing there and fighting the urge to reach out and tuck her hair behind her ears. Most of it covered a part of her beautiful face.

    He wanted to.. But he didn¡¯t.

    He turned and left the room as quietly as he hade in. Careful not to wake her.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Kimberly walked back and forth in the small room until her legs and back ached, then she perched on the edge of the bed and stared at the door. One again, she had no idea how much time had passed or when Asher Adams would return. She only knew that she was afraid and desperately needed to go home.

    One thing she had learned in the past few days was that she wasn¡¯t ready to die. And she didn¡¯t trust her rescuer. She rested her elbows on her thighs and dropped her head to her hands.

    The man who had rescued her clearly hated her. Why he did, she had no idea. She had never met the guy. Maybe it wasn¡¯t about her. She thought. Maybe the man was fed up with something.. That was understandable¡­ His friend got shot. Or maybe he just hated his job. It couldn¡¯t be easy putting yourself on the line saving other people.

    But whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t her fault. So he was an asshole for taking it out on her. She looked at the nket that had mysteriously appeared in the room. She doubted Mr tough guy was the one who had brought it to her. He had probably sent one of his team members to do it. The man obviously showed no emotion.

    He was incredibly attractive too. She thought. It was such a shame he was so grumpy all the time. He had dark wavy hair she wanted to run her fingers through¡­ And strong arms. A ss-A hunk. She thought. Tall, dark and handsome with a body brimful of strong masculinity. Dark and intense¡­. Like his eyes¡­ which seemed to bore holes in her everytime he looked at her.

    Kimberly sucked in a quick breath as her heart skipped into a wild canter. She shouldn¡¯t be thinking about him like that.

    A sound caught her attention. She straightened, then stood, only to sink back onto the bed when the room seemed to swim around her. In the time it took her to clear her head, the door opened and Asher stepped inside.

    Kimberly forced herself to her feet and stared at him. His expression gave nothing away, which shouldn¡¯t surprise her. She wanted to speak, but her mouth was too dry. The ever present fear grew until it pushed the air out of her body.

    ¡°I talked to your fatherst night¡± he said as he leaned against the door frame and crossed his arm over his chest.

    ¡°Yes?¡± she whispered, never taking her gaze from his face.

    ¡°You will be returned to him today. I sent one of my team members to go get you some clothes, and the other essentials so you can change. I thought you might need them. When he returns, you can freshen up before we leave¡±

    Kimberly nodded. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal¡± he said, almost like he was trying to convince himself instead of her. ¡°Just doing my job¡±

    Kimberly nodded slowly. She knew she should have kept quiet, but something in her head forced the words out and soon she heard herself asking¡­¡±Is there a particr reason why you don¡¯t like me, Mr Adams?¡­ Or is that your usual attitude towards everyone?¡±

    He lifted an eyebrow questioningly.

    Kimberly knew she should probably stop talking now. But one of her problems was that when she started talking, she found it hard to stop. So she continued.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help noticing that you have a problem with me. I just want to know why¡± she said.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    Asher contemted ignoring her and just walking away, but she had this challenging look in her eyes, daring him to answer her question. And he decided to do just that.

    He stepped forward. Watching her through hooded eyes. Then he leaned towards her.

    ¡°Okay¡± he began. ¡°Since you really want to know. I think you are a rich bitch drama queen. And I hate that you think that everything is just going to go your way just because you are¡­ You know¡­. You¡±

    Kimberly stared at him angrily. ¡°I find it interesting that you have taken such a dislike to me when you don¡¯t even know me at all,¡± she said.

    ¡°I know your type,¡± he said.

    ¡°And what type is that?¡±

    ¡°Rich. Useless¡±

    He spoke with certainty that told her she wasn¡¯t the first wealthy woman to cross his path and that whoever had done it before had scarred him in some way. Who was it? A lover? A client?

    She didn¡¯t ask. It wasn¡¯t her business. He defined her in words designed to wound, but right now she didn¡¯t care what he thought of her.

    She swayed slightly and Asher frowned.

    ¡°How long did you sleepst night?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kimberly replied.

    ¡°When was thest time you ate something?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± she said.

    His face tightened with contempt. ¡°You refused to eatst night. Starvation isn¡¯t much of a fashion statement¡± he said.

    Kimberly couldn¡¯t take it any more. Her eyes shed and she poked a finger in his chest. ¡°It¡¯s not about fashion. I couldn¡¯t eat there.. Or here. Thanks to you. This isn¡¯t about being on a diet¡­ I just¡­ Have you ever been kidnapped? It¡¯s not a restful situation. And then you rescue me and you don¡¯t even say anything to me¡­. I think you are an asshole for making stupid assumptions about me when you don¡¯t even know anything about me. For God¡¯s sake we met for the first time yesterday. And yet you put me in the same box you put other women you might have met. And that says a lot about you too. It says you are a fucking asshole and I¡¯m sincerely sorry for whoever has to work with you or be involved with you in any way because you are indeed a horrible person¡±

 11

    Asher¡¯s eyes dropped to his chest where she had poked him, and then back to her. His eyes widened and his mouth opened.

    Kimberly watched him. Wondering what he was going to do to her. He looked like he was about to say something when a woman, probably one of his team members, appeared in the doorway. She held a bag in her hand which she handed to Asher.

    ¡°James told me to give you this,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Thanks, Madison¡± Asher said and the woman nodded and left.

    He handed the bag to Kimberly but she didn¡¯t take it from him, so he dumped it on the bed.

    ¡°Just things you should freshen up with. And a change of clothes too. I will be down the hall in the kitchen. You should eat something before we leave¡±

    He turned and walked out, leaving the room open this time.

    Kimberly opened the bag. It contained a toothbrush, paste and the normal bathing stuff. She was surprised when she took out the clothes and realized they were her clothes.

    She put everything back in the bag and walked out of the room. She found herself in a hallway. There were other holding cells, just like the one she just left. She passed them and soon she was in arge family room. She looked around¡­ There was a big screen TV and several electronicponents, along with two ck leather sofas. Next was what would have been the formal living and dining room. Instead she saw several desks and shelves, all crammed with electronic equipment. None of it made sense to her. There were screens and keyboards and odd disy units.

    Kimberly nced at the ceiling, looking for cameras or some kind of monitoring device. She didn¡¯t see any. But she did notice a strange screening material over the window.

    ¡°No one can see in,¡± Asher¡¯s voice said and she turned swiftly.

    ¡°You can¡¯t get out either,¡± he continued. ¡°But the windows all open if you feel the need for fresh air¡±

    Kimberly nodded. ¡°What if there is a fire?¡± she asked.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be one,¡± he said confidently.

    ¡°Ermmm.. I noticed that these are my clothes¡± Kimberly said, raising the bag she held in her hands.

    ¡°Yeah. One of my men came back with it¡± he said simply.

    She looked confused. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡± she said.

    ¡°What is soplicated? I sent one of my guys to your ce to get you some things¡± he replied.

    ¡°A man was in my apartment?¡± She said, She sounded more surprised than outraged.

    Asher rolled his eyes. ¡°I doubt he spent a lot of time in your underwear drawer.¡± He said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Kimberly said simply.

    ¡°Come¡­ I will show you the kitchen before you take a shower¡± he said.

    Kimberly followed him to the kitchen and watched as he pointed out the basic amenities. There was plenty of food in the refrigerator and pantry. Simple things that were easy to prepare.

    ¡°Help yourself¡± he told her.

    Kimberly nodded. ¡°I will take a shower first,¡± she said. Her stomach rumbled at the sight of all that food and she stumbled a little as she moved around the kitchen. Asher grabbed her by the arm and held her steady.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°You have been tough all through this¡± he said gruffly. ¡°Don¡¯t faint on me now¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡± Kimberly said, although she wasn¡¯tpletely sure of her facts.

    He released her arm. ¡°Let¡¯s get you to the bathroom then¡± he said.

    Kimberly had only been allowed to bathe every third day while she had been kidnapped. She longed for some serious water time.

    ¡°Fine,¡± she said.

    He led her into a cherry bedroom. There was a full size bed, a dresser with a television on it, two night stands and a small desk. One door led into a closet, the other to a small bathroom,plete with a shower.

    Kimberly wondered why he made her stay in the holding cell when she could have stayed here. Was that how much he hated her? What did she ever do to him?

    As if reading her mind, he said. ¡°My team members spend the night here sometimes, especially after a night operation¡±

    Kimberly nodded. Understanding that the room must have been upied the previous night.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. Turning to Asher.

    He stared at her for a few seconds before saying. ¡°I will be in the kitchen. Meet me there when you are done¡±

    Then he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. Kimberly took off her clothes slowly and went into the bathroom, then she turned on the shower. Enjoying the feeling of the water running down her body.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Asher returned to the kitchen and settled to wait for her. In the meantime, he decided to get some work done. He pulled hisptop closed and opened it. He looked at theputer file he was working on, but his mind drifted to Kimberly once again.

    A bath and a long sleep would do her some good. He thought. She had been through hell and he had a feeling things would get worse for her before they got better. He just knew somehow, but they would deal with that when it happened. For now it was enough that she rested.

    They would deal with that? He thought again¡­ Who the hell was ¡®they¡¯? He asked himself. The job he had been paid to do was almost over. After he returned Kimberly to her father, he didn¡¯t have to see her again.

    The thought made him a bit sad. He shook his head and stared hard at hisptop screen. He had to force himself to keep his attention on work and not on the thought of the naked, beautiful woman stepping into the shower.

    Still he thought about her. He thought about her beautiful face, her long brown hair, her curvy body, her perfect legs¡­ Legs he could imagine being wrapped around him.

    He sighed. He had no time for women like that in his life, but he wouldn¡¯t mind finding her in his bed-just for the night. She would be a hell of a ride.

 12

    Someone rang the bell and Asher went to check the security camera monitor and recognized the man standing on the front porch. It was James.

    ¡°What¡¯s the word?¡± Asher asked, after letting the other man into the house.

    James, a tall , dark man with steely gray eyes and a scar that ran down his neck, shrugged. ¡°Paul is doing fine,¡± he replied. ¡°They got the damn bullet out. Doctor says he is good. But he lost some blood¡±

    ¡°Any damage?¡± Asher asked.

    James shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hear anything bad so I didn¡¯t ask. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine though. If there were any problems, they would have told me¡±

    Asher nodded. He understood. He wouldn¡¯t have asked either if he had been in James¡¯ shoes. ¡°Are you okay taking care of the other job?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sure thing¡± James replied. ¡°We got teams there already. And if the uncle gets any close to the kid, I will take him down¡±

    Asher nodded. ¡°Remember, if you have to take him out, make sure you are on the correct side of thew¡± Asher reminded his right hand man.

    James smiled slowly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do it any other way¡± he said.

    They discussed other jobs for a few more minutes, then James left.

    He returned to the kitchen to continue with his work on hisptop, but Kimberly was already there, her long hair damp from the shower.

    He found her standing on a chair, inspecting the moldings attached to the ceiling. She stood on tiptoe, her expression intense, her fingers probing every inch of the painted wood.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fancy, I will admit,¡± Asher said, ¡°but I thought it looked decent enough. Are you disagreeing with me?¡±

    Kimberly jumped when she heard his voice and turned on the chair. ¡°What is wrong with you? You startled me¡±

    He ignored herment and jerked his head towards the wall? ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for cameras,¡± she replied. ¡°Is there anywhere in this house where I can go and not be watched?¡±

    It took him a couple of seconds to make sense of her words. When he did, anger quickly followed.

    ¡°You think I¡¯m spying on you?¡± he asked, annoyance tightening his voice.

    Kimberly breathed deeply. ¡°What else should I think?¡± she asked, shaking her head. ¡°This ce is more secure than my local bank vault. There is aputer that tells me where I can and can¡¯t go¡­. that¡¯s right, I looked around before going to the bathroom and I saw the ¡°keep away¡± signs all over¡± she added when his eyes widened.

    ¡°Special screens on the windows so I can¡¯t go outside.¡± she continued. ¡°I¡¯m basically your prisoner. I don¡¯t know you and I don¡¯t trust you. Why wouldn¡¯t you spy on me?¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t need to get my rocks off by watching you prance around naked or in your underwear¡± he said.

    He crossed to the chair she stood on and grabbed her around the waist. Before she could react, he had lowered her to the ground. He had a brief impression of heat and curves before he released her and stepped away.

    She red at him. ¡°I¡¯m not helpless. I could have gotten down on my own¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you could have,¡± he retorted.

    He took her hand in his and dragged her out of the room. She sputtered in protest but didn¡¯t pull away. As they approached the control room, he pulled a remote from his pocket and hit a button to deactivate the system. Then he brought her to the control panel, released her hand and pointed.

    She rubbed her fingers and ignored the monitor he was pointing at. ¡°Is there a reason why you don¡¯t try asking me to go with you first?¡± she asked. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be dragging and lifting me all the time¡±

    ¡°Are youining about your treatment?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. ¡°obviously¡±

    ¡°So noted¡± he said. ¡°But here is a news sh, princess, I don¡¯t care¡±

    Her gaze narrowed. The man was the most annoying human she had ever met in her entire life. She thought.

    ¡°You are not looking¡± he said harshly, still pointing at the monitor.

    ¡°At what?¡± she asked. But she turned slowly and stared at the screen.

    The picture showed a floor n of the house, with all the roomsbeled. Asher grabbed something from a nearly empty desk. She didn¡¯t see what it was until he came to her side and snapped it on her wrist.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°What on earth?¡± she stared at the gray metal bracelet. There was no visible catch, no markings of any kind on it. He gestured towards the monitor once again and when she looked, exactly in the center of the room named ¡®control center¡¯ stood a red dot.

    ¡°I¡¯m the dot?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Walk around and find out,¡± he replied.

    Kimberly did as he suggested, moving to the window, then back toward the door. The dot on the screen moved with her.

    Her attention shifted from theputer to him. ¡°No pictures?¡± she asked.

    He nodded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even monitoring you in the first ce because I know you can¡¯t get out even if you tried¡±

    ¡°Oh¡± she said. She nced down at her wrist, then back at him. ¡°It was a logical conclusion¡±

    Her eyes were brown. He had registered the fact before but hadn¡¯t paid any attention to them. Now he did. She had the kind of hair teenage boys daydreamed about -straight and long. She was beautiful¡­ Not that he was interested. He reminded himself.

    ¡°Logical¡± he agreed. ¡°But I¡¯m not the kind of guy who likes to watch¡±

    Her delicate eyebrows rose. ¡°I thought all men were into that,¡± she said.

    He allowed himself a smile. ¡°Maybe under different circumstances. Not like this¡± he said.

    ¡°Good to know¡­ And I¡¯m sorry I kinda jumped into conclusions¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s all this equipment for?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s mostlyputers,¡± he replied. ¡°Some tracking equipment. I have a monitoring system for the house.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°So no one gets in, no one gets out?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Not on my watch¡± he replied.

    Was the man always this confident? She wondered. She walked to the window and looked out. He knew the view was little more than somewn and a high fence topped with razor wire.

 13

    ¡°Do you live here?¡± she asked, still looking out

    ¡°No I don¡¯t . It¡¯s a safe house¡±

    ¡°Who else do you bring here¡±

    ¡°None of your business¡± he replied.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she nodded. ¡°But I still wonder. What exactly do you do with your life that you own a house like this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I prepare in advance for what my clients might need,¡± he said simply.

    Their eyes met. He read questions in hers. No fear, though, which he respected. She wasn¡¯t what he had thought. Maybe not as useless as most women like her. She has backbone and more than a little ¨C

    He felt it then. Subtle at first, but growing. It filled the room, pressing in on him, stealing air, heating breath.

    Awareness.

    Of her. The scent of her skin, the way she moved. Exquisite. He thought to himself, indulging in a brief erotic fantasy that involved that glorious hair of hers trailing over his heated, naked flesh. In the blink of an eye she went from someone he had to protect to a woman -a very sexy one at that.

    Damn it all to hell. He thought grimly. This was not allowed. He didn¡¯t get involved with clients. Not ever. He took an electronic device from a cab and unfastened the bracelet on her wrist.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here¡± He said and retraced his steps to the kitchen.

    He heard her follow. When she cleared the control room, he hit the remote to reset the security system.

    In the kitchen, he set out ce mats, napkins and tware on the round table. She settled in a chair just as he brought over arge bowl of pasta and another of sd. Kimberly watched him, wondering if he prepared all of that.

    ¡°What do you want to drink?¡± he asked, turning to her. ¡°We have all the basics¡±

    ¡°Just water¡± she answered, as her stomach tightened in anticipation of food.

    ¡°Did you cook all that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Does it matter?¡±

    Kimberly was getting frustrated with the man. Did he always have to be so mean?

    She sighed. ¡°Do you ever answer a question¡­ You know¡­ Like a normal human being?¡± she asked.

    He stared at her for a few seconds. ¡°No¡­ I guess I don¡¯t¡± he said.

    ¡°Well you should. You are always unnecessarily rude¡± she retorted.

    ¡°Fine. I cooked it. Happy now?¡±

    ¡°Whatever¡± Kimberly said, rolling her eyes.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    Asher almostughed at her reaction, but he stopped himself.

    ¡°Dig in,¡± he told her.

    She decided to take him at his word. She scooped up arge serving of the meat covered pasta and dumped it on her te. Sd could wait. Right now she wanted something substantial.

    After almost two weeks of eating almost nothing. The first bite was heavenly. The perfect blend of spices, the tender yet firm pasta. She couldn¡¯t chew fast enough.

    Asher returned with a bottle of water and set it next to her te. She nodded her thanks but didn¡¯t stop eating. It was only after she had finished the serving of pasta and reached for the sd that she nced at him. He was watching her. She didn¡¯t know what to think of the look on his face.

    ¡°Sorry to be such a pig,¡± she said, slightly embarrassed.

    Disturbed from the pleasurable act of watching her eat and contemting their differences¡­ Reminding himself that nothing could happen between them. Asher looked at her nkly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it¡± he said. He took the seat opposite hers and served himself some pasta. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you eat while you were kidnapped? Did you think a hunger strike would get their attention?¡± he asked.

    She shrugged, choosing not to read any criticism into his words. ¡°I never nned on avoiding food¡­ I love food actually¡±

    ¡°I can see that,¡± he said.

    She smiled and continued. ¡°For the first couple of days, I was too scared to eat. Every time I tried, it wouldn¡¯t stay down. Eventually, I was able to handle get small portions. A half a slice of toast in the morning. A cup of soup on the afternoon. Some people eat more when they are stressed¡­ I eat less. Those people didn¡¯t believe me when I told them

    They threatened to feed me themselves, using force, but it never came to that ¡±

    He studied her as she spoke. Kimberly would love to know what he was thinking, but then again, maybe not. Asher Adams had made it clear that she wasn¡¯t his favorite person on the. Why hear more of the same?

    They ate in silence. And he continued to watch her. She didn¡¯t seem to care¡­ Or maybe she didn¡¯t even know he was watching her. Her mouth was perfect, he reflected, struggling to ignore his increasing arousal.

    His eyes still on her mouth, he watched as she sampled the food with slow, sensuous relish. Never before had he watched a woman eat with such obvious enjoyment. Most of the females he had known had appeared to regard food as a threat and eating as nothing more than a distasteful social obligation to be undertaken under sufferance and preferably without the consumption of a single calorie.

    Watching Kimberly ke eat, it was clear that she held an entirely different attitude to food. Showing none of the inhibitions characteristic of her sex. In the grip of a severe attack of lust, Asher struggled to focus on his own food.

    His reaction to her baffled him. He had never gotten turned on by just watching a woman eat¡­ But now, here he was, mentally willing his dick to behave. He had seen his attention to her as senseless.

    But right now, It made perfect sense to him. In fact, as he watched her nibbling and licking her lips, it was making increasing sense. His body was wound so tight that he thought he might explode and it felt as though his entire brain was sliding south.

    He had to hurry up and return her to her father. Get her out of his life¡­ Out of his head before he did something crazy¡­ And damn, the crazy things he wanted to do to her¡­ To that sexy little mouth of hers.

 14

    She had two servings of Sd and three servings of pasta. When she had finished, she leaned back in her chair and sighed.

    ¡°Better?¡± he asked. His voice was hoarse.

    Kimberly nodded. ¡°Much better¡± she said. ¡°Thanks for cooking. You did a great job¡±

    He smiled. ¡°Yeah. I can boil up pasta better than almost anyone¡±

    The humor intrigued her. So far, her host had been all business. The smile softened his expression and added light to his eyes. She wished he would smile more. It almost made him approachable. He was still dangerous, but it was nice to know there was a regr person under all that killer edge.

    But his smile faded so soon as if it had never existed and the warrior returned.

    ¡°Would you like to rest a little before we leave? I could use the opportunity to get some work done¡± he said.

    Kimberly nodded. ¡°I think I will get some sleep first. I¡¯m a bit tired¡± she said.

    He nodded slowly.

    ¡°Thanks once again,¡± Kimberly said quietly before she slipped out of the kitchen.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    When Kimberly woke up hourster and left the room, she found Asher in the kitchen. Right where she had left him. Sitting and working on hisptop.

    The only difference was that he had obviously showered and changed. He wore all ck¡­. Even his shoes were ck. Jeez¡­ Did the man ever wear any other color of clothes? Did he even have clothes another color? She wondered. Like he didn¡¯t look scary enough already.

    ¡°Hi¡± she said softly.

    Asher turned slowly and stared at her. His eyes looked at her from head to toe. She had slept hard-her hair was mussed and there was a crease in her right cheek. She still looked a bit sleep deprived. Kimberly didn¡¯t look away, but she stared right back with a defiance that earned his grudging respect. Not everyone looked right back at him that way. Her eyes seemed to ask ¡°What the hell are you looking at?¡±

    ¡°Hi,¡± he said finally. ¡°You are awake¡­ finally. We should get going. Your dad already called. He stood, hating the weird feeling he got¡­ Like he was going to miss her.

    He pushed the thought away. Hell no, he just met thedyst night, and she definitely wasn¡¯t his type.

    ¡°I will just go wash my face,¡± Kimberly said, before she turned and left the kitchen.

    When she returned, he was in the control room.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready to go,¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to blindfold you¡± Asher said simply, looking like he had just made a normal statement.

    ¡°What?¡± Kimberly asked. Her eyes widened in surprise. It was finally confirmed. She thought. The man was definitely crazy.

    ¡°This safe house works only as long as no one knows where it is¡± he exined. ¡°If the idea of a blindfold freaks you out, I can sedate you¡±

    ¡°Oh¡± Kimberly said. The idea of a blindfold terrified her. It was too much like being kidnapped all over again. But the thought of being drugged was worse.

    ¡°I prefer the blindfold. I don¡¯t like the idea of losing control¡± she said.

    ¡°Some people spend their whole lives looking for the perfect way to do just that¡±

    ¡°Not me¡± she said. She stared at him and had the odd thought that she very much wanted him to like her. ¡°I¡¯m not what you think, Asher¡±

    He looked instantly bored. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said. His voice was deeper than usual. He didn¡¯t like the feeling that was aroused in him when she said his name. It made him wonder how she would say it if they were in bed together, her legs wrapped tightly around him, and him thrusting deep inside of her.

    He sighed as he locked the rooms and Kimberly followed him. It was a good thing she was leaving. He thought. These thoughts he was having would do both of them no good.

    When they got to the front door. He stopped and turned to her. He took a blindfold out of his pocket. They stared at each other for a while.

    ¡°Turn around¡± he said softly. Kimberly did as she was told, and a few secondster she thought she felt his hand brush her hair, then the blindfold was put carefully over her eyes. He took her hand and led her out. After he locked the front door, she felt his hands around her and then she was in his very strong arms. She gasped softly and then her hands went around his neck instinctively.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Asher groaned inwardly. Her body was so soft. He thought. Every part of him that mattered was in contact with warm, female flesh. He tried not to stare at her beautiful mouth as he moved towards the vehicle.

    If Kimberly had to guess, she would have said the drive had taken about thirty five minutes before the vehicle came to a stop. She had been put in the rear of a van of some kind. There weren¡¯t any seats, but there were plenty of nkets. She had curled up on them and listened to the sound of the engine and the road. And then she had thought about how deliciously good it had felt to be pressed against Asher Adam¡¯s hot body. She knew she shouldn¡¯t entertain such thoughts about him, but she couldn¡¯t help it. The man was freaking hot. She wondered how it would feel if he made love to her. The image of him over her, his strong, muscr body pressed against hers, filling and stretching her gave her goosebumps.

    Of course she knew that would never happen. The man couldn¡¯t even stand her. He was so damn rude to her and she knew that she would never see him again after he returned her to her father, so she forced herself to think about her father and Phoebe. The two people in her life she was sure actually loved and cared about her.

    When the van stopped, she straightened. She heard footsteps and then there was the click of the lock followed by the creak of metal as the rear of the vehicle opened.

    ¡°You can take off the blindfold now,¡± Asher said.

 15

    For reasons that made no sense to her, he hadn¡¯t tied her hands. She reached up and pulled off the blindfold, only to find herself in a dark box inside a van.

    Of course, she thought, knowing that if she had been less exhausted she would have found the situation humorous. He hadn¡¯t tied her hands because once she was in the van it hadn¡¯t mattered if she had removed the blindfold. There was nothing for her to see.

    Very slick, she thought as she crawled to the end of the van and stepped down. She looked around and realized they weren¡¯t at her father¡¯s house yet. They were just on a lonely road.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± she asked. Obviously confused.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay for you toe sit inside now¡± he said. ¡°We are away from the safe house now¡±

    She nodded and followed him into the car after he closed the bank of the van again.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to tell anyone about your precious little safe house.. You know¡± Kimberly said after they got in and he started the van again.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ I Can¡¯t take any chances, princess¡± he said without looking at her.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Stop calling me that¡± she snapped at him.

    He did look at her then. ¡°Well if you hate it so much, Make me stop,¡± he said. His eyes daring her.

    Kimberly frowned at him. ¡°You know what¡­ Screw you.. I¡¯m just d I¡¯m going to be away from you real soon. I honestly can¡¯t wait¡± she said.

    He didn¡¯t say anything. Just grinned and drove off and Kimberly wished she had something to throw at his arrogant head.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    When Kimberly and Asher arrived, Hiry was in the living room with his friend, Christopher. Christopher Keane had stayed close to his friend throughout this terrible ordeal. Encouraging him and ensuring him that his daughter would be safe, and Hiry was entirely grateful to him¡­ And he never failed to express his gratitude. What could he have done without him by his side.

    Hiry could barely contain his joy when Kimberly walked into the house, apanied by Asher. Kimberly and her father hugged each other tightly. It was Kimberly who eventually let go.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, pumpkin,¡± Hiry said, close to tears. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡±

    Kimberly stared at him, confusion on her face. ¡°Sorry for what, Dad?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I should have protected you,¡± Hiry said. ¡°I have no idea what kind of hell you must have been through these past few days¡­ I am so sorry I couldn¡¯t get you out sooner¡±

    ¡°Oh dad,¡± Kimberly said, hugging him again. ¡°There is nothing to be sorry about. It wasn¡¯t your fault and you couldn¡¯t have known¡­ But still, you got me out, Dad. Please don¡¯t be so hard on yourself¡±

    Hiry nodded. ¡°I couldn¡¯t call the police earlier because I didn¡¯t want to put you in more danger. But as soon as Mr Adams called and said that he had you, I called the police.¡±

    Kimberly turned to look at Asher who stood in the middle of the room. His face showed no emotion.

    ¡°They have started investigations.¡± Hiry continued. ¡°They will want to talk to you, but that will be after you have eaten and rested properly. Who knows what you must have gone through in the hands of those hoodlums.¡± he said. ¡°I want whoever did this to you found real soon. And I want them to pay for what they have done¡±

    Kimberly shook her head. ¡°I really want to put this behind me, dad,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m here now. I¡¯m safe. Shouldn¡¯t we just forget about the whole thing?¡±

    ¡°Hell no,¡± Hiry said. ¡°I want them found¡±

    Kimberly closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, knowing it would be a waste of time to try and change his mind. It was obvious that he had set his mind on it.

    Christopher Keane walked toward her. ¡°Kim,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how happy I am to see that you are back.. And safe.. We have all been worried sick. Wee back, dear¡±

    Kimberly nodded. ¡°Thank you, Christopher,¡± she said.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s not my business but I agree with your father,¡± Christopher continued. ¡°He¡¯s right. The people who did this to you must be found. And they must pay for doing this to you. And too discourage others from having simr ideas¡±

    Hiry nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Kimberly said. ¡°I can¡¯t argue with you guys, I know that. Where is Phoebe?¡± she asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Hiry replied. ¡°She has been staying here since it happened, actually. She has been worried sick and scared too. Just like the rest of us. She went out to get some stuff to prepare for you to eat. She wanted to do it herself. She has been eager to see you since we heard the news that you have been rescued ¡±

    Kimberly smiled. Phoebe was being who she was. Kind and thoughtful.

    ¡°You should go upstairs and get some rest, dear,¡± Christopher said. ¡°You look like you need it¡±

    ¡°I do, honestly,¡± Kimberly agreed. She turned to Asher, who was still standing where he was. Her eyes collided with his immediately. Apparently he had been staring at her. She was grateful for his help. Without him, who knew what would have happened to her. She wouldn¡¯t see him again¡­ and that thought made her a little bit sad.

    She mouthed a ¡°Bye¡± to him, which he acknowledged with a single nod. And then she turned and walked up the stairs to her room.

    After she left, Christopher turned to Asher. ¡°So you are the private investigator Hiry hired. You are very good at what you do. I have to say, I can¡¯t thank you enough for what you did¡­ You saved Kimberly¡¯s life¡±

    ¡°Just doing my job¡± Asher said simply.

    ¡°Christopher Keane. Pleasure to meet you¡±

    ¡°Pleasure meeting you too¡± Asher replied and shook Christopher¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Well, Asher and I have a lot to discuss,¡± Hiry said.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Christopher said. ¡°I will be leaving now anyways. I feel much better now, knowing that Kimberly is safe¡±

    After Christopher left, Hiry and Asher went to Hiry¡¯s office where they talked for a while about the case and Hiry paid Asher the remaining half of his money.

 16

    ¡°Thank you for everything. You don¡¯t have any idea what you have done for me.¡± Hiry said and Asher nodded.

    ¡°Nice doing business with you,¡± Asher said. ¡°If you need my help again in any way. Don¡¯t hesitate to call¡±

    Hiry nodded. ¡°I sure will,¡± he said.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Minutester, Asher left.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡°Y¡¯all let her get away, you stupid bastards¡± Alex yelled. He took a chair and hurled it at the wall. The chair broke, One of the pieces barely missing one of Chase¡¯s eyes.

    No one moved. They just stared into space like zombies.

    ¡°You guys had one job, one job damn it¡­ And you blew it. How hard is it to watch one girl¡± Alex yelled, kicking a stool. He moved forward and grabbed Johnny by the cor of his shirt. ¡°How the hell did this happen? Where the hell were you? You had one fucking job, you imbecile¡±

    Johnny struggled to free himself of Alex¡¯s hold. ¡°We took turns watching her,¡± he yelled when Alex finally let him go. ¡°I put Felix in charge, man. I wasn¡¯t here¡±

    ¡°Of course, you weren¡¯t here¡± Alex said, his face furious. ¡°You are never where you are supposed to be¡­ Not ever¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault you don¡¯t have a life¡± Johnny retorted and Alex red at him.

    ¡°Stupid mother fucker¡± Alex swore.

    His eyes fell on Felix. He went to him and pushed him to the wall. His hands curled around Felix¡¯s throat and he began to squeeze. Felix began to choke, unable to breath.

    ¡°You idiot,¡± Alex said. ¡°You were in charge, weren¡¯t you? I¡¯m going to kill you¡±

    ¡°Yeah that¡¯s right,¡± Johnny said sarcastically. ¡°What a good idea. Kill him. Like we don¡¯t have enough problems already¡±

    Alex reluctantly released Felix, who fell on the floor, trying to get air back into his starved lungs.

    ¡°Did you even try to find her?¡± Alex asked, sounding even more furious.

    ¡°We tried¡± Chase replied. ¡°Whoever came for her was very good¡­. And ready. They had a fucking helicopter and guns for fucks sake. We have to watch her apartment and her father¡¯s house. See if she returns.

    Alex sat on a nearby chair and buried his head in his hands. They didn¡¯t even get the damn ransom for God¡¯s sake. All their efforts and ns had been for nothing. He wanted to punch something¡­ Or preferably, someone. He was so pissed.

    ¡°Has the boss called?¡± Johnny asked.

    Alex raised his head and shook it. ¡°No he hasn¡¯t called,¡± he replied. ¡°And God help us all when he does. He¡¯s going to be so angry¡­ We have to keep searching for her. We have to find her¡­ For our sakes¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    When Kimberly woke up, it was already dark. She had slept for hours and she felt well rested¡­ Finally, It had been a while since she had slept that well¡­ So peacefully without worrying about someone hurting her or killing her. She felt safe¡­ Still a bit shaken about the whole thing, but at least she felt safe. She was with family again.

    She got up from the bed and went to take a shower. She thought about Asher Adams, the really hot guy who had rescued her. The man she would never see again¡­ she felt a bit saddened by the thought. She shouldn¡¯t feel that way¡­ Not after the way Mr grumpy had acted towards her.

    Stripping down and turning up the temperature on the shower¡¯s spray, she felt her body melt into the hot water, the sting of the jets tearing her away from her looping thoughts, putting the focus back on her body. Rivulets of water streamed over her breasts, down her belly, with its gentle curves and lush skin, pooling at her V and sliding down her thighs, a familiar heat rushing into her womanhood.

    Kimberly remembered how it had felt when he carried her, her body pressed firmly against his. It may have been for a minute, but his mark really was on her¡­. Somehow.

    Closing her eyes, she remembered his touch and felt an incongruous sense of guilt. Guilt? The man might even have a girlfriend or wife¡­ Though she didn¡¯t remember seeing a ring on his finger, but some people didn¡¯t wear theirs all the time, right?

    Yet here she was, wondering and wishing that Asher Adams was in her.

    On her. All over her.

    The detachable shower head was about to earn its keep. She knew exactly where to aim it, her hands practiced when it came to masturbating. All her normal fantasies, though, weren¡¯t cutting it-not the dream about that hot guy she had seen in a movie. Instead, her mind drifted to Asher Adams.

    As she parted herbia and zeroed the jet spray on her clit, she fought the image of Asher. Yet nothing made it go away. Her body responded to the mere idea of it, of him, of his hands, his mouth, his dick, focused on her. On her needs, on her pleasure, on her discovery. Damn.

    This was crazy! She hadn¡¯t even spent any remarkable time with Asher. Hardly any body contact apart from him grabbing and pulling and carrying her¡­ And all that hadn¡¯t evensted for more than a few minutes. She was never to see him again. Why was she letting them dominate her fantasies?

    She couldn¡¯t answer the questions. All she knew was that she was really enjoying this damned fantasy of Asher Adams. A little fantasy couldn¡¯t hurt now, could it? She wanted Asher, his juices in her, his saliva dried on her, his kiss and skin and lips all-well, that wasn¡¯t going to happen¡­ Ever. But her neck tightened as her breasts swelled, her hands holding the shower spray in one hand, centered straight on her clit now, her other hand parting herbia and two fingers slowly entering her, the bnce hard to achieve but easier as she propped one foot up on the edge of the tub and leaned back against the shower wall.

    Her fingers encountered her soft flesh, her mouth spreading with an unexpected grin as she realized that she was enjoying this fantasy of hers a bit too much.

    Ah, Asher. She wondered what he would actually be like in bed. The man had a great body¡­ he obviously worked out a lot. He looked dangerous. She never thought she would ever be attracted to a man like that. But yet, here she was.

 17

    He would be thick and huge. She thought. And gentle and rough all at once, knowing exactly how to press her skin, tweak her tight spots, y her body to perfect orgasm over and over with his tongue, his lips, his fingers, his hands, and that gorgeous, veiny cock.

    Now she had a face for her menage fantasies- Asher¡¯s. Why not? Live a little, Kimberly. She thought. No one knew what went on in the privacy of her own mind, her own shower, and as she sighed deeply, the pressure of everything vanquished, she felt a familiar heat and bliss rise up in her as the water pulsed its way into her soul, her clit crying out for more, her fingers sliding in and out of her tight pussy not in a heated rush but, instead, slowly, stroking that spot on the top that always made her clench just a tad harder, made her breath hitch, made her imagine it was Asher¡¯s fingers in her.

    ¡°Mmmmm,¡± She imagined Asher moaning in her ear, his thick, wiry runner¡¯s body sliding next to hers in the shower, beads of water darkening that amazing hair, toned arms lifting her up and plunging her down on his ready cock.

    And then-was that? Asher¡¯s mouth on her neck¡­ His hands gently parting her cheeks as he lifted her higher, had her straddle him across the waist as he effortlessly held her in ce, strong legs bending slightly so he could¡­

    She snaked her hand inside her body deeper imagining Asher filling her.

    ¡°Ah, God, Kimberly, more,¡± She imagined Asher groan in her ear, his cock inching deeper inside her, his tip pushing hard against her cervix, her body entombed around him as the water sprayed down. When she imagined his mouth on her earlobe she- Exploded.

    The shower head, her fingers exploring her g-spot, and her dream allbined to make her bend down and scream as a mad rush of orgasm pounded her instantly, no warning, no teasing, just a wall of everything that left her gaping, her mouth open and her throat hoarse as she let it all unleash, her shoulders twitching and bashing into the wall, her hands moving and milking this for everything she could find, her mind filled with images of Asher fucking her, his face strained and cumming, too, all from her. Her body, her presence- her.

    And then-nothing.

    Like a switch flipped, she pulled her hands out of all her orifices, turned the shower head off, washed up fast and got ready for bed.

    Sated, no longer distracted, she shifted from horny, back to tired.

    That wouldn¡¯tst more than a few minutes, for she knew her mind would wander, soon. For now, though, it was a wee and much needed break from her thoughts about him. She curled into bed with a novel.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Kimberly didn¡¯t go back downstairs, she fell asleep again after reading two chapters of her book. What could she do after being sleep deprived for days¡­. And after the explosive orgasm she had in the shower while thinking about Asher Adams.

    Her father and Phoebe had wanted her toe down for dinner, but they decided to let her rest. She had definitely been through a lot and probably needed her rest. So Kimberly slept through the night.

    When she woke up the next morning, she felt her energy returned to her body, but right now, she was so damn hungry. She brushed her teeth and took a shower, then she hurried down for breakfast. She could already smell coffee. The smell made her even more hungry. Her mouth watered. Her father and Phoebe were already seated when she got to the kitchen.

    ¡°Wow. We were beginning to think that you were never going toe down here¡± Phoebe said, standing up and walking to Kimberly. She hugged her tightly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Kim. I¡¯m so sorry for everything you have been through. It must have been really scary. I should have believed you when you said you felt that something was wrong. I regret that I talked you out of it¡± she said.

    Kimberly released her and stared at her. ¡°What? Ohe on, Pheebs. You know that is not your fault¡­ At all. I don¡¯t me you one bit. No one does. You can¡¯t me yourself. There is no need to because I¡¯m here now¡­ I¡¯m back¡­ And I¡¯m safe¡±

    Phoebe nodded and hugged her again, then she led her to a chair. ¡°Come eat,¡± she said.

    ¡°Are you girls done now?¡± Hiry asked, clearly amused.

    Kimberly smiled. ¡°Good morning, Dad,¡± she said.

    ¡°I was beginning to wonder when you would notice me,¡± Hiry said, still smiling. ¡°One would think you guys were a couple, with the way you behave sometimes¡±

    ¡°Oh please¡± Phoebe said. ¡°Kim would have to work really hard to get me¡­ Like seriously, she would have to.. You know¡­ Be romantic and sweep me off my feet¡±

    ¡°Shut up¡± Kimberly said,ughing.

    ¡°There¡¯s that smile I have missed seeing¡± Hiry said, reaching across the table to take hold of Kimberly¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you are home,¡± he said, squeezing her hand affectionately.

    ¡°Me too, Dad. I know you must have been worried sick¡±

    ¡°Did you sleep alright?¡± Phoebe asked as she ced the food on the table.

    ¡°Like a baby¡± Kimberly said as she took the bowl and scooped a lot of eggs into the te. ¡°Oh¡­ I could eat everything on this table right now. I¡¯m starving¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    When she looked up, Phoebe and dad were staring at her and smiling.

    ¡°What are you guys looking at?¡± Kimberly asked.

    ¡°We were kinda worried that you would have trouble getting back to your normal self.¡± Hiry said.

    ¡°Yes¡± Phoebe agreed. ¡°If I were in your shoes, and went through what you went through, I would be¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ Traumatized right now¡­ I guess we both forgot just how strong you are¡±

    Kimberly smiled. ¡°Well, it¡¯s going to take more than a group of idiots to break me. All I want right now is to put the whole thing behind me and just continue with my life. I don¡¯t even want to remember that this happened¡±

    Phoebe and Hiry grinned and Phoebe sat at the table with them.

    ¡°Hey slow down¡± Hiry said, ¡°There is no need to rush. I know you are strong but I still believe you should take a little time for yourself. Just some time to get over this before you rush back to living your normal life. There is no need to hurry. Think of it as a vacation if you can¡±

 18

    Kimberly rolled her eyes and smiled. Taking a break sounded like a good idea. ¡°Fine¡­ I will stay for a while and rest, But I don¡¯t think hanging out in my own house counts as a vacation¡± she said.

    ¡°Have you been here with Dad since it happened?¡± Kimberly asked Phoebe.

    ¡°Yes. I have been worried and scared at the same time. Didn¡¯t know what to do. Worried something horrible might happen to you¡­ And scared the same thing would happen to me¡± Phoebe replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you came here, Pheebs,¡± Kimberly said. ¡°Dad needed someone to look after him¡­ Even if he never admits it¡±

    ¡°Hey¡± Hiry said with feigned annoyance. ¡°I¡¯m a strong man. I don¡¯t need anyone to baby sit me. I¡¯m definitely not that old.¡±

    ¡°Yeah right,¡± Kimberly said.

    Kimberly and Phoebeughed. They ate together, talking about work. Not that they had been working a lot. Phoebe and Hiry had kinda stopped working since her kidnap. But she was back now, and she couldn¡¯t wait to forget about everything¡­ The kidnap -even Asher Adams.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Kimberly had been back home for two weeks now. She had stayed indoors, because Hiry was so worried about her going out and she didn¡¯t want to bother him¡­ He had enough reason to be over protective.

    She had spoken to the police about her kidnap. And she had tried to give them enough information so they could find her kidnappers. But she couldn¡¯t tell them much, she had been unconscious when she was taken, she had been kept inside throughout, and when Asher and his team hade to rescue her, she had been too focused on escaping her captors -and also her handsome rescuer that she hadn¡¯t really looked around. Though she didn¡¯t tell the police thatst part¡­. It was embarrassing.. Even to admit it to herself..Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    She described her kidnappers as best as she could. She told them their names and that the one called Alex was the leader of the gang. She also mentioned that Alex and Johnny didn¡¯t seem to like each other much as they quarreled and argued almost all the time.

    The police eventually found the ce she had been kept, but the ce had been wiped clean of everything including prints and they couldn¡¯t find any strong evidence. The gang members were good at covering their tracks. They had known the police woulde looking for them.

    So the investigation was still on, and Kimberly was sick of staying indoors. She wanted to get back to her life. The investigation be damned. She wanted to get back to her apartment. To her job. She hated being idle all the time.

    Phoebe went back to her apartment a week after Kimberly returned. She had to go back to work. Though she usually came around to visit.

    When Kimberly told her father about her ns to return to work and to go back to her apartment, Hiry looked at her like she was speaking in tongues.

    ¡°What the¡­. Hell no!¡± he yelled.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad. I didn¡¯t get what you just said but it sounded like you just said hell no¡± Kimberly said sarcastically.

    ¡°You are right. That¡¯s what I said. Hell no¡± Hiry repeated.

    ¡°Dad, I didn¡¯te to ask for your permission. I¡¯m telling you. You know that I can¡¯t stay here forever, don¡¯t you?¡± Kimberly asked.

    ¡°Yes I do¡± her father replied. ¡°But you can¡¯t go now. It¡¯s too dangerous¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been two weeks Dad, and nothing has happened,¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°But investigations are still going on. It doesn¡¯t mean that nothing can happen again. The people who did this to you are still out there. Who knows what they are nning to do next? I¡¯m not taking any chances.. Not with your life. I couldn¡¯t protect you before¡­ And I¡¯m sure as hell not going to make the same mistake again¡± Hiry said.

    ¡°I understand your concerns Dad, and I appreciate it¡± Kimberly said. ¡°But I can¡¯t keep hiding in here. Have you ever asked yourself, What If those people are never found? What if the police don¡¯t make any progress? Am I just going to keep living my life in fear? Looking over my shoulder all the time? That¡¯s not me Dad. You know that¡±

    ¡°They will be found,¡± Hiry said, trying to sound confident.

    Kimberly shook her head. ¡°I hope so too, Dad. But I have to go back to my life. What¡¯s the point of being rescued if I¡¯m just going to stay locked up again¡±

    ¡°You are not leaving,¡± Hiry insisted.

    ¡°You can¡¯t make me stay,¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°Actually I can. Now that I know exactly what you intend to do, I¡¯m going to give my bodyguards instructions not to let you leave¡±

    ¡°You are not serious,¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°Yes I am¡­ You have no idea just how serious I am¡± Hiry said.

    Kimberly rose up from her chair and left her father¡¯s office in anger.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    She was still fuming when Phoebe arrived the next day for a visit.

    ¡°Can you believe he actually told those guys to watch me?¡± Kimberly said as she painted her nails. She had just finished venting her anger about the whole thing out. She was on her chair while Phoebe sat on her bed, a bowl of ice cream on herp.

    ¡°Hmmmm¡± Phoebe said as she slowly withdrew the spoon out of her mouth. ¡°When you really think about it, your Dad has a strong point¡±

    Kimberly lifted her eyes from fingernails and red at her. ¡°You did not just say that,¡± she said. ¡°The whole point of telling you this is so you can get mad and vent with me. I didn¡¯t tell you so you can side with him. You are supposed to be on my side, dummy¡±

    Phoebeughed and scooped another ice cream into her mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t care about sides right now¡­. Not when ites to this. I don¡¯t think you realize just how much your Dad was worried when you were missing. He¡¯s an old man for God¡¯s sake. I don¡¯t think he can stand any more bad news. Even I was scared shitless¡±

    ¡°I know. I know¡± Kimberly said. ¡°But I can¡¯t just stay here. I have to continue with my life and move on somehow. I guess I will just have to be extra careful next time. You have to understand me, Pheebs¡±

    Phoebe nodded. ¡°I do,¡± she said. ¡°But please go easy on your Dad. He¡¯s just worried about his daughter. I would be thrilled if my parents were still here to worry like that about me¡± she said.

 19

    Phoebe¡¯s Dad had passed away when she was a kid and she had been raised by her mom. Then her mother passed away too when she was in college.

