Chapter 10
Goosebumps pebbled Sheridan's flesh as she stepped inside the Mansion, closing and locking the French doors behind her.
It wouldn't take Luis long to find and try another entrance she was sure, but she felt minimally better knowing she had done her part to annoy the hell out of him, if only for a few seconds.
Droplets of water coursed down her neck, traveling down her exposed back and just about every part of her, and she knew Father would be livid at her for not bothering to towel herself dry. But she hadn't exactly had the chance.
She had been too hell-bent on running away.
From Luis.
WHAT had happened in that pool?
She pushed the disturbing thoughts about what had been ABOUT to happen had she not come to her senses away and started walking in the general direction of Father's library, rubbing her arms briskly to ward off some of the chill.
One of the new maids scurried out of the open library door, her slightly spooked expression morphing into a reproachful scowl.
Sheridan could hear her silent words as clearly as if they'd been shouted. That look could only translate into one thing. 'Miss...you're dripping all over that dreadfully expensive, inhumanely ugly Persian rug.'
The maid's eyes narrowed, and she bustled past Sheridan with a shake of her mousy brown head when Sheridan couldn't contain her amused chuckle at her own silly addition to the woman's internal thoughts.
Sheridan raised a hand to rap her knuckles against the door, pausing mid- motion.
Father hated it when she interrupted his meetings.
She hugged her arms around her waist, wandering across the hall and coming to a stop in front of the ornate mirror hung above a fragrant arrangement of fresh flowers.
Was the mirror Father's or Julian's idea, she wondered.
A pair of deep blue eyes stared back at her, following her every movement, and when she lifted trembling fingers to touch the lips she'd wanted him to kiss so badly, the owner of those deep blue eyes mirrored her actions.
Sheridan's eyes fluttered shut as she imagined the feel of his mouth caressing hers, and a consuming ache coursed through her.
Remembering Luis's reaction to her only made the ache resonate more deeply.
When she opened her eyes, she was stunned by the undeniable purple tint of desire reflecting from them, and the flush creeping warmly up her chest and neck.
Dammit!
This wasn't happening!
She struggled to slow her erratic breathing and heart rates, gasping and whirling around quickly when Julian's face suddenly joined hers in the mirror, his dark eyes strangely troubled.
"Sheridan.I don't think you should."
"Yes, Julian. I am aware that I'm probably making a dreadful mess, but if I had to spend a moment longer in that infuriatingly stubborn and bossy ass's presence.I would have.I would have screamed," Sheridan's tirade against her brother died on her lips as she realized she may have spoken too quickly.
Not to mention.her word choice left something to be desired.
"I'm sorry, Julian. I didn't mean to.you didn't dese.I hate being babysat!" she cried, crossing her arms back over her chest and stalking past Julian.
Something was obviously bothering him, but the muscles of their relationship were old and tired sinews, shriveled from misuse, and she didn't feel like wasting her energy arguing with her lush of a brother.
Her father smiled at her-his frown at her state of undress only a momentary flicker--from behind his desk, the elegant fingers of one hand wrapped around a brand-new cigar while he reached forward with his free hand to disconnect the phone.
"Am I interrupting, Father?"
"No," Alistair answered her. "I'm glad to see you. You, on the other hand, look less than pleased."
Sheridan told herself she was only imagining the hollowness of his timbre, and she forced a smile of relief onto her face as she stepped further into the shadowed room. "Father, the bodyguard isn't working out. I'd feel much more comfortable if."
"Sheridan, Dear." Alistair interrupted her. "If Pilar's son is fired, another man will take his place. I know you enjoy your independence, but is it really that much of a hindrance when you take your well-being into consideration? You're my only daughter, Sheridan. I want you to be safe, and Pilar's son seems to be the most capable man available for the job. Give it some more time. If you still feel the same way in a couple of weeks, approach me again. The drug cartel may not even be an issue by then, and you'll have your cherished freedom again."
