“You are mine,” Donovan whispered. “You’ll always be mine, Rachel.” His desperate kiss told her what he wanted from her, and Rachel always gave into his desires, no matter how bad the pain. She never dreamed of denying him, and tonight was no different, despite what he had done.
In the early morning hours, after his lengthy apologies, his seeming disgust with his actions, and his promises of change, Donovan left her bedroom to retire to his own room for a few hours of sleep. Rachel turned on her side and drew her knees up. With the comforter snug around her tattered body, she touched her cheekbone where it hit the wall. The tenderness assured her a bruise would appear later.
All she wanted was to love him. He made it so difficult.
Chapter Fifty-three
Jonathan rapped the end of a pen against the mahogany desk in his office. He had been in the same position for over an hour, only moving to ask his executive assistant to cancel his appointments for the day. Ever vigilant about his schedule to ensure he remained on track, Rita grilled him about his reasons for clearing his calendar. Jonathan placated her by stating he wasn’t feeling well.
The excuse wasn’t necessarily a lie, as Jonathan didn’t know how he felt. Since meeting Rachel Pettis last night, his emotions were all over the place and impossible to pinpoint. There was something about Rachel he had never seen in another woman. Her beauty called to him when she entered the room, and her quiet strength grabbed him as the evening wore on. He had an overwhelming desire to watch her all night, but he kept her in his peripheral vision so as not to incite King.
King did not scare Jonathan. He had dealt with King enough to know he was an obstacle. A stubborn one, but an obstacle all the same. Jonathan made a living and lived his life working around much bigger obstacles than King.
Jonathan’s feelings toward this woman he barely knew frightened him far more than King ever could. After leaving Cal’s estate, Rachel remained planted in his mind. He only closed his eyes for a few brief hours of restless sleep, where she appeared in his dreams.
This morning, he thought of nothing else but finding a way to see her again. Seeing her would help him straighten out his emotions. He needed to know if he was attracted to her because she was on the arm of his competition, or if it was a pesky case of love at first sight. He hoped it was the former, as the latter presented more complications than he desired. The only problem was he didn’t know how to find her.
He ran his conversation with Rachel through his mind in hopes of remembering something to assist him in his search. He didn’t have a lot to go on, but he knew someone who could help.
Jonathan leaned forward and pressed the intercom button on his phone to page Rita. When she answered, he asked, “Can you get Walt on the phone for me, please?”
“Last name?” Rita asked.
“Walter Sykes. The only Walt we know.”
“Do you want me to schedule an appointment with him?”
“No, Rita, thank you. I’ll wait on the phone until you can connect us.”
“Yes, sir,” she said. “Is there anything else?”
Jonathan paused. Depending on what Walt found, he might need a couple days to figure things out. As long as the end result was getting his mind off Rachel, taking time off would be worth it so his life could return to normal.
“Please cancel all of my appointments for the next two days,” he said into the phone.
A long silence came from the other end of the phone. Jonathan started to ask if she was still there when Rita said, “All of your appointments? Are you sure?”
“If there’s anything urgent, let Cory handle it. He’s more than capable.” Jonathan trusted his brother Cory more than anyone else in the company. Cory could take care of any pressing matters while Jonathan straightened himself out.
“Okay, sir. I’ll get Mr. Sykes on the phone for you now.” There was a long beep followed by silence.
Jonathan resumed tapping the pen against his desk. If anyone could find out more about Rachel Pettis, it was Walt. He had done contract private investigating work for Jonathan a number of times in the past, and was discreet about everything. Looking into King’s girlfriend required the upmost discretion.
Rita came back on the line. “Mr. Sykes for you, sir.”
Jonathan waited to speak until a beep signaled that Rita disconnected herself from the call. “How are you, Walt?”
“Jonathan Thomas!” Walt said. “I wondered when I would hear from you again. You always have the most interesting cases.”
Jonathan chuckled. “This one is no different, I’m afraid. I need you to look into someone for me.”
“Sure thing,” Walt said. “What’s the name?”
“Rachel Pettis. She’s in her early twenties.”
“Where does she live?”
Jonathan thought for a moment. “Actually, I’m not quite sure. It is somewhere up north, though. That’s pretty much all I know about her.” He wasn’t sure he wanted to reveal her relationship with King quite yet.
“You don’t give a man a lot to go on, do you?”
“I’m sorry, I wish I had more.” Jonathan remembered another fact from his conversation with Rachel, but he hesitated before telling Walt. Maybe he’d have to share the information about her relationship with King after all. “Walt, I need your discretion on this one.”
“Of course. I’m always quiet about what I do for you.”
“But this one really calls for it, more than any other case you’ve handled for me. I don’t want you to hand this one off to anyone else. I want you to take care of it yourself.”
“You’ve got it,” Walt said. “Although, I have to admit that you’re making me a bit nervous.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing to be nervous about,” Jonathan said. “Rachel works for Donovan King. She’s a security guard at his estate. I’m pretty sure they’re...together.”
