by Desiree Holt
She looked up, startled, as Shay called her name. “Excuse me?”
“Rafe said you’ll be at the game tomorrow.”
“That’s one you definitely don’t want to miss.” Erin grinned at her. “Jake played for the Mustangs and Rafe and Jason played for the Hawks. Um, when they were the Bison.” She looked across at Joe.
“You’ll be sitting with your dad, right?”
Tyler wasn’t even sure how to answer that. It’s bad enough I have to go to the game. I’m not sitting in the owner’s suite? My father and I barely speak. Holy shit. How was she going to get herself out of this one? Thanks a whole hell of a lot, Rafe.
She searched her brain for some kind of logical answer. “I, uh, think you get a better flavor of the game sitting in the stands, don’t you?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Jilly agreed. “Rafe, is her ticket anywhere near us? Maybe you can get someone to switch.”
“Maybe next time,” he said in a smooth voice. Then he leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Anything I can help with? You seem really distracted.”
She lifted her glass of ice water and took a sip. She thought what she really needed was a glass of wine to calm her nerves but not tonight.
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “And I’ll pay better attention.”
Somehow she held it together, the new Tyler without the false front and without a drink. Especially since it seemed all they talked about was football, the women as well as the men. She was proud of herself for actually carrying on a conversation about a game she had little knowledge of.
Fake it till you make it.
How many times had she heard that in more different circumstances than she could count? Now she knew what it meant. And while Rafe said very little to her directly, he made sure to give her hand a squeeze just enough to let her know he was there for her. She tried not to read anything into it.
As the evening progressed, to her astonishment Tyler actually found herself enjoying the event. She’d forgotten how to have real conversations with anyone but her closest friends. Certainly at the public events she attended, she’d been more interested in making a spectacle of herself and embarrassing her father. But tonight people who knew who she was actually stopped by the table to say hello and pass along their gratitude to the Hawks for their support. She even fell into the rhythm of the conversation at the table, enjoying the easy give and take of these people who were Rafe’s friends.
And a funny thing happened on the way to dessert. Listening to the other women, it occurred to her if she could divorce football from her father, she might even enjoy watching a game. Maybe tomorrow would be a good time to find out.
She sat through the speeches and the announcement of the funds raised, still worried that before the event was finally over she’d do or say something to embarrass Rafe in front of his friends. At one point, he reached for her hand again and gave it a gentle squeeze. Her heart gave a little skip and she turned her head enough to whisper to him.
“Why are you being so nice to me?”
“How would it look if I wasn’t?” he asked.
Of course. It was all a front, everything tonight. An act. He was behaving exactly the way her father would expect of him, an attentive escort. Certainly not as a bodyguard, someone who would attract questions neither of them wanted to answer. The tiny bit of hope that he was remembering how good last night had been was immediately extinguished.
At last it was over and she was saying good-bye to Rafe’s friends. Joe and the woman who chaired the scholarship fund thanked her profusely again for the Hawks’ contribution. The women, who she supposed had now gotten it into their heads that she and Rafe were an item, insisted she exchange cell-phone numbers. She really liked them, just on such short contact. Would she ever see them again? Would she ever see Rafe again when this was all over, except in passing?
As they headed out of the dining room, she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Chad Sinclair smiling down at her.
“It wasn’t the same tonight not being with you.” The smile he gave her was polite but tinged with traces of both want and irritation.
“It’s just an event,” she pointed out to him. “I mean, it’s not like we’re a couple or anything.”
He leaned down and put his mouth close to her ear. “We could be.”
Tyler tried to figure the best way to answer him without making a scene. Then Rafe jumped in.
“She’s otherwise occupied Sinclair.” He laced his fingers through hers. “She’s off-limits.”
Chad scowled. “Really? How’s that?”
Tyler opened her mouth to say something, but Rafe put an arm around her and gave her a gentle squeeze.
“I don’t see that it’s any of your business,” he said in a deceptively mild voice. “If you’ll excuse us.”
He guided Tyler out the door so smoothly she hardly realized it was happening. As they stood waiting for the valet, she gave him a look filled with curiosity.
“That’s twice you gave people the indication we’re some kind of item. Aren’t you afraid it will tarnish your image?”
He was silent for so long she wondered if he was going to answer her at all.
“We have a situation here that requires both of us to play a part.” He said the words in an even, measured tone of voice. “It’s better than telling them the truth. And if Sinclair is the stalker, I don’t want him getting a heads-up.”
“He already thinks it’s strange that the head of security is hanging out with me. Won’t he get even more suspicious?”
“If it’s him, I don’t think he’ll put it together. He’s too egotistical. But if he does, maybe he’ll step up his game, make a mistake and we’ll nail him.”
Before she could say anything else, the valet drove up with Rafe’s car. Rafe tipped him, and then they were headed home. Once again, a heavy silence filled the car. Finally, she couldn’t stand it anymore.
“You don’t like me much, do you, Rafe?”
She could almost hear him digging around in his brain for an appropriate answer.