Sheridan sighed in resignation. Hopefully, Father was right, and the drug cartel would be captured and punished before she went berserk and tore Luis limb from limb. Or worse. "I'm sorry for inconveniencing you, Father."
"You're never an inconvenience, Dear," Alistair's voice was velvety smooth, and his smile was equally as polished as he beckoned her forward.
Sheridan joined him, looking outside the window at his back.
At the far end of the grounds was a construction site.
Scaffolds and glinting panes of glass, and men diligently working to erect the newest addition to the Crane estate-a greenhouse.
"The foreman says construction is progressing according to plan, but he needs someone to sign off on some last minute changes. Do you think you can handle it, Sheridan? I have a meeting with the Governor, and I couldn't reschedule on such short notice," Alistair explained. "Julian could do the job, but I thought I'd ask you first."
Sheridan smiled, basking in the warm feelings her father's words had created. Her. She was her father's first choice. "Don't worry, Daddy. I'll take care of it. You won't have to reschedule your meeting," she said, leaning forward to press a kiss to Alistair's strong jaw.
"Thank you, Dear. I knew I could count on you."
Sheridan left her father and the library, taking the servants' exit from the Mansion. Her happy mood over her father's acceptance and trust was dispelled only by her displeasure and surprise over seeing Luis emerge from the pool several feet away.
"Sheridan! Sheridan, where do you think you're going?"
She ignored him, the image of his sun-bronzed, water-slick chest already burned into her memory despite the protesting voice inside her head that warned her that continuing to let this THING that existed between them linger would only lead to trouble.
It was better to let the terrible attraction she felt for Luis Lopez- Fitzgerald die a slow death.
She WILLED it to die a slow death.
His feet pounded dully against the grass as he jogged to catch up with her, and she groaned softly when she felt his fingers close around her wrist and pull her around.
"Let go of me," she muttered, mouth drawn into a tight line and incensed blue eyes flashing.
Luis's brown eyes glittered down at her with anger and irritation. "No. I go where you go. I'm with you until this whole mess is over. One way or another. And I'll be damned if I let you die on my watch."
"Fine," Sheridan gritted out, yanking her wrist free from his grip and stalking forward. "You can come, but I don't appreciate you manhandling me. I don't want you to touch me."
Luis resisted the urge to curse her maddening, obstinate as a mule, ways, and ignored her request, order, whatever the hell it was, grasping at her hand and trying to pull her to a halt. "Sheridan.don't.don't run from me."
"I'm not running from you, you idiot," she rolled her blue eyes at him as they neared the skeleton of the future greenhouse. "The foreman needed a signature. I'm taking care of it. Did you actually think that.that 'incident' at the pool had any effect on me? You give yourself too much credit, Officer," she said, steeling herself to the cruel sting of her own voice as she delivered her next words. Steeling herself to the unexpected flash of hurt in his deep brown eyes. "You're not good enough for me."
Luis's hands dropped to his sides, and the hurt in his dark eyes was quickly replaced with white-hot anger. How dare she? "Nobody's ever good enough for the coldest bitch in town." Luis watched in horror as those vivid blue eyes dulled, filling with tears as his words cut her to the core. "Sheridan.Dammit," he swore as she whirled around, trying to regain her composure. "Sheridan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."
"No need to lie now, Luis. You're not sorry. We both know you're not," she managed in a choked voice. "I guess I deserved it. I mean it's true. Isn't it, Luis? I AM a bitch. Hell. **I** even know that much. What I don't know is.why do you even bother? Do you REALLY care if I live or die, or am I another job to you? Tell me, Luis. Tell me," she demanded.
"Sheridan." Luis reached a tentative hand out to her.
Voices-voices of men working, lifting and maneuvering heavy panes of glass, started to sound louder.
The hair on the back of Luis's neck stood up, and his brown eyes left Sheridan's face, traveling upward.
One of the workers stumbled, losing his footing and jarring his grip on the pane of glass.
Luis heart twisted as the man's mouth opened in a silent scream of terror, and the glass seemed to hang in mid-air for several seconds before it started its descent.
And Sheridan was directly in its path.