Walt whistled into the phone. “Donovan King. Not someone I normally go poking around and you want me to look into his girlfriend? That can’t possibly end well.”
Jonathan sat up straight in his chair. Walt’s words instilled a bit of fear into him. If Walt stayed away from King, maybe Jonathan should as well. He already knew the answer to his next question, but asked anyway. “What have you heard about King?”
“It’s rumors.”
“What are the rumors?”
“Nothing good,” Walt said. “He’s mixed up with Graham Wilkes, and they’ve known each other since childhood. We both know Wilkes is not a good man, so I highly doubt King is one, either. I don’t know what you want with this girl, but I’d stay far away from anyone associated with King, especially if you know she works for him during the day and spends her nights in his bed.”
Jonathan shook the image out of his mind. He didn’t want to think that King had ever touched her in that manner, but he knew Walt’s words were true. Rachel had been cozy with King during dinner, and the entire night King watched her with a careful eye. Not only was their relationship apparent, but they had been together in that capacity for quite some time.
“You’re probably right,” Jonathan said, “but I still want whatever you can find on her. Can you run a basic check for me and at least find out where she lives? Along with any other information you can get, of course. I need it right away. I’ll be glad to pay a rush charge.”
“I can run by your office tomorrow afternoon with whatever I find. Have a check ready for me.”
“The usual fee?”
“Yes, plus whatever the rush is worth to you. I know you’re always more than fair.”
Jonathan smiled. “Thanks, Walt.” He replaced the receiver and leaned back in his chair. He hadn’t considered that Rachel Pettis might be wrapped up in King’s dealings with Wilkes. If she was both working for and intimately involved with King, anything was possible.
He closed his eyes, and envisioned Rachel standing before him. Her emerald eyes tore through him and convinced him it was love at first sight. She felt it,
too. He could tell as she argued with him that she hadn’t expected the undeniable chemistry between them. He knew he somehow had to see her again, no matter what her story was with King.
Chapter Fifty-four
The fog settling around the trees mirrored the one in Rachel’s mind. Unable to focus on her rounds, she wandered across the grounds in the general direction of her patrol route. Two days had passed since she met Jonathan Thomas, and both the dance they shared and Donovan’s outburst still affected her.
Her fingers retreated to her cheek, which ached with the bruise from hitting the wall. Rachel could deal with the smudge on her cheek the color of a bruised rainbow, as long as no bruises emerged where he grabbed her arm. She hated seeing marks the shape of his fingertips on her. Those were the fingers that knew how to touch her, that loved her and memorized every part of her body a thousand times over. But they were also the fingers that could reduce her to tears, crushing her spirit and imprisoning her in a world of pain.
In the limo before the dinner, Donovan said everything she ever wanted to hear. She assumed it to be a turning point in their relationship, but nothing had changed, except now she had experienced something greater than his anger. The jealousy that fueled his outburst was far worse than anything she ever felt at his hands before that night.
The invisible wounds were much more painful than the bruise on her cheek. Donovan had drilled into her head that she belonged to him, but that night was the first time she ever felt like his property to do with as he pleased, no matter how much it hurt her. She had never felt so inhuman as when he pushed her up against the wall and stripped her dress off her body. She would much rather take a hundred beatings than suffer through that humiliation again.
Then yesterday, the morning after the dinner, the apologies and excuses came, as she learned to expect. He was sorry. He loved her and didn’t mean to hurt her. He had overreacted and if he could go back, he would handle the situation better. Seeing her dance with another man, seeing another man touch her in a way only he should touch her drove him over the edge. Overcome by jealousy, the identity of that man compounded his anger. If it had been anyone besides Jonathan Thomas, he wouldn’t have reacted in that manner.
Rachel couldn’t help but think his reaction would have been the same if she danced with the Pope. She despised the onslaught of excuses almost more than the actual act. His words ensured she would forgive him and forget his temper until the next time. With each apology, however, she grew more jaded and now she wondered if he was capable of change.
Paul’s voice cut through the tranquil morning air. “How are things on your side of the world?”
Rachel removed her radio from her belt, glad for the distraction from her thoughts. Pressing the button on the side of the radio, she said, “We’re all clear over here. Minus the fog, that is.”
He laughed. “I’m sending Eric out to relieve you. He should be there in about ten minutes.”
“Thanks.”
“Rachel.”
The radio fell from her hands at the sound of the vaguely familiar voice. She freed her gun from her shoulder holster and whipped around with her gun trained on the intruder.
Jonathan Thomas stood behind her, his clothes more suitable for a day in the office than a stroll through the woods. He recoiled at the sight of her gun and his hands flew up in surrender. “Hey, hey, hey!”
“Do you realize I could have shot you?”
“I’m sorry,” he said. He dropped his hands to his sides. “I guess I underestimated you.”
“Don’t let it happen again.” She put her gun away and tried to slow her heart before it escaped from her body. She couldn’t be sure if the rapid knocks against her chest were caused by the adrenaline rush of being startled or by Jonathan’s unexpected presence. “What the hell are you doing here?” she asked.
