The Undercover Groom_Bachelor Billionaire Romances

by Taylor Hart

  “To get a drink,” she said, exasperated, “but I had no idea you were sleeping on the floor. Did you do this last night, too?”

  Not wanting to admit it, but not wanting to lie to her, he nodded.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  He sighed. “I could use some water, too.” He gestured to the hallway, and they fell into step. “You can’t ever be too careful, but tonight, when I did the perimeter check, there was someone out there. At least, it felt like there was. But when I chased the noise, there was nothing.” He nudged her with his shoulder. “Maybe you just have me paranoid.”

  They got to the kitchen and she grunted, taking out a glass of water. “I don’t know how he would have found me, but I wouldn’t put it past Hal. He’s wicked smart, and he’s obsessed with me.” She shivered. “He’s crazy.”

  Nick stared at her gaunt figure. She wore a T-shirt and pajama bottoms, but she was so thin. He was actually surprised she could run so much because she had hardly anything on her.

  Turning, she stared at him with those perfectly almond-shaped blue eyes. The same haunted look that had almost been erased today was back. He saw her hand tremble.

  After a moment’s hesitation, he took her hand. “I’m here. You’re okay.” Despite his reassurance, he felt a bit unsure himself. In his opinion it would have nearly been impossible in his mind for the guy to track her, but his mind was spinning with the part that knew the small chance was still there that Hal had found her. “You don’t have your old phone, right?”

  “No.” She shook her head and kept her hand in his. “I didn’t even bring it on the bus with me.”

  “No iPad, anything electronic?”

  She shook her head. “The only things I brought were clothes, and my running shoes.”

  Nick had an idea. “Let me see all the clothes, even the shoes.”

  “Okay.”

  As he followed her, not wanting her out of his presence, his paranoia overtook him. Could he have put some kind of tracking device in the clothes or the shoes or something? On impulse, he pulled out the burner phone and called Frank.

  He answered on the second ring, not sounding like he was asleep. “Hello.”

  “Frank, I don’t know if the guy found her, and I don’t know if I’m being paranoid, but tonight I did a perimeter check and I swear someone was there.”

  “Well, Hal isn’t there,” Frank said.

  “How do you know that?”

  “I hired a P.I. the first night she came to my house, and I had the P.I. follow him.”

  “Oh. That would have been nice to know.”

  “I want you alert,” Frank said softly.

  Nick clenched his fist. “Well, I guess you got what you wanted.”

  Ava was back with all her belongings. She put them on the kitchen table in a heap of a mess, including the shoes. “Who are you talking to?” she asked.

  Not wanting to mess with being a go-between, Nick held his phone out to her. “Frank, explain to Ava.”

  Tentatively taking the phone, Ava placed it to her ear. “Frank?”

  Nick picked up a sock and started going over it with his fingers, feeling for something—a chip probably—that would be used for tracking.

  “Okay. You did?” Ava listened to Frank. “Okay.”

  Nick took another sock and felt through it. Luckily, she only had two outfits and some running clothes.

  “Okay, I’ll let you know,” Ava said. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow Frank.” She shut off the phone and snatched her underwear out of Nick’s hands. “I’ll go over these.”

  He smiled and moved on to a pair of shorts. Both of them intently worked over the clothing, and Nick grabbed her bag to search it.

  Ava looked at her shoes. “I don’t know how to make sure these aren’t carrying something in them.”

  Nick looked them over, then took out the insert and checked there with his fingers. “Hmm.” He tried to put himself in her ex’s mind. He’d been doing this a lot with investigations. Although he didn’t like getting in their heads too much, he tried to figure out how someone would track her down. “And you haven’t been on the internet? You haven’t checked Facebook or Twitter or any social media?”

  “Nope. I have no idea how he would find me.” Her lip trembled. “No,” she whispered, hugging herself. “It just feels like he’s circling.” She shivered. “Doesn’t it feel like he’s getting closer?”

