Guarded desires, p.3
Guarded Desires, page 3
“Teams? What happened to them?”
“I fired them for not taking my safety concerns seriously,” Amber said.
“And what are those concerns, exactly?”
“Well, there are the usual concerns that come with being the sole heiress to a family fortune worth billions. But beyond that, I have reason to believe there’s a stalker on my tail.” Amber sat back and crossed her legs. “I’ll tell you more after you accept the job. You and the rest of your team, of course. I’ll need a full security detail, but I want you with me personally at all times. I’ve already discussed the details of the contract with Wheeler. Your team will be paid at 50 percent above your usual rate, and as my personal bodyguard, you’ll receive a bonus on top of that.
It’s a three-month contract initially, after which I’ll consider a more long-term arrangement.”
“And if I say no? Will you still give the team the contract?”
“Are you saying no?” Amber asked. “If you have any issues with what I’ve proposed, by all means, speak up.”
Carmen was silent for a moment. “How did you know I’m military?
“I did a background check on you. And given your background, I’m confident you’re up for the job. You were in the Marines for four years. You were rising up the ranks, had a promising career ahead of you. But then, you chose not to reenlist.”
“I had my reasons.”
“I’m sure you did. Regardless, you have an impressive background, and you’ve proved to be competent. You’re exactly who I need by my side.” Amber folded her arms across her chest. “I need an answer from you, Carmen. I chose you for this job because of your decisiveness. And I don’t make mistakes.”
Nevertheless, Carmen didn’t respond immediately. A second passed, then another. But she was simply delaying the inevitable. She wanted to say yes. Amber could see it in her eyes.
So why the hesitation?
Finally, Carmen spoke. “All right. I’ll take the job. But if we’re going to do this, I’ll need to know exactly what’s going on with this stalker.”
“Certainly,” Amber said. “And I’ll tell you everything when you start work tomorrow. I want you and your team at the Pryce residence at eight a.m., understood?”
Carmen gave her a curt nod. “Understood. Is there anything else?”
“No, that’s all.” Amber rose from her chair. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a dinner engagement to get to.”
She watched Carmen leave the room, following her through the glass walls of the office with her gaze. But even after she disappeared from view, an image of her remained in Amber’s mind, clear as crystal.
Amber liked the woman. It was obvious that she took her job seriously, conducted herself like a consummate professional. Amber respected that. She too had been trained to conduct herself in a way that projected an image of unwavering self-assuredness, to never let any emotions or desires show, to never give in to them, except in private.
Was that why she found Carmen so enticing? Because she knew that behind the mask Carmen wore was a woman, someone passionate and real?
So who was that woman?
Amber took her glass of scotch from the table and finished it off. Now that Carmen had said yes to her, she would have the chance to find out.
C H A P T E R 4
The next morning, Carmen arrived at the Pryce residence at a quarter to eight. She’d done jobs for high-profile clients before. CEOs, politicians, minor celebrities. She was used to being surrounded by wealth and glamour. But those jobs hadn’t prepared her for this.
The Pryce residence was a gilded fortress, sprawled across a vast stretch of land that would be worth a fortune in this part of the city. Although the residence had probably been built years before there was much of a city to speak of. The mansion had that look about it, old, but well kept and stately, with towering sandstone walls and endless gardens.
And it was heavily fortified. Carmen had to drive through two security gates to get inside. If Amber was this well protected, what could possibly have made her feel unsafe enough to fire multiple bodyguard teams?
She made her way to the front doors of the mansion, where Wheeler stood giving instructions to the other members of the team over an earpiece.
He gave her a nod as he finished off his conversation.
“Morning, Wheeler,” she said.
“Torres,” he replied. “I’ve spoken to Pryce about how we’re going to handle this. She wants your full attention on her, so I’ll take care of logistics and coordinate the team as
a whole. But ultimately, you’re in charge here. If you need extra bodies or have any specific orders for us, we’re at your disposal at all times. I’ve got the entire core team on this job, so you’ll have plenty of extra bodies.”
Carmen nodded. “Understood.” The core team numbered a dozen, but there were others on call for when they needed more people.
“I’m assigning the rest of the team to positions around the residence. Hudson will be your closest contact if you need someone in a pinch.” He paused. “I don’t know what you did to make an impression on Pryce, but it got us this contract. You did good.”
Carmen shrugged. “I don’t know what I did either.”
She recalled her conversation with Amber the previous evening. You caught my attention. Was that purely in a professional sense?
“Pryce is waiting for you inside,” Wheeler said. “She strikes me as the kind of woman you do not want to keep waiting.”
That was something Carmen had gathered about Amber already.
She pushed the doors to the mansion open and stepped inside. The interior of the house matched the outside, with marble floors, a grand staircase, and sparkling chandeliers, along with staff dressed in crisp black and white uniforms.
The house was a palace, fit for royalty.
Barely a second passed before a butler approached her, addressing her as Miss Torres and informing her that Amber would see her in the drawing room.