“I had to see you.”
What kind of answer was that? He couldn’t waltz into her world as if it was nothing out of the ordinary and throw her life into chaos. The longer he stood in front of her, the more her head spun and stomach knotted. He was a detriment to every aspect of her life and he had to leave.
“This is insane,” she said. “You can’t be here. Not only are you trespassing on private property, but someone could come along at any time.”
“Your relief will be here in eight minutes.”
Though he was right, Rachel had to convince him to leave. No good could come out of him staying longer. If he stayed, she might...
She destroyed the thought before it could reveal her emotions to her stubborn mind, and tried another tack to get Jonathan off the grounds and out of her life. “If Donovan knew you were here—”
“What exactly would he do?”
“Well, it wouldn’t be pleasant.”
“Okay, sorry, you’re right. It’s entirely inappropriate to show up like this, but I didn’t know how else to get in touch with you. Where do you live? Maybe I can meet you there when you get off work and take you to dinner.”
“Jonathan, I’m full-time, onsite security.”
His forehead creased and he contemplated her words. “You mean you live here?”
“Yes.”
He tightened his lips and looked off to the side. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“You have to leave now.”
“Can’t you meet me somewhere later?”
“That’s not possible,” she said.
“Why not? Are you and King—”
“What?”
“You know.”
Surely the truth would force him leave. “Yes, we are.” She glanced around the woods to make sure they were still alone. “You have to go now. Eric will be here any second, and Donovan cannot find out you were here.”
Rachel expected him to walk away, but he remained still. She opened her mouth to demand that he leave when he grabbed her arms, pulled her to him, and kissed her. Her mind battled him and she wanted to shove him away.
Instead of resisting, she relaxed against him and she returned the kiss. His kiss was pure, without a hint of the hunger that led to sex. But desire was there, and it was as if she could feel his soul as he enveloped her in his arms. She was no longer on the estate, but raptured into a new world created by the perfection in his kiss.
Without warning, sanity restored itself and she pulled away from him. “This can’t happen,” she whispered.
“It’s already happened,” he said. “I can’t explain it, but you know it’s right.”
“It can’t be right,” she said. “I don’t want you in my life. You have to forget that I ever existed.”
“It’s too late for that,” Jonathan said.
“I was fine, my life was fine, without you.”
“I’m sure it was perfect. Everything you’ve ever dreamed of.” He touched the bruise high on her cheek. “You don’t belong here, Angel. He doesn’t deserve you.” He turned around and vanished into the fog, leaving her staring after him.
“Slacking on the job?”
Rachel whirled around and faced Eric. Had he seen Jonathan? If he had, he probably saw their kiss and heard their exchange as well. If Donovan was that incensed over the dance they shared, she did not want to find out how he would react to a kiss.
“Don’t ever sneak up on me like that again,” she said through clenched teeth. “You know procedure is to warn others before you approach. What you just did could get you killed.” She started walking away when his voice stopped her.
“Don’t forget your radio,” he said in a mocking tone.
She stiffened and turned around. Not looking at Eric, she picked up her radio and hurried back to the house and toward the safety of her bedroom before he could say anything else.
Anger and frustration coursed through her veins like torrents. Jonathan had thrown her world into turmoil. How dare he talk to her like that! He knew nothing about her. He had no right to judge or criticize her life, which is exactly what he did with two simple sentences.
&nb
sp; But seeing him again stirred up emotions inside her, the same ones that plagued her while they were dancing. She had done her best to block him out of her mind for the two days since she’d met him, but things were different now. That night she was in another world, one she hadn’t been in since she was ten and one she would probably never be in again. Today, Jonathan had broken into her world.
Then he had the nerve to kiss her. Her anger flared as she thought of the way he pulled her to him and kissed her with no regard for her feelings or for her relationship with Donovan. He acted like she would enjoy his kiss and the feeling of being that close to him.
But she did enjoy it. His kiss excited her, which upset her even more. She knew better, but her body betrayed her and succumbed to him. Her mind screamed at her that it was wrong, but it was unable to provide her with any means of controlling the feelings levitating her toward Jonathan.
Rachel wandered into her bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her. In her bathroom, she propped her hands on the counter and she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had to forget that Jonathan Thomas ever existed so she could return to her life with Donovan. She was already terrified at what would happen if he found out about the kiss. Somehow, she had to get things back to the way they were when he simply loved her, before the night she provoked his dark side in the library.
She jumped at a rap on her bedroom door. “What?” she asked.
“It’s me,” Paul said through the door.
She left her bathroom and opened the bedroom door. “I’m sorry, Paul. I didn’t mean to yell.”
“It’s okay.” In his hands, he held her black jacket that was used for formal security situations. “Listen, Donovan needs you upstairs for a meeting he’s having in a few minutes.”
“I just got off rounds and I’m exhausted. The last thing I want to do is stand in at a meeting.”
“I know, but he specifically requested you.”