Snowbound at Christmas

by Debbie Mason

  Cat didn’t miss the cutting, sarcastic tone or the glint of anger in his ice-blue eyes. But she couldn’t tell him the truth. “I hardly think she needs me when she has you, Harry. Thank you, by the way. A little incident like that would typically send my sister into hysterics. You’re good for her.” It was true. Why that caused her chest to spasm with a small twinge of regret, she didn’t want to think about. And she didn’t have time to.

  “I hardly think a boom nearly taking off your sister’s head qualifies as a little incident.”

  Ty puffed out his chest and put his arm around her. “The boom nearly took off Cat’s head, and you don’t see her crying and making a scene.”

  “I see.” And the way his eyes roamed her face, it was as though he did. “Was that the reason you didn’t call out a warning?”

  Her eyes narrowed. She didn’t like what he seemed to be implying. “I was about to, but you had matters under control by then.”

  “He so did, didn’t he? I’ve never seen anything like it. Well, other than in a James Bond movie. The way you rolled Chloe out of danger, protecting her with your body.” Ty rubbed his chest with his open fingers, staring at Harry as if imagining that tall, muscular frame blanketing him.

  She glared at Ty. He’d gotten over his anger at how Harry had spoken to her pretty darn quick. The ho.

  She looked beyond Harry to see her sister approaching with the help of two grips while Dame Alexander, who’d been following behind, raised her cane to flag down Phil. Chloe sagged against Harry when she reached his side. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

  He smiled down at her. “I just came to get you a glass of water. How are you holding up?”

  “Better now that I’m with you.”

  Cat stifled a groan at the look of hero worship in her sister’s eyes. “Chloe, why don’t I take you to your dressing room and make you a cup of tea?” She’d talk to Ty later. Right now, she had to break the spell Harry had cast on Chloe.

  “Don’t trouble yourself. I’ll see to your sister.”

  Cat’s back went up at his tone of voice. “That’s not—”

  Her sister stared at her, a look of betrayal in her eyes. “Harry was there when I needed him. You weren’t. You’d rather be hanging out with your friend than protecting me. If that’s any indication of how you did your job, no wonder you were fired.”

  She flinched, feeling as though her sister had slapped her.

  Harry looked at Cat. She pressed her lips together, averting her eyes. She felt his momentary hesitation before he led Chloe away.

  “What a biatch. I hate her so much. I hope someone does knock her off.”

  “Ty, don’t…” Though she could hardly berate him when, at that moment, on top of the hurt and embarrassment, she felt the same. She sensed someone looking at her. From across the room, Harry’s piercing blue eyes held hers, then moved to Ty. He’d heard him.

  * * *

  Pretending to be absorbed in the view, Grayson relaxed in a chair with his legs stretched toward the open fire pit. The restaurant was set in the hills and the night lights of the city twinkling below them were spectacular, but it was the woman sitting on her own on the opposite side of the outdoor patio that held his attention. She was pretty damn spectacular, too.

  In the glow from the decorative white lights wrapped around the base of a palm tree behind her, Cat’s dark, choppy hair gleamed. The high neck of a black, sleeveless dress framed her stunning face and showed off her toned arms. Just as the knee-high black leather boots she wore accentuated her long legs. He shifted in the chair, dragging his gaze back to her face before he started imagining how those legs would feel wrapped around his waist. She got to him. No matter how much he pretended she didn’t, she did. It’s why he’d overreacted this afternoon.

  The night before, he’d seen another side of Cat, one he wanted to explore further. He’d convinced himself he’d been wrong about her. The more time he spent with Cat, the less he saw her as a suspect. So her behavior after Chloe’s accident pissed him off. Made him doubt himself, doubt his ability to do his job. Just like Valeria, he figured Cat had played him.

  He’d seen her, standing off to the side watching them film the scene, but he hadn’t realized she’d been in the line of the boom until Ty brought it to his attention. A cold, hard knot had tightened in his gut at the thought she could have been hurt, but at the same time, she was back on the top of his suspect list, so he’d been decidedly unsympathetic. With the help of a partner, she could have been behind the accident. And if she had a partner, it would be Ty—which explained why she nearly got knocked off, too.

