Tigers in Her Bed [The Tigers of Texas 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Em Ashcroft

  “If you do that, and he did it, he’ll know we’re on to him,” Sam pointed out.

  “Trust me,” CJ said tersely. “I know what I’m doing.”

  Yes, he probably did. Sam nodded his agreement. “Show him the vintage John Deere out back. If he’s into old vehicles, he’ll let you know.”

  “Sure,” CJ said. The old tractor was just a decoration, kept polished and shiny, never used. “I’d forgotten that thing. It shouldn’t take me long. If he’s hiding anything, I’ll know.”

  More than anything else, Sam wanted to pull Rachel from the sofa and lock her in his bedroom, to keep her safe. But she wouldn’t let him do that. He didn’t have to ask her to know it. “We need a plan.”

  “We have one,” CJ said. “Enough for now. I’ll talk to Kevin, and you tell the overseers what’s going on. And we won’t let Rachel out of our sight.” He turned to confront her. “Whatever you do, don’t go out of our sight. Please,” he added belatedly.

  “Why?” she said, putting up her chin. “I have a job to do.”

  “Because we care for you, and we don’t want you hurt.”

  Sometimes the simple truth worked best. It did in this case. Some of the hardness in her expression softened, the lines bracketing her mouth melting away as their gazes met and clashed.

  “Okay, I guess I can do that.”

  “And we’ll have your stuff moved here,” CJ said.

  Fuck, that did it. Rachel swung her head and gave him the full benefit of her baby blues. “Not yet. You can tell them we’ve got something going on, but I don’t want to go out of touch with the magazine. I won’t stay here all the time.”

  Then they’d just have to seduce her into staying. Gee, that was going to be hard. Not.

  Chapter Seven

  In the end, Rachel didn’t have to do the walk of shame. Before they left, Brooke gave her a bag full of clothes.

  “I have too many anyhow,” she said when Rachel protested she only needed a few things. “Take ‘em, and if they don’t work for you, leave them with the guys.” They were alone in the kitchen, so she added, “I’m really pleased you got together at last. I know you wanted them last year, and they wanted you, too. Enjoy yourself. Perhaps, like me, you won’t want to go back.”

  Rachel scoffed. “This isn’t a big romance, like yours. We’re just having fun for a week.” Her heart ached when she said that. She’d been pining after Sam and CJ all year, but she’d die before she told them that. This week gave her the chance of getting them out of her system. That was all. There couldn’t be anything else between them.

  As long as she kept reminding herself of that, she’d be fine.

  Taking the bag with thanks, she went to the downstairs bathroom to change. Was she expected to stay in Sam’s room? Well, fuck that, she’d go back to the hotel tonight. Why shouldn’t she? She was probably safer there, considering the shocking information she’d received that morning. Today she’d enjoy herself and then see what happened. Sam and CJ hadn’t even given her any indication that they wanted her past last night. They could have scratched their itch and be ready to move on.

  At least she had fresh clothes to wear. These jeans were much looser in the legs than her own, and the T-shirts were less fashion statements, more comfortable. She slipped on some of the fresh socks Brooke had included, and her sneakers, and she was ready. Getting dressed like this was a revelation. Dressing for work could take hours, and she would sometimes get up before light to get ready since she had to take the commute into consideration. If she ever earned a million, she’d buy a condo nearer to work, but at present, she could barely afford her smart studio in Brooklyn. Her salary, generous though it was, disappeared without her even trying.

  She refused to go anywhere without eyeliner. Once she saw her appearance, she couldn’t go out without makeup, although it would probably melt off her in the first hour. She made do with BB cream, a light dusting of powder, and eye makeup, as well as a slick of lip gloss.

  Today she bundled her hair up into a high ponytail. Brooke had put some hair ties in the package, bless her. Getting her hair off her face felt so much better than her usual style, curling it around her face.

  Going out into the front hall, she almost collided with Sam. He grabbed her shoulders, and steadied her. “You look great,” he said. “Do you have a hat?”

  She’d brought a straw hat, but that was sitting in the hotel. When she shrugged, he took her hand and led her to a stand in the hall.

