True Faces (5 page)

He frowned. “For what?”

I rolled my eyes then groaned as nausea hit
me. “For taking care of me. No one’s ever…it’s nice of you.”

He pulled my tennis shoes and socks off. “Do
you have anyone who can come help you?”

I started to shake my head then remembered
the injury. “No, but I’ll be fine.”

Eric shook his head and started rubbing my
feet. I sighed in pleasure and he said, “I’ll stay with you. You
have to be careful of head injuries, especially since you blacked
out for ten minutes or so.”

I tried to pull my foot away, but Eric just
put it back in his lap and continued rubbing it. “Eric, you really
don’t have to…”

Eric sighed. “Stop it. I’m staying and
there’s nothing you can do about it.” He traded feet and started
working out all of the tension in the other one.

I closed my eyes and felt near unconscious
when Eric smacked my foot making me open my eyes. “Stay awake,
Ciara.”

“
You’re putting me to
sleep.” I mumbled.

He set my foot down and smiled seductively at
me. “I could think of a few ways to keep you up.”

I swallowed as my heart rate picked up and my
body heated up. “I told you that…”

Eric sighed. “I was just kidding, stop acting
so serious. Would you like some tea?”

I nodded my head and Eric picked me up in his
arms. “Wha…what are you doing?”

He smiled. “Taking you to the kitchen to get
some tea.”

I frowned. “I can walk.”

He shook his head. “No you can’t.”

I leaned my head against his shoulder hoping
the dizziness would go away and giving in to the desire.
“Whatever.” I knew it sounded half hearted, but I didn’t care
anymore. He was warm and being nice. The least I could do was enjoy
it. He set me down on one of the barstools and started making tea
for us. I watched him move around my kitchen and a tiny sparkle of
delight settled in my stomach at the thought of him being here all
night. He set my cup in front of me and then sat across the
kitchen’s island to face me. I asked, “So, how come all of those
guys at the club knew you?”

“
I own the club,” He said
nonchalantly between sips of tea.

I stared at him in shock. “You own it?” He
nodded his head. “No wonder the bartender was waiting for your
approval to give me a drink.”

He frowned. “Yes, well apparently you don’t
listen to me as well as he does.”

I smiled. “I’m your employee seven am to six
pm, Monday through Friday. After that I’m my own woman.”

He smiled. “I saw that.”

I stared down at my tea and sighed. “You
should probably leave though. It’s not safe here.”

“
Oh, are you a danger to
me?” He asked with amusement in his voice.

I rolled my eyes. “Obviously not.”

“
Are you in trouble?” He
asked sincerely.

I looked up at his worried face. “It’s
nothing I can’t handle, but I wouldn’t want you to be caught in the
middle if something did happen.”

Eric reached out and set his hand on mine. “I
can take care of myself and I’m not leaving tonight.” I blushed and
looked down. Eric whispered, “I know you’re worried because I’m
your boss, but right now I’m not your boss. I’m your friend.”

I took a sip from the tea and he pulled his
hand back. I wanted to say something about him not even knowing me,
but the truth was I wanted him here. I wanted him to stay with me.
The tea warmed me and I started feeling tired. Eric took the tea
and picked me up in his arms. “I think we need a change of scenery
and a way to keep you awake for a few more hours.”

I groaned. “Hours? I don’t think I can stay
up a few more hours.”

He carried me in to the living room and set
me down on the couch. He started sorting through my CD’s and
smiled. “I guess you don’t like quiet?”

I shrugged. “I’ve learned that some of the
nastier things don’t like loud noises.”

He looked at me in shock. “Nastier things?
Like what?”

Shit. “Uh, like bears.” I said quickly.

He frowned. “Bears? There aren’t any bears in
this area.”

I smiled. “Or maybe I’ve just scared them all
away with my music.”

He laughed and started going through my
movies. “Ah, here is one of my favorite movies. We’ll watch this,
then you should be able to go to sleep.”

I tried to see what he was putting in, but he
hid it and turned on the television. I pulled the afghan off the
back of the couch and wrapped myself in it. Eric pressed play and I
stared at him in shock. “This is one of your favorites?”

He smiled. “Does that surprise you?”

