Guarding Raine Part 23

" She followed him downstairs to the front door. He indicated a panelthat had been ensconced on the wall. " Every door and window is wiredinto this system.

The lock has been changed on this door, and a dead bolt added.

The side and back doors also have dead bolts.

The same keys open all three doors.

Once you open the door with your key, you have two minutes to get tothis panel and type in a code you'll select.

If the code is typed in correctly, the alarm will stay off.

If not, it will sound, and loudly.

" Raine studied the panel, fascinated in spite of herself. Across the inside cover of the panel door was a tape emblazoned with the name of awell-known alarm and security-system company. " Once the alarm sounds,it will simultaneously ring this company.

" Mac tapped the name she'd been reading. " You'll have a contract with them that guarantees they'll have someone at your door in lessthan twenty minutes.

" " Why both kinds of alarms?

" she questioned. " Protection," he said bluntly. " Noise has been known to scare off would-be intruders.

And if it doesn't, the contract ensures that you'll have someone outhere to check on things.

The same thing with the windows.

If one is broken, the wires running through it will also trigger thealarms.

I can program the panel right now, if you're ready.

"Ready?

" she asked, at a loss. " What do I have to do?

" " Give me six numbers that mean something to you, so you'll be sureand remember them.

Lots of people pick a date, but if you do, try to stay away from theobvious ones like your birthday.

We don't want someone to look up basic information on you and come outhere and be able to get into your house.

" After a moment, she recited six numbers to him. Mac programmed theminto the panel, and the red light went on, indicating that the alarmwas activated2 " What happens if I don't get to the panel within twominutes?

" she asked interestedly. " The alarm will go off, and the companywill dispatch someone over here.

Try not to let that happen too frequently," he advised dryly. " They'll add a charge to your bill for unnecessary trips.

" " It would make more sense for them to call first," she saidlogically. " Or for the owner to be able to call and tell them there's been a mistake.

" " This company doesn't operate that way anymore," he said shortly.That was why he used them. That phone call could be made under duress,and there was no way for the security guard to know for sure ifservices were really needed. " It makes them more expensive, but !

think they're worth it.

" He opened the door and motioned for her to precede him. On the porchwas a stack of bright yellow signs, with the name of the securitycompany written across them in bold black letters. " No," she saidflatly, understanding his intent before he spoke a word. " I will not have those strewn across my lawn like forgotten campaign posters.

" He gave her a hard look. " They can be effective.

Most burglars have been at their trade for quite a while.

They're familiar with the names of the systems.

This one's reputation is the best.

It could convince a would-be intruder to try his luck elsewhere.

" Her lips firmed and she didn't say anything. She didn't care what Macauley's reasonings were. As soon as he was gone from here, thosegarish signs would be in the trash. She had to live with the intrusion of security panels and alarms, new doors and windows. She wasn't going to let the rolling splendor of her lawn be spoiled. Mac led the wayaround the corner of the house. She gasped, for the first timenoticing that the wild honeysuckle bushes had been cut back from thehouse, the vines had been pruned to practically nothing, and all the bushes had been shorn. " We had to clear the brush away from the house," he explained tersely,seeing her reaction. " You can't afford to have anything around thehouse or windows that would be large enough to conceal a person.

You don't want any unpleasant surprises.

"~ " No, but I'm sure getting plenty today," she muttered under herbreath.

If he heard her words, he ignored them. " The flowers were left alone,for the time being.

As long as they don't get too tall, they shouldn't be a problem.

" He read her mutinous expression accurately, and lectured, " You'regoing to have to think like this, Raine.

Start making some decisions based on what would be safest for you.

" Safest." She regarded the word with irony. She wasn't sure how safe she was ever going to feel in her home again, after this ordeal was over. She felt as though it had been violated, first by whoever wa.s.sending the letters and now by the security measures. It would probably never again seem as sacrosanct a haven, and she felt amelancholy regret. " I plan to add several more security lights," hewent on. Glancing at her, he said, " We really didn't have to do muchrewiring.

Some had been done fairly recently.