  “Help yourself. We keep a bunch here. You can’t go out in this heat without a hat. How about sunscreen?”

  “I slathered myself in the stuff.”

  “Good. Let’s hope everybody else has the same sense.”

  Rachel grinned. “Oh, nobody will have forgotten that.” Tanned skin wasn’t exactly flavor of the month, although a healthy glow was good. They could add that if they needed to. These days models could be altered so they looked even thinner, blemishes taken out and their bodies contoured to flatter whatever they were wearing. They hardly needed to show up at all.

  She found a cowboy hat she loved. Black with a thin leather strap, a little worn, it had exactly the look she wanted. She stuffed her ponytail into it and posed, one leg stuck out and her hand on her hip. “How do I look?”

  “Gorgeous.” His voice had deepened. “I can hardly wait to get you back in bed tonight.”

  She widened her eyes. “What are you talking about? I told you I was going back to the hotel.”

  “Oh no.” He strode across the space, his boot heels rapping on the flagstone floor and dragged her into his arms. “I can’t let you do that.”

  “It’s not for you to say.”

  “Will this help?”

  He slammed his mouth down on hers, forcing her lips open so she had to take his tongue. Despite her determination to say for herself where she went and what she did, she softened and melted. These men would kill her yet.

  When he drew away, they were both panting as if they’d run a hundred yards.

  “Damn, woman.” He pushed her away almost roughly. “I only came to tell you they’d arrived. Come on.”

  He led the way out of the building and into the blazing sunshine of a Texas August. Rachel braced herself for the impact of the heat, and she wasn’t disappointed. The steamy washcloth effect hit her as soon as she stepped out of the coolness of the house.

  The passengers were disembarking. They had the other bus working again, although only the two models and their assistants had occupied it. When she saw Rachel, Bianca snapped her fingers. Knowing her place, and hating it, Rachel ran to her side.

  “Fuck, you look like shit,” was Bianca’s greeting. “Can you ride?”

  “Yes.”

  “They want some shots with horses today. I want you to try them out before I go near the beasts.”

  Rachel hadn’t known that Bianca could ride. “What kind of horse do you want?”

  “A beautiful one.”

  There were plenty of those around. To Rachel’s eyes, they were all beautiful. Horses were the most gracious of animals. Last year had been her introduction to riding, but she’d discovered a natural aptitude for the saddle. She couldn’t wait to get on a horse again. However, she knew better than to let Bianca see the sparkle in her eyes. She glanced away to where her boss stood.

  Like her, Mason had dressed for the situation. Worn jeans lovingly hugged his body, and a checked shirt, the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, gave him a more casual look Rachel had never seen before. It suited him, brought out an edge of wildness in him she’d never noticed before. His hair wasn’t quite so tamed, and his eyes gleamed with appreciation when he looked her up and down.

  “At least somebody has dressed for the heat,” he commented. He slapped his forearm. “And the bugs. The mosquitoes here are hungry.”

  Her sun cream contained an anti-bug element, but perhaps she’d use the stinky spray she’d invested in. Except that, too, was at the hotel.

  Other me
mbers of the crew had opted for shorts. They might regret their choice before the day was over. Several floaty sundresses were on display, too. Rachel had a few of those, and if the weather grew much hotter, she might borrow some bug spray and take the risk. A bead of sweat trickled down the groove of her spine.

  CJ came over to stand beside her, and when Bianca was speaking to the photographer, he murmured, “The house is open to you. Whenever you need a break, feel free to use it. But nobody else.” He slid a key into her pocket.

  That could get awkward. “What do you want me to tell Mason about the shoot?”

  “No is a good word. Feel free to use it.”

  Before she could reply, he walked away.

  Glancing back to Bianca, Rachel caught Sam’s eye. He raised an eyebrow and grinned. She couldn’t help grinning back. He was so gorgeous, her dream brought to life, especially now that she’d seen him naked.

  He stilled and stared at her as if he could read her mind. Rachel turned away.

  CJ was leading a handsome chestnut toward them, a docile horse Rachel remembered from the year before. “This is Cedric. Will he do?”

