“Just…you’re not like the country girls I grew up with. You’re more sophisticated. You look different. You act different. I mean, I always thought you were beautiful. I just had no idea I’d like you so much.”
He hadn’t hedged for words, thank God. “So that was a compliment then?”
He laughed again. “Of course it was.”
“Good. ’Cause I like you too. And last night was amazing for me as well.” She got up and started collecting her clothes.
“I’ll get your coffee, baby. Meet me down in the kitchen.”
* * *
“Angie, when are you and Rafe going back to the slope?”
“Tomorrow. Why?”
Amber sighed as she clipped the cuticles on Angie’s right hand. “I need to talk to someone.”
“I’ve got all day today. I want to go see Violet this afternoon, but other than that I’m free.”
“I’ve got a full schedule today,” Amber said. “Can we have dinner?”
“Sure. Why don’t Rafe and I meet you at the Blue Bird?”
She exhaled a long breath. “Well…I was kind of hoping we could talk alone. Nothing against Rafe but—”
“Girl talk?”
She had no idea. “Yeah, something like that.”
“How about lunch?”
“I can’t take lunch. I’m booked through. Please? It’s important.”
“Of course. Rafe’ll understand. The Blue Bird?”
“My place, actually. I need privacy.”
Angie’s hand stiffened under Amber’s ministrations. “Amber? What on earth is going on?”
Amber looked down, unable to meet her friend’s gaze. Would Angie believe her? Would she understand? Angie had her own skeletons, so she was Amber’s safest bet. Catie was busy with the new baby, and Judy was her boss, for goodness’ sake. She wasn’t that close to anyone else yet, at least not enough to trust with this. “I’ll tell you tonight. God, I really need to talk to someone.”
“Okay. Tonight at your place. You’re obviously distraught. I’ll get take out from the Blue Bird and bring it over. Say six?”
“Six thirty.”
* * *
“No offense, Amber, but you look like hell.”
Amber held her door open and Angie walked in, carrying a takeout bag from the Blue Bird and a bottle of wine. “Good to see you too, Ang.”
Angie made herself at home in Amber’s small abode, setting food on the table and grabbing two plates out of the cupboard. “Come on and sit. There’s obviously something you need to spill. Where’s your corkscrew?”
“Top drawer.” Amber plunked down at the table and thunked her head on the hard surface. “God, where to start?”
A soft pop met her ears—the wine cork.
“I can’t hear you when you’re talking into the table, hon.”
She lifted her head and sighed.
“So does this have to do with my brother?” Angie poured two glasses of wine.
Harper? He was the least of her worries, except he’d want nothing to do with her when he found out the other issues she was dealing with. Amber shook her head. “No. I mean, not really.”
“Seems you two are getting along pretty well.”
“We are. I’m surprised, to be honest.”
Angie laughed. “So is he. Never in a million years did he think you were his type.”
So she’d heard. “Have you talked to him about us?”
“Not really. He just said he likes you a lot and he’s looking forward to seeing where it goes.”
She nodded. She felt the same. He knew more about her than she’d let on to anyone so far in Bakersville, and he wasn’t judging her. Course the relationship wouldn’t go much further if she couldn’t keep Blake Buchanan at bay.
Stripping at Rachel’s was one thing. Pornographic photos on the net were something else entirely.
“I like him too.” She sighed. “A lot.” Big understatement.
Angie took a sip of wine and began to take the cartons out of the Blue Bird sack. “So what’s the problem then?”
“With Harper? There is none.” At least not yet.
“Okay. What else is going on? There’s a new guy in your life. You should be shining like the sun. Instead you look like you’ve been reincarnated as a rag.”
She couldn’t crack a smile. “Damn, Angie. You cut right to the chase, don’t you?”
“I try.”
Amber let out a controlled breath. Here goes nothing. “I haven’t told you much about my life in San Antonio.”
“No, you haven’t. Every time I’ve asked you’ve changed the subject.”
“You’re right, and I’m sorry. It’s not a time in my life I like to talk about. Or even think about for that matter.”
“Well, you did tell me about your two one-night stands.” She winked.
True, she had. About seven months ago, before Angie and Rafe had hooked up. Angie had said she needed some sex, and Amber had suggested a one-night stand. Who would’ve thought two one-night stands would turn out to be the tamest things she’d done in San Antonio?
Amber picked up her wine glass and took a long sip. “I guess it’s best to start at the beginning.”
For the next hour, she poured out her whole sordid story, beginning with being kicked out of Karen’s house to leaving San Antonio.
Angie listened with rapt attention, her green eyes wide. “And Harp knows all of this?”
“All of what I’ve told you so far.”
Angie smiled and patted Amber’s forearm. “My brother’s a good man.”
Her friend’s touch soothed her…but only a little. “That he is.”
“If he’s okay with all of this, why are you so upset?”
Those same icy fingers gripped the back of her neck. “Because I haven’t told you everything yet. I’ve only told what…what I remember.”
“Sorry, babe. Not following here.”
“Oh God.” She pushed her wine glass ahead of her. “Is there any more?”