Carmen followed him through the mansion until they reached a spacious living room. The butler offered her a seat. She chose to stand instead. She didn’t want to get comfortable.
She stood by, waiting. A minute passed, then two, then five. Just as Carmen’s attention began to wander, Amber appeared.
She swept into the room with the same regal bearing as at the charity auction, the same manner that made everyone turn and look at her. But Carmen wasn’t mesmerized by her anymore, not like she’d been that night at the auction. After their conversation in Amber’s office, the woman’s bossy, demanding nature had overshadowed any allure in Carmen’s eyes.
So why had her heart sped up when Amber entered the room?
“Good morning,” Amber said. “You’re right on time.”
She took a seat on a chaise lounge across from where Carmen stood, folding her hands in her lap and crossing one heeled foot over the other. In a sleek A-line dress and heels, with her elegantly styled hair and perfect manners, she was the picture of a lady.
But that was where any resemblance to old-fashioned notions of femininity ended. That intensity, that fierceness Amber was known for, radiated from her.
She gestured to the chair across from her. “Have a seat.”
“I’ll stand,” Carmen said.
“I insist. Sit.”
Carmen sat. A hint of satisfaction flashed in Amber’s eyes. She obviously wasn’t used to being defied. It was becoming more and more obvious that Amber was a woman who expected to be treated like a queen.
Now that Carmen was working for her, would Amber expect her to bow to her?
The butler returned, serving Amber coffee in a cup and saucer before offering Carmen refreshments. Carmen declined. She wasn’t here to have tea. She was here to do her job.
Amber took a sip of her coffee before returning her attention to Carmen. “I can tell you’re eager to get down to business, so let’s get started, shall we? As we’ve already
discussed, I require you to be with me at all times. I’m holding you personally responsible for my security.”
“Understood,” Carmen said. “And if I’m going to keep you safe, I need some information from you. I need to know all about your usual movements, your schedule, any close contacts, details of the residence’s security system, and so on.”
Amber nodded. “I can provide all of that for you.”
“And I need to be informed of any known threats to your safety. Like this stalker.”
“Ah, yes. It was only a matter of time before you brought that up.” Amber set her coffee cup down in the saucer. “It’s difficult to explain what’s going on. All I have are some letters. And a feeling. Someone is stalking me. I just know it.”
“Why don’t you tell me about it?” Carmen asked. “When did you first notice that something was going on?”
“A couple of months ago, when I received the first letter.”
“What did it say?”
“It’s easier if I show you.” Amber reached across to the side table and picked up a pile of papers. Letters. “Here.
They’re in chronological order.”
She handed them to Carmen. Carmen scanned the first letter.
I can’t stop thinking about you… I miss you. I want to see you again… I want to be with you…
“They’re all unsigned, with no return address,” Amber said. “And they’re postmarked from various locations around the city. As you can see, the contents of the letters are overly familiar, but I have no idea who the person writing them is.”
Overly familiar was one way of putting it. The letter read as if it were written by a lover, extolling the virtues of Amber in a way that felt very intimate.
“The first letter made me uneasy, but I assumed it was just from an admirer. My family is well known, so I’ve attracted more than one overzealous fan in the past. But this feels different. And the letters, they’ve become increasingly disturbing.”
Carmen flipped to the next letter, then the next. They all contained language that suggested an intimate relationship with Amber. And each letter became more and more neurotic, more obsessive.
I can’t get you out of my head. I need to see you again. I need to touch you, feel you. I want to explore every part of you, taste your lips, breathe your essence. I still remember the scent of you, of your hair, of your skin…
I love you. I need you…
You’re my everything…
I’d give my life for you.
The rest of the letters were more of the same. One simply had the phrase I love you written over and over for half a dozen pages.
But the most recent letter ended with a declaration, bordering on a threat.
I’ll do anything to be with you. Whatever it takes, I will be yours again.
Carmen set the letters down on the table in front of her.
“I can see why you’re concerned. So you don’t have any ideas about the sender’s identity?”
Amber shook her head. “Nothing. The letters, they’re written as if the person has a history with me, but I have no idea who they are. I can’t think of anyone in my life who it could be. Whoever sent these is delusional.”
“So you believe they’re a stranger? Not a jilted ex, a former lover?”
“I’ve considered the possibility, but I’ve spoken to every ex, every lover. They deny any involvement.”
“And you believe them? They could be lying.”
“No, that’s not a possibility. I’m very selective about my lovers. There have been very few of them for that reason. I only enter into relationships of any kind with women who I trust. So I believe them when they say they’re not involved.”
It didn’t surprise Carmen that Amber was interested in women. Amber was notorious for keeping her personal life private, never appearing in public with a partner of any gender. But inevitably, rumors spread. And rumors that Amber Pryce was a lesbian were rife, especially among the women of the city who were the same way inclined.
Besides, Carmen had sensed it in the way that Amber kept looking at her, with those charged glances that made her hot all over.