“Let’s just say I wasn’t crazy about your lifestyle or the image you chose to show the world.” He studied her face with heated intensity. “But if I’ve learned anything since this all started, it’s that there’s a real person beneath the masquerade. A person, if I’m not mistaken, who is really beginning to like herself.”
Yes, but it was a daily struggle. She had such a mountain of insecurities to climb. And his next words did nothing to dispel them.
“We have to forget about last night, Tyler. I overstepped my bounds. It’s a given you’re off-limits to me and it’s going to stay that way. I’m here for one reason and one reason only.”
“Bodyguard, right?” She twisted her hands together. “And finding out who’s trying to scare the crap out of me.”
“I’m going to do just that,” he assured her in a tight voice. “But that’s all I’m going to do.”
Tyler wet her lips and tried again. “You didn’t feel that way last night.”
“I told you. Last night is last night,” he shot back. “Last night was—”
“If you tell me it was a mistake, I’m going to shove you out of this car and run you over.” Anger bubbled up inside her. “Do not diminish what last night was.”
“It was sex. Just sex.” Each word stabbed at her.
“It was a hell of a lot more than that and you know it.” She couldn’t believe he could dismiss what happened so easily. “I don’t care what you say or how you try to blow it off.”
That said, she crossed her arms and turned as far away from him as she could get with the seatbelt latched in place. Neither of them said another word on the way home but Tyler did a lot of thinking.
When they pulled into the driveway, lights immediately went on from small spotlights on the little bit of lawn and from the roof of the town house, startling her.
“The new sensors
,” he reminded her.
“I don’t guess we’ll have anyone sneaking up the driveway again.”
“Or anywhere else around the house.” Rafe pressed a button on the extra remote she’d given him, and the garage door slid up smoothly.
She was so wrapped up in the aftermath of their hostile conversation the dark sedan gliding down the street with its lights off only pricked the edge of her consciousness.
Chapter 11
As soon as they came in from the garage, Tyler headed for the stairs. She wanted nothing more than to get to her room and clear her brain. So he wanted to insist what they had was just sex? Screw him. She knew the difference and the difference had been there last night. Tonight she was going to remind him of that, with words and actions. First, she had to get her temper under control, or she wouldn’t get past the first quarter. Maybe not even get to the first. She’d fumble the kickoff and that would be that.
Oh, God! Am I really using football speak? How do I even know it?
She started up the stairs but Rafe put his hand on his arm and stopped her.
“Where’s your cell?” he asked.
She stopped and turned. “My cell?”
“I know you turned it off before we left the house,” he reminded her, “but turn it on now. Let’s see if there’s been any activity tonight.”
She yanked the phone out of her purse and handed it to him without looking at it. She was beginning to hate the thing. “Well?” she asked as he scrolled through it.
But the familiar twitch of muscle at his jawline told her what she needed to know.
“Calls and texts.” He delivered the information in a controlled voice, but she saw anger spark in his eyes.
“What do they say?” She held her hand out. “Give it here.”
“You don’t want to see these,” Rafe told her. “And I haven’t listened to the voice mails yet but there are four of them.”
Tyler held out a shaky hand. “Yes, I do. And I can listen to the messages myself. Rafe, I need to know how bad this is getting.”
She could tell he was battling with himself over it. Finally, he showed her the texts. Her stomach roiled as she read them. The worst one was, “U shld be with me. Make it hppn. If I can’t have u no one else wil, ether. Btch.”
“Oh my God.” She felt as if her whole body was shaking. She looked up at Rafe. “Was he there tonight? Was he watching me?”
“That’s what I have to try and figure out. He could have been an invited guest, or somebody’s plus one. But the only person we recognized was Chad.”
“Does that pinpoint him by process of elimination?” Chad Sinclair. God. She thought of his parting remarks as they walked out of the club.
“Not necessarily. Whoever this is could simply have watched you tonight, just followed us to the Conquistador.”
“Oh my God.” Tyler sank down to the stairs, her fingertips pressed to her mouth. She was determined not to fall apart but every bit of her self-discipline was being taxed to achieve it.
Rafe pulled out his cell and punched in a speed dial, she assumed to Lone Star, and quietly gave whoever answered some instructions. Then he turned to Tyler and held out his hand.
“I’ll keep this tonight.”
She stared up at him. “I should get another one tomorrow.”
“Tyler, you can’t just keep getting a new phone. This guy, whoever he is, keeps finding your new phone number.”
“Then what can I do?” She trembled as the magnitude of the situation washed over her again.
“I asked the agency on-call to see if he can find out where our three top suspects were tonight. Well, two. We know where Chad was. And check the cell towers to see where your call was pinged from.”
Her stomach clenched. “What if it isn’t anyone we’ve focused on? Not Chad, or Nate or Ed?”
“I sent that list we put together to Lone Star. They’re working on it.” He took her icy hands in his warm ones. “We’ll get him, Tyler. I promise.”
The contact between them was charged. When his gaze met hers, she saw that he recognized it, too. But she also could tell the damn man was pushing it down deep and choosing to ignore it. Well, not her. With all this crap happening to her she needed that connection, and she needed to make him admit the depth of what was happening between them.
