Текст книги "Roped In"

Автор книги: L. P. Dover

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Текущая страница: 4 (всего у книги 14 страниц)

Blake

“Dude, what the fuck are you doing?” Logan snapped through the phone.

He’d been trying to call me all night, but I’d spent the majority of it going through Hadley’s file and researching everything about her on the web, including her NHL star boyfriend. I hadn’t bothered to look at her file beforehand, as I’d been too pissed about the assignment. I shouldn’t have let my anger cloud my judgment. The more I learned about her, the stupider I felt. Thankfully, her phone acted like a beacon. I would’ve found her without it anyway. It turned out she picked the hotel Jerrod’s mother worked at, so it was easy to reserve the room adjoining hers. The hotels were vacant this time of year.

“Are you even listening to me?” he roared.

I glanced at the picture I had pulled up on my laptop. It was Hadley at the Country Music Awards, holding her award. “It was a mistake,” I admitted. “I never should’ve pushed her as hard as I did.”

“You think? Why the hell did you fuck with her anyway?”

Sighing, I shut my screen off. “I thought she was going to be a spoiled bitch who needed to be put in her place. I was just testing her.”

“And what did you find out?”

I glanced down at her file. “That I’m a fucking idiot.”

He chuckled. “You got that right. What are you going to do now? She won’t go back without a fight.”

In my hand, I held the source of what would prove otherwise. “I beg to differ. By the end of the day, she’ll be ready to come back with me. I’m at the hotel.”

“Oh hell. What did you do?”

“Let’s just say, she’s going to be very uncomfortable when she wakes up.”

“Good luck, brother. You’re gonna need it.” We got off the phone and I waited until she left the room before calling the front desk.

“Front desk,” Jerrod’s mother greeted.

“Hey, Audrey, it’s Blake. Has Anna gotten down there yet?” I had to remember to call her Anna instead of Hadley.

“She just walked by,” she murmured low. “She’s not looking so good. What did you do to her last night? Her skin’s all red. If you’re trying to get her back, I don’t think you went about it the right way.”

I held in a chuckle. “Trust me, she’ll want to come back home.”

“In my day, men would say nice things and take me out to dinner. You could’ve easily tried that.”

“Anna and I don’t have that kind of relationship. It’s more of a love-hate kind of thing.”

She clucked her tongue. “You kids are something else. All right, she’s eating breakfast. You’re safe to come down.”

Instead of going into the restaurant, I grabbed a newspaper and sat in the lounge. I had the perfect view of her, and she looked miserable. Her ball cap rode low over her eyes and she slumped down, as if she didn’t want to be seen. She tried not to scratch her bright red skin, covered in large welts. If she ever found out what I did, she would kill me. I didn’t realize it would affect her as bad as it did.

She made her way up to the waffle batter dispenser and tried to turn the knob. It didn’t budge. Yanking on it a little harder, she screamed out, “Oh my God!” as the lever came off in her hand.

Waffle batter oozed out of the machine onto her hands and onto the floor. Everyone in the room laughed, especially the kids. Audrey’s husband, who also worked maintenance for the hotel, ran inside to help her.

Covered in waffle batter, Hadley rushed out of the restaurant to the elevators. Once she was gone, I helped Bill clean up the mess, knowing she was going to be up in her room for a while.

“I think you guys need a new batter machine.” I laughed.

Bill snorted. “Tell me about it. This is the fifth time this year I’ve had to clean this mess up.”

I helped him as much as I could and then retreated to the stairs. Instead of knocking on Hadley’s door, I went into my room and unlocked the adjoining one, opening it carefully. Hadley was by the bed, slipping a clean T-shirt over her head. Not only were there hives on her arms, but they were on her back and legs too.

“I see you’ve had a rough time,” I called out, feeling like complete and utter shit.

“Jesus,” she squealed, jerking around. She held a hand to her chest, but then relaxed. “I knew I’d be hearing your smartass mouth sooner than later.”

I smiled. “So that’s why you don’t look shocked to see me.”

“I knew you could track me,” she said, holding up the phone.

“Nice work downstairs, by the way. What did the waffle maker ever do to you?” I thought it would make her laugh, but she turned away.

“Don’t remind me.” Huffing, she zipped up her bag. “I’m glad no one knows who I am. I felt like an idiot with everyone laughing at me.”

“Well, it was kind of funny.” She got quiet and started scratching her skin. “Are you okay?”

“Yep.”

“Yeah, sure. You just look like a lobster, no biggie. Come on, let’s get out of here. You’re obviously allergic to something.”

Glaring at me, she crossed her arms over her chest. “You expect me to go with you after you were such an ass to me? Speaking of which, how was your date last night?”

