Guardian Angel (12 page)

She looked at Kane questioningly.  “What is this place?” 

“Do you trust me?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.

She didn’t hesitate. This man had killed on her behalf.  “Implicitly.”

He smiled.  The man was absolutely devastating when he smiled.  At that moment, Rebecca was almost glad he didn’t do so very often, because she didn’t want any other woman to see it.  Then she chastised herself for being ridiculous.

“Then let’s go.”

Kane grabbed a large canvas bag out of the back of his truck, hefting it as though it weighed next to nothing.  Rebecca followed dutifully behind him.  After only about a hundred feet they stopped.  Rebecca stepped around Kane and lost her breath completely.  Before them were some of the most breathtaking natural waterfalls she had ever seen. 

“It’s so beautiful.”

“Yeah, thought you might like it.”

Kane pulled a collapsible canvas lounge chair from the bag and positioned it so that it had a perfect view of the falls.  Then he covered the canvas with an old fashioned, well-worn quilt, and gestured for her to take a seat.

“This,” he told her, “is the perfect spot to escape.”  And it was.  Secluded, surrounded by brilliantly colored leaves.  The smell of damp rocks and dirt and sweet pine in the air.  The sound of the falls, swooshing and splashing, forming a constant series of prisms in the mist.

Once he made sure she was comfortable, thoughtfully tucking the excess quilt around her legs for warmth, he began to walk away.

“Kane?  Aren’t you staying?”

She cringed at the slight but obvious worry in her voice, but he just smiled.  “I’m staying.  I’m just going to grab my fishing pole and cast a few lines while you read your book.”

Relief flooded through her.  “You’ll stay nearby?”

“I’ll stay nearby.”

Kane leapt with a silent, masculine grace from one rock to another until he was midstream.  Really, she thought, no one that large should be able to move that beautifully.  But then he was no ordinary man. 

Kane was nothing like anyone she’d ever met before.  He was the physical embodiment of her own personal guardian angel, sent to watch over her and protect her.  She almost giggled at the thought, remembering her first impression of him as a real, honest to God archangel sent to smite those that would do her harm.

For the first half an hour or so, she watched him.  The way his muscles bunched and flexed and rippled across his back and arms each time he cast his line.  The perfect balance of his legs, so strong beneath the faded denim. The sculpted backside that would have made Michelangelo weep.  The unnatural stillness with which he held himself.  The classic, perfect lines of his face, so beautiful and yet unmistakably masculine, as if they had been carved by immortal hands.  It literally took her breath away.  Every now and then he’d glance back at her and smile, and she’d smile back, embarrassed at having been caught watching him.  Again.

When Rebecca did finally start to read, however, she became almost instantly lost in the story.  And that’s when Kane started watching
her
.

* * *

S
he was a fast reader.  No sooner had she turned one page than she was fingering the corner to turn another.  Her expressions changed as she read.  She smiled, she frowned, she laughed, her mouth gaped in disbelief.  Sometimes the most wonderful rose blush stole across her cheeks, and Kane guessed she was reading a particularly naughty passage.  It was fascinating to watch; most of the time, she kept such careful control over herself.  To see the emotions pass unguarded across her features was a treat indeed.

After an hour or so, she had already made significant progress through the book.

“Good read?” he asked, suddenly there beside her, unwilling to stay away a moment longer.  He was immediately rewarded with one of her special smiles, the one that had his chest expanding and his pants shrinking. 

“Yes, it’s wonderful.  Thank you.” 

“Are you hungry?” 

“A little.” 

Kane disappeared again, only to return with yet another surprise:  two large plain brown grocery bags.  From them, he extracted fresh apples from the farmers market, sandwiches from the local deli, two gallon jugs – one sweet tea and one lemonade, and two gargantuan, individually wrapped items that looked like the world’s largest Oreos.

“What are they?” she asked, her eyes wide.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never had a whoopie pie?”

She shook her head.  “Then you, sweetheart, are in for a treat.”  The endearment rolled off his tongue easily.  By the way her eyes widened, he wasn’t the only one surprised by it. 

Kane unwrapped one and held it out to her.  She licked her lips; Kane followed the movement of her tongue intently.

