“This is St. James’s Park, and just over there...” He pointed through an opening in the trees. “...is Buckingham Palace.”
“We’re in London?”
Drew chuckled. “No, Kerrigan, my dear. We’re not in London. This is my sanctuary. No one has ever been here before you, and I daresay, no one ever will again.”
Her interest was piqued. “We can do that? Pull someone into our sanctuary?”
A mother Mandarin waddled onto the bank with three ducklings following in her wake. The mother stopped and watched as her babies approached Kerrigan and squawked up at her for attention. Not sure if the mother would attack her, she reached a cautious hand out. One duckling stepped toward her and put the top of its head to the underside of her hand. It closed its eyes and rubbed the softest pelt she had ever felt against her palm. Fearing no danger, the other two ducklings joined their sibling, and Kerrigan giggled at the tickle of new down softness against her skin. The mother Mandarin quacked an order at her children and then turned to walk away. The ducklings fell in line behind her, leaving Kerrigan dumbfounded and amazed by what had just happened.
She took a deep breath and turned to Drew. “Wow... Does that happen to you often?”
He smiled. “No. As often as I’ve been coming to my sanctuary, which is since my early childhood, that has never happened to me.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t sure what to make of that. And then she remembered what they had been talking about. “So, back to my question.”
He nodded and looked out over the water. “Yes, you can. I had heard my parents speak of bringing others into their sanctuary before, but never found anyone worthy enough to try it with for myself... until now.” He gave her a meaningful look. When she glanced away, apparently uncomfortable by his admission, he grazed his long fingers along her jaw, encouraging her to turn her attention back to him. Eyes of glazed honey held her captive. “We’re of the same breed, you and me. So much about you amazes me. Even just a few moments ago when I saw the Light glowing in the majestic blue of your eyes... I just knew I was right about you.”
“How do you mean?” Her voice was meek, and her attention drifted down to her lap before returning to his eyes again. She didn’t know if she wanted to know the answer, but her curiosity demanded she ask the question.
He may never have another moment quite like this with her, and he would be a fool to let the opportunity pass him by without saying what was on his mind. “While it is true that other Guardians possess most of the same qualities, there is something extra special about you. I don’t know what it is, and believe me, I’ve tried to figure it out. There’s a pull that I feel toward you that I haven’t felt toward any other Guardian with whom I’ve come into contact. When I’m around you, all I want to do is give you everything you need. Even now as you sit here in my most sacred of places, you’re absorbing my energy. It’s the connection we share. Our sanctuaries are pure energy, the Light in its most undiluted form. You feel more rejuvenated, don’t you?”
Kerrigan nodded.
“I’m giving you all of me because from the moment I laid eyes on you, it is all I’ve felt driven to do.”
Silence fell between them. A slight blush colored her cheeks, and his heart warmed. He loved looking at the radiance of the sun illuminating the natural highlights of her hair. Beautiful seemed like a very inadequate word to describe the woman sitting next to him, but so were words like stunning, gorgeous, and ravishing. She was magnificently exquisite there in his space.
She belonged.
No longer content to hold her tongue, Kerrigan finally asked the question they were both waiting for her to ask. “And what do you think that means?”
Drew chuckled. “Well, it either means I’ve gone mad or, my best guess would be that we’re soul mates.”
Soul mates... those two words, insignificant when they stood separately, were enough to send her reeling. She closed her eyes to the dizzying feeling that took over her mind. Her concentration on the moment completely shattered, and she was sent free-falling back out of Drew’s sanctuary.
When she felt her mind still, she opened her eyes to see Drew standing before her in the dining room with his arms still wound tightly around her. God, those eyes... they probed her senses, looking for something he would never find.
She shook her head emphatically and pulled out of his hold. “That’s not possible, Drew. I’m sorry, but I’m not your soul mate.”
“Would it be so terrible?” He tried not to feel insulted. Her reaction was only normal, after all. She was already spoken for, and a Guardian is very loyal to the one to whom they have pledged their devotion. But perhaps she decided too early, made the wrong choice when there didn’t seem to be another option.