“There was no date, Hadley. I was just doing it to get a rise out of you. The same with the barn stalls. You really impressed me though.”

She stood up straighter, eyes narrowed. “Glad I could amuse you.”

“So . . . what do you say? Are you going to come willingly, or do I need to tie you up?”

Her lips pursed. “Knowing you, you’d like that too much. I’ll go willingly.”

She was right, I would’ve tied her up in a heartbeat, and loved every minute of it. She grabbed her bag, but I slipped it off her shoulder as she walked past. I thought she’d fight me on it, but she let it go.

“What changed? Why are you playing nice all of a sudden?”

Opening the room door, I held it so she could walk out. “I did some research last night. Let’s just say, I misjudged you.”

“Is this your way of apologizing?” she asked, strutting out the door.

“If I say yes, does that mean you’ll forgive me?”

She shrugged. “Probably not.”

I followed behind her down the hall, and Audrey winked at me as we walked past the front desk. With a smug smile, Hadley got in my truck and I caught the door before she could shut it. I knew that look on her face; it was the same look every woman got when they wanted to fuck something up. “You’re going to pay me back, aren’t you?”

Her grin grew wider. “You have no idea.”

Fuck, I was in trouble.

Hadley

My skin was on fire. It took all I had not to complain, but dammit to hell, I was miserable. The last thing I wanted was to give Blake a reason to tease me. However, something had changed in him. His whole tone was different, nicer even.

“Do me a favor and stay here. I’ll be right back.” He parked in front of a doctor’s office and shut off the truck.

“What are we doing here?”

“Lock the doors when I leave.” Once he was out, I locked the doors and watched him disappear into the entrance.

“Stop looking at him, Hadley. It’ll only get you into trouble,” I mumbled.

I hated it already, but he was the perfect muse for my new song: bad boy, sexy, gray eyes, and jeans wearing cowboy. In my song, the female was going to tame the wild beast, but I highly doubted anyone could tame Blake. I was sure the hundreds of women who’d ridden him in the past had tried and failed.

Since Blake was still inside, I pulled out my phone and dialed Felicity’s number.

“Hey,” she answered.

“Hey, how’s it going?”

“Not bad, just trying to dodge the pariah every time I come and go from the hospital.”

I groaned. “They haven’t let up yet?”

“Nope. They’re determined. You’re the only thing they ask about. I’ve even been offered twenty thousand dollars if I spill. I guess they don’t believe me when I say I have no fucking clue where you are.”

“It should die down soon. I’m sorry you have to deal with it all until then. I’m intentionally staying away from the TV. People probably think I’m in a mental hospital by now.”

She laughed. “Actually, that has been one of the rumors.”

I scoffed. “Such bullshit. How’s Nick doing?”

“Better, I think. The doctors are hopeful he’ll wake up soon.” That was good to hear. She sounded better as well. “What about you? Is dickface still being an ass?”

I chuckled. “As a matter of fact, no. I don’t know what’s up with him, but he’s been decent today. You know that song I started writing a couple months ago?”

“Yeah.”

“I think I found my muse. Maybe something good will come out of this tragedy after all.”

“Wait . . . are you trying to tell me this guy is hot? How old is he?”

“Maybe five years older than me?”

“Send him my way then. Just do me a favor and don’t fall for him.”

I snorted. “Not gonna happen, trust me.”

“Good. Remind me not to tell Nick about him when he wakes up. He’ll be ready to fly out on a plane and get you. When this is all over, maybe you two can actually give it a shot instead of pretending.”

“He knows how I feel about that. It would never work. We’ve already had a bunch of problems with the media and we aren’t even really together.”

“True, but I know he wants more. It would’ve been nice to have you a part of our family.”

I smiled. “We’re already family.” Blake waltzed out of the building with something in his hand. “I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay. And remember . . . don’t get attached. You’ll be leaving there soon.”

“You have nothing to worry about. I’ll talk to you later.” I hung up and unlocked the doors just in time for Blake to reach the handle.

He opened the door and tossed something in my lap. “That’s for you. It’ll help your skin.”

I read the label on the tube; it was prescription strength antihistamine cream. “Did you go in there just for this?”

“Don’t get used to it, princess. I’m not a nice guy.”

I smiled. “And I’m not a nice girl. Remember, you still have a payback coming your way.”

He burst out laughing. “I look forward to it.” He wouldn’t be saying that once I got done with him.

As soon as we arrived at his ranch, we got out of the car and he grabbed my bag. “What made you change your mind about me?” I asked, following him to the door.

“Does it matter? I apologized for being a dick, didn’t I?” He opened the door and held it wide for me.