“
Of course it does. Moulin
Rouge is a total chick flick.” I said with a smile on my
face.

Eric frowned. “Real men aren’t afraid to cry
at sentimental movies.”

I laughed softly. “Oh, you are definitely not
an average lawyer.”

He sat down next to me. “Is that a bad
thing?”

“
No, not at all. Actually,
it’s refreshing.”

He hit play and moved an inch closer to me. I
could feel the heat radiating off of him and my body relaxed. I had
never met a man that was so easy to be around. Of course that might
have been due to the fact that a lot of the men in this town
weren’t human. I closed my eyes and focused on my third eye. I
imagined seeing people’s true faces and pleaded with my mind to
open. I opened my eyes and looked at Eric, but still only saw a
man. He asked, “Do you have a headache?”

I sighed. “No, it’s nothing.” I wrapped the
blanket around me tighter and settled in to watch the movie. It was
no use straining myself now, although the thought of graveling to
Akio wasn’t appealing either. I watched as the actors danced and
sung and told their tragic story and my eyelids started growing
heavy. My eyes closed a few times and I found myself lying with my
head on Eric’s shoulder. He watched the movie intently and I
decided that if he cared, he would push me off of him and besides I
was way too comfortable to care. The movie ended and Eric picked me
up in his arms. He turned off the lights and television then
checked the locks. I didn’t weigh much, but I knew I had to be
getting heavy. “Eric, I can walk.”

He shushed me and carried me up the stairs.
He didn’t groan or grunt as he carried me to my room and laid me
down on my bed like I was as light as a child. He turned off the
light and sat down in the leather recliner at the other end of my
room. I frowned. “When did you bring the chair up to my room?”

He laughed softly. “While you were sleeping
during the movie.”

“
I’m sorry. I’ve been very
impolite tonight.”

Eric walked over and smoothed my hair away
from my face and pulled my blankets up. “Go to sleep, Ciara. I’ll
be here when you wake up and nothing will happen to you while I’m
here.”

I scoffed softly. “I’m not worried about
me.”

He shook his head. “I told you I can take
care of myself. Now go to sleep.”

I tried to protest, but sleep yanked away my
free will and everything went black and became peaceful.

The morning sun pressed against my skull and
I groaned. “Five more minutes.”

A quite male voice answered, “I don’t think
the sun will listen to you. It has a mind of its own.”

I bolted upright in bed and moaned in pain as
dizziness forced me on to my back. Eric rushed over to my bed. “I
didn’t mean to frighten you.”

I put my arm over my face to block the
sunlight. “I forgot that you were here.”

He sighed sadly. “Am I so easily
forgotten?”

I moved my arm up and saw his teasing smile.
“It’s too early to banter.”

He scoffed. “It’s ten o’clock. I believe
bantering starts at eight.”

“
Ten? Crap. I haven’t
slept this late in years.”

I tried to sit up, but Eric pushed me back
down. “Just stay in bed. You don’t have anything you have to
do.”

I sat up slowly. “I have to do my workout.
Hangovers are no reason to miss workouts.” I reached up and touched
my wound. “And neither are physical wounds.” I slowly swung my legs
out of the covers and shivered. “Did you turn on the air
conditioner?”

He smiled. “Sorry, I was hot and you seemed
plenty warm under the blankets. I’ll go turn it off.”

I shook my head. “No, it’s alright. It’ll be
another distraction for me to deal with.” I hurried across the room
and to the bathroom and quickly brushed my teeth, used the restroom
and combed my hair. I put my hair up in a ponytail and stared at my
sallow reflection. Note to self, do not drink that much ever again.
I walked out of the bathroom, but Eric wasn’t there. I walked
slowly down the stairs and into the kitchen where I could hear pots
and pans being moved around. Eric was breaking eggs in to a bowl
and had bacon starting on the stove. “Okay, now I feel awful. Let
me make breakfast at least. You babysat me all night and it’s only
fair that I make the breakfast.”

Eric ignored me and continued to break eggs
into the bowel. I grabbed his hand as he started to crack another
one and his lip twitched. He shook his head and smiled. “Alright,
since you insist, but I want it noted that I have no objection to
making breakfast.”

