*****
He had become a stalker. At least that’s what it felt like. Brax sat in his truck outside Braemark Hotel. He’d been fighting the urge to see her again all day. And he’d succeeded until he’d started to drive home and ended up here instead.
But now what?
He could make up some stupid excuse to go up to her room but where would that get him? It wasn’t as though he could even ask her out on a date—she was leaving tomorrow for Houston.
This was a stupid idea.
He’d known her for two days—this intense attraction he felt for her wasn’t possible. He needed to keep his distance. Maybe a trip to the club would help.
Except he had this urge to make sure she was all right. He shuddered as he thought of everything that could have happened to her last night. A big man like Mason could have done a hell of a lot of damage to someone as fragile as Holly. Although he had no doubt she’d protest being described that way.
She didn’t have a chance against a man the size of Philips and she needed to be more careful. She needed a keeper, a protector.
But not me.
Brax groaned. He was torturing himself.
Starting his truck, he pulled out of the lot, his gut clenching. He didn’t want to leave, he wanted to knock on her door, haul her into his arms and kiss her senseless.
His gaze narrowed as he spied a familiar figure limping down the street. Slowing, he searched for Derrick but there was no sign of him. Brax debated whether to stop or not.
As he drove past, he glanced into his rear-view mirror, hoping she didn’t recognize his truck. Brax slammed on his brakes as he saw her falter then fall to the ground. He threw his truck into reverse, his guts clenching. Luckily, there were no other vehicles on the road. Screeching to a stop, he jumped down and raced around to where Holly was sitting on the ground, holding her calf muscle.
Tears raced down her pale cheeks as she stared up at him. Agony had etched lines around her gorgeous mouth. Her eyes were dark with pain, punching him in the gut with their misery.
“What happened, baby?” Brax kneeled beside her, feeling horribly helpless. “What can I do to help?”
“Muscle cramp,” she gritted out. “Got to get to my room.”
Well, that he could do. Placing one arm beneath her knees and the other behind her back, he lifted her gently. Despite how much care he took not to jolt her, she still let out a low moan of pain.
“God, I’m sorry, Holly,” he told her as he placed her into the passenger seat. Reaching over her, he buckled her seatbelt then raced around to his seat.
“Not. Your. Fault,” she said between clenched teeth.
Brax turned his truck around and started back to the hotel. Holly’s breath was coming in harsh, fast pants and every so often a whimper passed between her lips.
He swung the truck into the hotel parking lot, slamming his door shut as he ran to her side. Adrenaline pumped through him.
“Where’s your key?” he asked as he carried her inside.
“In my pocket.” She reached down and pulled the key out. Carrying her inside, he set her on the bed.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’m okay now.”
Like hell she was okay—her skin was cold and clammy, her eyes filled with tears as she tried to massage her leg.
“You can go.”
Brax ignored her. “How can I help? Do you want me to get Derrick?” He hated to suggest it when he wanted to be the one to take care of her, but Derrick knew how to help her. And Brax would do anything to take away her pain.
She shook her head. “He’s out to dinner.”
“Then tell me what to do.” Brax glared at her as she shook her head. “Either tell me what to do or I’m calling the doc.”
She must have seen the determination in his voice because she nodded. “Heating pad in bathroom. I need water for my pills which are on the bedside table.”
Brax ran into the bathroom and found the heating pad. He also grabbed a glass, filling it with water before walking back into the bedroom and plugging in the heating pad. After reading the instructions on the pill bottle, he shook out two pills and handed them over to her.
“Here you go.”
Looking up, she let go of her leg to grab the pills and glass. Brax took the opportunity to sit beside her and reached for her leg. She grabbed his hand, pulling it away.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re in pain and I am going to help you.” He kept his voice stern; no way was he leaving her like this. “I am just going to massage your leg. No protests.” Her pain had completely sheared away at his control as he took charge.
“Tell me if I’m doing this wrong,” he told her as she lay back on the bed, obviously exhausted.
“Harder,” she told him.
He hesitated, but she knew best what she needed. He dug his fingers into the hard muscle. It would have been easier without her pants in the way but he knew after her reaction last night that asking her to remove them would only cause her more distress.
“Feels better,” she said, her eyes closing. Her color had improved and her breathing had slowed.