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying. Stop being mad at him and just talk to him¡­¡± Phoebe continued. ¡°See if you guys can work something out¡±

    Kimberly nodded. ¡°You know sometimes you talk like you are a reasonable person¡± she said smiling. ¡°But I know you well enough to know that you are not¡±

    Phoebe picked up a pillow and threw it at her. Kimberlyughed.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Three dayster, Kimberly walked downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast. Her father was there and so was one of his bodyguards. She noticed they were always around since she came back. Her father had always wanted her to have one, but she had adamantly refused. She had insisted that she didn¡¯t need them. He was the billionaire, she had told her father so he was the one who needed bodyguards following him around. And when Hiry saw that he couldn¡¯t change her mind, he had let her be.

    ¡°Good morning, Dad¡± Kimberly said, as she put some pancakes the cook Emily had prepared on her te.

    ¡°Good morning, pumpkin¡± Hiry said as he watched her. Kimberly hadn¡¯t tried to leave as she had said, but she had been avoiding him. He didn¡¯t like that. And he didn¡¯t like knowing that she was not happy with him. He knew she was right. She couldn¡¯t keep staying indoors. But all he wanted was to keep his daughter safe.

    She took a carton of milk from the fridge and two sses. Then she sat down after pouring the milk into the sses and pushing one to her father.

    The room was silent as they ate.

    ¡°Still mad at me, huh?¡± Hiry asked, grinning.

    Kimberly stared at him ¡°Yeah I am¡± she said without mincing words. She wanted to maintain her tough look, but she couldn¡¯t when her father had that look on his face. She began tough and Hiry joined her.

    ¡°Oh, damn it¡± she said, stillughing.

    ¡°You just couldn¡¯t keep it in, could you?¡± Hiry asked, smiling.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t. You knew I couldn¡¯t¡± Kimberly said. ¡°Stop it, Dad. I¡¯m mad at you¡­ Seriously¡±

    ¡°Fine. Fine¡± Hiry said. He motioned with his hand to the bodyguard who stood at the door and the man left.

    ¡°I have been thinking about what you said,¡± Hiry continued. ¡°And you are right. I shouldn¡¯t try to keep you here. You are an independent, strong young woman, just like your mother. And it isn¡¯t fair to you if I try to hold you back from doing anything you want. Your mother wouldn¡¯t want that. And that is why I have decided that you can go back to your apartment¡±

    Kimberly smiled. Happiness written all over her face. She reached across the table and took his hand. She knew that he didn¡¯t want her to leave but that he was doing it because he always made sure that she got what she wanted and that she was happy.

    ¡°Thank you so much, Dad,¡± Kimberly said beaming. ¡°I¡¯m so d you thought about it¡­ And I promise I will try to be very careful¡±

    ¡°Let me finish. I¡¯m not done, sweetie¡± Hiry said.

    Kimberly smiled at him and withdrew her hand. She poured herself a cup of water from the jug and began to drink it.

    The bodyguard that went out returned, but Kimberly didn¡¯t turn around to look.

    ¡°So, dad, what were you going to say?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You are not going to like what I¡¯m about to say dear. But I want you to keep in mind that this is for your own good. I want you to meet someone¡­ Well, technically, you already met him. This is just for¡­ you know¡­ Formalities¡­¡±

    Kimberly blinked at him. Wondering what her father was trying to say. But already judging from the way he was beating around the bush that she was definitely, just as he said, not going to like what she was about to hear.

    ¡°This is Asher Adams,¡± her father said finally. ¡°He¡¯s going to be your bodyguard from now on.

    Kimberly¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. The water she had just swallowed went down the wrong pipe and she began to choke. She started to cough and it took some seconds to finally calm her down.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Great. Just great. She thought. Just when she thought she had the annoying man out of her life for good. She followed her father¡¯s eyes and turned. Her eyes met instantly with Asher Adam¡¯s dark ones. He stared right back at her¡­ A grin¡­ She couldn¡¯t decide what it was.. On his face. She had really thought she was never going to see the man again.

    She turned her attention back to her father. ¡°I¡¯m sorry dad, what did you just say?¡±

    ¡°You heard me all right,¡± Hiry said. ¡°The only way I¡¯m letting you leave here to return to your apartment is if you agree to having Asher Adams there with you as your bodyguard. Like I said before, I¡¯m not taking chances with your life and I¡¯m going to do everything I can to keep you safe¡±

    Kimberly didn¡¯t say anything. She just stared wide eyed at her father.

    ¡°Now I¡¯m sorry for just springing this on you out of the blue¡± Hiry continued. ¡°But it¡¯s for your own good. Asher was able to find you and return you to me unharmed, and I trust that he is going to keep you safe¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happ¡­.¡± Kimberly began, and then she paused and turned to Asher and her father¡¯s bodyguard, whose name was David. ¡°Can I talk to my father¡­. In private?¡± she asked, her eyes on Asher, though she was referring to David. She red at him.

    Hiry nodded at them, and they turned and left the room.

    Kimberly turned to her father. ¡°Dad, that is not going to happen¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking. You have no say in this. I¡¯m your father and I¡¯m going to protect you. It¡¯s my duty to protect you. Now you disagreed with me before, and I¡¯m just trying to create an opportunity for the both of us to get what we want.¡±

    ¡°What I want? This is far from what I want. I can¡¯t have him following me everywhere¡± Kimberly protested.

 20

    Hiry sighed, like he was tired of the topic. ¡°Sweetheart, I know you love your freedom and independence. I¡¯m proud of you. I love that you are that way, but you need a bodyguard now. Just ignore him¡­ Pretend that he is not there and you will be fine. You will get used to it¡±

    Kimberly shut her eyes tightly and gripped the ends of the table. There was definitely no way she was ever going to get used to Asher Adams following her around. She thought. And she was going to always be aware of his presence. She couldn¡¯t just pretend that he wasn¡¯t there. She was aware of every part of the man. She spent almost twenty four hours with the man and somehow he found a way into her brain. How was she ever going to get anything done?

    ¡°He¡¯s not very nice, Dad. I don¡¯t like him¡± she said when she opened her eyes.

    ¡°He¡¯s supposed to be your bodyguard, Kim. Not your Bestie. He¡¯s not supposed to be ¡®nice¡¯ because being nice is not his job¡± Hiry said, rxing in his chair. ¡°I like Asher, he does his job well. He¡¯s efficient and tough. I like that¡±

    Kimberly groaned inwardly. He was tough alright. She knew that. ¡°And he¡¯s supposed to be with me all the time¡­. Living in my apartment?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well, he can¡¯t protect you if he¡¯s not with you, can he?¡± Hiry asked. ¡°If you feel that your apartment is too small, we can get you another ce. I have a nice condo for you. I really don¡¯t understand why you choose that apartment in the first ce.. when I can get you a nicer ce to live in¡±

    Kimberly shook her head. ¡°Thanks for the offer, Dad. But I like my apartment so I will stick to it. And besides, you have done enough. At least you asked me about this one first¡­. Good thing you didn¡¯t just go ahead to move my things out of my apartment¡± she said.

    Suddenly losing her appetite, she got up and headed for her room. Asher was in the living room with David when she passed by. Their eyes met again and she red at him as she passed. She refused to turn around, but she felt his eyes on her.

    Great. Just great. She thought. Now, not only was she stuck with a big hunk of a man following her around and watching her every move¡­

    But it was one she found so damn attractive¡­. damn it all to hell. She thought and she walked into her bedroom and flung herself on the bed.

    ¡°This was crazy,¡± Kimberly thought. She didn¡¯t need a bodyguard and even if she needed one, why the hell did it have to be Asher Adams. Why? Why? Why?

    She knew her father wouldn¡¯t change his mind. It was a miracle that he decided to change his mind about letting her go back to her apartment. Better not to argue with him now.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Kimberly turned over and stared at the ceiling. How bad was it? She asked herself.

    Really¡­ Really bad. She answered her own questions and when she remembered that night she spent in the shower thinking about him, moaning his name while she brought herself to an orgasm, she brought her hands to her face and shut her eyes tightly in embarrassment. She wanted to scream into a pillow.

    He was going to be around her now¡­. All the damn time. How the hell was she going to handle having him around when she had such incredible sexual attraction to him.

    That wasn¡¯t even the only problem. The man didn¡¯t like her one bit. There was no doubt about that. He seemed to be eager to get rid of her when she was with him.

    Then why the hell did he agree to be her damn bodyguard. Why would he ept a job to be with someone he didn¡¯t like. Because he¡¯s getting paid you idiot. She told herself. God alone knew how much her father had offered to pay him. It had to be a lot. Or perhaps he just thought it would be a good opportunity to torture her¡­ Because that was exactly what he was doing right now¡­ And he looked like he was enjoying every second of it.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Asher Adams knew that agreeing to protect Kimberly ke was probably one of the stupidest things he had ever done in his entire life.

    For some reason he didn¡¯t really understand, it had been super hard to get her out of his mind these past weeks. She was on his mind many times than he cared to admit¡­ Even to himself.

    He had barely spent one day with the woman, and yet somehow she had imprinted on him¡­ In his head. And nothing he had done to get her out had worked.

    She was beautiful. He knew that¡­ Anyone could see that. He had to be blind not to see. But he had seen¡­ Even dated beautiful women before, but never had he ever felt such raw sexual attraction to any of them before¡­ And definitely not so fast. But yet here he was.

    When Hiry ke had contacted him again, his first thought had been that Kimberly was in some kind of danger -again. And the way he had felt when that thought entered his head baffled him¡­ The sudden urge he had felt to protect her from harm was so strong.

    The woman wasn¡¯t his type¡­ She was one of those diva¡¯s he couldn¡¯t stand. She was super annoying. She talked way too much and was too stubborn¡­. And above all, she was his client. He had rescued her and the kind of thoughts he was having about her were definitely unprofessional.

    That should have been enough reason to say no when Hiry ke had offered him this job. But yet he found himself saying yes¡­ And now here he was.

    At first he had tried to convince himself that he had epted the job for the money. It was a huge pay.. Hiry was ready to offer any amount for his daughter¡¯s safety. But no amount of denial on his part could change the fact that he had epted the job because a part of him cared and he wanted Kimberly ke to be safe.

    He had one assignment. To protect her. It was an assignment that might prove to be more than he bargained for. Because Kimberly ke was so adamant she didn¡¯t need his protection. And a woman who doesn¡¯t want a bodyguard could be difficult, dangerous-and terribly intriguing.

 21

    Another reason why he had epted the job was that he wanted to see her again.

    The realization had hit him hard. He couldn¡¯t deny it. It was definitely just a sexual attraction. He was sure of that much. Why else would he be having those dreams about her. Those thoughts and those explicit vivid imaginations.

    Her reaction to the news that he was going to be her bodyguard wasn¡¯t good¡­ At all. But at least, he expected that. Things hadn¡¯t been so good between them those few hours they had spent together. And she was¡­. Of course¡­ Who she was and he wasn¡¯t surprised that she threw a damn tantrum because things weren¡¯t going her way. That was the way he expected her to act.

    It was kinda funny she got pissed when he called her a princess, because that was exactly the way she behaved. Like a spoiled little brat who threw a tantrum when things weren¡¯t going her way. And that was another reason why his attraction to her puzzled him so damn much. The woman was far from his type¡­. normally he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand her one bit, wouldn¡¯t give a second nce, and yet here he was.

    She would get used to the idea of having him around eventually. He knew that for sure. But for now he was going to think of this as an adventure. One he was sure as hell going to enjoy. And he was going to use the opportunity to figure out what this damn attraction to Kimberly ke was¡­ Once and for all.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± Kimberly muttered out of the side of her mouth. ¡°I can¡¯t get away from him and it¡¯s driving me insane. I¡¯m pathetic. How can I possibly care this much?¡±

    Kimberly and Phoebe were at Kimberly¡¯s apartment, cleaning it up and moving some of Kimberly¡¯s stuff back in. Five weeks after her rescue, Kimberly was moving out of her Dad¡¯s house and back into her apartment and of course, Asher hade with them. He was going to be using one of the rooms in the house. And Kimberly, despite having two weeks to get used to idea, was stillpletely freaking out about the whole arrangement. Asher stood at a corner in the room, looking away from them.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Phoebe moved in front of Kimberly, facing her, and blocking Asher¡¯s view of her. Now they could talk without the unpleasant possibility that Asher would overhear them or read their words from their lips.

    ¡°If it¡¯s so unbearable,¡± Phoebe suggested, her voice low, ¡°Talk to your Dad. Tell him to get rid of him. Or tell him you want someone else.¡±

    Hiry ke had rxed a bit after he made Asher Adams Kimberly¡¯s bodyguard. Even if he wasn¡¯tpletely sure that the threat was gone, he felt at peace a little bit, knowing that at least Kimberly had someone to protect her now.

    ¡°It¡¯s of no use, believe me, I have tried.. Many times¡± Kimberly said, as she bent to pick up the pieces of a vase that had broken in the struggle between her and Alex when he¡¯de for her. ¡°If I go to my Dad, he won¡¯t even listen to me. He trusts this Asher guy because he rescued me when the otherpany he hired couldn¡¯t. He thinks this one is so efficient. What he doesn¡¯t know is that the man is such a douchebag. I don¡¯t want to keepining and make it seem like I¡¯m ungrateful¡­ Because I am grateful. Dad has been so worried. He has been through a lot because of me and I don¡¯t wanna add to it. This is Asher¡¯s job too, I don¡¯t want to mess with it and no matter how bad he is at interacting with people, He¡¯s really good at it if I¡¯m being honest with myself. It will only look bad for Asher if I get him fired¡­ It could reflect negatively on him too, you know that.¡±

    Phoebe made a snorty sound-but when she spoke, she did it very quietly. ¡°Too bad.¡± she said. ¡°But you know what, I¡¯m beginning to think that a part of you likes having him around¡±

    Kimberly cast a nce at her as she stood with the broken vase and Phoebeughed.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t such a bad idea to have him around.¡± Phoebe continued. ¡°Come to think of it, you do need him to keep you safe¡­ We don¡¯t know the people who took you. And you insisted that you would keep living here. We need to be careful. You told me that you are very attracted to him .. And I don¡¯t me you, look at him girl, he¡¯s super hot. I wouldn¡¯t mind if I had a guy like him following me around. You justin too much¡±

    Kimberly suppressed a sigh and tried to exin in a near whisper, without moving her lips too much. ¡°Haven¡¯t we been through this?¡± She darted a nce at Asher. He didn¡¯t seem to be interested in their discussion so she returned her attention to Phoebe.

    ¡°Asher hates me, for reasons best known to him.¡±Kimberly continued. ¡°The whole time I spent with him, he seemed to be angry with me about something, like he couldn¡¯t wait to be rid of me¡­. He has been the same way ever since he took this job¡­ Although I haven¡¯t seen him much since then, he doesn¡¯t seem friendly at all. He is mean¡­. Makes me wonder why he would take a job where he has to be with me all the time if he dislikes me so much. The attraction to him doesn¡¯t matter. I¡­..¡± She let the words trail off. No need to be overly specific.

    Asher turned away from the window when his phone rang. ¡°I will be in there¡± he said, pointing in the direction of the hallway leading to rooms. Kimberly nodded slowly and he left the living room to answer the phone call.

    ¡°Maybe you guys might get along in the future, who knows. Maybe be best friends¡­. or maybe more.¡± Phoebe said after he left, raising her eyebrows in a funny way. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a great romantic story? Didn¡¯t you ever watch that movie? The bodyguard? The one about Whitney Houston and her bodyguard? Girl, you are living that movie right now¡­ Enjoy the ride¡­ That¡¯s exactly what I would do¡±

 22

    Kimberly frowned. ¡°Yeah I don¡¯t want to think about ¡®what you would do¡¯ in this situation because I have an idea and it just doesn¡¯t seem right to me¡±.

    Phoebe giggled.

    ¡°This is real life, Pheebs. Not some damn movie.¡± Kimberly said but she smiled too.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Phoebe reached out and cupped the side of her face with a soothing hand. ¡°You really must get past all this. You know that, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡± Kimberly said, rolling her eyes and Phoebe withdrew her hands.

    And truly she had been trying for the past few weeks to get the image of the man out of her head. The attraction to him was disturbing¡­ Never in her life had she felt such a pull towards any man. What if she fell in love with him or something? She asked herself. That was super impossible. The man hadn¡¯t given her one reason to encourage any feelings towards him. But still she didn¡¯t trust herself around him.

    Kimberly had never been in love, though she had dated two guys. Both good men, each attractive. But somehow, she hadn¡¯t managed to bring herself to get fully into it. And they had both eventually realized that her heart wasn¡¯t in it.

    The rtionships had died. She remained on friendly terms with both of her exes, a fact that made her failure with them all the more wretched. As though both men had realized that there hadn¡¯t been enough to what they¡¯d shared in the first ce to be bitter or angry over losing it.

    ¡°Try harder,¡± Phoebe suggested with a sigh.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re right.¡± Kimberly said. ¡°And I do need to get over it. I don¡¯t know why it bothers me so much. And I ampletely and utterly fed up with myself, with my silly inability to get past something that didn¡¯t even really happen.¡±

    ¡°Just hold it together. Just a little while longer till we are sure that you are safe, then everything will go back to normal¡± Phoebe said.

    Kimberly nodded and Phoebe looked around. ¡°Remind me again why we didn¡¯t hire people to do this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Because we have hands and the work isn¡¯t even much.zy bones.¡± Kimberly replied.

    For a while they worked in silence till most of the house was clean and returned to its normal look. Asher returned from his room and went back to the ce he was standing in front of the window.

    Phoebe angled her head in the direction of the door. ¡°I have to go. It¡¯s gettingte.¡± she said. ¡°Got some work stuff to handle¡±

    Kimberly nodded, inwardly dreading being alone with Asher. ¡°Thanks for your help¡± she said.

    Phoebe must have seen the look in her eyes because she threw her head back andughed. ¡°Talk to him babe. Start a conversation¡± she whispered before she turned and picked her handbag on the couch. She faced Kimberly again and touched her shoulder. ¡°You guys have to get along or I¡¯m sorry but the both of you are going to be very miserable with this long awkward silence.¡±

    Kimberly nodded and Phoebe walked towards the door. She passed Asher as she walked away. ¡°Bye Asher¡± she said softly to him, waving her right hand slightly. Asher nodded at her in response to her greeting and she left.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    The silence after Phoebe left was frustrating¡­ And definitely awkward, just as Phoebe had said. Kimberly couldn¡¯t remember if she had ever been in such an awkward situation. She went to the kitchen and made some coffee. When she returned, he still hadn¡¯t moved.

    She stood and watched him, coffee in hand. He stood looking out the window staring at the view, his broad back to her. He was leaning on the wall, both hands in his pocket.

    Kimberly took the opportunity to stare at him. He wore Jean trousers today, with another ck shirt. She was dying to see the man in another color. Why, she didn¡¯t know. It was hardly any of her business what color of clothes her bodyguard was putting on. She doubted he was enjoying the view very much. The lights from the city were beautiful, especially in the evening-at least she thought so. And she loved looking at them. The view was one of reasons why she loved the apartment. But the lights didn¡¯t seem like something a man like Asher Adams would be interested in.

    Looking at the lights always calmed her. It looked so peaceful and beautiful. But she wasn¡¯t sure they had the same effect on Asher Adams. He seemed perpetually alert¡­ Always. From the moment she¡¯d firstid eyes on him when he came to rescue her.

    He turned around that minute, like he had sensed her eyes on him, and Kimberly was too engrossed in her assessment of what a great body he had that she didn¡¯t have time to turn away.

    Their eyes met and Kimberly swore under her breath. She swallowed and told herself fiercely she¡¯d never speak to herself again if she blushed like a schoolgirl. Because the fact of the matter was, Asher Adams¡¯ eyes on her affected her rather drastically.

    The lean,pact muscles of his chest were etched beneath the fine cotton of his shirt. His diaphragm was as t as a board and she¡¯d been assaulted by the aroma of pure man on their way to the apartment, and she had found it heady and delicious. Not only that, she¡¯d been assaulted by a mental vision of Asher Adams naked and powerful, tanned and with springy dark hair¡­since after they had met.

    ¡°Hey¡± she said, biting her lower lip.

    He didn¡¯t reply. He just stared at her obviously waiting for her to speak.

    ¡°I made you coffee,¡± she said, approaching him.

    He continued to stare at her. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said gruffly. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that for me.¡±

    She handed him the cup. ¡°Easy enough to do.¡± she said, like it was nothing. It wasn¡¯t, she reminded herself.

    His fingers brushed briefly against hers when he took it. A strange thrill shivered through her skin. If he weren¡¯t so taciturn, blunt, she¡¯d consider him attractive in all the right ways.

    Kimberly stifled a frustrated sigh.

 23

    Asher Adams was in her life to protect her, which made him wrong for all the right reasons. And having these weird feelings towards him was definitely not a good idea. She didn¡¯t need anyone to tell her that.

    Cooperate. She told herself. Let him do his thing. It won¡¯t be long now and then you¡¯ll get your life back.

    She shot him a sidelong nce. Asher, despite being on his feet almost throughout the day, didn¡¯t look tired at all. While she, on the contrary, felt like death in a skillet. Something a strong shot of caffeine would cure. And augh or two with some good friends would help her rx a little bit. But she knew that as much as she wanted that, she didn¡¯t even have the strength for it, and she doubted Mr tough bodyguard here would let her anywhere out of his sight.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to prepare something for us to eat now,¡± she said. ¡°You must be hungry. I know that because I¡¯m starving right now.. And tired too¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do all that,¡± he said again. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡±.

    Kimberly bit her lower lip. Wondering if the word ¡°Thank you¡± was in the man¡¯s dictionary at all. She stopped the lip biting immediately when his lips thinned at the action.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said. ¡°I really don¡¯t mind. I will let you know when it¡¯s ready. In the meantime, you should sit somewhere. If I stood for that long I would get cramps¡±

    He didn¡¯t make any effort toply with her suggestion that he sit so she just turned and went to the kitchen.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    After she prepared the food and persuaded him to join her, they ate in silence and it was killing Kimberly. She watched Asher through the corner of her eyes. Wondering if he was feeling the same way she was. He didn¡¯t seem to mind. He looked¡­. She didn¡¯t know if she should say¡­fortable. The man hardly ever looked rxed. Hardly ever showed any emotion. Always on alert, like he was expecting something bad to happen anytime.

    Kimberly knew that was his job, but she still thought he had to rx a little. Maybe that would make it a bit more approachable.

    She decided to make small talk. ¡°How is the food?¡± she asked.

    He stared at her for a few seconds before nodding. ¡°Good,¡± he said simply. And that was it¡­ Back to awkward silence. He made no effort to keep their conversation going and it was beginning to get really frustrating. If he was going to be with her for God knows how long, they had to find a way to at least get along to some extent. They couldn¡¯t just live in awkward silence.

    ¡°You don¡¯t talk a lot, do you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I talk when it¡¯s necessary,¡± he replied.

    Kimberly nodded. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m still in danger? She asked, changing the topic.

    His eyes met hers again.¡±I¡¯m not sure. So far we haven¡¯t found any evidence to prove that you are¡±  he said.

    ¡°I know. I think my dad is overreacting really. They took me because they wanted money, and their n failed. Why would they still want me¡­ Who would want to hurt me¡± she asked.

    ¡°The why doesn¡¯t matter as much as the who,¡± he said, as he poured himself a ss of water. The ss looked smaller in his big hands and Kimberly forced herself not to think of ces on her body she would like those hands to be.

    ¡°Most times, these people might strike again, especially when they didn¡¯t get what they wanted in the first ce. Just like in your case, they never got the ransom they requested for.¡± he continued. ¡°Another reason why it¡¯s wise to be vignt is that we don¡¯t know if these people have other reasons for kidnapping you. It might be personal, is there anyone you suspect might want to harm you? Someone you might have offended¡± he asked.

    Kimberly shook her head, eyes wide. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t know¡± she replied. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have any enemies. Maybe I do,  but not enough for someone to want to harm me that way¡±

    He stared at her for a few seconds. ¡°People can hold grudges,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, but like I said, kidnapping is a bit extreme for a simple misunderstanding between two people.¡± she said again.

    ¡°Are you always that trusting?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, it¡¯s dumb to just assume that no one would want to harm you. Are you really that ignorant? Because you are daddy¡¯s sweet little princess and you think everyone in the world is gonna want to protect you? You think everyone sees it that way?¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    Kimberly frowned. ¡°You know nothing about me,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, I have spent  some time with you and I gotta say that you could be a bit annoying.. Scratch that¡­ A lot annoying actually. All I¡¯m saying is that you might have hurt someone¡­ or annoyed someone. Someone who holds a grudge, or maybe it¡¯s just about the money. Who knows. All I know is that your father is right to be worried, whoever these people are might return to finish the job. It would be really stupid if you got kidnapped again¡­ By the same people¡±

    ¡°Well, if you find me so annoying, why did you ept the job? Only a crazy person would agree to be stuck with someone they find so annoying.¡± she said, pouting. ¡°I have been wondering why you did. You could have sent someone else.. Maybe another member of your team because I have to say, I also don¡¯t find yourpany pleasurable one bit. You are annoying too, you know. Maybe even worse than I am¡±

    Asher almostughed, but he didn¡¯t. He just stared at her. Once again he admired her nerve. His gaze went from her eyes, to her lips, her neck and her full cleavage. She had the biggest brown eyes he had ever seen, he thought as his eyes found their way back to his face.

    Kimberly swallowed nervously under his intense stare. She reached for her ss of water, suddenly needing to hold or do something.

 24

    ¡°I epted the job for the money¡± he said finally, his voice deeper than usual. As for sending another member to my team to do the job, I didn¡¯t, because my team members have other jobs to handle and your father requested that I be the one to do this¡­ Not my fault that he has so much faith in me¡± He said.

    Kimberly thought he was being cocky, but she didn¡¯t say that out loud. She rolled her eyes instead. ¡°I think you are really annoying yourself. You judge before you even get to know me for God knows what reason. You¡¯re rude and I think the only thing worse than being kidnapped is being stuck in a house with you.¡± she said.

    One side of his mouth lifted in a grin. A flirty boyish grin that made her feel all weird inside. Like she amused him. ¡°Do you really think that?¡± he asked calmly.

    Kimberly decided to reply to that question. So she said instead. ¡°What I think doesn¡¯t matter. Obviously, we don¡¯t like each other very much, but we¡¯re stuck with each other and if we are going to do this, we are going to have to find a way to get along¡± .This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to get along,¡± Asher said calmly. ¡°That is not part of my job. I¡¯m not here to be friends with you¡­ or get along with you. Whatever that is. I¡¯m here to protect you, and I intend to do so and do my best, but getting along with you is not one of the reasons why I¡¯m here, so I suggest you drop the idea¡±

    Kimberly wondered if she had ever been that embarrassed in her entire life, because she was sure that if she had, she would dly go back to that moment. It surely wouldn¡¯t beat this moment with Asher Adams.

    ¡°Fine. Suit yourself¡± she said, trying to sound unaffected. She rose and began to clear the dishes. Asher helped, surprisingly, but it was all done in even more awkward silence and Kimberly couldn¡¯t wait to be done with it.

    After she returned the dishes to the appropriate ces, she mumbled a good night to him, not caring if he said it back, but she was surprised when she saw that he was right behind her. She stopped and stared at him, clearly confused about what the hell he was doing.

    He read the look on her face.

    ¡°¡±I¡¯m going to look in your room, okay?¡± he said. ¡°I have looked around the house, except in there because I didn¡¯t want to intrude. I¡¯d like to know theyout, just in case.¡±

    Kimberly wanted to argue, but was trying to channel her inner Spears¡¯ manners. She still rolled her eyes though.

    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± She said carelessly. She let him follow her to her bedroom door and swung it wide open for him. ¡°Knock yourself out.¡±

    He moved past her, into the room. For a moment she worried about her more intimate things being left out in the open, but it was a baseless fear. She was meticulous, a trait that had bled over from her professional life into her personal one. She¡¯d already unpacked and sorted her things.

    ¡°Satisfied?¡± she asked as she folded her hands across her chest. The gesture brought his attention to her chest as it raised her breasts, but he looked away slowly. Looking at her that way wasn¡¯t going to help.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said.

    ¡°Then goodnight¡± she snapped.

    He didn¡¯t move for a few seconds.

    ¡°Very well,¡± he finally replied. ¡°I understand you will be going to your office tomorrow to take care of things. What time will you be leaving exactly?¡±

    ¡°Eight o¡¯clock¡± Kimberly replied.

    ¡°I will be  ready by seven o¡¯clock tomorrow morning then.¡± Asher said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I have never had a bodyguard before and I¡¯m not used to this. I honestly don¡¯t think I will ever be. But you don¡¯t have toe to the office with me. It¡¯s not like I will be going there everyday now¡­ Thanks to you and my Dad, I will be doing most of my work from home and only go there when it¡¯s necessary¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t agree with you,¡± he said quickly. ¡°If you are my charge, then when you wake, I will be here, and If you are going to the office, I have toe with you. I do not end my day until you do. That is my job¡±

    She bit her lip again and his eyes followed the movement. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to shadow me for so long during the day. I assure you that I¡¯m fine.¡±she said.

    ¡°Kimberly,¡± he began. That was the first time he had ever called her by her name, Kimberly noticed, and for some weird reason she liked the sound of iting from him. She shook the thought out of her head. It didn¡¯t matter how hot he was.. Or how attracted she was to him. The man was still an annoying douchebag.

    ¡°When I¡¯m given a job¡± he continued. ¡°I am expected to carry it out word for word,¡± he exined with something that sounded like a tinge of bitterness in his words. ¡°I was given the task of protecting you. I will take it very seriously, as I do all things.¡±

    His words weren¡¯t loud, but the promise in them was, and Kimberly was so startled by it, she nearly missed his next words.

    ¡°I should go,¡± he said. ¡°I have several other things to take care of tonight.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± she muttered a quick reply to his statement about leaving her for the night. ¡°Please, do what you must.¡± she said.

    He nodded, backed towards the door, and left the room. Kimberly stared at it, her heart pounding. She barely had time to run through their very brief  conversation when a knock echoed through her room.

    She went to the door and opened it. He was standing there. ¡°Call me you need something, or if you are suspicious about anything¡­ No matter what it is¡± he said.

    ¡°Sure. Thanks ¡± Kimberly said before she shut the door.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    He didn¡¯t turn away until the door closed securely and he heard the lock click home. The second he stepped away, his hands fidgeted against his leg and he cursed. Barely a day spent around that woman, and he knew she was going to be trouble.

 25

    She was very na?ve, that¡¯s what she was. But even at that, she had the most dangerous type of beauty. Hell, she was a walking disaster. She didn¡¯t even have any idea what she did to him.

    And if he had to watch her bite that lower lip of hers one more time, he might not be able to keep his hands off her. Although she was adorable when she got all worked up, the pink stain on her cheeks making her clear beautiful eyes pop.

    She even smelled like summertime, like a field of untouched wildflowers filled with daisies andvender. Right now he wished they were surrounded by nature and nothing else. He wished he wasn¡¯t here just to protect her.

    He wouldy her down on a nket hidden by tall grasses and taste her lips. Slide between her thighs. Make love to her for hours. The image made him hot, made the blood flow heavy in his veins. He began to think that taking this job had been a terrible idea. Having such intense thoughts about his client couldn¡¯te with any good.

    His room was to the right and next to hers. There was an adjoining door,  but it was locked tight.

    He didn¡¯t have the key to it, but he doubted he¡¯d be able to get one if he wanted it. Kimberly ke wasn¡¯t hiding the fact that his presence was something she neither wanted nor thought she needed.

    ¡°Hey, James,¡± he said into his phone as he unpacked, leaving a message after the beep. ¡°Just got settled in with Miss Kimberly ke. How¡¯s it going over there? I want an update about everything that goes on there. Call me as soon as you get this.¡±

    Asher unpacked quickly, not as neatly as he¡¯d noticed Kimberly¡¯s room to be, and reflected on what he knew about the woman next door. His mind kept finding a way to drift back to her.

    He thought about thest time a woman had heated his blood. Still thinking about Kimberly. Asher clenched the phone and his teeth. He needed to stop thinking of her, but not thinking of her was nearly impossible.

    Dark sparkling eyes, full luscious lips, curves¡­ Damn, the woman¡¯s curves were amazing. Smooth, golden tan skin that had sparkled with a glittery lotion that smelled as enticing as she looked. And that thick dark hair-he¡¯d wanted to reach out and touch it.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    He didn¡¯t know everything about her, but he knew enough from what he had read about when he was nning her rescue. He knew that Kimberly ke was definitely not his type¡­ maybe physically she was¡­ But definitely not the kinda woman he would want to get involved with. Maybe sexually she was.. But emotionally? He didn¡¯t even do stuff like that. He was always focused on his job.

    But his thoughts remained on her even as he went into the bathroom to take a cold shower.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Kimberly¡¯s heart thundered violently in her chest as she ran from the hooded figure. He was big, yet agile, and faster than any man had a right to be. And he was intent on catching her, hurting her, making her pay.

    Her lungs pushed air out, sucked it in, as she struggled to stay ahead of the hunter chasing his prey. Chasing her. She couldn¡¯t let him catch her, because he would kill her this time. She knew it, sensed it, anticipated it¡­unless she got away.

    Move, Kimberly! Her heartbeat roared in her ears, pulse pumped so hard it made her skin burn, as she struggled to use every ounce of strength she possessed to find a way out of the darkness, to find the light, to find¡­safety.

    She ran faster and faster. Only she wasn¡¯t fast enough. The hooded figure caught up with her and pushed her to the ground.

    ¡°Got you now¡± The hooded figure said. ¡°You can¡¯t escape. There¡¯s no one to save you¡±

    Kimberly peered into his face. It was Alex.

    ¡°No! No!. I won¡¯t let you take me¡±  She screamed as she fought back, trying to get back on her feet, but Alex pinned her down.

    ¡°Shut up, bitch!¡± he said aggressively.

    There was no way she was going to let him take her again. No way. She had to escape again. She couldn¡¯t go through that hell again. Someone was going toe save her.

    Asher! She thought. Asher Adams was going toe for her again. Like he saved her before.

    Alex grabbed her and suddenly she was back in the room where they had kept her during her kidnap.

    No! This couldn¡¯t be happening. She screamed.

    There was a tap¡­ A knock¡­ A repeated knocking actually.

    Kimberly jerked and opened her eyes slowly, feeling weak, her head ached, her throat was dry, and there was a repeated knocking sound in her head.

    It took her a while to realize that someone was knocking on her bedroom door.

    She stood up slowly and walked to the door. Her legs felt weak, like she had run miles.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Asher knocked repeatedly on Kimberly¡¯s door. He had been working and studying the case James had sent to him and was forcing his eyes to focus on hisputer.

    It was two in the morning and he was a bit exhausted, in and simple, but he really wanted to find more on the case before he went to sleep. His team had two weeks; he had to make the most of them. And he wanted to help James from here since he couldn¡¯t leave Kimberly.

    He was used to long hours-but the responsibility of trying to protect Kimberly from her kidnapper had upped his usual stress level exponentially. He dealt with life and death almost every day.

    He was working when he heard Kimberly scream and he went to her room. It was locked and she was taking some timeing to open the door.

    ¡°Oh Hell¡± he said.

    He was considering kicking it open just in case she was in danger when he heard the door click and she opened it.

    Her bedroom door creaked softly as it opened. Asher eyes lifted from the door knob to Kimberly¡¯s face, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly opened, probably from finding him cursing in front of her room in the middle of the night. She looked scared¡­ Or something. Asher couldn¡¯t tell.

 26

    She had on one of those pajama sets that his mother always bought his cousins for Christmas, but had never seen any of theirs in that shade of pale pink, or that sheer.

    Her nipples pressed against the fabric in tight little points, and the only way any male wouldn¡¯t have noticed was if he were dead. And Asher wasn¡¯t dead. He definitely wasn¡¯t, judging by the way his cock twitched as he stared at her.

    They were the color of cinnamon, the exact color they had been in his dreams, which made him wonder if everything else about his dreams would be the same, and they were showcased beautifully by the shimmering pastel fabric. Asher blinked past the impulse to take his gaze lower.

    ¡°Hi¡± she said. She toyed absently with the circr charm of her ne. The movement drew his eye to her breasts. He might have thought she was teasing him on purpose, except for the genuine confusion in her voice. Her hands dropped.

    ¡°Hi¡± he replied. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked her.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be alright?¡± Kimberly asked.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    She reached for the silver charm on her ne again and yed with it. She looked shaken and nervous. Asher noticed. Her slim fingers brushed the smooth caramel skin of her chest exposed by the neck opening of her nightie.

    That day her father had told her he would be her bodyguard in the kitchen, thece edges of a ck bra had peaked out from the scooped neckline of her tank top. Was she wearing ace bra today? He wondered. He was tall enough. All he¡¯d have to do is lean a little.. Just a little and he would be able to see down that¡­

    Asher forced his attention from the lush skin of her d¨¦colletage back to her face. As he did so he took a step back. What the hell? He thought. You¡¯re not a horny teenager. No staring down her nightie. Very bad idea.

    ¡°I heard you scream¡± Asher said finally.

    ¡°Ermm what?¡± Kimberly said. She shook her head. ¡°No I didn¡¯t.. I wasn¡¯t¡±

    ¡°Yes you did¡± Asher said. ¡°I was awake¡±

    She lifted her hand to her forehead and rubbed it. ¡°I had a stupid nightmare,¡± she said finally. ¡°I must have screamed out. I¡¯m sorry I bothered you¡±

    He nodded, ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said. He turned to leave, then stopped and turned to her again. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked her.

    ¡°Are you asking because you care?¡± Kimberly asked.

    Asher stared at her for a few seconds before he replied. ¡°I¡¯m asking because it¡¯s my job to look after you¡­ So no I don¡¯t care¡±

    Kimberly rolled her eyes. ¡°You are here to look after me¡­ Protect me actually¡­ as my bodyguard¡­ And not as my nurse. So don¡¯t ask if I¡¯m alright if you don¡¯t care. There¡¯s no need to ask if you don¡¯t really care, is there?¡± she said.

    Asher watched her. It was toote to get into a stupid argument with her. And she was right. ¡°Sleep well, princess¡± he said, before he turned away from her and returned to his room.

    He heard Kimberly m her door shut and for some stupid reason he smiled.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Kimberly punched her pillow again, trying to find afortable position, when her rm sounded near her head. With a groan, she reached out to turn it off and burrowed deeper into the nkets. Too early. Way too early, as always, especially after a night when all she could do was toss and turn, those dark eyes of Alex watching her every move.

    She hadn¡¯t slept for a long time after she talked to Asher. She couldn¡¯t sleep. She kept thinking about that dream and when she finally fell asleep she had a simr dream. Being chased and caught by her kidnappers with no one to rescue her.

    It was baffling. She thought she was over this. When she was at her father¡¯s house she was okay. She had felt safe. And it was almost like the kidnap hadn¡¯t affected her in any way. Which was why she had insisted on going back to her life. She was fine.

    But now that she was back to her apartment, she had to admit that she was really scared. She was affected by the trauma. And she was scared that something simr would happen again. It had to do with being back here.

    When she finally fell asleep again, she had woken up again after having a simr dream, and a part of her had considered running to Asher¡¯s room. She really wanted to feel safe. She needed thepany of someone else. But her pride didn¡¯t let her. She told herself over and over again that she didn¡¯t need him. And besides she doubted he would offer anyfort. The man was made of stone and he didn¡¯t even like her.

    It was just dreams. Dreams that would definitely go away soon.

    She couldn¡¯t stay in bed throughout the day, like a little girl because of some stupid dream, so she smiled anyway as she got out of bed, stretched, and disappeared into the bathroom for a shower.

    Usually, she took a hot shower and filled the room with steam, but her dreams had clearly messed with her brain somehow, so she turned the water to cold. Shivers ran down her back, but at least it cleared her head of any lingering thoughts of Alex and those scary eyes of his.

    As for Asher Adams, well the man was annoying, but at least he was honest when he told her that he was just here for his job. He had no affections nor did he care for her in any way. So she better get rid of her attraction to him. If she held on to it, it was her fault.

    She had to admit that the previous night she was d he was in the house with her. Not that she was going to admit that though. Even if she didn¡¯t go to him, it brought her a littlefort to know that he was there, and she thanked her dad for insisting that she had a bodyguard.

    Out of all the other guys she¡¯d met or been introduced to, none held so much raw emotion hidden away like Asher Adams. The man hadn¡¯t even smiled yet. Did he have to be so Macho all the time?

 27

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she muttered to her reflection as she brushed her wet hair and pulled it up into a simple bun. ¡°He¡¯s just my bodyguard and nothing more.¡±

    She pulled on a matching set of bluece panties and bra and an off-white, v-neck, capped-sleeve top, and a skirt that swirled around her legs.

    After she snagged a pair of heels, Kimberly left her bedroom. Today was going to be a good day. She was going to continue with her life and try to forget the unfortunate incident that was her kidnap.

    She did not expect to walk straight into a solid wall of muscle. She walked right into Asher as he wasing out of his room

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she muttered, trying to disentangle her heels from his jacket, which had snagged on his sleeve.

    ¡°No, sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to startle you,¡± Asher said stiffly, gripping her arms gently to set her to the side so he could walk around her. He didn¡¯t speak again, but his hands twitched at his sides when his eyes lingered on her exposed cleavage.

    Kimberly¡¯s face burned as she watched his eyes, and she turned away quickly, biting back the retort she wanted to throw at him, but it wouldn¡¯t be verydylike behavior. If he kept it up, she would say something, but a voice in the back of the mind said the attention wasn¡¯t necessarily unwanted. She couldn¡¯t deny that a part of her took pleasure in the fact that she could have some kind of effect on him.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± Kimberly said huskily. She noticed that he was already dressed. ¡°Look¡± she continued. ¡°You really don¡¯t have toe to the office with me. I¡¯m sure I can take care of myself. And if anyone is still trying to kidnap me, I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t do it in broad daylight or in my office in the presence of everyone¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Asher asked sarcastically. ¡°You are really so ignorant, aren¡¯t you? If someone really wanted to kidnap you, princess, all they would need is a n. A perfect n. It doesn¡¯t matter what time during the day they do it or where you are. Trust me, I know¡±

    Kimberly shook her head and bit her lower lip. ¡°First of all, could you please stop calling me that?¡± she said angrily. ¡°Andst night you told me you didn¡¯t care, so why do you insist oning with me? You could just sit here and you¡¯d still get paid. I won¡¯t tell my father that you are not with me. He doesn¡¯t have to know anything about anything¡±

    Asher stared at her. He ignored her request that he stopped calling her princess. He didn¡¯t think that he could stop. For some reason he loved getting on her nerves. He loved the way he eyes widened and the way she bit her lip.

    ¡°Yes I don¡¯t care about you¡± he said. ¡°But I care about my job¡­ And my reputation. And that reputation will be ruined if you get kidnapped again under my watch. And your Dad requested that I try as much as possible to keep an eye on you all the damn time. Which is what I¡¯m going to do¡­ And I¡¯m going to do it right¡±

    Kimberly took a deep breath. ¡°You know what I think,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t like you. I don¡¯t want to be around you. You are fired¡±

    ¡°I work for your dad. Not you¡± he replied calmly. ¡°You can¡¯t fire me¡±

    ¡°Fine¡± she said as she marched past him towards the living room, handbag in hand. ¡°Do whatever you want. I¡¯m going to work¡±

    Asher grinned inwardly as he followed her. He watched her go. She was hot and she walked so well in heels, like they were attached to her legs from birth.

    Nip the flirting or attraction in the bud. He thought. That was the right thing to do. He couldn¡¯t get tangled up with her. Even if the vision of his arms and legs tangled with Kimberly¡¯s made his body get hotter than the heat wave they were currently in.

    But that didn¡¯t stop him from watching Kimberly¡¯s departing figure one more time.

    Damn. Why did she have to be so fine?

    ¡°You are not having breakfast?¡± he called after her and she turned around to give him a cold stare.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask. I thought you said you didn¡¯t care¡± she replied coldly.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    The boss was not a big man. Barely five foot eight with a thin build, he looked like the guy you pushed around on the beach. But Alex Tanner knew better.

    He had seen the boss cut off a man¡¯s hand, fingers first, then the thumb, then finally slicing the rest off at the wrist. That man had stolen less than a hundred dors from one of the boss gambling clubs.

    So Alex knew what he was capable of doing.

    The boss rarely showed his face, and even some members of the gang had never met him.

    But now, the boss was walking around in his living room, picking up pieces and art, admiring pictures, and Alex felt sweat trickle down his back. He kept his attention on the small guy who apanied the boss when he really wanted to state at the boss veryrge, very stoic associates.

    ¡°Very nice¡± the boss said finally and Alex felt the hair on his body stand. ¡°I like your home. Very creative. You find it creative too, don¡¯t you, Alex?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Uh, yeah sure. It¡¯s great¡± Alex replied uneasily, his voice shook. ¡°But this is mostly for guests. I don¡¯t spend a lot of time here¡±

    The boss turned to look at him. His pale blue eyes seemed to be made of ice. ¡°By time, You mean the one you spent stupidly while letting the ke girl escape right?¡± the boss asked.

    Alex swallowed, not sure what to say. ¡°I, uh¡± he began.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    The boss waved him to silence and Alex shut up instantly.

    ¡°You idiot¡± the boss began as he walked to the floor to ceiling window and stared out at the view of the city. ¡°You are messing with me. You know that I can destroy you, don¡¯t you. You know that I coulde for you anytime and crush you while you sleep, don¡¯t you?¡±

 28

    ¡°You sure could have¡± Alex said, doing his best to keep his voice from shaking uncontrobly..

    The boss moved close. ¡°But we did not¡± he said from only a foot away. His pale gaze locked on Alex¡¯s face.

    ¡°I became what I am today because I was determined not to fail. I don¡¯t fail¡­ I never fail¡± the boss said.

    Alex nodded as fear swelled inside him.

    ¡°I let you head this operation because of your reputation¡± the boss said, his voice low. ¡°You remember that you owe me too. And I wanted to give you an opportunity to pay me back for doing this for me. Because of who you were and the business I thought we could do together. I trusted you¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that¡± Alex Saif quickly. ¡°I want to do what I can to keep that trust¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°Then where is the god damn money¡± the boss asked in a roar.

    Alex flinched and stepped back. Instantly two of the three associates were at his side, holding him in ce. He felt their strong fingers digging into his arms and knew he was well and truly trapped.

    ¡°You owe me. And I gave you a chance to repay that debt and still you screw everything up. Am I a joke to you?¡± the boss asked, his temper back under control. ¡°Perhaps I have shown you so much mercy that you don¡¯t regard me anymore.¡± the boss¡¯s eyes narrowed. You are taking me for a fool¡±

    Oh God. No! Fear turned to panic. ¡°Not that¡± Alex said, picturing that other man and his hand. The blood and the screams as each finger was slowly cut off.

    ¡°I am not taking you for a fool.¡± he said earnestly. ¡°I would never do that. Never. I swear. I will get the money. I was so close. I had a n. A good n. But somebody got in my way¡±

    The boss stared at him for a moment. ¡°And what is your n now?¡± he asked Alex.

    Alex hesitated, not sure how the other man would react. The hands holding him tightened.

    ¡°I am nning to get Miss ke back. I have been discreetly having her followed. I have been watching her. Just waiting for the right time, and we can grab her again and force her father to cough up the ransom. And then I can cover all the money I owe you and settle my debt. I intend to fully repay you for all your help, sir¡± Alex said.