“I didn’t say it would be terrible. I said it’s not possible. In order for that to be true, we would both have to feel the same way, and I don’t feel that way about you. I feel that way about Dominic, but so much more than just wanting to give him what he needs. He’s the man I love, and the love he gives me in return sustains my soul. When we’re apart, it’s like a part of me is missing, and I don’t feel whole again until he’s back by my side. I believe that is the definition of a soul mate, wouldn’t you agree?”
Perhaps, but he wasn’t convinced... yet. There was only one way to find out for sure.
His eyes never left hers when he reached up and cupped her face, tilting his head in preparation for what was obviously going to be a kiss. Kerrigan pulled back just enough to let him know she wouldn’t let that happen.
He grinned in a way that would make any other woman putty in his hands. “Humor me, Miss Cruz. I need to prove it to myself. I promise not to press my advantage.”
Her eyes were kind and her smile genuine when she took his hands. “One day, you’re going to find your soul mate, Andrew Dickens. You’ll fall madly in love, and you’ll share everything with each other. No secrets, no lies, just unconditional love. But today is not that day.”
He looked down at their joined hands and let out a long breath before regarding her with a questioning expression. “If that’s true—if you and Dominic are all those things... then answer me this: when are you planning to tell your soul mate, the person with whom you keep no secrets, that you’re pregnant with his child?”
The beat of Kerrigan’s heart stilled, unwilling to pump one ounce of blood through her chilled veins. The color drained from her face, and her features became stoic, immobilized. Yet her mind never stopped working, frantically trying to piece together the whos, whats, and hows of her counterpart’s conclusive question.
“H-how did you—”
“I told you, we share a connection. Nothing is secret to me in my sanctuary. I see everything there, much like I’m sure you do in yours.” He left out the part about his uncanny knack for being able to decipher truth. In the human world, he relied on his education and the Ring of Truth, but in his sanctuary, even secrets and lies unspoken were revealed.
“Please, Drew... you can’t tell him,” she begged, squeezing his hands and pleading with her eyes. “You just can’t, okay. Promise me!”
“Calm down, Kerrigan. I assure you, I have no intention of telling secrets that aren’t mine to tell,” he said, reminding her of the very same words she had said to him at their first training session. “I’m merely curious as to why you haven’t told him. Surely if the one you’re convinced is your soul mate truly were you’d be able to tell him that you’ve created a life together.”
She paced, frustrated by all the secrets she couldn’t tell, even though she had preached to Dominic about doing the exact same thing. She was a hypocrite, but she knew it was in his best interest, at least right now. “I can’t. You... you can’t possibly understand what that would do to him.”
“Wouldn’t it make him happy?” He watched as she paced back and forth in front of him. “I know if you told me you were carrying my child, I’d be elated. Surely a man lucky enough to earn your devotion has a sense of honor???
?
Kerrigan stopped in her tracks and ran her hands through her hair, exasperated. “It’s not about that. It’s... it’s complicated... at best.” Her arms fell to her sides as she turned toward him. “Please, Drew. I need you to swear you won’t say anything to him. When the time is right, I will tell him; it’s just not right now. Please... swear it.”
Convinced he wasn’t going to get anything out of her, like every other time, Drew did the only thing he could. He put his hand over his heart and bowed, his eyes never leaving hers. “I swear it... on my honor as a Guardian of the Light.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
Thoughts of Kerrigan Cruz had infiltrated Drew’s mind and refused to leave. She was pregnant with Dominic’s baby, but that didn’t change the fact that he was falling for her, and falling hard.
He had promised her he wouldn’t say anything to her boyfriend, and he wouldn’t. Not only was it his duty as a Guardian, but it was also his duty as a friend. She needed to trust him, and trust was earned, not given. But if the reason she wasn’t telling Dominic was because she thought he wouldn’t want her or the baby, then Mr. Grayson was the biggest idiot on the face of the planet, and he would feel no shame stepping in to fulfill his role.
