The more she frowned, the wider grew his smile. It wasn’t much, but at least it was some small revenge.
Lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a deep rumble of thunder. Within minutes rain pelted the windows.
Harlan stifled a yawn. “Storm’s been threatening all day. Looks like a mean one. How far you got to drive tonight, Ace?”
“Couple of hours.”
“Maybe you ought to spend the night.”
“No.” Ally’s head came up. The word slipped from her lips before she had time to think. She turned away to avoid looking at Ace. “I mean, he couldn’t possibly spend the night, Gramps.”
“You got a wife and kids expecting you?” the old man asked.
Ace grinned. “I’m not married.”
“You see?” Harlan looked pleased as he glanced from his granddaughter to Ace. “Not a night to be on the road. Especially if you’ve got a far piece to travel.”
“I don’t mind. I’ve done it before.” Ace dried his hands and glanced at the lightning stabbing the darkness. The helicopter couldn’t fly in this weather. He’d be stuck driving the mine truck all the way back to the ranch.
He offered his hand to Harlan. “Thanks for the hospitality, sir. It’s much appreciated.”
“I enjoyed your company, son. Hope you’ll come back soon.”
Ace turned to Ally. “Thanks for supper. The chili was great.” When she started toward the door he shook his head. “Don’t bother to see me out. We’ll talk about that…business tomorrow.” He was rewarded by twin glints of anger in her eyes.
Before he took a step the two dogs were barring his way. The yellow one was growling.
“Buster. Billy.” At a word from Ally the dogs dropped to their bellies and watched as Ace walked past them and took his leave. It occurred to him as he did, that nothing about this evening had been as he’d expected.
Especially Ally Brady.
Chapter 4
Ace stepped out into the drenching rain and sprinted to his truck. When he opened the door the wind whipped it out of his hand. He climbed inside and had to fight to draw it closed. When he turned the key in the ignition, it made no sound. He tried again and again, then was forced to go out into the rain and lift the hood. After trying for nearly an hour he muttered every rich ripe oath he knew before admitting to himself that the battery was beyond saving. He reached for his cellular phone and punched in a series of numbers. Hearing a voice on the other end he snarled, “Hazard? Ace. I won’t be coming home tonight.”
He tossed the phone down and slammed the door, then trudged through the rain toward the porch. As he did he noted glumly that most of the lights had been extinguished. Before he even lifted a hand to knock, he could hear the barking inside, followed by sudden light and the sound of approaching footsteps. The door was flung open and he saw the surprise on Ally’s face before she composed herself.
“Sorry.” He couldn’t help staring. She was wearing some sort of clingy kimono that revealed every line and curve of her lush body, making him wonder if she wore anything under it. She’d brushed her hair soft and loose. The effect was as potent as a kick by a mule. “My truck’s dead. Looks like I’ll have to take your grandfather up on his offer to spend the night.”
“You did this deliberately, didn’t you?” She stood barring his way, hands on her hips.
“You think I want to spend the night out here?”
She tried to ignore the way he looked, his shirt plastered to his skin, his hands clenched at his sides, eyes blazing with anger. Like a sleek panther ready to strike. “I think you still haven’t gotten over that little incident at Clancy’s. You want the chance to even the score.”
They both looked up at the rumble of Harlan Brady’s scooter.
He rolled through the far doorway, his hair mussed, his robe hastily thrown over plaid pajamas. “So, Ace, you’ve changed your mind about staying the night?”
“Looks that way.” Ace moved past Ally and stood dripping water on the floor. “My truck’s dead.”
“Allycat, don’t just stand there. Get the man some towels.”
As Ally turned away, she looked as unhappy as Ace felt. Just seeing it lifted his mood considerably. After all, as long as he had to stay here all night, he may as well make her life miserable while he was at it.
“Well, no problem. Ally can drive you in the morning.” Harlan watched as his granddaughter returned with a couple of towels. “Good thing you two work together.”
“Yes. Isn’t it?” she muttered sarcastically.
“Allycat, when he’s dried himself, show Ace that spare room upstairs,” the old man called.
He waved a hand as he turned his scooter toward the other end of the house. “I’ll say good-night now. I’ll see you both in the morning.”
Ally led Ace through the kitchen to a laundry room. “You can toss your wet things in there. The detergent is in that cupboard.” She shot him a challenging look. “You do know how to wash and dry your own things, don’t you?”
He merely grinned. The nastier she got, the happier he felt. “Honey, I’ve been on my own since I was twelve years old. There isn’t anything I don’t know about taking care of myself.”
“I’m not your honey. And I know how the rich live.” She indicated the towel. “After you’ve stripped, start the washer and I’ll show you where you can sleep.”
As he reached for the buttons of his shirt she turned away.
Seeing her reaction his smile grew. “Maybe you’d like to stay and watch.”
“No thanks. You don’t have anything that interests me.”
“You mean, now that you have my money.”
“Look.” She turned, only to find that he’d already removed his shirt and was reaching for the buttons at his waist.
She found herself staring at the mat of dark hair on his chest, the ripple of muscles along his arms and shoulders. She hadn’t been able to forget what it had felt like to encounter that strength.
