Slowly, he pulled back. “I better get out of here before this gets out of control . . . again.”
She placed a hand on his shoulder. “Wait. Don’t go. Please? Stay and talk to me.”
He caught her hand and pressed it to his lips. “I’d like that.” He lay on the bed, fluffing the pillows under his head, and pulled her down beside him. Hell yes, he wanted to stay. There was nothing he wanted more, but as much as he desired this time with her, he already dreaded what the morning would bring. If she no longer wanted him around, would he have the good grace to simply say good-bye?
Rayna cuddled close to his side. “Can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“Were you and Bree involved back then?”
“Would you be jealous if I said we were?” He trailed his fingers down her cheek, then lifted her chin so she looked in his eyes. “No, it wasn’t like that. We worked together, and there was a time when I thought we were friends.” Frowning, he looked away from her and picked up the remote from the bed beside him. “What are you watching?”
“Nothing, really.”
“You won’t care if we watch a little football then.”
She poked him in the ribs. He grabbed her hand and pinned it to her side, causing her soft, carefree laughter to flow over him.
“How about a chick flick?” She twisted out of his grasp and made a grab for the remote.
He held it out of her reach. “How about a guy movie?”
She snorted but settled back down beside him. “Okay.”
“What? You never give up that easy.” He flipped through the channels until the familiar scenes of You’ve Got Mail filled the screen. “Here you go. One of your favorites. This is a gift, sweetheart.”
Rayna sighed contentedly, and Ty longed to hear that sound every day. One arm around her shoulders, he settled her comfortably beside him, her head resting on his chest. Each exhale sent a warm tingle across his skin beneath his shirt. He held her even after her deep, regular breathing told him she slept. The scent of roses and mint toothpaste surrounded her, and he inhaled her aroma. He pressed the soft warmth of her body tighter against his. Finally, he pulled the covers over them, turned off the TV, and closed his eyes.
WHEN HE WOKE, the faint light of dawn seeped through the thin motel curtains. Rayna still slept, one leg thrown over his, and an arm circled his waist. Her hair was a mess and looked as cute as hell. He liked it framing her face and curling in riotous disorder. Damned if he didn’t like everything about her. Just looking at her strong, toned arms and muscled legs started a fire in his blood.
Movement sounded in the other room. Nate must be up. Ty gently moved Rayna’s arm and leg so he could slide out from under her. He’d let her sleep for a few more minutes while he and Nate talked.
Crossing the room, he knocked lightly on the door, opened it, and stepped through. Nate nodded and pointed to the coffeepot, and Ty poured himself a cup before he took a seat at the table across from his partner.
Nate leaned back in his chair. “How’s she doing?”
“She slept well. I think she’ll be okay.”
Nate eyed him carefully. “What aren’t you telling me, buddy?”
Ty set his cup down. “Andre called. He’s got his entire organization looking for us . . . or rather, for Rayna.”
“What’s he got against that poor kid?”
“She’s all he has left to trade for Bree. We both know it’s not an empty threat. He’ll do what he says.” Ty stood and paced in a tight circle.
Nate pushed himself up, grabbed his hat off the table, and shoved it on his head before he started throwing clothes into his bag. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get going. We’ll stick to the back roads. When we cross into Oregon, I’ll see about getting us some backup.”
Ty stopped and ran a hand through his hair. “Thanks, Nate. I owe you one.”
“Don’t you mean one more?” Nate cocked an eyebrow, and one corner of his mouth hitched upward.
“Good morning.”
Ty swung around. Rayna stood in the doorway of the other room. Her blond curls framed her pixie face and fell over her eyes. She still wore the PJs Nate had picked up for her. The shirt Ty had insisted she cover herself with was nowhere in sight, and the knit tank top again showcased her full breasts and tight nipples.
“Mornin’, Rayna.” Nate’s gaze ran over her appreciatively.
Ty scowled at Nate, who merely grinned broadly, then turned his frown on Rayna. Her sleepy smile wavered. He hated the cloying jealousy that twisted his gut and turned his thoughts dark and distrustful. That wasn’t who he was, but even if he was the jealous type—she’s not yours to be jealous of. Let it go.
Good advice, but it was too late. Ty couldn’t help the growl that came from deep in his chest, so he turned and walked toward her. “Get dressed. We need to get on the road.” He took her arm and propelled her into the other room. “And don’t go strutting around in front of Nate dressed like that.”
“Excuse me?” She jerked her arm from his grasp and skewered him with a glare.
“You heard me.”
“Okay. Now you hear me. Don’t tell me how to dress in front of Nate or anyone else.”
“Apparently, somebody needs to.”
“You didn’t seem to mind how I looked.” Her gaze dropped slowly to the bulge in his jeans.
“I guess you’d love to give Nate a hard-on too. Wouldn’t you?” Had he lost his mind? She didn’t deserve that.
She gasped, and her face burned as rage flashed in her eyes.
“Aw, shit. I didn’t mean that, Rayna. I’m sorry.”
“Get out, you self-righteous cretin! Go do whatever it is you have to do. I can find my own way home.” She crossed her arms in front of her, apparently waiting for him to leave.