" " I had it done right after I bought the house," she confirmed.Though she'd been anxious to move in right away, there hadn't. been near enough lighting for her to feel comfortable here. She'd had all new wiring done, with several more electrical plates installed. She wondered if Macauley had thought it odd when he'd seen all the lightplates in her house. The electrician she'd hired hadn't made anyattempt to hide the fact that it was one of the strangest requests he'dever had. But it had been worth it to be certain that she would never have to walk into a dark room. There would come a time, she hoped,when such measures would no longer be necessary, when she wouldn't fearspecters hidden by the dark. But until then, she'd taken the necessaryprecautions to make certain that she would never be trapped in thedarkness again. Chapter Cooked up from the grilled chicken breast shewas cutting. Macauley was eating steadily, giving her no idea of hisopinion of the meal. Her lips tilted upward. She guessed he wasenjoying it. He wasn't saying a word, but he was devouring thechicken, rice and potatoes she'd prepared. The garden fresh peas, shenoted, were left at the side of his plate. She made a mental note not to prepare them again while he was here. His eyes caught hers then,and he put his fork down. " Sorry.

Didn't mean to eat like a ravenous animal.

" She shook her head, still smiling. " It's nice to see you enjoy themeal.

" He ate like he did everything else, she observed, silently andefficiently.

" There's another chicken breast here.

" She offered the plate to him, and he speared the meat, dropping it onhis dish. " I don't get much chance to enjoy someone else's cooking,"he admitted. " I usually order takeout or have to make do with my ownconcoctions.

" " What do you cook?

" she asked curiously. As she'd done the grilling she'd decided that.i.t would be a shame to waste the lovely evening, so they were eating onthe patio. He finished chewing and swallowed. " Well, my menu's kindof limited.

Mostly I stick to meal choices one, two, three or four.

" She laughed. " What in heaven's name are they?

" Meal one is chicken noodle soup with rice and mushrooms added.

" Raine made a face, and he shook his fork at her. " Don't knock it,it's pretty good.

Then meal two is hamburgers and French flies.

Meal three is a steak and potato and meal four consists of kitchen-sinkstir fry.

" " Don't tell me," she said, " you throw everything in except"-- " Thekitchen sink.

" He nodded. " Right.

" " Everything but peas," she noted, nodding at his plate. " You caught me,"

he said without apology. " Even now that I have choices, I'm notfinicky.

There's not much I won't eat, and haven't.

But I draw the line at peas.

" Finicky would hardly describe his appet.i.te, she mused. He'd eaten everything else she'd put in front of him. " What do you mean, nowthat you have choices?

Has that been a recent change?

" He mentally cursed his verbal blunder. That was exactly why he hatedthese a.s.signments. He didn't know how to make the kind of casual dinner conversation that would keep his clients happy, and he d.a.m.n welldidn't want to talk about himself. Four years out of the field haddulled his senses.

He would never have made a slip like that before, or he wouldn't havelived to get out of the field. But it wasn't as if it mattered anymore. The only thing that bothered him was how quickly old habitswere slipping away from him. He needed that vacation even worse than he'd thought. Wiping his mouth deliberately with his napkin, he saidfinally, " I was in the military.

" She c.o.c.ked her head, startled. She couldn't picture his hair in theshort-cropped style still favored by most branches of the service, buthis answer made sense when she considered his discipline and bearing.He must have been a commissioned officer, and that would explain thetone of voice he used, the one that commanded instant respect. Still,she was having difficulty reconciling the idea of this man takingorders from anyone. No matter how far he had risen in the ranks, he'dstill had to answer to superiors. She shook her head unconsciously. Itdidn't make sense. His eyes caught the movement. " What?

You don't believe I was in the Army?

" " I don't think it was just the Army, no," she admitted, her gazesteady.

" There had to have been something more to draw you to a life like that.

I have a hard time imagining you joining up for the chance to jump whensomeone else demanded it.

You're disciplined, but not a follower.

" She didn't notice the stillness that crossed his features at her words. " There had to have been some thing.

" She stopped then, her eyes widening. " Military intelligence?

" she said in a whisper, but it wasn't really a question. She was right, she knew she was, though there was no flicker of agreement onhis face.