    The boss pped Alex on the back. ¡°That is the same n as before. Nothing has changed. You are just nning to implement the same n. What if it fails again¡±

    ¡°No. No¡± Alex said quickly. ¡°The guy I hired to watch her turns out to be very good. Her father hired a private investigator. He was the one who came to rescue her. That was why she was able to escape. That is also the reason why we are having difficulties grabbing her again¡±

    The humor on the boss¡¯ face faded as if it had never been there. ¡°You and your men are just stupid and slow,¡± he said. ¡°For an intelligent man, you make many mistakes,¡± the boss said. ¡°I don¡¯t like that. You didn¡¯t even have much to do. I told you about Hiry ke and his daughter. All you had to do was kidnap her and get the ransom and you couldn¡¯t even do that right. How stupid and dumb could you be¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m so sorry¡± Alex said. If he ever got his hands on that stupid bodyguard of hers. He would kill him, Alex vowed.

    The boss nced at his men, then back at Alex. ¡°Two weeks, Alex my friend. Only because we havee so far and it would take time to find someone else. But be warned. Don¡¯t mess with me. No more excuses. If you do not have the money for me in two weeks. I will kill you. I won¡¯t think twice about it. You know what I¡¯m capable of doing. I will kill you without remorse, but first I will make you wish you were dead. ¡±

    Alex believed him.¡±I will have it. I will have the money for you¡± he said.

    The boss shrugged, as if to say it hardly mattered, then he walked out and his associates followed.

    Alex sank down into the chair in front of his desk and tried to catch his breath. Two weeks. What could he do in two weeks? Was that enough time to get to Kimberly ke? He had his doubts. It was easy when all he had to do was grab her, but now she had that stupid bodyguard with her. And he knew he couldn¡¯t underestimate the man.

    Robbing a bank came to mind, and if he thought he could pull it off and get enough money, he would have started nning. He would do anything to get the boss off his back. But the oue was too questionable. Better to go for the sure thing. Which meant Kimberly ke again.

    Things might go well this time. At least he knew what to expect this time.

    If he had gotten his hands on the ransom, none of this would be a problem. This was Asher Adams¡¯ fault. Somehow he would make the man pay for that. And as for Kimberly ke, he regretted not hurting her when he had her. The bitch would pay too. She was hot too¡­ And it wouldn¡¯t be so bad if he got a taste of her. He smiled.

    He just had to find a way to grab her again. There had to be a way. He would find a way.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    It was annoying having him at work with her, even when she told him he didn¡¯t need to, he insisted like her opinion meant nothing to him. The worst part was that he was such a jerk. If he wasn¡¯t such an asshole, maybe it wouldn¡¯t have been so bad having him around.

    The people at her office weed her back warmly and Kimberly was full of smiles and gratitude to them for showing her so much love and care. Many people came to check on her as they had heard the news of her kidnap, wondering if she was okay to return to work. Which she assured them that she was.

 29

    She showed Asher her office. And of course he didn¡¯t leave. Not until he had checked around her office¡­ Just to make sure.

    The office he stayed in was next to hers. The ss walls in the office ensured that he could keep an eye on her. She had always loved those ss walls in the office and she never thought that a day woulde when she would wish the walls were made of bricks.

    That was how she felt today. Though she only saw him watching her once throughout the day, she knew his attention was on her, even if his eyes were glued to hisptop and the files on his desk.

    She couldn¡¯t wait to be free of him. Maybe even for a few hours.

    Kimberly didn¡¯t go out for lunch, she stayed right inside her office, knowing that if she tried to got out for lunch like she always did he woulde with her, and thest thing she wanted was him hovering around her when she went out. But her stomach rumbled as she didn¡¯t have breakfast that morning so she sent her assistant to get her something to eat.

    She took out her phone and texted Phoebe.

    ¡°Hey girl¡± she texted and Phoebe texted back almost immediately.

    ¡°Hi¡­ How¡¯s it going with the hot sexy mysterious bodyguard?¡± came Phoebe¡¯s text and Kimberly rolled her eyes. She knew Phoebe was really enjoying her difort.

    ¡°Not good¡­ Not good at all.¡±Kimberly replied.¡± We had this really awkward dinner after you left that night. And an argument¡­ I guess¡­ I don¡¯t really know what that was¡­ But I think it¡¯s okay to say that I can¡¯t stand being around the guy anymore. I need to get away from him¡±

    ¡°Did you try having a conversation with him¡­ I mean a normal one¡­ Did you let him know you wanted to be friends with him¡± Phoebe asked.

    ¡°I tried¡­ I tried to talk to him¡± Kimberly texted. ¡°But the man isn¡¯t human. And I don¡¯t want to be friends with him. I never said I wanted to be friends. I just thought it would be nice if we got along and not kill each other with stupid silence and awkward conversations but now I can¡¯t even handle that. The man is freaking rude and hard to talk to.¡±

    ¡°LOL¡­ Not very talkative, is he?¡± Phoebe texted.

    ¡°He¡¯s worse than that,¡± Kimberly replied. ¡°Not only does he not talk to me, but he just sits or stands around. Anywhere I look, he¡¯s there. He has this really intense look and it¡¯s like I can actually feel his eyes on me¡±

    ¡°You are over thinking. I honestly can¡¯t wait to hear how this finally turns out. It¡¯s like a movie. Just y nice.¡± Phoebe texted.

    ¡°I¡¯m done ying nice,¡± Kimberly said. ¡°I¡¯m tired of this. I want to go out. To a club or something like that¡­ and I don¡¯t want him toe with me. I can¡¯t have fun that way. I need to get away and you are going to help me¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Phoebe asked.

    ¡°Juste over to my ce this evening.¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    y nice.

    Phoebe¡¯s text yed in Kimberly¡¯s head like music. How the hell was she going to do that when the man in question was made of imprable steel. She didn¡¯t even know why she was considering Phoebe¡¯s stupid idea. The man didn¡¯t deserve being nice to. The ride home was quiet. Just as it was that morning.

    Kimberly sat in the back seat of the car and watched him. He had insisted on driving that morning. His dark eyes had depth, his facial features were sharp and his beard was trimmed and neat, matching the ck hair that stood an inch or two high. He wore a shirt and jeans and he wore them well.. Still ck, but he looked good in it.

    She had to admit it. The man was incredibly handsome. She thought. It would do him some good if he lightened up, even a little bit. It was annoying, being stuck with him and still feeling alone. That had to change. If he wasn¡¯t going to talk to her, she wasn¡¯t going to sit and feel like a prisoner in her own house.

    She looked at the mirror, he was staring at her. Watching her watch him. She had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she was startled for a second when her eyes met his. The look in his eyes gave her chills down to her toes and she smiled at him, trying not to feel awkward about being caught ogling him. He didn¡¯t need to smile back.

    She was done with this.

    When Phoebe came over Kimberly told her about her n as they ate ice cream in her room. She put a pair of her high heeled shoes in Phoebe¡¯s bag.

    ¡°Just y along,¡± she said to Phoebe. ¡°Give me your car keys¡±

    ¡°Are you sure we shouldn¡¯t just tell him where we are going?¡± Phoebe said as she gave Kimberly the keys. ¡°might be easier that way¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Kimberly insisted. ¡°He will want toe along with us¡±

    ¡°Is that such a bad thing?¡± Phoebe asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Kimberly replied.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Phoebe said. ¡°No need to yell. Do what you want.¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    They left Kimberly¡¯s room and entered the living room, Asher was seated on the couch and he looked up from his phone and stared at them.

    ¡°I¡¯m just gonna see her off¡± Kimberly said to him. ¡°I will just be downstairs¡±

    Asher nodded slowly and returned his attention to his phone.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Phoebe¡¯s big red pickup, shining in the light of the moon, was waiting in the parking lot, just as Phoebe had said.

    Breathless and giggling, feeling wild and rather wonderful, Kimberly raced down the steps and around to the driver¡¯s side with Phoebe behind her.

    She was up behind the wheel in a split second. Her hands were steady as she pushed the ignition button. She put the truck in gear and off she went, the tires squealing a little, fishtailing, too, making her feel thrillingly disruptive and undisciplined as she took off down the long driveway that led to the highway.

    Halfway to the little town of Greenville, driving way too fast, with no one behind her, she threw back her head andughed out loud.

    ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± she saidughing.

 30

    Phoebe stared at her in amazement. ¡°Wow¡± she said. ¡°You look like someone who just got out of jail. Rx a little bit, will you?¡±

    Kimberly stared at her and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m happy¡± she said. ¡°I need this. After everything I have been through, I need this. And I definitely don¡¯t need anyone watching my every move while I¡¯m at it¡±

    ¡°Alright¡± Phoebe said as she smiled back at her. Even if she wasn¡¯t entirely sure of what they were doing, she loved this fun part of Kimberly. ¡°Whatever you need to to get this out of your system. Just be careful¡±

    Kimberly nodded. The cab was toasty warm from the pickup¡¯s excellent heater and they were on their way somewhere with cowboys and country western music. Kimberly turned on the radio. Wouldn¡¯t you know it was set to a country station?

    A duet. A man and a woman singing about the hot and dangerous love they once had and how they wanted that again. Kimberly turned the sound up good and loud and let the music fill the cab.

    She left it up loud. Through that song and the song after that and the ones that followed, too.

    When they reached Green ville, she slowed down and drove through the town at the speed limit, her eyes scanning the street to either side, looking for that cowboy bar her friend at work had been so sure she was bound to find one time she asked.

    She saw a steak house called the Bull¡¯s Eye and a corner bar called Charlie¡¯s ce, but both of them looked way too quiet. Not the kind of establishments where exciting things involving cowboys, tequ shots and line dancing might be going on.

    ¡°Do you even have any idea where you are taking us?¡± Phoebe asked her

    Kimberly giggled. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know¡± she said. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure we will find the ce, ording to Caroline, the ce is really cool¡±

    Green ville was in the rear view mirror before she even realized she¡¯d driven through and was leaving town. She kept going, the almost-full moon leading her on, her designer t shoe pressing the elerator again.

    Eventually, Asher Adams would realize that she was gone and he would being after her. She needed to be far enough ahead that he wouldn¡¯t find her that night.

    She should probably turn off the highway, take some other road to throw him off her trail. But if she did that, Lord knew where they would end up. She wasn¡¯t even with her phone.

    Then it urred to her that she ought to just use the GPS. She pulled off onto the shoulder and watched as Phoebe fiddled with it until she finally asked it for bars in the vicinity.

    What do you know?

    Twenty-point-six miles straight ahead. Rowdy¡¯s Roadhouse. Music, liquor, pool tables, video poker-and dancing nightly. Just what Caroline had promised she¡¯d find if she only went looking.

    Humming along to a song about a man who was hard to love, Kimberly swung out onto the empty highway again, headed for Rowdy¡¯s.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Asher Adams loved his job. He loved doing it right. He loved doing everything right. He loved helping people. His job was important to him.

    And right now he was doing one craptastic job of it. How could he have fallen for her stupid trick. He should have known she would try something like this. The woman was stubborn and crazy.

    He drove his ck SUV faster than he should have, hardly slowing as he went through Green ville, his eyes scanning the street, on one side and then the other, looking for a shiny red pickup or a beautiful dark-haired woman dressed in a blue silk suit with a snug jacket and a short, slim skirt that showed off her fine, long legs.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    He didn¡¯t see either-the woman or the pickup. It was driving him crazy. He couldn¡¯t find her. That had better mean she was up ahead of him.

    She had better not have turned off the main highway. If she¡¯d done that, he might never find her until she was damn good and ready to be found.

    But no. He was going to find her and he wasn¡¯t allowing himself to think otherwise. He would find her. Or she woulde back on her own within the next few hours. He would consider no other possibility.

    He ground his teeth together, stepped harder on the gas and focused on the road ahead. What If something happened to her? What if she got kidnapped again. Oh damn it all to hell. He swore.

    An hour. That was how long he had given himself to track her down solo and solve the problem simply, without all the unpleasantness of sounding the rm, and then involving other members of his team.

    If he couldn¡¯t do that, he would be calling in other team members, and also inform her father, which would terrify the poor man, and he didn¡¯t want to do that. How the hell was he even supposed to tell Hiry ke that he had lost his daughter the very next day. He couldn¡¯t even imagine what this would do to his reputation. He wanted to punch something.

    And above all, he was worried about Kimberly ke¡¯s safety. Oh damn. He hoped nothing bad had happened to her. The thought scared the crap out of him, and so he pushed the thought out of his head.

    An hour-twenty-five minutes of which were already gone.

    Why was she doing this? What could she possibly hope to prove by endangering herself in this foolish, reckless, pointless way? The questions didn¡¯t even bear asking. He knew very well why. And he knew what she hoped to gain by running: she only wanted to get away from him.

    He should never have epted this assignment. He¡¯d known what it meant, that she would hate having him as her protector. Staying well clear of her was essential especially since he was beginning to care about her and also because of his attraction to her.

    So he should have spoken up, asked to put another member of the team on her case. At least he would be free of any emotional attachment to her. Those kinds of attachments were terrible for his job.

 31

    But he was too proud. And too ambitious. And he was drawn to her. And he didn¡¯t want her hurt, either-at least, no more than she had already been hurt by those damn kidnappers.

    So he hadn¡¯t spoken up. He hadn¡¯t insisted on another team member handling the job. And he hadn¡¯t taken a different assignment. And now he had left her to turn to her impetuous friend to find a way to escape him.

    The town vanished behind him. The dark highwayy ahead, growing darker as clouds crept across the face of the moon and obscured the thick wash of bright stars. He pressed the gas harder, adjusted the Bluetooth device in his ear and kept going.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    On the radio, a lonely cowboy begged his girl toe over. By then, Kimberly had it turned to full volume.

    Phoebe turned to her. ¡°Can you cool it a little bit¡± she said. But sheughed too.

    Kimberly turned to her ¡°No I can¡¯t¡± she said.

    A momentter, Rowdy¡¯s Roadhouse appeared up ahead, a wash of lovely, garish light on the dark horizon. ¡°Arriving at your destination in point-two miles,¡± said the GPS. Kimberly turned it off.

    She slowed as she reached the entrance to the great big parking lot lit with bright streetmps on tall poles and chock full of muddy pickups and enormous sport utility vehicles. Rowdy¡¯s itself was a gray shingled square building in the center of the lot,plete with a giant neon sign over the door proiming it Rowdy¡¯s Roadhouse and Motor Inn.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    The sign had two arrows. One pointed at the door below it, the other straight up-presumably indicating the long, low building at the back of the lot, which had its own neon sign advertising rooms for rent.

    Kimberly found a space when a big green quad cab pulled out. She parked and patted her pocket with the permit in it. Bartenders were usually careful to check the age of their patrons.

    ¡°We are here¡± she said to Phoebe.

    ¡°Finally,¡± Phoebe said. ¡°Here are your shoes¡± She removed Kimberly¡¯s shoes from her bag and watched as Kimberly slipped them on.

    ¡°I want you to have fun, Kim¡± Phoebe said as she climbed down from the pick up. ¡°I want to have fun too. But after a while you have to call Asher and let him know where you are.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Fine¡± Kimberly said. ¡°I will. You worry too much¡±

    Kimberly removed some money from her bag and put it in her pocket, she didn¡¯t want to go in with her bag and she wasn¡¯t even carrying a lot of money. In her hurry she had simply concentrated on leaving the house.  Forgetting that it was going to be difficult to get a beer and a tequ shot without cash or a credit card.

    But then she shrugged and climbed down from the pickup, anyway. Even without the tequ, she could still dance with a cowboy if one would only cooperate and ask her. Or maybe she would simply have to be truly bold and do the asking herself.

    It was a dirt parking lot. Not good for her shoes. Too bad. She¡¯de this far and she wasn¡¯t turning back now, not even at the risk of ruining her favorite Manolos. She locked up the pickup and handed the keys to Phoebe. Then they turned toward the music and neon lights.

    Overhead, the sky was a solid sheet of darkness now. Clouds had rolled in and obscured the moon and stars. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering a little because the night was so cold. There were cowboys leaning against the long rail on the wide front porch of the roadhouse. They watched theme toward them.

    One of them let out a long whistle. ¡°Oh, darlings. Hot and ssy. Just how I like ¡¯em.¡± He said. He was tall and very lean. He grinned at her and she saw he had a wide space between his front teeth.

    A red-haired woman in a rhinestone shirt and studded jeans smacked his big hat off his head. ¡°Mind your manners, Gary David, or I won¡¯t be responsible for what happens next.¡±

    Gary David bent and scooped up his hat. ¡°Be nice, ra. I was only joking around.¡±

    ra made a humphing sound and aimed a wide, friendly smile at Kimberly and Phoebe. ¡°Come on in. The music¡¯s great and thepany is passable.¡± she said.

    As it turned out, ra was the head bartender at Rowdy¡¯s. She took Kimberly inside and got her a beer and a shot of tequ on the house. Soon Phoebe was dancing with a very handsome guy and Kimberly was left at the bar with ra. But not for long.

    The band started up again and a cowboy tapped Kimberly on the shoulder. She took a sip of her beer, gave ra a conspiratorial wink, and off she went to learn a cowboy dance called the two-step.

    Twenty minutester, she¡¯d danced with three more cowboys, each as polite and gentlemanly as the one before. She was having an absolutely perfect time and thinking that maybeter she would skip out and make a call or two, see if she could reach Asher to tell him where she was and not to worry and say she would be staying out until midnight or maybeter. She was kinda beginning to feel sorry for leaving him like that. He must be worried sick. Even if he was a jerk, it didn¡¯t mean what she did was nice.

    Also, it would be a chance to make sure that no one was too terribly concerned about her having slipped away. Who knows he might call her dad and the poor man would start to worry. She didn¡¯t want that. She could make it very clear that she was safe and warm and had only had one beer and one tequ shot and would return to the house as soon as Rowdy¡¯s Roadhouse closed its doors for the night.

    Having made that decision, Kimberly returned to the bar. ra was pouring drinks at the other end of the bar. Rowdy¡¯s was a busy ce that Saturday night and the customers were thirsty.

 32

    Kimberly climbed onto her stool, drained thest of her beer and waited for ra to nce her way.

    She sensed a manly presence behind her. Smiling, she turned to face the cowboy she knew would be standing there, nning to tell him she would be happy to dance with him as soon as she¡¯d made a phone call.

    Her heart jumped into her throat and got stuck there, cutting off her air, when she saw that it wasn¡¯t a cowboy at all.

    It was Asher Adams.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    He was wearing  jeans and rawhide boots, a dark sweatshirt and a heavy canvas jacket. He smelled of the cold mountain air outside and he looked more dangerous and exciting and wonderful than any of the handsome cowboys she¡¯d danced with so far. His expression, however, was even bleaker than usual.

    ¡°Time to go, Kimberly,¡± He said. His voice sent the usual infuriating warm shivers cascading through her.

    She swallowed her silly heart back down into its proper ce and remained on her stool. ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯m having a lovely time and I¡¯m not ready to leave yet.¡± she said. She didn¡¯t care how angry he looked. She wasn¡¯t going to show him that the look in his eyes scared and excited her at the same time.

    He frowned rather thunderously and then touched the device in his ear, listening.

    After a moment, he said, ¡°Yes, sir. All is well, sir. Although Kimberly is reluctant to leave.¡±

    Kimberly groaned. ¡°Is that my father?¡± she asked. ¡°You called my father. Oh¡­ Really? Big bad macho bodyguard man couldn¡¯t find me and then he calls my father.¡± she sighed.

    Asher granted her a put-upon nce as he spoke again-but not to her. ¡°Yes, sir. I will. Thank you, sir.¡± he said.

    The call appeared to have been concluded, so she asked a second time, ¡°My father?¡±

    He scowled, an expression both dismissive and chock full of exasperation. ¡°That was your father, yes. I had to let him know you were missing. I was calling you, and you didn¡¯t pick up. I thought maybe he could talk to you. Are you ready to go now, Kimberly?¡±

    Was she ready to go? She thought. Hating his question. He was such a stickler for protocol. She wanted to toss her drink in his face. Unfortunately, it was empty.

    ¡°No. I am not ready to go.¡± she said carelessly. If you insist on staying here until I am ready, please move away from me.¡±

    She flung out a hand in the direction of the far wall. ¡°Go over there and lurk in the shadows somewhere. No one will ask me to dance with you standing right next to me, glowering.¡± she said.

    He told her again, as if he hadn¡¯t already said it twice, ¡°Kimberly, we have to leave.¡±

    ¡°No, we most certainly do not. Go if you want to. I¡¯m staying.¡± she said. ¡°I came here with Phoebe, and I¡¯m certainly not leaving her here to go anywhere with you¡±.

    He stood even straighter-if that was possible. ¡°Kimberly, there¡¯s a storming,¡± he said. ¡°We have to go¡±

    She answered with excruciating pleasantness. ¡°If you tell me that we have to leave one more time, I am going to throw back my head and scream.¡±

    He tried again, without expression or vocal inflection-and without saying ¡®We have to go¡¯ again, since it seemed to annoy her. Right now, he would do anything so they would leave. ¡°There is a snowstorming. It could be a bad one. It is imperative that we return to the safety of your apartment.¡± he said.

    ¡°What are you talking about? There was no storm predicted.¡± Kimberly argued.

    ¡°I noticed the clouds gathering and I listened to the weather channel,¡± he exined slowly and patiently, as one would speak to an idiot or a very young child. ¡°There is a snowstorming. Please take my word for it.¡± he said.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°But it¡¯s April. I don¡¯t believe you. And even if there is a little snow on the way, look at all these people.¡± She held out her hands, palms out, indicating therge, busy bar and everyone in it. ¡°If the weather is going to be dangerous, why aren¡¯t they leaving?¡±

    ¡°It is going to snow, Kimberly,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh, because you¡¯re such an expert.¡±  she said sarcastically.

    ¡°These people here probably have a ce they can go to immediately. They might even have proper outerwear and the right vehicles for that situation, which we don¡¯t have.¡±

    ¡°I have the right vehicle. And I can drive it perfectly well. And as to myck of outerwear, the pickup I drove here has a heater. What do you think about that?¡± Kimberly said, obviously very proud of herself.

    ¡°Kimberly ke. It¡¯s time to go.¡± Asher said.

    She blinked at him. ¡°You must be really upset. You just called me by my full name.¡± she said.

    He stared at her for several seconds and then said, too softly, ¡°Please.¡±

    She had never heard him sound that way before, so calm and soft. She felt herself wavering, starting to feel like a spoiled, misbehaving child.

    But no. She wasn¡¯t going to slink out of here just because Asher Adams wanted her to. She didn¡¯t believe him about the weather. He was just saying that to get her to go.

    The facts were simple. She wasn¡¯t doing anything wrong. The clock over the bar said it was just ten-thirty and she had every right to stay a little longer if she wanted to.

    Especially now that he¡¯d tracked her down. Now that he was here, doing his precious duty, protecting her, if for any reason she happened to need protection-which she had not at any point thus far. He could protect her here. That was his job anyway, to protect her not imprison her.

    Her father knew where she was and that her bodyguard was with her and that meant no one was actually worried about what might happen to her. There was no real reason why she couldn¡¯t stay for just a bit.

    ¡°Asher. Go and stand by the wall. I want to dance some more. I will let you know when I am ready to leave.¡± she said finally.

 33

    His face remained carved in stone while his eyes burned with dark fury. He red at her for a slow count of five and she became a little concerned that he would actually touch her, that he would manacle her arm with that big hand of his and drag her bodily from the premises. Sparks chased themselves beneath her skin at the very idea.

    But he had iron control obviously, because in the end, he only turned sharply on his heel and went where she¡¯d told him to go.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Asher watched her.

    It was all he was allowed to do, all she had permitted him to do.

    Watch.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    As she danced with another cowboy. And another after that. Frustration built. He wanted to grab her and throw her over his shoulder and carry her out of there bodily. But he could never do any such thing. She was his boss¡¯ daughter and he was there to protect her. And that meant, when it came right down to his will versus hers, she held all the cards.

    No matter that a storm was brewing. No matter that all those cowboys she was dancing with were strangers. And she was beautiful and friendly and she gave her smiles to everyone¡­ Except him.

    There was going to be trouble with one of those strangers. One of them was bound to go too far as the evening wore on and the liquor kept flowing.

    Then he would probably have to hurt someone. He didn¡¯t particrly look forward to that.

    But then again, the more cowboys she danced with and the more he was forced to stand there and watch them put their  hands on her, the more he felt heat building in his chest and behind his eyes, the more hurting someone began to seem like a good and necessary thing.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Kimberly danced with yet another cowboy. It wasn¡¯t as much fun as it had been before Asher appeared.

    Somehow, with him there, observing her every move in that cold and disapproving way of his, no doubt judging her for not acting properly, it all seemed a bit tawdry. The pleasure had definitely gone out of her little adventure.

    When the next cowboy stepped up to im her, she thanked him, but said she was going to sit down for a while. She walked up to Phoebe who was in the arms of another cowboy. Then she told her that she would be leaving soon with Asher. She returned to the bar, where someone had bought her another tequ and a fresh beer.

    ra stepped up close. ¡°Compliments of Gary David,¡± she said.

    A few stools away, Gary David raised his bottle of beer in a salute, grinning wide to reveal that space between his teeth.

    Why not? She thought. She knocked back the shot and chugged the beer in a manner supremely udylike. Somewhere in the shadows, Asher was bound to be scowling in disgust.

    She told herself she didn¡¯t care. Not in the least.

    Gary David signaled ra to pour her another. The bartender had the shot poured before Kimberly could stop her.

    ¡°Never mind about the beer,¡± Kimberly said. Without stopping to consider the wisdom of it, she picked up the shot ss and drained it.

    Foolish. She knew that. The tequ made a fiery trail down the back of her throat and spread heat in her belly and she already regretted drinking it-and the one before it, too.

    What was getting drunk going to prove? Nothing good. Plus, now she needed to pee.

    She went to thedies room, where she had to wait for a stall. When she¡¯d finished and was washing her hands, she saw that her hair wasing loose from its thick knot at the back of her head, her bangs were mussed and her lip gloss had long ago worn off. She looked way too much like she felt: forlorn and weary, a little bit woozy from those shots and the beer, with faint circles under her eyes.

    She straightened her skirt and jacket, smoothed her bangs, repinned her hair, yanked her shoulders back and marched out the door.

    And of course, Asher was right there in the hallway, waiting for her.

    One look at him, so stern and unwavering, patient as death, and she knew it was no good. The evening was over. It was time to go back home and try to get a few hours of sleep before work tomorrow. She wasn¡¯t even sure she would be able to go to work the next day.

    Thanks to those shots and the beer, she shouldn¡¯t be driving. And she wouldn¡¯t. She would do the right thing and ride back with the man she¡¯d tried so hard to get away from.  Phoebe would be going with her truck.

    She looked directly at Asher. ¡°All right. You win. Let¡¯s go.¡± she said, rolling her eyes.

    Without a word, he fell in behind her as she turned for the door.

    ¡°Hey, beautiful. Where are you going in such an all-firing hurry?¡±  Gary David said as he stepped in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t I at least get one little dance first?¡±

    She felt Asher moving closer behind her. There was no need. She could handle Gary David. She put up a hand, warning Asher back.

    ¡°All right, Gary David. One dance. And then I really do have to go.¡± she said. ¡°As a thank you for that drink you bought for me¡±

    Gary David didn¡¯t look drunk, exactly, but he didn¡¯t look quite sober, either. He bared the space between his teeth and narrowed his pale eyes at the silent man behind her.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that? Your boyfriend?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, he is not my boyfriend. Would you like that dance or not?¡± Kimberly asked him.

    ¡°You bet I would, darling¡±  Gary David replied, smiling at her. He reached for her.

    With some trepidation, she went into his arms.

    Right away, she realized it was a mistake. He pulled her too close and whirled her away from the dance floor, into the shadows at the edges of the big barroom.

    When she stiffened and tried to put distance between his body and hers, he syed a hand where he had no right to touch her and yanked her close again.

 34

    ¡°The minute I saw you, I knew you were special,¡± he whispered in her ear, his breath reeking of stale beer. ¡°Alldylike on the outside, hotter than a bottle rocket underneath, just begging for the right man to set you off.¡± Gary David said.

    It was too much.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Release me, now.¡± she said.

    Past Gary David¡¯s shoulder, Asher appeared. She saw nothing but stillness and calm intent in his eyes. He was no more than a foot away.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Gary David seemed to have no clue that Asher was there.

    ¡°Aw, now, sweetheart, don¡¯t go getting  riled,¡± he whispered. He nuzzled her hair. ¡°You and me got chemistry.¡±

    Asher reached out.

    ¡°So you might as well-¡± Asher touched Gary David¡¯s shoulder and Gary stopped talking. The cowboy¡¯s mouth formed a round O and his eyes went t. He let go of her, his arms dropping boneless to his sides as his knees crumpled and he copsed to the floor.

    Kimberly blinked down at the unconscious cowboy, not really sure what had happened. ¡°Is he¡­ Dead?¡± she asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

    ¡°Ten minutes from now he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Asher replied.

    Kimberly looked around. No one else in the bar seemed to have noticed. They were behind a pir, just off the dance floor, out of the light.

    And then, for the first time since he became her bodyguard, Asher touched her. She wasn¡¯t expecting it. She gasped as he took her in his arms and danced with her, turning her, moving both of them smoothly and swiftly toward the door.

    She didn¡¯t argue. Beyond the fact that his touch had stunned her into silence, she was more than ready to leave Rowdy¡¯s Roadhouse behind. She only stared up into his haunting dark eyes and felt the deepest, saddest sense of longing. For him-a man who would hardly speak to her. Her man who didn¡¯t even like her¡­ Maybe even hated her.

    The longing made it all worse than ever. She looked in his distant eyes and saw herself: aplete disappointment.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Asher expected her to resist, to struggle free of his hold, to order him never, ever toy a hand on her again. But she did none of those things. She let him dance her to the door and then when he released her only to grab her hand, she let him pull her along, out the door and down the steps, all without a single word.

    It was snowing hard already and the wind was up. The sky overhead was starless, soot gray, an anvil waiting to drop. He knew what wasing.

    More snow. Probably a lot of it.

    The temperature was very cold and getting colder. She staggered a little behind him and stared in a dazed way up at the sky.

    ¡°You were right. It is snowing. It looks rather bad.¡± she said.

    ¡°Keep walking,¡± he instructed. ¡°The SUV is this way¡­.¡±

    She lowered her head and did what he¡¯d told her to do. Her hand felt cool and small in his and he had to block out a few too sweet thoughts of the both of them, somece warm, naked, their bodies wrapped around each other, him deep inside her, her legs wrapped around him, her soft sweet moans urging him on.

    He shook his head. Now was not the time.

    He led her down the middle row of vehicles. Since his arrival, the lot had thinned out a good deal. There were plenty of empty spaces now. Evidently, many of Rowdy¡¯s patrons had made their escape before the snow really starteding down.

    They passed the red pickup, the roof and bed of which were already wearing a mantle of white. Phoebe was probably going to stay with the cowboy she was dancing with. They seemed really into each other.

    And then, atst, they reached the SUV. He opened the backseat door for her and snow slid off the roof to plop at their feet.

    She did jerk her hand free of his then. And she said one word, ¡°No.¡±

    He had to actively resist his initial reaction, which was to scoop her up and put her in there bodily. ¡°No, what, Kimberly? No, you¡¯re not going, after all? You want to go back in there and dance some more? What is wrong with you?¡± he asked.

    She wrapped her arms around herself. She was shivering. ¡°No, I¡¯m not riding in the back. I¡¯ll sit up front, next to you.¡± she said.

    He stared at her for a few seconds. Wondering why she suddenly decided that she wanted to be in front with him. She seemed to always want to be far away from him.

    But what did it matter at this point? If sitting in front would get her into the vehicle, so be it. ¡°All right. Hurry. We need to get on the road.¡± He said.

    He herded her around the front of the car, pulled open the passenger door for her and waited until she was safely inside. ¡°Put on your seat belt,¡± he said, and closed the door.

    When he climbed in behind the wheel, she was shivering so hard that her teeth were chattering. He got the engine going and the heater running and then he backed out of the space and headed for the highway.

    Something wasn¡¯t right. He observed.

    And then it came to him. No one else was getting on the road. They had been the only ones leaving when they went out the door. No others seemed to havee out since then. The locals probably had the right idea. Those who hadn¡¯t left earlier were not going. They would wait out the worst of it.

    He put his foot on the brake before pulling out of the parking lot and venturing onto the windblown, snow-thick highway. ¡°It might be wiser to wait it out. Everyone else appears to be doing that.¡± he said.

    She didn¡¯t look at him. She had her arms tightly wrapped around herself and her head scrunched down into her shoulders, like a turtle pulled into its shell. At least her shivering seemed to have abated a little. He thought.

 35

    ¡°No.¡± She said, She spoke softly. Without animosity, but with what seemed to him a deep and infinite sadness. ¡°Please. Can we just go to the apartment? I couldn¡¯t bear to go back in there now.¡±

    He considered suggesting that they take rooms at the motel behind the roadhouse to wait out the storm. But she was in no condition to spend the night in some cheap motor lodge.

    He stared at her. ¡°You¡¯re certain you want to risk the highway in this weather?¡± he asked one more time.

    She nodded, still staring straight ahead. ¡°Please. Let¡¯s just go.¡± She said.

    So off they went.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    The snow came down harder. And the wind blew the thick whiteness horizontally, straight at the windshield. He drove slowly, with care.

    But it was bad and getting worse. Almost immediately, visibility went from poor to practically nothing. He started thinking about suggesting again that it would be safer to turn around and go back. But by now he wasn¡¯t sure if that actually would be safer. He couldn¡¯t see the shoulder on either side of the road. And if another vehicle appeared while he was trying to turn¡­ that was going to be another problem.

    He kept going forward. The wipersbored to clear the snow from the ss. Kimberly sat beside him, silent. And very still.

    She would be all right. Of course she would. She was a strong and admirable woman with a core of steel. He knew that because even after all she had been through she still found a way to move on like nothing had happened.

    He just needed to get her back to safety at her apartment and everything would be all right. Just needed to¡­

    Suddenly Kimberly gasped.

    Another car had appeared,ing on way too fast in the opposite direction. He couldn¡¯t actually see the vehicle yet. Just four blinding lights: a pair of headlights and another pair higher up, the kind the local ranchers sometimes mounted above the windshield.

    ¡°Asher!¡± Kimberly whispered low. ¡°Oh, my God¡­¡± She said,

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± he told her, though she had to know that it wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Asher, I¡¯m so sorry. So sorry about everything¡­.¡± She said, her voice shook.

    ¡°Shh,¡± he soothed. And lied again. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± He leaned on the horn.

    But it did no good.

    The four blinding beams of light started turning. All at once, they illuminated the far side of the road as the vehicle itself appeared, a brown pickup skidding sideways, no longer in the oppositene but straight ahead in theirs and sliding fast right for them.

    Asher saw the driver in the pickup¡¯s side window. An old fellow in a straw hat, eyes like two ck holes, mouth agape.

    There was only one choice and Asher took it. He turned the wheel sharply toward the shoulder. The pickup whipped by, clipping them in the rear as it went, causing a bone-jarring second of impact, but then skidding on, vanishing into the maelstrom behind them.

    He tried to swerve the wheel back into thene. But it was no good. The snow-thick, icy road surface provided no purchase. The SUV kept going, right over the bank and off the road.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Kimberly¡¯s spinning mind couldn¡¯t keep up with the crash as it happened. She saw the brown truck skidding sideways at them, the face of a terrified old man in a big hat. And then, all at once they were over the side of the road, the front of the SUV suddenly pointing straight down. She closed her eyes, braced herself and waited to die as they dropped off the edge of the cliff.

    But it wasn¡¯t a cliff, after all.

    They hit bottom almost instantly, the nose of the SUVing up a little and leveling out, the impact stunning enough to send a jolt of pure agony singing up her spine. A giant fluffy wall appeared, came straight at her and smacked her in the face and chest. It was already deting when she realized it was the airbag.

    By then, the SUV had stopped moving. The only sounds were the creaks and the cracking and strange airy signs of a vehicle that would probably never be drivable again.

    ¡°Kim. My God¡­¡± Asher said. He was half out of his seat, bending close to her. ¡°Kimberly, are you¡­?¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    It was the first time she had ever seen him that way. Showing any emotion. It warmed her heart to see him that way. She dared to reach out, to touch his dear, forbidden face. Real. Warm. A little rough with a day¡¯s worth of beard, just she fantasized about it. Just as it had been in her lonely, tortured dreams.

    ¡°You just called me Kim¡­¡± She said stupidly.

    ¡°My God,¡± he said again. ¡°Are you injured?¡±

    She closed her eyes, ran a quick physical inventory. When she opened them, she dared a nervous smile. ¡°No. I¡¯m all right. Pretty shaken up, but all right.¡± She said,

    ¡°Oh. Thank God.¡± he said.

    ¡°You?¡± she asked him.

    ¡°Fine,¡± he said quickly, dismissing his own condition as if his well being didn¡¯t matter.

    She thought of the other driver then, and stiffened.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he demanded. ¡°What hurts? Tell me.¡±

    ¡°That poor old man in the truck¡­¡± She reached over and unhooked her seat belt. ¡°We have to get out, go to him. That pickup must have crashed.¡± She said,

    ¡°Wait.¡± Asher said, stopping her.

    ¡°But, Asher¡­¡± Kimberly said. ¡°We have to check on him¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll call for an ambnce.¡± He spoke to the thing in his ear. ¡°Call nine-one-one.¡± She waited anxiously for him to ask for an ambnce. But a momentter, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and checked the disy.

    ¡°What?¡± she demanded.

    He looked at her again. ¡°No signal. Must be the storm.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± Kimberly said, looking worried and ming herself for everything.

    He put the phone away and rehooked his seat belt. ¡°Put your belt back on,¡± he said.

    She did what he asked. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± she asked him.

    ¡°See if I can get us going again, get us out of this ditch,¡± he replied.

    It could be possible, couldn¡¯t it? The headlights were still working. They gleamed strangely, half buried in the snowbank the vehicle had scraped up like a plow as they hit the ditch.

 36

    The windshield and windows were still intact. The front end looked pretty bad, though, all crooked and crumpled.

    Asher reached around his deted air bag and started the car.

    Or he tried to. All he raised was a click, after which the headlights went dark.

    The whites of his eyes gleamed at her through the shadows. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll try again.¡± He said. He did. Another click. And again. More clicking, but not even a hint of a response from the engine.

    ¡°Uh-oh,¡± she said softly. And she thought of that poor old man again. ¡°Asher. We have to get out of this vehicle and get back up to the road. We have to make sure that man is all right.¡± She said,

    He regarded her steadily through the gloom. ¡°You¡¯re shivering,¡± he said softly.

    The engine wasn¡¯t working-and that meant neither was the heater. She wrapped her arms around herself and ordered her teeth not to chatter. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I am fine.¡± She said,

    His iron jaw was set. ¡°Your high-heeled shoes are made of satin and you don¡¯t have a coat,¡± he said.

    She despised herself right then. Stuck in a snowbank without proper gear. An old man could die because she¡¯d just had to get away from the man sitting next to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, so sorry. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Kimberly said. ¡°I know that. But we have to do something. At least we have to see if there¡¯s anything we can do.¡± She said,

    He reached over the back of the seat and came up with ap nket. ¡°Wrap this around you.¡± He shoved it at her. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear a crash, so it could be that that man regained control of his pickup.¡±

    ¡°How could we have heard a crash? We were crashing.¡± She said, starting to panic.

    He put up both hands. ¡°Don¡¯t argue. Just wrap the nket around you.¡± He said. He undid his belt again, reached across her, popped her belt open for the second time then slid the nket behind her and closed it around her.

    She stared into those eyes that had filled  her lonely dreams, breathed in his still-remembered scent: in soap, all man.

    ¡°But, Asher -¡± she began.

    ¡°I will go, all right?¡± he said

    ¡°Oh, Asher¡­¡± Kimberly said. ¡°I should go with you. It¡¯s my fault that we are in this situation right now. I should have listened to you¡±

    ¡°Take the nket.¡± He said. Obviously he wasn¡¯t listening to her. No way he was going to let her go out there with him. He drew one of her hands from the warm folds. ¡°Hold it close around you¡­.¡±

    She did what he said. He let go of her and she felt absurdly bereft. She missed his touch. Funny how some hours ago she was trying to get away from him and now, she wanted his touch so much that she ached all over.

    Then he told her again, in an even, calming sort of tone, ¡°I will go. I will go and check and see if there¡¯s anything I can do.¡± He said. He slid over to the backseat so smoothly, she didn¡¯t realize what he was doing until he was behind her.

    Bewildered, she turned to stare at him over her shoulder. Was it those tequ shots she¡¯d foolishly drunk at Rowdy¡¯s? The ident? This whole awful day with Asher right there every time she turned around, reminding her so cruelly of everything they could never be? What exactly did she even want them to be?

    Probably all of the above. But whatever the reason, her brain seemed to be working as if in a fog, her reactions all out of whack, dyed. Wrong.

    She¡¯d pushed him to go out there and see about the old man. But now that he was really going to go, she was suddenly scared of what could happen to him. ¡°Wait. No, I¡­ This is not right. You can¡¯t go alone. It¡¯s a blizzard out there and it¡¯s not safe¡­.¡± She insisted.

    He was bending over the floor of the backseat by then. But he stopped what he was doing and straightened enough that his shadowed gaze found hers. ¡°We need to go see about that man who almost ran us over. You can¡¯t go, you have to see that. So that leaves me. But now you don¡¯t want me to go. Make up your mind. Please.¡± he said, a little harshly.

    What mind?

    ¡°I¡­¡± Kimberly began, then she stopped and then stared at him hopelessly. He let out a long breath and bent over the backseat floor again. She kicked off her ruined shoes, shoved the air bag aside and drew her feet up under her, hoarding her body¡¯s warmth.

    He straightened again and light filled the cab.

    She blinked. ¡°A shlight? Where did thate from?¡± she asked.

    He didn¡¯t reply but he dropped another nket over the seat. ¡°Put this around your legs and feet,¡± he said.

    She hastened to do what he instructed. ¡°But where¡­?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an emergency kit under the floor back here. Another nket, a second shlight, jumper cables, res, a thermal tarp, things like that.¡±He said like that was a very normal thing to have in a car.

    ¡°It¡­ came with the vehicle?¡± Kimberly asked.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°For a price. I like to be careful.¡±

    Of course. She should have realized. He was a bodyguard¡­ Extremely security and safety conscious-almost scarily so.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s a pair of size seven and a half women¡¯s snow boots and a nice down jacket?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Dream on,¡± he said. In the weird, nting beam of the shlight, she saw his mouth twitch. Good Lord, he had almost smiled. She thought. If things weren¡¯t so dire, that would have done her heart good.

    ¡°Asher¡± she called.

    ¡°What now?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. I don¡¯t want you to go out there.¡± She said.

    ¡°Is that amand?¡± he asked, as he stared at her.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± She huffed out a hard breath and drew the nkets closer around her.

    His gaze stayed locked on hers. Level. Unwavering.

    ¡°It was an honest question,¡± he said.

    ¡°Can we just¡­ dispense with all that, at least until we¡¯re safely back at the apartment?¡± She asked.

 37

    He considered. ¡°Fair enough,¡± he said. ¡°Then I will decide. And I think it¡¯s best if I try to get up to the road, at least. I¡¯ll set some res.¡± He held them up. ¡°And I¡¯ll see if that brown pickup is anywhere nearby-and if it is, I¡¯ll see if there¡¯s anything I can do for the driver.¡±

    She knew he was right in what he nned to do, even though she longed to beg him not to do it. ¡°You won¡¯t go far?¡± she said, not understanding where this sudden care for him wasing from.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°No.¡±he replied.¡± I won¡¯t. My main responsibility is you, to keep you safe and well. You¡¯re the priority.¡±

    She was so grateful to hear him say that-at the same time as she felt deeply ashamed to have gotten them into this awful situation. She had behaved badly on any number of levels and her evening of adventure had somehow gottenpletely out of control.

    She sent a little prayer to heaven that God would be merciful and protect the man who was only trying to protect her. He added, ¡°I¡¯ll stay well to the shoulder and I won¡¯t get out of sight of the res that I set.¡±

    She took a slower, deeper breath. ¡°Yes. All right.¡± She said,

    He tried his phone one more time. ¡°Dead air,¡± he said softly. He flicked the door lock beside him. The front door on the driver¡¯s side was jammed against the bank, but the back door looked as though it might have some y. He pulled the handle and put his rocklike shoulder into it. With much crunching and groaning, the door slowly opened. It didn¡¯t open far. Too soon it was lodged in the snow on the bank. Freezing air swirled in.

    ¡°Stay bundled up,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± And with that, he slipped out into the storm.

    ¡°Be safe,¡± she whispered, as he wrestled the door free of the snowbank and pushed it shut behind him.

    She stared over the seat, tracking the shlight¡¯s glow as he slogged away from the car. He began to climb the bank. Too soon, she lost the light-and him. The view through the rear window was a narrow one from the front seat.

    That was unbearable-to have lost sight of him so soon. She scrambled over the seat and then over that seat so she could look out the back. From there, she could see a faint glow up on the road.

    ¡°Please, please God, keep him safe¡­.¡± She had to resist the urge to bargain with the Almighty. She¡¯d been foolish enough in the past few hours. She wasn¡¯t going to start trying to make deals with God.

    Through the swirling haze of the snow, she saw a sh of sizzling brightness, followed by the red glow of a re. Then came a second sh and there were two. The res lit the upper rim of the ditch. His shlight beam began moving along the shoulder, back the way they hade.

    Too soon, the shlight¡¯s glow was swallowed by the storm. She had only the red gleam of the res tofort her while she waited.

    And waited. As far as she could tell no other cars had passed. She saw only the light given off by the res. She didn¡¯t know what time it was. She wore no watch, her phone wasn¡¯t with her. She had no idea if the car¡¯s clock might be working. And she wasn¡¯t about to scramble back over the seats to find out, wasn¡¯t about to stop staring out that back window, willing his return.

    A d cry escaped her when she saw the shlight¡¯s glow again. It seemed to take form out of the spinning snow, materializing slowly from the whirl of whiteness. It wasing closer, thank God. And it had probably only been ten or fifteen minutes since the beam had been swallowed by the storm. But somehow, those minutes had seemed like several lifetimes strung end to end.

    At the bank, the light paused. There was the sh of another re as a third warning torch lit up between the first two. And then, atst, he began to descend the bank.

    She scrambled back over the seat so she could push the door open for him when he reached it. The cold air and snow swirled in along with the big, cold man and the glow of the trusty shlight. He pulled the door shut and she backed away to the far side of the seat in order to quell the powerful need to throw her arms around him and hold on tight. She wondered how he would react if she did that. Would he hold her or push her away? She thought.

    ¡°You¡¯re safe,¡± she whispered prayerfully. ¡°Oh, and I¡¯ll bet you¡¯re freezing cold¡­.¡±

    He turned off the light, set it aside and brushed snow from his shoulders, stomped it off his boots. She watched the shadowed, eagerly awaited shape of him as her eyes once again grew ustomed to the gloom.

    Resignedly, he muttered, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay bundled up in the front seat?¡±

    Sheughed, a slightly hysterical sound. ¡°I did stay bundled up. You never said a word about the front seat-and did you find him, the old man?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No. Not a sign of him or the pickup.¡± He replied. He brushed snow off his hair.

    Cold droplets touched her cheek. She swiped them away. ¡°But¡­ how could that be possible?¡± she asked.