Goosebumps pebbled Sheridan's flesh as she stepped inside the Mansion, closing and locking the French doors behind her.
It wouldn't take Luis long to find and try another entrance she was sure, but she felt minimally better knowing she had done her part to annoy the hell out of him, if only for a few seconds.
Droplets of water coursed down her neck, traveling down her exposed back and just about every part of her, and she knew Father would be livid at her for not bothering to towel herself dry. But she hadn't exactly had the chance.
She had been too hell-bent on running away.
From Luis.
WHAT had happened in that pool?
She pushed the disturbing thoughts about what had been ABOUT to happen had she not come to her senses away and started walking in the general direction of Father's library, rubbing her arms briskly to ward off some of the chill.
One of the new maids scurried out of the open library door, her slightly spooked expression morphing into a reproachful scowl.
Sheridan could hear her silent words as clearly as if they'd been shouted. That look could only translate into one thing. 'Miss...you're dripping all over that dreadfully expensive, inhumanely ugly Persian rug.'
The maid's eyes narrowed, and she bustled past Sheridan with a shake of her mousy brown head when Sheridan couldn't contain her amused chuckle at her own silly addition to the woman's internal thoughts.
Sheridan raised a hand to rap her knuckles against the door, pausing mid- motion.
Father hated it when she interrupted his meetings.
She hugged her arms around her waist, wandering across the hall and coming to a stop in front of the ornate mirror hung above a fragrant arrangement of fresh flowers.
Was the mirror Father's or Julian's idea, she wondered.
A pair of deep blue eyes stared back at her, following her every movement, and when she lifted trembling fingers to touch the lips she'd wanted him to kiss so badly, the owner of those deep blue eyes mirrored her actions.
Sheridan's eyes fluttered shut as she imagined the feel of his mouth caressing hers, and a consuming ache coursed through her.
Remembering Luis's reaction to her only made the ache resonate more deeply.
When she opened her eyes, she was stunned by the undeniable purple tint of desire reflecting from them, and the flush creeping warmly up her chest and neck.
Dammit!
This wasn't happening!
She struggled to slow her erratic breathing and heart rates, gasping and whirling around quickly when Julian's face suddenly joined hers in the mirror, his dark eyes strangely troubled.
"Sheridan.I don't think you should."
"Yes, Julian. I am aware that I'm probably making a dreadful mess, but if I had to spend a moment longer in that infuriatingly stubborn and bossy ass's presence.I would have.I would have screamed," Sheridan's tirade against her brother died on her lips as she realized she may have spoken too quickly.
Not to mention.her word choice left something to be desired.
"I'm sorry, Julian. I didn't mean to.you didn't dese.I hate being babysat!" she cried, crossing her arms back over her chest and stalking past Julian.
Something was obviously bothering him, but the muscles of their relationship were old and tired sinews, shriveled from misuse, and she didn't feel like wasting her energy arguing with her lush of a brother.
Her father smiled at her-his frown at her state of undress only a momentary flicker--from behind his desk, the elegant fingers of one hand wrapped around a brand-new cigar while he reached forward with his free hand to disconnect the phone.
"Am I interrupting, Father?"
"No," Alistair answered her. "I'm glad to see you. You, on the other hand, look less than pleased."
Sheridan told herself she was only imagining the hollowness of his timbre, and she forced a smile of relief onto her face as she stepped further into the shadowed room. "Father, the bodyguard isn't working out. I'd feel much more comfortable if."
"Sheridan, Dear." Alistair interrupted her. "If Pilar's son is fired, another man will take his place. I know you enjoy your independence, but is it really that much of a hindrance when you take your well-being into consideration? You're my only daughter, Sheridan. I want you to be safe, and Pilar's son seems to be the most capable man available for the job. Give it some more time. If you still feel the same way in a couple of weeks, approach me again. The drug cartel may not even be an issue by then, and you'll have your cherished freedom again."