A huge part of him wanted to take Kerrigan in his arms right then and there and swear loyalty to her. He didn’t care that she was carrying another man’s child. He would take that child and raise it as his own while still giving her everything she had ever hoped or dreamed. Did that make him a man of honor or a louse? Coveting another man’s woman wasn’t exactly noble, but what if Kerrigan was actually his soul mate as he suspected; would that still make it wrong?
Deep in thought about that fact, he barely registered having dropped his car off at the valet and walking through the ornate lobby of the Casa Monica Hotel. The young lady behind the counter greeted him with a warm, friendly smile, and he nodded at her in kind. The lobby was surprisingly empty for so early in the evening, but he suspected most guests were out on the town enjoying the local attractions.
He didn’t have to wait long for the elevator doors to open, and since he and Akasha were the only ones waiting to hitch a ride, he didn’t have to worry that a fellow guest might be intimidated by riding up with his sidekick. Once inside, he pressed the button for his floor, and the doors began to close. At the last possible moment, a woman’s voice called, “Hold the elevator, please!” Always the gentleman, Drew stuck his hand through the shrinking gap in the door, prompting it to pull back.
The woman was very attractive, and the short, fitted dress she wore accented her voluptuous curves in all the right places. Her hair was dark with a streak of white in the front that nearly matched her pale skin. Lips of blood red smiled at him, and she batted her lashes, drawing his attention to her curiously dark eyes.
“Thank you.” The black spiked heels she wore matched the slinky little number she had on, adding to the allure of her sexuality.
Drew found his stare lingering a little longer than what was necessary on her exposed ample cleavage. She bent over at the waist to pet Akasha’s head, giving him an even better view while she oohed and ahhed.
“What floor?”
She looked at the panel and smiled back at him. “Same as yours it would appear.” She straightened to her full height and moved closer to him, even though there was plenty of room in the elevator to accommodate more than ten other guests.
“So, are you here on vacation or business?” she asked.
“I’m on holiday,” Drew answered.
“Oh, you’re British. I’ve always loved a British accent.”
Drew gifted her that dazzling smile. If a gorgeous woman wanted to flirt, he saw no reason why he shouldn’t flirt right back. “Is that right?”
“Mmhmm.” Her tone was sultry. “Most women swoon over men who are fluent in Spanish, French, or Italian... but for me, it’s always been an attractive man with a British accent. You get the seduction of the foreign dialect, but you can still understand what he’s saying.”
Drew unleashed the full power of his bedroom eyes and gave her a smile that said everything a gentleman shouldn’t. “And do you find me attractive?”
She lowered her gaze, sweeping over the length of his body. Her fingertips danced along the bodice of her dress and she looked up at him. “I find you very attractive.”
His male libido took over, and his thoughts turned to something more primal—the need to feel wanted, desired by the opposite sex. He may not be able to have Kerrigan Cruz, but perhaps spending a little quality time with a woman who looked very much like she knew how to please a man would suffice. “You wouldn’t happen to be free for the evening, would you?”
The woman leaned in closer, running her hands along the bicep of his left arm. “That depends. What do you have in mind?”
The elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened. Drew leaned closer to her ear and brushed the hair away from her neck. “A nightcap and then perhaps a bit of noncommittal fun to relieve some of the tension associated with pent-up sexual frustration. Does that sound like something you might be interested in?” He brushed his lips across her neck, enticing her even more.
“I do believe you’re speaking my language.” She was up for anything. That was a good thing, because it was going to take a lot to get his mind off of Kerrigan Cruz. In fact, it would probably be her face that he saw when he inevitably made love to the all too willing woman by night’s end.
Drew straightened and took her hand, leading his companion for the night and his ever-faithful canine friend out of the elevator and into the hallway. With his hand pressed to the small of her back, he walked her to the door of his suite. A fleeting thought crossed his mind, and he turned to her.
“You must think me a cad. I haven’t even introduced myself,” he said. “My name is Andrew, but my friends call me Drew. And you are?”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Drew. I’m Sinclair.”
