The Guardian of My Soul (Soul's Desire) (4 page)

“We need to go outside.” She took my hand in hers and led me.

“Kris, where are you going?” Megan called.

“Mom’s present is outside,” I announced with a smile.

“Oh, I want to see this!” She followed us out. Ana, Matt and Sam were right behind her.

Mom’s little army of bodyguards kept the photographers away when we exited the club.

“Okay? The suspense is killing me. What is it?” I asked her, trying to ignore the flashing of cameras from behind the barricades.

“Wait for it,” she murmured calmly, giving my hand a light squeeze. “There it is!” She pointed at a black Aston Martin Vanquish being parked just a few feet away from us. My dream car.

My knees almost failed me at the sight of the gorgeous car and I could barely contain myself. I was tempted to jump for joy right in front of everybody. “Holy cow! Mom, please don’t toy with me!” I stared at her wide-eyed, on the brink of tears.

She put her arm around my shoulders. “The car is yours, Kristen. Your not so subtle hints paid off. And it makes me happy to be able to give it to you.”

I threw my arms around her and hugged her tight. “Thank you.” I was touched by her generosity. “You totally nailed it this time! Can I go for a quick ride?” I blinked innocently, eager to give it a test drive.

“Of course. I knew you’d say that.”

More guests were gathering around the car, so I rushed over to get a closer look. “Wow, Kris! This is one fine machine.” Sam ran a hand over the curve of the roof. “I hope you realize how much horsepower is under this hood.”

“Are you going to let me drive it?” Megan asked. “I think I’d look good behind the wheel.”

“Me first.” I laughed.

As my friends checked out the exterior of the car, a man wearing a black tux got out of the driver’s seat. It took me a couple of seconds to realize it was Alec. His stubble gone, his hair brushing the top of his collar, he looked extremely elegant and classy. One could easily mistake him for a successful business man. All my female friends gaped at him as if he were sex on a stick.

God, how could I’ve forgotten about him even for a minute?
I blinked several times. Alec looked as good dressed up as he did after a strenuous workout.

“Damn...I guess we’ve underestimated your mother. Hot car and hot guy all in one...I wish my mom gave me man-candy for my birthday,” Megan drawled in my ear.

“Shush, Megan,” I hissed at her, afraid Alec would hear.

She laughed, but backed away. I tried not to imagine what was going through her mind. Megan would enjoy grilling me about Alec. That was okay. I had some questions of my own about her and Matt.

“Go on, dear, take it for a spin,” Mom said encouragingly.

Alec waited patiently by the car, his eyes following my every move.

“Happy birthday! You look beautiful.” He handed me the keys before opening the door for me.

“Thank you.” I avoided his gaze and slid into the driver’s seat, marveling at the exquisite leather interior of my car. I lost sight of him for a moment, but the next thing I knew, he was right next to me, putting his seatbelt on. “What are you doing?” I asked, my heart suddenly in my throat.

“I’m going with you.”

“Why? I’m only going for a quick spin.” Alec unnerved me more than I wanted to admit, and I didn’t want to deal with him right now.

He shrugged. “I’m just following orders.”

“Fine.” I cranked the car and pulled into the street. Gripping the steering wheel with both hands, I struggled to keep a rein on my emotions.

“Do you like it?” Alec asked after a couple of minutes of silence.

“What?”

“The car,” he replied.

I could feel his steady gaze burning into my cheek. “Oh...I love it. I’ve wanted this car for a long time.”

“Do you always get what you want?”

His brusque question took me off guard. I hadn’t expected such candidness from him, and for a few moments I didn’t know what to say. “I guess I do, most of the time. But I also have a list of things I’ll never get no matter how desperately I want them.”

“What things?” He wondered, his voice low and compelling.

I stopped at a traffic light and gave him a questioning look. His curiosity unsettled me.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to be intrusive.” He apologized before turning to stare out the window.

A deep sigh escaped me. “My father, for one. I’d die to have him back, but it’ll never happen.” Extreme melancholia seemed to wash over me every time I thought of Dad. Eleven years after his death, I still hadn’t gotten over it.
I’ll never get over it.
I sank my teeth into my quivering bottom lip, forcing myself not to weep.

“Hey, don’t cry. I’m sorry I made you sad,” he told me gently.

“Just because I own a lot of material possessions and can afford to buy expensive things doesn’t mean I’m happy,” I confessed in a trembling voice, driving on as the light turned green.

Alec didn’t speak right away, the contrite look on his face letting me know he truly regretted upsetting me. “We should go back.” He suggested evenly.

“Why?”

“You’re missing your party. I’m sure your friends are waiting for you to return. We can go for a longer ride tomorrow.”

