by Lori Wilde
“Here you go. Sorry again about Steve.” He handed her a glass of white wine and picked up his bottled beer. “Are you meeting someone here?”
“No. I came on my own.” She tried to think how to phrase her next comment without actually lying. “I’m visiting family and wanted some space of my own. I thought I could stay here but found out it’s booked solid.”
“You don’t live in town?”
“My sister still lives here with my mother, but there isn’t much room in their house, so I usually stay here.”
“Where do you live now?”
“The Bay Area. California.”
“Cool. I live way up in northern California myself.” He studied her carefully. “How long are you in town?”
“For a couple of weeks. Why?”
“Because I was wondering whether you’d be willing to do me a huge favor?”
She set down the wineglass on the bar with a deliberate thump. Sure, she was desperate to be close to the Cutwright wedding, but how far was she prepared to go to get what she wanted?
“What kind of favor?” she heard herself ask.
He held up his hands. “Not that kind, I promise. It’s to do with what happened back there. When I was at college, I had this stupid nickname and—”
“Omsk or something, right?” Della interjected.
“Yeah. Onsk. The One-Night Stand King.”
“You did?” She studied his friendly face. “Are you sure?”
“Yup. As you might imagine, it causes me some problems these days. I asked a friend of mine to accompany me to the wedding so we could put that nickname to rest.”
“And where is she?”
“She bailed on me at the last minute.” He grimaced. “Not her fault, but it left me in a tight spot.”
She snapped her fingers. “That’s why the goon let me in the bar because you said I was your date. There were supposed to be two of you at this wedding.”
“Got it in one.” He hesitated. “The thing is—if you’re willing to help me out, you could pretend to be my plus one for the entire wedding. You could stay here with me—separate beds, of course—enjoy the weekend, and have a place to stay at no cost to you until we all clear out and the rooms become available again.”
Della just stared at him. Was he for real? He was basically offering her 100 percent access to the Cutwright wedding and their guests, which was exactly what she’d been praying for.
“Why would you do that for me?”
“Because I’m sick of that nickname and you need a place to stay.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
“It is.” He shrugged. “We help each other out. I doubt I’ll be seeing any of these people except Brady again, so they’ll never know that we’re not together anymore. What do you say?”
* * *
Nate held his breath as she considered him; her dark brown eyes were like melted chocolate and her skin held warm tints of sunshine and olives. Her mouth . . . he had to stop staring at her luscious red lips because the urge to lean in and taste them threatened to overcome him.
He cleared his throat and tried to look as dependable as possible.
She blinked slowly and bit down hard on her lip, making his dress pants tighten in all the wrong places. This one, his mind whispered. This is the one. He pushed that ridiculous thought away and focused on her.
“You don’t know anything about me, Nate. I could be a thief or something.”
“I have good instincts.” Actually, he didn’t care whether she robbed him blind as long as she gave him the opportunity to get to know her over the next three days. “And you don’t know much about me either.”
“I know you’re kind and honorable.”
“Because I stopped that security guard from pushing you around? Anyone would’ve done that.”
“No, they wouldn’t.” She pressed her hand to her spectacular bosom. “I won’t steal from you.”
“I have nothing for you to steal anyway.” Except my heart, and you can take that anytime you want. He held out his hand. “Do we have a deal?”
She shook his hand, her grip surprisingly firm and businesslike. He didn’t want to let go, but if he held on much longer she was going to think he was some kind of weirdo. He had to rein himself back. He’d achieved his first objective, which was to get her to hang around with him for a few days; now all he had to do was hang in there and convince her never to be apart from him again.
Easy.
Brady came up behind him. “You okay, Nate? I hear Steve was being obnoxious.”
“He certainly hasn’t changed much.” Nate turned to Della. “Darlin’, have you met Brady Cutwright?”
Della smiled. “Not for about ten years. He probably won’t remember me.”
“Sure I do. Your mom lives in town and you have one sister and a couple of nieces.” He shook her hand. “How did you meet this old reprobate?”
She glanced up at Nate. “I’m living in San Jose California now—we met there.”
“Lucky guy.” Brady winked and patted Nate’s shoulder. “Enjoy the wedding.”
“We’d better go get checked in,” Nate murmured. “There’s a rehearsal dinner scheduled at six and we have to drive out to the ranch.”
“Okay. I left my luggage in the car.”
“We’ll fetch that first and then go up.” He took her hand again, which already seemed the right thing to do.
They’d just reached the exit when there was a commotion ahead. Two large guys in too-tight suits and dark shades were striding out the hotel exit, literally clearing the path ahead of them with a combination of size and the fear of being run down. Nate tensed, his keen gaze searching for the threat.
“Stay put.”
He wished he had his uniform on and his gun at his hip. He drew Della against him, his arm protectively around her shoulders. She fitted neatly against his side.
The two men moved toward the one guarding the entrance to the bar, who stood back to let them pass and then fell in behind.
“Travis Whitely,” Della whispered. “He looks different, but oh my goodness! He is here!”
