The Guardian of My Soul (Soul's Desire) Read Online Free

waist from behind. For a few moments she was silent and I could feel her trembling. Then she murmured with deep emotion, “Why did you grow up so fast?”
    Nostalgia swept over me. I wanted to grow up, but I also loved the security my home and family had always brought me. “Sometimes I wish I were a child again. There were fewer things I had to worry about. Life seemed...easier...”
    She left a small puff of air on my skin as she lightly kissed my cheek. “You have killer legs. Did you know that?” She changed the subject, probably to avoid getting too emotional. Mom didn’t like to show any sign of weakness.
    “Jake’s been really hard on me. But I think all the work has been worth it. I love training with him.”
    “I do too. He always knows how to motivate me.” She let go of me and settled on the bed next to Fred, who nudged her hand for a pat. She rewarded him with a scratch behind the ears. “Gilda should be here any moment. I asked her to serve us dinner in here, if you don’t mind. I think we’re having coq au vin.”
    “Sounds wonderful. I’d rather eat in here anyway.”
    “Oh, really? Any particular reason?” She picked up a magazine from the bedside table and began to leaf through it.
    Despite the warmth in the room and the promise of a tasty meal, I shivered as I remembered Alec. I wasn’t about to tell Mom I was trying to avoid Ryan’s son, so I opted for childhood memories. Those always got to her. “Being here with you like this is cozy. It reminds me of when I was younger and we’d pretend to have sleepovers with my dolls.”
    Mother smiled at the memory. “By the way, I wanted to ask you…do you have a special date planned for your birthday party?”
    I jerked my head around. Her question caught me off guard. Trying to hide my nervousness, I busied myself with changing back into comfortable clothes. “No, but all my friends will be there and whoever else you’ve invited.” I never told her about Ian. It just didn’t seem that important. Ian was safe and predictable, not exciting and intriguing. Moving closer to the window, I stood in the sunshine to warm myself. Then my mind drifted back to Alec. Eluding him in my home would be easy, but it would be much harder to banish him from my thoughts.
    “Megan and Ana helped with the guest list. I just didn’t know if there was someone special you were seeing.” She watched my face. I strived to keep a bland expression. When I didn’t comment, she tried again. “Well, is there?”
    Gilda arrived just in time to keep me from having to answer her question. Bustling around, she served our dinner in bed. We spread out the sumptuous fare and enjoyed every bite, while Fred rested quietly by my side, accepting bits of chicken every now and then.
    Mom worried too much about what I was doing. What she needed was a love interest of her own. So, before she could resume her line of questioning, I beat her to the punch. “Are you seeing anyone?” I asked, causing her to choke on her red wine. Her unexpected reaction made me glance at her suspiciously out of the corner of my eye. Are you hiding something? She did appear to look a bit guilty.
    “Since when are you interested in my love life?” She blinked several times in quick succession. Interesting.
    “Can’t I be curious? So, are you seeing anyone?” I pressed her for an answer. Since Dad had passed, Mother had only dated a handful of times that I knew of.
    “No. Not at the moment,” she replied, turning away to avoid eye contact.
    I didn’t know if I believed her, but I decided not to press her for a name. Rather, I sought advice in a roundabout way. “Don’t you miss it? Waking up next to someone?” I often thought about it. Many nights I would lie in bed and imagine someone was by my side. To have someone to cuddle and kiss, to have his hands roam hungrily over my body. The dreams I’d been having only made matters worse. My fantasies were becoming much more enjoyable than my