“Shouldn’t we eat the sandwiches first?”

He grinned and winked.  “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

Her resulting smile could have lit the town for a week.  Nothing could have prepared him for the joy he felt watching her bite into the soft cake for the first time, seeing the look of pure rapture on her face. 

“Oh my God.  This is amazing.  What did you say it’s called?”

“Whoopie pie,” he told her, fighting the nearly irresistible urge to lick the dab of cream from the tip of her nose.  “They’re big among the nearby Pennsylvania Dutch communities.” 

He compromised by removing the cream with his finger and licking that instead, refusing to meet her astonished eyes as he did so.  It was a selfish pleasure on his part, one he would not openly acknowledge.  And Rebecca, God bless her, would not call him on it.

“It is awesome, Kane,” she said, eyes sparkling.  “Everything is.”

––––––––

“A
re you enjoying your afternoon?” he asked when they had eaten their fill.

“More than you know.”

He was pleased by her answer, but even more so by the way she looked at him when she said so.

“There’s only another hour or two of daylight left.  Would you like to stay for a bit or head back?”

“I’d like to stay for as long as possible, if it’s alright with you.” 

He was hoping she’d say that.  He was in no hurry to leave.  Hell, if she asked him to pitch a tent and stay out here all night he would have probably agreed.  He couldn’t remember when the last time was he had enjoyed someone’s company quite so much.  Usually he had to choose between doing something enjoyable – like fishing and spending time outdoors – or spending time with someone else.  With Rebecca, he got to do both, though he knew which one he enjoyed more. 

“You got it.  Mind if I fish a bit yet?”

“Not if you promise to watch the sunset with me.”

In the dappled sunlight, her hair glowed softly and her eyes sparkled.  She looked so beautiful.  Radiant.  And happy.  Truly, genuinely happy.  The strangest thing?  So was he.  No, he was more than happy.  He was
content
.  At peace. 

“It’s a deal,” he said.

* * *

T
he sunset was spectacular, filled with deep hues of fiery reds and oranges.  It was the perfect end to a perfect afternoon.  Away from the world, just the two of them.  And she hadn’t once felt her normal compulsion to do anything besides relax, read, and glance at Kane every few minutes.  Or seconds, as it was.  It was necessary to convince herself that she wasn’t dreaming it all.  She pinched herself often.  At one point she considered pinching him as well, but her common sense prevailed.

It was with more than a little regret that she helped fold the quilt and pack everything back into the truck. 

“Kane?” she asked as they made their way down towards the town.  Maybe it was the wonderful day she’d had, but the twinkling lights against the velvety blackness of the night sky looked especially pretty. 

“Hmm?”  His quiet hum resonated through her.  The truck’s cab was filled with his unique clean, masculine scent, now enhanced with fresh air, water, and sunshine.  It had an almost lazy, satisfied quality to it that was completely in sync with the way she was feeling.  Had she been a cat she was sure she would be purring.

“Do you think maybe we could do this again sometime?”

Kane glanced over at her.  “I’d like that.”

“Me, too.”

When he dropped her off that night, she was still beaming.  She briefly considered kissing him again, but decided against it.  He hadn’t minded the last time she’d snuck a quick peck to his cheek, but she could tell by the way his eyes followed her every movement he was wondering whether she was going to make another attempt.

“Goodnight, Kane,” she said softly, fighting off the urge to do just that.  “Thank you for a wonderful afternoon.”

“Goodnight, Rebecca.  And you’re welcome.”

Rebecca slipped inside Aidan’s townhouse and closed the door, sighing heavily.  She was proud of the restraint she had shown.  The next time they kissed, if they ever did, it would be because he initiated it.

S
pending time with Rebecca, Kane quickly decided, was addicting.  She took pleasure in the simplest of things.  They made it back to the falls once more, but it became more difficult for him to keep his distance when the weather took a decided turn for the colder.  One look at Rebecca shivering conjured up all sorts of inappropriate ways to warm her.

One evening they stayed in and watched a movie, though he couldn’t have told anyone the first thing about it; he’d been too intent on watching her, on feeling the brush of her legs against him every time she shifted on the sofa.  Sometimes it was simply a matter of him offering her a ride to the home center, the book store (her favorite), or the farmer’s market.  It didn’t matter – not to her and not to him.  The plain fact was that they enjoyed each other’s company no matter what they were doing.