“We?” I raised a questioning eyebrow at him, thoughts of my father fading. He had one helluva confident attitude.

“Yes, we.”

I started to argue with him, but I realized I enjoyed his company. What that meant, I wasn’t ready to analyze. Nevertheless, I turned the car around and headed back to the club. “Where were you before? I didn’t see you with the rest of the men.”

“I was asked to bring your present to the party. Your mother’s been hiding it in a safe place for the last couple of weeks.”

I nodded, but remained silent for the rest of the trip.

Alec came around to help me out when I stopped at the club, and I handed him the keys. “Thank you,” I said.

“It’s my job.” He walked me through the crowd until another of Ryan’s men had me in tow. “I’ll park the car and be right in.”

“That’s fine,” I replied without looking back. It was hard not to because I wanted to look back.

The party was still in full swing, and I had no sooner walked through the door before Megan grabbed me.

“So, spit it out!”

“The car’s fabulous! Purrs like a tiger.” I smiled.

“Yeah, yeah, the car...” She rolled her eyes. “Forget about the car! Tell me about the guy!” Her eyes flickered and I knew she had no intention of dropping the subject.

“There’s nothing to tell. Alec is Ryan’s son. He’s a bodyguard, that’s all. His father needed more men for the party, so he called him. I assume he’s leaving soon. His job here is done after tonight.” As soon as I said the words, I realized I didn’t mean them. I fought the feeling.

She crossed her arms, disappointed. “He’s staying at your place?”

“Yeah, for now...”
What are you getting at?

She leaned toward me as her grin turned a shade more wicked. I could see the mischief dancing in her eyes. “Convenient.”

“Okay, what’s going through that kinky mind of yours?” I asked, bracing myself for her answer.

“You could sneak into his room tonight and give him a proper farewell.”

A flush of heat crept up my chest. “You’ve got to be kidding. I’d never do that.”

“I won’t tell Ian.”

“Jeez, Meg, what would Matt say if he heard you talking like this?” I narrowed my eyes at her.

Immediately her face fell. “Hey, I only have eyes for Matt. I’d never cheat on him if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Of course not. I didn’t mean to imply you would.” I placed my hand on her arm.

“But...you and Ian are different. You don’t seem that serious about each other. There’s no chemistry between you two. I’m just saying you should explore your possibilities. I mean...you saw how hot he is, right?”

“I don’t make a practice of jumping into bed with men I’ve just met. I have principles, you know?” I laid it on thick, hoping to push the idea from her head. “Besides, he’s not my type.”

Megan grinned at me. She wasn’t fooled by my protest. “Honey, that man is every woman’s type. Hmmm...” She paused, a knowing look in her eye. “Are you playing hard to get?”

Sticking my chest out, I gave her my haughtiest look. “I am hard to get, Megan. Being with a handsome guy is not enough for me. We need to have common interests and similar backgrounds.”

“Oh, stop it!” Megan laughed. “You aren’t stuck-up. You’re one of the nicest people I know.”

My brow furrowed as I recalled his question about my always getting what I wanted. “Megan, he doesn’t even know me and yet he believes I’m nothing but a rich brat with no feelings.” A hint of dismay entered my tone, and by Megan’s expression, she picked up on it.

“Kris, what happened? You’re a wonderful person. Surely he can see that. Do you want me to—”

“How was the ride, Kris?” Mom interrupted us with a look of happy expectation on her face.

I inhaled sharply to shake the mood I was in, relieved at the interruption. “Just as I imagined it would be. The car rocks, Mom.” I kissed her cheek, thankful.

“I have another surprise for you. I’m thinking you’ll like this one even more.”

“What have you done now?” I smiled. Her joy and excitement was contagious.

“Come with me and see.”

Mother led me to a plush couch. Holding up her hand to silence everyone, she then nodded at a man standing by a large flat screen TV on the wall. Every eye in the room turned to see what was happening.

As Yiruma’s
‘Kiss the Rain’
played, pictures of my childhood unfolded before my eyes. Images of me as a newborn baby, as a toddler, as a teenager and up to the present time all played across the screen. There were pictures of me and Mom right after I was born, of Dad holding me for the very first time, even one of my first birthday as I was blowing out the one candle on a small chocolate cake. A bittersweet ache filled my heart as I saw myself on the first day of school, when I lost my first tooth and the day Dad gave me Marley, a beautiful black stallion. So many memories passed before my eyes. I watched us on vacation. I saw my high school and college graduations, poses of me with my closest dearest friends and lastly a photo of me tonight, on my twenty-first birthday.

By the time it was over, tears were rolling down my cheeks. I was moved by the panorama of my life and the reminders of the people I loved best. Joy and peace flooded the deepest corners of my soul as I leaned into Mom’s arms, wordlessly thanking her for the loving gesture.