“And I appreciate that.” I held up the cream. “But the Blake I met wouldn’t have given a rat’s ass about my skin. I want to know what changed.”

Sighing, he set my bag down. “Why do you care?”

“Because I do,” I said, scratching my arm.

His gaze landed on my reddened skin. “I think we need to focus on one thing at a time.” Taking the cream from my hand, he nodded toward the couch. “Sit down. I’ll put this on your back.”

Eyes wide, I gasped. “I’m not taking off my shirt.”

He rolled his eyes. “You can lift it, not take it off. You won’t be able to reach back there.” Grasping my elbow, he gently pulled me to the couch. “Come on, I’m not going to molest you. I know your boyfriend wouldn’t appreciate it.”

“You mean Nick?” I asked, taking a seat on the couch.

He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess so. Not unless you have more than one. Nick’s the hockey player right?”

Taking a deep breath, I lifted the back of my shirt, trying my best to keep my chest covered. “Yes, but he’s not my boyfriend. He’s my agent’s brother. They thought it would get the stalker off my back if I made it known I was with someone.”

“That worked well. Are you worried about him?”

I nodded. “More than anything. I hated having to leave him.”

“He’ll be all right. I’ve seen him play. He takes down everyone on the rink.”

The thought made me smile. I missed watching him and the guys play. “That’s what gives me hope. I just pray he’ll be able to get back on the ice. Hockey is his life.”

Taking the cream, he squirted some in his hands and rubbed them together. When he touched me, I sucked in a breath. “Is it cold?”

“No,” I breathed. “It’s fine.”

“We should probably take you to get more clothes. Not unless you want to wash the same couple of outfits every day.”

“Not really. But do you think it’s safe to go out in public?”

You’ll be fine. Plus, you have your new identity. No one in this town is going to believe Hadley Rivers is here.”

I glanced at him over my shoulder and didn’t realize he was so close. His fingers stopped on my skin, our lips were only a few inches apart. “Why is it so hard to believe? I like the mountains.”

He lifted a brow. “Do you like hiking them too? I know they’re pretty to gaze at, but there’s so much you can’t see by looking at them from afar. A city girl like you couldn’t hang on the trails.”

“Wanna bet?”

A mischievous gleam sparkled in his eyes. “How about this . . . we take you to get some new clothes tomorrow, then the next day, I take you hiking.”

I loved proving people wrong, especially when they thought I couldn’t do something. “What are we betting?”

He bit his lip. “Dinner every night for the rest of the time you’re here. If you can’t keep up with me on the trails, you cook. Sound fair?”

With a wide grin, I nodded and lifted my hand. I was planning on doing that anyway. “Deal. And if I win, you have to wear a pair of Mexican pointy boots for an evening out on the town.”

He shook my hand. “I guess this would be part of my payback?”

“Some of it. But your boots need to be a pair that I pick out,” I added.

“Oh hell,” he laughed, letting my hand go. “That’s not going to happen.”

I turned back around, hiding my smile. He was going to lose. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and waited for his fingers to touch me. When they did, I didn’t want him to stop. They were warm and gentle as he spread the cream over my skin. Goosebumps fanned out across my body and a deep chuckle vibrated in his chest. My eyes shot open. Fuck, had I moaned out loud? Thankfully, he couldn’t see my flaming cheeks.

“Are you about done?” I asked, feigning impatience.

“Almost,” he replied. I could hear the smile in his tone. “Just a little more.” As soon as he was done, he tapped my side. “You can lower your shirt now.”

I dropped it and quickly moved to the edge of the couch. “Thanks.”

“Want something to drink? After breaking out in hives and demolishing the waffle batter machine, I’d say you need one.”

Groaning, I covered my face. “I will never forget that as long as I live. But a drink would be great. I don’t care what kind.” He tossed me the cream and I applied it to the rest of my body as he rummaged around the kitchen.

He came back into the room with an apple cider beer for each of us.

“Interesting,” I said, taking one of the chilled bottles.

“Not exactly the champagne you’re used to getting, but they’re really good.”

I threw a couch pillow at him and he dodged it, chuckling. “Whatever, jackass. I don’t even drink champagne.” We laughed together and it felt good to joke around. It made the whole situation more endurable.

He finished off his beer and lounged back on the couch, his gray gaze on mine.

“Who’s the girl with you in that picture in your room?”

Jaw tense, he looked away. “Someone from my past.”

“O-kay . . . care to elaborate?”

“Not really. But if you must know, she’s the first and last girl I ever gave a damn about.”

“Where is she now?”

“Out in California with someone else. We parted ways a long time ago.”

