The Rival

by Joanne Rock

  He waved her closer. “I hope you don’t mind. But I like to combine work with pleasure whenever I can, and Montana is too beautiful not to savor.”

  Her heartbeat jumped nervously as she neared him to slide onto one of the bench seats. She needed to be wary of this man’s idea of pleasure. She had too much at stake to lose focus now.

  “Of course,” she tried to say in a normal tone, but her voice cracked like a twelve-year-old boy’s. She cleared her throat and tried again. “It’s a treat for me, too.”

  “I’m glad.” He took the seat opposite her and waited while she removed her gloves and filled a plate for herself. “So how long have you worked here?”

  She took a sip of her wine to steel herself for the inevitable questions and hoped she could change the topic fast.

  “I just started last week. I’m having a hard time deciding on a career path since I finished college, so I’ve been testing out different jobs, trying to figure out what I want to do and where I’d like to live.” It was close enough to the truth.

  She didn’t mention that she couldn’t properly get her life underway until she had the answers she needed about A. J. Sorensen’s book and where all the profits from it had gone.

  “Really?” Devon stretched his long legs under the table, one knee bumping hers. “Where did you attend college?”

  “Online.” That wasn’t true. She’d taken most of her classes on the UCLA campus—right up until her accident. “It was easier that way, since I enjoy moving around.”

  “And where’s home?” he asked, dipping a corner of the fresh bread into the honey.

  “My mother lives in Tahoe.” That was true. “I guess home is there.” Technically, Regina had only ever visited for a couple of days at a time.

  Her mother had left Hollywood as soon as she could after the scandal broke, but Regina had remained in Los Angeles with her grandmother to finish high school. At the time, she couldn’t imagine living without her friends, but one by one her friends had all fallen away after the scandal. Even Terri, her best friend, had eventually disappeared from her life when Terri’s parents realized how dangerous it was for two teenage girls trying to flee tabloid reporters on their own.

  Regina understood—especially after the late-night car wreck while trying to shake the paparazzi had almost killed her during her undergraduate years. But understanding why her friends had vanished didn’t make those years any less painful. She nibbled a square of smoked gouda and hoped she could change the subject soon.

  “Well, I’m glad our paths crossed,” Devon said, lifting his glass. “Here’s to finding new friends in unexpected places.”

  She felt her chest constrict, hating the lies but knowing she had no choice if she wanted to discover the truth about his father’s finances.

  “To new friends.” Raising her glass, she clinked it gently against his.

  Their eyes met as they drank. She glanced away fast, but not before she felt an undeniable spark between them. The thought he’d put into the meal, the curiosity he’d shown about her personally, the way he looked at her—all of it added up to frank male interest that would have been flattering if it hadn’t been so dangerous to her mission.

  “What about you?” She reached for another topic of conversation to steer things away from herself. Away from the slow simmer of awareness in her veins. “Where’s home for you?”

  “New York. I bought a place on Central Park West when I heard about a potential vacancy and jumped on it before the apartment went on the market.” Crunching into an apple slice, he pointed to a low-flying hawk circling nearby. “My family is in Connecticut. Except, of course, for Marcus out in Los Angeles.”

  She tracked the bird while she thought about how to steer the conversation to find out more about his father. The hawk flew for long moments without flapping its wings, angling through the air in a graceful, soaring flight.

  “Do you travel to a lot of different places for work?” She needed to be subtler than she’d been earlier. She might have admitted she’d read up on his family, but she didn’t want him to know how much.

  “I was in India last week, meeting with an international client, but that’s rare.” He removed a sheaf of paperwork from his jacket and laid it on the table. She recognized a map of Mesa Falls Ranch with a few of the buildings marked on it. “Montana is new for me, too, and I appreciate the tour today.” He spun the map around so she could see it better, then pointed to a few pen markings. “I want to make sure we hit these places.”

  She recognized two of the owners’ homes as well as a peak with renowned views of the valley. But her eye was drawn to the papers that had been behind the map—the ones now partially covered by his forearm. The top sheet appeared to be contact information for someone—part of a phone number and an email address that looked like it ended “...tigations.com.”

  Mitigations? Litigations? Investigations?

  “Of course.” Her brain worked double time to come up with other words even as she forced herself to make eye contact with him. “No problem.”

  Crazy though it might seem, she couldn’t shake the feeling the information was related to his father’s estate. Or the book. Or something that might shed light on her quest. But how to steal a peek at it?

  “Excellent.” He started to slide the map back into his stack, then paused. “Did you need this for reference?”

  Her gaze flicked back to the sheaf on the table, where she caught the word “April.” Or was it a name?

  “Sure.” She reached for the map, trying not to stare at the place where his elbow hid whatever came after “April.”

  “That would be great.”

  He hesitated before passing it to her. “Are you okay?”

  She forced her attention back to his green eyes. “Of course. Why?”

  Tucking the map into her jacket pocket, she watched him fold his documents and return them to his coat.

