Tempted By Trouble: The Doctor and The Rancher (Bad Boys Western Romance Book 1)

by Susan Arden

  Matt parked at the front entrance of the hotel. Inside the lobby, he didn’t see a dark-haired beauty. There was a bar and restaurant. Carolina wasn’t in either. Matt slowed to a stop. He got out his cell. No texts from Caro, which was odd considering how many they’d traded these last two weeks.

  The ones he’d sent had gone unanswered. At first, being out on a fence line with little cell reception, it was part of the frustration of getting his work done. Had pushed him to work harder, faster.

  He dialed Carolina’s phone. No one picked up. As he stared at the screen of his cell, the messages seemed to burn into his mind. What if Carolina had come here and Haverty had gotten her alone in his hotel room? Haverty was exactly the snake she’d described, but what if the fucker turned on the charm? A blast of heat flew up Matt’s neck. He knew what he’d do if he were in Haverty’s shoes. He’d be ruthless and do whatever it took to win Caro back.

  Fury rose and filled his chest. If he found her with Haverty, he’d lose his shit exponentially. That motherfucker was history and when he got hold of him he’d pound that fact into his arrogant face! And get arrested in the process. Instead of going upstairs and knocking out the good doctor’s front teeth, he’d do the saner thing. Call the shithead down to the lobby. Then they’d step outside, where he’d pound that jackass into the ground!

  The prosecutor and his attorney had warned him how getting into one more fight would play out. Nothing on Earth would stop Matt if Caro needed his help. He barrelled into the hotel lobby, fired up by the various scenarios he’d played over and over in his head. Guest registration was empty and he hit the bell in rapid succession.

  A man wearing a navy vest hurried out of the rear office and smiled as he approached the front desk. “Yes, sir. Checking in?”

  “No. I’d like to see if a guest is here. Haverty in room 816?”

  “Hmm, Haverty? I can place a call to the room. But I can’t tell you whether or not any guest is here. Hotel rules.” The man placed a call but no one answered. The hotel clerk set down the receiver. “No answer. Would you care to leave a message?”

  “Has he checked out?”

  “I can’t say.” The man shrugged as if to explain.

  Matt rubbed his forehead. His choices had shrunk to a factor of one. No point in standing around. He rode the elevator upstairs, brooding over what was to come. On the eighth floor, the elevator doors peeled apart.

  Confronting a man in a doorway again gave Matt pause. There was no getting around this dirty deed. Once it was over, he’d feel better than this fucked-up state. Exiting into the hall, it was quiet. Getting closer to 816, he heard a squeak-squeak noise. There wasn’t a cleaning woman or housekeeping pushing a cart. The sound got louder and was accompanied by a muffled banging.

  Matt stood before the hotel door, and held up his fist to pound. But he froze mid-knock. The sounds were coming from inside the room. He tried the knob. It was locked. He inhaled to steady his thoughts. The scent of Carolina’s perfume wafted in the air. It had to be his imagination.

  It was then he heard a woman’s voice. He distinctly heard a feminine keening pitch. His instinct to kick the door down reared up. The woman cried out a second time… not in pain. The thudding, squeaking, moans, and cries suddenly jostled his idiot mind. Sex. Haverty was banging some woman into a hotel bed.

  What if it wasn’t just some woman? Matt gripped the doorframe. He fought not to tear the fucking door down. Crazy shit rattled around in his skull. It didn’t matter that some might say she wasn’t worth it but that was pure bullshit.

  Matt saw red. He’d kill the bastard!

  In a flash and from experience, he saw how this would go down. If he got hold of Haverty, this wouldn’t be a fistfight. The vengeance running rabid in his blood turned savage.

  Bitterness filled Matt’s throat from the charring ruin of his insides. Breathing hard, he told himself: a murder charge would wreck his parents, bankrupt Evermore, and ruin a hundred years of ranching his family had fought and forged in sweat and blood!