  It was obvious the hairstylist would do anything for Cat. He’d heard what Ty said after Chloe had delivered her cutting remark. Grayson might have given Ty’s threat more weight if he hadn’t been feeling the same way. A sentiment that had him calling himself all kinds of foolish at the time.

  But earlier this evening he’d gotten a call from his cousin with news that caused Grayson both frustration and relief. Cat’s prints weren’t on the magazine article, and only one of the missing words matched with the threatening letter—not enough to hold up as evidence. Also, the results were back on the contents of Chloe’s prescription: they were sugar pills. So while he was relieved to find nothing that directly linked Cat to the case, he was frustrated at how little progress he’d made. He swirled the ice in his glass of scotch as his gaze drifted back to her.

  She seemed as relaxed as he pretended to be. But like him, it was an act. He could see the tension in her upper body; she was on full alert, clocking Chloe’s every move. Which meant, at the moment, those gorgeous green eyes were focused three tables over, where Chloe and his grandmother huddled with Phil. No doubt pushing for George’s untimely demise, since Grayson hadn’t been invited to participate in the conversation.

  At the thought, he shifted his attention to Molly and the distinguished-looking actor sitting at the table with her. Neither of whom looked happy and were drowning their sorrows in mimosas at the same time shooting apprehensive glances at Phil’s table. Grayson lifted the glass to his mouth as he considered his two suspects, then movement by the railing drew his attention. His other two suspects were involved in a spirited conversation. At least Ty was. Sam, on the other hand, appeared to be drinking for two.

  Grayson angled his head to get a better look at what Ty was doing. He appeared to be sending hand signals to… Cat. She gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head at the hairstylist, who gave her a thumbs-up. Ah, so definitely partners, but one she perhaps didn’t want, he thought as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Something he’d noticed she did when she was frustrated.

  He could relate. He had a partner he didn’t want, either. Even more so after today. His grandmother had taken it upon herself to share her suspicions about Cat with Phil. Now the director wanted Cat barred from the set. He’d done his best to reassure Phil, but the man was understandably upset after today. Grayson would have preferred to leave GG at home, but Chloe was making him uncomfortable, so he’d brought her along.

  Catching Cat’s fleeting glance in his direction, he decided to join the woman who was making him uncomfortable for a very different reason. As he left his table for hers, he assured himself it was for the good of the investigation.

  “Cat,” he said, pulling out the chair across from her.

  “Your Highness.” She took a sip from her glass, avoiding eye contact.

  Ah, so they were back to that, were they. He couldn’t say he blamed her after how he’d treated her this afternoon. “What are you doing sitting over here by yourself?”

  “I’m on duty. Soda water and lime,” she said in response to his pointed look at her drink.

  “I owe you an apology. I didn’t realize you had a close call yourself. I wouldn’t have been so hard on you had I known.”

  “Well, you weren’t the only who thought I screwed up.” She raised her glass and gave him a tight smile.

  “I’m s
ure after you explained to Chloe what happened, she understood and apologized.”

  “You don’t know my sister very well, do you?”

  Not as well as Chloe would have him know her, that’s for damn sure. One more reason he had to wrap up this case ASAP. “Not as well as you, obviously.” He tugged at his shirtsleeves, faking a sheepish smile. “Cat, perhaps you can enlighten me. When we reached your sister’s dressing room, she felt faint and asked for her pills. I’m a little embarrassed to admit, after today’s accident, I was rather shaken myself and I… Well, I took one.”

  She pressed her lips together, her eyes sparkling with laughter. He had a hard time holding back a smile in response, but he was playing the part of the embarrassed, bumbling lord. Once she had her amusement under control, she said, “You took one of my sister’s pills?”

  “Um, yes.” He scratched the back of his neck. “It was poorly done of me, I know. But I was a bloody nervous wreck.” He mentally rolled his eyes. If the guys at the Bureau could see him now…

  “Really? You didn’t look fazed at all. In fact, you responded like a guy who made a living rescuing damsels in distress.”

