He winced, rubbing his cheek. “I’m not. I don’t know who she is.” He pinned Audrey with an irritated look. “Who are you?”
They were both glaring at her like she was the intruder. Worse, like she was a bug. A really unattractive bug. Audrey bristled. “I should be asking that of you, shouldn’t I? This is Cade Archer’s private getaway.”
“So it is,” the man drawled lazily. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on as to why. “Which makes me wonder why you’re here.”
“I’m supposed to be here,” Audrey said in a clipped voice. “My sister was assured that the cabin was available for her use for the next month.”
He gave Audrey a wink and pulled the topless woman back against him. “We’ll be done with it in a few hours.”
Ugh. Audrey couldn’t hide her expression of distaste. “I hope you’ll drain the water from the hot tub when you’re done. No one else is going to want to swim in your DNA.”
He chuckled.
The woman scowled at him, pushing off his chest. “You didn’t set this up as a threesome, did you?”
“Of course not, Camilla.”
Audrey rolled her eyes. “I can assure you that the last thing I plan on doing is crawling in that hot tub with the two of you.”
“Reese.” The girl pouted, sinking into the bubbling water. “I thought this was going to be our private weekend.”
“I thought so, too,” he told her, still watching Audrey. She was irritated to see that he was still grinning like he was amused, his mouth framed by a rakish goatee.
“Sorry,” Audrey said crisply. “This cabin is already reserved. I’m sure the two of you can find someplace else to go and make out like teenagers.”
“Reese,” Camilla nagged again.
Audrey’s memory jarred, and she narrowed her eyes at the man. His hair was slicked down and he had a goatee, but . . . She raised a hand in her vision, covering the lower half of his jaw, and gasped. “Reese Durham.”
“You said you didn’t know her,” Camilla said, splashing him.
“I don’t,” he replied, shielding his eyes. “Cut it out.”
“I’m Logan Hawkings’s assistant,” Audrey said in her most efficient voice. That was where she’d seen him before. Normally she’d seen him in a suit and clean shaven, his hair perfectly parted. He was one of Logan’s cadre, one of the six men she privately referred to as the “deadly half dozen,” since they always seemed to hang out together. She’d seen him plenty of times in and out of the Hawkings office and at business functions. He’d clearly never noticed her before.
Then again, she’d never seen him shirtless and wet.
“Who’s out there?” Daphne hissed from behind the door.
Audrey glanced back at her, noting the strained, pale face of her twin. “One of Cade’s buddies is here with a date.”
“Shit.” She didn’t think it was possible, but Daphne got even paler. “Can you get rid of them? If the paps find out I’m here, they’re going to be crawling up my ass the entire time.”
The worry in her twin’s face was enough to spur Audrey into action. “Go upstairs,” she whispered. “I’ll get rid of them.” Turning back to the two in the hot tub, she pulled out her phone.
“What are you doing?” Reese asked in a warning tone.
“Documenting this rendezvous,” Audrey said blandly, turning on the camera and beginning to take pictures. “I’m sure someone out there will be quite interested in private photos of billionaire playboy Reese Durham and his date—”
“Don’t you dare,” Camilla screamed, lurching from the hot tub at the same time that Reese did.
Audrey ignored them, continuing to take pictures. “If you’re not going to leave, I’m going to have to—” Her words cut off as a wet man grabbed her arms and tried to wrestle the phone from her. “Don’t touch me!”
“Give me that damn phone.”
“No!” She held it out from her body as Camilla wrapped a towel around her torso and scuttled past. As he reached again, Audrey continued to maneuver, holding the phone out of his grasp by wiggling and bending. It was childish and ridiculous . . .
And she was determined to win, damn it.
His arms were long and so was his reach, so she turned her back to him and bent over her phone, protecting it. To her shock, strong arms wrapped around her torso and she was hauled against the wet, naked body, his hands clutching perilously close to her breasts.
“Give me the phone, little assistant,” he murmured, sounding more amused than outraged.