“Yeah.” Angie poured another glass. “I’ve never seen you drink more than two drinks.”
“This is only my second.”
“I know. I’m just saying.”
Amber took a sip. It was a nice red, kind of spicy. She’d hoped to learn more about wine from Harper. She’d hoped for so much…
“You know that guy who used to work for Chad? Blake Buchanan?”
“Yeah.”
“You’ve lived here most of your life. You already know the story about him and the librarian.”
Angie nodded. “Heck, that’s old news. Evie’s over it. I thought the whole town was.”
“Maybe they are. I don’t know.”
“He seems like a nice enough guy to me.”
Amber widened her eyes. Seriously? Angie couldn’t see through the jerk? She was as blind as Catie. “He’s not a nice guy, Ang.”
“Oh? Why do you say that?”
Amber swallowed the lump in her throat. “He’s blackmailing me.”
Angie nearly spat wine across the table. “Say what?”
“Did I stutter? He’s blackmailing me.”
“How?”
“Turns out he was in San Antonio for a while, and he remembers me from Rachel’s.”
“So what? If Harper knows, and I know, and we’re fine with that, what makes you think everyone else won’t be fine with it?”
“I’m rodeo queen, for one thing. Hardly a job for a stripper.” She clutched the stem of her goblet. “But that’s not the issue.”
“What is, then?”
Amber gulped down the last of her wine. Damn. She’d met her two drink max. She could use another.
She swallowed, her tummy fluttering. Angie was her friend. She would understand. Wouldn’t she?
She cleared her throat. “Blake Buchanan came by yesterday with some photos on the Internet.”
“Photos of you?”
She nodded. “They were definitely me. Thing is, I have no memory of posing
for them at all. I found my roommate Laura on the web site too, and I know she’d never pose either.”
“Nude photos?”
She had no idea. “Yeah. More than just nude photos. I’m doing things in them.”
Angie’s eyes widened. “You’re doing…it?”
“Not it, in the literal sense, but pretty much everything but.”
Angie paused. A long pause. Then, “But how? If you don’t remember… I don’t understand, Amber.”
“Neither did I at first, but I’m pretty sure I was drugged. I seriously have no memory of the whole thing.”
“What web site is it?”
“It’s an expensive paid web site for Rachel’s patrons, as far as I can tell.”
“Do you have the URL?”
“No. He didn’t give it to me, and I didn’t think to ask for it.” Why hadn’t she gotten the damn URL? “I wasn’t thinking at all. This came at me from left field.”
“I understand. Do you have any idea how this happened?”
“I have a hunch. There was a woman at Rachel’s—her name was Marta. She was kind of our mother hen. One night she invited Laura and me to her place. We got to drinking…and I blacked out. I’ve only been drunk twice in my life. The other was when I had the first one-night stand that I told you about. Anyway, I recognized the bed at her place from the photos.”
“You think you were drugged?”
“I can’t see any other explanation. I was obviously awake in the pictures. Something had to make me forget. I assumed I was drunk and I blacked out. Now I’m not so sure.”
“Something to induce amnesia—”
“Exactly.”
“Like the date rape drug, maybe?”
“Maybe. I have no idea. Do I look like I have a clue about drugs? I never did any of them. Hell, even if I’d wanted to, I couldn’t afford them.”
Angie squeezed her forearm. “Honey, I know. I’m not accusing you of doing drugs.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize.”
Amber choked out a sob. “Blake wants twenty grand in a week or he goes public with the photos.”
Angie raised her eyebrows. “Twenty grand?”
“Yes. I told him there’s no way I can get it, but he says that’s not his problem.”
“Well, there’s no problem.” Angie patted her arm. “I’ll give you the money.”
Amber sighed. What a wonderful friend. “Angie, that’s not why I wanted to talk to you.”
“I know that, honey. I know that. But you need help, and I have the means to help you.”
“But don’t you see? If we give him the money, he’ll just keep holding the photos over my head. When he needs more money, guess where he’ll go? And in the meantime my photos are on the Internet! Without my permission. Hell, without my knowledge!”
Angie scooted her chair closer and wrapped her arms around Amber in a tight hug. “We’ll figure this out, I promise.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I want you to listen to me. There’s someone who can help you.”
“Who?”
Angie let out an exhale. “You won’t like it.”
“I’ll try anything at this point.”
“Harper. You have to tell Harper.”
Chapter Twelve
“Are you crazy?” No way was she telling Harper. He’d never forgive her.
“He’s a lawyer, Amber. He can help.”
“Things are going well with us. I don’t want to risk that.”
“Don’t you see? Harper cares about you. He won’t let anyone hurt you. And he can help. These photos are up without your permission. That’s not legal.”
She gulped. “I know that. But what can I do?”
Angie grasped her hand. “You can tell Harper, and we can go from there.”
Amber’s head jarred at the ring of her cell phone. She didn’t recognize the number.
“Hello?”
“Hello, darlin’. It’s Blake.”
Blake Buchanan. Her body stiffened. “It’s him,” she mouthed to Angie.
“What do you want?”