At his knowing smile she turned her back and listened to the rustle of clothing as he continued to undress. She waited until she heard him rummaging in the cupboard, and heard the sound of water running, before daring to turn again.
He’d towel-dried his hair. It fell damply over his forehead. He was wearing the towel wrapped loosely at his hips. As he fiddled with the dials of the washer, and hung his suit jacket and pants on a hanger, the muscles of his back and shoulders bunched and tightened. Ally felt a similar tightening deep inside.
He turned and found her watching him. “Okay. I guess you can show me where I’ll be sleeping.”
Grateful to escape the confines of the small room, she led the way up the stairs. As he passed the saddle, he paused to run a hand over it. The leather was soft as butter. The silver bore an intricate design reminiscent of Arapaho markings Ace had seen on artifacts unearthed at the ranch.
“Nice work.”
Ally paused and smiled in spite of herself. “I told you. Gramps is an artist, even though he sees himself as just a guy who makes saddles.”
He laughed. “Yeah. And Matisse was just a guy who dabbled in paint.”
She seemed surprised. “You know art?”
He shrugged. “A little. Very little. But whenever I’ve had to fly to Europe with my brother Chance, I usually spend a lot of time in museums while he’s wheeling and dealing.”
“I would have thought you’d be the one making the deals.” She started along the hallway.
He trailed her. “Funny. I thought the same about you.”
“Look.” She stopped. Turned to face him. “I know you think I ought to apologize for taking your money.”
“Taking? Red, it was a hustle. Plain and simple.”
“Call it whatever you want.” Her eyes were hot again. Hot and fierce. “When I got to the ranch and found that Gramps had become a prisoner in his own home, I was desperate to help him. I found the offer of an electric scooter on the Internet, and ordered it. Then I had to find a wa
y to pay for it.”
“And you just happened to find me.”
“Yes. And do you know why I picked you for the mark?”
He waited, enjoying the flash and sizzle in those green eyes. They were almost as furious as the storm raging outside.
“It was your boots.”
He blinked. That was the last thing he’d expected to hear. “My boots?”
“Custom-made. Almost as expensive as one of Gramps’s saddles. I figured a guy who could afford them could afford to lose his money without being too hurt.”
He arched a brow. “You picked me for my boots? You didn’t know my name?”
“Do you think I’d have pulled such a con on the guy who was going to be my boss? I never dreamed one of the oh-so-rich Wildes would actually hang out in a dump like Clancy’s. I may have been desperate, but I wasn’t trying to sabotage my own job. Not after the way Cass raved about it.”
He paused. “She raved?”
Ally nodded. “About what a great guy you were to work for. And how much she was going to miss the place and the people when she left. She made it sound like a dream job that half the employees coveted. And now…” She stopped, realizing she’d said too much.
“Now.” He caught her by the arm when she started to turn away. “Now you’ve learned that there are consequences for your actions.”
“I don’t know what you…”
“You took my money, Red. You conned me. Now you owe me. And I’ve just thought of a perfect way for me to collect that debt.”
She saw his gaze settle on her mouth and knew that he was going to kiss her. The quick rush of heat told her that she wanted him to. Still, she tried to resist.
“I owe you nothing, Ace Wilde. Your money doesn’t give you the right to…”
He dragged her into his arms and covered her mouth with his, expecting it to be the sort of kiss he’d shared with dozens of women. Hundreds. His lips moved over hers with all the skill of a man who knew his way around women. His eyes open, watching her. His hands at her shoulders holding her when she tried to pull away.
But the moment their lips touched, everything changed. In the space of a heartbeat it happened without warning. Their mouths mated in a kiss that was no longer smooth and polished, but rough with need. A kiss that was all heat and flash and speed.
Ace wasn’t even aware that he’d driven her back against the wall, his fingers tangled in her hair, his body pressed to hers. His lungs filled with the taste of her. A sweetness that was unexpected. A need that matched his own.
As he took the kiss deeper, he felt her fingers trailing the muscles of his arms and shoulders, sending delicious curls of pleasure along his spine. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung, offering whatever he wanted.
She tasted like sin. He drank her in until his head was spinning and his world was suddenly tilting out of control. Little alarm bells were going off in his mind. He realized that if he wasn’t careful, he would cross a line. It had never been his intention to go this far. He’d simply wanted to annoy her while satisfying his own need to kiss her. Now it had become something much different.
He needed to end this. Now. Still, he lingered over her mouth, loving the taste of her, the touch of her body, imprinting itself on his. If he could, he’d go on kissing her like this until they were both drunk from it.
Finally, calling on all his willpower, he lifted his head and stared down at her as though seeing her for the first time. He kept his hands on the wall on either side of her, afraid that if he let go, he might stagger.
“Damn you, Ace Wilde.” Her breath was coming hard and fast. “You had no right.”
“Yeah.” His own breath was none too steady. “I could feel you fighting me every step of the way, Red. That’s why your arms were locked around my neck.”
She flushed and avoided his eyes, knowing there was nothing she could say in her own behalf. Slapping his arm away she turned. “This is the spare room. The bathroom is down the hall.”
