"After a fashion."

"Who beat me out? Chloe or Adrienne?"

"Adam honors his contracts." He hands you a rose. "You look lovely."

"Thank you." You straighten, grabbing your purse and closing the door behind you. "Shall we go?"

"You have to understand about Adam. He's not like you think."

"He's not? He's not the kind of man who hooks up with a woman who happens to be his assistant until he tires of her and finds a new one? He's not the kind of man to shag a woman he's just met in his dressing room then try and seduce another. He's not like that?"

"Well, perhaps like you think. But he doesn't mean harm by it."

"What harm is there in it? Most of the women don't stick around once they've been replaced, I would assume." You face the doors of the elevator, not wanting to see the pity on Jonathan's face. "I think the best thing for me is just to stay away from Adam. I'll be around when Adrienne is, but I think I should minimize my contact with the man himself."

"I understand why you're going along with this, but what's your connection to her, to Adrienne?"

"You mustn't say anything."

"Of course not."

"Her father is a rather wealthy man. Very wealthy. Very famous. Very…well, very everything. I'm sort of her bodyguard or guardian, I suppose is a better word for it. It a pure coincidence that I knew…knew Emma."

"I'm very sorry then. I imagine there is nothing about this that makes it easy for you."

"You're doing a fine job of that, Jonathan, thank you." You turn away and stare out the glass front of the elevators. Below you see Adam dressed in tight black leather pants and a silver silk shirt, his arm draped casually around Adrienne's shoulders. She's wearing a beaded ivory gown that compliments her young figure and staring up at him in abject adoration. The sight of her, so innocent and trusting, brings a smile to your face. "He's a nice man though, when he wants to be, isn't he?"

Jonathan follows your gaze and imitates your smile. "He has his moments."

"Pity they're few and far between." You manage a soft laugh that he echoes. "Are we to ride over with them?"

"Actually, I'm going off by myself…"

"With Maddy?"

"Maddy? No. No. She's…she and I aren't…"

"Oh. I apologize then. You struck me as a nice couple."

His blush sweeps up his pale skin quickly as he turns away. "Well, thank you, but no. She's got another man in her life. We're simply friends…I think." He shakes his head, unwilling to figure out his relationship with the other woman for you. "But I have to be backstage and it works better if no one notices me. Not that Adam leaves much room in the spotlight."

You exit the elevator, nodding your agreement. Jonathan walks you over to Adam and Adrienne and gives you a soft kiss on the cheek before fading into the crowd. You focus your attention on the reporters ringing around the illusionist, forcing yourself to listen to their questions.

"And who's the young lady, Adam? I didn't think you were that decadent!" The reporter is female and, obviously, a fan of Adam's charms.

"I love beauty of all ages, shapes and sizes," Adam grins wickedly. "I'd even give you a shot, Sylvia. But Adrienne here won a contest and she and her chaperone are traveling with us for the next week and a half."

Your heart speeds up as you realize that almost half of the first week is gone. Adam glances over at you and raises an eyebrow; his gaze taking in your dress and the way it fits you. He nods his approval and steps away from Adrienne to hold his hand out to you.

"You've all met Adrienne now, and you'll see more of her this evening during the performance. She's been kind enough to offer to help me work a little magic." He waits for the laughter, fuelled by the sexual innuendo he exudes whenever he speaks. "But let me introduce you to her chaperone."

He pulls you closer, showing you off for the cameras. Embarrassment has given your cheeks a delicate blush and you're thankful you knew to dress the part. You smile for the cameras, trying very hard not to look at Adam. Your feelings are in your eyes and the camera catches emotion too easily for your comfort. You instead turn to Adrienne and pull her closer to you.

"Pardon the question Adam, but isn't Adrienne the daughter of Baron Von Luxembourg? The German entrepreneur? Is this in some way connected to the recent rumors of his pursuit of the man he believes is the true father of his daughter?"