“Just checkin’ in. Seeing how things are going. I know you’re dining with your friend Angelina Bay Grayhawk. And I know she’s loaded. Did you get my money yet?”
Nausea seized her. He was out there. Watching her. How dare he violate her that way?
She nearly laughed out loud. He’d clearly already thrown caution to the wind by blackmailing her. There wasn’t much he wouldn’t do, was there?
“Don’t call me again.”
“Hey, I’m just looking out for both of us. The sooner I get my money, the sooner I’m outta your hair, and you can go on with your life.”
Anger boiled in her belly. “Don’t you dare patronize me. Say you get your money. What then? You haven’t given me the web site URL. For all I know the photos will still be there and you’ll come back to me the next time you find yourself strapped for cash.”
“Hey, the deal was you get me twenty grand and I don’t divulge this information to the sainted town of Bakersville. There was nothing more than that.”
“So my photos stay on the web site then? You want me to pay twenty grand for that?”
“That’s your only choice for now. I have no power to get the photos down.”
“Then what good are you?” She clicked the phone off.
“You’re just going to piss him off,” Angie said.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I don’t give a damn!”
But she did. That was a lie. She didn’t want to be ruined in Bakersville. She loved it here. She’d finally found a place that felt like home. She’d found friends. She’d even found a man. A man who felt like home.
Maybe he’d understand. Angie thought so.
Angie took both her hands. “Go to the bathroom and get cleaned up. We’re going to go see my brother.”
* * *
“Harper, you’re not being fair.”
Harper paced up and down. “Fair?” He glared at his sister. “None of this is fair.”
“You’re absolutely right,” Angie said. “But it’s the most unfair to Amber.”
He looked over at the woman—the beautiful woman he’d begun to think of as his—and his heart broke. He could handle that she’d been a stripper, that she’d been kicked out of her house by a drunken mother and she had to find a way to earn a living. That was admirable. Noble even.
But the photos?
True, she claimed to have no knowledge of their existence prior to yesterday. Could he believe her? He wanted to, but evidence pointed against her. By her own admission, she was awake and fully active in the photos.
And after supposedly finding all this out, she’d come to his home, slept in his bed, in his arms, as if nothing had happened.
What the hell am I supposed to think?
He didn’t know her at all.
“You’re not the woman I thought you were.”
“Harper, please.” She walked toward him, reached out to him.
His heart hurt. How he wanted to take her hand. He ached to pull her into his arms and hold her, to promise her he’d do anything, anything at all to make sure that look of sadness and horror never marred her beautiful face again.
But no. He’d be strong. He’d always thought she wasn’t his type. Turns out his first hunch had been right.
He pulled away from her. “I’m sorry, Amber.”
“Harper,” Angie said, “please.”
“I’ll help you,” he said. “I’ll do what I can to get rid of Buchanan’s threat. I have some information I got in confidence from a friend. It should work to hold him off, at least until you relinquish your rodeo queen crown in a few months. That’ll keep the scandal at bay. After that, you can”—he gulped—“leave town if you want.”
Angie whipped her hands to her hips. “Damn it, Harp! How can you be so cruel?”
“Cruel?” He thumped his fist on his father’s—his—
desk. “How do you think all this makes me feel? I thought I had finally found someone special.”
“You did! Amber’s special.”
He looked at her, slumped in a chair, her pretty features distraught and anxious. Her face ruddy, eyes swollen, nose red and glistening. Again his heart hopped in his chest. He wanted to run to her, soothe her, tell her he’d take care of her.
“I’ll take care of Buchanan. That’s all I can promise for now.”
“Harp—” Angie started.
Amber stood and interrupted. “It’s okay, Angie. We tried.”
“I’ll help you, I said.” Harper raked his fingers through his hair.
“You’ll get Buchanan off her back,” Angie said.
“Yes.”
“That’s not helping.”
“It’s all I can do right now.”
Amber shook her head. “Stop it, Ang. I want to go home now.”
Angie helped Amber to the door, and the two walked away.
Amber walked out of his life.
He sat at his desk with his head in his hands. How had it come to this? They’d shared such a special time last night, and all the while she’d known about this stuff in the back of her mind. Dishonesty, that’s what it was. He could forgive a lot, but not dishonesty.
And did he really believe she’d had no knowledge of the photos?
He wanted to believe her. Truly he did. But it just didn’t make any sense.
Drugged? Photos of her with others? Posed? Her eyes wide open?
Couldn’t be.
And true or not, she should have told him last night. She’d slept with him under false pretenses.
Sadness laced his heart. He’d thought he was falling for her.
He really hadn’t been her type all along.
He sat and stared into space for a few minutes and then picked up his cell phone.
“Yeah, Buchanan.”
“Blake Buchanan?”
“Yeah that’s right. Who’s this?”
“Harper Bay.”
“Bay? How’s it going?”
“This isn’t a social call, Buchanan.”
“What’s up? Don’t tell me—your girlfriend’s been telling you lies about me.”
“First, she’s not my girlfriend, and second, I’m pretty damn sure she’s not lying.”
Treasuring Amber: The Temptation Saga: Book Five Page 9