Nobody's Princess

by Sarah Hegger

  *

  Thomas would’ve gladly kicked his own ass if he could. What had he gone and said the underpants thing for? He’d only wanted to make her laugh.

  She’d been sitting there looking so forlorn he wanted to reach over and scoop her into his arms. That was off the cards, so he’d tried to make her laugh. And ended up making himself horny.

  The crap blasting out of the radio provided a bit of relief. It had been brewing inside him all day, this inconvenient awareness of her. That Delilah thing she did was a kick in the balls. He could get his head around that. Every male with a pulse got that. He struggled with the other thing.

  Sure, up until that point, he’d thought she was hot, but kind of like you looked at a Van Gogh and thought it was beautiful. You admired, you appreciated, but there was no way it was ever going to be yours, and you knew that. Then she’d unleashed all kinds of sweet throughout the day.

  He’d never expected the fun in her or how easy it was to spend time with her. Except for those itsy-bitsy shorts. Too often, he dropped behind to watch those long, long legs and that incredible ass walk away from him. He shifted in his seat and tapped one finger to the music.

  This was not the direction his thoughts should be going. His gaze strayed to the length of skin and muscle resting beside him on the seat. Damn, she had amazing legs. He snapped his gaze back to the road. And kept them there for the rest of the drive back to Youngtown.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Tiffany climbed out of the truck and stretched her cramped legs.

  The door to Dakota’s room flew open. He beamed at them as he trotted up to the truck. “Hey, guys. How was the Grand Canyon?”

  Tiffany nearly looked behind her to see who he was talking to. It was the first time Tiffany had seen him smile since Lola dropped him off. His big goofy smile took her back to that sweet kid years ago.

  “Great.”

  “Impressive.”

  Their responses crashed into each other. Tiffany risked a quick peek at Thomas.

  His jaw clenched tight enough to endanger his teeth.

  “Whoa.” Dakota threw out his hands as if to ward them off. “Did you guys like have a fight or something?”

  “No,” they both said at once.

  “We’re just tired.” Thomas stared at Dakota with a slight frown. “It was hot.”

  Dakota seemed to have had a personality transplant. “So, like, do you guys want to do something tonight?” Swinging his head from one to the other, Dakota bounced on his toes like a toddler.

  No, she didn’t want to do anything. She wanted to disappear into her room and wash some of the dust off and with it, any lingering thoughts about Thomas. Then she would carefully copy all the information from her pamphlets into her book, move the numbers around, and things would make sense again. But Dakota just about wagged his invisible tail and she didn’t want to squash his enthusiasm. He could be reaching out to her.

  “Like what?” A small frown wrinkled the skin between Thomas’s eyes.

  What the hell, she could cut the kid some slack. He’d probably spent the day going out of his mind with boredom.

  “Maybe we could, like, go and get a burger or something?” Dakota squirmed in his sneakers. “I was reading there’s an old drive-in on the edge of town. We could grab some burgers and go and check it out. The lady at the front desk said they would be open. Come on.” He grinned. “It’ll be fun. I’ve never been to a drive-in movie. It’s like a relic from a past age. I could post it on Instagram.”

  “You didn’t want to see the Grand Canyon, but now you want to go and see a movie at a drive-in?” Thomas raised an eyebrow.

  “Sure.” Nodding and shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Dakota’s energy almost burst out of the seams.

  Thomas shook his head and turned to her. “You game?”

  “Sure.” Stupid. “Give me about thirty minutes.” She looked at the fine layer of dust on her legs. “Make that an hour.”

  “But—” Dakota screwed up his face.

  “You got it,” Thomas said.

  *

  Movies were one of Thomas’s greatest loves. This, however, was sheer hell. He’d backed the truck into place so they could open the tailgate and stretch out. All of them propped against the back of the seats with him wedged between Tiffany and Dakota. Another thing he hadn’t really thought through clearly. Because now Dakota had retreated into a zoned-out silence and Tiffany slept. How could anyone, especially a woman, sleep through Chris Hemsworth saving the world? The sleeping wasn’t so much the problem as where she was sleeping. On him. Dakota had his Beats on and his own movie soundtrack going in his head.