He loved that she didn’t seem to want anything from him besides his company.  When he did bring her something, some small little token, she reacted as if Christmas came early.  She didn’t expect conversation, though in truth she was probably the only person he’d ever met who tended to talk less than him.  That was okay; the silence between them was a comfortable one.

There were no fancy dinners, although they did often share a simple meal or a snack together.  It might not seem like much to some, but Kane recognized it as significant.  Sometimes he would bring something; a few times she had surprised him by preparing something in the shelter kitchen after everyone else had gone.  She made no secret of the fact that she was not a very good cook.  Kane teased her about that, since her family owned one of the most successful chains of restaurants in the U.S., but in all honesty, he found her creations more than passable.  Of course, in his opinion everything tasted better when Rebecca had a hand in preparing it.

She delighted in the little treats he would bring for her, whether it be one of the scented candles she loved so much, or a bag of jumbo Tootsie rolls.  She was the only woman he knew who gleaned such pleasure from the smallest of things.  It made it easy not to disappoint her.  And sometimes, he’d catch her looking up every now and then as if to make sure he was still there, smiling when she found him.  And when she realized he’d caught her looking she’d blush and offer a slight wave and he’d find himself smiling right back.

He’d never met anyone like her before.  She was, quite simply, the kindest, quietest, most appreciative woman he’d ever known. If she had one fault, it was that she never seemed to think of herself.

Perhaps it was for exactly that reason that Kane felt compelled to do what he did at the end of October.

For the most part, Kane and Rebecca kept their private time to themselves, so he shouldn’t have been surprised to hear his sisters-in-law plotting again.  To Aidan and everyone else, Rebecca seemed to be withdrawing even further.  Of course Kane knew it was because she was spending more time with him, but no one else did. 

At first he appreciated Rebecca’s silence on the matter.  He was a private person, and he liked that she was, too, and he did find the wonderings and suppositions of his family where she was concerned mildly amusing.  Although as time went on, he found himself wanting them to know that they were spending time together.  That Rebecca was, in fact, quite content, and not lacking in the least despite what they thought.  That she was beautiful and smart and funny and pretty much the only person he liked being with on a consistent basis.

He managed to hold his tongue until Aidan brought Rebecca to the Pub one Sunday afternoon.  Kane had been more than a little surprised to see her there; she had told him only the day before that Aidan insisted on taking her to a late brunch.  Judging by the pretty dress she wore, Aidan hadn’t told her about the change in plans. 

The silent apology in her eyes as Aidan practically dragged her through the living room and into the kitchenette nearly did him in.  That she should ever feel bad on his behalf did not sit well with him. 

It didn’t take long to realize that Rebecca had been the target of a conspiracy.  Within moments of parking her in the kitchen, Aidan returned to the living room with the rest of the men, opened a beer, and settled in to watch the game. 

Kane watched him closely, but Aidan refused to meet his eyes, staring determinedly at the screen.  The fact that none of his brothers questioned Aidan’s presence was telling, but the pieces really clicked into place as snippets of the quiet conversation in the kitchenette drifted out to him.

“Ah, come on, Rebecca,” Lexi coaxed.  “It’ll be fun.” 

“Yeah, and we swear, no naked men this time,” added Taryn with a wink.  “Well, unless you get lucky...” 

Sharp talons clawed at the inside of his chest.

Lexi spoke again.  “Honest, Rebecca, it’s just dinner...”  

Dinner?  Rebecca was planning on making dinner tonight for the two of them, after she’d returned from her visit with her brother, said she was going to surprise him... 

“And if that goes well, maybe a movie or a show...” added Maggie.

A movie? Rebecca didn’t like going to the movies.  The crowds bothered her.  But she had really liked when he’d brought that DVD over last week.  He’d been at the gas station, saw the Redbox machine, and on a whim grabbed one he’d thought she might like.  They’d watched it together that night, huddled together in the dark with microwave popcorn.  She grabbed his arm every time a particularly suspenseful part came up...