    ¡°The snow¡¯s falling fast, covering our tracks. But the ones where he skidded sideways in ourne were so deep, they were still visible. I followed them-until they seemed to straighten out.¡±

    ¡°Straighten out?¡± She considered the impossibility of that. ¡°Surely you¡¯re joking.¡± she said.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying he somehow pulled out of that horrible slide?¡±she asked.

    ¡°It looks that way.¡±

    ¡°Incredible.¡± She said,

    ¡°He is probably used to driving in bad weather.¡± Asher said.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t doing a very good job of it when he came flying at us.¡± Katherine said.

    Those big shoulders lifted in a shrug. ¡°What can I tell you? It looked to me like he pulled out of it somehow.¡± He wrapped his hands around himself and rubbed his arms.

 38

    ¡°You¡¯re freezing,¡± she said softly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll warm up, don¡¯t worry.¡± he said, dismissing his well-being like it didn¡¯t matter once again.

    ¡°Oh, please. It¡¯s almost as cold in here as it is out there.¡± She said,

    Cold and getting colder. Her nose felt like a small b of ice. She gathered her feet underneath her and wrapped the nkets tighter. It had been a little chilly, even that morning, so she¡¯d worncy tights, though she¡¯d been tempted to go without them. Now, she was very grateful for at least that one good choice she¡¯d made in a day and evening of really bad ones.

    He tried his phone again. ¡°Nothing,¡± he told her after a minute.

    ¡°What time is it? Do you know?¡±

    He pulled back the sleeves of the jacket and sweatshirt to reveal his watch.

    ¡°Twelve-forty,¡± he said.

    She shivered a little. ¡°Already tomorrow¡­¡± she said.

    She watched as he bent and got the other nket from the kit under the floor and settled it around himself.

    ¡°You mentioned there¡¯s a thermal tarp in there, too.¡± She said,

    He tugged the nket closer, hunching his head down into the soft folds. ¡°And?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You should use it, get your body temperature back up.¡± Kimberly said.

    He just sat there, arge dark lump in the murky dimness of the cab. Annoyance nipped at her. The man made denial of his own basicfort into something an art form. Just because she had gotten them into this mess didn¡¯t mean he had to freeze to death before help came.

    And then he did bend over again. He brought out the tarp, which resembled nothing so much as a much-folded b of aluminum foil. It caught what little ambient light there was and gleamed silver. ¡°Here. You use it. You need to stay bundled up until helpes.¡± he said to her.

    She made no move to take it. ¡°You need it more than I do.¡± She said,

    ¡°Take it, Kimberly,¡± he said sternly.

    She looked away. ¡°How long will the resst?¡± she asked. Changing the topic.

    ¡°Kimberly,¡± he called.

    Slowly, she turned her head to face his shadowed form once more. She asked again, ¡°The res?¡±

    He was still holding out the tarp. While she only sat where she was, unmoving, waiting for him to answer her, he dropped it onto the seat between them. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Up to an hour, possibly.¡± he replied.

    ¡°And if help doesn¡¯te by then?¡± Kimberly asked.

    ¡°It wille eventually. The storm will end. In the morning, they¡¯ll have searchers looking for us. We¡¯re on a much traveled highway and there will be vehicles we can g down as soon as the road is passable again. We only need to keep warm until they find us.¡± he exined.

    She looked at him for a long time. Then she dared to say it. It had been on her mind for a while, but she didn¡¯t know how it would sound. But now she knew it had to be done. So she said it.

    ¡°We need to share our body heat. We need to share the nkets and the tarp.¡± She said,

    He sat very still. She felt the intense regard of his gaze through the gloom. Finally, he admitted it, too.

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± he said.

    They moved simultaneously. He picked up the tarp and started opening it. She helped. It was big, much bigger than the nkets.

    When it was fully opened and billowed out over both seats, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll sit back against the door. You sit between my legs. We can wrap two nkets and the tarp around both of us. You can take the third nket for extra protection on your legs and feet.¡±

    It was a good n-as much as it covered.

    ¡°What about your feet?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No problem.¡± he replied.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    She peered toward the floor. She couldn¡¯t see his boots. It was too dark down there. But she had a very strong feeling that they were soaked through.

    ¡°Are those boots waterproof?¡± she asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re fine,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Wrong answer. You can¡¯t sit here all night with wet feet. You¡¯ll get frostbite.¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°I¡¯m all right.¡± Asher insisted.

    ¡°Oh, stop it. As soon as the storm ends, you¡¯re going to want to get out and stand on the side of the road to g someone down. You won¡¯t be able to do that if your feet are frozen. But if you take off the boots and get your feet under the nkets and tarp, our body heat will dry your socks-all of which ispletely obvious, and you know that it is.¡± Kimberly said.

    He said with exceeding grimness, ¡°You keep talking about body heat.¡±

    She didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. He sounded so discouraged. Weary to the core. She felt bad about that-really bad. Why she didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Listen to me, Asher . I mean this sincerely. I am very sorry about what¡¯s happened and I know that it¡¯s all my fault. I know thest thing you want to do is to share body heat with me.¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°There. You just said it again.¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Again. But it has to be done.¡±

    ¡°And you have no idea what I want.¡± His voice was deeper than ever. Rough in a delicious way that made her swallow hard.

    Her silly heart got all fluttery. Shemanded it to settle down. ¡°We have to do this.¡± She said,

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°So take off those boots.¡± She instructed.

    ¡°All right.¡± He lifted a foot.

    ¡°Here. Let me help.¡± She said,

    He sent her one of those nces. Even through the dark, she could read it. She knew just what he was thinking. It was a bit weird.

    But then he surprised her and swung one wet boot her way. She let go of her nkets, took the boot in both hands, by the wet toe and the soggy heel, and removed it, after which he offered her the other one. She took it off, too.

    Yes, it did seem a very intimate thing to be doing for him. And it made her so sad all of a sudden, made her realize that nothing would ever happen between them.

    She shook her head. She didn¡¯t want anything to happen anyway. She told herself.

 39

    Kimberly dropped the second boot to the floor and wished the man sitting there in the dark beside her could be a bit open minded and that they could get along for once after this. She realized that as annoying as he could be, he was a good man. But she couldn¡¯t kid herself for too long. She wondered if he was really being this way because he cared, or because he was doing his job.

    Whichever one it was, she was grateful to him. Grateful that he was with her.

    ¡°Come here,¡± Asher said. ¡°You¡¯re shivering again.¡±

    With a sigh, Kimberly turned and positioned herself between his hard thighs. They arranged the nkets into a nest to shelter them. She wrapped one of them around her feet and legs as he¡¯d instructed.

    The others he drew around him and thus around them both, with the thermal tarp on top as he settled back against the door.

    The tarp was big enough to cover thempletely, wrapping around their bodies with plenty to tuck snugly over their legs and feet. He enveloped her in his big arms and pulled her back against his broad chest.

    Instantly, she felt warmer,forted. Safe. But howfortable was he? ¡°What about your back?¡± Kimberly asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t it cold against the door like that?¡± Kimberly insisted.

    ¡°Kimberly, I said It¡¯s fine.¡± He replied. He held her even closer. It felt so good. She tried not to enjoy it too awfully much. His warm breath stirred her hair as he added downright cheerfully, ¡°I¡¯m feeling quite toasty, as a matter of fact.¡± he said.

    ¡°Toasty.¡± She repeated. She allowed herself a smile.

    ¡°Try to get some rest,¡± he said.

    ¡°Is it still snowing?¡± Kimberly asked. She struggled to sit higher, to see out the back window, rubbing against him intimately as she moved. He made a low sound, quickly quelled. It might have been the beginnings of a groan. His big arms tightened, holding her still.

    ¡°Stay here. Stay warm.¡± He said. His deep, wonderful voice rumbled against her back and lower down she felt¡­ him. Heat flooded her cheeks as she realized that her wriggling about to see out the back window had aroused him.

    She gulped and tried to sit still and reminded herself he couldn¡¯t see her blush. It was too dark and she had her back to him. She cleared her throat. ¡°I just wanted to see if it was still snowing.¡± She said,

    ¡°It is.¡± He replied.

    ¡°Has it let up any?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No. Rest.¡± he said again.

    She didn¡¯t think she could sleep. No way. This was too strange and wonderful. It was¡­ like all her forbidden fantasies somehow came to life: the two of them, in the darkness, all wrapped up together, nice and tight. Yes, she felt a bit embarrassed at the thick, hard ridge of him pressing low against her back.

    But she also felt¡­ excited by it. d. To have such basic, undeniable proof that he desired her, that he wanted her. That he wasn¡¯t as indifferent to her as he always tried to make her believe. It was a petty sort of triumph and she knew that. At least she knew now that she wasn¡¯t the only one feeling this way.

    She ordered herself to stop being smug. The man couldn¡¯t help his biological response, what with her all smashed up against his private parts like this. His physical arousal proved nothing-except that he was a man and she was a woman. He had done his duty by her tonight, and then some. She would be thankful for that and behave better in the future.

    Her body slowly rxed. Now that her teeth were no longer chattering, she could actually almost feel optimistic.

    Yes, it had been an awful experience, all told. But there was a bright side. Neither of them had been injured. It appeared the old man in the brown pickup had somehow escaped unscathed. And as soon as the snow stopped and daylight came, they would be rescued.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    It could have been so much worse. And she really was exhausted. She closed her eyes and rested her head back against the steady, sure beating of his heart.

    Her eyes drifted shut.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Asher?¡± Her voice, soft. Tentative. He heard her call his name one more time.

    Asher stirred from hazy dreams where he was hard and aching and she was pressed tight against him. He couldn¡¯t push her away. He had, for some reason unclear to him but urgent, to keep her close, to hold her in his arms. He couldn¡¯t push her away.

    But he couldn¡¯t kiss her, either. Couldn¡¯t take away all her clothes and bury himself in her velvety heat¡­.

    That was wrong.

    That could never be.

    It was torture of the most unbearable kind. And he knew how it went when you were tortured. If your tormentor was good enough, eventually, you would give it all up-betray your family, your team, all you held dear. Just to make the agony stop.

    ¡°Asher?¡± her voice called again.

    He blinked, opened his eyes to darkness.

    And remembered. Kimberly ke. Rowdy¡¯s Roadhouse. The crash.

    Kimberly ke actually was pressed against him. His dream of being tortured endlessly by an ungging state of arousal was real.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I am now,¡± he grumbled and set his mind to blocking out the ache in his groin.

    Wrapped in their cocoon of nkets and the tarp, they were warm, and that was what mattered. His socks were already dry and he didn¡¯t have to worry about her getting frostbite or pneumonia-or worse, freezing to death before rescue came.

    ¡°The snow?¡± she asked.

    He peered over the seat. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s stilling down,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What time is it?¡± she asked.

    He freed his arm long enough to look at his watch. ¡°Ten to two.¡±he said.

    ¡°Your phone?¡± she asked.

    He tried the headset. ¡°Still out. Go to sleep. In a few hours, this will all be over.¡± he replied.

    She didn¡¯t do what he asked her to do. But then, she rarely had. ¡°I have a confession,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Save it for a priest,¡± he said softly.

    She made a low sound in her throat. A soft sound. A sexy sound. A sound that seemed to go straight to his tortured privates.

 40

    ¡°A part of me is really enjoying this.¡± She said, ¡°Being here with you¡­ I wish we could get along more¡±

    He wasn¡¯t surprised. He was feeling the same way and thinking the same thing. It was this damn cold, and the fact that they were smashed up against each other. Stuff like this messes with your brain.

    But God in heaven, she felt good in his arms. And she smelled so good, like vani and jasmine flowers and something else, something that was only her.

    ¡°Rest,¡± he said. Determined to have some control over himself. This was his job and it was wrong if he touched her. It could ruin everything. It was one of the rules he set for himself. Never get attached to a client. But with Kimberly, it seemed like all he wanted to do.

    He wanted to throw those damn rules out the window and smash his lips against hers.

    ¡°You keep saying that.¡± Kimberly said. ¡°I¡¯m resting already¡±.

    He almost pressed a kiss into her dark, fragrant hair. But he caught himself just in time. ¡°We have to sit here like this to stay warm. We might as well get some rest.¡± he said.

    ¡°Or we could talk.¡± She suggested.

    ¡°There is nothing to talk about.¡± Asher said.

    ¡°Liar.¡± She said it very low. And vehemently. ¡°You are such a liar, Asher.¡±

    He didn¡¯t argue. She was right. He was lying to himself about wanting her. And he had no intention of digging into the truth tonight.

    Or ever.

    She let out a sad little sigh. ¡°We have so very much to talk about. If only you would. We could get to know each other better. Is it such a bad thing if we have some kind of rtionship? We don¡¯t have to be strangers. We have a lot to tell about each other¡±

    ¡°No, we don¡¯t.¡± he said. It was enough that he was attracted to her. Developing any kind of friendship or rtionship wasn¡¯t going to help.

    She was silent then. Which was good. They only needed to get through this night without doing something foolish, without saying things that were too dangerous to say. Then they could both return to their separate and very different lives. He would go back to being her bodyguard and she would go back to being his boss¡¯ daughter who he had to protect. Which was as it should be.

    He rested his head back against the ice-cold side window and told himself to sleep, to block out the soft, tempting, never to be forgotten shape of the woman in his arms-and not, under any circumstances, to think about her and what he wanted to do to her¡­.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Asher did sleep.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    And he dreamed about the things that he¡¯d sworn not to think of. He couldn¡¯t seem to get the woman even out of his dreams too.

    In this dream, he was hard. Aching for her. He reached for her. She came to him, sighing, twisting in his arms. He realized she¡¯d been facing away from him, leaning against him. But now she had turned, so shey against him face-to-face, her soft breasts smashed against his chest, her warm breath flowing across the flesh of his throat.

    And suddenly, they were on some narrow padded surface inside a locked, deserted farmhouse. It was dark and cold in there, but they had their body heat to keep each other warm, a tent of nkets to shelter them.

    She kissed him, her mouth opening, a night blooming flower, under his, her breath flowing into him, their tongues meeting again, atst, after an eternity of loneliness and denial. He stroked her tongue with his, caressing, touching all those secret, wet, slick surfaces beyond her parted lips.

    His arms were filled with her, so warm and soft and perfectly made. And so very eager.

    Her hair tumbled down, tangling around them, a dark web of curling silk.

    So real, the taste of her. Nothing an ordinary bodyguard like him should ever be allowed to know. Honey. Ambrosia. She tasted of all the things he had no right to touch. She tasted of paradise.

    Real.

    So real¡­

    Better than all the hungry, lonely, longing dreams of her in all the weeks since¡­

    She gasped..

    And she wiggled against him, driving him wild, as she slid her arms up his chest and used her soft, slim hands to frame his face.

    ¡°Asher. Asher, are you asleep?¡± she asked.

    Asleep? He tried to capture her mouth again, but she retreated, though her soft hands still held him, one on either cheek.

    ¡°Asher.¡± Her voice was sweetly scolding now.

    Awareness dawned: the heat between them, the hard door at his back. The cold was just beyond their tent of nkets and tarp¡­. It seemed so real because it was real.

    He opened his eyes. She was right there, her eyes waiting, shining at him through the dark.

    ¡°Oh damn,¡± he heard himself whisper.

    She moved, her body shifting a little between his legs, reminding him sharply all over again of how much he wanted her. He stifled a groan of need as she said, ¡°And here I thought you didn¡¯t want to touch me¡­ Thought you didn¡¯t want to¡­. ¡± She dared to say it. ¡°¡­. Make love to me¡±

    It was no point denying what she knew they both wanted.

    Asher was dumbfounded. She was right. He had done exactly that, more or less. In his dreams.

    Literally.

    ¡°Kimberly, I¡­¡± He had no idea what to say.

    She leaned closer again, sliding against him, stroking him with that fine body of hers. He gritted his teeth, absolutely certain he was going to lose it any second now. Her soft lips just barely brushed his. ¡°I have a question.¡± She said softly.

    He made a sound, a helpless, yearning, croaking sound.

    Her lips moved against his. He felt the whisper of her warm breath across his mouth, over his cheek. ¡°It¡¯s been a terrible night, Asher. Worst of the worst.¡± She said,

    ¡°Er.¡± He said stupidly. Again, he had to swallow a groan. ¡°That was a question?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting there,¡±Kimberly replied.

    Yet another tortured sound escaped him.

    And she said, ¡°My question is, why not?¡±

    He didn¡¯t have to ask why not what. He knew exactly why not what.

 41

    She stroked the stubble rough side of his face and whispered softly, in a voice of purest temptation, ¡°Why not go ahead with it? Why not do what neither of us can stop wanting to do, just one time?¡± she said softly.

    He knew exactly how he should respond to those dangerous questions. He needed to take her by the shoulders and put her gently but firmly away from him. But instead, he muttered in a rough, choked growl, ¡°It would be¡­ wrong. We are not supposed to¡±

    She used the backs of her fingers to stroke the close clipped hair at his temples. ¡°I don¡¯t care, Asher.¡± she said. ¡°I really don¡¯t care if it¡¯s wrong. I only want one good thing to remember about tonight, one sweet, naughty secret to make it¡­ not quite so awful. I thoroughly understand that it¡¯s never going to be, between you and me. That we are different and maybe not evenpatible¡±

    He tried to speak.

    She put her soft hand between them and covered his mouth with her palm. ¡°Shh. Not finished.¡± She said,

    He gulped and nodded. She took her hand away and brought her lips close to his once more. ¡°But tonight, well, it¡¯s all been aplete and utter disaster. And now, here we are, waiting for the storm to end so that we can go back to our lives¡­ Our different lives, waiting for the morning, keeping each other warm. And I say that now, tonight, is the only opportunity we are ever going to get to be together like this. I say that the way you were kissing me just a few minutes ago, even if you were half asleep, proves that you wouldn¡¯t mind doing exactly what I¡¯m suggesting.¡± She said,

    She rocked her hips against him then-to prove her point, he supposed. And she did prove it. He groaned out loud that time. He couldn¡¯t stop himself. And she made a low, triumphant little sound.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what I say, Asher. Yes. You and me. Tonight, right now. Just one time¡­.¡± Kimberly said. She didn¡¯t even know where this confidence wasing from.

    He exerted a superhuman effort of will and said, ¡°We cannot. It¡¯s too dangerous. I¡¯ve brought nothing to protect you.¡± He said.

    He was always careful about contraception. He¡¯d grown up without a father. He was adamant that his children would have both, and that he would only have children by his wedded wife. A bit old fashioned, but he didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. I have condoms.¡± She said and held one up. ¡°Don¡¯t ask why I have it¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    He scowled at it through the dimness. ¡°My God.¡± She had actually nned to spend the night with a stranger from Rowdy¡¯s Roadhouse, then? He didn¡¯t know how he would react if she had gone through with that. But he shook his head. He had other things on his mind right now.

    She slipped the condom somewhere back under the nkets and got up even closer, nose to nose with him. ¡°Don¡¯t ask, all right? Just ept that I have them, and let¡¯s take it from there.¡± She said.

    It was too much. The whole day of watching her, yearning and telling himself he didn¡¯t burn for her. Chasing her down when she tried to get away from him. And then being forced to watch her some more while she danced with one cowboy after another. Having to take down that fool who had dared to go too far with her. The drive through the blizzard. The old man in the pickup. The crash.

    And most of all, the hours with her pressed up close against him, making him burn even more for her, bringing back those wet dreams so powerfully he couldn¡¯t deny them, couldn¡¯t deny he wanted to taste her, feel her, bury himself deep inside of her.

    It was too much.

    If she wanted him, even if it was this one time, who was he to deny her? He thought. Who was he to deny himself? To hell with denial. For once. For tonight.

    She made a small, hopeful sound. And what was left of his resistance crumbled to dust.

    He pulled her closer and he took her mouth, hard and deep. She opened for him.

    He wrapped his arms good and tight around her and he kissed her long and thoroughly, with no holding back. He kissed her deeply. Their tongues tangled and yed as their chests sizzled against one another.

    They didn¡¯t end the kiss, not even when they each reached for the other¡¯s clothes.

    He¡¯d had something on under his clothes-pants that strained to contain an erection that literally made her suck in a shocked, delighted breath.

    All that hugeness. All hers. At least for tonight.

    ¡°Oh, Asher.¡± She sighed when she lifted her mouth from his.

    And then they were fumbling, getting their clothes out of the way withoutpletely undressing, trying to keep the nkets and the tarp close around them as they got their bodies bare enough to touch, to stroke.

    To join.

    She opened his heavy jacket and pushed up his sweatshirt. She unbuttoned his borrowed jeans and closed her soft fingers around him and he felt he would die right then and be d to go.

    He undid her satin jacket, unhooked hercy little bra, freeing her breasts to his hungry hands. He pulled up her skirt so it was around her waist. And he tore at her tights until they split down the center seam.

    It was awkward and groping.

    And he didn¡¯t care. Judging by her eager moans and breathless, sweet sighs, she didn¡¯t mind, either. They were belly to belly, skin to skin atst.

    She didn¡¯t know that she¡¯d ever felt anything as delicious as the crisp hairs on his chest scraping across her moist nipples. Except, perhaps, for his mouth. And his hands. And, she suspected, just about anything else he chose to press against her in the next fifteen minutes.

    She was the same as he had imagined, the same, only better. Her breasts were full, her skin warm satin under his hands, her scent enough to drive him gloriously mad.

    ¡°I intend to find out what you like in bed,¡± he said. ¡°I have wanted to for a while now¡±

 42

    She heard the challenge in his voice, and her gaze zeroed in on the utterly decadent sight she presented as he cupped her in his palms, kneaded her skin with deep, erotic strokes that made her insides melt She leaned into his touch without thinking, helpless to do anything but respond.

    She couldn¡¯t have imagined feeling this way if she¡¯d tried. She hadn¡¯t expected him to move so fast, hadn¡¯t in her heart of hearts believed this whole idea would work out But he was here. Touching her.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    He regarded her beneath heavy-lidded eyes, a look that drugged her with the promise of his next touch, a look that made it hard to draw a decent breath.

    ¡°You like how this feels,¡± he asked. It wasn¡¯t a question, more a statement of fact that she couldn¡¯t deny. She nodded helplessly.

    ¡°What about this?¡± he asked again.

    He caught her nipples in a firm pinch and fire shot through her like a lightning bolt, one hot st that singed every nerve ending from warm to blistering.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The sound slipped out as a moan, an absurdly undignified sound that made his gaze twinkle.

    ¡°And this?¡± he asked.

    He held on and tugged her nipples in a slow pull that splintered that bolt of heat until she could feel it everywhere. Her nipples flushed pink. Her breasts swelled visibly. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from rising to arch her whole body into his touch.

    ¡°Oh!¡± she moaned.

    Not the most articte of replies, but given his grin, Asher got the general idea. He thumbed the now swollen peaks and each stroke made her tremble in reply, full-bodied quivers that mirrored their achy counterparts deep inside.

    ¡°You are so beautiful.¡± His deep voice whispered against her ear, the caress of his warm breath making her sigh aloud. Trailing his fingers away from her nipples, he traced a vein that shone faintly along her breast. ¡°You¡¯ve got skin meant to be handled carefully and to be cherished,¡± he said.

    He touched her with teasing swirls of his fingers, leaving her to savor the ache he¡¯d started, an awareness that echoed down to her toes.

    Asher understood pleasure. He understood how to make a woman respond to his touch, and he handled that knowledge with as much skill and experience as he¡¯d ever demonstrated at work. He understood her desires and how to fulfill them. He took her unspoken fantasies and made them reality.

    At thest, before he finally imed her, she brought out the condom and rolled it down over him. He blinked, dazed with need for her.

    She gave a low, throatyugh that seemed to dance along every one of his nerve endings. ¡°I mean it. Don¡¯t ask why I have it.¡± She said,

    He didn¡¯t. He only lifted her on top of him, her legs in their tattered tights folded on either side of his thighs. He gathered the slipping nkets and tarp, tugging them back into ce to preserve the wonderful heat they were generating, and he lowered her down onto him. She helped him, sighing, taking him into her by slow, delicious degrees.

    Paradise. He had found it atst. In the middle of a blizzard, stranded in a ditch on a deserted highway. With Kimberly ke.

    Because wherever she was, there was paradise.

    She rocked him, taking him with her to the edge of the world. He went where she led him, all the way, surging into her softness, into the sweet, close, wet heat of her body. Too quickly, he felt the end rolling at him, closing over him, opening him up as it hollowed him out. He tried to hold on, for her sake, so she could go over first. He began to fear he couldn¡¯tst.

    But then he felt her rising, felt the change in her breathing that meant she had caught the wave of her ownpletion. He knew then that she was close and he set his mind to holding out for her, holding on¡­

    She cried out and stiffened above him, her hands against his chest, pressing at him, as below, she held him within her, hard and tight. He felt her inner muscles closing on him, the contractions of her climax gripping him, easing, gripping again.

    It was too good. He couldn¡¯t take it. He was going over and there was no stopping it now.

    He surged up hard into her and¡­ something opened. Something gave way and suddenly he was feeling her even more acutely than before. It was perfect. It was amazing. A sensation like no other, as though he had found the secret woman¡¯s heart of her, as though he touched her, knew her in the deepest, most elemental way.

    He sped her hips in his two hands and he let his own climax roar through him, turning him inside out as she whispered his name and he pulled her body down to him and imed her soft mouth in a long, soul-deep kiss.

    There was a time after that, the best kind of time. She rested against him, soft andzy. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead and wished those sweet after moments never had to end. He had known it was going to be good with her, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this amazing. It was perfect. She was perfect.

    Dawn came as theyy there, not talking, easy with each other in a way they hadn¡¯t been since they had met.

    She was the one who finally said it. ¡°I think the storm is over.¡±

    He made a low noise of reluctant agreement. He realized he didn¡¯t want the moment to end. She kissed the side of his neck.

    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to let you up. We¡¯ll have to pull ourselves together and return to the real world.¡± She said and he nodded.

    They shared one more kiss. A long one, achingly sweet. He didn¡¯t want to let her go. But of course, he had to. She wasn¡¯t his. She would never be. He sped her hips and gently eased her away from him.

    They both looked down at the same time and saw the condom. He was still wearing it, more or less. But something was wrong.

    The condom had ripped wide open.

 43

    Kimberly hated the silence between them.

    It was back, with a vengeance, as soon as they saw that the condom had broken.

    Not muchter, as she was struggling with her ruined tights, buttoning up her jacket and trying to smooth her tangled hair in such a hurry.

    Asher leaned over the front seat and opened the glovepartment. He found a pen and a scrap of paper, on which he quickly scrawled a series of numbers.

    ¡°Here.¡± His breath fogged on the frozen air.

    She took it. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked, staring at the paper.

    ¡°My phone number,¡± he said simply.

    For a moment, she actually thought that she¡¯d read the silence all wrong. But then she understood. But before that she had to ask. ¡°And why are you giving that to me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Just in case you are¡­. Ermmm¡­ You know¡± he said, unable to meet her gaze.

    She didn¡¯t understand at first and then when she did. Her silly heart sank.

    ¡°We are staying in the same apartment,¡± she said. ¡°Why would you be giving me your number?¡­. Except,¡­ You are leaving. Aren¡¯t you¡± she asked, unable to understand her disappointment. She wanted him gone, right?

    He didn¡¯t reply for a while. Then when she kept staring at him, he said. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have done¡­ That¡­. What we did. There could be consequences¡±

    ¡°Oh, seriously. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±  Kimberly said quickly. Though she wasn¡¯t very sure of herself.¡± I¡¯m not pregnant. The timing¡¯s wrong-plus, you¡¯re being ridiculous. We are not even sure yet and you are jumping into conclusions. Even if I was pregnant, it¡¯s not a reason why you should leave¡­. I¡¯m a big girl. I can handle myself. I honestly don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°You should care. It¡¯s not.. Right.¡± Asher said.¡± Just take it ¡± he gave her the paper again.

    She opened her mouth to argue-and then shut it without a word. Arguing with him on that subject would get her nowhere. True, he had just taken her to heaven in the backseat of a freezing SUV. But that didn¡¯t matter. The barriers between them hadn¡¯t changed. Those barriers were unbreachable, even if they were all in his head.

    She stuck the scrap of paper in the pocket of her jacket, with her permit and the one unused condom. ¡°All right. What next?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We get out of here and up to the road and see if we can g down a passing motorist.¡± he said.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    The rear door of the SUV opened easily. They went out that way. Asher insisted on putting her over his shoulder and carrying her up the side of the ditch through new snow that reached almost to his knees.

    At the top, by the roadside, he gently let her down. ¡°Are you all right?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Perfect.¡± She replied. She aimed her chin high and gave him a regal smile. Yes, she did know that she wasn¡¯t a pretty sight. But except for her poor, cold feet in her soggy, stained Manolos, at least she was warm.

    She wore the nkets for a coat, d that they covered her to her ankles as she¡¯d had to remove her tattered tights, which she¡¯d tucked into the front of her skirt when he insisted she not leave them behind in the wrecked SUV where anyone might find them.

    He¡¯d kept the torn condom and its wrapper, slipping the evidence of their indiscretion into a pocket for disposalter. Heaven forbid that someone might find proof of what they¡¯d done together during the long, freezing night. She didn¡¯t understand why it was such a big deal for him. Why did he regret what had happened between them so much? And knowing that he regretted it so much hurt her even if it shouldn¡¯t have.

    Asher¡¯s phone still wasn¡¯t working. He lit more res and they waited. It didn¡¯t take long. Within five minutes, a snowplow appeared, clearing the drifts of new snow from the highway. Following the plow was a highway patrol car.

    The patrolman pulled over and stopped. He¡¯d been looking for them since before dawn, he said. He put them both in his patrol car where the heater was going strong, and he had a Thermos of hot coffee for them. Madison, his team member had obviously called the police when she didn¡¯t hear from him anymore.

    The officer called his station on the car radio and reported that he had found Miss ke and her bodyguard and both were uninjured.

    They told the officer about the ident and described the old man and his brown pickup.

    The officer shook his head. ¡°I would bet my new quad cab that was Spencer James you almost got killed by.¡± he said.

    ¡°You know him?¡± Kimberly asked, surprised.

    ¡°Yes, everyone in these parts knows James. He¡¯s got some kind of record in the county for reckless driving. I¡¯m thinking he¡¯s had his license for about a week now after thest big suspension.¡± the officer said.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Asher said, ¡°Last night, after the ident, I got out of the car and walked along the road looking for a sign of him. Judging by his tracks in the snow, he managed to regain control of his pickup and continue on his way.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t tell you I¡¯m surprised,¡± the patrolman said. ¡°James always ends up in one piece. The people he runs into are generally not so lucky.¡±

    Kimberly asked, ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll lose his license this time?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll be up to the judge, but I can¡¯t say as how it would be a bad thing if James never got behind the wheel of a vehicle again.¡± the officer replied.

    They returned to town. Asher rode in front with the officer, as was proper-because Asher was all about what was proper, what was fitting.

    Kimberly sat in back behind the security grate and tried not to feel like a very bad girl. She probably shouldn¡¯t have seduced Asher there at the end after putting the poor man through hell the evening before.

    To have sex with him on top of everything else? Well, it wasn¡¯t very nice. And it was foolish. Worse than foolish. He had said it himself: it was wrong. But she had kept pushing him, whispering to him, teasing him, until he gave in.

 44

    Because she had a thing for him. There was just something about him that called to her, something that made her wish there was hope for the two of them somehow. Hope for what? She wasn¡¯t quite sure. And deep in her heart, she feared she would never get over him¡­ Even after she was safe and he left.

    And yet, she had honestly meant what she said to him, that she knew that nothing could ever happen between them.

    Nothing was ever going toe out of their time together. She epted that. She had no expectations concerning him. So she was going to go home and cry out her eyes. She wasn¡¯t going to throw away her pride and dignity and do something crazy like beg him to stay or get into a rtionship with her.

    So, yes. It had been rather a bad idea to have sex with him. A bad idea that had turned out absolutely perfect. Something beautiful and real and honest in the middle of a terrible mess. She probably should regret it. But she didn¡¯t.

    Instead, she felt, atst, that she and Asher had reached a certain peace with each other. Some kind of understanding. That something good really hade of that horrible day and night. She knew it sounded really stupid too. But she couldn¡¯t help the way she felt.

    She knew that if he insisted on leaving, she could let him go without resenting him, without the any bitterness in her heart. So yes. For her, All in all, miraculously, it had been a good thing.

    Well, except for the condom breaking. That was a bit worrisome. She thought. But the time of the month was wrong¡­ right? And they had only made love once. That she might be pregnant was very unlikely.

    Very.

    In fact, she was certain that she wasn¡¯t pregnant. There was no need to worry about that score. She¡¯d behaved badly, but she did have a lovely, wicked memory to cherish. Every once in a while even the most well behaveddies had to get out and misbehave a bit. She had done just that and survived. And now, life would go on.

    Kimberly felt downright philosophical about the whole experience. Or at least, she did for now. She still had to wait for at least two weeks before taking a pregnancy test.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Asher asked when they returned to her apartment.

    Kimberly ignored his question and headed straight for her room. Determined to hold on to any tiny bit of respect and dignity she had left. She didn¡¯t go far, he took two steps and blocked her path.

    ¡°Kimberly,¡± he said. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked again

    ¡°I¡¯m fine Asher.¡± she replied quickly. ¡°Is there any reason why I shouldn¡¯t be?¡± she asked.

    He stared at her and shook his head. ¡°I just wanted to be sure¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she repeated.

    Asher looked at her. He heard what she was saying. She said she was fine. But she didn¡¯t look fine. She looked shaken up. He didn¡¯t know if it was from the cold or because of what happened between them. Things had happened so fast. Hell, even he was pretty shaken up too.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± he said finally. ¡°I really am. I shouldn¡¯t have done¡­. I shouldn¡¯t have let things go so far. I should have stopped myself. That¡¯s why I think it might be better if I just leave and let someone else take care of this¡­ Of you. Things might getplicated and that isn¡¯t good for the job. I should never have¡­. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, will you please stop it ¡°Kimberly yelled. If she had to listen to him list all the reasons why he regretted having sex with her one more time, she knew she was going to cry¡­ Or punch him.

    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine¡± she repeated, trying and failing to stop her voice from shaking. ¡°I¡¯m a big girl, Asher Adams and I can definitely handle a fling. Whatever happened between us was a mistake. I get that. But there is no reason why we can¡¯t get past it. Besides what are you going to tell my dad? What reason are you going to give him for changing your mind so suddenly about being my bodyguard? ¡±

    She sighed and shook her head.¡± You know, for someone who is so worried about anyone finding out about what happened between us you act so fucking weird that everyone is going to start to suspect stuff. I shouldn¡¯t be telling you this. You should know¡­ Aren¡¯t you the big tough investigator bodyguard? ¡±

    Asher said nothing, but he knew she was right.

    ¡°Get it out of your head that I can¡¯t handle this,¡± Kimberly continued. ¡°Because you and whatever happened between us was something that just happened in the moment. So please get over yourself¡±

    She didn¡¯t wait for his reply, but she marched down to her room, shut her door, ran into her bathroom and cried her eyes and stupid little heart out.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Things were back to quiet and awkward between them once again. And Kimberly hated every second of it. She had to do something about it.

    One weekter, he had returned to being just her bodyguard who talked little and followed her everywhere. She had to put an end to it. She remembered Phoebe¡¯s advice.

    She was going to talk to him. They were going to get to know each other, at least to an extent¡­ They already knew each other intimately.. Nothing and no amount of denial was going to change that. But who the hell said they couldn¡¯t get past it. Who said you couldn¡¯t be friends with your bodyguard? And she was going to start by taking Phoebe¡¯s advice.

    y nice.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Asher was looking through one of his cases when there was suddenly a knock on his door. That was weird. Kimberly had never done that since he came to stay at her apartment. And after that night in his SUV she seemed to avoid him even more. They hadn¡¯t even talked about that night¡­ Actually, they didn¡¯t even talk about anything.

    The quick knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts. And even if he already knew it was her, he was still surprised to see Kimberly standing on the other side. Her expression soft, but only slightly.

 45

    ¡°I want to apologize for the way I have been¡­. For being frosty,¡± she greeted him. ¡°I just, well, I was very sensitive and tired that night and I  kinda snapped. And it was my fault that we¡­ Ermmm¡­ You know. I just want you to know that I am sorry. My father tells me that sometimes I tend to get a little too into the zone and too emotional and I can lose sight of my manners.¡±

    Asher hadn¡¯t expected an apology. He just stared at her, so she continued. ¡°So, why don¡¯t youe with me to the Chinese restaurant a few blocks down and we can get¡­. I don¡¯t know¡­ reacquainted? You know, like the normal way¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the offer, but you know as part of my job I¡¯d go anyway,¡± he pointed out finally.

    Kimberly gave him a wry smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m inviting you to eat with me,¡± she corrected. ¡°Not sit creepily behind me like a weird stalker.¡±

    Asher stepped back to retrieve his wallet and walked out into the hall. As she shut the door, he snorted.

    ¡°You apologize and then call me a stalker. I feel like you don¡¯t often apologize to people.¡±

    Kimberly crossed her arms over her chest, smile gone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± she said.

    The walk down to the lobby and out to the street was silent. Their conversation hadn¡¯t stalled. It had stoppedpletely. Asher walked at her side but kept his eyes in a constant sweeping motion of their surroundings.

    It waste afternoon and the streets were packed tight. Gaggles of pedestrians crowded the corners of blocks and only half waited for the Walk sign to sh green before darting across the street. Asher watched Kimberly through the corner of his eyes. She walked with purpose and little doubt. Asher followed without question orment.

    Two blocks from the hotel, they hung a left into a small, one-room Chinese restaurant. It was dark and surprisingly quiet despite the street noise. The handful of patrons paid them no mind as they slid into a booth against the wall. Before they could settle in, a man took their drink orders.

    Asher checked his sight line to the door again and then decided to break his client¡¯s quiet.

    ¡°Why did you decide to live here?¡± he asked, motioning around them. ¡°Instead of staying with your father in the big house? It¡¯s safer there. Especially now. You don¡¯t have to work. Most people would take advantage and just rx in their riches¡±

    ¡°What can I say?¡± Kimberly said. ¡°I hate being idle. Life has no purpose for me if I don¡¯t work. I want to help people. I don¡¯t do much but I donate when I can¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°And I like this ce too,¡± she added, looking around. ¡°A friend brought me here for the first time. An associate who is based in Buffalo frequents ab here andmutes just to eat the chicken fried rice when in the city.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Not the healthiest traveling diet, but I had to admit I was impressed the first time I ate here.¡±

    She paused before smirking. ¡°And I¡¯m somewhat of a fast food queen, although I cook, so take my word for it as a weighty stamp of approval.¡±

    ¡°Noted.¡± Asher said. The timing couldn¡¯t have been better for the waiter. He came for their orders and Asher decided to test out her theory. He ordered the chicken fried rice.

    ¡°So home, that¡¯s here?¡± he asked, eyes scanning the new couple who¡¯d just entered.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied.¡± I¡¯ve lived here almost all of my life, with the exception of school.¡±

    ¡°You moved back here when finished, then?¡± he asked.

    She nodded. ¡°I love my father so much. I can¡¯t bear to be too far away from him.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with staying close to family,¡± he said.

    ¡°And what about you, Mr. Bodyguard? Where¡¯s your home?¡± Kimberly asked.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    A simple question and one he always avoided talking about time and time again. He didn¡¯t like people getting too close.

    ¡°I moved around a lot growing up. Never in one ce for too long.¡± He shrugged. ¡± It was just my mom and I. Never met my father. When I came here, I decided that I liked that city best. As someone who¡¯s traveled the world for the job, you can take my word for it ¡®as a weighty stamp of approval.''¡± he said.

    She smiled. She was beautiful. He loved seeing her smile. He thought.

    ¡°Noted. You know, I¡¯ve done some research of my own on your team and I must say that as a service of bodyguards and investigators, it has a fascinating track record,¡± she began,cing her fingers atop the table.

    Asher wondered why she had gone through the trouble of doing research about his team. He didn¡¯t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe she just wanted to know more about the person who was going to be her bodyguard.

    He sat up straighter and nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve had a few interesting cases,¡± he said.

    ¡°Ha! Interesting? If I recall correctly,st year you and one of your fellow bodyguards was instrumental in bringing down an underground drug-running organization that the police had no idea existed.¡± Kimberly said.

    Asher shrugged but couldn¡¯t stop the smile that sprung to his lips. The other bodyguard to whom she was referring was none other than James.

    ¡°Each case-each client-is always interesting. It¡¯s just part of the job.¡± He said simply. Kimberly seemed put off that he hadn¡¯t divulged more, but she clearly understood that he didn¡¯t want to talk more about it due to confidentiality, so she dropped the topic.

    ¡°Why did you be an investigator?¡± she asked instead.

    ¡°Same as you,¡± he replied. ¡°I want to help people. And a part of me just loves kicking bad guys asses. Don¡¯t tell anyone I told you that though¡± he said softly.

    Kimberlyughed, she loved this side of him. She wished he talked and joked a little bit more. She noticed him staring at her.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Ermm¡± he began. ¡°I know we haven¡¯t really talked about it, but have you¡­ Ermmm¡­ Taken the pregnancy test?¡± he asked.

 46

    Kimberly looked away. ¡°No I haven¡¯t¡± she said. ¡°I wanted to wait two weeks before I took it so I could be sure about the result. But you don¡¯t have to worry¡± she added immediately. ¡°I feel fine¡±

    Asher nodded. ¡°Okay¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m here if you need me¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave. No matter what the result is¡± Kimberly said.

    Asher nodded. But he didn¡¯t tell her that if she was carrying his child, there was no way in hell that he was going to leave.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    They ate their food quickly and, soon after finishing, they were singing its praises.

    ¡°I keep telling Greg that the food here is fantastic,¡± Kimberly said. ¡°This fast food queen will being back here with him¡­ Just to prove my point¡±

    ¡°Greg?¡± Asher asked.

    ¡°Oh, sorry. Greg is a work associate. If you insist on following me around then you¡¯ll get the chance to tell him, too. I have a meeting with him tomorrow morning.¡± She said,

    Asher¡¯s brows drew together.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    ¡°There was no mention in your itinerary about a meeting tomorrow. You know you are not supposed to be going to work every day right? At least so your kidnappers don¡¯t know everything you do¡­ If they are watching¡± he said, most likely trying to recall the schedule she¡¯d sent to her father, who had sent it to him.

    Kimberly couldn¡¯t help it. Tension rose fast and fierce, straightening her shoulders. She pursed her lips.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I didn¡¯t include everything in my itinerary.¡± She snapped.

    She stood and left the table to pay at the podium near the door. His next question was going to be why, and the only answer she could give would create more questions. Questions she didn¡¯t want to answer. She didn¡¯t want anyone telling her what to do.

    Asher didn¡¯t berate her as they left the restaurant and made their way back to her apartment. In fact, he had gone silent as he trailed the space beside her, yet kept his distance. It gave her a sense of being alone. One that was shattered when he moved close with a whisper that nearly tickled her ear.

    ¡°Let¡¯s pause for a second, please.¡± he said softly.

    Kimberly did as she was told and turned to the man, confused.

    ¡°I can see the apartment from here,¡± she pointed out.

    Asher grabbed her arm and pulled her backward with him. Not ready for the contact, she started to pull away when he spoke again. ¡°I think we¡¯re being followed,¡± he said. His gaze cut behind her.

    Kimberly allowed him to position her so she could see the people behind them on the sidewalk. Her eyes hopscotched across each of them quickly and, she hoped, covertly. She understood the concept that if someone was following them, they would be spooked if they noticed their target noticing them.

    But, then again, Kimberly didn¡¯t think she was being followed at all.

    ¡°The couple in the green and ck jackets,¡± he added when she wasing up empty.

    She turned to look for the couple in question. A dark-haired man and a dark blond-haired woman, arm in arm. Kimberly let out a loud sigh and turned back to Asher.

    ¡°You mean Mr. And Mrs. All Over Each Other?¡± She snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t think their interest lies anywhere other than with each other.¡±

    ¡°They were in the restaurant and left when we did, even though their food wasn¡¯t finished.¡± Asher said.

    Although Asher¡¯s eyes were on hers, she could tell his attention was still tracking the uing couple. His intensity was almost surprising and, perhaps, the reason why she did what she did next.

    ¡°You know, you¡¯re right,¡± she said, looking back at the couple that was nearly upon them. ¡°They might be following us.¡± She said. She grabbed Asher¡¯s hand, abruptly breaking his focus, and smiled. ¡°So, why don¡¯t we lose them?¡± Without another word from her bodyguard, Kimberly began moving. ¡°Let¡¯s take a detour.¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Kimberly pulled Asher to the nearest crosswalk and together they surged across the road in a cloud of pedestrians.

    Kimberly¡¯s grip was firm while the rest of her body seemed surprisingly loose. When she looked back at him, she even had a smile across her lips. One that looked odd there, but also right.

    As they hit the sidewalk she kept straight, angling them down a block with a chain clothing store and a twenty-four-hour bakery. Asher had studied theyout of the surrounding blocks from her apartment before he came to stay with her. It would be hard to get lost unless you intended to do just that.

    He wasfortable with their small detour. However, his attention was still sharp, frequently looking back over his shoulder at where the couple had been.

    They stayed across the road, passing over their own crosswalk to get to the next stretch of sidewalk. Maybe he had been overreacting. The man in the green jacket turned his head and met Asher¡¯s stare.

    Maybe not.

    ¡°Mr. Bodyguard?¡± Kimberly said. Asher didn¡¯t turn until the man dropped his gaze,ughing at whatever the woman beside him had said. ¡°Staring isn¡¯t polite.¡± she said.

    Asher refocused his attention on Kimberly. She had slowed her clip but kept holding his hand, steering him through foot traffic.

    Asher felt her warm skin against his. It was soft in his rugged hands, which were hardened by his time with the punching bag and weights. He briefly wondered what she thought of his rough skin before quickly killing the thought. While he knew the woman wasn¡¯t thinking about the intimacy that came with holding hands, he found his focus was starting to break because of it. Instead of shaking the hand free, however, he cleared his throat and used his training to get back to what was important.

    His job.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hang a right up here. If we cross the road we¡¯ll hit construction,¡± he said.

    Kimberly snorted.

    ¡°If we¡¯re being followed, we won¡¯t lose our tail that easily,¡± she said back, dropping her voice as if the two were conspiring. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯ve been assigned azy bodyguard.¡±

    She looked ahead with a smirk trailing her lips. She was being difficult and she knew it, teasing him while simultaneously goading him.

    Asher didn¡¯t know if he thought the attempt was amusing. Either way, he wasn¡¯t about to bebeled aszy on his assignment.

 47

    Even if it was by a woman he was starting to guess might never be happy with his job performance. A woman he had no chance to be with.

    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right,¡± he said with enthusiasm. ¡°I really need to step up my game.¡±

    Kimberly started to loosen her grip, probably feeling her sarcasm backfiring, but Asher held it firm. Instead of trailing behind her, he took two long strides ahead.

    Now he was leading her.

    Looking both ways, Asher tugged her across the street to the left, in between ag in traffic. Had they both not run, they might not have made it. Despite Kimberly¡¯s gasp of concern, Asher continued parallel to the block they¡¯d just left beforeing to the intersection.