She wriggled against him, trying to free the arms that he had trapped. They were at an impasse. He pinned her arms to her side, which prevented him from reaching for the phone, but prevented her from doing anything with it, either. “Let me go.”
“Nope. I can do this all day.”
She shifted and, to her horror, she felt something hard against her hip. Audrey drew in a scandalized breath. “That better not be your dick I feel against my leg.”
He chuckled. “Can I help it if you’re squirming?”
“You are a loathsome man!”
“Hey, if you chased my date off, I’m happy to trade out and give you a chance—”
That did it. She dropped her phone on the ground. “There. You win. Happy? My phone’s gone. Now let me go.”
Just as quickly, he released her and scooped up the phone. Before she could protest, he tossed it into the hot tub, and Audrey made an outraged sound. “That was my phone!”
“That was my hot ass you were taking pictures of,” he said, heading to grab the other towel on the railing. She noticed—to her relief—that he was wearing a pair of Speedos. And that he had an amazing butt and muscled back. Damn it. His ass was hot. “And Camilla would not appreciate her father seeing pictures of us together, and neither would I. He’d think that I was going after his daughter just for a business deal.”
“A business deal?” Audrey echoed, confused. “Who is she?”
“That was Camilla Sellers, daughter and only heir to the Sellers empire. And I am only after her for a business deal,” Reese said in a devilish voice, wrapping the towel around his waist. “But I just don’t want her father to think that.”
“You’re a pig,” Audrey said, peeling her now wet sweater away from her body. It was clinging to her breasts like a second skin, and she hadn’t missed the appreciative look that the lecher had sent in her direction. “I’m going inside. And you’re buying me a new phone.”
“Anything you say, Ms. Assistant.”
“My name,” she bit out, “is Audrey. Not Ms. Assistant.”
“You’re rather mad,” he said in an amused voice.
“You mauled me and threw my phone into the hot tub. Why wouldn’t I be furious?”
“You were kind of being an ass,” he said lazily, leaning against the hot tub and regarding her.
“I was not,” Audrey said.
“I don’t recall Logan’s assistant being quite so mean. Or having such red hair.” He gave her an up-and-down look, his gaze settling on her breasts. “Or such a rack.”
“Ugh,” she snarled. God, he was revolting. She threw open the door and stomped back into the lodge, scanning the room for her twin.
Daphne was nowhere to be seen. That was good, at least. That meant she’d avoided Camilla and hadn’t seen her capable, uptight twin getting mauled by a wet jerk.
The sound of tires screeching out front made Audrey run for the window, her heart pounding. Oh, no, no, no. Surely Daphne hadn’t run away yet.
But the car that was peeling out of the gravel driveway was the bright red Lyons convertible, with Camilla’s blonde hair ruffling in the breeze.
“Well,” said a male voice behind her. “Guess you’re stuck with me. There went my ride.”
Chapter Three
Audrey turned and regarded the man standing behind her, determined to keep a lid on her temper. He lounged against the door, towel low on his hips, arms crossed over his chest. He
was handsome, in that cocky, knows-all-the-ladies-want-him sort of way. There was a scruffy goatee on his tanned face and he wasn’t classically handsome like the statue of David or a model. He was a bit too blue-collar and rough seeming, but what he lacked in the looks department, he made up for in sheer charisma. Even though she was furious at him, she couldn’t help but weaken every time he gave her that sly little half smile.
And that made her more than a little furious with herself.
So she forced herself to be calm. Cool. Collected. The smile she gave him was professional. “I’m sorry, Mr. Durham—”
“Reese.”
“Mr. Durham,” she emphasized. “But Cade promised to let us have use of this cabin for the next month and you’re not invited.”
“Us?” His thick brows went up, and a delighted look crossed his face as he glanced toward the stairs. “Loverboy hiding up there? Letting you fight all his battles for him?”
“No and it’s none of your business who I’m here with. The important thing is that you leave.”
“My clothes were in that car that just drove off.”
Audrey gritted her teeth. “You’re lying, aren’t you.”