“You wished for Daddy to be present at your birthday. So I did everything I could to bring him here for you,” she murmured with tears in her eyes and in her voice.

“It was beautiful, Mom. I didn’t expect it. You really made everything perfect.” I kissed her on the cheek, then wiped my face with a tissue Ana pressed into my hand.

For a brief moment my eyes met Alec’s, but the expression on his face was hard to decipher.
Pity, maybe?
I wondered, but the thought of it made me uncomfortable.
I don’t need anyone’s pity!
I turned away from him and before I knew it Matt scooped me off the couch, swinging me around like a small child.

“Come on, loosen up. Smile. Your father loved you so much. Those pictures were evidence of that. Let’s just party and forget about all of our worries for a little while. Let’s be glad we’re alive,” he spoke kind words of encouragement and I gave him a light nod before he put me down.

Tyler’s voice suddenly came over the microphone and we all turned to watch him on stage holding his guitar.

“Hello, all. I didn’t mean to interrupt an emotional moment like this, but Kristen requested something earlier that I simply couldn’t refuse. So...here it goes.”

I smiled from ear to ear when he started singing and playing the guitar. Some of my friends gasped in surprise. His voice was simply out of this world. Megan and Ana sat on either side of me, singing along, and I raised my glass of champagne when he looked at me.

The lyrics had me thinking of how much I craved a love like the one Tyler and Ellie shared. I noticed her sitting close to the stage, looking at him as if he were the only man on Earth. To her, I was sure he was, and deep down I wondered if I was ever going to be so lucky.

Moving slowly to the music I let myself go, enjoying the moment, but when my eyes found Alec’s again, I froze in place. He was watching me steadily, as if analyzing my every move. He didn’t even turn away when I caught him staring.
What are you thinking?
As usual, his face gave nothing away. He was so darn good at hiding his emotions. Was he checking me out? Was he still pitying me? Were the lyrics having some sort of effect on him?
What do you care, Kristen? You’re just a rich brat, remember?
I fought to be angry at him, but somehow I couldn’t. He never looked away, fixing me with his gaze.

“Happy birthday, Kristen!” Tyler said over everyone’s applause and cheers once he finished the song. “May all your days be as happy as this one.”

I smiled at him and blew a kiss his way, thankful for his gesture. I could tell by the look on everyone’s faces that they were impressed. He seemed to be a really nice man, romantic and loving, which was so hard to find these days.

“Now, I believe it’s cake time!” Tyler announced, once more grabbing everyone’s attention.

A chef and three waiters rolled out a cart which showcased a huge three-layer chocolate cake with blackout filling, adorned with edible decorations and twenty-one lit candles. I clasped my hands together, thrilled by the sight of the flaming confection. Chocolate was my favorite. My mouth watered as I anticipated how delicious it would taste. As my guests all sang Happy Birthday, I made my wish and began to blow out the candles. I remembered my father telling me that if I blew out all the candles at once, my wish would come true. There! I’d done it. Now, only time would tell if I received my heart’s desire for happiness. How it would come, I didn’t know. I just had to have faith that it would.

“Kris, I’m going to head home now and let you enjoy the rest of your party,” Mom told me after finishing her slice of cake. “Alec will bring you home.”

Alec
. I let out a long breath, resigned to the idea that I wasn’t going to be able to avoid him. “All right. Thanks for everything, Mom. I think this was the best birthday anyone’s ever had.” I hugged her hard and she returned my embrace.

“I love you, Kris. So much. Take care now. And don’t forget to come home.” She cocked her head to one side and winked, giving me a motherly warning.

I laughed amused. “I love you too. I’ll make it home, I promise.”

She kissed my cheek, then walked away followed by Ryan, who had been speaking to his son, probably giving him last minute instructions.

“Yeah, Mom’s left! Now we can bring in the strippers!” Megan said, laughing. Her eyes danced with mischief. “We can let them in, can’t we?” she asked Alec, but didn’t wait for his response as she turned back to me. A tipsy grin drew across her lips.

My mouth dropped open, staring at her in amazement. “Oh, no you didn’t!”

“Of course I did! What’s a twenty-first birthday without some hot guys to entertain us?” She giggled, definitely a little groggy from all the drinks she’d consumed.

I shook my head at her in disbelief. I had not expected this.

“Strippers?” Alec questioned. He took Megan off to one side and seemed to be questioning her intently. After a couple of minutes, he gathered a few other men and went to the back door.

Megan returned with a slight frown on her face. “God, he’s intense! And talk about protective! I don’t know if he’ll let them in or not. He’s gone back to frisk them or something.”