    He blew through it within another pocket of pedestrians until they were at the opening of a preppy clothing store. He didn¡¯t waste any time and ducked through its double doors, passing through an invisible cloud of loud cologne and expensively dressed mannequins. One thin, very tan sales associate was on them within seconds.

    ¡°Can I help you two find anything?¡± the young woman said, eyes dropping to their sped hands. She raised her expertly styled eyebrow as Asher kept moving.

    ¡°We¡¯re just browsing.¡± he said.

    The associate backed off, but not without a huff.

    Asher scanned the tops of clothing racks and disy tables for an exit. While he was familiar with the shops and buildings around her apartment, he didn¡¯t know theiryouts once inside.

    This particr store was the first of several housed in a muchrger mall. Another set of double doors could be seen in the back corner, leading to what looked to be amon area between the other stores.

    Asher slowed, hesitating in his next decision. ying into Kimberly¡¯s teasing was fun, but pulling her into a busy area just to show he wasn¡¯t a wet nket? That was starting to toe the line that separated fun and responsibility.

    However, Kimberly didn¡¯t seem to care or to be currently struggling with his internal dilemma. She took advantage of his pause to untangle her hand from his.

    ¡°Come on, Mr. Bodyguard, let¡¯s see if you can multitask.¡± She said,

    Then she darted toward the back corner of the store and was at themon area doors before he¡¯d even had time to process how the absence of her hand left his cold.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Kimberly wasn¡¯t sure what hade over her. Maybe she was just in a good mood. Or maybe it was the handsome, dark haired man who had a backstory that tugged at her heartstrings, taking him from a man who was annoying to surprisingly human. The man definitely wasn¡¯t of the stock variety. She realized she really liked Asher Adams.

    Kimberly pushed into themon area of the minimall with a grin from ear to ear. Whatever had made this mood crop up, she was still enjoying it.

    ¡°Kimberly¡± Asher called from behind. She cast him a quick nce, noting he wasn¡¯t sharing in her mirth, but kept going.

    Themon area had a good number of people bustling down the hall before turning into different chain stores.

    Kimberly passed a shoe store and an electronics boutique before hitting a pocket of air that smelled so delicious it grabbed her full attention. She whipped her head upward to look at the second story. Her full stomach batted the thoughts of cookies out of her head, but the esctor leading up to them made her turn on the spot..

    She gave her bodyguard another grin that she felt in her bones was as mischievous as she could muster and didn¡¯t stop as she walked up the esctor.

    ¡°Kimberly,¡± he said again, warning her. But, really, what was he going to do? He wasn¡¯t her father. He wasn¡¯t her boss.

    He definitely wasn¡¯t her husband or boyfriend.

    With another weird thrill of amusement, she let out a giggle that carried her along to the second story. Heavy footfalls sounded against the metal behind her as she hit the tile. Asher was now quickening his pace. So, what was a girl to do?

    Kimberly matched and then added some speed of her own. Walking fast turned into sprinting, weaving through the shoppers with nothing more than a few nasty faces and words thrown her way. She didn¡¯t care. Now she had a mission. She was going to lose her bodyguard to prove to him that, even if his intentions were good, they weren¡¯t needed.

    She could lose her imaginary tail. She could outsmart a man trained in surveince. She could take care of herself.

    The humor she¡¯d been feeling hardened into determination.

    And above all, she was having fun.

    Kimberly spotted an opportunity to slip out of Asher¡¯s view when a group ofughing teen girls exited a coffee shop. She cut to the right of them and immediately ducked behind their group, moving toward the second esctor that led to the first floor.

    When she righted herself, already descending downward, she looked over her shoulder at the bodyguard.

    It worked!

    Asher kept going straight, slowing but not stopping as he tried to get his eyes on her. The flush of sess at evading her guard narrowed her focus as she hurried down thest of the esctor.

    Sure, she¡¯d just proven she could get away, but how far could she go? She hadpletely forgotten how badly it had turned out when she had gotten away from him before.

    Instead of hurrying to the first-floor main entrance that deposited shoppers back to the sidewalk, Kimberly saw a second opportunity she couldn¡¯t pass up. Past the public bathrooms at the end of a short hall at the corner of the building were tworge metal doors that must have been primarily used for bringing in merchandise.

    A rubber doorstop kept the door ajar. Beyond that she could see a strip of daylight. Kimberly booked it as fast as she could without her shoes pping the tile too loudly, straight to and through the door.

    It was the end of the mall, the building and the one next to it separated by the small walkway that ran the width of both. A set of industrial Dumpsters and their stench filled the small space, making her escape less ideal than she¡¯d hoped it would be. But, then again, Kimberly didn¡¯t care much.

    She¡¯d just outsmarted her bodyguard for the second time and his tailored knowledge of keeping tabs on people.

 48

    Kimberly finally slowed and walked at a leisurely pace down the small alley and back to the sidewalk that ran in front of the mall¡¯s entrance. She half expected to see Asher blocking her path, huffing and ready to call her father, but as she scanned the faces she didn¡¯t find his.

    Kimberly froze.

    Her muscles seized, her breath held.

    While she¡¯d expected to see the bodyguard, she hadn¡¯t expected to see another face she recognized. In fact, two faces she recognized.

    The couple that had originally spooked Asher, starting Kimberly¡¯s fun little exercise, were not only walking out of the mall, but doing so quickly. Like they too were in a hurry. This need seemed to intensify as the man looked to the left and the woman looked to the right, also seemingly scanning faces in the crowd.

    And then the woman stopped when she locked on to a familiar face.

    Hers.

    Suddenly Kimberly cursed her game of cat and mouse with Asher. The woman turned back to the man, but Kimberly didn¡¯t wait to see what happened next. She backtracked in record time to the alley and hurried down its length as the sound of pounding drew nearer.

    Was the couple really running after her? She wasn¡¯t really sure. But why? Was she just overreacting? Or had Asher been right about the couple all along?

    Kimberly reached the metal door that led back into the mall and started to second-guess herself. It was a coincidence. That was all. It was perfectly normal for a couple to eat and then go shopping. It was a very big city after all.

    She nodded to herself, trying to ignore the fear that had cropped up. She took a step back and looked toward the mouth of the alley.

    Secondster the woman and her green jacket came into view. Kimberly¡¯s blood ran cold but her feet stayed warm. She grabbed the door handle, ready to fling it open and make a mad dash inside, when it swung wide so fast that she gave a little scream.

    ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s me,¡± said Asher. He grabbed her shoulders, steadying her. Relief didn¡¯t just pool within her, it flooded. She was so relieved and happy to see him.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Asher asked her.

    Kimberly turned back to the mouth of the alley. The woman and her counterpart were nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°She was just there,¡± Kimberly whispered.

    ¡°Who?¡± Asher¡¯s grip tightened protectively. He moved her around behind him, looking where she had. Maybe she had imagined it. Kimberly began to think because the woman had disappeared so fast.

    ¡°Who?¡± he asked again. ¡°Kimberly?¡±

    ¡°Call me Kim,¡± she whispered, staring at him. She shook her head and looked up at him. Embarrassment at acting like such a carefree child washed over her. While trying to avoid the bodyguard and what she believed to be a service she didn¡¯t need, she¡¯d just managed to convince herself that she was in some kind of danger. Like the trouble that they had gotten into in his SUV wasn¡¯t enough. She thought.

    She was creating fictional scenarios and problems for herself, most likely seeing more in the couple¡¯s actions than was there. Still, the fear wasn¡¯t fully leaving, either. Fear often led to loss of control.

    And Kimberly didn¡¯t like losing what little control she had. She cleared her throat before continuing with a much stronger voice. ¡°I just prefer being called Kim, especially by people close to me.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Kim,¡± he started, brows pulling together. ¡°Who did you see?¡± he asked her

    ¡°Never mind,¡± she said. She straightened her back and took a deep breath. There was no way she was going to let the bodyguard¡¯s paranoia and her fear make her lose her focus. ¡°Let¡¯s head back,¡± she said, no longer wanting to explore.

    Kimberly might be able to write off how the woman in the green coat had seemingly been looking for her as a coincidence, but she wasn¡¯t about to take off from the bodyguard¡¯s side again.

    She was in denial, but not that much.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    The walk back to her apartment was quiet. More than anything Asher wanted to reprimand his charge for running off, but after seeing her expression in the alley, he¡¯d refrained. Whatever-whoever-she¡¯d seen had spooked her. While seeing Asher had done the opposite.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    She¡¯d let out a deep sigh that had seemingly passed through her entire body at the sight of him. Seeing such poignant relief because of his proximity had affected him almost as much as the look of fear she¡¯d harbored seconds before. The absurd amount of annoyance he¡¯d felt for Kimberly-Kim-had taken a backseat to a resounding protectiveness that went beyond his usual job duties.

    He suddenly not only needed to keep her safe, he wanted to do it, and to the best of his abilities. He wasn¡¯t denying that fact anymore. And who knew, she might be carrying his child.

    The silence stretched past the sidewalk and up to their rooms, and when it finally broke, it wasn¡¯t by much.

    ¡°I¡¯m a little tired from that walk and all that running¡± Kimberly muttered. ¡°I think I will just go to bed. See you tomorrow.¡± There was an undercurrent to her words, but Asher couldn¡¯t ce the emotion creating it. Was it guilt at ditching him earlier? Or residual fear from whatever had happened when he hadn¡¯t been right on her heels?

    ¡°Thank you,¡± was all he could say. ¡°Thanks for¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ The food¡­ Yourpany¡­ I guess¡±

    She stared at him for a second and then she nodded and opened her door. She turned around to face him again.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for that stupid joke¡± she said softly. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have run off like that. You must think I¡¯m really crazy. Always running off without thinking. I¡¯m that way sometimes. I don¡¯t think. Anyways I should have done that and I¡¯m sorry. I will try not to act that way next time¡±

    He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°The important thing is that you are safe¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Kimberly said.

    He waited until it was closed and the toptch was thrown in ce. It made him wonder if she¡¯d done it by habit, or if Kimberly was more worried than she was letting on.

 49

    Kimberly closed the toptch over the door and took a step back to look at it. She heard Asher¡¯s door close.

    You aren¡¯t in any danger, she thought. Don¡¯t let his overprotectiveness worry you.

    But even as she gave herself the advice, she couldn¡¯t help but feel an influx of nerves tighten her stomach.

    ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t want a bodyguard,¡± she muttered, rubbing her stomach. ¡°Now I think I have problems I don¡¯t really have. And another one that I might have¡± She thought about that night in his SUV once again. What was she going to do if she was pregnant? She didn¡¯t even know.

    Trying to forget about the man next door wasn¡¯t as easy as she¡¯d hoped. Talking about his past, including his job, had softened her otherwise harsh opinion of the man. He wasn¡¯t some faceless hunk of meat sent to stalk her in hopes of keeping a potentially imaginary predator at bay. He was a man who loved helping people. And she was beginning to really like him, which still wasn¡¯t a good idea.

    She tried to banish thoughts of the brooding dark-haired man and fell onto the bed. The jaunt right after eating a full meal plus made her eyelids unbelievably heavy as soon as she hit the pillow.

    The feeling of exhaustion and the desire to give in to thefort of the bed surprised her. Taking naps wasn¡¯t something she was used to doing. In thest few years, if there was time to sleep, then that meant there was time to work. She¡¯d rarely picked a nap over work time. It was a choice that had turned into a habit.

    A yawn tore itself from her lips and she knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before she was asleep. This moving back to her apartment was already turning out much differently than she had originally nned.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    The room was dark.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    Barely any light filtered in from behind the curtains. It was so dim Kimberly ced them as streetlights. Which meant her nap had stretched longer than she¡¯d meant it to.

    She rolled onto her back and yawned. Even though she¡¯d been sleeping, she felt exhaustion still weighing her down. If she closed her eyes again, she was sure she¡¯d sleep until morning.

    So what had woken her up?

    Those stupid scary dreams of course. The repeated dreams she kept having of Alex, with his rat face and scary eyes. And this dream had more scary folks. The man and the woman who were following her today. Although she wasn¡¯tpletely sure anymore.

    She tilted her head, listening.

    A car horn red outside, promptly followed by two more. Ah, the sweet sounds of the City, she thought.

    She contemted her next move, listening to a symphony of agitated drivers vent via their respective vehicles when another sound caught her ear.

    Confused, she turned her head, peering into the dark for the culprit. It stopped.

    Kimberly¡¯s heartbeat began to pick up. She waited. There it was again.

    Someone was in the hallway. But what were they doing?

    Curious-always curious-Kimberly got off the bed and made her way to the door. She peered through the peephole but was met with a cloudy circle with no help identifying who was outside. If there was anyone at all. She dropped back down to t-footed and bit her bottom lip, waiting.

    Seconds turned into minutes. Kimberly remained perfectly still until she was positive the sound, whatever it had been, had stopped. Slowly she utched the top lock and eased the door open a crack.

    No one was there.

    Cautious, Kimberly stepped out into the hallway. It was empty. She let out a breath she hadn¡¯t realized she was holding.

    See? That bodyguard has made you paranoid, she thought. No one is after you. This is over. No one even knows where you-

    Her current thought bubble popped as she turned and bumped into someone -something. She didn¡¯t wait to see who or what it was. She just the did the one thing her brain told her to do that minute ¨C run and scream.

    She didn¡¯t go too far with that n though, because as she bolted for her room, he caught her easily and pulled her back against him, pinning her arms.

    ¡°No!¡± She gathered as much breath as she could, in preparation for screaming, but he fastened one arm around her and mped his other palm over her mouth. She tried to bite him, but his hand held her too tightly.

    ¡°Listen to me, Kim. I need you to stay quiet. It¡¯s just me.¡± Asher said.

    She wasn¡¯t listening, just kept fighting him.

    ¡°Kim¡± he said louder this time. ¡°Kimberly, it¡¯s me, Asher.¡±

    She seemed to hear him this time because she stopped struggling, and he slowly released her.

    ¡°What-?¡± she said softly. ¡°Asher?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right¡± he said.

    ¡°What¡¯s-what are you doing here-?¡± she asked stupidly. She still sounded breathless and choked with fear, and Asher hated himself for being the cause of that.

    Kimberly felt stupid, screaming and shouting like that at night. Oh God, she was paranoid and it was all his fault. She got angry and began to hit him with clenched fists.

    ¡°This. Is. All. Your. Fault.¡± she said as she punched him. He grabbed her hands gently and held it down on her sides.

    ¡°How?¡± he asked. ¡°How is this my fault? You are the one who is scared. And of what exactly? -the dark. What happened to ¡®I¡¯m perfectly fine on my own and I don¡¯t want anyone looking after me¡¯. What happened to the tough girl? And this is what you do when you bump into something -scream?¡±

    Kimberly forced her hands free and hit him again.¡±I thought I heard something¡± she said. ¡°And what are you doing walking around in the dark like this?¡±

    Asher rolled his eyes ¡°What you heard was me obviously¡± he said. ¡°I needed to get a water from the kitchen, didn¡¯t want to turn on the lights here in the hallway and wake you up¡±

    ¡°Yeah you certainly did a good job of that¡± Kimberly said sarcastically.

    He wanted to say something back. But then he stared at her and noticed how shaken up she was. And he did something he told himself he wasn¡¯t going to do again. He touched her. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her.

 50

    Her warm breath stuttered against his neck as her arms slipped around his waist.

    For a second, he was lost in the sensation of her soft, firm body pressed against him.

    Then she pulled away. ¡°Please don¡¯t scare me like this again¡± she muttered. ¡°I have this bad feeling, like the kind I used to have before I got kidnapped, and I think that¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m so paranoid right now.¡±

    Asher forced his brain back to her and forced himself to listen to what she was saying. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± he said. ¡°I understand how you feel, but I¡¯m here now. So you don¡¯t have to worry¡±

    She nodded, although she didn¡¯t look too convinced, then she turned around and went into her room.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡°Just take the test,¡± Phoebe pleaded. ¡°Just get it over with so that you can move on.¡±

    ¡°So that I can move on,¡± Kimberly parroted wearily. It was a  nice afternoon. She sat across from her friend in her living room. Sipping Perrier with lime,  watching TV. ¡°As though taking the test will make everything all right.¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Phoebe said.

    ¡°What then? Are you saying you think I¡¯m not pregnant?¡± Kimberly asked.

    ¡°Er, well¡­¡± Phoebe murmured.

    ¡°Just answer the question.¡± Kimberly said impatiently.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying I think you have to find out either way, so that you can decide what to do next.¡± Phoebe replied.

    Kimberly sipped her Perrier. She didn¡¯t even know what she was going to do if she was pregnant. She turned to Phoebe. ¡°Tell me. Where, exactly, did you buy those condoms? The ones you gave me that night.¡±

    Phoebe winced. ¡°In thedies¡¯ at that little bar in Elk Creek called Charlie¡¯s ce.¡± She said grinning.

    ¡°When did you have time to go there?¡± Kimberly asked.

    ¡°I, um, went in just to have a look, after I went to get my pickup from the car wash.¡± Phoebe replied.

    ¡°And you just decided to buy condoms?¡± Kimberly asked again.

    ¡°Because I was hoping to convince you that we might, you know, get a little wild to help you forget your troubles after your kidnap. And I went into thedies¡¯ and saw the condom machine and I thought, well, if we¡¯re going to be wild, we should be responsible about it.¡± Phoebe said and grinned again. ¡°And well, when I saw how much you wanted to have fun that night, I had to give you one. What I didn¡¯t know was that you were going to get wild with the hot bodyguard¡­ Who you seemed to really hate¡± sheughed. ¡°Funny how things turn out¡±

    Kimberly focused on the TV, watched a sailboat gliding smoothly on a wind-ruffled, turquoise-blue water of a harbor and softly advised, ¡°I would not depend on the condoms from thedies¡¯ at Charlie¡¯s ce again.¡± She said, ignoring Phoebe¡¯s talk about Asher. She didn¡¯t know what to think of her feelings for himtely.

    Phoebe made a sad little sound. ¡°Oh, Kim. I¡¯m so sorry. I know this is all my fault and I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m just so sorry.¡± She said,

    Kimberly relented. ¡°Oh, of course it¡¯s not your fault. I didn¡¯t have to run off to Rowdy¡¯s Roadhouse. And I certainly wasn¡¯t forced to seduce poor Asher just because we ended up stranded overnight in a wrecked SUV in a blizzard and I happened to have a couple of condoms.¡± She said regretfully.

    Phoebe reached across and squeezed her arm. ¡°You¡¯re a darling not to me me. But I do see my part in what happened. Maybe I should have stopped you that night or maybe I shouldn¡¯t have given you those condoms. And I¡¯m turning over a whole new leaf, I promise. In the future, I¡¯m giving up all my wild and ill-considered schemes.¡± She said,

    ¡°Oh, please, Pheebs. Your wild, ill-considered schemes are part of your charm.¡± Kimberly said.¡±I don¡¯t usually do stuff like that. That just isn¡¯t me. And see what happened the one time I decided to go crazy. And everything I did that night, I did by my own choice.¡±

    ¡°Still, I feel terrible¡­¡± Phoebe said.

    ¡°Well, stop. Sometimes things just happen. You get in an ident and the condom breaks. You pick up the pieces and you go on.¡± Kimberly said, wondering if she would be able to pick the pieces of whatever consequences she might have to face. She tried to sound brave, but she was so scared inside.

    Phoebe squeezed her arm again. ¡°Just take the test. Please. You¡¯ll feel better once you know.¡± She said,

    Kimberly nodded, knowing Phoebe was right. She had to do this and get it over with once and for all.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    Kimberly and Phoebe went to her room so she could take  the test. She took five minutes just sitting in the bathroom just looking at the test stick, till Phoebe yelled at her to get over her fears and take the damn test because they didn¡¯t have all day.

    She did after a while, and then she rushed out of the bathroom with the test. Phoebe stared at her.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± she asked.

    Kimberly nodded. ¡°Yes¡± she said as she sat on a chair. She put the test on the table and pushed it far away from her.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it time to check? Phoebe asked impatiently. ¡± Did you pee on the damn stick right? ¡±

    Kimberly gave her a look.¡±How many ways are there to pee on a fucking stick, Pheebs?¡± she asked. ¡°I just did it now. I¡¯m supposed to wait for a few minutes.. Maybe three¡±

    Five minutester, Kimberly took the test and handed it to Phoebe. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t look. Just tell me what it is¡± she said.

    Phoebe stared at her. ¡°And what makes you think I can? I¡¯m as nervous as you are¡± she said. But she took the test and stared at it.

    ¡°So what is it?¡± Kimberly asked.

    Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s negative¡± she said, as she handed the test back to Kimberly

    Kimberly couldn¡¯t believe her ears as she took the test stick so she could see for herself. A part of her doubting Phoebe. But there it was -negative.

    The result should not have surprised her. It was what she wanted right? She was scared of being pregnant. She should be relieved that she wasn¡¯t. But she wasn¡¯t, which was weird.

    And then she did something weird too. She cried.

 51

    Phoebe stared at Katherine in disbelief. Then she came and put her hands around her. ¡°What exactly is happening here?¡± she asked. ¡°I thought this was what you wanted¡±

    Kimberly replied by shedding more tears and shaking her head.

    Phoebe held Kimberly¡¯s face in her hands and lifted her head. ¡°What is the problem, Kim?¡± she asked again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want it to be negative?¡±

    Kimberly shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± she said. ¡°I mean, I know that I was scared about the result being positive. You know, being a mom isn¡¯t really an easy job, and I have never really thought about having a baby. But these past few days, I think that despite the fear, maybe a part of me fell in love with the idea. I know it sounds stupid Pheebs. I know because It sounds stupid to me too. How can I be so worried and sad about losing something that I didn¡¯t even have in the first ce?¡±

    Phoebe smiled, trying tofort her.¡±I don¡¯t think it¡¯s stupid Kim¡± she said.

    Kimberly sniffed. ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± she said.

    ¡°Yeah I don¡¯t¡± Kimberly replied. ¡°I think somehow, a part of you wanted to be pregnant. To have a baby. And I know you, you love kids. And there is nothing wrong with falling in love with the idea of having one of your own. In a way this is kind of a good thing, because now you know exactly how you feel about this, so next time if something like this happens, you will know what to do ¡±

    Kimberly smiled.¡± Thanks Pheebs ¡°she said.¡±Maybe there is a reason why it happened this way. You know me. I want a family, a husband¡­. And I don¡¯t think anything like that is ever going to happen with a guy like Asher. He¡¯s just here for his job, and maybe that night he just wanted me because you know¡­ It was cold, we were alone, I seduced him and the moment was just right. But I highly doubt he wants me for anything long term.. And I don¡¯t think I want a guy like that ¡± She breathed deeply.¡±I¡¯m sure he will be very relieved when I tell him that I¡¯m not pregnant¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± Phoebe said. ¡°Whatever happens, all you need to know is that I¡¯m going to be here for you. To help you in anyway that I can. And when you be a mom, I¡¯m sure that you will do a great job of it. It¡¯s who you are. You do every thing right¡±

    Kimberly smiled and gave her a big hug. ¡°Thank you Phoebe,¡± she said. ¡°You are amazing¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    The kitchen door creaked softly behind him. Asher turned to see Kimberly, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly opened. They stared at each other for a few seconds before he finally asked.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°I tried to sleep but I couldn¡¯t,¡± she said, ¡°so I decided toe get a ss of water?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± he said.

    Understatement of the year, but he¡¯d leave it at that. He waited for her to say more, but she didn¡¯t. She just stood there, watching him. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± he asked.

    What had woken her? ¡°Did I make some noise that woke you up again? I¡¯m sorry, I tried to be careful this time¡±

    Kimberly shook her head as she walked deeper into the kitchen. ¡°No. No. You didn¡¯t wake me ¡°she said.¡± I just had a nightmare. Actually, I have been having it a lot¡±

    Asher sat up and stared at her. ¡°A recurring nightmare? How long have you been having those?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Since I moved back here from my dad¡¯s¡± she said. ¡°It always starts the same way.¡±

    She gradually moved to the seat next to him at the table, and Asher fought his body¡¯s typical response to a half-clothed female, and its unique response to Kimberly. Everything about this woman did more to him, made him feel more, sense more, want more.

    But she wasn¡¯t ready for that. She¡¯d been through too much, and he wanted her to continue trusting him and let him protect her. There was no way he¡¯d stop protecting her, ever. And that was why he knew that what happened in his SUV could never happen again. No matter how much he wanted it to.

    ¡°Starts that way?¡± he asked, that protective nature kicking in, thankfully, and overpowering his baser needs.

    ¡°Yes. I am always back in my living room and running from him, from Alex, trying to escape him, but-¡± She stopped and tilted her head as though remembering the nightmare.

    ¡°But?¡± Asher prompted.

    ¡°He seems to always get me.¡± She said. ¡°And there is no one around to help me. I usually wake up feeling scared and alone and I have this bad feeling. Like the one I used to have before I was kidnapped. Like someone was after me. It all started when I came back here so I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just some kind of trauma from what I went through. But it just feels so real when I wake up ¡± she paused, and when he didn¡¯t say anything she added.¡± Look I know it sounds stupid, okay? I just-¡±

    ¡°No, Kim,¡± Asher said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it sounds stupid at all¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± she asked.

    He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t. It¡¯s perfectly okay and normal to feel scared sometimes. But I don¡¯t want you to be, because I¡¯m here for you. I¡¯m here to protect you and I will not let any harme to you¡±

    Kimberly smiled at him. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. ¡°I know that I haven¡¯t really said it, but I¡¯m d that you are here and that I don¡¯t have to be alone right now. I know it¡¯s your job but¡­ Thanks¡±

    He nodded. ¡°You are wee,¡± she said.

    She stared at hisptop. ¡°So what are you doing up by this time?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Working¡± he said, then added. ¡°Another case¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you get tired sometimes?¡± She asked. ¡°It¡¯s almost like you don¡¯t rest¡±

    He stared at her. ¡°Beginning to care about me?¡± he asked teasingly and Kimberly smiled back.

    ¡°Won¡¯t be such a bad thing if I did,¡± she said. She stared at hisptop when the screen saver pictures changed to an elderly woman.  ¡°Who is that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°My mother,¡± he said simply after a few seconds.

 52

    She stared at him and back at the picture. She noticed the simrities in his eyes and mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t talk much about anything¡± she said. ¡°How often do you see her?¡±

    ¡°I try¡± he said. ¡°Almost after every job I make sure I visit her, unless I¡¯m too busy and I have to start a second job right away.¡±

    Kimberly nodded. ¡°Only child?¡± she asked and he nodded. She leaned closer to view the screen better, and gave Asher an enticing whiff of floral shampoo, or soap or something. The scooped neck of her top slipped lower as she peered at the monitor, and Asher received an all-too-tempting view of her breasts, not overlyrge, but shapely, and he remembered that amazing night in his SUV.

    He fought the desire to pull her on hispand push that sheer material out of the way, then do everything that he¡¯d already done to her in his mind. He wanted a repeat of that night¡­But that wasn¡¯t what she needed; he knew that, so, swallowing hard, he pulled his mind back to reality. Where he was just her bodyguard.

    ¡°She is beautiful,¡± she said softly, and Asher smiled.

    ¡°Yes she is,¡± he agreed.

    ¡°You have the same eyes¡± she observed and Asher smiled. In his eyes, she saw emotion flood in. She had never seen him look like that and she wished he would show his emotional side more often, at least she knew he was human.

    She moved away from him and rxed in her chair. Then she took a deep breath and said, ¡°I have something else to tell you¡±.

    He didn¡¯t say anything. Just nodded and waited for her to speak, so she said. ¡°I took the test today¡­ The pregnancy test¡±

    His eyes seemed to grow wider and for a moment Kimberly thought she saw the fear in eyes.

    ¡°And?¡± he asked impatiently

    ¡°It was negative,¡± she said finally. ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant so you can rx. You can breathe now¡±

    She watched as relief flooded his eyes and he took a deep breath. ¡°I have actually been really worried about that. It¡¯s a good thing you are not¡± he said. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Kimberly snapped at him. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be fine?¡±

    He watched her through hooded eyes,pletely puzzled by her reaction. ¡°You don¡¯t sound fine,¡± he said. ¡°Almost like you are not happy about the result. Am I missing something here because I don¡¯t understand your attitude?¡±

    Kimberly stood from her chair and red at him. ¡°I don¡¯t have a fucking attitude and you don¡¯t the right to tell me that I d¡± she said. ¡°And don¡¯t even tter yourself and think that I wanted to get pregnant for you or any crap like that. I¡¯m just upset about something else¡±

    She tried to move but he blocked her path. ¡°What exactly are you upset about? Did you want to get pregnant, Kim¡± he asked softly, then added quickly. ¡°I mean, did you want a baby?¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business¡± she snapped. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I wanted a baby or not because I¡¯m not pregnant. I was just.. I don¡¯t know¡­ Annoyed by how relieved you were when I told you I wasn¡¯t pregnant. I mean, I know I¡¯m thest person you would want to have a kid with and I know I¡¯m clearly not your type as you have shown your dislike for me so many times but you don¡¯t have to rub it in my face ¡±

    Asher didn¡¯t understand the woman, but he still didn¡¯t let her leave as he continued to stand in her path. And when she tried to be move he moved too, the expression on his face telling her that they were definitely not done with the conversation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t dislike you,¡± he said. ¡°And I think you will actually make an amazing mom to any kid. I just didn¡¯t know you wanted the baby¡­ A baby. I thought this was what you wanted too¡±

    ¡°You have no idea what I want,¡± Kimberly said angrily. ¡°And I believe that the reason you are here is to protect me. Now we may have slept together, but it doesn¡¯t change that fact. And I want things to go back to the way it¡¯s supposed to be. You are my bodyguard, and from today you will stick to your ce. Now will you please get out of my way so I can go to bed¡±

    He looked like he was going to defy her for a few minutes but then he moved out of her way and said goodnight.

    Kimberly walked quickly to her room, almost running and regretting the fact that she had made a huge fool of herself. She knew he was right. She was supposed to be happy that she wasn¡¯t pregnant, but she wasn¡¯t and his happiness when he found out that she wasn¡¯t just made it hurt a whole lot more.

    But things would go back to the way it was supposed to be. She would make sure of that. It was the right thing to do. Before she did something even more stupid like falling in love with him.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    One weekter.

    The meeting stretched on through the first hour and then the second, but Asher remained at his post against the wall behind Kimberly¡¯s chair. She sat at the head of the table, listening to the  heads of departments. Their duty was to fine-tune proposals before they were put before the full board for a final say.

    Asher already didn¡¯t like half of them, and from the way Kimberly tugged her ear every few seconds, she didn¡¯t either. He hid a smirk when she blew out a breath and interrupted a woman who looked vaguely familiar to Asher

    ¡°Thank you, Sophie, but if you¡¯ll remember, we decided not to do that. It would cost much and have little or no impact,¡± Kimberly exined. ¡°And if care isn¡¯t taken, it could have a negative impact on the society.¡±

    Sophie argued from the other end of the table. She tapped her pen anxiously on the tabletop and leaned back in her chair. ¡°There are those in thispany who think it is a good idea and we should go for it. Even Mark  assured me you were on board with such ideas.¡± She said,

 53

    Kimberly¡¯s entire posture changed, and Asher shifted with her. ¡°I am, of course, on board with other ideas ¡± she said.¡±But not when they put the safety of  people at risk. We have no idea who it might affect, so I suggest we don¡¯t do it at all.¡±

    Sophie frowned as several others at the table muttered.

    ¡°We wille back to that issue at another time, if you decide to go about it another way. I would ask now that you look over the second proposal on the table,¡± Kimberly said and rearranged the papers before her.

    Asher moved further down the wall until he had a clearer view of her face. After everything that had happened between them, he should¡¯ve tried to keep his distance, but he was drawn to her with each subtle movement.

    Things had gone back to the way it was ¨Calmost. Because as much as they would like to pretend that something didn¡¯t happen between them. They both knew that it had. And they were both left with memories. Memories that almost drove him crazy anytime he dared to think of them.

    She avoided him like a gue now and the previous night in the kitchen, she was so close to touching a tiny scar on his neck, but at thest second, she had dropped her hand and walked out of the kitchen so fast like her clothes were on fire. Which was a good thing, because If she touched him like that, he wasn¡¯t sure he could control himself. She was attractive and had no idea what she did to his self control.

    Kimberly hated how aware she was of him. She didn¡¯t want to notice him, but Asher¡¯s gaze pierced through her. The intensity burned into her back as if he stood right behind her, but he hadn¡¯t moved from his spot at the side of the room, his shoulders tense, his hands firmly sped behind him and feet apart. If it wasn¡¯t for the suit he wore, she would¡¯ve guessed he was a soldier here to attend the meeting.

    He was standing there. Silent. And unobtrusive. Her shoulders ached from the tension, from the certainty that he was watching her, those eerily level, oh-so-serious, dark eyes staring twin holes into the back of her head.

    His gaze flicked up to meet hers and narrowed. A shiver spiraled down her spine as that gaze trailed slowly over her body like he was caressing her with his hands. Her breath catching painfully in her chest, she clutched her thighs together to stop the sudden throbbing between them. Then his gaze shifted, and she gasped.

    Tugging at her earlobe, she realized it was arousal filling her so fiercely. That damn man. If he was going to caress her with those damn eyes constantly, she would have to put a stop to it, quickly, before she made a fool of herself.

    ¡°So you approve of the other ideas?¡± a man sitting across from her asked.

    She tore her gaze and attention from Asher and returned her attention to the meeting.

    ¡°Yes I am,¡± she said. ¡°But we should do everything possible to ensure it¡¯s done correctly,¡± Kimberly said confidently. ¡°If you look through the notes, I haveid out several possible ns that could work. We will discuss it further with the board in the next meeting¡±

    ¡°They should be ready to go by the time you call, we have the next meeting,¡± one of the men at the table said with a grin.

    When Asher looked at Kimberly, a fake smile covered her face. Her eyes remained focused on the papers before her and her demeanor shifted. No one else noticed, but Asher did. She had been that waytely.

    ¡°Well, then,¡± Kimberly said another twenty minutester, ¡°I think we should finish up for today. I¡¯m sure you all have other matters to attend to.¡±

    They stood as one, each telling Kimberly ¡°good day¡± before exiting the room, leaving her alone in her chair at the head of the table. Asher took a step towards the door until he realized she hadn¡¯t gotten out of her chair yet. Her head hanging, she looked defeated, exhausted, and he scowled at her.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked quietly.

    She nodded without lifting her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you.¡±

    He ignored that and stepped closer. ¡°You need to eat. I noticed that you didn¡¯t have anything before we came down here. Should I call to have something brought to you here?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary,¡± she said and pushed herself up from her seat. She grinned, looking overly happy, and scooped up the papers. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, I promise.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Do you do this often?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Do what, Asher¡±

    ¡°Neglect your own needs. Act like everything is okay when it¡¯s not¡± he asked.

    Her eyes narrowed. ¡°And what exactly do you know about me? Nothing. And if there is anyone who neglects his needs between the both of us, it¡¯s you. You are the master that I¡¯ve noticed.¡±

    Asher stared at her for a few seconds. ¡°I just noticed you didn¡¯t look fine. And I just wanted to help. Why exactly are you so angry at me? I honestly don¡¯t get it¡± he said.

    Kimberly didn¡¯t reply, but she gathered the files in front of her and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m ready to go home now¡± she said, and without waiting for him, she began to walk to the door.

    Her body shook from his lingering stare, and she slowly sashayed across the room, her knees threatening to give out on her. What the hell had Asher done to her? Anger red inside her because he made her feel so¡­ so what?

    She has no idea how she felt.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    They reached the end of the corridor where the meeting room resided and turned towards the main foyer when rushing steps met Asher¡¯s ears. The step grew closer and louder.

    Kimberly gasped when someone grabbed her arm and yelled her name. Asher immediately moved into action. His arm reached out to stop her, shoving her behind him while his other hand went for the gun in his holster.

    A man rounded the corner, he tensed, ready to draw, when Kimberly quickly hissed for him to stop.

    ¡°It¡¯s my friend, Asher,¡± she whispered. ¡°Please, rx. It¡¯s just Mark.¡±

 54

    Asher nced over his shoulder at her, then back at the man skidding to a stop in the hall. ¡°Something wrong?¡± Mark asked, oblivious to what he nearly walked into.

    Asher straightened quickly and stepped aside. ¡°No. Apologies, Kim,¡± he muttered and sped his hands tightly behind his back. She needed to stop staring at him like that, with her eyes-suddenly dark with questions he didn¡¯t want to answer.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± she said slowly. ¡°Mark, what were you thinking, you idiot?¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said with augh. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to startle the new help.¡± he grinned at Asher. ¡°Enjoying your new job?¡± he asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Kimberly snapped. ¡°What do you want? I¡¯m tired.¡±

    Asher red at Mark, but he said nothing, and instead gave them some space so they could talk. Mark wanted to get her signature on a file and after she signed it, they were ready to go.

    Once inside her apartment, Kimberly kicked off her heels and told Asher he could close the door and getfortable for a few hours. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day. It¡¯s okay if you need to take some time to rest,¡± she insisted, throwing the files she was holding on the table.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he replied and sat at the table with hisptop that he never seemed to stop staring at. He seemed to be always working on something.

    Kimberly ced her hands on her hips and chewed her bottom lip. ¡°Asher, if I ask you a direct question, will you answer me?¡± she asked.

    His hands on the table twitched. ¡°Perhaps.¡± he replied.

    ¡°What was that, back in the hall with Mark?¡± she asked.

    ¡°What do you mean? I assumed you were under threat and I reacted, nothing more.¡± he said.

    ¡°No, that was something else,¡± she pushed, even as he mentally yelled at her to stop before she went too far. ¡°The look on your face-I¡¯ve never seen you look like that before.¡±

    He stiffened. He had a look? What had he given away in that moment their eyes met? ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand, but you should stop these questions, Kim. You do not need to get to know me.¡±

    ¡°Need to, no,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Want to, yes.¡±

    He gritted his teeth as his blood heated in annoyance. ¡°Why? What good would it do you, Kim?¡± he growled, struggling not to lose his temper with the damn woman he was meant to protect with his life. ¡°Besides, you are the one who gave this whole weird speech about us keeping to ourselves and knowing our ce. Maybe we should just stick to that.¡±

    Kimberly ignored hisment. ¡°You were afraid,¡± she observed, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°I saw it¡­ Not of what wasing down the hall. It was fear of loss.¡± She said,

    His feet moved, he stood up and walked up to her, covering half the distance between them before he forced himself to stop, his hands tensed at his sides as his anger grew. ¡°We are not going to talk about me, Kimberly.¡±

    ¡°Giving me orders?¡± she asked, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°No, of course not,¡± he muttered quickly.

    ¡°Then what is it with you? What happened?¡± She took a slow step towards him but kept her distance. Her eyes darkened as she studied his face before they moved to the scar at his neck. ¡°Did you lose someone? Kill someone? What is it?¡±

    A loud crack of gunfire echoed through his memories, and the room fell away before him. His eye was against his scope, watching the target. His finger tightened on the trigger, pulled-but he wasn¡¯t fast enough¡±

    ¡°Asher? Asher?¡± he heard Kimberly calling. He snapped back to the present.

    ¡°I said not to push,¡± he growled, forgetting she was his boss¡¯ daughter in his anger. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything, Kim, and you sure as hell don¡¯t know anything about what it means to be in the real world.¡±

    ¡°What world do you think I grew up in?¡± She asked.

    ¡°You have lived protected all your life,¡± he shot back. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about actually living. About serving with brothers and sisters beside you and having peoples lives in your hands!¡± His anger boiled over as he told himself to rein it back in before he scared her.

    Except Kimberly looked anything but scared of him. He towered over her, not sure which of them had closed the distance between them. Her hands curled tightly at her sides, and she looked ready to smack him.

    ¡°I might not have been in the real world like you were,¡± she grated out, ¡°and you are right. I grew up behind walls, protected and given anything that I wanted. That doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t understand what you¡¯ve been through.¡±

    He barked augh. ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly know how I feel. It¡¯s impossible if you haven¡¯t been through the same thing.¡± he said.

    ¡°You are in no position to say that. You don¡¯t know anything about me¡± she snapped, jutting her chin out and standing on her toes.

    Asher looked at her flushed face and enraged stance as she red at him down. His body roared at him to prove to her she couldn¡¯t handle what it was really like to live with what had happened to him. She was the daughter of a billionaire, taken care of her whole life. What did she have to hide?

    ¡°Stay away, Kim. Do not push me further,¡± he muttered roughly.

    ¡°You think I can¡¯t handle you?¡± she challenged.

    He leaned away at her words. Is that what she was after? Did she know the reaction she caused in him after all? ¡°You¡¯re ying a dangerous game, baby.¡± he said.

    ¡°Why? Because you¡¯re too intense for me?¡± Kimberly challenged.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    He leered and gripped her upper arms.

    ¡°You think I don¡¯t notice the way you show yourself to me? The way you act around me? Twirling your hair? The way your eyes caressed me?¡± he asked suddenly and Kimberly froze. He knew how she felt around him after all.

    ¡°You started it,¡± she breathed, not trying to shove him away. ¡°I see the way you watch me too. At least I¡¯m not trying to undress you with my eyes every second we¡¯re together.¡± She snapped back.

 55

    Asher needed to push her away before this went too far. He moved her across the room until her back pressed against the wall. Her mouth opened, but Asher didn¡¯t let her say whatever she wanted to say.

    His lips nted over hers, his tongue diving into her mouth. From her response to him, he could tell she¡¯d never been kissed like this- the way he kissed her, and the possessive side of him growled in approval, needing to leave his mark.

    His hands slipped from her arms to her hips as he ground against her. Her body rxed into his chest, and she moaned against his lips, a carnal sound that drove Asher to intensify the kiss.

    He shouldn¡¯t have done it. He had told himself that he wouldn¡¯t let this happen again, but now that he¡¯d started, his lips refused to break the kiss. Those lips were so soft, supple, and hungry for his touch.

    Kimberly¡¯s hands snaked up around his neck and his found her breasts. The second his hands closed around them, squeezing and teasing, Kimberly¡¯s body moved into his touch, her breathing ragged. When his knee pushed between her legs, her body stiffened and the reality of what was happening hit home.

    Asher jerked away, turning his back as he wiped his mouth on his hand, cursing under his breath. When he managed to face her and saw her disheveled hair and dress and the stunned, confused look on her face, he worried his actions hadn¡¯t gone over as intended.

    ¡°I will be in my room,¡± he said stiffly.

    ¡°What¡­ what was that?¡± she whispered, her fingers on her lips.

    Push her away. Don¡¯t let this go anywhere you know it can¡¯t. He reminded himself.

    ¡°Me proving a point.¡± He leered. ¡°Nothing more, Kim.¡± He walked to his room and he let the door m shut behind him and leaned against the wall inside the room.

    Thankfully, she didn¡¯t follow him, giving him a moment to sort through his jumbled mind.

    He made certain it was a cold shower he had that night, but the temperature of the water didn¡¯t help to cool the heat of his body. Never could he remember being hit so hard. Holding her felt right, talking to her felt right. Hell, kissing her had been as right as it could get-bordering on blissful death.

    He could only imagine how it would feel to¡­ No. Not again. He couldn¡¯t imagine or else it would that night in the SUV all over again. He¡¯d better not imagine or he¡¯d find himself right back in the shower.

    How could one woman be so damn sweet? He¡¯d have thought all that money and her dad¡¯s fame would have soured her, but it hadn¡¯t. Kimberly loved. She loved her father, she loved her friends. She even loved the homeless who visited the kitchen where she donated to once in a while. He¡¯d heard it in her tone, seen it in her eyes.

    God, she was killing him.

    He had to stay objective, and that meant getting back to business. He finished dragging ab through his damp hair and left the bathroom.

    Kimberly hadn¡¯t moved a single inch. And if he hadn¡¯t already had a little taste of her, he¡¯d believe her prissy pose, with her knees pressed tightly together, and her slim hands folded in herp. Ha! What a facade.

    He dragged his eyes away from her wary gaze and sat opposite her.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    ¡°Ermmm, I want you to know that I have a job tomorrow night.¡± he said. ¡°My team is handling a case and they need me. Now I know that I¡¯m supposed to be here with you but I told them that I would help. I¡¯m not going very far, that¡¯s why I decided to go. But it¡¯spletely up to you. If you feel like you need me here, then I¡¯m going to stay here and do my job.¡±

    Kimberly nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said softly. ¡°I¡¯m a big girl. I¡¯m sure that I can handle myself for one night¡±

    ¡°If you need me, all you have to do is call me and I will be back as soon as I can¡± he said. ¡°I know I¡¯m not supposed to be doing this, so if you feel that something is wrong, call me immediately. Even if it¡¯s just a feeling. I won¡¯t take long I promise¡±

    Kimberly nodded. ¡°I will be fine,¡± she said. ¡°Go help your friends. I will be going to bed now. Good night¡±

    She stood up and walked slowly to her bedroom and minutester, Asher returned to his room.

    His hands twitched at his sides and wouldn¡¯t stop until he went to sleepter that night, dreaming of those full lips of hers crushed against his.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Alex had sent Victor and Jane to watch Kimberly¡¯s apartment. He knew it wasn¡¯t going to be easy to grab Kimberly ke when she had that big macho experienced bodyguard with her and he wanted a clean job. He didn¡¯t want to underestimate that man. From the little research he had done, he knew Asher Adams was not a man to mess with. He was good at his job, and if they got sloppy again. It would be bad for him.

    How the he had managed to get the boss to give him more time was a mystery to him, but he had promised the boss to request for a higher ransom when they got Kimberly back, aspensation for the time lost and after a thorough beating from the boss men, the boss let him go.

    Although a part of Alex suspected that the boss let him live because this case with Kimberly wasn¡¯t just about the money, it was personal. But Alex didn¡¯t like to stick his nose where it didn¡¯t belong so he didn¡¯t ask. He had enough things to worry about right now.

    Alex nned to get his revenge on Kimberly. She was the reason why he had to go through this misfortune. And he was going to get it. All he needed was just a little patience, and he would have his fun with the rich bitch.

 56

    When Victor saw Asher leave  he saw his opportunity. Thest time they had a chance to grab her, that bodyguard had shown up and ruined it for them. The man seemed to always be with her so this was an opportunity he couldn¡¯t miss.

    He wasn¡¯t going to wait for Jane. That would just take precious time. Who knew when Mr bodyguard was going to be back. He was sure that he could handle Kimberly alone, she was just ady who didn¡¯t know anything about protecting herself. So immediately he saw Asher leave, he got out and went straight for Kimberly¡¯s apartment.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Kimberly had made herself a tuna sd for dinner, but she¡¯d finally put most of the sd into the refrigerator. If it were those days at  College, she would have called one of her girlfriends and gone out to dinner and maybe a movie since Phoebe couldn¡¯te over because she had to work.

    But she also couldn¡¯t go out because Asher had made her promise that she wasn¡¯t going to. Even if it was with friends.

    So she was stuck at home.

    To fill the time, she decided to do a little work. Phoebe had called to ask her how the night was going, and she¡¯d said she was almost ready to turn it in. Now she had to make that im a reality.

    But she found it difficult to concentrate now. Just like the previous night

    She didn¡¯t really like the idea of being alone in the house, she was scared even, but she didn¡¯t want to stop Asher from doing what he had to do, so she told him that she was fine for the night. It was just one night. No big deal.