“Wish I was. Did you say Cade was headed this way? I can borrow some stuff from him.” He scratched his bare chest idly. “When he gets here.”
And he continued to lean against the wall as if he had all the time in the world.
This . . . was frustrating. Audrey crossed her arms over her chest and then flushed when his gaze automatically went there. She’d forgotten that her sweater was wet and caused her breasts to be a little too outlined in the damp material. She clasped her hands in front of her instead, concentrating on the problem. How did she get this man out of here without him noticing that her famous sister was here?
“What if I drive you back to the nearest town and you buy yourself some clothes and call a taxi?” she suggested.
“Nah.” Again, he scratched his chest, drawing her attention there. She hadn’t noticed it earlier, but he had a dark tattoo over one rather well-defined pectoral, as well as a sprinkling of dark chest hair that narrowed to a tight vee close to his—
She jerked her head back up, her cheeks burning. That had been dangerously close to checking out his package, and she refused to do that. Refused.
“How about I call you a cab?” she asked desperately.
“No cab’s going to want to pick up a naked man.”
“You’re not naked.”
“I can be.”
Are you just deliberately trying to be infuriating?”
“Maybe.” And that bastard grinned at her. “I have to admit, I’m enjoying myself. Kind of nice having the tables turned and someone else is caught off guard, isn’t it? Consider this payback for your little hot tub ambush.” He strolled past her and sat down on one end of the couch, then planted his large, bare feet on the rustic coffee table. He looked for all the world that he was ready to settle in for the evening.
He also looked like he was in danger of losing his towel.
“You know what? I’m calling you a cab,” Audrey said, her voice high-pitched and a little louder than usual. “I don’t care what you want. This cabin is going to be ours and you weren’t invited.”
“There’s no landline,” Reese told her, not bothering to get up from the couch. “And your phone is in the hot tub.”
“Then I’ll use your phone.”
“It’s in my pants.” He grinned. “Guess where those are.”
“In the car?” she asked weakly, then slumped on the corner of the couch opposite from him. “This is a nightmare.”
“Hey, look at the bright side. You have pants.”
Audrey rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Will you shut up for five minutes? Please! You’re driving me mad!”
He laughed.
“Audrey?” Daphne’s thin voice came from the stairs. “I thought I heard someone talking. Is everything okay? Did you get them to leave?”
Audrey stared at Reese in horror and then bolted from the couch, running for the stairs. She had to get to Daphne before Reese saw her.
To her intense frustration, Reese dashed after her and nearly skidded into her back when she halted at the base of the stairs.
Daphne stood on the steps, her hand to her forehead. Her thin face was ghost pale and her fingers were trembling, her eyes sunken. She stared at Reese for a moment, then focused back on Audrey again. “Who’s that?”
“One of Cade’s friends,” she said, forcing a bright smile to her face. “It’s all right. He’s promised not to say anything about you being here. Cade will take care of it.” And she leaned in and pinched Reese’s arm, hard, as if daring him to say anything to the contrary.
“That’s right,” Reese said. His voice had taken on an oddly gentle tone, very different from the constant obnoxious teasing he sent her way. “I’m staying a few days, but your secret’s safe with me. No worries.”
“Thank you,” Daphne said quietly. Her fingers brushed her forehead again. “I think I’m going to take a nap, Audrey. I’m not feeling so hot.”
“All right,” Audrey said. “Do you need anything? A glass of water? Aspirin?”
Daphne shook her head, turning and heading back up the stairs. “Just want to sleep.”
“Just yell if you need anything,” Audrey called after her, and remained where she was until Daphne disappeared. As soon as her twin was gone, she turned to Reese, grabbed him by the arm, and dragged him back toward the living room. To her satisfaction, he didn’t fight her. When they were a safe distance away, she dropped his arm and whispered, “You cannot say a word of this to the papers.”
Reese gave her an odd look. “So you’re that Audrey. Gretchen’s sister Audrey.” He was looking at her as if seeing her for the first time.