  Bianca shook her head. “Get me something lighter.”

  CJ pursed his lips. “The only light-colored horse is one of the spirited ones. You won’t like him.”

  “I can ride.” Bianca snapped her fingers again. “Rachel, go try it out.”

  “No.” CJ and Sam spoke together. “Only expert riders can manage him.”

  That sounded like a challenge to Rachel. “Bring it on.”

  Despite the men’s protests, she strode to the stables and soon found the horse. Trip, the plate said outside his stall. He was utterly beautiful, and Bianca would look breathtaking mounted on him. When he saw her, he went tense, his body screaming “danger” to her, but Rachel had met worse. She held out her hand.

  “Come on, boy. I’m Rachel. Let’s go have fun.” He was a riding horse.

  Once she was sure he’d relaxed, she found his tack. A ranch hand glanced at her. “You want him saddled up?”

  “Please.”

  Sam barreled into the stable. “Watch him, he’s tricky.” Grabbing Rachel by the shoulders, he turned her to face him. “Honey, you can’t ride him. He’s young and feisty and ready to cause trouble. He’s way beyond your level.”

  “Oh yeah?” Relenting, Rachel let him into her secret. “I loved riding here so much that I’ve been taking lessons. I’m good, my instructor says. I ride a horse a lot like Trip back home. When I can, I drive out to a farm upstate.” She’d promised herself that one day she’d own a horse of her own, hire a stable for him. She was full of big plans, and she determined to earn enough to make it happen. A condo and a horse. That wasn’t much to ask, after all.

  Except she had only herself to rely on. Her family had no money for things like that. Rachel had worked her butt off to get through college without building up a massive debt mountain, and she’d apply the same determination to getting what she wanted.

  Sam regarded her with grave concentration. Warmth flowed through her head and then was gone. Rachel gasped.

  “Did you just read my mind?”

  He grimaced. “Kinda. It was instinct. I couldn’t let you get yourself into trouble, honey.”

  Well, that was nice. “Are you satisfied?”

  The grimace turned into an amused grin. “Not hardly. But I guess you can ride Trip. Can Bianca?”

  “Yes. She loves horses. It’s her thing.” Bianca was already as financially secure as Rachel wanted to be, but Rachel tried to be glad for her and not hold it against her. If she were six feet tall, stunningly beautiful, and photogenic, she’d have been a model. But at five foot five, average-looking, and not photogenic at all, she was glad to take what she could get. “What she does pays well.”

  “I bet.”

  The hand had saddled the horse, and now he opened the stall and led Trip out. Rachel ran her hand down his neck, delighted when the horse nuzzled her.

  “He’s so beautiful.”

  “I’ll lead you first. You don’t get him until I’m perfectly sure you can handle him. Let me see you walk him out.”

  Sam urged Trip out of the stable, and Rachel followed them outside. He was as good as his word, leading her around before he allowed her to take the reins. To please him, she did some more walking. She couldn’t help but grin broadly. She hadn’t been out for a while, and she’d missed it. While she wasn’t a talented rider, she was a good one, easily able to handle the surprisingly well-mannered animal between her legs. Her sneakers weren’t exactly the right footwear, but she could feel the stirrups under her feet, enough to use them properly.

  “You’re a beauty, aren’t you?” she murmured to him.

  “He likes you. That’s why he’s behaving so well,” Sam said. He looked up at her, shading his eyes and nodded. “You’ve come on real well. You should come riding with me later.”

  She couldn’t. She’d be working.

  “Okay, let me up,” Bianca said.

  While they’d been preparing Trip, she’d changed into an all-white outfit. She’d appear like an angel on the back of the stunningly pale horse. Trip was in top condition, his mane flowing free instead of braided.

  Already Kevin was setting up for Gary Collier, who had the faraway look of somebody plotting the perfect shot. Reluctantly, Rachel dismounted, and she had hardly gotten her foot out of the stirrup before Bianca had placed her white-booted foot in it.

  To Rachel’s quiet satisfaction, Bianca needed a boost. Of course she had to give it, but that was a small price to pay.