Sheridan sighed in resignation. Hopefully, Father was right, and the drug cartel would be captured and punished before she went berserk and tore Luis limb from limb. Or worse. "I'm sorry for inconveniencing you, Father."
"You're never an inconvenience, Dear," Alistair's voice was velvety smooth, and his smile was equally as polished as he beckoned her forward.
Sheridan joined him, looking outside the window at his back.
At the far end of the grounds was a construction site.
Scaffolds and glinting panes of glass, and men diligently working to erect the newest addition to the Crane estate-a greenhouse.
"The foreman says construction is progressing according to plan, but he needs someone to sign off on some last minute changes. Do you think you can handle it, Sheridan? I have a meeting with the Governor, and I couldn't reschedule on such short notice," Alistair explained. "Julian could do the job, but I thought I'd ask you first."
Sheridan smiled, basking in the warm feelings her father's words had created. Her. She was her father's first choice. "Don't worry, Daddy. I'll take care of it. You won't have to reschedule your meeting," she said, leaning forward to press a kiss to Alistair's strong jaw.
"Thank you, Dear. I knew I could count on you."
Sheridan left her father and the library, taking the servants' exit from the Mansion. Her happy mood over her father's acceptance and trust was dispelled only by her displeasure and surprise over seeing Luis emerge from the pool several feet away.
"Sheridan! Sheridan, where do you think you're going?"
She ignored him, the image of his sun-bronzed, water-slick chest already burned into her memory despite the protesting voice inside her head that warned her that continuing to let this THING that existed between them linger would only lead to trouble.
It was better to let the terrible attraction she felt for Luis Lopez- Fitzgerald die a slow death.
She WILLED it to die a slow death.
His feet pounded dully against the grass as he jogged to catch up with her, and she groaned softly when she felt his fingers close around her wrist and pull her around.
"Let go of me," she muttered, mouth drawn into a tight line and incensed blue eyes flashing.
Luis's brown eyes glittered down at her with anger and irritation. "No. I go where you go. I'm with you until this whole mess is over. One way or another. And I'll be damned if I let you die on my watch."
"Fine," Sheridan gritted out, yanking her wrist free from his grip and stalking forward. "You can come, but I don't appreciate you manhandling me. I don't want you to touch me."
Luis resisted the urge to curse her maddening, obstinate as a mule, ways, and ignored her request, order, whatever the hell it was, grasping at her hand and trying to pull her to a halt. "Sheridan.don't.don't run from me."
"I'm not running from you, you idiot," she rolled her blue eyes at him as they neared the skeleton of the future greenhouse. "The foreman needed a signature. I'm taking care of it. Did you actually think that.that 'incident' at the pool had any effect on me? You give yourself too much credit, Officer," she said, steeling herself to the cruel sting of her own voice as she delivered her next words. Steeling herself to the unexpected flash of hurt in his deep brown eyes. "You're not good enough for me."
Luis's hands dropped to his sides, and the hurt in his dark eyes was quickly replaced with white-hot anger. How dare she? "Nobody's ever good enough for the coldest bitch in town." Luis watched in horror as those vivid blue eyes dulled, filling with tears as his words cut her to the core. "Sheridan.Dammit," he swore as she whirled around, trying to regain her composure. "Sheridan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."
"No need to lie now, Luis. You're not sorry. We both know you're not," she managed in a choked voice. "I guess I deserved it. I mean it's true. Isn't it, Luis? I AM a bitch. Hell. **I** even know that much. What I don't know is.why do you even bother? Do you REALLY care if I live or die, or am I another job to you? Tell me, Luis. Tell me," she demanded.
"Sheridan." Luis reached a tentative hand out to her.
Voices-voices of men working, lifting and maneuvering heavy panes of glass, started to sound louder.
The hair on the back of Luis's neck stood up, and his brown eyes left Sheridan's face, traveling upward.
One of the workers stumbled, losing his footing and jarring his grip on the pane of glass.
Luis heart twisted as the man's mouth opened in a silent scream of terror, and the glass seemed to hang in mid-air for several seconds before it started its descent.
And Sheridan was directly in its path.