    Only now it was worse. Because even as she worried about being alone, she worried about what being with Asher did to her. She had feelings for him now. She couldn¡¯t deny that¡­ And maybe she could deny that to other people but not to herself.

    She felt a bump under her pillow and lifted her head, it was her vibrator. Obviously she had forgotten to return it to her drawer the previous night. After that kiss with Asher she had found it very difficult to sleep and so she had tried to find some form of release.

    She took it and put it back in her drawer.

    Holding it had made her previous arousal return. Only now there was nothing she could do about it. Because when shey down on the bed, she couldn¡¯t banish the picture in her mind of Asher Adams. He was too handsome.

    Too vital. Tooplicated. Too interesting to her.

    Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have as much actual dating experience as most women her age. First she¡¯d been focused on getting her degree at school. Then she just couldn¡¯t find a man she waspletely crazy about.

    She¡¯d sensed that Asher was relieved that she wasn¡¯t pregnant. And it seemed like his relief had something to do with her not being the mother of his child. So she had given him that ¡®know your ce¡¯ and ¡® I¡¯m fine¡¯ speech.

    But perhaps she¡¯d gone about it the wrong way-by babbling on about how she didn¡¯t care.  Because she cared.. So much that it hurt.

    She was looking for a reason to hate him-when she knew what she was really doing was trying to convince her body that thinking about him wasn¡¯t making her hot and tingly¡­ That she wasn¡¯t falling for him.

    She might beposing a ¡®i will get over this¡¯ talk in her head, but her nipples were hard, and the hot, swollen feeling between her legs was certainly annoying. She moved restlessly on the bed, nced toward the drawer with the vibrator, then looked quickly away.

    What she needed was some nice, calming deep breathing exercises.

    Eyes closed, she made herselffortable on the mattress, then took in a breath and held it for several seconds before slowly letting the air trickle from her lungs.

    It had the quieting effect on her senses that she¡¯d hoped for. And she did it again, focusing on the in and out passage of air from her body.

    But just as she was about to suck in another breath, a noise outside made her go rigid.

    It sounded like someone had knocked over a flowerpot on the patio. As she listened intently, her gaze shot to the clock on the bedside table. It was almost midnight.

    Should she call the police? And say what-that she had a feeling someone was going to kidnap her again?

    She could just imagine how that would go over. It wasn¡¯t difficult to picture the cops having a good timeughing in her face.

    One officer in particr. The one who had once pulled her over for speeding.

    Apparently the traffic patroly in wait for speeders along Route 50. But nobody had bothered to tell her-until she¡¯d heard a siren and seen the shing red-and-blue lights in her rearview mirror.

    The trooper who had pulled her over had been excruciatingly polite-which hadn¡¯t done anything to convince her that he wasn¡¯t having a perfectly wonderful time looking at her breasts as he exined her infraction.

    No, she wasn¡¯t going to call the police and chance having that same guy show up at her door. She found him creepy.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    So she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing again. She was just starting to rx when another sound made her body jerk off the mattress.

    This time it wasn¡¯t a flowerpot. This time she heard the knob on the French doors to the patio slowly twisting.

    Kimberly¡¯s heart leaped into her throat as she sat up in bed and reached for the phone. She dailed Asher¡¯s number and her hands were shaking so much that she almost dropped the phone.

    ¡°Asher, thank God,¡± she blurted when he finally picked up the phone.

    ¡°Kim, what¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s someone outside on my patio.¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± he asked, his voice sounding so caring and protective, or maybe it sounded that way because that was what she wanted to hear.

    ¡°In the bedroom.¡± she replied.

    ¡°Lock the door. And call the police. I¡¯ll be right there. I¡¯m not so far away¡± he clipped out the words, then hung up.

 57

    She was left clutching the phone in the darkness. Lord, how far away was he? How long would it take him to get here? She wondered.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    There was another noise from the front of the house, this time the sound of the patio door opening. With her pulse pounding in her throat, she jumped out of bed ran to the bedroom door and locked it. But how much good would that do her? The person could  break down the door and she would be left at his or her mercy. She prayed for Asher to show up.

    She was about to call the police when she heard footstepsing down the hall. Heavy footsteps. A man¡¯s footsteps. Then someone tried to turn the knob on the bedroom door and, after discovering it was locked, started kicking the door. Kimberly almost screamed.

    She was dressed only in the long T-shirt she¡¯d worn to bed. She opened her back door and ran to the balcony. She had nowhere to go. She couldn¡¯t possibly jump down because she could break her leg or hands or maybe worse -her neck.

    So she stayed where she was and prayed that Asher came for her. She still had her phone in her hand and remembered she hadn¡¯t called the police. She was about to when she realized that the banging on the door had stopped.

    She walked back slowly into the room but she didn¡¯t dare open the door. She walked slowly to the door and then she heard another knock. She screamed and jumped back, dropping her phone in the process but then she heard Asher¡¯s voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Kim. Open the door¡± he said.

    She opened the door and almost jumped on him in relief.

    ¡°Where is he?¡± Asher asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think he left,¡± she said shakily.

    ¡°Did you call the cops?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°Do it.¡± he said, then he began to leave the apartment again. Kimberly stopped him.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Wanna see if I can find him, he might not have gotten far. Might even be lurking around¡±

    He rushed of apartment again, and Kimberly followed, but he was too fast for her. She had to call the cops but her phone was back inside, on the floor where she had dropped it. And she wasn¡¯t about to go back to get it.

    Wishing she had on more clothing, she ran down her neighbors door and banged on it. Ten secondster, the door opened.

    ¡°What¡¯s all that racket?¡± the man said.

    ¡°There was an intruder at my house,¡± she yelled out. ¡°I think he ran off. Call 9-1-1.¡±

    The man nodded. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m fine¡± Katherine replied. ¡°Just call¡± The door banged shut, and she didn¡¯t know whether the guy was going to do the right thing or not. She didn¡¯t care. Right now, she was worried about Asher.

    Turning back toward her door, she finally brought herself to go inside. She wondered what to do now. Asher had disappeared, and she realized suddenly that he had put himself in danger -for her.

    With her bottom lip between her teeth, she stood, staring at the front door as though that would give her insight into what was going on out there.

    She could go out to find him. But it was likely that she wasn¡¯t going to be much help. Maybe she¡¯d even make things worse.

    Still, she took a step closer to the door and then another.

    She jumped back and screamed when the front door flew open and Asher appeared.

    ¡°Asher¡± Kimberly said with relief. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I saw a guy moving suspiciously, followed him and he started to run. I tried to follow him but I didn¡¯t have a light and tripped over a damn tree root, and the bastard got away.¡± he said.  ¡°Didn¡¯t even get to see his face¡±

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Kimberly asked, moving closer to him.

    ¡°Fine,¡± he snapped, striding back toward her room.

    She followed, her legs still shook slightly.

    When she¡¯d stepped into the room, Asher closed the door, then turned to face her.

    Days ago, she¡¯d told him to know his ce, that she didn¡¯t care. She had been rude. Another man in the same position wouldn¡¯t have feltpelled to rush over and rescue her, even if protecting her was his job.

    ¡°Why did you go after him?¡± she asked softly, taking a step toward him.¡±You didn¡¯t have to do that. What if he hurt you¡­ or worse¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer, only moved toward her, and they met in the middle of the bedroom. Reaching out, she sped her arms around him. She wasn¡¯t even sure why.

    Tofort herself? To tell him how grateful she was? To let him know how relieved she was that nothing serious had happened to him? Even now that the danger was over, she was still shaking.

    ¡°You¡¯re fine. Everything¡¯s okay,¡± he murmured, his hands soothing over her back and shoulders.

    When she lifted her face to his, staring up into his dark eyes, the emotions of the moment overwhelmed her. ¡°He left after he heard me call you I guess,¡± she stammered. ¡°Then you went after him. And I was scared for you.¡±

    He looked down at her for a long moment. Then his eyes focused on her lips. She could have pulled back. But when he lowered his head toward hers, she raised up on tiptoes-meeting again halfway.

    She¡¯d always considered kissing him a pleasant activity. She would never havebeled this kiss as merely pleasant.

    The first mouth-to-mouth contact was like a bolt of electricity, sizzling along her nerve endings, swamping her mind and body. Boy! Asher Adams knew how to kiss-with his lips, his tongue, his teeth. He was sensual and masterful, subtle and overwhelming by turns. And thoroughly absorbed in what he was doing, as though kissing were an end in itself.

    She¡¯d met a few men like that. Usually kissing was a prelude to sex. Or that¡¯s what they wanted it to be. But every time she kissed Asher, she sensed that for him, it was an activity to be enjoyed for its own sake.

 58

    She made a small needy sound as she drank in the heady taste of the man who held her so firmly in his arms. She clung to him while he angled his head, first one way and then the other, as though he were greedy to experience her every way he could-and greedy to take the kiss to levels she¡¯d never thought possible in mouth-to-mouth contact.

    But it wasn¡¯t enough. Not for her. And apparently not for him, either. She felt one of hisrge hands slide down to her hips and slip under the hem of her T-shirt to pull her lower body in against his erection, as though he were desperate to satisfy his craving for intimate contact with her.

    The other hand ttened against her back, pressing her breasts against his chest. She had never lost her head with a man-always been cautious in her rtionships¡­ But she did with Asher.. Totally lost every thought when she was with him. She had never been as hot and needy as she was now. Really, she had been hot and needy since he¡¯d rescued her from her captors.

    Now- Now she suddenly remembered why she had pushed him away and told him to stick to his ce. She suddenly remembered that he didn¡¯t feel the same way about her. She remembered that if she kept doing this, she was only setting herself up to get hurt. She also remembered she was wearing little more than a long T-shirt.

    Breaking the kiss, she pressed her hands against his shoulders, then watched his gazee back into focus.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Still, he didn¡¯t turn her loose.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting out of here,¡± he said, as though there were no room for argument.

    Her brain struggled to make sense of themand. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± she said.

    ¡°What do you mean, you can¡¯t?¡± Asher asked.

    ¡°This is my house and I¡¯m not leaving.¡±

    ¡°Staying here isn¡¯t a great idea,¡± he said in a voice that left no room for argument. ¡°I was hired to protect you. And you are definitely not safe here. I suspected that before, and now that we are sure that they are still after you, we have to leave. You are in danger. Obviously, they have been staking out your ce, waiting for an opportunity toe grab you. I told you that couple we saw at that restaurant were following us ¡±

    ¡°Yeah I know,¡± Kimberly said. ¡°I noticed too, but I didn¡¯t want to tell you anything because I wasn¡¯t so sure then. I thought I was just being paranoid¡±

    ¡°Well, you are sure now, and so we have to get out of here¡± he said. ¡°My job is to protect you, and that is exactly what I am going to do.¡±He looked toward the window. ¡°By the way, where are the cops? Didn¡¯t you call them?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I asked a neighbor to do it. I don¡¯t think he did¡± Kimberly said. ¡°I was too freaked out and worried to think straight¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Asher said simply.

    ¡°We could call the police now,¡± she said.

    ¡°We can do thatter. Right now, I¡¯m moving you out of here.¡±

    She tipped her head to one side, trying to wrap her head around his words and the brittle tone of his voice. ¡°Why? I mean, I know it¡¯s your job and all that, but why would you get so involved and go to such lengths?¡± she asked.

    She saw him swallow. He turned away and walked toward the window, looking out into the darkness. His shoulders were hunched, and she could tell from his bodynguage that whatever he had to say wasn¡¯ting easily. ¡°I don¡¯t want to make the same mistake I didst time,¡± he finally said.

    The answer was so unexpected that she blinked. ¡°Last time what?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Last time I let a woman get harmed because I was too blind to understand what was happening. I was too slow¡± he said regretfully.

    ¡°I think you¡¯d better exin that.¡± Kimberly said.

    He nodded, then pivoted to face her. ¡°My job is too dangerous. They took her, but I was too slow. I couldn¡¯t save her because I didn¡¯t react quickly. I just don¡¯t want it to happen again¡±

    Her fingers went to her lips as the memory of the kiss sizzled through her. ¡°You¡¯re married?¡± she said in a voice that she couldn¡¯t hold steady.

    ¡°No. No¡± he said. ¡°She was my friend. Also a member of my team. We were really close. A thug I¡¯d put in prison got out and decided to even the score. He kidnapped Mindy. I figured out where he was holding her. The team and I got to her toote. We were so close. He shot her right in front of me. If only I had been a little faster. If only I had acted faster and pulled that trigger. If only I hadn¡¯t hesitated. It was all my fault.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Kimberly said softly, reaching for his hand. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so hard on yourself. I¡¯m sure you did everything you could. You are a good man. You save people and I think you have done a great deal of good for a lot of people¡­ Including me¡±

    He shook his head, as if shaking off the horrible memory. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now¡± he said. ¡°What matters is that you are not safe, so I¡¯m getting you out of this house. Tonight.¡±

    ¡°Because you feel guilty?¡± she asked carefully.

    He stared at her for a moment before he said. ¡°Because I care about you.¡±

    She could remind him that they barely knew each other. That he didn¡¯t even like her, at least that was what she thought. But she didn¡¯t do it -for several reasons that she didn¡¯t want to examine too closely. But first and foremost, she knew she¡¯d be a fool to refuse him when he was offering to protect her.

    ¡°We could both stay here,¡± she said. ¡°We could leave tomorrow. It¡¯s kindate¡±

    ¡°We could. But I¡¯ve been up for a long time now. I need some sleep. Besides, that bastard mighte back, and this time he might not be alone. And I¡¯ll feel better about getting that sleep if I know the guy who broke in doesn¡¯t know your location. So pleasee with me, Kim¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±  Kimberly said.

 59

    ¡°Pack some clothes.¡± he said

    ¡°Everything?¡± Kimberly asked.

    ¡°No not everything. Just enough for a few days.¡± he replied. ¡°I can send someone here if you need more stuff or we can just get you new ones¡±

    ¡°And what about my job?¡± she asked. ¡°I just got back. Am I just going to abandon it again?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± he replied. ¡°You life is more important right now. We can call your dad and Phoebe tomorrow and tell them everything. I¡¯m sure your dad can handle your office for now¡±

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Kimberly asked.

    ¡°Back to the safe house¡± he said. ¡°But for tonight, we will stay at a hotel¡±

    He looked at his watch. Kimberly stared at him. She didn¡¯t want to be locked in a hotel room with Asher Adams. The idea seemed much too intimate. But what he was saying made sense. They couldn¡¯t stay here. Asher left the room to give her some privacy.

    She pulled on a pair of sweatpants and athletic shoes, then hurriedly packed some clothing. She putptop back into its case, and then she returned to the living room.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Asher asked.

    ¡°As ready as I will be,¡± she answered.

    Following him out of the house, she locked the door, then wondered what good that would do. A feeling of unreality gripped her as she climbed into his car.

    ¡°I guess the hotel is pretty close,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes, but we¡¯re not going straight there. I¡¯ve got to make sure nobody is following us.¡± he replied.

    She answered with a tight nod, thinking that she was in his hands. She tried to rx as he headed for the highway, then took another exit back into town-his attention divided between the road ahead and the rearview mirror.

    It was after one in the morning now, and there was little traffic on the road. As far as she could tell, there was no one following them.

    Finally, he pulled into the parking lot of a small hotel on Route 50.

    Their room was at one end. After he¡¯d turned on the light and helped her carry her stuff inside, she looked around at the space.

    The first words she heard herself saying were, ¡°We can¡¯t both sleep in that bed.¡±

    ¡°I can sleep in a chair,¡± he shot back, crossing the room and pulling one of the chairs around so that it faced the other.

    His back was to her, and she watched the tight set of his shoulders, wondering what to say.

    Still with his back to her, he cleared his throat. ¡°I won¡¯t deny the fact that I¡¯m attracted to you¡± he said. ¡°And like you requested the other day, I know my ce.  I know you are nervous about what I might do. That¡¯s my fault -because I kissed you tonight¡­ And the other night, which I know I shouldn¡¯t have done. But I was worried about you when that guy broke in, and when I saw that you were okay, I hugged you. And that turned into a kiss¡­ I didn¡¯t n for it to go that way. But you should know that I¡¯m not going to step out of line.¡± He paused for several heartbeats, then said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long night¡­ Get some sleep.¡±

    She stood there, watching his tense stance. He had just revealed a lot to her. Things he¡¯d most likely found hard to say. And now she had to answer him.

    She licked her dry lips, then she said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That was a stupid thing to say. I know it¡¯s difficult to say personal things. But you did it. I¡¯m really sorry I said something so insensitive. You have done a lot for me and I¡¯m not scared of you or anything like that. I mean, we have been in a situation like this before¡­ And I trust you.. I trust you to protect me¡­ Because you are a good man.¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    She heard him heave a deep sigh, but he didn¡¯t turn back to face her. So she walked to the bed, straightened the covers and took off her shoes. Keeping her sweatpants and T-shirt on, shey down.

    When he started toward the chairs, she said, ¡°You need to sleep. You¡¯re not going to be veryfortable over there.¡±

    He turned to face her, his gaze questioning.

    ¡°This bed is pretty wide. I think we can manage.¡± she said.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She watched him turn off the light, then kick off his shoes. The mattress shifted. When her eyes had grown ustomed to the darkness, she slid him a look. He was lying on the far edge of the bed, still wearing his clothes.

    He looked stiff and ufortable. But she wasn¡¯t going to invite him to get undressed. Instead, she focused on trying to get some sleep-which she was sure she would never be able to do because she was too aware of the man lying next to her.

    Damn, she thought. Is it possible for a man and a woman who are attracted to each other to share the same bed and not end up making love? Last time they had been together like this, it had ended with them having hot, steamy sex in his car. And the thought of it made her hot all over.

    Of course it¡¯s possible for a man and a woman who are attracted to each other to be in close proximity and agree not to engage in hanky-panky. All they had to do was have some self control.

    Hanky-panky. That was a nice old-fashioned term. Still it got her thinking that all she¡¯d have to do was move her arm a little and her hand would brush Asher¡¯s.

    That brought a wave of heat sweeping over her body, and she knew she was in trouble.

    She¡¯d told him to get into bed with her. Now she had to keep her cool. On the other side of the mattress, he shifted ufortably, and she wondered if he was having the same problem.

    When she found herself staring at the front of his chinos to try and see if he had an erection, she mped her teeth together. What had she been thinking when she¡¯d invited him to bed?

 60

    She¡¯d sentenced herself to lying here for the rest of the night, hot and needy and obsessing about whether she was the only one suffering. But some time during the next hour, she drifted off to sleep. And some timeter, a low, choking sound woke her again.

    rmed by the sound of distress, Kimberly pressed her back against the mattress, trying to figure out where she was and why.

    It was dark, with only a narrow shaft of lighting in between the curtains, and it took a moment for her fogged brain to remember that she was in a hotel room bed-and why there was a man lying next to her.

    His body jerked, and she shifted toward him. ¡°Asher?¡± she called softly.

    He didn¡¯t answer. He appeared to be asleep. But his head moved from side to side on the pillow, and she knew that he was in the grip of a nightmare. She knew because she¡¯d been there.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Asher, wake up.¡± she said.

    When he didn¡¯t answer, she slid over andid a hand on his warm, muscr shoulder.

    She knew immediately that she¡¯d made a big mistake. He was still in the grip of a nightmare, but he reacted instantly. Flipping her to her back, he came down heavily on top of her, his big body pressing hers into the mattress.

    Instinctively, she iled against the weight of his chest pressed to hers. At the same time, she tried to let him know where he was and whom he was with.

    ¡°Asher! It¡¯s Kimberly! We¡¯re in a hotel room. Please¡­Asher, wake up, you¡¯re scaring me,¡± she gasped.

    One minute he was on top of her. In the next, his weight lifted. But she sensed him hovering over her, looking down at her in the darkness.

    ¡°Kimberly. Kim, I¡¯m so sorry. Are you all right?¡± he said.

    ¡°Yes. But you¡­frightened me.¡± Kimberly replied.

    ¡°Oh, Christ! I¡¯m so sorry,¡± he repeated, his voice raw, and she knew he hated what he¡¯d just done.

    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked, making an effort to speak normally.

    He heaved a sigh. ¡°The guy. The kidnapper. I was trying to stop him from getting away. Then you woke me up-only he wasn¡¯t here. And you were.¡± he said.

    He turned on the light beside the bed. Although the bulb was low, they both blinked in the sudden illumination.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°You mean the man who kidnapped your friend?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah. I guess what happened tonight brought it all back. I was dreaming about him, but it was all mixed up. In the dream he¡¯d kidnapped you, and I was frantic to find you.¡± he exined.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she breathed, thinking about how she¡¯d figured into the bad dream.

    ¡°Then I did. He and I were fighting. Only you were in the wrong ce at the wrong time. Here in bed with me, to be exact. And I was going after you-not him.¡± he said.

    The look of remorse clouding his features and the anguish in his voice tore at her. Her fingers stroked up and down his arm, but he pulled away from her and flopped to his back, pressing his hand to his forehead.

    ¡°I¡¯m dangerous,¡± he muttered.

    ¡°No.¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°What do you mean-no? I attacked you.¡±

    ¡°Well, you started to. But you didn¡¯t do any damage. You stopped as soon as you knew it was me.¡±

    ¡°Thank God!¡± He turned his head toward her. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you climbing out of this bed and running screaming in the other direction?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Because I know you¡¯re a good man, Asher Adams-whether you want to admit it or not.¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh yeah, how do you know?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m a good judge of character.¡± she said and smiled. ¡°At least I like to think that I am. And all you have done since we met is try to protect me, even when I was a jerk sometimes¡±

    He made a dismissive sound. ¡°Sure you are not just saying that to make me feel better?¡± he asked.

    Kimberly smiled. She hoped the light wasn¡¯t bright enough to reveal the stain that spread across her cheeks. ¡°No, I¡¯m not just saying it,¡± she said. ¡°You have protected me since we met. Even if you were doing your job. You did it right, and I¡¯m safe right now because of you. That makes you a good man¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve sure changed your tune,¡± he said.

    It sounded like he was determined to make her say something negative about him. If so, he was going to be disappointed. Into the darkened bedroom, she said, ¡°If you were an insensitive jerk, you wouldn¡¯t be having nightmares about your friend¡¯s kidnapping. You would have gotten over it.¡±

    He snorted. ¡°Yeah right.¡±

    She realized that words weren¡¯t going to make him feel better. He had an answer for every argument she put forth. Stretching out her arm, she found his hand and sped it. That was the only ce they touched, just a few inches of his warm skin against hers, yet she felt as though she¡¯d bridged a continental gulf.

    Neither of them spoke. There were so many things she wanted to say, but she didn¡¯t think he¡¯d believe her. He¡¯d been through a terrible experience. People were shaped by the things that happened to them. He¡¯d been hurt and felt scared and guilty.

    She was sure she could help him¡­. Somehow. If he would let her. Which she knew wasn¡¯t a sure thing.

    But that wasn¡¯t her only motivation. There was something for her here, too.

    She sensed that he could help her.. Protect her. They hadn¡¯t known each other long. Still, there was something about her rtionship with him that was different from any man she¡¯d met before in her life. Was it because he was the most frankly sexual man she¡¯d ever been with?

    She sighed. Or because she found him so appealing? They hadn¡¯t really talked about rtionships. Well, they seemed to have one. And she wanted to explore that. She wanted to find out what they meant to each other and what they might mean. But she wasn¡¯t sure he wanted the same thing. For now shey with him in bed, their fingers barely touching.

    It was such a minimal contact, yet she sensed its importance-to both of them.

 61

    In the darkness of the hotel bedroom, Kimberly¡¯s role had seemed clear. In the morning she wasn¡¯t quite so certain of where she stood with Asher-or where she wanted to stand.

    She was pretending to be asleep when she felt the mattress shift. Through slitted eyes, she saw him stand beside the bed, then walk rapidly to the bathroom. Through the closed door, she heard him getting dressed. Then he vacated the bathroom and exited the room-she assumed to give her some privacy while she got up.

    She wanted to tell him that they should just act normally. But she was too unsettled to know what normal was. So she focused on the simple task of getting dressed.

    She had just emerged from the bathroom when he came back into the room and closed the door, so she knew he must have been waiting right outside.

    ¡°Hi,¡± she said. ¡°Good morning¡±

    He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. ¡°Are you all right?¡± he asked.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Yes.¡± she replied.

    ¡°Good. I¡¯m going to pick us up some breakfast. And take care of some other things. So don¡¯t worry if I don¡¯te right back. Put the chain on the door, and don¡¯t let anyone but me in.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Kimberly replied, nodding her head.

    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Something easy. A fast-food breakfast sandwich.¡±

    ¡°I can handle that.¡± he said

    After setting the chain and making the bed, she got out herptop and tried to work. But she hardly got any work done in the hour he was gone. She kept looking toward the door. And she leaped up when he knocked.

    When she opened the door, he came in, carrying bags with a familiar logo. Quickly she cleared the table of her work, and they both sat down. After he¡¯d unpacked egg and bacon sandwich muffins, orange juice and strong coffee, they both ate in silence for several minutes.

    ¡°Is this your usual breakfast?¡± she asked, trying to make small talk because the silence was killing her. ¡°I mean, before you came to stay with me¡±

    ¡°I never got over liking eggs and bacon, even when the health gurus said they were bad for you.¡± he said.

    ¡°Me, too.¡±

    They grinned at each other, sharing their secret passion for cholesterol before going back to the food. When she looked up again, she saw him turning a foam cup between his hands.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We should talk business,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh?¡± she said, hearing the catch in her own voice.

    ¡°I stopped by the police station and reported the incidentst night. So they¡¯re aware of the situation. They¡¯re willing to swing by your house periodically.¡±

    ¡°You¡­uh¡­sounds like you have that under control.¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°Yeah, well, I talked to your father too. Told him about our situation. When we get to the safe house, you can talk to him and Phoebe. I also think you limit the number of people you talk to, because we don¡¯t know exactly who these people are¡­ the people trying to grab you. Might be someone who knows you well. So you have to be very careful¡±

    She nodded. ¡°My dad isn¡¯t worried?¡± she asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s just d you¡¯re safe,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit worried about my work too,¡± she said. ¡°I just got back and now I have to leave again. I just don¡¯t know what to think. Whoever this person is¡­ I don¡¯t even know what I have done to them¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡± he said. ¡°We will figure it out. We just have to make sure that you are safe. That¡¯s what is more important. We will find out whoever this is¡±

    She shifted in her seat. ¡°I¡¯m so d that you are here with me. I honestly don¡¯t know what I would have done without you. Thank you so much¡±

    He nodded. ¡°You are wee. Just doing my job, plus I would like to feel you¡¯re safe when I finally leave.¡± he said.

    He was going to leave when this was over. Kimberly thought. For some reason she hadn¡¯t thought about him leaving. Well, there was no reason for him to stay. There was no way he was going to stay with her forever. Fighting back a wave of disappointment, she gave a tight nod. She¡¯d been having fantasies about this man, fantasies about what they could be and it was time toy them to rest.

    In a strong voice, she said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get to the safe house. One thing at a time.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± He took another swallow of coffee, then set down the cup on the table and stood. ¡°You get ready. I will make some calls to the team¡±

    After he¡¯d left her alone again, she took a shower, washed and dried her hair and changed into a clean T-shirt and shorts. And then she was ready to go.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    They drove out of town, with Asher watching the rearview mirror as much as the road ahead. He didn¡¯t try to blindfold her this time and Kimberly decided not to ask why. This part of town where the safe house was located was  isted, withrge lots that fronted on a narrow country road. Some of the houses were in  the mansion category-what she could see of them through the trees.

    When they got to the safe house and entered inside, Kimberly looked around and said. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say that I missed being here.¡± she stared at Asher and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s your fault by the way¡±

    He grinned as he carried her stuff to her room. Kimberly followed.

    ¡°How is that my fault?¡± he asked, feigning ignorance.

    Kimberly gave him a look and he grinned at her. ¡°It¡¯s just a question,¡± he said.

    ¡°Well¡± Kimberly began as she fingered the curtains. ¡°You made me feel like a prisoner. At a point I began to wonder if you were actually my rescuer or just another kidnapper¡­. Or maybe you were just ying some kind of prank on me¡±

    ¡°I would never do something like that,¡± Asher said.

    ¡°I know that now,¡± Kimberly replied. ¡°But then I didn¡¯t know who to trust¡­. And you seemed to have a serious liking problem with me¡­ You were kinda¡­ Mean¡±

 62

    Asher chuckled and looked down at his feet, not sure of what to say. When his eyes met hers again, she wasn¡¯t sure of what she saw in them¡­. Regret maybe?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Asher said. ¡°I admit I was a real jerk¡­ I judged you too fast¡­ I don¡¯t know why¡± he breathed deeply before he continued. ¡°Plus I wasn¡¯t ready for the attraction I felt towards you. I felt like I had to fight it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Kimberly said, almost not believing what he had just said.

    He shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t have a liking problem with you, I think I just liked you way too much¡­ And I know I shouldn¡¯t have¡± Asher said. He faced her then. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about the way I acted¡±

    Kimberly didn¡¯t know what to say, what to think. She took a step towards him. ¡°You can¡¯t like me¡± she said. ¡°I mean¡­ Maybe you don¡¯t hate me or think I¡¯m useless, but like? Not possible¡±

    He shoved his hands in his pockets. ¡°That¡¯s not true¡± he said softly. When she kept staring at him he sighed and said. ¡°Do we have to talk about this?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah¡± Kimberly replied. Him liking her was cause for a serious shift in the space time continuum. Her worry about the people trying to kidnap her faded and something very close to happiness took it¡¯s ce. ¡°We are going to talk until I understand when you hit your head¡± she said.

    ¡°Why are you surprised?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Because I am,¡± she replied. ¡°I mean, when we thought that I was pregnant, and weter found out that I wasn¡¯t, there was this relief on your face. Like you were d I wasn¡¯t pregnant because you wouldn¡¯t have to deal with me for the rest of your life.. Or something like that¡­ I don¡¯t know. I was a bit sad about the news¡­ But you were happy¡­¡± She paused and added.¡± And so I just thought that it was because you hated me¡­. I was sad about the fact that I wasn¡¯t pregnant and you were happy about it ¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say happy¡± Asher said. ¡°I mean I admit that I was relieved, but not because I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with you or any shit like that. I was relieved that I wouldn¡¯t have to be away from my kid. I didn¡¯t grow up with a father, and I didn¡¯t like that.. I remember wishing that I did. And I didn¡¯t want my kid to grow up feeling the same way. So that relief wasn¡¯t about you at all¡­ I mean, I think you would make an amazing mom. It wasn¡¯t about not liking you¡­ I do¡±

    Kimberly almost couldn¡¯t believe her ears. She moved a little closer to him. ¡°How much do you like me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Enough¡± Asher replied simply.

    ¡°How much is enough?¡± Kimberly insisted. ¡°A lot? More than ice cream?¡±

    One corner of his mouth turned up. ¡°Yeah. More than ice cream¡± he said.

    ¡°More than a ray gun?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a ray gun?¡± Asher replied.

    ¡°But if you could get one. If you could get the only ray gun in the universe, would you like me more than that?¡± she asked.

    He considered the question, then shook his head. ¡°No. Not more than that¡± he said finally.

    Maybe she was supposed to be serious, but she couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°So I fall between ice cream and a ray gun?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Asher replied.

    She could live with that. She stood close enough that she could see the rise and fall of his chest. She had barely slept the previous night, but she wasn¡¯t sleepy. At that moment she would swear that she might never sleep again. Awareness crackled between them. Awareness and a need that startled her with both its presence and its intensity.

    She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted him to kiss her and hold her and touch her everywhere.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    He stiffened. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, Kim,¡± he said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do what?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think that way about me,¡± he said softly.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Kimberly asked. ¡°Because you set the rules?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Because it¡¯s wrong. We are not supposed to. And because¡­. Because of what happened before¡±

    ¡°She moved even closer to him and he breathed deeply, inhaling her scent. ¡°Do you regret what happened that night?¡± she asked softly.

    He shook his head, then said. ¡°No I don¡¯t. It was amazing. But that doesn¡¯t mean that it should happen again. We can¡¯t let it¡±

    As always, his expression was tough to read. There was a sharpness that was new, a tension. If she had to guess, she would swear he was more than a little interested in her -that like didn¡¯t begin to describe what he felt. That maybe, just maybe, he wanted her as much as she wanted him. But he wouldn¡¯t act on it. He wouldn¡¯t let himself.

    She had never pursued a man before. In her world, they came to her. There hadn¡¯t been anyone since her ex. She simply hadn¡¯t been interested in anyone since then. But she was interested now.

    ¡°Asher?¡± she called.

    ¡°Not a good idea, Kim¡± he said tly, though he didn¡¯t move away.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°You are reacting to the situation, not to me¡±

    Possibly. ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± Kimberly asked.

    ¡°It could be,¡± he replied.

    But for which of them? She wondered. His eyes captivated her. The darkness seemed to pull her in. His body called to her -all hard nes and thick muscles. Did any part of him yield? Did he ever rx? What did he look like when he rxed and didn¡¯t care? Suddenly she wanted to know.

    ¡°Asher?¡± she said again, this time on a breath just as she ced her hands on his shoulders, raised herself on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his.

    His mouth was firm and unresponsive. He didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t speak, didn¡¯t blink. She lowered herself to the floor and stared at him.

    ¡°You are not going to make this easy are you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do this at all,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m a client or because you don¡¯t want me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s not a good idea¡±.

 63

    She had to gather her courage to say, ¡°But you do want me¡±

    His expression turned wry. ¡°I¡¯m breathing, aren¡¯t I?¡± he asked.

    Whew. Okay, then. Now they were making progress. ¡°Then react a little¡± she said. She grabbed him by his upper arms and tried to shake him. Of course he didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to regret any -¡±

    She reached up and covered his mouth with her fingers. ¡°I don¡¯t have any regrets¡± she said. ¡°I want this. I want you. Just for a few minutes, I want to forget everything that is happening¡±

    She felt the battle of wills within him. Would the man win or the warrior? She waited until the tension in the room made it difficult to breathe. Finally, she decided it was going to be a long, lonely day.

    She stepped away from him. ¡°All right. I get the message¡± she said softly. ¡°Thanks for all your help¡±

    He nodded, he wanted to say something, he knew he should, but his throat felt dry. He coughed, then said, ¡°You are wee¡­ Ermmm¡­ You have to give me your phone andptop¡±

    Kimberly stared at him. In the car he had requested that she switch off her phone which she did.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± she said. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a safe house,¡± he said. ¡°And I would like to keep it that way. It won¡¯t be if someone tracks your phone and finds us. What¡¯s the point ofing down here if we aren¡¯t going to be careful¡±

    Kimberly hesitated, then she handed him the phone, ¡°What if I want to talk to my dad.. Or Phoebe?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be talking to them right now,¡± Asher replied. ¡°I talked to your father. He knows you are fine. He knows you are safe. I can¡¯t risk someone tracking us here. And you can¡¯t tell them where we are either.¡±

    Kimberly inhaled deeply, ¡°What about my job?¡± she asked. ¡°I have emails I need to check, especially from the kids I help. I don¡¯t get to see them all the time and the only way wemunicate is by email. I don¡¯t want them worrying about me¡±

    ¡°Fine¡± Asher said. ¡°I will let you have just yourptop. You are untraceable here anyways, but I just like to be extra careful and avoid contact with the outside world as much as possible when I¡¯m here. Even if they figure out a way to know if you are online, any trace will turn up false addresses. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, this ce doesn¡¯t exist ¡±

    ¡°Good to know,¡± Kimberly said. ¡°And seriously, thanks for this. I really appreciate it¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± he replied. ¡°But you should know that I will be monitoring your emails to make sure you¡¯re not emailing anyone. Like I said I am very careful about keeping this ce safe¡­¡± he paused then added. ¡°¡­ Just safety measures¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    ¡°Do what you need to do¡± Kimberly

    ¡°Alright¡±

    ¡°I will just unpack then¡± Kimberly said and turned around. Asher watched her, her long hair fluttered behind her and her snug shorts outlined the faint curve of her hips. For a moment he couldn¡¯t remember why he had resisted her or how he even got the strength to.

    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want her. He did. He wanted her so bad that it hurt. But he was scared of hurting her. He didn¡¯t do the emotion and rtionship thing. He didn¡¯t even know if he could handle it, and he knew a woman like Kimberly wasn¡¯t the type to just have sex continuously just for the fun of it.

    Just as well, he told himself. Women like her made thingsplicated. He would bet a lot of money that Kimberly had never had sex just for the sake of it. And he had a feeling that that one time they were together meant more to her. The act was emotional and spiritual as well as physical. He didn¡¯t know what to think.

    Soon she would want more, but he wasn¡¯t sure that he could give her that. His job was dangerous¡­ Took him ces¡­ He wasn¡¯t sure she could handle that either.

    And she said she had been sad when she realized that she wasn¡¯t pregnant. What the hell did that even mean? She had wanted a baby¡­. his baby. A part of him had kinda liked the idea too. Though he didn¡¯t tell her that. A baby¡­ How awesome would that be?

    He did the right thing. He reminded himself over and over again as he left her room.

    But he didn¡¯t understand why it felt so wrong.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Kimberly shifted in her seat after checking some of her emails, thinking about what Asher had told her. He liked her. At least he had admitted that, which was nice. But clearly not enough to get into anything with her. Would it be so bad if they got together? Why did he think it was going to be so wrong? Because he was her bodyguard?

    He hadn¡¯t returned to her room all day, except for telling her while standing outside her door that he was going out, she hadn¡¯t spoken to him. And she had stayed inside till evening, acting like she wasn¡¯t hungry. When actually she was just dying from embarrassment. Well, she would have toe out of her room soon, unless she wanted to starve to death.

    The house was a bit big, but it wasn¡¯t so big that two people wouldn¡¯t be constantly aware of each other.

    Like now, she thought, as she heard the front door open and realized that most of what she¡¯d been doing for a while now was waiting for him toe back.

    ¡°Asher? Is that you?¡± she called out.

    He didn¡¯t answer, and she twisted around in her seat, looking down the hall.

    From her bedroom in the back, she couldn¡¯t see the front of the house, and a little frisson of fear went through her. Suppose it wasn¡¯t Asher. Suppose it was the guy fromst night? What if they had found them.

    When the phone in the room rang, she jumped. It was on the bedside table, and she crossed the room to pick it up.

    ¡°Hello.¡± she said.

    ¡°Hi.¡± Asher¡¯s voice replied.

 64

    ¡°Asher? Where are you? There¡¯s somebody in the house,¡± she said, hearing the quaver in her voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± he said.

    ¡°But-what are you doing?¡± she asked clearly confused.

    ¡°Sitting on the living room sofa,¡± he answered, the simple sentence sounding provocative.

    She stared down the hall, still unable to see him. ¡°If you¡¯re in the living room, why are you calling me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Ermmm, sometimes people canmunicate better on the phone than they can in person.¡± he said.

    She felt the air whoosh out of her lungs.

    ¡°Are we having troublemunicating?¡± she asked. She asked.

    ¡°Well, there are things I want to say to you. That I wish I had said to you. But I find my tongue getting all twisted up,¡± he said.

    She¡¯d had simr feelings. ¡°You do?¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± he breathed said.

    He didn¡¯t continue, and she desperately wanted to find out what he meant.

    ¡°What can¡¯t you say in person?¡± Kimberly asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to kiss you again¡­ make love to you again. It was really hard to say no to you then. It wasn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t want to, hell, I did-I do. I thought about that a lot while I was away. But if I was worried that if did, maybe something would go wrong and you wouldn¡¯t let me be here with you. You might want to leave, And I want you here¡­ I want to stay here with you-very much.¡±

    Her throat was so constricted that she could barely speak but she managed one syble. ¡°Why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m worried about you. Because I want you to be safe. I don¡¯t know what I would do if those bastardsy their hands on you. But we both know that¡¯s only part of it. I want to spend time get to know you better¡­ I want to make use of this little time we have to be together. Only that I haven¡¯t really felt this way about anyone, so I¡¯m uneasy about rtionships and feelings. I¡¯m scared that I¡¯m going to screw it up¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she answered, her voice softening, thinking that must have been really difficult for him to say. No wonder he was using the telephone instead of speaking face-to-face.

    ¡°We started off on the wrong foot,¡± he said. ¡°I was focused on my job, and I judged you too quickly.¡±

    ¡°You are supposed to be focused on your job,¡± she said, finding herself defending him. ¡°That¡¯s why you are so good at it. And I don¡¯t hold it against you.¡±

    ¡°What about the kisses?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I liked when we kissed¡­ a lot,¡± she whispered, because one thing she knew, being dishonest now would be a disaster. ¡°And that one time we were together was amazing¡±.

    ¡°Good,¡± he said. because I can¡¯t stop thinking about that night and what I would like to do with you.¡±

    Her breath caught. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You know, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked..

    ¡°Tell me.¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°If I do, will you get angry about it?This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°No. I want to know,¡± she murmured.

    She heard him drag in a breath and let it out slowly. ¡°Okay. If you want to know, I¡¯d like toe in there and take your clothes off. I want toy you on the bed, naked. I want to look at you, then kiss you and touch you and make you as hot as I am now.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Kimberly said, not knowing when the word slipped out of her mouth.

    ¡°Am I turning you on?¡± he asked.

    Kimberly swallowed. The cautious woman she had been for so long told her she should halt this conversation right now. But she didn¡¯t want to. She had been hot and bothered ever since she met Asher Adams, and he had just turned up the heat.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she breathed.

    ¡°Good.¡± he said.

    ¡°What about you? Is this making you¡­aroused?¡± she asked.

    Heughed softly. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do about it?¡± she heard herself ask. Lord, she¡¯d never been this forward with a guy in her life. If she ended up in a sexual rtionship, it was because the guy went after her. She wasn¡¯t prepared for his next words.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to show you how much pleasure we can give each other-over the phone.¡±

    She turned her head toward the hall. He was only a few yards from her. Was she really going to engage in activities that she wasn¡¯t sure about? What she heard herself say was, ¡°Let me close the bedroom door.¡±

    Damn, with this man she turned into apletely different person.

    ¡°Okay.¡± she said.

    Her legs weren¡¯t entirely steady as she made it to the door then back to the bed where she threw herself down with a little exmation.

    Maybe he heard it because he said, ¡°You are so damn sexy.¡±

    ¡°Am I?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh, yes. You¡¯re a very potentbination.¡± he said.

    ¡°Of?¡±

    ¡°Very beautiful woman and no-nonsense professional. I was intimidated by you, you know.¡±

    Kimberly couldn¡¯t believe it. She was the one who had beenpletely intimidated by him.

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Because you are amazing. You are beautiful. The first time I saw you, you looked like a vision out of my dreams. Only you were real-standing right there in front of me. You¡¯re so much prettier than that picture your dad gave me when he hired me to find you.¡±

    ¡°After you brought me back to my dad, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about you,¡± she heard herself say, then could have bitten back the revealingment.

    There was a long pause on the other end of the line. ¡°Really? I was mean to you,¡± he said carefully.

    ¡°Yes, but you had also rescued me, like some knight in shining armor. You were so focused and tough, I kinda found that attractive. Plus I thought you were really cute¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± he asked, and she knew he was smiling.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tease me.¡± she said.

    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± he saidughing softly. ¡°What else did you think about when I left¡±

    ¡°Look who¡¯s fishing forpliments?¡± Kimberly said.

 65

    Heughed again. She loved thatugh. It was yummy. Like hot fudge on vani ice cream. But she wasn¡¯t going to make another mistake and tell him that. A part of her wanted to go slow this time, in case he suddenly decided that what they were doing was wrong.

    It didn¡¯t feel wrong one bit. She hoped he realized that too.

    He was right. Talking on the phone unleashed her inhibitions in a way she might have found shocking, if she¡¯d had time to be shocked.

    ¡°Are you wearing the T-shirt and shorts you put on this morning?¡± he asked suddenly.

    ¡°Yes. Why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I want to picture you as urately as I can. You said you were aroused. Are your nipples standing up? If I were there in the bedroom with you, could I see them through your T-shirt?¡±

    ¡°T-shirt and bra!¡± She said, She looked down and saw the twin points outlined by the soft fabric. The bra did nothing to hide them. She had taken her lower lip between her teeth when he said, ¡°Are they nice hard little points?¡±

    She breathed out a little sigh. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So take your hands and just run them over those tips. Do that for me.¡± he said.

    This was crazy. She should stop. But she knew she didn¡¯t want to stop. So she did as he asked and made a small sound of pleasure.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s nice,¡± he murmured. ¡°Did you do that with the fronts of your fingers-or the backs?¡±

    ¡°The backs,¡± she told him, hearing the catch in her voice, fighting embarrassment. He didn¡¯t give her time for embarrassment.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± he asked quickly.

    ¡°Lying down.¡± Kimberly replied.

    ¡°Are your legs together? Or spread apart?¡±

    ¡°Together,¡± she whispered. Pressing them together was increasing her arousal.

    ¡°Open them for me,¡± he said.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I want to picture you that way. Spread open for me.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± She did as he asked and found that it made her even hotter to follow his directions.

    ¡°If I were there with you, I¡¯d run my hands up the insides of your legs, up your thighs and find the nice, hot center of you. Would that feel good?¡± he asked.

    She couldn¡¯t answer-only made a strangled exmation.

    ¡°Are you wet for me?¡±

    This time, against all odds, she managed to get out one syble. ¡°Yes.¡± But she was d that he couldn¡¯t see the red flush heating her cheeks. She was feeling like a blushing schoolgirl. Because she wanted to take back some control, she asked, ¡°Are you still on the couch? I want to picture where you are.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m lying down now.¡± Asher replied.

    ¡°Did you take off your shoes?¡±

    Heughed. ¡°Worried about the furniture?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No. I want you to befortable.¡± she said.

    ¡°Do you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered, then went a daring step further. ¡°Veryfortable.¡±

    ¡°Well I am.¡±

    The sound of his voice seemed to flow around her-warm and rich. She liked it a lot. But she could still hang up, she told herself. She should hang up, because there was something distinctly indecent about this very intimate conversation conducted over the phone-with a man who was just down the hall. Any woman with high moral standards would gently set the receiver into the cradle and get back to real life.

    This activity was only a fantasy, a substitute for reality, and was no way to get into a rtionship with this man. But it felt real, so she didn¡¯t take that advice. Instead she gathered up her courage and said, ¡°Are you hard?¡±

    Kimberly hardly breathed as she waited for Asher¡¯s answer. He had turned her on, and she needed to know that she was doing the same thing to him. Well, that wasn¡¯t exactly true. She was sure he was aroused. But that wasn¡¯t enough.

    She was sharing very intimate details with him, and she needed to hear him give her the same kind of trust. Otherwise, she¡¯d know she was making a bad mistake.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m hard,¡± he said, his voice thick.

    She liked the way he said it, as though he were having trouble catching his breath.

    ¡°So if you can ask me to touch my breasts, can I ask you to press your hand against¡­against your penis.¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh yeah. You can do that.¡± he replied.

    She knew from his indrawn breath that he¡¯d followed her directions.

    ¡°Rock your hand back and forth,¡± she said. ¡°The way I would if I were there,¡± she added, shocked that she¡¯d gotten the sentence out. But what he¡¯d told her had been correct. She could say things on the phone that she wouldn¡¯t have been able to say in person.

    As she closed her eyes, picturing him lying on the couch, his hand moving over the front of his jeans, she felt her own arousal leap higher.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Did you like telling me what to do?¡± he asked, his voice silky but not quite steady.