  As soon as Bianca was in the saddle, Trip turned into a different animal. He pranced and snorted. From the bright but well-mannered animal Rachel had ridden, he turned into an ornery beast. Bianca swore but coped with his antics.

  “Get your shots, Gary, because this is a pig, not a horse.” She turned a poisonous stare on CJ, who was grinning widely, not even bothering to hide his amusement. “I expect my horses better trained than this. If you need more, you’ll have to put Rachel up and then superimpose me.”

  “Great idea.” Mason came to stand behind Rachel.

  She was next to Sam, but Mason put his hand on her shoulder and steered her away from where everyone was watching the spectacle. Susie was sniggering. Every cloud of dust Trip sent up to mark Bianca’s white clothes received an extra laugh from Susie. At this rate, Bianca would refuse to work with her, but Susie was one of the few models who could survive that kind of ban. She didn’t care, and she was leaving Bianca in an ever-increasing temper. Which Rachel would have to cope with.

  “We’re trying to get her assistant back,” Mason said. “With any luck, we should have her onsite tomorrow. Can you cope until then?”

  “I’ll have to,” Rachel mumbled.

  “And back at the hotel,” Mason continued. “I don’t care what you got up to last night. Your job is to keep Bianca sweet until tomorrow. Last night she drove me insane. No way am I putting up with one more night of her shit.”

  Should she tell him about the sabotage? The guys had asked her not to, but Mason was her boss. Surely he had a right to know. She hadn’t actually promised…No, she couldn’t break their confidence that way, although she had to work hard to hold her tongue.

  “What did she do?”

  “Sent meals back until I thought the chef would throttle her with his bare hands, and then she said she was satisfied, ate a mouthful, and she was done. She wants me, Rachel.”

  “Wants you what?” Realization hit her like a brick to the back of her head. “Oh, that.”

  “Yes, that,” Mason said grimly. “I won’t be blackmailed that way. I think she believes it will give her a permanent in at Style. I guess I should be glad somebody wants one, but shit, not like that.”

  She felt uncomfortable. “How are you coping with your planner?”

  He touched her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “No problems. You keep that in perfect order, Rachel. I hope I’m a better
boss than Bianca.”

  “Infinitely.”

  “Do you need anything else?” She hadn’t seen Sam come up behind them. “I need to get some chores done.”

  Mason gave him a gleaming smile. “Nothing, thanks. We can get busy shooting Bianca in eveningwear. Although Gary did mention wanting you to pose with her. Do you have any objections to that?”

  “Plenty.” Sam was almost growling.

  “You should think about it. Did Rachel talk to you last night?”

  “About what?” Sam moved closer to Rachel until he was almost touching her.

  “The house?”

  Rachel exchanged a quick, pleading glance with Sam. “It would help.”

  “No,” Sam said. “But you can use the cabins. They’re more rustic, in any case.”

  Mason sighed. “I’ll give them a quick look later. Thanks.” As Sam moved away, he added, “Although we’re paying you enough.”

  “I think they’re doing this for Brooke,” Rachel said. “They don’t need the money.”

  “Don’t be too sure about that.” Mason stared after Sam, who was striding away, purpose in his gait. “You can never tell these things. We have to stay expensive and glossy, and it’s costing us a fortune. If we don’t make a success of the next few issues, we’re fucked.”

  Usually Mason only cursed in the privacy of his office, and only when he’d ascertained that Rachel wouldn’t be offended. That he was doing it here in the open air said a lot about his mood. Bianca must really have done a number on them last night. Unfortunately, Rachel didn’t know Bianca’s assistant, or she would have called her. She liaised with a lot of PAs, but Bianca’s assistant was new. She couldn’t help.

  She sighed. “I’ll do what I can. Otherwise Chelsea wins, right?”

  “Right,” said Mason grimly. “And my company loses a shitload of money. We’re not interested in winning or losing, only in keeping jobs and pushing the magazine forward.” He leaned forward, speaking quietly. “We’re going online.”

  “What?” She’d thought that idea had been shelved.

  “We’re doing it quietly, but next month we’ll be ready. We intend to drop it without fanfare. It works for top brands, and despite the troubles, Style still has its brand.”