  “You just seem a little distracted.” He studied her, and for a moment she feared he could see right through her. But then he clinked his glass to hers again. “Drink up, Regina. We should probably pack our things so we have time to see the rest of the ranch.”

  Nodding, she finished her meal and wondered how to see those papers before they disappeared for good. One way or another, she needed a plan to separate Devon from his jacket as soon as possible.

  * * *

  Something seemed off about the lovely Mesa Falls Ranch trail guide.

  Devon couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was, though. After they returned their mounts to the stables shortly before sunset, Regina had invited him to brush down the horses with her, one of many little things that struck him as odd. He didn’t mind taking care of an animal he’d ridden all day—that was far from the point. Mesa Falls Ranch was positioning itself as a high-end corporate retreat, secondary to its main ranching mission. They had plenty of ranch hands to oversee the stables. If anything, they had too much help in the weeks before the launch party. So certainly, Regina didn’t need his help.

  As much as he’d like to think the sexy trail guide was unwilling to part with his company, he didn’t think attraction factored into her request. There’d been plenty of opportunities to act on the awareness between them today—during lunch especially. But Regina had seemed distracted, her thoughts elsewhere.

  He ran the brush over Evangeline’s flank, working in tandem with Regina in the quiet barn. The riding arena close to the lodge was more of a showplace than part of the working ranch—here, inexperienced riders could receive pointers about horsemanship, or try their hand at simple rodeo events in a well-monitored setting. Only a handful of horses were housed here tonight. The sweet smell of hay circulated in the cool air from a high, open window.

  Evangeline whinnied as he moved the brush down her back, and he caught sight of Regina working silently at the crossties, next to him. Her da
rk hair caught the overhead lights, revealing a healthy shine. She’d shrugged off her jacket when they’d started working and now he did the same, draping it over the hook near hers. Even with the window open, the big animals warmed the space.

  Regina caught him staring then, and for a moment the temperature spiked hotter. Her eyes darted over him before she shifted her attention back to her work. What was it about her silvery gaze that made him so damned curious about her? Maybe the odd signals he’d gotten today came down to attraction after all.

  Perhaps she was simply shy. Or maybe she felt an abundance of caution since she was employed by the ranch and didn’t wish to risk a new job by fraternizing with a client. While he considered his next move, his phone rang. He’d had it turned off during their ride, so he checked the screen now just in case it was important.

  The caller ID showed his mother’s photo.

  “Regina, I just need five minutes, but I really should grab this.”

  “Of course.” She waved him along, her smile transforming her face from pretty to breathtaking. “Take as long as you need.”

  Nodding his thanks, he set down the brush and hit the button to connect the call.

  “Mom?” He moved toward the barn doors, sliding one open to step outside.

  “Hello, Devon.” Her voice was lowered, and he could hear what sounded like a dinner party in the background—indistinct music, soft chatter and laughter. “I just saw your note about extending your stay in Montana for the launch party. I wanted to be sure you’ll be here for the wedding.”

  “Of course I will.” He thought he’d made that clear in the text he’d sent earlier, but he knew his mother was nervous about her upcoming nuptials. “Mom, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. You know that.”

  “Okay.” Her small laugh sounded relieved more than anything. “I thought so, but I wanted to be sure. There’s so much booked for the week before that the sooner you can be here the better.”

  Devon breathed in the deep stillness of the Montana mountains, wishing he could trade places with his mother for a few days so she could enjoy the peace of this kind of setting. Then again, she wouldn’t want to travel anywhere that his father had frequented. She’d never forgiven him for not sticking around after Devon was born, and although Devon understood why, he wished—for her sake—she’d been able to put Alonzo firmly in her past a long time ago.

  “I’ll be at the rehearsal dinner.” He glanced behind him at the barn door, which he’d left open a few inches. “Is there anything else going on that I should know about?”

  He tried his damnedest to be an attentive son. His mother had never held it against him that he was a Salazar, the way Granddad did, even though Devon had worked hard to make sure he didn’t overtly share any of his dad’s qualities.

  “Most of Bradley’s family will be in town, so Granddad wants to roll out the red carpet,” his mother explained. Bradley Stewart’s family was a force to be reckoned with in banking, a well-connected clan Devon’s grandfather would leverage at first opportunity. “There will be a welcome party, a few media interviews, that sort of thing. You’re always so good with the press, Devon. I’d love it if you could be here.”

  He closed his eyes, resenting his grandfather for making this wedding about business. And he hated knowing that news of Alonzo Salazar’s salacious book could steal the spotlight from what should be the happiest day of his mother’s life.

  “The launch party is only two days before the wedding.” He couldn’t leave before then. Still, guilt gnawed at him that he couldn’t be there for her when she’d given up so much for him. “But I’ll get a flight as soon as it ends.”

  “Of course. I understand.” The music in the background of the call grew louder. “I’d better go now, darling. Good luck, and I’ll see you soon.”

  He disconnected the call, not happy to disappoint her, but knowing that it was more important for her to have him here—though she’d never understand why.