    ¡°Yes.¡± she replied.

    ¡°Um. Good. Then it¡¯s my turn. Take off your shirt and your bra,¡± he murmured. ¡°Take them off for me.¡±

    She closed her eyes, thinking that never in her wildest imaginings would she have thought she could do any of this in a phone conversation. There was still time to back out. She could stop this any time she wanted.

    He wasn¡¯t forcing her into anything. Maybe that was why she put down the receiver so she could pull her shirt over her head. Then she unhooked her bra and tossed it onto the spread beside her before picking up the phone again.

    ¡°Did you do it?¡± he asked, his tone warm and sultry in her ear.

    ¡°Yes.¡± she replied.

    ¡°I know the shape of your breasts. It¡¯s been stuck in my head since that night we were together¡­. I saw themst night too¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you back since you said you were going to be out.¡± Kimberly replied.

    ¡°I know. And I appreciated the view. Your breasts aren¡¯t toorge. But they¡¯re very nicely rounded. Just right for my hands.¡± he said.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± she replied, not knowing what to say.

    ¡°What color are your nipples?¡± he suddenly asked.

    ¡°I¡­you know that already¡±  she stammered.

 66

    He spoke low, urgent words in her ear. ¡°Sweetheart, don¡¯t keep anything back from me, I¡¯m greedy. I want everything you¡¯re willing to give me.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± she started again. ¡°Peach? I don¡¯t know. I never thought about it.¡±

    ¡°Are they very sensitive right now?¡±

    She swallowed. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So tell me what feels good.¡±

    ¡°Please, Asher, I can¡¯t.¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°Of course you can.¡± he said.¡±So what would you like me to do to those pretty peach nipples? Circle each of them with one finger? Would that make them harder? Tighter? Needier?¡±

    She answered with a little moan.

    ¡°Now that they¡¯re harder, do you want me to take them between my thumbs and fingers? Pull on them? Squeeze? How hard should I squeeze?¡±

    ¡°Some¡­¡± she managed to say.

    ¡°Do it for me,¡± he said.

    She couldn¡¯t help herself now. Wedging the phone between her ear and her shoulder, she used both hands to y with her nipples, touching them lightly, then harder, her breathing faster as her arousal built.

    ¡°Oh yeah, sweetheart. Oh yeah, that¡¯s good, so good.¡± he breathed.

    ¡°Asher, I need¡­¡± She broke off, embarrassed.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right to tell me. We¡¯remunicating with each other. Do you want toe? Do you need toe?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the syble hissed out of her.

    ¡°Kick off your shorts and panties for me. Do that for me.¡± he said.

    Arousal had taken over her body and her mind. She was so desperate now that she did as he asked.

    ¡°Touch yourself for me. Down there, between your legs. You¡¯re hot and wet, aren¡¯t you? Stroke your finger through those sweet folds for me. If I were there, I¡¯d do what you like. Would you like me to dip my finger into your vagina? Just barely around the rim where you¡¯re so very sensitive. Or deeper. Should I use one finger, or would two be better? How do you want me to do it?¡± he asked.

    She couldn¡¯t answer. His description of what he could do to her was making her breathe in jagged gasps, and she knew she was close to climax.

    ¡°Do it for me,¡± he said.

    Helpless to disobey, she reached down with her own hand, finding the hot, swollen core of herself, pressing and stroking.

    ¡°How do you like it? Long, slow strokes? From your vagina to your clit? Do that for me.¡± he said.

    Her breath came in little pants. But there was something she had to say.

    ¡°You, too,¡± she gasped. ¡°I can¡¯t do this unless you do it¡­too.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Oh yeah, baby, I¡¯m right here with you. All the way.¡± he said.

    She heard the truth of his words in the uneven sound of his voice, in the ragged breaths that came over the phone line.

    She pictured him lying on the couch, his fly unzipped, his penis standing up red and hard as his hand moved up and down the shaft, propelling himself toward climax.

    Her own fingers were busy, making her body vibrate like a tuning fork, the pleasure building to sh point.

    ¡°Kim,¡± he gasped out, just as orgasm took her over the edge, and she moaned into the phone receiver that was still mped between her ear and her shoulder.

    Shey there for long seconds, breathing hard, little ripples of pleasure still tingling through her.

    It took several moments before she drifted back to earth. But when she finally felt the firmness of the mattress beneath her shoulders, reality mmed back into her.

    Asher was out there in the living room. And she wondered how in the world she was ever going to face him now.

    ¡°Kimberly,¡± he murmured, as if he knew exactly where her thoughts hadnded now that the fires sweeping across her body had been put out.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked, knowing that the question hade out high and sharp as she reached for the shorts and panties she¡¯d discarded and dragged them on.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed.¡± he said

    ¡°Why not?¡± She fumbled across the bed for her T-shirt and bra. Transferring the phone from one hand to the other, she quickly got herself dressed again- because she was going to make damn sure that he didn¡¯te down the hall and find her naked.

    Her head swung to the door. He wouldn¡¯te in here? Not now, when she was feeling totally exposed and vulnerable.

    Never in her life would she have imagined making herselfe when someone else knew what she was doing. And certainly not with a man who was right in the same house with her.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she snapped.

    ¡°Kim, that was very, very pleasurable-for both of us.¡±

    When she didn¡¯t answer, he pressed, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Honesty made her answer, ¡°Yes.¡±she said.

    ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. What we just did is only an expression of your sexuality. Of our rtionship¡­ Or whatever this is¡±

    Sheughed. ¡°Rtionship¡± she asked.

    He breathed deeply. ¡°Let¡¯s not get into that right now,¡± he said.

    She closed her eyes, letting the words and the soft tone of his voice sink in.

    ¡°Okay.¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to hang up now.¡±

    Her eyes blinked open. She wanted to shout, ¡°no,¡± because the phone had be a necessary extension of her body-a connection to Asher. But the connection snapped, and shey back against the bed. Reaching over she reced the receiver on the cradle.

    She¡¯d wanted him to keep talking, wanted him to convince her that he didn¡¯t think less of her after what they¡¯d just done. Now, she stared at the ceiling, thinking that it would be impossible to face the man in the living room.

    Maybe she would just stay locked up in the room. That idea had some appeal. But it made her angry with herself. She was no coward, and she wasn¡¯t going to take the easy way out here. She hadn¡¯t been the only one who reached orgasm a few minutes ago.

    Asher had done it, too. And if she backed out now, she would never find out what that extraordinary phone call had meant to him. And she wanted to know.

 67

    Was he just having some fun with her? It certainly hadn¡¯t sounded that way. It had sounded like he¡¯d been totally involved in what they were doing. It sounded like he¡¯d enjoyed himself as much as she had. But she knew that men were perfectly capable of taking advantage of women¡­ Everyone was capable of doing that actually.

    Could Asher Adams be that kind of guy?

    She didn¡¯t think so. But there was no way to be sure-except by getting to know him better. And he¡¯d just made that a whole lot harder.

    On the other hand, she knew he was inviting her toe out of the bedroom when the rich aroma of fresh-brewed coffee drifted down the hall and wafted under the door.

    She dragged in a deep breath. He¡¯d put on a pot of some blend that smelled very, very good. Getting up, she walked stiffly to the bathroom and ran ab through her hair. Telling herself she couldn¡¯t hide forever, she walked slowly down the hall to the kitchen.

    Apparently he had done some shopping when he was out. The coffee machine on the counter was almost full of dark liquid. Beside the pot sat a mug, a bottle of caramel syrup and a carton of heavy cream.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Asher sat at the kitchen table, trying to look rxed. He had his back to the living room, but he¡¯d heard Kimberly moving around in the back of the house.

    And now she was walking slowly down the hall as though she were being invited to her own execution. He knew she was nervous about facing him. And he wasn¡¯t any more calm, cool and collected about their phone session than she was.

    When he heard her bare footsteps on the living room floor, he stiffened, then made a concerted effort not to show the tension in his shoulders. As far as he was concerned, what had happened a few minutes ago was amazing.

    He wanted to shout, say something. But he kept his lips pressed together as she walked directly to the counter, poured coffee into the mug he¡¯d set out, then added cream and caramel syrup.

    It took all his resolve to keep from jumping up and crossing the room, grabbing her by the shoulders and turning her toward him. But he stayed where he was, gripping his own ceramic mug, feeling the warmth from the fresh brew seep into his hands.

    Eons passed. Finally he heard her clear her throat. ¡°How did you know I like caramel in my coffee?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. But I saw the bottle, and I thought about how good it would taste.¡± he replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not even supposed to be taking this¡­ It¡¯s toote for coffee¡± she said.

    ¡°I know,¡± Asher replied. ¡°But it¡¯s something I¡¯m kinda used to. In my job, you gotta be awake most of the time¡­ So¡­¡± he didn¡¯tplete the sentence but continued to stare at her.

    She nodded and turned to face him, her expression uncertain.

    Are you going to leave? The question stayed locked inside his mind. If she decided to, he couldn¡¯t really stop her. She wasn¡¯t a prisoner.

    To moisten his dry throat, he took another sip of the coffee. He¡¯d picked the blend because it sounded good. Maybe it really was good, but he couldn¡¯t taste it.

    Kimberly took a sip of coffee. Then another.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Setting her mug on the table, she started to sit. Which gave him the opportunity he¡¯d been waiting for. As soon as there was no danger of her spilling the hot coffee, he was out of his chair and around the table.

    Unable to say what he was feeling, he swept her into his arms, lowered his mouth and kissed her, trying to put all the warmth and passion he possessed into the kiss. This kiss was more desperate and more possessive than thest. But he broke it off long before he wanted to stop. He lifted his lips from hers and skimmed them along her cheek.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he murmured, his hand stroking over her shoulders, then inching upward to tangle in her hair.

    ¡°For what?¡± she whispered.

    ¡°For being willing to try something¡­different¡­. Beautiful¡± He swallowed around the tightness in his throat. ¡°Probably you¡¯re thinking I fool around like that all the time. But it¡¯s not true. I¡¯ve nevere close to anything like that before.¡± he said.

    ¡°Why did you start it-now?¡± Kimberly asked. ¡°You said no before. Why the sudden change of heart?¡±

    He swallowed again, figuring he had to be honest. Well, at least as honest as he could be. ¡°After we talked this morning -after you talked actually, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about you¡­ about what you said. And I thought if this is what we both want, we should go for it¡­. Give it a chance¡­ Enjoy it while itsts. I didn¡¯t say no because I didn¡¯t want to¡± He managed augh. ¡°I was going to seduce you first-with the coffee and the cream and the caramel syrup. Then slowly work my way around to suggesting we try the phone. Then I came home, and you were in the bedroom, and I just¡­I just took a chance and decided to call. Are you angry about that?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Her throat worked. ¡°I guess if you want to know the truth¡­I¡¯m embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked.

    She could have ducked away from him. But he¡¯d learned that she wasn¡¯t the kind of woman who avoided a subject because it made her ufortable¡­ He loved that about her. The way she tried to be strong in any situation she found herself.

    ¡°Because touching yourself is a very personal thing. I did it with you on the other end of the phone line.¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°Did you like it?¡±

    A flush spread across her cheeks. ¡°Yes.¡± she replied.

    ¡°Good. Because I did, too¡­ A lot.¡± He paused and dragged in a breath. ¡°The morefortable we are in letting each other know what they want, the better and easier this will be for us.¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what we did,¡± he said.

    She sighed, as though she weren¡¯t quite certain. And he figured that it might be time for a change of subject.

 68

    ¡°We might be here a little longer. I should go back to your house to get more of your things.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. I wasn¡¯t thinking about that.¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± he said.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    When she pulled out her chair and sat down, some of the tightness in his chest eased.

    ¡°And I should question you some more.¡± he said.

    Her head jerked up. ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get why they keeping back for you¡± he said. ¡°Their n failed, why do they keeping back for you? It has to be someone who knows you. Someone who knows your dad is loaded¡­ Maybe someone with a n.. maybe some kind of grudge. I don¡¯t know. You have to think hard, is there anyone you suspect?¡±

    She turned her coffee mug in her hands. ¡°You want me to dredge up every little thing? Well, one time at the grocery store a man and I both wanted the same space, and he shook his fist at me.¡± she said sarcastically.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Asher said. ¡°Be serious¡±

    ¡°I am being serious,¡± Kimberly replied. ¡°The truth is that I have no idea who these people are or what they want. I have no one in mind. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t help¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to apologize¡± he said. ¡°You are safe. That¡¯s what¡¯s important now¡±

    ¡°I really wish you didn¡¯t have to go back to my ce.¡± She looked ufortable. ¡°I don¡¯t really love the idea of you going back there alone. What if those peoplee back? So let¡¯s do it together.¡± she said.

    Asher smiled. ¡°Worried about me?¡± he asked.

    Kimberly shrugged. ¡°Yeah¡± she said. ¡°Of course I am.¡±

    ¡°Well you don¡¯t have to be. I¡¯m fine. And you shouldn¡¯te with me. You will be much safer here¡­ Or, maybe I could send some members of the team down to your ce instead¡± he said.

    Kimberly liked that idea better. ¡°All right.¡± she said. ¡°I prefer that. I gotta go shower and then go to bed. Good night, Asher¡±

    ¡°Good night, Kim,¡± Asher said.

    She stood up, wondering if should give him a good night kiss or something, but she decided that they weren¡¯t there yet¡­ She wasn¡¯t even sure what they were or where they were.

    He didn¡¯t make a move either, so instead she walked out of the kitchen.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Ashery in his bed, stripped down to his underwear, with only the sheet covering him. His arms were propped behind his head and he listened to the strange sounds of the house as it settled.

    He¡¯d left the door open in case Kimberly needed him. He had been doing that ever since she told him about her night mares.

    God, what a mess.

    He¡¯d behaved like a rookie with no experience at all. He knew better, hell, he was damn good at his job. But he just kept thinking of what could happen. The thought of Kimberly being hurt was untenable. He had to find some way to wrap this operation up, and quickly. He hadn¡¯t wanted to get involved with her, and hadn¡¯t wanted to care about her. But he knew it was toote.

    Did two people evere from more different backgrounds? Kimberly was cultured, refined, elegant. She had a poise that never seemed to leave her, and a way of talking that implied gentleness and kindness and¡­ all the things he wasn¡¯t. That refined speech of hers turned him on.

    Everything about her turned him on.

    He had to quell those thoughts. Kimberly wasn¡¯t for him. From what he knew of her father, he would balk at the mere mention of her getting involved with someone like him. And he didn¡¯t want to add to her problems. She had enough right now.

    She was way out of his league. Filthy rich. And he couldn¡¯t be certain, but he thought the teacup she¡¯d used one time at her apartment was authentic china. It had seemed delicate and fragile¨Cjust like her.

    He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to close out the image of her lying soft and warm in her own bed, her dark hair fanned out on the pillow, those big brown eyes sleepy, her skin flushed. He wanted her, more than he¡¯d ever wanted anything in his life. He hadn¡¯t known a man could want this much and live through it. She was right down the hall, and he suspected if he went to her, she wouldn¡¯t send him away.

    But as bad as he wanted her, he also knew he had no right to her. So he continued to stare at the ceiling.

    Somewhere downstairs he heard a clock chime eleven. Then he heard a different noise, one he hadn¡¯t heard yet, and he turned his head on the pillow to look toward the door.

    Kimberly stood there, a slight form silhouetted by the vague light of the mooning through the window. He couldn¡¯t quite draw a breath deep enough to chase away the tightness in his chest.

    When she didn¡¯t move, he leaned up on one elbow. His voice sounded low and rough when he spoke. ¡°Are you all right, Kim?¡± he asked.

    She made another small, helpless sound, then took a tiny step into the room. Every muscle in his body tensed. He couldn¡¯t make out her face, but he could tell her gown was long and pale and he could feel her nervousness. He didn¡¯t know why she was here, but his body had a few ideas and was reacting ordingly. He was instantly and painfully aroused.

    ¡°Kim?¡±  he called again.

    She took another step, then whispered in a trembling tone, ¡°I know you said it was wrong. And you¡¯re right, of course. But after that phone call¡­ I couldn¡¯t¡­. I told myself this wasn¡¯t proper, that I should behave with some decorum.¡± Her hands twisted together and she drew a deep, shaky breath. ¡°But you see, the thing is¡­¡± she stopped talking.

    Asher knew his heart was going to m right through his ribs. He couldn¡¯t wait another second for her to finish her sketchy exnation. She was here, she wanted him, and despite all the reasons he¡¯d just given himself for why he shouldn¡¯t, he knew he wanted her too badly to send her away.

    He stared at her in the darkness, and then lifted the sheet. ¡°Come here, Kimberly,¡± he said.

 69

    She moved so fast, Asher barely had time to brace himself for her weight. Not that she weighed anything at all. She was soft and sweet and she smelled so incredibly inviting¨Clike a woman aroused. Like feminine heat and excitement.

    Her brushed-cotton gown tangled around his legs when he turned and pinned her beneath him. He felt her body sigh into his, her slim legs parting, her pelvis arching up. In the next instant, her hands cupped his face and she kissed him. It wasn¡¯t a gentle kiss. She ate at his mouth, hungry and anxious and needy.

    So many feelings swamped him. Lust, of course, since Kimberly always inspired that base craving, even when she wasn¡¯t intent on seducing him. And need, a need he didn¡¯t like acknowledging, but one that was so powerful, so all-consuming, he couldn¡¯t minimize it as anything less than what it was.

    But first and foremost was tenderness,ced with a touch of relief that he wouldn¡¯t have to pull back this time; she would  be his tonight. She hade to him, and she was kissing him as if she wanted him every bit as badly as he wanted her. That wasn¡¯t possible, but if her need was anywhere close to his, they both might damn well explode.

    ¡°Kimberly¡­¡± he breathed.

    Her kisses, hot and urgent,nded against his jaw, his chin, the side of his mouth. Her nipples were taut against his chest, her breath hot and fast. He wanted to touch her everywhere, all at once, and he wanted to simply hold her, to let her know how precious she was.

    He slid one hand down her side, felt her shiver, heard her moan, and he nearly lost his mind. He gripped her small backside with both hands and urged her higher against his throbbing erection, rubbing sinuously, slow and deep, again and again.

    He wanted to drown in the hot friction, the sensual feel of her warm body giving way to him. Her legs parted wide and she bent her knees, cradling him, offering herself.

    Asher groaned low in his throat and went still, aware of the soft heat between her thighs now touching him. He knew she was excited, and the fact was making him crazy.

    ¡°Too fast, honey. He said.¡±Way too fast.¡±

    Kimberly wasn¡¯t listening. Her hands frantically stroked his naked back and her legs shifted restlessly, rubbing against his, holding him. She continued to lift her hips into him, exciting herself, exciting him more.

    Asher dropped his full weight on her to keep her still, then carefully caged her face. She whimpered, trying to move.

    ¡°Shh. It¡¯s all right, Kim. We¡¯ve got all night.¡± he said. Then he kissed her. She tasted hot and sweet, and when he slipped his tongue between her lips, she sucked on him with greedy excitement.

    Asher had never known kissing to be such a deeply sensual experience. To him, it had always been pleasant, sometimes a prelude to sex, sometimes not. But he¡¯d never felt such a keen desire just from kissing. Kimberly was driving him over the edge, and he hadn¡¯t even touched her yet.

    He caught her slim wrists in one hand and trapped them over her head. He had to take control or he¡¯d neverst. She muttered a low protest and her hips moved, rubbing and seeking beneath his, finding his erection and grinding against it. Her nightgown was in his way and he knotted one fist in the material and lifted, urgently.

    He needed to touch all of her, to explore her body, to brand her as his own. He hadn¡¯t gotten enough time to do thatst time¡­ This time he was going to take his time.

    Kimberly squirmed to amodate him, allowing the material to be jerked above her waist. When Asher felt her bare, slender thighs against his own, he growled and pushed against her.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    It almost struck him as funny, the effect she had on him. Prim, polite, proper little Kimberly. He dipped his head and nuzzled her breasts at the same time he slid his hand over her silky mound, letting his fingers tangle in her damp curls. Kimberly stopped moving; she even stopped breathing.

    Asher felt her suspended anticipation. He released her wrists long enough to jerk the buttons open on the bodice of her nightgown so he could taste her nipples, feel the heat of her flesh, and then he wedged his hand back between her thighs. He pressed his face to her breast and kissed her soft skin, his mouth open and wet.

    Kimberly shifted so her puckered nipple brushed against his cheek and Asher smiled, then began to suckle, drawing her in deep, stroking with his tongue, nipping with his teeth.

    Her ragged moan was low and so damn sexy he moaned with her. His fingers slid over the tight curls, felt her slick and wet, hot and swollen with wanting him, and then he slid a finger deep inside her. She was incredibly tight and he added another finger, hearing her groan, feeling her body sp his fingers as he forced them a bit deeper, stretching her.

    He began a smooth rhythm, and with a breathless moan, her body moved with him. His thumb lifted to glide over the apex of her mound, finding her most sensitive flesh and stroking it, while his mouth still drew greedily on her nipple, and Kimberly suddenly stiffened, then screamed out her climax.

    Asher went still.  Her slim body shuddered and lifted beneath his, her face pulled tight in her pleasure. He watched her every movement, her intense delight expressed in her narrowed eyes, her parted lips, the sweet sounds she made.

    Asher knew he had never seen anything so beautiful, so right. It seemed to go on and on, and as her cries turned to low breathless moans, he kissed her, taking her pleasure into himself.

    When she stilled, he continued to cuddle her close, his own need now put on hold. A tenderness he¡¯d never experienced before swirled through him, and he couldn¡¯t help smiling. Miss ke was a red-hot fire cracker, and he must be the luckiest man alive. ¡°You okay, Kim?¡±  he asked.

    She didn¡¯t answer.

 70

    Her breasts were still heaving and her heartbeat thundered against his chest. Asher ced onest gentle kiss on her open mouth, then lifted himself away to reach for his pants. He fumbled in the pockets until he found his wallet and located a condom. When he turned back to Kimberly, he saw her watching him, her dark eyes so wide they filled her face. Her bottom lip trembled as she slowly drew in uneven breaths. Damp curls framed her face and her expression was wary.

    She was probably a bit embarrassed by her unrestrained disy. He didn¡¯t have time to soothe her, though. He needed to be inside her, right now, feeling her body sped tight around his erection just as it had sped his fingers. With the help of the moonlight, he could see her pale belly and still-open thighs.

    He bent and pressed his mouth to her moist female flesh, breathing in her scent and his need for her overwhelmed him. His tongue flicked out, stroking her, rasping over her delicate tissues and he gained one small taste of her excitement before Kimberly gasped and began struggling away.

    He caught the hem of her gown and wrestled it over her head, chuckling at the way she tried to stop him. She pped at his hands, and when she realized he had won the tug-of-war, she covered her face with her hands.

    Once the gown was free, Asher tossed it aside and then immediately pulled her hands away from her face. The feel of her naked body, so warm and soft and ready, made him shudder. He covered herpletely and said in the same breath, ¡°You are so beautiful, Kim. I¡¯ve never known a woman like you.¡±

    She peeked one eye open and studied him. ¡°Really?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± he answered in his most fervent tone.

    She said a small, ¡°Oh,¡± and then he lifted her knees with his hands, spread her legs wide and pushed inside her. She was tight and hot and so wet¡­ Slowly, her body epted his length, taking him in by inches, her softness giving way to his hardness.

    Asher had to clench his teeth and strain for control. She made small sounds in her throat, and he knew he was stretching her, but she didn¡¯t fight him, didn¡¯t push him away. Her small hands clenched on his shoulders and held him close.

    It didn¡¯t take her long to forget her embarrassment once he was fully inside her. He ground against her, his gaze holding her own, seeing her eyes go hot and dark and intent. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and arched her neck.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, sweetheart. That¡¯s it.¡± He said. He drew a deep breath and began moving. Kimberly rocked against him, meeting his rhythm, holding him tight. He pressed his lips to her neck, breathing in her scent.

    He slid his hands down her back and cupped her soft bottom, lifting her higher. He felt her nipples rasp against his chest. Every touch, every breath, seemed to heighten his arousal.

    When she tightened her thighs and sobbed, her internal muscles milking his erection until he wanted to die, he gave up any effort at control and climaxed with a low, rough endless growl.  It took him a few minutes to realize he was probably squashing Kimberly. She didn¡¯tin, but then, she wouldn¡¯t.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    He lifted up and stared at her face. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he could see her fine, dark hair lying in disheveled curls on the pillow. Her eyes were closed, hershes weaving long thick shadows across her cheeks. Her breasts reflected the moonlight, and Asher couldn¡¯t resist leaning down to softlythe a smooth, pink nipple. It immediately puckered.

    He smiled and blew against her skin.

    Kimberly squirmed. ¡°You are still inside me.¡± she said softly.

    ¡°Mmm. I¡¯m still hard, too.¡±  he replied

    ¡°I noticed.¡± she said. Her shy, quiet voice touched him and he smoothed her hair away from her forehead.

    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted you for a long time, Kim,¡± he said.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t really known each other a long time.¡±  Kimberly said.

    She still hadn¡¯t opened her eyes. He kissed the tip of her nose, then her cheek and then briefly on her lips.

    ¡°I have wanted you for as long as I can remember. It doesn¡¯t matter that we hadn¡¯t met yet.¡± Asher said. ¡°You make me¡­. I don¡¯t know.. Feel different.. No one has ever made me feel the way you make me feel¡±

    She shivered and Asher touched his tongue to her shoulder. ¡°Your skin is so damn soft and smooth. I love touching you. And tasting you.¡± he said. He licked a path up her throat, then over to her earlobe. ¡°I could stay like this forever.¡±

    Kimberly smiled and drew in a shuddering breath. ¡°No, you couldn¡¯t.¡±  she said

    Heughed, knowing she¡¯d felt the involuntary flex of his erection deep inside her. He wanted her again. ¡°If I get another condom, do you promise to stay exactly like this?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Will you let me touch you a little this time, too?¡±  said Kimberly. ¡°You didn¡¯t let me thest time¡±

    His stomach tightened at the thought. And he hurriedly searched through the wallet he¡¯d tossed on the floor only minutes earlier.  But once he was ready, he still couldn¡¯t let Kimberly have her way. Watching her react, touching her and seeing his effect on her, was stimnt enough. He¡¯d thought to go slowly this time, to savor his time with her. But every little sound she made drove him closer to the edge. And when he entered her, the friction felt so unbearably good, he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to slow down.

    He¡¯d told her the truth. He¡¯d been waiting for her forever. Even if he hadn¡¯t known he was. Waiting for her toe make him feel. Make him care¡­. Make him love.

    Now he had her, and he didn¡¯t want to let her go¡­. but he knew he would have to when this was all over.

    He didn¡¯t want to think about that. For now he would just enjoy this time they had to be together.

 71

    Kimberly woke a little after ten and wasn¡¯t surprised to find herself alone. Even if she and Asher hadn¡¯t gotten to sleep until almost four in the morning, he wasn¡¯t the type to stay in bed past dawn.

    ¡°Big ol¡¯ tough guy¡± she said with a yawn as she got out of bed and prepared to start what was left of her day.

    As she showered, she stretched her muscles that were mildly sore from the unustomed activity. Pain or not, she felt great. Whole, which was odd considering she had never felt anything was missing.

    Asher was an interesting man. Tender in bed¡­ which she wouldn¡¯t have expected, but still tough. Just like thest time they had been together. He had held her through the night. Every time she had awakened, he had been right there, his arms around her.

    She told herself that it didn¡¯t mean anything. That it couldn¡¯t mean anything. They hadn¡¯t know each other long enough for it to mean anything. Yet in some ways she felt as if she had known Asher forever. He had his ws, but he was also a good man and she knew in her heart that he would die to protect her.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Neither of them was going to die, she told herself as she stepped out of the shower. They were going to beat Alex andpany at their own game and win this. After that¡­

    As she dried off, she realized that she didn¡¯t know what would happen after this was all over and she could go back to her life. Obviously she had her job to return to.. And he had his. But then what? What about Asher? Would he just walk away? What was she going to do if he decided to? She couldn¡¯t make him stay if he didn¡¯t want to.

    The thought made her heart ache, so she pushed it away and quickly dressed. The smell of coffee led her to the kitchen. She passed Asher hard at work on some strange looking program she guessed was for encryption.

    ¡°Good morning¡± he said as she walked back with her mug. ¡°I thought you would sleepter¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t thiste enough?¡± Kimberly asked.

    ¡°We were upte,¡± he said.

    She thought about what they had been doing and smiled. ¡°Yes, we were,¡± she said.

    He grinned at her. ¡°You were great¡±

    ¡°So were you¡±

    They stared at each other, still smiling foolishly, until he shooed her away.

    ¡°Back to work,¡± he told her. ¡°Stop distracting me¡±

    ¡°And how am I doing that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Just by standing there,¡± he replied.

    Oh, she liked the sound of that. ¡°So if I walked up to you and started unbuttoning my jeans¡­.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t even have to go that far. Just walking in would do it¡± he said.

    ¡°Good to know,¡± Kimberly said. She gave a little wave of her fingers, then headed for her bedroom. While she wouldn¡¯t mind a repeat ofst night, she thought they could both use the work time. Tonight they could focus on y.

    Fifteen minutester, she had logged into her email ount and started working her way through letters from kids she helped along with a few notes from staff members at work. At the bottom of the list was an email from her father¡¯s close friend, Christopher Keane.

    Kimberly stared at it and felt her muscles tense. Christopher Keane never called or sent her a message, even if he was close to her father. Her rtionship with him was more of an ¡°Hi¡± and ¡°Hello¡± kind. This was weird, and she felt unnerved by the contact. The only reason he would send a message was if something was wrong.

    She stood up and walked toward the control room.

    ¡°I have an email from Christopher Keane¡± she said as she entered. ¡°My dad¡¯s friend¡±

    Asher looked up from the screen with odd symbols and lines. ¡°What did he say?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t opened it, but I¡¯m already freaking out¡± she replied.

    He nodded, then rolled his chair to anotherputer where he quickly typed on the screen. Secondster her email inbox appeared.

    ¡°Do I want to know how you did that?¡± she asked as she pulled a seat for herself.

    ¡°I told you I would monitor all iing and oi email¡± he said. ¡°The system has been rigged to dump a copy in myputer. I haven¡¯t been reading it if that¡¯s what you are worried about¡± he added.

    Kimberly sighed. ¡°You are wee to¡± she said. ¡°Nothing very interesting to read anyways¡±

    ¡°Until today¡± he said. He scrolled down to the email in question. ¡°Want to guess what he has to say?¡±

    Kimberly shrugged. ¡°All I know is that he ever contacts me¡­. And I have a feeling that this is going to be bad news¡± she drew a deep breath. ¡°Okay, open it¡± she said.

    He pressed a couple of keys and the letter appeared.

    Kimberly,

    I don¡¯t know where you are but that doesn¡¯t matter. Your father hasn¡¯t been feeling well for days, though he has been trying to hide it. I finally convinced him to see his doctor, who suspects a heart condition. He is worried about you, which isn¡¯t helping his health. If you can¡¯te home, at least contact him and put his mind at rest.

    Kimberly¡¯s stomach knotted and she felt pressure in her chest. ¡°Oh my God. My father¡± she said.

    Asher looked at her. ¡°It might not be that serious¡± he said. ¡°I talked to him two days ago¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t know for sure,¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°True¡± Asher agreed. ¡°But I¡¯m willing to take bets on it¡±

    ¡°Your father isn¡¯t the one who is sick¡± she snapped.

    His gaze sharpened. ¡°Kimberly, if something was wrong with your father, he would have told me when I called. And I have men watching him too, they would have told me too.

    Right.¡±Good point. But are you sure?¡± Kimberly asked.

    ¡°Yes¡± Asher replied. ¡°They might not be watching him every minute of every day, but I trust them, and if something was wrong with your father, I¡¯m sure they would have found out and told me. Would you feel better if I called and asked them?¡±

 72

    Kimberly nodded. ¡°But let¡¯s call my father first,¡± she said.

    Asher agreed. He called her father thrice and got no reply. When he stopped trying, Kimberly was already freaking out and pacing the room.

    ¡°My father can be absent minded sometimes¡± she said. ¡°There are times when he switches off his phone on purpose and stays away from anything that has to do with the inte. He says they interfere with his work and when he does that it¡¯s really hard to get to him, except in person. That might be what¡¯s happening right now. I¡¯m just worried because he wouldn¡¯t do such a thing right now, when he knows there are people after me¡­. Unless what Christopher Keane said is true¡­ He¡¯s sick¡­ He is sick and there is no way to reach him. Oh my God, Asher. What am I going to do?¡±

    ¡°Calm down Kim,¡± Asher said. ¡°Let me call my men before we jump into any conclusions¡±

    Kimberly nodded. ¡°I want to make sure he didn¡¯t go to the hospital or anything. Can they find that out?¡±

    ¡°Yes they can¡± Asher replied. He reached for the phone again and quickly typed in a text message. ¡°I will hear back in less than fifteen minutes,¡± he said.

    She drew in a breath. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening, but I need to be sure¡±

    ¡°Of course you do. He is your dad¡¯s close friend. You have known him for a very long time. You should be concerned¡±

    Kimberly stared at him and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m d I have you here with me to help me get through all this. Having you on my side helps¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Asher said. ¡°I¡¯m happy to help in any way that I can¡±

    Kimberly leaned back in her chair and pointed to theputer screen with the strange symbols. ¡°Is that an encryption program?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s an anti encryption program¡± he replied. ¡°No progress yet though. I¡¯m using it for one of my other cases. The bastard didn¡¯t use any of the better known programs. I¡¯m thinking he had this one custom made. Maybe somewhere in the far east¡±

    ¡°Does that mean you can¡¯t break the code?¡± Kimberly asked.

    He smiled. ¡°It means that I will have more fun breaking it.¡±

    She looked at the lines of symbols and odd bits of text. ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yep. Just a matter of time¡± Asher replied.

    Kimberly admired his confidence and suspected he had earned it the hard way.

    ¡°I guess the people after me are trying to lure me out¡± she said. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t go out there, But I¡¯m worried about my dad. What if he is really sick¡­ Oh, he¡¯s is sick and he¡¯s alone¡±

    Asher leaned forward and took her hands in his. ¡°Rx, Kim.¡± He said. ¡°Everything is going to be fine.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the show of support,¡± Kimberly said. ¡°I just can¡¯t help but worry about him. I know how he is. He will ignore his own health and just keep on working¡­ Especially when I¡¯m not there to force him to see a doctor¡±

    Asher watched the muscles in Kimberly¡¯s jaw tighten. Whatever she said aloud to him and the world, she still had her doubts.

    ¡°You are tough and smart and if you give in to the fear, you let those bastards win,¡± he said.

    ¡°I know,¡± Kimberly said. ¡°That¡¯s what keeps me going¡±

    He heard the fear in her voice, and all he wanted to do was protect her. To keep her safe from any harm.

    ¡°I will stop them, Kimberly,¡± he said. ¡°I swear to you¡±

    Kimberly smiled at him. ¡°You gonna beat them up?¡± she asked yfully.

    ¡°Would that make you feel better?¡± he asked, grinning.

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to see the appeal¡± Kimberly replied.

    His phone rang. He released her head and reached for it. ¡°Adams,¡± he said.

    ¡°Gray here, boss. You want to know if Mr ke went to the doctor?¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Asher said. He put the phone on speaker. ¡°Okay, I have you on speaker. Kimberly got an email from her father¡¯s friend saying her father was ill. That he¡¯d been to his doctor and was diagnosed with a heart condition¡±

    Gray swore. ¡°That is not true,¡± he said.

    Asher looked at Kimberly and nodded. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked Gray.

    ¡°Boss, I can tell you Hiry ke hasn¡¯t seen a doctor since we started watching him. He is healthy. He is either at his office or at home. He doesn¡¯t stop anywhere on the drive back and forth. All his appointments are logged by his secretary. We have crossed checked them with the security camera tapes we are tapping into. There haven¡¯t been any doctors around to see him either. You talked to him too¡­. If something was wrong with him, he would have told you right?¡± Gray said.

    Asher looked at Kimberly.¡± You want to ask him anything?¡± he asked her.

    She leaned toward the cell phone.¡± Gray, how does my father look?¡±

    ¡°Like I said¡­ He looks fine. He eats breakfast, goes to his office, and then back¡±

    Kimberly nced at Asher, then shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s what I needed to know. My dad is fine. Thank God¡±

    Asher nodded. ¡°Thanks for the report, Gray¡± he said. ¡°If you see or hear anything unue, let me know right away¡±

    ¡°You got it, boss,¡± Gray said.

    Asher hung up the phone and turned to her. ¡°Better?¡± he asked.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yeah. Thanks. You are in a very interesting business¡± she said.

    ¡°Every day is different¡±

    She smiled. ¡°I like my days the same. Routine is veryforting¡±

    ¡°Soon you will have yours back¡± he said.

    ¡°Maybe¡± Kimberly replied. She studied her fingers, then nced back at him. ¡°So why would Christopher Keane lie about my father¡¯s health?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to jump into conclusions, but I think that you and your father should be careful about him. Telling you that your father is sick when he¡¯s not means one thing right now. He is trying to lure you out, and the only exnation he has for doing that is that he is one¡­ Or maybe even the master mind of your kidnap. I told you a part of me suspected this might be someone close to you¡±

 73

    Kimberly breathed deeply. ¡°It¡¯s just so hard to believe.¡± she said. ¡°He is my dad¡¯s close friend. They have known each other for a long time. He trusts Christopher. Why would he even do something like this in the first ce?¡±

    Asher stood and pulled her to her feet, then drew her against him. ¡°Let¡¯s not jump into conclusions. The important thing is you and your dad are safe. As far as I am concerned, the job isn¡¯t over until I¡¯m sure that you are going to be alright¡±

    Kimberly rxed into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. ¡°So you work for me now?¡± she asked yfully. ¡°I remember one time you told me that you worked my dad and not me¡±

    Asher grinned. ¡°Yeah I work for you¡± he said.

    ¡°When did that switch happen?¡± she asked

    ¡°A couple of days ago¡± he replied.

    ¡°When are you going to let me start paying you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t about the money,¡± Asher said.

    ¡°You have a lot of expenses,¡± Kimberly said. ¡°A staff. Around the clock monitoring of my father. Protecting me. I¡¯m sure my father didn¡¯t pay you for all that. Don¡¯t worry, I can afford it¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just that,¡± he said, trying not to smile. ¡°There are other issues¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t sleep with my clients,¡± he said.

    Her eyes widened, then her mouth curved up into a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t think about that. Interesting dilemma¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should just forget about who works for whom and go with it¡±

    ¡°Not a bad n¡± she said. She slid her hands around until her palms rested on his chest. ¡°I figured we would have to wait until this evening to, ummm, you know ¡±

    ¡°Having second thoughts?¡± he asked.

    ¡°About waiting? Absolutely. I think it¡¯s a bad idea¡± Kimberly replied.

    Getting involved didn¡¯t make sense. Asher knew that the more he was with her, the more he would want her. A woman like Kimberly only came along once in a lifetime, and that was if a man was damn lucky in the first ce. If he kept this up much longer, he wouldn¡¯t want to let her go.

    But there wasn¡¯t a choice, he reminded himself. She had her world and he had his. They were opposites -he lived in the shadows and she sought the light.

    But now, in the twilight time between what was real and what wasn¡¯t, they could find temporary sce in each other¡¯s arms.

    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± he asked.

    Kimberly shrugged ¡°Well, I thought you might find it interesting to y escaped prisoner and the warden¡¯s wife¡±

    Asher grinned. ¡°Want to know if I have handcuffs in the cab?¡± he asked.

    Sheughed. ¡°Not especially,¡± she said. ¡°But if you are very good, I will let you chase me around the bed a few times¡±

    Asher watched herugh. Emotions widened her eyes or brought color to her cheeks. Her mouth curved. Every movement, every action, reminded him of how beautiful she was.

    But it wasn¡¯t just that. He thought. Beauty was easy. It was the woman inside who had him mesmerized. The one who cared about kids she barely knew-some she had never met, who worked long hours just so she could make a difference. He liked that she worked hard, even if she didn¡¯t need to, that she stayed in touch, that when push came to shove, she would move mountains to get the kids she helped what they needed.

    He admired her and he knew he couldn¡¯t say that about any other woman he had ever been intimate with. She was special in every sense of the word.

    ¡°You are not listening to me¡± Kimberly said as she folded her arms over her chest. ¡°I could really take offense at that¡±

    ¡°But you won¡¯t,¡± Asher said.

    She sniffed. ¡°What were you thinking about that was more interesting than what I was saying?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Not more interesting, just different,¡± he said. ¡°And I was thinking about you. How great you are¡±

    ¡°Oh please,¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m not all that special,¡± she said.

    ¡°Want to bet?¡± he asked.

    She ducked her head and flushed ¡°Well, thank you¡± she said.

    ¡°You are wee¡±

    He studied her, knowing that she would not be easily forgotten. That when this was over¡­ ¡°I will miss you¡± he said, without meaning to speak the words aloud.

    She stared at him. ¡°Asher?¡±..

    ¡°Yeah yeah. It doesn¡¯t mean anything¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s just that you are not that bad to have around. I didn¡¯t think I would like you, but I did. You are a hell of a woman. Beautiful. Tough. Caring¡±

    ¡°I think you are pretty amazing too,¡± she said.

    Which was not a ce she should be going, he thought. When this was all over, she would walk away, returning to her regrly scheduled life. He would move on to the next assignment. Neither of them should try to fool themselves into making it something more.

    ¡°I¡¯m just the hired help,¡± he said. ¡°Nothing more¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Actually you are not hired¡­ At least I didn¡¯t hire you. And you won¡¯t let me pay you¡±

    ¡°That is because we are sleeping together. Money makes it all tooplicated¡­ And it¡¯s alreadyplicated enough¡±

    She smiled. ¡°A man of principles¡± she said.

    ¡°On my good days¡±

    ¡°What about on your bad days?¡± she asked.

    He reached for her hand. ¡°On my bad days, I¡¯m a hell of a lot of fun,¡± he said.

    Then he kissed her.

    Kimberly had made love with Asher enough times to anticipate the pleasure before it even began. All it took was his hand on her waist and his mouth on hers for the melting to begin. She yielded, leaving against him so they could touch everywhere, even as she parted for him and circled her tongue around his.

    He tasted of coffee and oranges he had had for breakfast. Heat began between her thighs and radiated in all directions. Her breasts ached, her muscles tensed and all he had done was kiss her.

    ¡°I can¡¯t get enough of you¡± he breathed against her mouth before breaking the kiss and moved to her jaw.

    She echoed the sentiment silently as she was too caught up in the feel of his lips and tongue on her sensitive skin to do more than gasp her pleasure.

 74

    He nibbled on her earlobe, gently biting down on the flesh before sucking on it. Goosebumps erupted everywhere. Her nipples hardened. She wanted him, all of him, right this second. The bedroom was too far away.

    Even as the thought formed, she reached for his belt and began to unfasten it. He chuckled against her neck.

    ¡°Impatient, are we?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes. Very¡± Kimberly said.

    He grabbed the hem of her T shirt and pulled it off in one easy movement. Her bra quickly followed, then he turned her attention to her breasts.

    He cupped them first, caressing every millimeter of sensitized skin. Then he bent down and licked the very tips of her nipples. Her body clenched in response as she clung to him.

    It wasn¡¯t enough, she thought, barely able to stay conscious. It would never be enough. She raised her arms. She wanted him naked, but right now she could only experience what he was doing to her.

    ¡°More¡± she gasped, sliding her fingers through his hair to hold his head in ce. He responded instantly, opening his mouth and sucking deeply on her breasts. At the same time, he tugged at her short. He unfastened the snap and pulled down the zipper. As he licked and sucked and teased her breasts, he slipped his hand inside her panties and between her legs. Then he found that one sensitive spot and began to rub it.

    She was already wet and swollen. His clever fingers applied just the right amount of pressure at just the right speed. She tried to part her legs more, but the fabric of her shorts wouldn¡¯t let her.

    ¡°Asher¡± she gasped as she felt herself getting closer and closer.

    He continued to suck on her breasts as he moved his hand between her legs. Tension grew until release became inevitable. She grabbed his shoulders as her body convulsed in perfect bliss. Her release swept through her.

    When she was still, he raised his head and began to kiss her mouth. Even as satisfaction rolled through her, desire heated again. She reached for his jeans and finished the job of freeing him from his belt.

    ¡°Get naked¡± he said as he drew enough to pull off his shirt and toe out of his shoes.

    ¡°Right here?¡± she asked with a grin. ¡°In the control room?¡±

    He pulled a condom out of his jeans pocket, then pushed them and his briefs to the ground. After stepping out of them, he slipped on the protection.

    ¡°Does all the high tech equipment get you hot?¡± he asked.

    Sheughed as she quickly shed her clothes. ¡°Not especially, but you do¡± she said.

    When she had done as he requested, he lifted her onto his desk and parted her legs.

    The height was perfect, she thought as he slipped between her thighs and entered her in one smooth movement. The thick hardness of his erection filled her. She wrapped her legs around his hips and urged him deeper. He urged her with a slow, deep push.

    Nerve endings danced with delight. She reached for him as he reached for her and they met in a kiss that caused their souls to touch. Over and over he filled her, making her stretch and feel and want to scream. Tension grew. He moved faster, the slick friction pushing her closer and closer to the edge until she could only surrender to his will and climax again.

    He continued to thrust in and out of her until thest contraction faded. Only then did he give in to his own pleasure and groan out his release.

    When they were finished, she felt herself fill with emotions. She wasn¡¯t sure what they meant or even what they were. She only knew that she had never been this close to another person before. She rested her forehead against his and did her best to keep her tone light as she said. ¡°You sure know how to show a girl a good time¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You are not too bad yourself,¡± he said, grinning.

    There was more. She thought. More to say, more to experience. Yet something kept her quiet. Maybe it was the realization that nothing about their situation was normal. Danger was supposed to heighten all the senses. Did that exin her attraction to Asher? And how was she supposed to figure out what was the moment and what was real? It wasn¡¯t as if he was going to stick around after the danger had passed. So this was probably all they were ever going to have.

    She would make it enough, she told herself, even as she realized that she wasn¡¯t sure how that was possible.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    They spent the rest of the day together talking, working, eating and finally sleeping

    Kimberly woke around midnight. Despite a long day of another session of love making before they went to bed, she didn¡¯t feel tired. Restlessness stirred her, pulling her from the bed she shared with Asher.

    He slept, unaware of the demons that drove her. She was still worried about her dad. She pulled on a robe and walked out of the room.

    Once in the kitchen, she searched the refrigerator, but nothing caught her attention. After nibbling on a cookie she didn¡¯t really want, she headed for her bedroom, where she could y on herptop. Maybe a couple of games would still her thoughts.

    Maybe she had been cooped up in the house too long, she thought. She needed to go out. There had to be a way she could safely leave and check on her father herself. Maybe she and Asher could discuss it in the morning, she thought as she put on herptop.

    She moved the cursor to her games program, then decided to check on email first. Only one letter waited for her. She clicked on the icon to open it.

    Kimberly stared at the return address. It was Christopher Keane again.

    She became even more worried. Why on earth did he keep writing to her? Sure, he had been friends with her father for as long as she could remember but the man had never had much contact with her. And the fact that he kept trying to reach her now meant that it was important.