  As if in an outer body experience, he headed toward the stairwell. There was no turning back. There was only one step after another.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  It was after six. There was no one at the office and Matt slammed on his brakes. He needed to get his shit together. In a red-haze, he entered his office and sat down at his desk. Carolina’s note stared up at him. As if burned, he shifted his gaze. The flash of light caught his eye. He picked up her cell…

  His anger backdrafted into an all-consuming fury. On the move, the hardpan crunched under his boots. If he stayed around the ranch, he’d unleash his fury on the first person he came across and that left only one choice. There was only one place he could stomach: high country. Pine-covered hills thick with trees and no one for miles. There was a small log cabin he frequented when he wasn’t fit for company.

  He gathered his gear and packed up his horse. Bedroll, food pack, water, and gun. That was it. He’d go find a hole and crawl inside, for however long it took to become human again. Matt mounted Kyro and cantered out of the barn.

  “Haaah!” he growled, giving into the desire to race the wind.

  It was like he became one with Kyro. A streak of black, so black it was almost blue. They melded in with the fast falling night, the hush of the land, the ability to disappear into the shadows that bridged yesterday and tomorrow.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  By the time Carolina had returned to the house, she’d pressed lady luck but good! The side door was locked. She limped up the porch steps and dusted off her jeans, again. She wished her clothes weren’t so dirty.

  The front door was unlocked. At the threshold, she removed her boots and set them on the porch. Couldn’t do much with the mud covering the seat of her pants. They’d been nearly done with the vaccinations, then the last cow had knocked her down. Almost kicked her in the head but she’d scrambled and rolled. It wasn’t the first time she’d been covered in cow piss, mud, and dirt. Still, what she smelled like went well beyond hideous.

  “Hello?” Carolina called out as she inched into the foyer. There was only one lamp on down the hall somewhere.

  The house had the empty feel when voices carried thinly around. Dust swirled in the rays of the dim light as the echoes collided with her heartbeat. All day she’d missed Matt and thought for sure he’d be here after not being at the barn or office. No one had seen him. His Jeep was parked down at the outbuilding. His horse was gone.

  He hadn’t joined them and she hadn’t expected him at the makeshift vaccination station. Not after telling Brandon to keep her project a secret. She planned to tell Matt tonight. On her way down the hall, she saw a crumpled white sheet of paper with the words ‘Hilton Hotel’ visible. She distinctly recalled Jeff had been staying there.

  Her chest thudded, booming as she read the message. The note slipped from her fingers. Matt couldn’t be there. Not unless he rode his horse. All his cars were parked out front.

  Carolina limped down the hallway toward the laundry room. She moved past the kitchen entry, but a bright flashing red light caught her eye. She flipped on the light switch in the kitchen. The flashing light turned out to be her phone, lying on the counter. She picked it up. This wasn’t where she’d left it. She stared down at the blinking light and pressed the button.

  “Oh no!” She rapidly read the text message. “Meet me at the Hilton Garden, Room 816. I’m sorry, princess.”

  Then she read all the texts that Matt had sent. He’d been searching for her. Carolina’s mind broke apart. A fierce tremble worked her muscles. She dropped the phone without thinking. A cold sweat blanketed her body.

  The only way this phone could’ve made it here was if Matt had brought it. Carolina braced her hands on the counter, fighting to get control. Matt had to have seen the message. If that were so, what would he have done? What would she have done? Oh, it would not have been pretty! But where was Matt now?

>   She rubbed her hands over her face. Think. Damn it. Think. Send him a text and ask! That made sense.

  Carolina typed him a message: Hey, just got back to the house. Can’t wait to see you!

  Minutes dragged by and nothing. No text. No call. Zip! Carolina began to pace, or really limp across the kitchen. If she could, she’d throttle Jeff! Her heartrate started to accelerate as she called the hotel.

  “It’s a good evening at the Hilton. How may I direct your call?”

  “Can you ring room 816?”

  “Just a moment, please. Uh, there must be some mistake, that room is unoccupied.”

  “Excuse me, I don’t understand.” It felt like a fist clamped around her heart and squeezed.