  Without thinking, he pulled her into his chest. At first she was cold and hesitant, but then she relaxed and put her head to his chest, her arms around his waist.

  Every part of him felt alert and on edge. Even though he hated to admit the words of his brothers were somewhat true, that he liked protecting people, he could no longer deny that with Ava, it was more. He saw this amazing girl beneath everything she’d been through. She’d become more than a case. This whole thing had gotten personal.

  Pulling away, she inhaled sharply. “I hate this.” She wiped beneath her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. “I’m sorry, I hate being this vulnerable.”

  “Hey, it’s just part of my job.” He would never admit how much he liked being in the protector role.

  “But this isn’t part of your job.”

  Not wanting to argue, he motioned to the stairs. “Come on, let’s get you back to bed.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I know myself; there’s not going to be a lot of sleeping right now. I think I’ll just stay up.”

  He thought it might be best. “Finish What about Bob?”

  Giving him a hooded smile, she asked, “Can you hack it?”

  Taking her hand, he pulled her into the living room. “You can count on me, Haughty.” He flashed her a grin.

  As they sat in front of the movie, holding hands, he wondered what would happen when she wasn’t scared anymore. Somehow, that made him feel more vulnerable than he’d felt in a long, long time.

  Chapter 12

  Ava jolted awake the next morning and realized she was sprawled out on the couch, a blanket over her. Sunshine poured into the room.

  Nick was at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of cereal. “Hey,” he said without looking at her. “Can I get you something to eat?”

  “How did you know I was awake?” she asked, pushing the blanket back and standing. She massaged a crick in her neck, thinking about falling asleep—not actually watching the movie, but staring at him.

  “You wake loudly.” He flashed her a smile.

  Shaking off the little flutter in her heart, she walked into the kitchen and got a glass of water. “No, I’m not hungry.”

  “You need to eat to keep your strength up.”

  “You fed me food yesterday. I’m still recovering.”

  He grunted. “Ha. Ha.”

  Part of her didn’t want to ask if the frown was because of something he was thinking about or something he found out.

  She didn’t have time to ask. He stood. “Are you ready for vacation day two?”

  Looking a bit overeager, she hesitated. “Ah, okay.” Why not get their minds off everything?

  “Great. We’re going horseback riding.”

  “O-kay.”

  “My brother knows a guy here. I met him a month ago. His name is Hunter James. He’s a billionaire. Has many oil holdings, but he prides himself on racing and breeding horses. He’s an ex–Navy Seal and I trust him implicitly. He is pretty much an expert in self-defense. I spoke to him this morning and he’s willing to help.”

  Her breath hitched. “I thought we agreed we weren’t telling people.”

  Nick exhaled and spread his hands. She saw how every part of him looked tense, the opposite of what he normally looked like. “I’m not gonna lie to you, Ava. If your ex somehow knows where you are, I think you need to be trained in some self-defense. I’m good, I can do it, but I think an expert is always good to have in your pocket. Plus, being among people on Hunter’s ranch always adds a layer of protection. I don’t know if Hal has found you or not,
but my gut says we play it safe and call in some reinforcements.”

  “Are we going to stay there?”

  “I think we should. We’ll go buy some clothes, get some lunch, and then go over. Then we’ll stay the night and work with him tomorrow. It will keep your mind off things.”

  “No.”

  He put his hand out like he was calming a skittish horse. “Let’s just take a run, then go get something to eat and head over there. Hunter says he has a whole wing of the house we can stay in.”

  Ava kept still, not necessarily wanting to bolt, but not wanting to be calmed either.

  “We’ll take the horses out,” continued Nick. “Then we’ll do some training with Hunter. It’ll be good.”

  From the determined look on Nick’s face, it didn’t appear that Ava had much choice. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She might as well go; tomorrow was the day of her anniversary and she could already feel the nervous jitters starting to increase. Nick was correct. They needed an extra layer of protection. She didn’t want to be around people, but she trusted Nick more than ever.