Silence fills the room, save for your whispered curse. Adam laughs softly and shakes his head. "Don't be ridiculous. Adrienne won the contest, fair and square. A contest, you'll remember, set up by my former publicist, Emma Caldwell. I can assure you, there are no ulterior motives here."

You wonder briefly if you're the only one who hears the underlying danger in his tone. His anger is bubbling just under the surface and the ride in the limousine is going to be volatile. Adrienne is looking at you with wide eyes, the sudden real fear for her safety dawning. She whispers your name quietly and nods in the direction behind you.

You react before you even know you're doing it. The shot whizzes over your heads as you fall to the floor, Adrienne safely beneath you. "Fuck."

She giggles hysterically, sobbing all the while. "Someone's trying to kill me," she manages to say.

Suddenly there's a heavy weight on top of you and your fighting instincts kick in. You're about to lodge a high heel in the groin of whoever had decided to use you as a mattress when his silken voice penetrates your protective instincts. "Someone's trying to kill you."

"Adam," you sigh.

"And I'm in the crossfire. You've got a bit of explaining to do, my dear."

Listening intently, you realize the gunfire has stopped. No doubt the increased security you've hired has either taken care of the gunman or scared him off. You hope for the first, fear it's the latter. "Perhaps you could get off me, Mr. Klaus?"

He rolls away and you take a deep breath. Getting to your feet, you find yourself surrounded by six armed men. You reach down and help Adrienne to her feet and hug her closely. "You okay, darling?"

She's shivering. "Scared."

"I don't think we'll be doing Adam's show tonight."

Her blue eyes gaze up at you, fear deep inside them. "Am I going to have to go back home?"

"I'll talk to your father tonight. And we'll decide in the morning." You look at Ian, the guard you trust the most and have worked with the longest. "Get her to her room. Stand outside. No one in but me. Put a guard on my door as well. The connector's locked, but it doesn't mean…" You take a deep breath and curse softly again. "Sweep the rooms. Bugs, gunmen…I don't want this happening again."

He nods and wraps his arm around Adrienne. He's known her since she was born, so she melts easily into his protective embrace. "Come on, pet. I'll take you upstairs."

She nods and they leave silently. The reporters have scattered to file their stories, undoubtedly hurried along by the guards that appeared out of nowhere. Adam is still standing beside you, his face a mixture of betrayal, confusion and anger. "I can explain?" You offer.

"You can. And you will." He glances at his watch and sighs. "I have a show to do. I'll see you after?"

"All right." You owe him an explanation at least. "But Adam?"

"Yes, love?"

"You smell of Chloe and I'll kick you out on your ass."

Standing in the window of your hotel room, you look down at the night below. The streetlights cast everything in shadow, save the images caught in their downward glare, leaving the majority of the night dark and moody. Your eyes scan the streets, looking for suspicious activity. You've switched rooms with Adrienne, hoping that anyone knowing where she was might be confused enough not to risk it.

You don't hold out much hope.

The talk with her father after leaving Adam hadn't done much for your spirits either. He wanted her home and safe, even though home was the least safe place for her. He didn't need her protected by "six linebackers, a magician and an emotionally stunted chaperone." The last comment would have stung if you hadn't heard it so many times in the past few years.

Ever since his wife had died, he'd taken his anger out on you and, were it not for Adrienne, you would have left almost as long ago. But his verbal sparring with you kept him from focussing on his daughter and that was what you wanted.

Still, hope would have been nice.

The knock startles you, even though you've been expecting it. Walking over to the door, you take a deep breath and open it, still unsure as to how you're going to explain all of this to Adam without causing him to hate you for the rest of his life. Even thought that might make dealing with all of these emotions you're trying to deny that much easier.

"Hello, Adam."

He looks tired and out of sorts. "May I?"

You step back and wait for him to enter. Closing the door behind him, you gesture into the room. "Can I get you anything?"