  Tiffany had lasted all of fifteen minutes before she slumped against his side. So, what did he do? He rested his arms on the back of the seat to give them all more space. Another stupid move, because now she cuddled into him like a sleepy kitten. A kitten? He wished. There was nothing cute about the way she pressed into his side.

  Her breath huffed warm and moist against the skin of his neck and her hand lay across his abs, resting on his belt buckle. She smelled like warm vanilla and a bit flowery, and he got a whiff of her every time he breathed. Keeping his arm on the back of the seat was a battle because his arm kept wanting to curl around her and press her closer.

  Dakota laughed out loud and Thomas tore his attention away from Tiffany.

  The kid’s stare was stuck on the screen while his head bopped up and down to his Beats. Something with that kid was so off tonight he could feel it crawling over his skin like bugs. Dakota’s eyes glittered and he was way too talkative. Yet another thing he didn’t have time to sort.

  He needed to get his survey results and get back to Willow Park. It was taking him far too long to find Luke. Time he hadn’t banked on. He also hadn’t planned on his little party of three and their road trip. The plan had been to spend some time at home before leaving for Zambia. This jaunt cut into his family time, but his mother would understand. She’d kick his ass if he even thought about leaving Tiffany and Dakota. He’d kick his own ass, come to that.

  Still, he needed to get home. His older brother Richard was expecting another baby any day now and he’d been in Zambia for the birth of his first child. He was determined to be there to welcome the newest member of the family into the world. He liked the excitement and the constantly changing environment of his job, but the downside was the loss of connection to the people that mattered most to him. He hadn’t had a serious relationship, well, ever. Not since he’d decided at fourteen that Dominique Frazer was the love of his life. She’d, unfortunately, decided his other brother, Josh, was the love of hers.

  Sure, he’d had relationships, but they were always temporary. His lifestyle gave him a good out whenever he needed it. He didn’t screw around. When he was with a girl, he was with that girl, but he never promised or intended to stay forever.

  Tiffany shifted against him.

  He drew in a careful breath. His libido strummed through his blood on a low-level hum of appreciation. It helped to be sandwiched beside a moody teen on the other side.

  “Whoa.” Dakota’s yell made him jump. “Did you see that?”

  Thomas nodded. He hadn’t seen a damn thing.

  Tiffany stirred and raised her head. “Sorry.” She stiffened as she pulled away from him. The warmth faded from his side as she pushed herself into a sitting position. “I think I drooled on your shirt.”

  “No worries.” Jesus, he must be losing his mind, because he even thought that was kind of cute.

  She pushed at her hair to get it out of her face. It streamed down her back in a long, silken fall of inkiness.

  He gritted his teeth until they ached. He had no business thinking about wrapping her hair around his fist. And where things would go from there.

  They sat through the rest of the movie in silence. When it was done, he drove them back to the motel. As Tiffany disappeared into her room, he let out a deep breath. Her friend, Chuck, had better pr
oduce that radiator, and fast.

  Tiffany already had too many men in her life.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Tiffany woke with the sheets tangled in her legs and sweat coating her torso. A night weaving through one erotic fantasy after another left her hot and aching. Even in her dreams, she had no business whoring it up with Thomas Hunter. Maybe a run would scratch the itch clawing under her skin. It’d been days since her last workout. The cellulite must be multiplying as she lay there.

  She pulled on a pair of workout pants and a crop top. The top ended well above her belly button and left her stomach bare. Her pants didn’t help, cut low across the hips. They were fine for a session of hot yoga in a Chicago gym, but she hadn’t anticipated slogging down the road in rural Utah. There was nothing for it. Even her book wasn’t relieving her itchiness. She needed to work off some of her excess energy. Quietly, she let herself out into the still morning. She checked the time on her phone and winced. Only the very brave and very stupid got up at this time. The mountains blurred in an early morning haze draped over the land. Dew sparkled in lacy cobweb festoons between the trees and threw a blanket of bling over the grass.