  His heart gave an extra thump. He didn’t think she’d made him, but he couldn’t be sure. “Pfft, you’re too kind.” And he was an idiot. “But back to the pills.” He leaned into her. God, she smelled good, a sultry citrus scent that had him wanting to bury his face in her long, graceful neck.

  Her eyebrows raised. “You were saying?”

  “Right, yes, the pills.” He lowered his voice. “They were very sweet and didn’t do a thing for me.”

  She laughed—a sexy, husky laugh—and leaned into him. “That’s because they’re sugar pills.”

  “Really?” They were close. So close that their knees touched under the table, and he could see flecks of yellow in her green eyes. “But Chloe has a heart condition, surely she—”

  Cat drew back as if the mere mention of her sister had broken the moment between them. And they had been having a moment, of that he had no doubt. Just as he couldn’t deny he wanted more moments with her. Preferably in his bed.

  “The only condition my sister has is in her head.” She winced, wiping some imaginary crumbs off the white tablecloth. “I shouldn’t have said that. Chloe’s an actress, she’s emotional and high-strung.”

  Even after her sister treated her like crap, she was still trying to protect her. He wondered if anyone protected Cat. “Aw, the placebo effect. Brilliant.”

  She gave him a half smile. “My sister-in-law’s idea, not mine.”

  “I’m sure you’ve had occasion to be happy she came up with it.”

  “You can’t begin to know.”

  “Oh, I think I can,” he was saying when Chloe called his name. He got up from the table. “Why don’t you join us? It’s warmer by the fire.”

  “Thanks, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. Enjoy your night, Harry.” Her luscious lips tipped up at the corner, giving him a glimpse of her adorable dimple. “And stay out of my sister’s pills.”

  As a light breeze blew dark, silky strands across her face, he curled his fingers into his palm before he gave in to the urge to brush the wispy bangs from her eyes. Instead he laughed while shrugging out of his black jacket. “I will. And if you won’t come sit by the fire, at least take this.”

  She gave him a startled look. “That’s kind of you, but—”

  He draped his jacket over her shoulders, giving her a light squeeze through the fabric. “I insist.”

  * * *

  Grayson’s steak was good, the conversation fine, although a bit insipid and annoying at times, but he kept looking at his watch, counting down the minutes until he could politely make his escape. If he was sitting with Cat, he’d gladly stay all night. It grated seeing her eating alone. He’d mentioned it to Chloe for all the good that did him.

  Just as he thought to hell with being polite, he caught movement at the far end of the patio. So did Cat. She was up and out of her chair before he’d processed what warranted the reaction. People stopped eating at the sound of her sharp command. When she pulled a gun from her purse, those same people gasped. Cat ignored everything but the man in her sights and got in position, right arm straight out, left hand holding it steady, feet shoulder-width apart. Grayson had never seen a woman look as hot as Cat O’Connor did at that moment.

  Confident and competent, she didn’t need his help, but he found himself half rising from his chair anyway. Then, at the possibility of blowing his cover, he sat down.

  Chloe gaped at her sister. “What is she doing?”

  “I assume she’s protecting you. That is her job, is it not?”

  His grandmother’s eyebrows drew together at his clipped tone. He ignored her as the guy—about six one, 240—made a run for it. Everyone stood up to get a better view while Grayson mentally urged Cat not to shoot. He didn’t want to arrest her. She didn’t shoot. Instead, she ran and grabbed the guy by the back of his shirt, kicking his feet out from under him. Within seconds she had him flat on his stomach with his hands zip-tied behind his back.

  Sweet mother of God, Grayson thought as the blood from his head went south. He grabbed the napkin from the table, draping it over his lap, and reminded himself that while she may not have been involved with the attempts on her sister’s life, she had been involved with Michael Upton. And there was nothing Grayson hated more than a dirty cop. A reminder that should have effectively vanquished the image of Cat under him in his bed, but it didn’t. Because he was having a hard time convincing himself that the woman he’d come to know and like had been aware of Upton’s Ponzi scheme.