“Do you miss her?”

“Not in the way you think. We’ve both moved on.” His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. “Robert, what’s going on?”

Heart thundering, I sat up. Blake’s expression hardened and I knew whatever he was hearing wasn’t good.

“Are you fucking kidding me? That’s ballsy. What the hell is he doing there?”

I heard Robert’s voice on the other end, but I couldn’t tell what he was saying. Blake hung up and blew out a frustrated breath. “What happened?” I asked.

He clenched his phone. “The surveillance cameras picked up an intruder at your house. When the police showed up, he fled.”

Gasping, I threw a hand over my mouth. “Was he trying to come after me again?”

“I don’t know, but if it’s the same guy, at least we know he’s not here. You’re safe for now.”

Yeah, but how long was that going to last?

Blake

“What made you want to sing?” I asked, pulling into a parking spot in the middle of downtown. It was our first venture into Jackson Hole.

Hadley turned to me and smiled. “My mother. She sang to me every night before I went to bed. Granted, it was always Christmas songs, but she had the most beautiful voice.”

It was amazing how gorgeous she looked with no makeup on, her blonde hair thrown in a messy ponytail. I wondered if anyone else ever had the privilege of seeing her like that. We hopped out of the car. “Why country though? I know a bunch of people give you shit because they think you’re not the real deal.”

Huffing, her smile faded. She joined me on the sidewalk, her arm brushing mine. Instead of playing the role of siblings, we decided it was best to be past lovers. “I don’t see how anyone can say I shouldn’t be singing country. My first song was about my mother and father, who in fact did grow up on farms in Idaho. He was her cowboy, her first and only love. They moved to New York before I was born. Once that song took off, the image kind of stuck. But then people found out where I was from. It’s been a battle ever since.”

“I know how that goes,” I grumbled.

“How is that?”

“Once you meet my friends, you’ll find out. First, let’s find you some clothes.”

Multiple outfits and an hour later, we were headed back to the car. “I didn’t bore you, did I?” she asked, elbowing me in the side.

I chuckled. “No. It’s nice to be around a woman who knows what she wants. That indecisive bullshit is what gets me.” The shopping trip had actually been pleasant with her company, which was a first for me.

“I’m not like that, well except for when it comes to ice cream. There are just too many flavors to choose from.”

I had to admit, she was different from the stars you saw on TV. “We can pick you up some when we go to the store. I need to make sure the house is stocked so you can cook me dinner when you lose the bet.”

Hadley punched me in the arm. “You are so full of yourself. Have you always been like that?”

I winked at her. “It’s part of my charm. The ladies love it.”

“I bet,” she said, rolling her eyes.

We were almost to the truck, but I took us on a quick detour. There was one more shop I wanted to take her to.

“You know, you haven’t told me much about yourself.”

I shrugged. “There’s not really much to say. I’ve been doing undercover work for years. It’s the only thing I’m good at.”

“That’s not true. You’re good with horses. I’ve seen you with Snowflake.”

“So you’ve been watching me?” I teased.

She smiled, her cheeks turning red. “Don’t flatter yourself, jackass. But in all seriousness, you have a talent. You’re gentle with them. Coming from your line of work, I never thought that’d be possible.”

We reached the shop and I opened the door for her. “It took time. I’ve had help though. Tyla, the woman who works for me, is the best trainer in all of Wyoming. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her.”

“Wow, that’s cool,” she said, genuinely impressed. She walked inside the store and I followed behind her. “Where’s she been? I haven’t seen her around.”

“She’s out of town, but she should be back soon. Hopefully you’ll get to meet her before you leave.”

“Well, I’ll be damned. What’s up, city?” a voice called out.

Chuckling, I turned around and found a short, red-headed bastard with a scruffy beard grinning at me; it was one of my good friends, Mitch Bennett. We shook hands and I slapped his back. “What’s up, cocksucker? It looks like it’s a little slow today.”

He shrugged. “It’s off season still. It’ll pick up at the end of the month. You know how it gets around here.”

I snorted. “Tell me about it.”

Tourists would come from all over the place to visit our national parks. There were also plenty of women who were interested in finding out what it was like to ride a stallion . . . and I wasn’t referring to the horses. I’d learned the hard way to stay away from the tourists. I’d had one who didn’t want to leave after I slept with her, and another one who wanted me to fuck her in the ass. I pissed that one off when I sent her packing out my front door. Needless to say, it was a learning experience.

Mitch smiled at Hadley. “I see our friend here is rude. I’m Mitch. Who might you be?”

She held out her hand and he took it, mesmerized. “I’m Anna. I’m visiting here for a few weeks.”

