Guarding My Heart

Guarding My Heart Book 1

Guarding My Heart

Nadine Ruth Hall

Copyright © 2020 Nadine Hall

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Prologue. 

I'm so nervous, but I'm excited. I need to see the man I'm going to marry. I drive quickly—yet safely—through the lunchtime traffic. I know he will be eating his lunch right now—a tuna crunch roll with his cheeky double-decker I put in there for him this morning. He keeps saying he wants to watch his weight, but I always find some chocolate bar wrappers in his jacket pocket when he gets home from work. Hopefully, today he won't feel the need to buy any.

Pulling up to a car space near his work, I turn the engine off and hurry out. The butterflies take flight in my stomach again. I need to see his face; I need to feel his arms wrapped around me. I don't normally interrupt him at work, but today after what I have found out . . . It makes me excited and nervous; I need to see him.

I hurry through the doors and go straight to his office. I know everyone else will be out at lunch, but my man likes to eat at his desk.

I don't knock as I get to his frosted glass door and use my sweaty hand to pull down the gold door handle. I swing the door open, and my heart jumps as I see him sitting in his chair facing me with his head resting back on his chair.

Is he sleeping? His suit jacket is open, he looks relaxed. I'm about to say something when he lets out a low groan. My heart springs to my throat as I hear a woman moan too. My eyes then shift as I see something move under his desk.

Pain rips through me. My heart is almost breaking in my chest. No, it can't be . . . He wouldn't . . . not to me . . .

I watch in horror as he looks up, his eyes lock with mine. Then he is jumping to his feet whilst shouting my name, but I can't hear him over the blood rushing in my ears. My legs kick into gear and I sprint from the room whilst my tears pour down my face, making it hard to see.

Once I finally stumble outside, I can feel my heartbreak. I can't breathe.

I rush over the road; I hear shouting and car horns, but I can't think, I can't feel.

I'm completely and utterly broken.

Then it all goes blank.

Chapter 1

Three years later...

Ahh, why won't you flush! I silently scream at the toilet. This room has been lovely to clean. The person left it in an excellent state, but now I'm having problems with the toilet. This will set me further back today, and I still have five rooms left. I try one more time, wobbling the silver handle, but the sounds that come from the tank let's me know it's empty.

With a huff, I leave it and make sure I do the rest of the room before I hunt down our handy man, Adam.

I stroll into the linen room, spotting Sue, our head housekeeper—an older woman with long, wavy brown hair. Sue looks up at me from unpacking the laundry.

"What's up, Katrina?" I try to give a small smile, but it's forced. I don't like Sue; she thinks she is better than us, which is silly. I quickly clear my thoughts.