Easy wasn’t even the word to describe how effortlessly Sinclair had managed to lure the English cod into her trap and set the hook. Although, she wouldn’t exactly call him a fish. There definitely wasn’t anything wet, slimy, scaly, or stinky about her prime catch. All she had to do was reel him in, and little miss prissy Kerrigan Cruz’s gift would be rendered useless. With Drew madly in love with her, she and Drake would have their very own surprise weapon who just so happened to have a few Light tricks of his own up his sleeve. They could fight fire with fire, or in this case, Light with Light.
She had to hand it to Drake. He was a genius. For weeks he had forbidden her from going anywhere near Kerrigan and Dominic to exact her revenge. Not only that, but he had stayed away from her dreams as well. It was a form of punishment for her earlier blunder, but she knew he was always watching. She did as she was told, unwilling to spark his ire and have his retribution turn more severe. Drake could be downright imaginative when it came to thinking up ways to teach her a lesson. His methods may have been cruel, but they were nothing short of what she deserved. Besides, she was always rewarded for her endurance afterward.
Drew Dickens was no Drake D’Mon, but he wasn’t half bad to look at either. Even when she had drugged Dominic with her infamous love spell, she had never taken advantage of his relentless attempts to bed her. This time wouldn’t have been any different except Drake had ordered her to take whatever steps necessary—even if it meant sacrificing her own body to Drew’s vile pleasure—to make sure the Guardian was a puppet in her pocket. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. She had never let another man touch her as intimately as Drake had, but if it came down to it, she would do anything to make him happy. Anything.
Surveying the piece of property they hoped to obtain, she knew it would be no sacrifice. And it most definitely wasn’t going to be vile. She would have to remember to pretend to be disgusted by her actions when she was around Drake. Her soul mate’s body might sing a symphonic chorus to her, but it didn’t mean she couldn’
t enjoy the intermission before getting him back in his physical form.
It was during their surveillance of the Cruz stronghold—which required some pretty impressive maneuvering—that they had first learned of the British Guardian. Once they saw him use his gift, he had become their prime target. Hours of watching and waiting had paid off. It was quite obvious that the new guy had a thing for Kerrigan, although he was too much of a man of honor to act on it. Sinclair’s role was to put a dent in that chivalrous armor and a kink in that chain of obligatory loyalty. If she could offer him what Kerrigan refused, maybe he would swing in their direction. Sinclair’s little Love Potion No. 9 was going to see to it.
Hell, maybe she wouldn’t even need to use the stuff. Hadn’t she just seduced the dashing Mr. Dickens in less than five minutes with the power of her womanly wiles alone?
Yeah, I’ve still got it like that, Sinclair thought. She tossed her long mane over her shoulder and followed Drew into his suite.
“Please, make yourself at home.” He pointed her in the direction of a spacious sitting area fit for a king.
She slinked past him, making sure to give her rounded hips a little extra sway. A real woman never called it quits in her endeavor to woo a man until that man was completely under her control. They had the attention span of a child and grew bored easily, so the trick was to always keep them interested.
She looked around the richly decorated room. “Nice digs.”
Drew shrugged and continued filling his dog’s water bowl. “It’s not so bad.” He sat the bowl down and left the kitchen after scratching the dog behind the ear. Then he walked over to the minibar and pulled out two glasses before surveying the liquor supply. “I’m afraid I don’t have any champagne, but I can have room service bring some up if you like.”
Sinclair sat on the plush, leather couch and crossed her legs in an almost catlike movement. She sighed and twirled her hair around a slender finger adorned with a long, polished nail that matched the color of her lips. Dark eyes shifted left and then looked straight at Drew. “I was never much of a champagne girl, anyway. I like my liquor like I like my men: tall, dark, and rich with a handsomely bold flavor to make my taste buds purr.” There was no mistaking the innuendo. Her crimson lips caressed each syllable to demonstrate her point. “Whiskey... on the rocks.”