Nate strained to see what she was talking about and finally noticed the short, skinny guy hiding behind the guards. His hair was bleached almost white, his sunglasses were fancy, and he had a soul patch on his pointed chin.
Nate fought down a chuckle. Brian Dobbs had certainly come a long way. In college his jeans had always fallen low down on his hips, exposing his ratty underwear, his stringy brown hair had needed a good wash, and he’d smelled like a cross between a cow barn and a pot factory.
“Excuse me, sir.”
Nate instinctively stepped back, shielding Della as one of the men pushed by him. He glanced at Brian as he passed, but the country-western star was too busy waving at a group of women who were shrieking his new name. A diamond glinted in his ear as he nodded at the crowd.
“Way to make an entrance and make sure everyone notices you,” Nate murmured.
“He’s a star,” Della said. “What do you expect?”
Her tone wasn’t exactly rapturous. Nate looked down at her. “You don’t like him?”
“I don’t know him.”
“He’s a guest at the wedding, so you might get the chance to get to know him way better than you thought.” Nate took one last look around as everything settled down. “Okay, let’s go while the coast is clear.”
They collected her luggage and walked back into the hotel. It was already hot. Nate wasn’t used to the intense heat anymore and was already sweating as he hauled her bags up to the reception desk. His companion looked remarkably cool and composed.
“Hi.” He smiled at the receptionist. “We’re here for the Cutwright wedding. I’m Nate Turner. I left my bags with the concierge earlier.”
Within minutes he and Della were escorted up the stairs to the second floor and let into a corner room, which had a great view over the town. There was only one bed. Nate halted in the doorway.
>
“Any chance we could get two beds? I’m a terrible sleeper.”
The bellboy scratched his head. “I’ll ask, but what with the wedding going on and everything, we’re full.”
“Thanks.” Nate tipped the guy and he left, closing the door behind him.
Della stood in front of the four-poster bed, which was draped in filmy netting and bows like in a historical movie.
“It’s beautiful.” She half-turned toward him. “It’s also huge, so if we can’t swap rooms, I think we could both sleep in there and never see each other.”
Except that Nate feared he would be easing over to her side the moment he got the chance . . .
“Or I can sleep on the floor,” Della added.
He held up his hand. “If there’s any sleeping on the floor, I’ll be doing it.”
“It’s your room and you’re paying for it.”
“And you’re a lady.”
Her smile turned mischievous. “You don’t know that.”
Unbidden, a thought came into his head of her straddling him and taking away his control—
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” He gestured at the bathroom. “Do you want to go first? I need a shower before the rehearsal dinner. I’d forgotten how hot it gets here.”
“When were you last in Texas?”
“Graduation. I can’t say I’ve been back since.”
“Ah, that’s right. You said you met Brady at college.”
“Yeah, and the rest of them.” He picked at his damp T-shirt, which was sticking to his skin. “I’m practically melting.”
“Then go shower. It’ll take a while for me to get dressed properly.”
He studied her. “You look pretty perfect to me.”
“And you’re a sweetheart. I’m as sweaty as you are.”
He was still smiling as he went into the bathroom. He liked her already. She was unflappable and had a sense of humor. Just his kind of woman.
* * *
Della waited until she heard the shower turn on and took out her cell phone, punching in the number with unnecessary force.
“Wade? It’s Della. I’m here in Texas and I’ve seen Travis Whitely. I’ll get your pictures, okay?”
“You’d better or I’m going to make sure you lose your job.”
She tried desperately to reason with him. “It doesn’t have to be like this. We’re supposed to be a team.”
“Yeah right, says the token pretty girl in the organization. After I’m done spreading the word, everyone will know how you really got your job.”
She set her jaw. “I got it by merit.”
“That’s not how I’m going to sell it to the big man. You know how he hates scandal, and I’m going to dump you in so much shit you’ll never survive. A gal with no talent who tries to sleep her way to the top won’t last long in our business.”
“But that’s a total lie! Why are you doing this to me?”
“Because I can, baby. Suck it up, or better still, suck—”
She cut across him. “If I get the pictures and you get the credit, we’re even.”
“Sure, baby. I’ve been following Travis for years and something’s going on in his life that he’s not sharing with his fans. He’s been seen in some weird places recently, so he’s probably got some hot girl on the side, or else he’s messing around with a married woman or he’s into drugs and alcohol. I want to know what it is and you’ve got plenty of contacts in your hometown. Get pictures of him with any female he so much as looks at, okay? Or guy. That would be even better . . .”
She listened to his rambling, ignoring his crude innuendoes, and focused on the big picture. She needed to keep her job and he wanted exclusive pictures. No one would get hurt and no one would be able to pin anything on her. For once in her life, surely everything would work out just the way she wanted it to.
Except she’d be losing her self-respect. Maybe she should just quit; tell Wade exactly where he could shove his job. It was awful working for a man who hated her just because she’d refused to sleep with him.