  “There isn’t a guest currently staying there,” the sing song voice of the operator replied. “Are you sure you have the correct room number?”

  “Yes and thank you,” Carolina said before hanging up. This made no sense. If Jeff had checked out and Matt wasn’t there. Wasn’t here. Then where was he!

  Maybe she could call Matt’s sister and have Cory find him? No, that would open a can of nosy worms when Carolina needed to refrain from stirring the pot further. She didn’t have Rory or Brandon’s cell number. But she could call his parents’ home and simply inquire. Not saying anything outlandish like ‘help, I can’t find your son!’ kind of greeting.

  Clearing her throat, she dialed the McLemores, and his dad answered, “Hello?”

  “Hi Wade, this is Carolina. Is Matt there?”

  “No, he isn’t here. Is Matt on his way over?”

  “I just got back and…” She tried to come up with something to say but her mind went blank.

  After a beat, Wade supplied, “We’re just sitting down to dinner. If we hear from or see Matt, I’ll tell him to call you straightaway.”

  “Thanks. Tell Sarah ‘hi’ from me and enjoy your dinner.”

  They hung up and Carolina’s mind whirred faster at this development. Now what?

  This required linear thinking, not jumping from the fire into some frying pan! A to-do list would do the trick. Letting go a shaky breath, she thought: first, don’t dive into the deep end. Second, get cleaned up. By then, Matt would probably be back. This was most likely a big nothing and they’d share a laugh at her outrageous imagination.

  Before she broke down and cried. This was worse than almost getting trampled by a cow! If Matt wasn’t here and wasn’t answering her text, there was only one explanation! A b-a-d one. Biting back tears, she slowly made her way to the bathroom.

  *

  Warm water sluiced down Carolina’s aching body. Lathering soap all over, she didn’t dawdle and rinsed off. She exited the shower and tugged the towel off the bar, picking up a whiff of Aramis. So poignant and potent and Carolina buried her face in the scent of the man who was AWOL. A heaviness settled in her chest. An unflinching sense of bone crushing fear that something wasn’t right. She wrapped the towel around herself and jerked from the pain tearing down her shoulders.

  The house was as silent as a tomb without Matt. Her phone didn’t flash any new messages. Carolina glanced out the patio doors. Darkness fell beyond where a sliver of light traced the hills. It was getting late and she had no desire to eat alone.

  The only other place she could go was to Wade and Sarah’s home. But she couldn’t go running over there after she’d just called. Wade said he’d call if they got word.

  Until Matt showed up, this would require patience and calm thinking, no meltdowns allowed! Rolling her lip between her teeth, she sent Matt another text. “Call me, please. We can talk, can’t we?”

  From hoping, Carolina started praying. Asking God for answers like how to deal with the situation. How to keep breathing when it felt as if her chest were ripped open. Please, please let him be alright.

  The things that Jeff was capable of saying were worse than a sucker punch. That jackass wasn’t half the man Matt was on all levels. Why had she opened the door and invited him in?

  Carolina sat on the edge of the bed, praying that Matt would let her know he’d be along any second. Yet the longer she sat by herself, the more convinced she became that he wasn’t coming back. Her body was dead tired but her mind looped around and around, refusing to still. Her legs hurt down to the bone. Her eyelids were so, so heavy. Lying back against the pillows, didn’t provide much comfort. The deadening silence of the room made the waiting worse. She texted Matt again and again. With no word from him, she had to fight giving into desperation.

  What Matt and she had found in this house was beyond intense. Something easier to classify as some super human glue that kept people together, filling and steading the gaps in her being. The raw hurricane power Matt had wielded over her body, went beyond crashing waves to gale force winds that ripped away Carolina’s ability to run and hide, had forced her to come clean, to give in, and let go. Their bodies produced a harmony. A sensuous, passionate friction of flesh against flesh and satisfied a longing in Carolina’s soul.

  It was as if a light bulb flashed in her mind and she finally understood what was meant by soul mate. That’s who Matthew McLemore was and before she left, she intended to tell him!