  He grasped her hand. “Ava, I’m not gonna lie to you. This case—you are different for me. I don’t know if it’s because we’re in difficult times and we’re thrust together, but …” The side of his lip cocked up. “You matter to me, a lot. As more than just a fake fiancée.”

  Ava’s heart rate jumped a notch. The intensity of his chocolate eyes overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t deny the feelings brewing between them. Nevertheless, she pulled her hand back. “Nick, I’m not the right kind of girl for you.”

  “Wow.” Nick sat back and clasped his hands together. “The ‘it’s me, not you speech’ so quickly.”

  She fished for words. How did she explain her feelings to him?

  “It doesn’t matter.” Abruptly, he stood. “Never mind. I never should have said anything.” He rushed away.

  Ava wanted to call him back, to tell him she would never be good enough for someone like him, but all she could do was watch him walk away. A familiar pain gnawed at her gut. Once again, Ava was reminded that Hal had ruined her.

  As they drove up the tree-lined driveway, Ava tried not to be overwhelmed by the Texas Star above the gate as they pulled up to the James ranch. The house was huge with tall columns and white shutters. It reminded her of something she would see in the South, but it was also fierce and rugged in a different, western way.

  Nick drove around the house to the huge barn in the back. She saw a few men wearing boots and cowboy hats, some taking horses in and out of the barn, others riding.

  She picked out Hunter right away. Everything about the way he stood shouted ex-military. His back was ramrod-straight, his feet were spread, and though he wore the same jeans and boots as everyone else wore, he had that look about him. Her eyes met his as they parked and she saw determination in them, the kind that could fight a war. That had fought in war.

  Not waiting for Nick to run around and open the door, she pushed it open. It wasn’t riding the horses she was nervous about; it was learning to fight. Over the past couple of years she’d thought about taking self-defense classes, but it always felt like nursing school or work got in the way. She’d actually downloaded a couple of YouTube videos and practiced their techniques, but she knew today would be different. She could feel it.

  Hunter broke from the older man he was talking with and came forward to meet them. “Nick.” He stuck his hand out.

  Nick shook his hand. “Hunter. Thanks for agreeing to meet with us.”

  Hunter’s eyes turned to her, evaluating her the way he might evaluate any potential threat or soldier. It was almost funny that she could already see him working out a strategy to teach her.

  She’d never felt self conscious of her body. Granted, the past few years she hadn’t tried to make herself look that great—just kept her hair cut in a line and kept herself in shape.

  Hunter put his hand out to her, but he didn’t cross the distance between them. “Nice to have you, Ms. Smith.”

  She stared at Nick’s eyes, and they dared her to challenge the misstep. “Ava,” she corrected.

  Hunter quickly shook her hand, then crossed his arms. “So you’ll ride first and then we’ll get to business.” He nodded to the barn. “My people will help you.”

  She didn’t realize she was being excused until Nick stood next to Hunter, crossing his arms as well. The nervous flutters in her gut were subsiding, and she looked at Nick for reassurance. “Are you going to ride too?”

  “Yep, but why don’t you go ahead? I want to chat with Hunter for a bit; then I’ll come race ya.” He winked at her.

  It did reassure her to see Nick be playful. It’d been a bit strained between them since breakfast—civil, polite.

  Hunter gestured to a man standing by the barn. “Charlie will take care of you.”

  Ava let herself be guided into the barn as Charlie led her to a stall. “This is Beauty. She’s older, but she’s still quick when she needs to be. She is gentle; she’ll let ya ride her with no problems. I heard you rode when you were in high school. Do you need a refresher course?”

  Feeling more certain than she had all morning, she reached out and rubbed her hand down the horse’s nose. “Nope.” Beauty responded by tossing her head up, and Ava’s hand followed. “She’s beautiful.”

  Charlie nodded. “Let’s get you saddled.”

  Chapter 13

  Nick stood next to Hunter, mimicking the relaxed military stance of the ex–Navy Seal, and watched as Ava came out of the barn. She met his eyes and gave him a little wave.