But her family was counting on the financial help she was able to provide thanks to her career. Wade had threatened to bad-mouth her to his whole network of contacts in the Bay Area if she didn’t cooperate. If that happened, it would be next to impossible for her to get any job in her field.
The thought of all that uncertainty and upheaval just because he’d hit on her made her feel sick. It seemed as if she couldn’t win either way.
After concluding the call, she texted her sister, Adrianna.
Am staying up at hotel working. Call me if you need me or there is any change. x.
Will do. Love u sis x
She organized her side of the bed and plugged in her charger. She’d brought her good camera equipment, but she hadn’t bargained on bodyguards. If things got hairy or anyone got suspicious, she’d do her best with her cell phone. Everyone would be using theirs so she wouldn’t look out of place, and she had a good app that worked wonders with the most basic material. She preferred using a proper camera, though. Just the feel of it in her hands made her more confident and creative.
She could hear Nate Turner whistling as he showered. After a day spent with her stressed-out sister and mother, she appreciated his calm, relaxed way of dealing with things. Whatever he did for a living, his blood pressure must be nice and low. What did people do out in the wilds of Northern California? Hike? He certainly looked fit. She’d have to ask him a few basic questions and maybe answer some if they were to look like an established couple at the wedding.
She unpacked her bags, glad she’d brought some nice resort clothes with her. From what she knew of the Cutwrights, she guessed the wedding would be relatively low-key. She loved dresses and had something totally suitable for the actual event. Opening the closet door, she hung up her clothes and set her shoes on the rack. She spent a few minutes searching for an iron and found it hanging in a bag from the pole.
“Got it!”
“Got what?”
Turning triumphantly around, she was treated to the sight of a practically naked Nate Turner with a towel around his hips. As he rubbed at his wet hair, water rolled down over his excellent abs and muscled chest, making his skin glisten. Della swallowed back the temptation to stick out her tongue and help him with the cleanup.
Instead she grinned like an idiot. “I found the iron.”
“Awesome; my favorite kind of woman.” He pretended to duck as she brandished it close to his head. “Just kidding.”
“Too bad I hate ironing.”
“Yeah?” He took the iron from her. “I love it.”
She gaped at him. “You . . . iron?”
“Sometimes. I live alone, so someone has to do it. I find it soothing.”
“You’re still kidding me, right?”
“Nope.” He placed the iron on the desk and turned to his suitcases. “Most of my stuff is going to need pressing after the trip from California, and seeing as you hate ironing, I guess I’m going to be busy.”
“You could always ask the hotel to do it for you.”
“I will if I make a mess of it.” He hung a few shirts in the closet, three pairs of pants, and a sports jacket. “I’m planning on buying myself a new Stetson while I’m in cowboy country. Is there a good place to shop around here?”
“There’s a great feed and grain store in town that stocks practically everything a cowboy could ever need, but you’d do better going into Austin. I’ll take you tomorrow morning if you like.”
“Awesome.”
Della sat on the bed as he methodically unpacked the rest of his stuff, ironed a shirt, and pressed out the creases in her dress skirt. She supposed she should tell him to put some clothes on, but it was so long since she’d seen such a fine example of a man that she was enjoying the view rather too much. And hey, he was ironing, which somehow made it even hotter.
He reached for his cell and texted someone, a small smile hovering around his lips.
“My sister’s checking up on me. She still worries about her baby brother.”
“Sounds just like mine.” Della finally gathered her things together. “I’ll get changed. When are we supposed to be there?”
“You’ve got plenty of time.”
She paused at the bathroom door. “For a Californian, you’re remarkably laid-back.”
“I live in a very small town.” He winked. “We do have them out there. The pace is pretty slow. As long as there’s some food left at the dinner, I’m good.”
She escaped into the bathroom. Seeing as he’d chosen to go to college in Texas, maybe his daytime job had something to do with ranching, livestock, or agriculture, which might account for the laid-back attitude and his fit body. Riding a horse really worked those internal core muscles.
It was a shame he was putting clothes on again. She’d liked the way he hadn’t tried to flex his muscles or, even worse, drop his towel to impress her. Mind you, she had been holding an iron in her hand . . .
She jumped into the shower and focused her attention on the evening to come. If she was lucky, Travis Whitely would turn up at the dinner, she’d get the pictures, and that would be that. She’d have the money she needed and no one would be the wiser. Perhaps then she could just enjoy the actual event with Nate Turner; get to know him a little, see if he really was as nice as he seemed.
She stepped out of the shower and toweled herself dry. But would he want to know her if he found out she’d deliberately planned on crashing the wedding just to get those pictures? The thought of disappointing him was surprisingly disturbing, but she had no choice. She had to go through with this. Any chance of a relationship had to take second place to her family’s current needs.
Chapter Two
Nate surveyed the crowd gathering in the dining area and gently steered Della away from the group around Steve and his wife. He didn’t want her to have to deal with that jackass again. If he were being truthful, he just wanted to talk to her, see if his first impressions were correct. From what he could tell, she was not only beautiful but also smart and funny. He couldn’t quite believe his luck.