    She clicked on the mail itself and began to read. Horror chilled her to the bone.

 75

    Kimberly,

    Please. I¡¯m desperate to get in touch with you. Please call me as soon as you read this. It¡¯s your father. He¡¯s had a heart attack and he is near death.

    Kimberly stared at the email for several seconds before panic set in. She scrambled for a piece of paper and a pen, then quickly wrote down the phone number. When she had it, she ran into the control room and picked up the phone.

    ¡°Please enter your authorization code¡±

    Theputerized voice confused her. She punched in Christopher Keane¡¯s number, only to hear the instruction again.

    ¡°What?¡± she demanded, then remembered this was Asher¡¯s safe house. The regr rules didn¡¯t apply. She hung up the phone.

    ¡°I have to know¡± she murmured as she scanned the room for some way to find out the truth. She couldn¡¯t find her phone. There were only blinking cursors on variousputer screens. How could she ¨C

    Asher¡¯s phone. She could use that or have him make the call from the regr phone.

    She turned toward his bedroom, then froze in ce as fear battled with reason. Asher. He had said that her father was okay. He had let her listen to his conversation with one of his men. Her father was fine. He hadn¡¯t been going to the doctor. This might just be some sick trick.

    ¡°But what if it wasn¡¯t?¡± she whispered to herself.

    The man had been friends with her father for years. Kimberly had met him countless times. There was no way he was one of the kidnappers. Why would he lie about her father¡¯s health?

    Nothing made sense. This was strange and she had to find out so her mind would be at rest.

    She hurried to Asher¡¯s bedroom. He was still sprawled across the bed. She stared at him, not sure if she should wake him or not, then she decided to err on the side of caution. She reached for the phone in his jeans. When that was done, she hurried to the far end of the house and punched in Christopher Keane¡¯s number.

    There was a moment of silence followed by the sound of ringing. Thank God Asher didn¡¯t use an ess code for his cell.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s chest tightened. ¡°Christopher?, Is that you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Kimberly? Finally, Where are you? I have been trying to reach you¡± His voice sounded frantic. ¡°Oh Kimberly, your father is so sick. He had a heart attack. It¡¯s bad. Really bad. He has been having symptoms but he has been ignoring them. You know how he is, so wrapped up in his work. I made him go see his doctor. I warned him to take things easy, but would he listen? ¡±

    Kimberly began to cry softly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was the one who found him. I got worried when I didn¡¯t see him for a while and he missed an appointment with me, I went to his office. He was on the floor. I thought he was dead¡±

    Kimberly felt the tears fill her eyes. How was this possible? ¡°You are sure? He¡¯s really sick?¡± she asked.

    ¡°He nearly died,¡± Christopher replied. ¡°The doctor said if I had found him an hourter, it would have been toote. You have to go see him right away. He¡¯s been asking for you¡±

    ¡°I will. What hospital?¡± Kimberly asked.

    Christopher gave her the name and address, along with the direct number for Cardiac care. Kimberly wrote it all down. She felt as if she were living underwater where nothing was as it should be.

    ¡°I wish he had listened to me. And I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you about the symptoms he¡¯s been having¡± Christopher said..

    Kimberly thought of Asher¡¯s man¡¯s report. Was it all a lie?

    ¡°Thanks Christopher,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m going to call the hospital right now¡±

    ¡°You do that, honey. I¡¯m praying for him to make it¡± he said.

    ¡°Thank you. For everything¡±

    Kimberly finished the call and immediately made another. She called the hospital¡¯s cardiac care.

    ¡°Hi.¡±she said.¡± I¡¯m trying to find out about my father. Hiry ke.¡±

    ¡°Just a minute¡±

    A couple of secondster, another woman picked up. ¡°Hi, this is Emma. Are you Mr ke¡¯s daughter?¡±

    ¡°Yes. This is Kimberly¡±

    ¡°Great¡± the woman sounded intensely relieved ¡°We have been going crazy trying to find you. Your father was brought here in a critical condition. The doctors are hopeful he will pull through, but it¡¯s not a sure thing. The next twenty four hours will tell. He¡¯s pretty out of it, but he¡¯s been asking for you ¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s tears fell faster now. Oh God. Her father was really sick. He could die. Christopher had been telling her the truth.

    ¡°I will be there,¡± Kimberly promised. ¡°Please tell him to hold on a little lounger. I will be there¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    She hung up the phone and ran to her room. It only took her a couple of minutes to dress. She tucked the phone into her jeans pocket, then headed for the cab in the control room where Asher kept the keys to his car. And then she remembered.

    Damn. The second she walked out of the house, the rm would go off. Damn the stupid safe house. Asher couldn¡¯t possibly sleep through the noise. He woulde after her and stop her from seeing her father.

    Panic surged through her. She nced around. What if her father died when she was here wasting time. Then she remembered the gun Asher had used when he came to rescue her. The one with a sedative instead of a bullet.

    She returned to the cab, pulled it open and grabbed the car keys. When they were safely in her other pocket, she searched through the various weapons on shelves until she found the one she recognized. She knew enough to drop the clip and check that there weren¡¯t any bullets. She wanted Asher out of it, not dead.

    She ran back to his bedroom. Hey sprawled across the mattress, naked, vulnerable. How could he have done this to her? How could he have lied about this? Even if it was to protect her.

    She thought about her father, slowly getting sicker and sicker. Fury and pain steadied her arm as she pointed directly at his chest and pulled the trigger.

 76

    The shot was quieter than she would have thought. The sedative struck him in the upper left part of his chest, close to his shoulder. Her eyes flickered open then closed. She waited five seconds before shaking him.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Asher¡± she yelled. ¡°Can you hear me?¡±

    He didn¡¯t budge. She dropped the gun onto the floor and ran for the garage.

    She was nearly halfway across the cement floor before theputerized voice warned her that she had vited her authorized perimeter. The shrill siren began as she started the car engine. She started to back out before the garage doors had fully opened, and there was an ugly scraping sound, barely audible over the pulsing rm.

    Kimberly turned on the lights of the car and drove down the street. Not long now, she told herself over and over again in a litany of prayer. I will be there, daddy. Just hang on for me

    Tears threatened, but she willed them away. She had to see to drive. There was no point in escaping only to get in an ident. She had to stay strong and in charge. Once she was with her father and he was getting better, she could figure other things out.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    In the hours after midnight the freeways were empty of traffic. Kimberly made excellent time to the hospital. She parked in the back, then hurried toward the building. Her heart pounded in time with her steps as she wondered how long it would be until the effects of the sedative wore off. She figured she had at least a couple of hours but not much longer.

    She might have taken Asher¡¯s car and his phone, but once he woke up, he could still find a way to call in his team. If only she had thought to tie him up. That would have bought her more time.

    Toote now, she told herself. Once he was awake, he could easily figure out where she had gone. After all, he had ess to her email

    But first, her father, she thought as she hurried inside and studied the directory.

    Therge sign told her that cardiac care was on the third floor. Kimberly took the elevator, then followed the arrows to the right department. A woman sat at the front nurses station.

    ¡°I¡¯m Kimberly ke,¡± she told the nurse. ¡°I¡¯m here to see my father -Hiry ke. Is he all right? Is he still¡­..¡±

    The nurse, a young woman in her twenties, smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs ke. Your father is doing all right. Actually, as soon as I told him you wereing, he perked right up¡±

    ¡°He did?¡± Kimberly asked.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± the nurse replied.

    The nurse took her by the arm and led her through the closed double doors into the department. There was a sign saying only family members were allowed for ten minutes every hour. Kimberly nced at her watch only to realize she wasn¡¯t wearing one.

    ¡°Can I stay longer?¡± she asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him in so long¡±

    ¡°Of course. Take as much time as you need¡± the nurse stopped and pointed at a curtained area. ¡°Just through here¡±

    Kimberly ran forward and pushed the curtain aside. In that second before the cloth moved, something inside her head screamed out.

    But it was toote.

    The curtain parted to reveal Alex sitting in a chair. He had a gun, and when he saw her, he raised it until it pointed at her heart.

    ¡°Ah, hello Kimberly. We meet again¡­ Finally¡± he said.

    Her stomach clenched until she was afraid she was going to throw up.

    A thousand thoughts filled her mind. Everything from wondering when he had turned Christopher Keane to how he had managed to get control of some of the hospital staff. There had to be a whole lot on the line for him to go through this much trouble.

    Thest thing she thought before she inhaled the sweet, sticky smell she remembered so well and everything went nk was that Alex was finally going to win.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Consciousness returned in the form of a blinding headache. At first, all Kimberly could focus on was the pulsing pain. She didn¡¯t want to open her eyes or move in any way, but she forced herself turn onto her back and look at her surroundings.

    Even with her head throbbing, she saw she was in a small room, on a bed. Muscles ached from the awkward position she had been in. As she tried to straighten her legs, pins and needles shot through them. She gritted her teeth and moved her feet then her legs.

    The pain made her cry out. Her stomach flopped over, making her nauseous. All she wanted was to curl up and disappear into unconsciousness, but she refused to do that. She had gotten herself into this and she had to find a way out.

    The ache in her legs faded first. Slow, steady breathing kept her stomach under control. If her previous experience with Alex knocking her out was anything to go by, the headache was there to stay for at least a few hours. She would simply have to work through it.

    She sat up and looked around. The room was maybe ten by ten, with a bed, a sink and toilet and a small window. The quality of light was faint enough to make her think it was dawn. She had been out about four hours. There was no sound-not a car driving by, not a dog barking. Wherever she had been brought, it was in the middle of nowhere.

    At least she was alone. Last time, she had awakened to find herself watched twenty four hours a day. The constant monitoring had been difficult to take. Better to be alone, she thought as she stood and explored the room.

    There was only one door -metal and locked. No food, no change of clothes. In a way it was very much like the room Asher had put her when he had rescued her. Only a lot more terrifying.

    Asher. She didn¡¯t want to think about him, but she had to. How could she have been so stupid as to believe that this wasn¡¯t a trap. She should have believed him.

    It was Alex, she thought grimly. He had been smart. Somehow he had gotten to Christopher and had convinced orpelled her father¡¯s friend to help him.

    The question now was where was her father?

 77

    Kimberly drank some water from the faucet and returned to the bed. Asher would probably have recovered from the sedative, but that wasn¡¯t going to be much help to her. Sure, he could trace her to the hospital, but then what?

    Alex was probably going to kill after getting what he wanted from her. She epted that. If not today, then soon. The thought of death scared her, but that really made her want to pound her hands against the walls and scream was the thought that Asher would never know she was sorry to have misjudged him. He would live the rest of her life aware that in the heat of the moment, she hadn¡¯t trusted him.

    ¡°I was a fool,¡± she whispered into the silence. ¡°I should have trusted him. I should have remembered that Alex would do anything to lure me out. I should have known you were on my side¡±

    Worse, she should have listened to her heart. Over the past couple of days, she had been feeling things for Asher. Maybe they were about him rescuing her as much as about the man himself, but they were still there. And they had made her nervous. She didn¡¯t want to be vulnerable to any man.

    She tried to imagine what Asher would think when he woke up. He would find herptop and the email. He would start with Christopher. But then what after that? She had a feeling Alex would take care of that little detail. Which meant Asher would end up with no way to find her.

    It didn¡¯t ur to her that he wouldn¡¯t look for her. Despite what she had done, he woulde after her. That was the kind of man he was. If only she could tell him how much she regretted what she had done.

    Time passed. When the sun was high in the sky and the small room had be ufortably hot the door opened and Alex entered.

    ¡°I hope you slept well¡± he said politely as he stood just inside the door.

    She stayed on the bed, back against the wall, legs stretched out in front of her, and studied the man in front of her. When she didn¡¯t answer, he sighed. ¡°You are going to make this difficult, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not inspired to cooperate,¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°Even if I threaten to kill you?¡± he asked.

    She was proud of herself for not reacting. ¡°You are going to do that anyway,¡± she said.

    He smiled. ¡°Probably. But wouldn¡¯t you rather it waster?¡±

    ¡°Not if it means having anything to do with you¡± Kimberly said. ¡°What do you want from me?¡±

    Alex¡¯s good humor faded. ¡°So impatient to be dead?¡± he asked. ¡°Be careful, Kimberly. But don¡¯t worry, you will get your wish soon. And I will make sure I¡¯m the one to do the job¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    He moved over to the bed and sat next to her. ¡°How did you do it?¡± he asked conversationally. ¡°How did you turn Asher Adams? I mean¡­. I did some research¡­. I know he¡¯s the best in the business¡­. But he seems overly protective of you. I¡¯m just wondering why¡­. Isn¡¯t it supposed to be about just business¡±

    His calmness and even temper told her how in control of the situation he thought himself to be. Notforting for her.

    Kimberly decided to ignore his question about Asher. She didn¡¯t want to think about him right now. It made everything even more painful. And she didn¡¯t want Alex going after him. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± she asked instead.

    Alex leaned close and wrapped his hand around her hair. He tightened his grip until every hair follicle burned.

    ¡°You are protecting him. How sweet¡± he said, sounding incredulous. ¡°Bitch¡­. Wow¡­ You have been sleeping with him¡­ I knew you were nothing but a rich whore¡±

    Heughed. A creepyugh that frightened the hell out of her. She probably shouldn¡¯t have done what she did next, and she didn¡¯t know why she did it anyways, but she spat in his face.

    He released her hair, stood and pped her hard across the face. The blow stung, but she refused to react, even if she knew that her lip was bleeding.

    ¡°What the hell do you want from me?¡± she yelled. ¡°I don¡¯t even know you. What the hell did I ever do to you¡±

    He grabbed her hair again, jerked her head back, arching her neck and throat. With one hand around her throat, he began to press lightly against her jugr vein.

    ¡°What do I want? You ask¡± his voice was soft as a lover¡¯s. ¡°What do I want? I want to have you like that bodyguard of yours had you. That is what I want. You have no idea what kind of problems you have caused me with my boss by making all this too hard for me. It wasn¡¯t supposed toe to this¡­ it was supposed to be just about the money. But you and your bodyguard caused it to go this far¡­ Running around, escaping and hiding. You have no one but yourself to me.¡± The pressure of his fingers intensified. ¡°It¡¯s not fair, is it? But then life is not fair¡±

    Her vision began to blur. The door opened, and she heard a voice say ¡°All right, that¡¯s enough, Alex. You can have your fun when I¡¯m done with her¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss¡± Alex said

    He released her immediately and Kimberly tried desperately to catch her breath. She looked up at the man who had just entered into the room and she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes.

    It was Christopher Keane.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡°You¡± she said, unable to believe her eyes.

    She understood everything now. Asher had been right. It was definitely someone close to her and her family. He had been the one behind all this. Alex and the rest of the gang worked for him.

    Christopher grinned at her. An evil grin that sent chills all over her body. ¡°Yes. Me¡± he said. ¡°Surprised, huh? I gotta say I love that look on your face¡±

    ¡°You bastard¡± Kimberly hissed. ¡°What did you do to my father?¡±

    ¡°Oh rx. He is fine¡± Christopher said. ¡°You know, doing his thing in his mansion, working, surrounded by his bodyguards¡­ Isting himself from the rest of the world¡­ Confident that his little girl is safe with Mr bodyguard¡±

 78

    ¡°You bastard,¡± Kimberly said. ¡°He thought you were his friend. He trusted you. Why would you do something like this to him?¡±

    He ignored her questions. ¡°I want you to change your clothes¡± he said as he walked back to the door. ¡°You will have to eat too. No fainting. In fact, nothing out of the ordinary¡±

    She waited, knowing he was finally going to tell her what this was all about. And then, before he could speak, she understood.

    ¡°You need money.¡± she breathed. ¡°You were after the ransom money from my kidnap. Only that n didn¡¯t work out so well for you¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Smart girl,¡± Christopher said, grinning.

    ¡°You could have just asked for help¡± Kimberly said. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do all this¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± he shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t have to exin my actions to you. That¡¯s the thing with you and your father. Feeling and acting like gods. Now, I decided to go another way. We are going to your bank and you are going to transfer that money to an ount I¡¯m going to give you. Just like that¡­ So simple¡±

    Kimberly hissed. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be bullied into doing anything like that. Your new n is going to fail again, because I¡¯m not going to do that. You will just have to kill me then¡±

    Christopher grinned. He pulled a small electronic device from his suit pocket.

    ¡°This is a really interesting piece of work¡± he said as he flipped up the cover and showed her three buttons. ¡°This is a remote control device that can transmit several hundred miles. I tap into satellites with it and send a code to a receiver. Right now that receiver is attached to the brake line of your father¡¯s car¡±

    Kimberly breathed deeply. ¡°You are lying¡± she said

    He smiled. ¡°Oh. Remember when I said your dad was safe in his mansion? Oh yeah¡­ I lied then. He left for San Francisco today¡­ Alone. It was my idea. He didn¡¯t want to go at first, but I talked to him¡­. told him he needed the trip. Convinced him you were safe with Mr bodyguard. You know what the roads are like on the coast route. All those twists and turns. If a car lost its brakes there, the result would be tragic. One push of the button and no more daddy¡±

    He snapped the cover back in ce. ¡°Your call, Kimberly. Either cooperate or he¡¯s dead. Now, would you like to change your mind about transferring that money?¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Kimberly didn¡¯t need any time to think. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the money. You can have it all¡±

    Christopher smiled. ¡°Spoken with the easy confidence of someone who has never done without. Not that you should worry. I will still take care of you¡± he nced at his watch. ¡°You will have a half hour to eat and change your clothes, then we will drive to your back and make that transfer. If anything goes wrong -¡± He waved the remote detonating device.

    ¡°Nothing will go wrong,¡± Kimberly said quietly.

    Fifteen minutester, she had forced herself to eat a scrambled egg and some toast. Food was thest thing she wanted, but she agreed with Christopher on the ¡®No fainting¡¯ rule. She had no one to me for her current circumstances except herself. Better to keep up her strength and energy so if an opportunity for escape came, she was ready to take it.

    As she sipped on the coffee, she changed out of her jeans into the pale blue suit Christopher had brought her. A white silk blouse and pale gray pumpspleted the outfit. She had just finished brushing her hair then pinning it up in a twist when he reappeared in the doorway.

    ¡°Ready?¡± he asked.

    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to need identification,¡± she said. ¡°Even if they know me there, they will still ask for it¡±

    Christopher held out a small purse that matched her shoes. She checked inside and found her wallet,plete with her driver¡¯s license, along with her passport.

    ¡°You sure thought of everything. Did you get these from my ce after I left?¡± she asked.

    He only smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡± he said, motioning for her to step out of the small room.

    Unlike Asher, Christopher saw no reason to conceal the location of the facility from her. They were in some kind of businessplex with rows and rows of small industrial businesses. She nced around but couldn¡¯t figure out what part of town they were in. Still, she did her best to memorize what she could to help the police find the ce again. Assuming she ever had the chance to talk to the police.

    Christopher put her in the back of a limo, then climbed in himself. With the privacy panel in ce, she couldn¡¯t see the driver, but he must have already been behind the wheel because as soon as Christopher closed the rear door, the engine started.

    ¡°Just so you know I¡¯m not kidding¡± Christopher said as he began to punch numbers on a phone.

    Kimberly watched him for a second, then realized it was Asher¡¯s phone -the one she had taken when she had foolishly escaped. He listened for a second, then looked at her.

    ¡°I have a surprise for you,¡± he said. ¡°hold on a second¡± He passed the phone to her and then removed the remote device from his suit jacket pocket. ¡°Talk to your father¡±

    She took the phone. ¡°Daddy?¡±

    ¡°Kimberly!¡± her father sounded delighted. ¡°It¡¯s good to hear your voice. How are you?¡±

    ¡°Good. I¡¯m good. How are you feeling, dad?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright. I¡¯m heading to San Francisco for a conference. Christopher suggested I drive. Fine idea. What a beautiful part of the country. We should spend a long weekend there when this is all over¡±

    Tears burned in her eyes, but she blinked them away. He was fine. He had always been fine. Why hadn¡¯t she trusted Asher? Why had she acted out of fear instead of thinking things through?

    ¡°That sounds nice. I love you dad¡± she said quietly.

    ¡°I love you too, Kim¡±

    Christopher red at her, then took back the phone and hung up.

    She knew in her heart that Christopher would kill her father without a second thought. No one mattered to him ; he just wanted money and power.

 79

    She was living on borrowed time, as well but somehow that mattered less. If he killed her this second, she would have only two regrets. First, that she wouldn¡¯t be around to help those adorable kids anymore, and second, that Asher would always believe that she hadn¡¯t trusted him or cared for him at all.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Kimberly rode the elevator in silence, then stepped out in the elegant foyer and asked for Damon Forbes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± thedy they spoke to told her. ¡°Mr Forbes is on vacation. Did you have an appointment?¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    Kimberly turned to Christopher. ¡°Did you make an appointment?¡± she asked him.

    He nodded. ¡°Paul Nelson is handling the transaction¡±

    ¡°Then Mr Nelson¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°Of course. I will tell him you are here¡± she waited politely for their names.

    Christopher put his arm around Kimberly and squeezed her tightly against him. ¡°Miss Kimberly ke. And I¡¯m Christopher Keane¡­ Here with her for¡­ personal reasons¡±

    ¡°Of course¡± the young woman smiled, then spoke into her headset. ¡°Mr Nelson will be right out¡± she said.

    In a matter of minutes they had met the tall, handsome man who would handle the transaction and had been shown into a room. Floor to ceiling windows offered a view north.

    ¡°Miss ke¡± Paul Nelson said as he held out a chair. ¡°I understand you want to make some transfers¡±

    She took a seat and forced herself to smile at the man. None of this was his fault. It wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s but hers. ¡°Yes please. I wish to transfer some money to Mr Keane¡¯s ount¡±

    Paul Nelson raised his eyebrows but didn¡¯tment. Christopher passed a sheet of paper to him. Kimberly didn¡¯t bother to look at it. What did the money matter? All she cared about right now was her father¡¯s safety.

    ¡°This is a huge sum of money¡± Paul Nelson said.

    ¡°Yes¡± Kimberly stared at him as she spoke. She wanted to take the man aside and tell him to get on with it. That her father¡¯s life was at stake. Instead she smiled. ¡°I have brought identification with me, if that is the problem¡±

    Paul chuckled. ¡°No it¡¯s not. Alright. I will prepare the withdrawal from your ount and deposit into Mr Keane¡¯s ount¡±

    Paul left the room, closing the door behind him. Kimberly rose and crossed to the window.

    ¡°What happens after this?¡± she asked. She knew he wasn¡¯t going to let her go.

    ¡°Forget about that,¡± Christopher said. ¡°Let¡¯s handle one thing at a time. We will talk about that when we get out of here¡±

    As Christopher spoke, the door to the room opened. Paul Nelson stepped in.

    ¡°just a couple of quick questions¡± he said, even as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a gun.

    Kimberly was too stunned to speak. Christopher hadn¡¯t turned around, so he didn¡¯t see the other three men, all dressed in ck, enter after Paul.

    She stared in disbelief as her gaze settled on one of them.

    Asher!

    His dark gaze met hers. She felt him willing her to remain silent. As she had no ns to speak anytime soon, that was easy enough to do. Unfortunately Christopher nced up and saw Paul holding a gun. He sprang to his feet and pulled out a weapon of his own. Even as he turned toward the other men, he reached into his jacket pocket.

    ¡°No!¡± Kimberly screamed, she lunged for him. If he got his hands on the detonator, he would kill her father.

    He pulled out the small box and flipped open the cover. Asher reached him first and savagely kicked his wrist. The box fell to the ground and went skidding across the hardwood floor. She dived for it, even as Christopher grabbed for her. Somewhere behind her a gun chambered a round. A heartbeatter, a bullet exploded just above her head.

    Kimberly ignored the flying ster. She grabbed the box and wrapped her fingers around it. Behind her her heard a scuffle as Asher¡¯s men subdued Christopher. She carefully closed the top of the box and breathed a sigh of relief.

    Only then did she turn around and watch as Christopher was handcuffed. Paul Nelson slipped his gun back into his holster and patted Asher on the shoulder.

    ¡°Nice work. Good timing¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah. You too¡± Asher replied.

    Kimberly nced between the two men. ¡°You called him?¡± she asked.

    Asher shook his head. ¡°Actually I called him¡± he said. ¡°When I saw that email I knew it was a trick. I knew your dad was okay. And I knew the bastard was just after the money, so I called your bank¡±

    He crossed to her and crouched next to her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked.

    She nodded and started to stand. He helped her to her feet. She handed him the device.

    ¡°It¡¯s connected to my dad¡¯s car.¡± she said. ¡°If you push the button, the brakes go out¡±

    ¡°You can call him right?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kimberly replied. ¡°He has your phone¡±

    Asher fished his phone out of Christopher¡¯s pocket and handed it to her. ¡°Call him and tell him to pull over. I will contact the highway patrol and ask them to pick him up¡±

    Nothing in Asher¡¯s calm expression gave away what he was thinking. It was as if none of this mattered to him. As if she were only a client. But that couldn¡¯t be true, she thought. She had to matter.

    But first she wanted her father safe.

    Fingers trembling. She called him.

    ¡°Dad? It¡¯s Kimberly¡± she said when he picked up.

    ¡°Hello honey, is everything okay?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Listen to me, Dad, you need to pull over right now. Please. Just pull to the side of the road. There is something wrong with your car¡±

    She waited, breathless, willing him to believe her.

    After a long pause, her father said. ¡°Kimberly, you have been through a lot. Are you sure that you are all right?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not crazy, dad¡± she said. ¡°You have to listen to me¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the noise, Kimberly? Where are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m at the bank. Your friend Christopher kidnapped me and brought me here to transfer money to him¡­ He has been behind everything that has been happening¡­.¡± What did it matter? She didn¡¯t know how to get her father to listen.

    She turned as the men Asher had brought led Christopher from the room.

 80

    ¡°I will get you, you bitch!¡± Christopher screamed at Kimberly. His face turned red and his eyes seemed to bug out. ¡°This is all your fault. I will get you, and when I do, I will make you wish you were dead. You hear me?¡±

    Thest of her reserves faded. At that moment, Kimberly couldn¡¯t take one more thing. She felt weak. She handed the phone to Asher.

    ¡°Talk to my dad. Maybe you can make him understand. He¡¯s not listening to me¡± she said.

    Then she grabbed for a chair as her legs gave out and she fainted.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Kimberly finished packing her clothes. She had already put herptop in it¡¯s case and cleared out the bathroom. There wasn¡¯t all that much left to do, which meant she had no excuse to linger. But she desperately wanted to see Asher before she left.

    James had said something about him dropping by, but he hadn¡¯t been specific. Kimberly had a feeling that if she didn¡¯t see Asher now, he would disappear from her life.

    She closed the small suitcase and fastened it. Footsteps in the hallway made her tense. She turned, prepared to argue with James, but instead saw Asher standing in the doorway.

    Her heart leaped, her chest tightened and deep down in her belly she felt a sensation that could only be relief. He hade.

    ¡°Hey¡± she said.

    ¡°Hi,¡± he replied. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Kimberly said.

    He nodded, his gaze shifted to her suitcase, then he turned and walked to the control room. Kimberly followed him, suitcase in hand.

    She felt horrible. Okay, yes, she knew she had screwed up real bad. Once in the control room, she waited for him to talk. But there wasn¡¯t anything else. No usations, no screaming, nothing. Just the awful silence that made her feel small and stupid. Finally she couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    She put her hands on her hips and red at him. ¡°Okay¡± she said. ¡°So I screwed up. Just yell at me and get it over with, will you?¡±

    He sat in front of hisputer and booted the system. ¡°I¡¯m not going to yell. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡± he said.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I left when I shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°Not your fault. What happened could have happened to anyone¡±

    But it hadn¡¯t. It had happened to her.

    ¡°I know you are mad¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Asher replied.

    ¡°You are lying¡±

    ¡°Kimberly, I promise you I¡¯m not angry with you. You are safe. Your dad is safe. Everyone is safe. That¡¯s what matters¡±

    He returned his attention to theputer, which just made her want to throw something. What was going on? He obviously was in a temper.

    ¡°Damn it, Asher, don¡¯t do this. Don¡¯t shut me out like I¡¯m some kid and don¡¯t treat me like I¡¯m an idiot. You are not fine. You are furious¡±

    He stared at theputer for several seconds before springing to his feet and ring at her. ¡°You do not want to have this conversation with me,¡± he said.

    ¡°Of course I do. I can handle it¡± at least, she was pretty sure she could.

    ¡°No you can¡¯t,¡± he said. He turned and walked to the window. ¡°Just go¡±

    He couldn¡¯t have hurt her more if he had pped her. Just like that, she thought. One screw up and she didn¡¯t matter anymore.

    ¡°You have some pretty strict rules¡± she said bitterly. ¡°You should have spelled them out before so I would have been prepared. One mistake and you are cut off. Who knew? It¡¯s amazing you have any friends at all¡±

    She saw the tension in his body and waited for him to deny her words. When he didn¡¯t, she felt as if she had just lost something important.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡± he said quietly just as she turned to leave.

    ¡°Then what is it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault¡±

    She had expected a lot of possible responses, but that wasn¡¯t one of them.

    ¡°How is it your fault?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I should have taken that email more seriously. I should have understood that you thought your father was in danger. And I shouldn¡¯t have dismissed your concerns the way I did. I put your life in danger. I pushed you to leave on your own¡­ And I was supposed to be protecting you¡±

    Words seemed impossible. So she did the only thing that made sense -she ran to him.

    He caught her and pulled her hard against him. His arms wrapped around her in an embrace that promised to never let go. She could feel his heat, his strength and his steady heartbeat. His scent surrounded her. Atst, she thought with incredible gratitude. Everything could be right with her world.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± she whispered, still clinging to him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be¡± Asher said.

    He pulled back far enough to stare into her eyes and smile. ¡°I read the email from Christopher. He has been your father¡¯s close friend for years. Why wouldn¡¯t you trust him?¡±

    ¡°I should have known it was all a lie. I should have believed you. It¡¯s just after talking to someone at the hospital -it all sounded so real¡± she said.

    ¡°I know. Christopher is in a lot of debt. He would have done anything to get you out in the open¡­ Just to get the money. Don¡¯t me yourself¡±

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked. ¡°Did the sedative hurt you?¡±

    ¡°It gave me a hell of a headache, but I have recovered,¡± he replied.

    She studied his face, the strong lines, the dark eyes, the mouth that could take her to paradise.

    ¡°I knew you would trace me to the hospital¡± she said. ¡°But after that¡­..¡±

    He touched her chin, then tucked her hair behind her ears. ¡°My phone. It has a tracking device In it.. And it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what Christopher wanted from you¡­ I knew he would show up at the bank¡­ He¡¯s already giving up the names of the rest of his gang¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you found me, Asher¡± Kimberly said. ¡°I tried to be brave but I was so scared.¡±

    ¡°You did good,¡± he said, as he released her.

    They weren¡¯t touching now, and she missed the contact. She missed him. Thest few hours had been crazy. But she didn¡¯t know what to say to him.

 81

    ¡°Asher, I¡­.¡± she began.

    He pressed his fingers to her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, Kimberly. You don¡¯t have to¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do¡± Kimberly said. ¡°You saved me¡­ Again. Not just from Christopher. But you showed me that I was tough and capable¡±

    ¡°You always knew that. You always have been¡± Asher replied.

    ¡°Maybe, but I never had to prove it before¡± She shrugged. ¡°I shot you¡±

    ¡°Good for you. You did what you had to in order to survive.. To save your father¡±

    ¡°Oh right. I ran straight to the enemy¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know that. The point is you needed to escape from me and you did¡± he said.

    His casual eptance of her actions made her heart sick. ¡°I should have trusted you¡±

    ¡°We have been over that¡± he leaned close and kissed her forehead. ¡°The reality of all this is you haven¡¯t even known me for long. In a dangerous situation, everything is heightened. Senses, reality, feelings. But in time you go back to your regr life and you reevaluate what happened. You have a lot to be proud of. You were tough from start to finish. You never gave up. Hold on to that¡±

    ¡°Nice words¡± she said as her stomach tensed. ¡°It sounds a lot like a goodbye speech¡±

    ¡°It is¡± he said.

    Pain mmed into her. ¡°But you can¡¯t. We have been through so much. It has to mean something¡± I have to mean something. But she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say that.

    ¡°Of course it does¡± he told her. ¡°You are amazing and I will never forget you¡±

    ¡°But?¡± she asked.

    ¡°But this isn¡¯t real. You are reacting to the danger¡±

    Great. Now he was telling her she didn¡¯t know her own heart? ¡°What? You are saying this is like Stockholm syndrome? That I have fallen for you because of what we have been through?

    He nodded.¡±I know that seems cruel, but in time you will see that I¡¯m right. You need to get back to your own life. See your friends get back to work, establish a routine. I¡¯m not saying you will forget mepletely but in six months, I won¡¯t matter the same way. If we were to start something now, you would quickly regret it but you would feel too guilty to tell me ¡±

    ¡°You are wrong¡± she said.¡±You arepletely wrong¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t know how much I want to be. I have seen it happen¡± he said.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean it will work out the same way with us¡±

    ¡°It might as well be,¡± he replied.

    As he spoke, she saw the pain sh through his eyes. She reacted instinctively, reaching out for him. He hesitated at first, then he gathered her close and pressed his mouth to hers.

    It was a kiss of desperation, of onest time before they were apart forever. She clung to him, hoping to convince him with her mouth and her body that this was the most real rtionship she had ever been in. She strained to get closer, to crawl inside of him. Tears spilled from her eyes.

    ¡°I love you¡± she whispered when he drew back. ¡°Why can¡¯t you believe me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡± he said, brushing her cheeks with his thumbs. ¡°I¡¯m not worth it¡±

    ¡°Of course you are,¡± she said.

    He lingered against her ear. ¡°I want you to be happy. Live your life¡±

    She couldn¡¯t stop crying. Sobs built up in her chest, although she refused to give in to them.

    ¡°Did you hear me?¡± she demanded. ¡°I love you¡±

    He bent down and kissed her. ¡°You have touched me in ways I would never have thought possible¡± he said.

    Damn the man. He wasn¡¯t even going to acknowledge her feelings. ¡°What happens if I feel the same way In six months?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You won¡¯t¡± he said.

    ¡°But if I do?¡±

    ¡°Goodbye, Kimberly¡±

    ¡°Asher. No!¡±

    The sobs imed her and she couldn¡¯t speak. She had the sense of being alone, so very alone. Then someone was with her, but the arm that offered support wasn¡¯t familiar, and when she was finally able to see, the eyes that watched her were pale and empty.

    ¡°He is gone,¡± James told her.

    She nodded and tried to pull herself together. She still had to face her father and help him make sense of all that had happened. She still had a life.

    But she didn¡¯t want any of it. Not without Asher.

    ¡°Is it because I didn¡¯t trust him?¡± she asked James.

    James shook his head. ¡°No. He understands that. Any of us would have reacted the same way¡± he said.

    ¡°Then why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like going on vacation. You want to stay in your beach front bungalow forever, but it¡¯s not real life. At some point you have to get back to the ne and go home¡±

    ¡°Asher is my home.¡± she said. ¡°But he won¡¯t believe that¡±

    James stared at her for a long time. Finally he reached into his jeans back pocket and pulled out a business card. There was nothing on it but a phone number.

    ¡°Six months,¡± he said. ¡°If you still feel the same way about him, then you call this number.

    Six months. It felt like a lifetime but having a way to get in touch with Asher gave her hope.

    ¡°You will see,¡± she said.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    James didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°Nowe on, dollface. Let¡¯s get you home¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Kimberly slept for nearly twenty four hours. When she awoke, she was in the bedroom where she had grown up. Surrounded by stuffed animals and school awards.

    It was nearly evening, still light, and she had the sense of having gone so far, she might never find her way back.

    After showering and dressing, she made her way downstairs. She found her father in his study. But Instead of sitting behind his desk, engrossed in papers, he sat in a leather club chair, a drink in his hand. When he saw her, he put down the ss, stood and walked over to her.

    ¡°Kimberly¡± he said before pulling her into his arms and hugging her.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡± he said, echoing what she had said to Asher. ¡°I spent most ofst night with the police and federal agents, then had another round with them this morning. The things they told me. The things Christopher did¡±

 82

    He stepped back and studied her, then rubbed his thumb against her cheek. ¡°My beautiful baby girl. What did he do to you?¡± he asked.

    She covered her hand with his. ¡°Not as much as you would think,¡± she replied.

    ¡°But what he did to you. I can¡¯t believe that he kidnapped you. Yet it¡¯s all true. He is in jail, you know. As are the people who worked for him.¡±

    Kimberly led the way to the sofa and sat next to her father. ¡°It¡¯s a lot to take in,¡± she said.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    ¡°Too much. He fooled us all¡± His mouth twisted. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you tried to exin to me on the phone and I wasn¡¯t listening.¡± He pulled her close. ¡°I will never forgive myself for that¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t me yourself, dad,¡± Kimberly said. ¡°He was your close friend, for God knows how long. I understand if you couldn¡¯t believe it at first¡±

    Her father grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s still not enough reason. I just hope you know just how sorry I am and how happy I am that you are safe. Thanks to Asher Adams and his team. I¡¯m d that soon we will be able to put all this behind us and move on with our lives¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to¡± Kimberly said. Then in a move that shocked her and most likely shocked him, she began to cry.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hiry asked.

    ¡°Nothing. Everything¡± Kimberly said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can move on dad. I¡¯m so confused and Asher just left me. He said that I don¡¯t know how I feel about him. That I¡¯m just reacting to the danger. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true. I think I love him very much.¡±

    Her father smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯m probably the worst person to bring this problem to,¡± he said. ¡°I know nothing about rtionships¡­ Haven¡¯t really been in one in a long time. I don¡¯t know anything about friendships either. The past events with Christopher have proved that¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Kimberly said, smiling.

    ¡°But I would very much like to listen,¡± he said.

    She leaned against his shoulder and sighed. ¡°Then I will tell you,¡± she said.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡°You can¡¯t just give up on him,¡± Phoebe said to Kimberly.

    ¡°I know,¡± Kimberly replied. ¡°But I have been thinking¡­ A lot. And he made it clear that he wanted me to move on. I don¡¯t even know if he feels the same way¡­ He didn¡¯t say anything. I¡¯m beginning to think that it will be really stupid to go after him¡±

    Phoebe hissed. ¡°Girl, you haven¡¯t left your room in three days. And I know it has nothing to do with what you have been through. It¡¯s about Asher. You love him¡­. And a part of you knows that he loves you too, even if he¡¯s too pig headed to see it. So you have to make him see that the both of you belong together. Now I understand that you might need some time, but when you are done sulking, pick up the fucking phone and call that number his friend gave you.¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Two weeks after Asher left.

    Kimberly gripped the phone.¡± James, you are not cooperating¡± she said. ¡°And to be honest, when you gave me this number, I didn¡¯t know it was yours¡±

    ¡°I know, dollface.¡± James. ¡°But honestly, cooperation isn¡¯t in my job description. I gave you the phone number so if you still want to talk to him in six months, you can find him. That¡¯s it. By my watch, we are talking Fourteen days. Go. Live your life¡±

    She gritted her teeth in impatience. ¡°Will you tell him I called?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Probably not,¡± James replied.

    ¡°You are the most infuriating man¡±

    ¡°So I have heard. Anything else¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m hanging up now¡±

    ¡°James, wait. Tell him¡­. Tell him I miss him¡± she said.

    ¡°Not a chance¡±

    He disconnected the phone.

    Kimberly dropped the phone on her desk and stared out of her office window. Slowly her life returned to normal. The only thing missing was Asher. She ached for him. Time would pass and then he would have to believe her.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Five weeks after Asher left

    ¡°James, I have to talk to him,¡± Kimberly said.

    ¡°Tell me why,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± the man said. ¡°Are you sick?¡±

    ¡°No¡±

    ¡°Dying?¡±

    She nced at the stic stick in front of her-the one clearly indicating that she was pregnant -and grinned. She was having a baby. Asher¡¯s baby. ¡°Never more healthy in my life¡± she said. ¡°But that¡¯s not the point¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the point. Give it up, Kimberly¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t. I love him. You really have to have him get in touch with me. This is important. Seriously, life changing important¡±

    ¡°Which means what?¡± Asher asked.

    She leaned back on her sofa. ¡°That you should get him toe see me. I mean it James. When he finds out what I have to tell him, he will be really grateful¡± she said.

    ¡°Like I believe that. The answer is no. Stop calling me. Every week we go through this and every week I tell you it¡¯s not gonna happen¡±

    She was too happy to be angry with James or frustrated by Asher¡¯s stubbornness. She was having his baby. A child of their own.

    ¡°We have a tradition now,¡± she said. ¡°When Asher finallyes to his senses. You are going to miss me¡±

    ¡°Sure. Like lice. Listen doll face -¡± James began.

    ¡°James, You have to stop calling me doll face¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my trademark,¡± he replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s weird and annoying¡±

    ¡°Good. Now are you going to leave me alone?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nope. He matters too much. I will call you next week¡±

    ¡°if it¡¯s important to you¡±

    ¡°It is. Oh James? Do you tell him I call?¡± Kimberly asked.

    She asked the question every week and every week he had told her no. This time he paused.

    ¡°Sometimes¡± he said.

    ¡°Does he say anything?¡± she asked cautiously.

    ¡°No, Kimberly. He doesn¡¯t say anything¡± James replied.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

    Three months and one week after Asher left.

    The good news was the morning sickness had pretty much faded and the even better news was that she and the baby were perfectly healthy and growing just as they should.

    The bad news was that she missed Asher with a desperation that only deepened with each passing day.

 83

    It was nearly nine when she picked up her phone to make her weekly call to James. She had gotten in the habit of calling him at night, so that when they finished she could curl up in bed and pretend that Asher had heard every word. That he cared about her and that it was killing him to be so far away from her.

    At what point did she let go? She wondered. Asher had been concerned that her feelings weren¡¯t real, that they were only circumstances. How could she prove otherwise to a man who refused to speak with her or see her? Was he really trying to give her space he thought she needed or did he not care about her? Was her love one sided?

    Six months, she told herself. She would give him the six months he had offered her. On that date, she would call for thest time. She would also tell James about the baby. She had hoped to tell Asher herself, but if he refused to talk to her, there was little she could do.

    ¡°But that is nearly three months away¡± she told herself as she called James.

    James picked up on the second ring. ¡°You are consistent,¡± he said by way of greeting. ¡°I will give you that¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kimberly replied.

    ¡°Feeling okay?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Eating, sleeping, all the usual bodily functions¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he said.

    She was also finally showing. Her tummy was round, her body lush¡­. Or almost lush. How she wanted to share this with Asher. She wanted him to be a part of her life, of their child¡¯s life. But if he didn¡¯t want that¡­.

    ¡°Is he being stubborn or does he really not care?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Damn it, Kimberly¡±

    ¡°I want to know. This is hard for me, James. I miss him. My feelings aren¡¯t going away. You and I both know that -why can¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°You know the rules,¡± he reminded her.

    ¡°Screw the rules. I love him. If he were here right, I would tell him that. I would tell him that I miss him in my life. That he is the best man I have ever known¡±

    ¡°He would tell you you need to get out more,¡± James said.

    ¡°Maybe¡± she smiled. ¡°How are you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± James asked.

    ¡°We always talk about me and Asher. What¡¯s going on with you? Are you seeing anyone?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about my personal life with you¡± James said.

    ¡°Why not? I¡¯m a good listener and I can give you the female perspective¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need it,¡± James replied.

    ¡°Always the tough guy,¡± she teased. ¡°Come on. Who is she? A model? I can see you with a model. Or maybe a school teacher. A single mom?¡±

    He growled, which made herugh.

    ¡°Come on, James,¡± she said. ¡°Humor me. We have another three months to go¡±.

    ¡°You are really going to hang on that long?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes. After six months. I will stop calling, but I won¡¯t stop loving him¡±

    ¡°Swear?¡±

    She heard the word, but it hadn¡¯te from the phone. Instead the sound hade from the doorway of her bedroom.

    Kimberly let the phone drop onto theforter as she turned and saw Asher standing in the darkness. She couldn¡¯t see the details of his features, but she recognized him.

    Too stunned to speak, she could only watch as he crossed to the bed and picked up the phone. He turned it off before tossing it back on the mattress, then crouching in front of her.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked, his voice low and thick.

    The light from her nightstand illuminated his features. He was gaunt, with circles under his eyes. He looked as if he had been to hell and lived to tell the tale.

    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked as she touched his cheek. ¡°Were you sick?¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

    ¡°I missed you. I took every dangerous assignment I could and still I couldn¡¯t forget you. You are a part of me -under my skin, in my bones. I breathe you.¡±

 84

    He took her hand in his and squeezed her fingers. ¡°Kimberly, are you telling the truth? Do you really love me? Because if you don¡¯t, I can¡¯t make it. You are my world. This is killing me¡±

    She leaned forward and pulled him close. Then he was on the bed and they were kissing as if they had a lifetime to make up for.

    ¡°Of course I love you¡± she whispered as she pressed her mouth against his lips, his cheeks, his chin. ¡°I have been calling every week, trying to tell you¡±

    ¡°I know. James recorded the calls and forwarded them to me. I couldn¡¯t stand listening to them and I couldn¡¯t stop ying them over and over. I needed it all to me true, even as I told myself it couldn¡¯t be¡±

    ¡°Stubborn man¡± she said contentedly. ¡°Do you believe me now?¡±

    ¡°I have to. I need to be with you¡± he touched her face. ¡°I believe you. I love you, Kimberly. I don¡¯t deserve you and you can do a hell of a lot better than me, but I still love you. Marry me. I will spend the rest of my life taking care of you. I love you with every part of myself. For always¡±

    The happiness filling her was as tangible as the blood in her body. ¡°How do you feel about children?¡± she asked.

    He blinked at her. ¡°I like kids,¡± he said. ¡°I want to have kids with you¡±

    ¡°Good¡± she said

    She took his hand and slid it under the thickforter to her stomach. He moved over the roundness of her belly, then stared at her.

    ¡°You are pregnant?¡± he asked.

    She nodded. ¡°I wanted to tell you before, but you weren¡¯t taking my calls,¡± she said.

    He swore under his breath. ¡°That¡¯s what you had to tell me a few weeks ago. The thing you said was important¡±

    ¡°Exactly. I didn¡¯t want to have that first emotional exchange with James. I mean I like the guy and all, but he¡¯s not my type. I seem to be a one man woman. You are stuck with me, big guy. Guess you are going to have to get used to it.

    Asher didn¡¯t know whatbination of events had brought him to this moment or why Kimberly cared about him. But here he was with her, with a baby on the way and a future filled with promise.

    He began tough. She joined in and they clung to each other.

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy about the baby,¡± he said.

    She grinned. ¡°I got that. I¡¯m happy too. Now we just need a dog¡± she said.

    ¡°And a house¡±

    ¡°Good idea¡±

    ¡°I need a less dangerous job¡± he said.

    ¡°I agree¡±

    He kissed her, then smiled. ¡°I proposed,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yes, you did¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer¡±

    ¡°Oh. Sorry. I meant to¡± she pulled him close. ¡°Yes, I will marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you¡±

    ¡°Living happily ever after¡±

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s likely¡± she asked.

    He stared into her eyes and saw all the happy days ahead. ¡°Absolutely,¡± he said.

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