When she started away he stopped her with a hand on her arm. She felt the heat all the way to her toes.
“And which room do you sleep in?”
“The one next door.” Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”
He grinned. “If I should happen to get up in the night, I wouldn’t want to stumble into the wrong room by mistake.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it.” She pointed at the two dogs who moved like dark shadows behind him. “I don’t think Buster or Billy would let you take more than one step inside before they’d wake the whole household.”
“They didn’t seem to mind that I had my hands on you just now.” He bent down and scratched both dogs’ ears. Then he straightened. “You might be surprised at how quickly I can start to feel like family.”
“To dogs, maybe.” She kept her tone even, though it was an effort. “Don’t forget to toss your clothes in the dryer when you wake up. We don’t have any servants in this house.”
He waited until her door closed. Then he let himself into the guest room. After a cursory glance around at the wall of bookshelves and the hand-carved desk, he crossed to the bed and turned down the blankets. Tossing the towel aside he climbed naked between the covers. His nerves were revved, his mind racing in overdrive. Sleep, he knew, would be a long time coming.
In the next room Ally was too agitated to lie down. Instead she paced. And worried. And thought.
Buster and Billy sat, tails wagging, tongues lolling, as they watched her.
Damn the fates that had brought Ace Wilde into Clancy’s. How could she have made such a miscalculation? There had been dozens of cowboys in that bar who would have easily lost twenty here, forty there. If she hadn’t been greedy to win all the money in a single night, none of this would have happened. Still, it was done. There was nothing she could do to make it right.
From the beginning, she and Ace Wilde had collided like two comets. She touched a finger to her lips. She was still feeling the effects of the latest collision.
He had a killer smile. Charming as hell. With just a hint of danger. Everything about Ace Wilde was sexy. And that spelled danger. The last thing she needed was to get involved with a Wilde.
So far Gramps didn’t know his last name. When he found out who Ace was, she didn’t want to be around for the fireworks.
Lightning flashed and raindrops pelted the window. She stared into the darkness. He’d smelled of rain. And tasted all dark and mysterious. She hadn’t been prepared for him. He’d rocked her with that kiss. Nearly shattered all her defenses. From now on, she’d have to be more careful.
Not that there’d be a next time. She turned away and tossed aside her kimono on a chair before slipping under the covers. At once the two dogs took up their positions on either side of the bed and settled down to sleep.
Ally listened to the sound of their breathing, wishing she could sleep as easily. But the thought of the man on the other side of that wall had her tossing and turning. And replaying in her mind the way she’d felt when he’d kissed her. Hot and cold at the same time. The sound of her blood rushing through her veins, pounding in her temples. Her heartbeat racing, her mind going blank. And those hands, those wonderful clever hands moving over her until she’d nearly wept with need.
And all in the space of a few breathless moments.
She rolled to the other side and pounded a fist in her pillow. And prayed for sleep.
Sunlight played around the edges of the curtains and trailed a path across the bed where Ally lay sleeping. She awoke to find Buster and Billy sprawled across the foot of the bed.
“At least,” she said, stroking their heads, “you guys wait until I’m asleep before you invade my space.”
She slipped into her kimono and started down the hall. As she passed the guest room she noted with satisfaction that the door was closed. She stepped into the bathroom, then froze.
Ace was standing at the sink shaving. He caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and grinned. “Hope yo
u don’t mind. I found this razor by the sink and figured if it’s good enough for those legs, it’s good enough for my chin.” He wiped away the last of the soap and turned, skimming a look down the length of her. “Have I bothered to tell you you have great legs, Red?”
As she let out a hiss of breath she backed up.
He took a step toward her. “Don’t go on my account.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Just let me know when you’re finished.”
“I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we share? You can wash my back and I’ll wash yours.”
“You’re just full of ideas, aren’t you. Well, I’ve got a better one. Hurry up, so you can get out of my house and out of my life.”
As she started away he caught her arm. “Know what, Red? I’m starting to like you when you’re an gry.” He dragged her close and she was forced to put a hand to his chest to hold him at bay.
At once her hand tingled from the contact. She looked up to see him smiling down at her. How was it possible that a man who smelled of shaving lotion and mint toothpaste could look so sexy?
“You know what, Ace?” Her tone was laced with sarcasm, to hide the little thrill that shot along her spine. “I’m getting really tired of seeing you in that towel.”
“Would you like me to take it off?”
He brought a hand to his waist and she turned and fled down the hall. Over her shoulder she called, “I’ll give you five minutes. Then I want the shower. By myself.”
The last thing she saw was that famous Wilde grin as the bathroom door closed. Then she heard the sound of water running, and Ace whistling in the shower.
A short time later when she made her way to the kitchen she was greeted by the wonderful fragrance of coffee brewing.
She poked her head inside. “Gramps?”
Instead of her grandfather, she saw Ace, wearing a freshly pressed shirt and slacks, stirring something on the stove. Her grandfather sat at his usual place at the table, wearing a wide smile.
“What’s this?”
Ace turned. “I figured it was the least I could do to repay your hospitality. By the way, I found the iron and ironing board. Thanks.”
Ace Page 6