He’d seen that look in her eyes before, and he knew too well that the stubbornness in the set of her jaw was only the tip of the iceberg. Whether or not his big mouth had ended their relationship permanently, he still had to deliver her to the prearranged pickup point by tomorrow. The good news was, he probably couldn’t make it any worse.
Ty picked up her bundle of new clothes from the chair beside the bed and held it out to her. “Don’t even go there. You’re going to get dressed and be in the car with me and Nate in ten minutes or I’ll carry you down there half-dressed, since that seems to be what you prefer.”
She made no move to take the clothes. An I-dare-you expression raised one of her eyebrows.
He took a leisurely step toward her, the bundle still outstretched in his hand. “If you don’t take these clothes and get dressed, I’m going to do it for you.” He took another step and was close enough to bend and whisper in her ear. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can stop me.”
Rayna grabbed the clothes and walked away from him, anger emanating from her in waves. “I’ll get dressed . . . after you get out.”
Ty followed her with his eyes, wanting to reach for her and pull her against him, to somehow regain the openness they’d shared last night, but that would only compound the mistake he’d already made. Frustrated and angry with himself, he swore under his breath as he pivoted and stalked from the room.
Chapter Eight
* * *
WELL, THAT WAS a side of Ty she’d never seen before. What was his problem anyway? And he accused her of not being herself. Maybe the stress of his reunion with Andre had been greater than he let on. Sure, he cared about her. Rayna knew that, but could his strange behavior have anything to do with wanting to find Bree? The truth of the matter was, she didn’t know as much about Ty as she’d thought she did. One thing she was sure of, though. She didn’t deserve his anger and disdain, and she certainly didn’t need him going all Neanderthal on her. This mess wasn’t her fault. It was his. The sooner they got where they were going and Joe picked her up, the better.
She threw the bundle down on the bed and sorted through her new clothes. Jeans, socks, a sports bra�
�no lifting and separating for her—a royal blue V-neck pullover, canvas slip-on shoes and . . . what the . . .? A thong?
A chuckle escaped in spite of her irritation. Tough-guy Nate foraging through the underwear display to pick out her thong was something she’d have given anything to have seen.
Her lounge pants and tank top hit the floor as she hurried to change. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and used her fingers to comb through her unruly curls. Her few articles of clothing went into a pile on top of her ripped and torn black dress, and she tied the ends together to form a neat bundle. With a minute and a half to spare, she threw open the door to Ty’s room and let it bounce against the wall.
Both men jumped to their feet at the loud crash but stopped short staring at her.
She looked down at herself. “What? Am I still not dressed appropriately?” Her innocent smile rested lightly on Ty’s face.
Her gaze slipped to Nate, and she was sure he reddened before he coughed, grabbed his bag, and headed for the door.
“I’ll meet you in the parking lot.” He avoided her eyes as he brushed by and left the room.
Ty watched his friend’s hasty retreat before swinging back to her. His face was a mask of regret as he walked toward her and reached for her arm.
She should forgive him. After all, he’d come all this way to help her. That spoke volumes about the man he was, but what kind of a woman did he take her for? Did he honestly think she purposely teased men to see their reactions?
She’d get to it, but she wasn’t quite ready to stop being mad yet. Bristling, she pulled away.
“Wait a minute. I’m trying to apologize . . . again. I was a jerk. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
The sincerity in his voice almost destroyed her resolve, but she tensed as his hand skimmed her arm, and she twisted out of his reach.
“Don’t touch me, and don’t call me that.”
Rayna scooted through the doorway and hurried down the hall to the elevator. To her dismay, Ty caught the door just as it started to slide closed and stepped in beside her. The confined space was thick with tension as they rode to the first floor in silence. She nearly shot out as soon as the doors opened.
Nate had checked them out and was already behind the wheel of the car out front. Ty caught up and opened the rear door for her. She ignored him and climbed in the front opposite Nate, then busied herself with her seat belt.
Ty snorted and said something under his breath before the car groaned under his weight as he slid into the backseat.
Nate pulled on to the street and handed a map over his shoulder to Ty. “See what you can find off the beaten path.”
Ty unfolded the map and studied it for a few minutes. “We’ll take Highway 299 to the coast and turn north. Andre won’t expect us to be sightseeing. We’ll cross into Oregon on 101, then head for Portland and let that backup you mentioned run interference. If we drive straight through, we should make your uncle’s house by dark. It’ll be a long day, but I want Rayna on that chopper as soon as Joe arrives tomorrow.”
Apparently, Ty didn’t want anything getting in the way of her catching that ride. Did that mean he wasn’t willing to give her the second chance she’d asked for? He’d already said he wasn’t going back to Montana, so if that was where he was sending her, where did that leave them? For a moment, heartache threatened to overwhelm her until she remembered she’d done it to herself. She’d been the one to leave. No sense getting all melancholy now because he’d taken her seriously and made his own plans for the rest of his life. That was what she’d said she wanted.
She hadn’t expected him to pack up and leave Montana, though. The only home he’d known for several years and the place where she selfishly thought he’d always be—waiting for her. Damn, she really was selfish.