I smiled. “Your comment has been noted for
the record. Now sit down and let me make breakfast.”

He set the egg down and reached towards my
head then stopped. “May I check your wound?”

My heart rate sped up and I nodded my head.
He stood an inch away from me and lifted the bandage on the side of
my head. He nodded his head and smoothed it back down. “It’s
better. You’re healing very fast actually.” He let his hand slide
down my head to my face and stroked his thumb across my cheek. “Are
you feeling alright?”

My body moved forward against my will and
pressed against his. “Yes.”

He bent down slowly and kissed my cheek
softly. “Good.”

My cheeks flared as blood rushed to them. I
turned away from him and flipped the bacon. He sat down in one of
the barstools on the other side of the island pretending not to
notice my blush. I finished making breakfast and made our plates,
sliding his to him. I sat across from him so my body wouldn’t try
to touch him against my will again and we ate in silence. When we
finished, he insisted on helping me do the dishes and we worked
side by side at the sink. I found myself craving the casual touches
he gave me and decided to let him finish the dishes alone. I hid in
the bathroom for a few minutes as I tried to calm my hormones. It
wasn’t working. I walked out of the bathroom and found him watching
television. I started to go towards him when someone knocked on my
front door. I looked at it in shock. No one ever came here. I
started to go toward it when Eric stopped me. “Let me get it.”

I frowned. “Eric, it’s my house.”

“
What if it’s…”

I waved my hand and hurried to the door. Two
muscular men who looked like they’d been using a little too much
juice stood on the doorstep. I opened the door a crack and asked,
“Can I help you?”

The men looked nervous and started fidgeting
with their hands. Finally one of them spoke, “Is Eric here?”

“
Uh, yeah. Hold on.” I
shut the door and locked it before walking to the living room.
“It’s for you.”

He groaned. “Never a peaceful moment.” He
walked to the front door and spoke so quietly to the men that I
couldn’t hear what they were talking about. Eric came back a minute
later looking very angry. “I have to go. Something happened at the
club last night that I need to take care of today.”

“
Okay. Thanks for
everything last night.”

He jiggled his car keys looking nervous then
rushed forward and kissed me on the lips. Fire exploded through me
and my hands found their way behind his neck and into his hair. He
wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him. The
image of us working together flashed across my closed eyelids and I
yanked back from him gasping for air. He smiled and shook his head.
“You are an interesting person. Would it be alright if I came back
to check on you tonight?”

I nodded my head and he left the house. Shit.
Shit. Shit. I was breaking every rule in the book now. Getting
involved with my boss was murder! I’d have to quit. I’d have to
call him and quit before he came over tonight. Why couldn’t my
hormones stop acting so crazy?

I needed a distraction so I turned on
Slipknot and started my exercises. I needed to clear my head and go
to Akio soon because as much as I hated to admit it my third eye
had to open again. I took a cleansing breath and started my
routine, but no matter how hard I tried to clear my vision I could
only see Eric’s face and feel his lips on mine. Two hours of trying
later and I gave up. I had it bad and I had only known him for a
few weeks.

I put in another movie and tried to entertain
myself, but all I could think about was Eric. I finally decided to
go for a run and locked up my house. My body healed a little faster
than a normal human’s so my head wouldn’t hurt as I ran. I ran into
the forest and down the nature trail, which was my favorite place
to go to get away from people. The birds chirped loudly as I ran
passed and the cool air cleared my thoughts. I jogged the trail
twice then went back to the house. I showered and changed and sat
at the television and waited for Eric. The day turned to night and
he didn’t come or stop by. I sighed. Who was I kidding? An
attractive man like him wouldn’t be seriously interested in me. I
would be just another notch on his belt. I stormed up to my room
and read my book, becoming lost in the story and forgetting my
life. It was the best therapy I had. Sunday was worse than Saturday
and Eric never called. Was he hurt? Maybe he had gotten attacked by
one of the guys he protected me from? I picked up my phone and
dialed his phone number. I stared at his number on my phone and
cleared it. I wouldn’t be the needy girl. I couldn’t be the needy
girl. We hadn’t even had a date or anything. I flopped down on my
bed to go to sleep when my phone rang. I answered quickly,
“Hello?”