“Anna, it’s nice to meet you. Has anyone ever told you how much you look like that country singer?” He closed his eyes, brows furrowed. “What’s her name? Oh yeah, Hadley Rivers,” he said, opening his eyes wide.

She shrugged. “I hear that from time to time, but I don’t compare to her.”

“On the contrary, you’re much prettier. So what are you doing with this dumb ass? If you’re looking for a true cowboy, I know where to find one,” he said, waggling his brows.

I rolled my eyes while Hadley laughed. “She’s visiting me from North Carolina,” I informed him. “And she’s not here to ride the short train.”

Mitch grabbed his chest. “Ouch, that hurt. I can see when I’m not wanted.”

Chuckling, I clapped him on the shoulder. “Actually, you are. I want you to show Anna around the shop. You’re much better at explaining everything in here.”

His eyes lit up. “It’ll be my pleasure.” He held his arm out to Hadley and she took it excitedly. “Let’s go,” he said.

They strolled through the store and I watched how her face glowed every time he showed her something new. Whether it was hand-carved furniture, or paintings on the wall, her enthusiasm had me astounded. Maybe she could fit in.

“Hey sexy,” a voice murmured from behind. Her hands settled on my waist and I pushed them off.

“What the fuck do you want?” I growled. When I turned, Rayna stood there with a seductive grin. That shit wasn’t going to work with me.

“I saw you walk in and I could’ve sworn you were with someone else. You haven’t traded me in already, have you?”

“If I had, it’d be none of your business.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not going to let the other night at the bar come between us are you? Trent and I are over.”

“Like I give a shit. We had our fun and it’s done, end of story. What don’t you understand about that?”

Hadley noticed us from the other side of the store and walked over. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

“Everything’s fine,” I assured her.

Fuming, Rayna pointed an angry finger at Hadley. “Who the hell is that?”

“I’m his girlfriend,” Hadley said, snaking her arm around my waist.

Rayna scoffed. “Blake has flings, not girlfriends. Stop thinking you’re special.”

Smirking, I put my arm around Hadley’s shoulders. “Things change, especially when you find the right woman.”

Rayna glared up at me and then to her. “Well, you can have him, honey. He’s a dick anyway.”

Hadley turned my face to hers and winked. “That may be true, but he’s one hell of a lover.” She lifted up on her toes and nipped her teeth at me. I snaked my arms around her waist, pulling her in tight. I was about to kiss her but she jerked away when Rayna stormed out the door. “She’s gone.” She laughed.

Shaking his head, Mitch chortled watching Rayna marched down the street. “Damn, city, you sure do have a way with the women.”

I shrugged. “I try. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to get rid of them.”

“Looks like Jackson Hole has a Don Juan on their hands,” Hadley teased.

Mitch elbowed her in the side and then pointed to me. “Every woman in this city has tried to get a piece of him. It makes the local men jealous. But I guess a congrats is in order. I didn’t know you were a couple.”

“We’re not.” Hadley laughed harder. “I just said that to get Betty Rotten Crotch out of the store.”

Mitch doubled over. “She probably does have a stanky-ass crotch. This one should know,” he said, pointing at me.

Hadley’s smile faded and she averted her gaze.

What the actual fuck? Mitch was going to pay for that. “All right, I think that’s enough for one day.” I put my arm around Hadley’s waist. “You ready?”

She nodded. “Yep.”

“Are you still going to hang out with the guys this weekend?” Mitch asked.

“We’ll see. I’m sure once Rayna makes her rounds, everyone will know about my new girlfriend. I guess we could always play along and make the rounds about town. What ya think about that?” I said, tickling Hadley’s side.

She pinched my arm. “Don’t think so.”

We said goodbye to Mitch and once we were outside, she slapped me on the arm. “You’re supposed to be hiding me away and protecting me, not parading me around town.”

I tapped her on the chin. “It was a joke, Hadley. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Besides, I’d rather not go. Every local in the bar will be trying to hit on you.”

“Speaking of which, why does Mitch call you City? I thought you were from around here.” We got in the truck and started on our way back to the ranch, but I wasn’t in a hurry to explain the story to her. “Are you going to answer me?” she asked.

Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair. “He calls me that because I’m a city boy. I only moved here a little over a year ago from North Carolina, after my grandfather passed away. He left the ranch to me.”

Smugly, she lifted her chin. “And you had the balls to call me a fake?”

“Oh, sweetheart, I most definitely have those.” I winked at her.

She pretended to look offended, but ended up laughing. I joined in when she had to wipe tears from her eyes. It was over the dumbest comment in the world, but it was the hardest I’d laughed in over a year.