Her face burned. She knew what he was referring to. Last month, Gretchen and her new boyfriend, Hunter, had given a dinner party. Audrey had been invited but Daphne had showed up at Audrey’s apartment at the last minute, high as a kite and upset about the cancellation of her latest tour by her label, who didn’t think she was healthy enough to perform. Audrey’d had no choice but to take Daphne with her to Gretchen’s party, and all of Logan Hawkings’s rich and powerful friends had been there—including Cade Archer and Reese. At the party, Daphne had drank copious amounts of wine and embarrassed the hell out of herself—and Audrey.
It wasn’t surprising that Reese hadn’t remembered her until he’d seen her with Daphne. She was a pretty forgettable sort. She didn’t dress flashy, didn’t call attention to herself. Still, the fact that he remembered now and was thinking of that party? Humiliating. Audrey’s cheeks burned in memory. “Gretchen’s sister Audrey,” she affirmed. “And you can’t say a thing about Daphne being here. If the paparazzi get wind of this, she’ll get more stressed than she already is.”
“She’s not stressed. She’s strung out. Didn’t you see how her hands were shaking? She needs a doctor, Audrey.”
Her hands clenched all over again. The last thing she needed was a bossy jerk butting into their business. “Don’t you think I know that? She won’t see one. This is the only thing she’ll let me do for her.”
“Stop asking her and just do it. She clearly isn’t in a position to make decisions for herself.”
“You don’t understand. She’s my twin. If I betray her, she’ll never forgive me.” Daphne had cut Audrey out of her life once, for a year, and it had been awful. She’d been worried sick for Daph the entire time. If staying in Daphne’s life meant giving in on certain things, then Audrey would. If she wasn’t in Daphne’s life at all, she couldn’t help her.
He shook his head, then rubbed a hand through his wet hair. “She needs rehab more than she needs a vacation. You’re not doing her any favors here.”
“Look, will you please just go? Just forget you saw us here. I’ll call you a cab and you can go back to chasing after Tiffany and her father’s money.”
“Camilla, and
I’m staying.” He headed back to the couch and lounged on the end of it, locking his hands behind his head. “She’s going to need a few days to cool down and it’s time I had a vacation. Besides, you’re going to need my help.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“You will if she’s looking that bad already,” he cautioned.
“Cade’s going to be here soon,” she said desperately. “He’ll help me with things.”
He looked at her, then shrugged. “Still not going.”
“There aren’t enough rooms.”
“There are three. One for me, one for Cade, and you and your sister can share.” He wagged his eyebrows at her. “Or you and I can share.”
“Or you can leave,” she snapped. When he put a finger to his lips and pointed at the ceiling, indicating that she should be quiet for her napping sister, she had to bite down on her lip to keep from screaming.
This man was going to drive her absolutely insane. Where, oh where was Cade when she needed him?
***
It was, quite possibly, the longest afternoon she’d spent in quite some time. With her twin upstairs napping and no one around except for Reese—who she didn’t want to talk to—Audrey sat on a corner of the sofa and drummed her fingers, waiting for Cade to arrive.
She couldn’t go upstairs and unpack at the moment. Daphne looked exhausted and Audrey didn’t want to wake her. She could have read one of her romance novels, she supposed, but Reese was lurking in the too-small lodge and she had no wish to hear smirky commentary from him about what she was reading. So she sat and waited, drumming her fingers on the arm of the couch. If she’d had her phone, she could have gone through work email and routed it to the temp covering her job. But her phone had been thrown into the hot tub and was completely and utterly destroyed.
Reese had disappeared and reappeared some time later in what must have been Cade’s clothing—a T-shirt that was a few sizes too small and a pair of pajama pants that looked to be about four inches too short. She’d almost laughed aloud at the sight—almost—except that when he turned, that tight T-shirt displayed every single muscle in his well-defined body, including a pair of the most sculpted arms she’d ever seen. When his hand slid over his stomach, idly scratching at his skin, her gaze had followed, riveted.
The Wrong Billionaire's Bed Page 3