  “Darren, Darren Smith,” the guy on the ground screamed. “I’m the head of Chloe O’Connor’s fan club!”

  It was too dark to tell for sure, but Cat’s cheeks looked flushed. He had no trouble identifying the emotion rolling off the woman sitting across from him. Chloe’s eyes flashed with temper, and she opened her mouth. No doubt to eviscerate her sister in front of the cast and crew.

  As he watched Cat’s shoulders slump in defeat, Grayson knew what he had to do. He didn’t care what anyone thought of him. Pitching his voice high, he yelled, “Rat! I saw a rat. There’s… there’s a rat under the table!” And since he already sounded like an idiot, he climbed up on the chair and shrieked, sounding surprisingly like a girl, “Two rats. There’s two rats!”

  He smiled inwardly when everyone, including Chloe, stampeded for the doors, forgetting all about Cat.

  Chapter Seven

  Snow-draped pine and ash trees whizzed by the tinted windows of the limo as Cat counted down the miles from the Denver airport to Christmas. She couldn’t wait to get home. The heavy weight she’d been carrying around the last few days lifted when they finally reached the road into town.

  She smiled at the sight of the familiar pastel-painted shops decorated for the holidays, wreaths hanging from the old-fashioned streetlamps that lined the snow-dusted sidewalks. She glanced at her sister, who sat beside her in the back of the limo, to see if she had a similar reaction. It might give them something to bond over or at least talk about. Their relationship hadn’t improved since the accident with the boom. If anything, it had gotten worse.

  Cat’s cheeks warmed at the memory of running across the patio last week with her gun drawn, taking down the head of her sister’s fan club as if he were a gun-toting stalker. She didn’t need Chloe to tell her she’d turned into a lunatic. At least her sister had ripped Cat’s reputation to shreds in the privacy of the SUV. Not that an audience would have stopped her. Cat was lucky his lordship had an aversion to rats.

  Early the next morning while Cat hid cameras on the set, Ty had entertained her with a comical impersonation of Harry’s performance. It seemed Harry’s “unmanly” display had lowered his hotness quotient in Ty’s eyes. It had the opposite effect on Cat. The man she’d come to know and like, and maybe lust after a bit, had being trying to protect her. Or at least that’s what she thought.
But then everything changed two days ago when there’d been another “accident” on the set.

  Harry and Chloe had been blocking out a scene at the top of the stairs when the heel of her sister’s shoe snapped. If not for Harry’s quick reflexes, Chloe would have hurtled to the bottom of the stairs and broke her neck. The fact that the particular shoe happened to be a Louboutin seemed to have cast Cat in a suspicious light. At least in Harry’s eyes, and her interactions with his lordship had been less than cordial the last two days.

  But she didn’t intend to lose sleep over her up-and-down relationship with him. Relationship? More of an acquaintance than anything else, and an annoying one at that. Only he hadn’t been annoying when he’d come to the beach house for dinner or at the restaurant last week.

  She had to get a grip. She was wasting time and energy thinking about the man. Thankfully, his stint on As the Sun Sets would be ending soon. She wouldn’t have to put up with him for much longer. He’d be easy enough to avoid in Christmas.

  Her sister was another story. She couldn’t avoid Chloe. And since she seemed determined to ignore Cat and continue with the silent treatment, she had to fix it. Which was typical. Chloe was way better at holding a grudge and held them often and regularly. But they were almost home, and their mother would be upset if she sensed trouble in sisterland.

  “The valley looks magical this time of year, doesn’t it?” The ranch, home for five generations of O’Connors, was surrounded by rocky cliffs. They owned six hundred acres of pristine wilderness bordered by the national park.

  Focused on her iPad, Chloe gave a noncommittal grunt.

  With a clenched-teeth smile, Cat tried a different tactic. “What are you reading?”

  “A script.” Chloe laid her iPad on her lap and shifted in the seat, her eyes bright with excitement. “It’s amazing, Kit Kat. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime role, and the director is brilliant. The project has Oscar written all over it.”