He lifts his arm, showing off the bottle of champagne in his hand. "I brought my own." He sets the bottle down on the nightstand and sits on edge of the bed. "You switched rooms."

"Safety precaution."

"Hmm." Lying back, he stares up at the ceiling. "I talked with my agent before the show tonight. Apparently, he was aware of the possibility of danger." His voice lowered to a predatory growl. "Any particular reason I wasn't informed?"

"You'd have to ask him." You shrug and lean back against the wall across from him. "I left that decision up to him."

"I see."

"Shall I just tell you or do you want to ask questions?"

"No. Go ahead."

"She did win the contest. Admittedly, she had…has the resources to stuff the box, so to speak." You sigh and look down at your hands. "Her father was furious."

"Because he thinks I'm her natural father?"

"No. Well…no. It's hard to explain. He is most definitely Adrienne's father. But his wife left him for a six month period before she became pregnant. She had an affair with someone, and, in an effort to protect whoever it was, she made up a name."

"Let me guess…"

"Adam Klaus."

He sits up, opening the champagne bottle with practiced skill. Raising it to his lips, he takes a deep drink. "And how do you know it wasn't me?"

"Because sixteen years ago, you were apprenticed to Matthew Wildess. You were exclusively touring in the United States and Maeve didn't have a passport."

"You seem to know an awful lot about me."

"It was my job to know a lot about you." You manage to control the blush before it becomes too obvious by reminding yourself you don't want him to know how much you know. "I was hired to investigate you by Adrienne's father. I was to become his wife's confidante and his daughter's chaperone."

"And I still don't see how I fit into this."

You watch him as he takes another drink. For a moment he seems very much like a lonely man, confused at the tumult surrounding his life. "Your name was thrown around the house every time there was a fight. There were…a lot of fights. Adrienne started believing…fantasizing I guess, that you were her real father. Anyone was better than the truth, even a man she'd never met."

"And so when she saw the contest, she thought it was the perfect opportunity."

"And I thought it would be a chance for her to have a little bit of a life. Her father is a dangerous man with dangerous friends."

"Don't you mean enemies?"

You meet his green eyes. "No. He doesn't have enemies. He has friends that he keeps as close to him as he can. It tends to put his daughter in very precarious situations. If I weren't around, I imagine she would be married to some very slimy oil tycoon in some God-forsaken country."

"You're her guardian angel, are you?"

You watch him as he stands and walks toward you. His gait is slow and sensuous, but without the predatory sense that usually permeates his presence. "No, I'm just an investigative reporter who took pity on a very sad, hurt, lonely woman and her daughter. I've always had a soft spot for the helpless."

"Are they helpless?" He's getting closer and your heart is beating faster than you thought possible.

"Well, Maeve is dead. And Adrienne's not old enough to face him alone, so I guess she's helpless." You shrug and try to take a step back, realizing that you can't with the wall right behind you.

"And who protects the protector, love?" His voice is like silken honey, wrapping around you sexily. "Who shields you from gunfire when I'm not around?" He lifts his hand and runs the tips of his fingers over your cheek until they touch your lips. "Who pushes you to the ground and covers your body in the heat of the moment?"

You open your mouth to reply, only to have his lips meet yours. His tongue presses the advantage, slipping inside the warm hollow of your mouth, tasting the surfaces, exploring the heat building between you. His hand moves up to stroke back the tendrils of hair that have fallen onto your forehead and you can't seem to stop your hands from moving up his strong chest to wrap around his neck.

He pulls away from the kiss, leaving both of you gasping for air. "Oh…oh my," you whisper, staring up at his face. His eyes are dark now, need shining in them. His fingers thread through your hair so that he can control your movements. He tilts your head slightly and lowers his head toward yours once more.

"I'm going to kiss you again."

"I guessed that."

"You have one chance to ask me to stop."

You manage to shake your head slightly. "Don't stop."