She felt Nate’s gaze on her and glanced toward him. “Thanks for picking up the clothes.”
“No problem. I have three sisters, so I’ve had a little experience in that department.” He winked and a grin softened his worried expression.
“Oh really? Do your sisters all wear thongs?”
Nate coughed as Ty lobbed a series of mumbled expletives from the backseat. She tried, but Rayna couldn’t stop the belly laugh that finally broke free, and Nate soon joined in with a hearty guffaw. Rayna didn’t glance back at Ty, sure there was a stern look of disapproval on his face, so she was surprised when he spoke with amusement in his tone.
“Am I going to have to separate you two?”
Nate cleared his throat and pasted a repentant expression on his face. “No, Dad. We’ll be good.”
Rayna cracked up again, this time glancing toward the backseat. Ty shook his head. Relief washed over her, and she puzzled the reason for it. Her world had gone off-kilter the moment Ty became angry with her, and now, for some reason she didn’t fully understand, it was back on track again. That her well-being was tied to him terrified her, especially since she didn’t currently know if their futures would follow the same path. For right now, though, they’d broken the heavy tension in the car and maybe they wouldn’t have to drive five hundred miles in silence. It was a place to start.
“How are your sisters?” Ty refolded the map and leaned back against the seat.
“They’re good. Susie is pregnant again.” Nate launched into a narrative on each sister, their marital status, how many children they had, and whether their current significant other was any good or not. Nate had an opinion on almost every aspect of his sisters’ lives and didn’t hesitate to share. Ty asked a question now and then to keep him focused, and Rayna took the opportunity to contemplate what her future held. What would Joe and Cara think when she told them she wasn’t going back to UCLA?
Joe’s wife, Cara, was like a sister to her, and Rayna missed her fiercely. Cara was giving birth to their first baby in a few weeks, and Rayna didn’t like the idea of being so far away. Now she wouldn’t have to be.
Nate drove for a couple of hours, then switched with Ty when they reached Trinidad on the coast. Rayna concentrated on the towering giants of the Redwood National Forest and occasional glimpses of the ocean on the driver’s side. The sun shone brightly through the foliage from above and lightened the heaviness of her heart.
She was so lost in her own thoughts she almost jerked her hand away when Ty covered it with his. Her subconscious registered Nate’s quiet snoring from the backseat as her gaze flew to Ty’s face.
He picked up her hand and raised it to his lips. “Did he really buy you a thong?”
She shrugged. “’Fraid so.”
One of his eyebrows rose, giving him a decidedly evil look. “Are you wearing it?”
“Why would I tell you?”
“Damn, sweetheart. It’s driving me crazy just thinking about it.” He kissed her hand again and laid it on his thigh.
Rayna tugged her hand back, but he caught it and again set it on his leg, this time leaving his hand in place to cover hers. She turned to look in his eyes.
“I need you.” His gaze held hers as he repeated her words from last night.
Her heart melted at the earnestness in his voice and the plea in his eyes. What did he mean? Did he need her for the long haul? Or long enough to get through this crisis without falling apart? The latter was much more probable, but anything was preferable to the silent tension between them.
“I did apologize, if you remember—twice.” He swept his eyes back to the road and checked the rearview mirror.
She cocked her head and nodded once. “I remember you said you were a jerk.”
He laughed and squeezed her hand. “Trust you to remember that part.”
Rayna watched him until he looked at her again. “I was over being mad before we even got in the car.”
Ty smiled and kissed the tips of her fingers again. “That’s my girl.”
A strange tingling wound through her at his soft words. “What’s going to happen now?”
“We’ll get you to that chopper and back to Joe’s compound
. You’ll have to stay there for a few days until it’s safe for you to go back to LA.”
That wasn’t going to happen if she could help it. Joe would have the last word, and although it was sure to anger Ty, she’d make sure Joe heard her argument. In spite of that, going or staying wasn’t what she was worried about.
She needed to know what he was going to do—how much danger he’d be putting himself in to make sure she was safe. She couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to him. That was the reason she’d broken it off with him in the first place. Too afraid to lose him, she’d chickened out on their relationship, yet here she was still scared to death he’d leave her the way her brother had.
Tears sprang to her eyes, and she looked away quickly. “I’m not going back to LA.”
His hand tightened around hers, but he remained silent.
She finally worked up the courage to face him.
He glanced at her skeptically. “You’re letting a couple of thugs scare you off?”
“No.” That wasn’t it at all, but the words to explain escaped her. Maybe it wasn’t fair to tell him how miserable she’d been without him . . . how life in the big city was so far down the list of things she wanted. She longed to ask him to let someone else handle Andre and come home with her, but when she tried to speak, no words came. It definitely wouldn’t be fair to change the course of his life again. That was a decision he’d have to make . . . once he had all the facts.
“This will pass, Rayna. I’ll make sure you’re out of danger. Will you trust me?”
She flipped her hand over and laced her fingers with his. “Always have.”
He cocked his head slightly. “Then you’ll go back to Montana with Joe?”
She glanced away from him, afraid he would read the determination in her eyes. “Sure, if Joe thinks that’s best.”
If You Only Knew Page 9