  As if the truth were too much to bear, her body demanded rest. Sleep overcame Carolina’s sorrow and worry. Her thoughts faded, she stopped clinging, and breached the doorway to a place where Matt waited, holding out his arms. Unfettered and fearless, she dove into his dreamy embrace.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  A subtle difference between Miami and Annona was the morning light and birdsong. Carolina came to that awareness with another realization: she was still alone. Her heart sank.

  Quickly, she rolled over, checking out the room. “Hello Matt?” she called, grappling with the fact that her cell had zero messages from the man.

  The bedroom door was open and she didn’t hear anything but silence. Goddamn silence! The master bedroom was at the far end of the house. He might be sleeping on the sofa or in the guest bedroom. He sure as hell wasn’t here!

  A multi-hued mixture of hurt, anger, and desperation tore at Carolina, picking right up where she’d left off last night. Why wasn’t Matt here with her?

  Slowly, she slid her hand across the sheet where only days ago, he’d asked things of her that she’d never shared. Matt had unleashed so many emotions that threatened to crash down on her if she wasn’t careful. The bed was not the same — the room wasn’t, either. And neither was she. Her heart was filled with one stubborn cowboy.

  Every nook and cranny within Carolina, he’d taken possession of and now, she couldn’t just sit and wait. As if on fire, she pushed up from the mattress. Dear God! It felt as if she’d been tossed off a building. The muscles along her shoulders down her body screamed in pain.

  In a stagger, she made it to the living room. There was no sign of McLemore here, so she crept toward the kitchen. It was empty with no wayward glasses on the counter or the sink. Carolina’s heart thudded heavy and loud in her ears. She hobbled to the foyer and opened the front door. She swallowed hard in confusion. Matt’s cars were still parked along the circular drive.

  Shutting the door, she blew out a sharp breath. The house was emptier than before with the truth that he truly might not be coming back any time soon. That didn’t make any sense. Why would he blame her for something Jeff might’ve said?

  Well, she’d just have to find McLemore and have a little come-to-Jesus talk with her favorite cowboy. The man couldn’t stay away forever and his words kept ringing in her ears. Suck it up.

  That’s what strong people did. No way was she about to let him slip through her fingers. After yesterday, her body was stiff but if this required that she get right back in the saddle, then she and Skyfall would find that man!

  With an action plan, Carolina had a jumping off point. She gathered jeans, a work shirt, and she’d have to wear her hiking boots since her Justin’s were all sorts of smelly and nasty after yest
erday. Carolina’s gaze slid over the dresser and then it dawned on her. Where was her bottle of perfume?

  Gabrielle. The distinctive square bottle was hard to miss on the dresser top that was completely bare. Carolina stared at the spot, now empty. It had been there when she’d showered and had gone over to get ready, with Cory’s help. Unless she’d moved it, but no she’d spritzed it on right before she’d left and even Cory had commented on the delicious scent of tuberoses. Huh?

  Well, that mystery would be next, after she located one wayward McLemore!

  Once dressed, she rushed into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. The cabinets were tall, constructed from dark-stained wood. The cream-colored granite counters were spotless. The shiny stainless-steel appliances were equally new. Except for that dinner they’d made, together.

  Carolina took out a mug from the cabinet and placed a K-pod in the brand-new Keurig machine. Matt’s kitchen was part of the perfect bachelor pad, minus the bachelor.

  Her plane was departing in a few hours. She needed a solution ASAP! Carolina contemplated her next move, while not dropping the mug filled with coffee, now that her hand shook. She had no option but to ask one of his brothers for help and quickly.

  ***

  Forget self-talk. Carolina’s idiot mind kept getting interrupted by that moronic voice in her head with a nagging reminder that she was leaving for the airport today. As she drove, she kept going over in her mind what to say and how to act. That’s all she needed to do was to tell Brandon or Rory that an old boyfriend had come to town. Oh yeah, she could definitely see the welcoming expressions exit their face. She would be persona non grata, besides branded as the absolute biggest jackass of all times. From hero to zero.