  After a few stretches, she set out. Her footsteps pounded a dull tramp in the still morning. Selecting her running playlist, she slipped in her ear buds. The higher elevation jammed in her chest almost immediately and she slowed her pace. It really was rather beautiful with the mountains providing a dramatic counterpoint to the brush.

  A car passed her and the driver raised her hand and waved. Tiffany smiled. It was the sort of courtesy you forgot about until you saw it happen. It was nice. She kept the run short. God knew where she could end up if she strayed too far from the motel. Still, by the time she turned, her mood had lifted. Her breathing adjusted to the altitude and she’d worked up a decent sweat. The sun gained some height, and with it, the last of the morning cool vanished. She calculated calories burned by her run. That would go some way to dealing with the hot dog she’d eaten last night at the drive-in. She hadn’t had a hot dog since she’d gone to a kid’s birthday party when she was five. Daddy had almost hopped out of his skin. It was very lucky he wasn’t there to see her now. Ice cream and a hot dog, all in one day. He might have a coronary.

  The careful eating habits from her pageant days were ingrained. It had made Daddy so happy when she won. Maybe because her mother had been a model, and Daddy tried to mold her into a perfect replica of the original. She didn’t remember much of her mother: the scent of Joy, eyes the same color as hers, and a laugh that made everyone around her smile. Things might have been different if her mother had lived.

  The motel pool water sparkled and beckoned her from across the parking lot. She pulled her phone out of the pouch sewn into her pants and turned off her music. A short swim would be great, but she hadn’t thought to pack a swimsuit. Of course, she hadn’t planned on being stranded in Youngtown, Utah, for however many days it took Chuck to produce a radiator.

  There was nobody at the pool. She could be in and out before anyone noticed. Her running top would work for one half of her. There was one pair of shorts in her bags that might do the trick. She headed for her room.

  And plowed straight into a warm wall of muscle. Thomas, hot and male, and smelling like heaven. Her hands made contact with his hard pecs. Reflexively, her fingers curled into the warm muscle. The skin on her belly slid against his, washing her in a wave of heat that spread from the point of contact to murmur temptation low in her belly. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

  Holy shit. Thomas was an eye feast. Big, hard, and cut in all the right places. His large hands burned through the fabric at her hips.

  “Hi.” Her voice came out in a stupid tween fangirl squeak.

  Rough and hoarse, his voice stroked her spine. “Hi.”

  “Um, sorry, I didn’t see you there.” Her face must be all red and sweaty, and she had zero makeup on. Her knees did a weird collapse thing and she had to tighten her muscles to keep herself upright.

  He was naked from the waist upward. The scent of soap clung to him. Naked skin pressed against hers in a slow, steady burn. “Have you been for a run?”

  Her mind blanked. She didn’t trust her voice, so she nodded at his chest.

  Dark brown nipples stood out against the tan of his chest with a very light dusting of hair in the center. Sweet Mother of God, but he had those sort of washboard abs that made her head go fuzzy. And carved laterals disappearing into the waistband of his board shorts.

  “You’re going for a swim?” A rush, more breath than vocal. She spent her working life around seriously cut men wearing a lot less. She’d run oil all over bodies like this one only a few days ago and her breathing had been fine. Her fingers spread across his muscle, anticipating rubbing oil all over him. If she leaned forward an inch, she could press her mouth to the curve of his throat.

  A distinct rasp made her look up. “Tiffany?”

  “Yes.” Right there in that lazy, hot blue gaze was the burn telling her he felt it, too. She melted under his unwavering stare, hypnotized.

  “It seems we have a bit of a problem.”

  No problem, yelled her hormones.

  “This thing between us—”

  “No.” It came out more like yes, and she cleared her throat. “No,” she said and tried to mean it. “I can’t.” She pried her fingers away from his smooth muscle and stepped back. “It’s not going to be a problem, because I’m not going to let it be.”

  His hands dropped from her hips immediately. She missed the warmth.

  His lips twitched. “If you say so.”