His lips descend again and you lose track of the outside world. Nothing matters except the taste and the feel of the man in your arms. Your hands smooth over his shoulders around to his neck, moving up to tangle in the short hair covering his neck.

His hands leave your hair to run down your back, caressing you through the thin material of the T-shirt you'd changed into while he was gone. He reaches down and cups the curve of your ass, pulling you closer to him.

You can't help but moan against his mouth as you feel his cock pressing into you. The soft leather of his pants glides against the denim of your jeans as he rubs his pelvis against you, his whole body tight with desire. Pulling away from your kiss, he meets your eyes once again.

"Let me take you to bed?"

You want to say yes. You want to peel the leather away from him and feast on his body. You want to melt into his words and let his voice seduce you. You want the feel of him touching you to send you tumbling into sweet oblivion. You want…

The sudden, too familiar sound breaks into the haze of lust you're basking in. "Fuck." You shout, shoving off the wall and sending both you and Adam tumbling to the ground. Not quite what you had in mind. Rolling off of him, you look up at the bullet hole now lodged very close to where your head had been. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

Adam is lying there, a look of pure agony on his face. You spare a moment to hope that you didn't hurt him before you scramble to your feet and, keeping low the ground, make your way to the connecting door. You open it slowly, nearly screaming at the face that greets you.

"Hi," Adrienne whispers. "I heard shots. I did as you said. Stop, drop and crawl like hell."

You laugh and give her a hug. "Thank goodness you do listen to me sometimes."

"When it's important enough," she smiles. Looking past you, she sees Adam sprawled out on the floor. "Uh-oh. Looks like the shots interrupted something?"

"An explanation, I'm afraid. The shot almost hit him."

"Is he alright?"

"He can hear you, you know." Adam rolls over and crawls over toward the two of you. "He's just been shot at twice in one night. I feel like I'm sleeping with someone's wife."

"No such luck, I'm afraid." You look at him questioningly. "Well, I think not anyway."

"Not this week," He manages a grin for you both. Reaching over, he ruffles Adrienne's hair. "You okay?"

"Right as rain." Her smile from his attention fades rapidly though. "I'm going to have to go home, aren't I?"

The second conversation you'd been avoiding neatly rears its ugly head. "I'm afraid so, pet. Your father doesn't want you staying here."

"Are you sure this isn't just some elaborate plan of Dad's to keep me from enjoying myself?"

You shrug, not knowing the true answer to that question. "Well, if it's any consolation, he's letting you go to the chalet rather than going home. You're to stay with your aunt this summer."

Her eyes light up and your heart lightens. "Really? Aunt Elissa?"

"Yes."

"Will you come?"

"After I visit your father and place a report. That is, if I'm still in his employ afterwards." You shrug again. "I don't know that he's going to keep me around, Sweet. You're going off to school next year. You're not going to need me around. This, I think, was to be our farewell vacation."

Sniffling slightly, she nods. The sadness is palatable. "I suppose I'm almost an adult now. Don't exactly need a chaperone."

"And I'm not the bodyguard you'll need." You lift her chin, completely forgetting that you have an audience. "But I'll still come visit you at school and perhaps at your Aunt's if she'll have me for a bit. We're still friends. Nothing changes that."

"Thank you," she whispers, enveloping you in a tight hug. "Thank you for saying we're friends."

"Always, Adri. Always."

Tucking Adrienne into bed after your crying and hugging moment, you notify the guard outside her door. Calling Ian from down the hall, you get him to stay in the room with her. His loyalty lay with you and Adrienne. Even if her father were behind the whole thing, he'd protect her to the end.

You shut the door between the rooms, expecting to find yours empty. Instead, Adam is sitting at the table. The champagne bottle is sitting in the middle of it, just out of his reach. "Come sit with me?"

Walking over, you wonder at his mood. He seems frighteningly calm. "So, you're leaving then?"