“I’m going upstairs,” she said, pushing herself to her feet.
“Ditto,” he said. “Busy day tomorrow. We both need to get some rest.”
“Speaking of tomorrow.” She turned and looked at him. “What arrangements have you made for me for tomorrow? You know I hate going to the game to begin with. Surely you don’t expect me to sit in the damn owner’s suite.”
“I’ve got it covered. Now let’s get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.” He turned off the light in the hall and followed her up the stairs.
Before, she had just been mad at Rafe’s attitude. Mad and hurt. But now she needed the feel of his body, the heat of their physical connection. She badly wanted the emotional link that he insisted wasn’t there, even as she knew he was lying and so did he. He wanted to see the real Tyler? Well, okay, he was going to get her.
She stripped off her clothes, draping the dress over the little upholstered chair, kicking her heels into the closet, and stashing everything in the hamper. In the bathroom, she turned on the shower while she took off her jewelry and scrubbed off the minimal amount of makeup she’d used. Then she climbed into the steaming shower and lathered herself with her favorite creamy floral soap.
She would show him. She’d make him see what they could have. What they did have after last night. She would not let him dismiss something so easily that was about to impact the way she looked at everything. Maybe she was overdue for a change in course, and this stalker thing was the catalyst. But the real reason she wanted that change was Rafael Ortiz and she wasn’t about to let him go that easily.
Out of the shower, she dried herself thoroughly and smoothed cream into every inch of her skin. She was so nervous about this—shocking for her—that she dropped the bottle of lotion twice. Her hands were shaking again as she brushed her hair, then dabbed a dash of cologne at all her pulse points and took one last look at herself in the mirror.
Okay, she was ready.
After pulling on the silk shorty robe she had hanging in the bathroom, she opened her bedroom door and peered out into the hallway. There was no light coming from beneath the guest-room door, and when she pressed her ear to it, she didn’t hear a sound. Okay, if she was lucky, he was in bed but not asleep. No one could fall asleep that fast.
She cracked the door just enough to slip in and walked over to the bed. The blinds on the window were open and a wide shaft of moonlight shone on Rafe, lying on his back with his hands behind his head. If he was asleep, she’d just have to wake him up. And she knew exactly how to do it. She stood still for a moment and took a calming breath, inhaling the pure male essence of him. God, just his scent made every part of her body sit up and beg.
She had to do this carefully. She knew he’d resist her, even try to force her to go back to her room. Not happening, she told herself.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
His deep voice pierced the darkness and startled her.
“I came in to say good night.” His eyes were open, gleaming in the moonlight.
“Good night, Tyler.” He kept his hands in place and his body still. “I think you need to get to your own room.”
“I wanted to give you a proper good night,” she told him.
Before he could stop her, she had dropped her robe and slipped beneath the covers. Wow! He slept commando. She should have known. She tried to lie down but before she could manage it, Rafe shifted positions and clasped her upper arms.
“Don’t do this, Tyler. This is a very bad idea. You’ll be making a big mistake.”
She locked her gaze with his. “The mistake will be if I just get up fro
m this bed and walk out.”
“This can’t go anywhere,” he reminded her. “I told you. Just pretend last night didn’t happen. Go back to your room. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“What are you afraid of, Rafe?” She wished she could see his face better in the moonlight, or read the expression on it. Of course, Rafe was famous for being unreadable. “Are you worried all those feelings you keep locked down will come bubbling up like before?”
“Damn it, Tyler.” He growled the words and dropped back down onto his pillow. “Don’t make last night into something it wasn’t. Go ahead. You’ll see it means nothing and you can go back to bed and wipe this from your mind.”
“Not happening,” she whispered. “I need you, Rafe. Tonight I really need you.”
She had to peel back those layers tonight. Get to the heart of him. She might never have another chance. She placed her hand on his body, so warm it was giving off enough heat for a furnace. The warmth wrapped around her as she eased down beside him. Except for a slight jerk when her skin touched his, he hadn’t moved at all, not even his hands.
“Do you think if you don’t touch me, don’t react, I’ll just walk out of here?” she asked. “I’m not giving up that easily.”
“Neither am I.”
She slid her own hand across his chest coasting it over the crisp curls of chest hair, every muscle in his body tensed. She wondered if he could feel how much she was shaking.
He wrapped his fingers around her wrist.
“What is it, Tyler? What’s going on tonight?”
She wet her bottom lip. “I don’t just want you, Rafe. I really need you. I need to be with you, like we were last night. Please.”
God how she hated begging, but she spoke the truth.
“Tyler.” His chest rose and fell as he exhaled. “We cannot do this. There’s nothing between us, no matter how much you want there to be, and there can’t be. That’s the plain truth.”
“Go on, keep telling yourself that, as if you really believe it.” She continued to sift her fingers through his chest hair, still trembling. She looked directly into his eyes, hoping he could read hers. “We both know you’d be lying. Damn you anyway, Rafe.”