  His stomach flip-flopped. She wore the jeans and boots they’d bought right before coming here. She had a blue T-shirt on, and with her jet-black hair and the sunlight, she was beautiful. Posing on the horse, she looked like a model, even though she didn’t try to at all.

  “She’s pretty,” Hunter said evenly.

  Nick had met Hunter’s wife Summer and their two kids. He knew Hunter wasn’t saying it like he was checking her out; he was saying it like he was evaluating the mission.

  “She’s afraid, but she’s tough.” Nick shook his head. “Her plan, originally, was to run away and go off grid, living in some homeless commune in California.”

  Hunter scoffed, and let out a low whistle. “Then she’s feisty too.”

  “Yep. But she needs some skills.” Nick gave Hunter a rundown of the whole situation with the ex.

  “Tomorrow is the anniversary?” His eyebrows lifted.

  “Yep. She thinks if something is going to happen it’s going to be soon.” Nick sighed, hating to admit this. “I really didn’t think there was a threat. I mean, she came to Park City on a bus, left everything, and we flew on Luke’s jet here, so there’s no flight history. I’ve paid for everything. So even if he’d been able to figure out she went to Frank, he wouldn’t be able to track her. But last night, when I did the perimeter check and heard someone, I got that feeling.”

  “Hmm.” The sound came from deep in Hunter’s throat. “Yes, the feeling that the enemy is near.” He sniffed like he was an animal smelling for prey.

  Nick didn’t like to admit it, but he agreed. “Yeah, the feeling that the case is about to break wide open. That gut feeling that makes you check everything again and stay close.”

  Hunter nodded. “It was a good choice to call me.”

  Nick had to smile at Hunter’s confidence. “I thought after lunch we could hit the self-defense techniques hard.”

  Hunter watched her on the horse for a few seconds. “Yes. You go ride for a while. My family and I have something tonight I want you both to come to after my chef serves you dinner.”

  Nick didn’t feel like he could argue. Hunter was the same type of guy Luke was—when he told you what the plan was, he expected the plan followed.

  “I’ll go get things set up in my home gym. I have mats and everything else we need.” Hunter turned and started for the house, but turned back an
d offered him a militant nod. “Good choice to come to me.”

  Nick rode next to Ava. Charlie had directed them to a trail on the property that led to the bottom of some mountains and around a path. It was a perfect day by all means. The sun was shining, the air was fresh. Nick could see how Luke liked Jackson Hole so much. It had the feel of Park City, but it was different. Of course, he knew his experience with Ava had affected him. How could it not?

  He watched her ride. They were just going slow, and they hadn’t really spoken. She looked deep in thought. “I don’t know how this happened,” she said quietly.

  Jolted out of his thoughts, he turned to her. “What?”

  Not meeting his gaze, she let out a breath. “I was a complete fool. I wanted to believe that he really felt bad, that he would change. That he loved me. I put up with it for over a year.” Despite her words, her eyes didn’t look vulnerable at the moment. “Even these past two years I kept thinking it would die down. All of it. That he would meet someone and move on. But …”

  Nick wanted to comfort her. He just didn’t understand men who hit women. Demeaned women. Tortured women. Honestly, he didn’t even like going inside their heads on investigations. All he really wanted to do was smash their faces into some hard, cold cement, if he were truthful.

  “What?”

  “What?” he asked.

  “You look like you want to hurt someone.”

  “I do. Your ex,” he said simply.

  She nodded and her hand shook, holding on to the reins. She was afraid, and it made his blood boil to think she might be afraid forever.

  “I never thought I’d be this woman.” She let out a little laugh. “I thought I was strong. I thought after my parents died I’d survived something hard. Ya know? When I took a women’s studies class and learned about the pattern of an abusive partner or spouse, I thought that could never happen to me. But look at me. I’m weak.” She let out a snort, and he saw tears in her eyes. “You’ve been so sweet to me but I wonder how you can even stand me? I let it escalate to this. I don’t even recognize me.”