"Tomorrow night, I imagine. I'll take Adrienne to get settled at her Aunt's house then I'll go back to her father's offices and make my report. Then I imagine I'll be doing some packing before I struggle to find a place in London."

"You could stay at my flat. I'm not there that often…at least until you find something more suitable."

"That…that would be quite nice. Thank you Adam."

He shakes his head, brushing off the gratitude. "It's nothing. I mean, if I'm not there, it's just space, isn't it?"

"Right." You nod and sit opposite him. "One thing I've learned, gunfire is not the best aphrodisiac."

"Really? I felt quite a bit like shagging the hell out of you when I saw how close that bullet came to killing you."

"Hasn't happened yet."

"What? The shagging or the killing?"

"Either. Or both, I suppose." You deliberately meet his gaze. Your talk with Adrienne has left you with something of a go to hell attitude and suddenly, shagging Adam seems an even nicer proposition than it had been a half-hour ago. And a half-hour ago, it had seemed awfully close to ecstasy.

"What if it did?"

"The shagging or the killing?"

He gets up from his chair and moves over to you. Taking your hands, he helps you stand and pulls you toward the bed. "You might die from pleasure," he smiles as he lays you down on the comforter, "but I'm not making any guarantees."

Sunlight filters into the room, warming you as you roll over to face the pillow next to yours. Opening your eyes slowly, you feel your heart beat increase, excited and aroused at the prospect of waking up and finding Adam staring at you lustily.

You let your eyelashes flutter just slightly before you open your eyes.

Only to find yourself alone.

Kicking off the covers, you get out of the bed and reach for your robe. You tell yourself not to, but you can't help but look for a note, something that told you he'd just run out for breakfast or a paper or…anything.

You tie the belt securely around you, needing to take a shower and wash the lingering scent of him away. You're halfway to the bathroom when you hear the knocking at the main door. Hope flickers, even though your brain sternly tells it to go to hell. It insists on sticking around, reminding you he doesn't have a key to your room.

Swinging the door open, you look out and your brain, very snidely, tells hope exactly what to do with itself. "Hello Jonathan."

"Hello." He very deliberately doesn't look around and you start feeling like you need a shower even more than you had before. Something in his eyes tells you that he's used to dealing with the women Adam has gotten tired of. "You got a package."

"Who's it from?"

He doesn't answer, which is answer enough. "Tell Mr. Klaus that I don't need his gifts and trinkets." You meet his eyes and hold them, even though he's done nothing wrong. "Tell him I don't need anything from him at all."

"He…"

"I don't give a damn what he…anything." You finally look away and grab the door, pulling it closer to you. "It was very nice meeting you Jonathan."

"I wish…"

"Please be sure you say goodbye to Adrienne. I think she'd like it very much if you did."

"Of course. I…"

"Goodbye, Jonathan." You shut the door quickly. The tears are standing in your eyes, ready to spill over. Rushing toward the bath, you shed the robe and climb into the shower turning the water on full blast. You bite your lip as the cold beats down on you, all the while turning the knob until its hotter than you think you can stand.

Standing there, you shiver, despite the heat. Finally, weak from the hot air, the searing water and the few hours of sleep, you shut off the water and step out of the tub. Adrienne is standing in the doorway, a horrified look on her face. "What happened?" She whispers as she rushes over to you.

Her hand hovers above your shoulder, obviously afraid to touch your red skin. "Are you all packed?" You ask softly.

She nods and picks up a towel. With soft pats, she dries your skin. She moves away every time you reach for the towel, the fear that you'll start rubbing your skin clear in her eyes. When you're dry, she tosses the towel away and hands you your robe. "Come on into the room. We'll find you something to wear."

"No, Adrienne. You need to get ready to go." Looking at the clock, you cringe. You'd slept in longer than you thought. "We have to leave in a couple of hours."