  “I do.” She nodded so hard, her ponytail jerked up and down. Ryan was waiting for her at home. Ahead of her was Luke and the messed-up issue of her divorce. There was no space in her life for another man, however good he smelled or however much she wanted to wrap herself around him. “I can’t.”

  He stared down at her, his face unreadable. For a moment, she wanted him to argue with her, sweet-talk her out of her decision. He shrugged and stepped away. “Okay.”

  She felt cheated, and she had no right to. Dredging up a smile, she said, “Enjoy your swim.”

  He spun and strolled toward the pool, leaving a gaping, man-sized hole where he’d stood.

  She opened her door and slipped inside. Then she risked a peek around the doorjamb. Damn, but he had a great body. His faded board shorts hung indecently low on his hips, but curved around his ass lovingly. She rubbed her hands together vigorously to get rid of the imprint of his chest. Her decision had to be final. With another nod she shut the door to her motel room. It hit the latch with a determined click. Okay, time to stop screwing around. She was attracted to Thomas Hunter, but that didn’t mean anything. There were lots of attractive men in the world. This wouldn’t be the last time she looked at another man and tingled in all the right places. They were animals. Sexual attraction was part of the drive to reproduce. And there were some mighty fine animals prowling around on two legs. She didn’t need to freak out every time her ovaries recognized a good sperm donor.

  Her phone vibrated and she looked down.

  Let’s talk, Ryan texted.

  She smiled at her phone. Thomas Hunter was hot, but Ryan was the man for her. She dialed his number.

  He answered almost immediately. “Hey, there. Are we fighting?”

  “Not anymore.” She laughed, relief making her almost giddy. “Are you calling because you miss me?”

  “Always.” That was sweet. She had no business being mad at Ryan. He’d told her the truth. She was the lying dirtbag here. Guilt could be messing with her head. Getting her all hot and bothered over Thomas. With things back to normal with Ryan, her girl parts would behave again.

  “Where are you?” Ryan asked.

  “Sulking.” Back to normal with Ryan meant getting this Luke thing squared away.

  “You know that is only self-defeating, right?”

  “I know.” She loved how grown up Ryan was.
“I’ll be home in a day or two. Now, tell me what you’ve been up to.”

  Ryan took the invitation at a gallop.

  She made the appropriate noises into the phone as he told her about an up-and-coming real estate deal he was involved in, something to do with warehouses and an office complex. She only really heard the numbers. Testing her theory, she peered through the blinds on the window facing the parking lot and the pool beyond.

  Thomas stood there, water streaming down the planes of his chest.

  A girl could lick—she snapped the blind shut. Too soon. She wrapped up the conversation with Ryan and made sure to say good-bye nicely.

  In the shower, she made a decision. This was a boundary thing. Hers blurred around Thomas. They were merely strangers traveling the same path for a short time. When each of them got what they wanted from Luke, this would be over. When Dakota was settled with his brother, they would part ways. Thomas would go back to whatever it was an engineer did in Africa, and she would start planning the most perfect wedding day.

  She dug through her suitcases and found an Alexander Wang tank dress and paired it with a pair of high-heeled sandals. Now she felt like the real Tiffany. A visit to the Miura was next on her list. An entire day in rural southern Utah was a challenge to fill. But there would be no more outings alone with Thomas. From now on, they went everywhere as a threesome or not at all.

  “Good plan, girl.” She gave herself a firm nod in the mirror. The dress clung to her in all the right places. After she’d seen the car, she’d use the rest of the day to get a jump on wedding planning. She would need to see what was trending in wedding dresses. There was also the venue to be considered, flowers, the right caterer, all that stuff.

  Of course, Ryan and his mother would want a say. His mother was a lady of strong opinions, which she liked to share. And Daddy would want to be consulted about everything. His princess was getting married. It was a big day for him. A big day for her, she meant. Her big day. Mrs. Ryan Cooper. Her heartbeat accelerated uncomfortably and a fine sweat broke over her skin. She wanted to be Tiffany Cooper, most of the time.