  Devon needed to speak to all the owners of Mesa Falls Ranch to see what they knew about his father’s past—about the book, about the proceeds, about their relationship with him. But he needed to keep a lid on scandal at all costs. Keep his family’s private business just that—private.

  And yet, as he peered through the opening of the barn door, Devon spotted Regina Flores hunched over his discarded jacket, his personal papers spilled over her lap while she helped herself to the confidential contents.

  Anger flared—fast and hot.

  Shoving open the door the rest of the way, he charged toward her. Her guilty scramble to stash the papers would have been damning even if he hadn’t already seen her reading them.

  He stopped a foot away from her, quietly seething. “May I ask what in the hell you think you’re doing?”

  Three

  Regina froze.

  She’d thought she’d been keeping an ear out for Devon’s return, but she’d gotten engrossed in reading the files she had only meant to photograph. Had he seen her with the papers? Or had he only noticed her rifling through his jacket?

  Her heart pounded harder as she relinquished her hold on his coat, letting it fall back on the chair as she straightened.

  “I’m so embarrassed.” She only had so many ways to play this without alienating him. For that matter, if she didn’t find a way to smooth this over, he could have her fired from her job and then she’d really have no options left to track down the profits from the book that had ruined her family.

  “With good reason.” Devon glared at her, his shoulders tight and his jaw clenched. He stalked closer, his dark brows furrowed.

  Behind her, Evangeline tossed her head and exhaled on a long, shuddering snort. Regina moved away from the mare, not wanting the animals to feel the nervous energy pinging through her. Stepping from the straw-covered grooming area onto the cement walkway down the center of the barn, she kept her gaze trained on Devon.

  “I only wanted to touch your jacket.” She knew her cheeks were bright red, and in this case that was surely to her advantage. “I’m sure it’s obvious to you that I’m...” She forced herself to pause, wishing there was another way out of this mess. She took a deep breath. “Attracted to you.”

  It wasn’t a lie. She let him see the truth of it in her expression. Her pulse galloped faster while his green eyes narrowed.

  “And what did you think you might find out by snooping around in my personal papers?”

  Did he know that for certain? Or was he guessing?

  “Call me crazy.” Shrugging, she folded her arms around herself to ward off the chill of his doubt. “But I just wanted to breathe in the scent of you.” That part was—sadly—true, as well. The first thing she’d done when she picked up his coat was to bury her nose in the lining. “And the papers fell out.”

  Her face must be on fire by now. She swore she could feel where every single capillary pulsed with heat just below the skin.

  She was worried about his reaction, yes. And she’d stretched the truth. But maybe the biggest reason for her blush was that she was baring a secret she hadn’t wanted to admit—even to herself.

  “I find that difficult to believe when you seemed careful to keep me at arm’s length today.” He spoke softly, studying her carefully as he stood just inches away. “Our picnic certainly offered an opportunity for that.”

  “Fraternizing with a guest will surely be frowned upon by my new employer.” Her breath came fast. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a stray hair flutter in her exhale. “I didn’t think acting on the attraction would be wise.” She saw some subtle shift in his expression. His pupils widened, maybe. Or his nostrils flared. “I still don’t,” she rushed to add.

  “Nevertheless.” He shifted closer, his right hand grazing her jaw to lift her chin. “I’d like to test the truth of that claim.”

  The green of his eyes was just t
he slimmest of rings around the dark centers as he peered down at her. Her thoughts scrambled.

  “That I don’t think we should act on it?” Her breathless voice sounded nothing like her.

  “That you’re attracted to me.” His thumb skimmed along her lower lip and pleasure trembled through her even though she tried to hold herself very still.

  Electrified, she sucked in a breath. And then his lips were brushing hers. Once. Twice. Just feather-soft touches that made her knees weak, right before he kissed her.

  For real.

  Desire streaked through her and stole her reservations. Her arms fell to her sides for only a moment before she wrapped them around him, drawing him closer. The woodsy bergamot scent of his skin filled her senses while his hands slid around her back, pressing her closer. His fingers flexed against the hem of her sweater, stirring an awareness of how much more pleasure awaited her. The hard wall of his chest called to her palms to explore all the intriguing ridges and planes of muscle...

  He broke away suddenly. For a moment, she was utterly disoriented, blinking back at him in the glow of the barn light overhead. Her breath came hard, and she noticed his did, too. His hands lingered on her back, while hers still clutched the shoulders of his gray flannel shirt. With an effort, she unclenched her fingers, letting go of him.

  “The chemistry is real enough.” He didn’t seem in any hurry to release her, his fingers skimming around to her waist. Stroking up her arms. “But is your story?”

  His icy words jerked her back to reality.

  He let go of her then, pacing away from her. For a moment she didn’t even remember what he was talking about. She’d been that caught up in the kiss.

  Panic lodged in her throat.

  “What do you mean?” She stalled for time, not sure how to fix this.

  How could she have let him catch her snooping? And why hadn’t she used the time when they’d been kissing to work out a plan B? Absurdly, her lips still tingled from that damned kiss, and it was all she could do not to brush her fingers over her mouth to still the quivery feeling.