"So do you and you haven't even started to pack." She sits you on the edge of the bed until she sees your reaction. Helping you stand, she moves you over to the chair. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing," you laugh bitterly. "Well, except make love to me…have sex…fuck me senseless. That must be it, you know. I've lost all my sense and so I just fell into bed and let him seduce me…he's quite the seducer. Your mother certainly knew how to pick them."

"You mean she…"

You laugh again, knowing that you're about to slip over the line into hysteria. "No love, he's not your father. She just did her research well. Adam's exactly the sort of person who wouldn't give a damn if he got a woman pregnant or…well, it doesn't really matter, does it?" You look into her worried eyes. "Don't worry, love. I'm not going to go bananas here. I just have…I just need a bit of time alone, all right? Leave the door open, if it makes you feel better? But please?"

She nods, her concern making you smile. "You won't do anything stupid, will you?"

"Already have, but I won't do anything more, I promise." You squeeze her hand and stand. "I've got to dress and pack. You should double check that you haven't forgotten anything. And make sure that if you go anywhere, you have Ian by your side."

"I'm not leaving you. I'll be next door." She gives you a stern look and you can't help but smile. "Don't hurt yourself any more? Promise?"

"Promise."

You avoid the mirror as you dig in the bureau for the softest clothes you can find. In retrospect, punishing yourself with scorching water probably wasn't the wisest move. Perhaps next time you can just whip yourself. At least then only your back would hurt.

Finally finding something soft that doesn't fall into the pajama category, you toss the rest of your clothes into your bags. You can't look at the gowns, knowing you'd bought them on orders, specifically to keep Adam's focus on you, just in case he was interested in younger women and his eye strayed to Adrienne.

The reality - that he'd not done anything other than treat her with the utmost respect and care - makes you realize even more that you'd been used, once again. It's becoming a rather annoying habit. "Adrienne?"

"Yeah?" She appears at the door so quickly that you know she's been watching you. "Did you need something?"

"Has Ian left to get the car?"

"Yes."

"You're all packed?"

"I thought you said you didn't like him. I don't understand."

You close your eyes then force yourself to look at your reflection. Other than being a dark shade of pink, you look the same; hardly the least bit worse for wear. "I'm afraid I lied to you. I've had something of a thing for him since I started working for your father. He hired me, originally, to investigate Adam and make sure that your mother was lying."

"And so you've fancied him all along?"

"What's not to fancy? He's sexy, he's masculine, he's charming, he's…"

"Hung like a horse?" She giggles.

"Adrienne!"

"Well?"

You blush, making your face get even redder. "No comment."

She stomps her foot in mock frustration. "Come on! Just tell me if it's all him inside those leather pants or if it's…enhanced."

You fall back on the bed laughing, ignoring the pain as the rough comforter rubs you through your thin shirt. "No. No enhancement necessary."

She sighs melodramatically and falls to the floor in a pretend faint. "Swoon." She looks up at you from the floor and rolls over onto her stomach, propping her chin up in her hands. "I like it when you laugh."

"It's better than crying, I suppose."

"So this was like a fantasy for you, coming true."

"Then crashing down, yes." You nod and sit back up. "But, like with most fantasies, the reality is never what you hoped and you go on."

"Was it what you hoped?"

Tears sparkle in your eyes once again as you nod. "More than I hoped. But," you meet her eyes and try to smile. "Fantasies don't hold up in the light of day, I'm afraid."

She bites her lower lip as she studies your face. Finally she nods and smiles weakly back at you. "Then I guess it's time to go back to reality, hmmm?"

"A better reality than you're used to," you remind her.

"For me. But what happens to you now? Daddy fires you, I move on…where will you be?"

"Surviving, love. Just like always." You stand and look around the room for anything you might have missed. "I can dodge bullets in my sleep. One little Adam Klaus isn't going to stop me."

"Not so little," she mumbles under her breath, looking to see if you heard her.

The pillow lands in the dead center of her face.

Continues