Amber interrupted her thoughts. “While I’m certain it isn’t anyone I’ve had an intimate relationship with, I do wonder if this person is close to me, somehow.”
“Why is that?” Carmen asked.
“It isn’t just the overly familiar letters. Lately, I’ve been getting the sense that I’m being watched.”
“What have you noticed?”
“Nothing specific. It’s just a feeling. That’s why I haven’t gone to the police. I have no proof, no evidence. But I just know someone is after me. And whoever it is, they’ve created this delusion of a relationship with me. They’re obviously unhinged.”
Amber was right. This wasn’t much to go off of. But it was clear from the contents of the letters that the sender was unstable. And as Carmen studied Amber’s impassive face, she saw something flicker behind her eyes, just like it had that moment outside the charity auction.
Fear.
Whatever was going on, Amber was afraid. And she wasn’t the kind of woman who was scared of anything.
But as quickly as that fear had appeared, it was gone. “I know that I’m right,” she said. “And I don’t care if you
believe me or not, as long as you do your job and keep anyone dangerous from getting close to me.”
“I believe you,” Carmen said. “And I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe. But if I’m going to do that, I’ll need you to follow my directions when it comes to matters of security.”
Amber gave her a stiff nod. “Certainly.”
But something told Carmen that following directions wasn’t something Amber was accustomed to.
“You’re going to have to take some precautions until we have a better sense of the threat this stalker poses,”
Carmen said. “There’s only so much my team and I can do.
Fortunately, the residence here is well fortified. If we limit your external movements, it will be easy to keep you out of harm’s way.”
Amber shook her head. “Absolutely not. While I’m willing to be more careful, I refuse to stay locked up in my house. I have a busy schedule.”
Carmen held back a sigh. Amber wasn’t going to be an easy client. “We’ll come back to that. How about we talk about what we can do to protect you here in the residence?
While it’s very secure, its size means that we’ll need to make sure any potential vulnerabilities are covered, particularly when it comes to the parts of the house you spend the most of your time in.”
“Certainly. I’ll give you a tour. If you’re going to be living here, you’ll need to get to know the place.”
“Living here?”
“Of course. You’re my personal bodyguard. You’re to be with me at all times, aside from your days off.”
Carmen held up her hands. “Hold on. I didn’t agree to that.”
“It’s all in the contract. I discussed it with your boss. I assumed he told you.”
“He failed to mention that.” Probably because he was desperate to lock in such a lucrative contract. “Look, I can
rotate out with one of the other team members at night, but I can’t move here.”
“It’s part of the deal. I want you here all the time, or not at all.” Amber folded her arms across her chest. “This contract is for the next three months. Once it ends, I’ll decide whether I want to renew it long-term, and we can revisit the terms. But until then, I expect you to be here, day and night.”
Why was Amber so insistent on having Carmen with her? But given that the entire contract hinged on Carmen being Amber’s personal bodyguard, what choice did she have? She couldn’t let the team down by losing the contract for them.
Besides, it was only for a few months. She could think of it as just another tour of duty. And a very cushy one at that.
“All right,” she said. “But I need to talk to Jo about this.”
Amber cocked her head to the side. “Jo?”
“Joanna, my sister. I’m her guardian. She’s 18 now, but I’ve never left her alone for long, so I need to make sure she’ll be okay fending for herself.”
“I understand. You have a duty to your family, and I respect that. But as soon as you’ve cleared things with your sister, I want you to move into the residence.”
Carmen nodded. “I’ll talk to her tonight.”
Amber rose from her seat. “Come, I’ll show you the house.”
She swept off out of the room and into the hall, barely giving Carmen a chance to follow her. Carmen suspected this was going to be something she’d need to get used to.
“We’ll start from the entrance and work our way back,”
Amber said. “The residence is quite large. It’s over 350
years old, and it’s been in my family for generations. I grew up here, but I only moved back in recent years when my mother moved to the summer residence. I suppose you could say I’m the mistress of the house now.”
Summer residences? Mistress of the house? Amber lived in an entirely different world to Carmen.
They made their way through the house from room to room, Amber describing each one and its function. The sunroom. The drawing room. The receiving room. Carmen took mental notes on every room and hallway, memorizing any potential security vulnerabilities. The east sitting room had an entry door into the garden that didn’t lock properly.
The balcony off one of the upstairs guest suites was scalable, if an intruder was determined enough.
Finally, they reached Amber’s personal quarters.
“This wing of the house is mine,” she said. “It’s off limits to the general house staff so that I can have some privacy, but a select few of the housekeepers are allowed to come and go. Of course, you’ll have free run of the house, including my wing.”
Carmen followed her through the door to Amber’s wing, where Amber proceeded to show her each room within it.
“That’s my personal sitting room, where I go when I want to relax,” she said. “My study is through there. And this is my bedroom.”
They had to pass through a smaller antechamber before reaching the bedroom. Once inside it, Carmen checked the windows and the balcony. They were secure. No one would be getting into the house through them.