Undercover work would have drawn Macauley O Neill. The danger wouldhave lured him; living on the edge would have sustained him. It would also explain how he acquired that still watchfulness of his, thatsolitary manner.

The lone life would have forced him to rely only on himself. No wonder he bit out commands in that terse voice of his. He was used to ordering lives to suit himself, as means to an end. " They must haverecruited you right out of high school," she said in a quiet voice. " Or was it on a college campus?

" He stacked their plates economically, walking away from her into thekitchen. She followed him to the doorway, and then leaned against thedoorjamb. He set the dishes in the sink with a clatter and went to the refrigerator, opening it and extracting a long-necked bottle of beer.He offered her one and she shook her head. He must have had one of his crew stock her refrigerator, she realized for the first time, Sherarely thought to buy beer, never having acquired a taste for it.Usually there were some strays in there, leftovers from a guest. He'd taken his bottle from a six-pack. He still hadn't answered, and sherealized suddenly that he had no intention of doing so. He walked deliberately toward her, but she didn't move. Stopping inches fromher, he stared into her face. His mouth was set in a firm straightline, and his eyes were hooded. The masculine stubble on his chin was at eye level, and for an instant she experienced an overwhelming urgeto reach up and touch it, to sc.r.a.pe it with her fingernail. How would that roughness feel against her skin? she wondered a little dizzily.

Dragged across her cheeks, or her lips? Or lower? She caught herbreath at the uncharacteristic thought. She'd never been attracted to tough-as-nails, emotionless men, not that she could ever ~ememhermeeting one before. To be truthful, she'd really never been overlyattracted to any man. Safety had always been the number-one qualityshe looked for in a date. She'd faced that fact squarely years ago.She'd tested her wings--there was no other phrase for it--on two men inher life. They'd been little more than boys, really. But this was no boy in front of her, nor was he safe. She didn't know why, then,standing this close to a man who emanated danger and hands-off, wouldmake her throat clutch. " May I?

" His words were rusty.

Her gaze traveled ~fascinatedly, watching his mouth form those words,to his eyes, back to his mouth. Had he read her mind, captured hererrant thought and determined to make it his own?

Then he moved and his meaning became clear. She shifted out of his wayon legs that suddenly seemed wooden. Mac brushed by her and walked tothe patio. Pulling a chair around, he set it down facing the west,apparently with the intent of taking in the sunset. She took a deepbreath and followed him out the door. She sat in a chair near his. Silence prevailed for a time as they watched the sun sink in brilliantsplendor. " Simple pleasures," he murmured after a time. Turning hishead lazily to her he added, " I can see why you bought this place.

The view is great.

" She nodded, tucking her feet under her on the chair. " The smogisn't as bad out here.

And it's peaceful without being too isolated.

I loved it the moment I saw it.

I barely gave the electrician time to complete the work I hired him todo before I moved in.

" She looked at him consideringly. " Where do you live?

" " I have an apartment.

" He shrugged. " I'm not there much.

" Certainly it wasn't a home, not the way her house was. It was prettysterile, now that he thought about it, But he didn't have the faintestidea how to go about making it any other way, and d.a.m.ned if he wasgoing to hire one of those high-priced decorators with double-breastedsuits and ponytails to come in and do it for him. He wasn't reallyinterested in matching color schemes and draperies, but it would benice to come home to something more than a refrigerator and a bed.Maybe some pictures on the wall would help.

He would want something he liked, something he wasn't going to gettired of looking at. h.e.l.l, maybe he'd even buy some of Raine'spaintings. Though he hadn't any idea of their worth, he had moneysaved. And he already knew that he liked the ones he'd seen. But maybe that wouldn't be such a wise choice.

He was anxious to walk away from this job, and when the time came, hedidn't want any reminders of it, or of her. The knowledge that suchreminders would disturb him was irritating but undeniable. " How longhave you been out of the Army?

" she asked. After a brief hesitation he answered her. " Four years.

" " I was right, wasn't I?

" He turned to pin her with a look. " About your being in theintelligence branch?

" " Drop it, Raine.

" " Is the reason you don't want to talk about it the same reason youdecided to quit?

" she persisted. " I said drop it.

" His voice was clipped.

Something plagues you at night,"