“Does this happen often?” he asked, not quite ready to stop touching her.
She shook her head. “It’s been bad lately. Too much sitting. That’s why I went for a walk tonight.”
Brax scowled. “That wasn’t a wise choice. What if I hadn’t been driving along?”
Holly opened her eyes, staring up at him inquisitively. “Why were you driving past?”
“I went to visit a friend but they weren’t home.” Kind of the truth.
She stared at him a little suspiciously, then closed her eyes again with a grimace.
“If I hadn’t been driving past you’d still be sitting out there, helpless and in pain.”
The thought made him furious.
Holly sighed. “I know. But I needed a walk. I needed to stretch my muscles. I would have called Derrick.”
Derrick. Derrick. Jealously raged through him. What was wrong with him?
“You need to think things through better,” he scolded.
“Sleepy now.” She yawned, looking so sweet and young that he wanted to wrap her up in his arms and protect her from the world. Damn, those possessive instincts of his were in full force.
“Okay. Let me help you get comfortable, then I’ll go.” He lifted her up and set her on a chair before pulling back the covers on the bed. Holly watched him through heavy-lidded eyes. Then he kneeled before her and unzipped her black boots.
“Do you want me to help you take anything else off?”
“Sweater,” she muttered.
“Arms up.” He pulled the sweater off, accidentally tugging her t-shirt up with it, giving him a tantalizing glimpse of lace-covered breasts. His cock pressed against his jeans, demanding release. He quickly pulled her t-shirt down, then scooped her up, placing her in the bed.
He brushed the hair off her face.
“Heating pad?” she asked.
“You sleep with it on?” He had completely forgotten about the pad.
“I’ll turn it off later,” she told him. He pulled back the covers and tugged the pad around her leg. With a sigh, Holly closed her eyes and snuggled down.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
Brax ran a finger down her cheek. “I don’t feel right leaving you like this.”
“I’m fine now. Night, Brax.”
Well, that was his cue to leave. But he couldn’t force himself to go straight away. Instead he sat on the chair by the bed and stared at her for a long moment. He really was becoming a stalker.
A knock on the door had him quickly moving over to open it before the person on the other side could knock again and wake her.
A startled Derrick gaped at Brax as he held a finger to his lips and stepped out of the room, pulling the door closed without shutting it entirely.
“What are you doing here?” Derrick asked with a scowl, trying to see past him.
; “Keep your voice down,” Brax whispered. “She just went off to sleep.”
“Sleep? It’s only nine-thirty. Exactly what tired her out?”
Brax shook his head. “Not me. I know what you’re thinking but she’s exhausted from another leg cramp. I was driving past when I saw her collapse on the street. I brought her back here, got her some pills and the heating pad. Nothing else.”
Derrick’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “Thank you. What was she doing out walking around?”
“She said she wanted to stretch her muscles, but she needs to take more care. If I hadn’t come along…”
Derrick nodded. “Thank you for helping her.”
For the second time that night he’d been dismissed. As much as he wanted to protest, he had no right.
“Okay, have a good night then.” He turned and walked away without a backward glance, telling himself it was for the best.
Chapter Three
“Your tickets are all booked for London,” Holly said as she walked into Derrick’s office. “And I’ve booked your accommodation in that hotel you like by Hyde Park.”
Holly loved London, but Derrick didn’t need her for this trip and she was feeling pretty exhausted lately so she was happy to stay behind.
“Derrick?” she questioned as he remained silent, thinking.
“Sorry. I’ve just been on the phone to Max,” he told her. “His wife has been diagnosed with breast cancer.”
“Oh my God.” She sat on the chair in front of Derrick’s wide, oak desk. “Is it bad?”
“Well, it’s not good. They are taking her into surgery at the end of the week. Understandably, Max is taking some time off.”
“He’s working on the resort outside of Lilyvale at the moment, isn’t he?”
It had been three months since they visited Lilyvale and she was still embarrassed over the way she had collapsed on the pavement, forcing Brax to carry her to her room and put her to bed. Mortifying.
“Yes, Jamieson has things on track, but you know how I like to have my own project manager on jobs this big. Especially since I haven’t worked with Jamieson before. We need another project manager there, fast.”
Brax had won the bid by a very close margin, and she knew Derrick was a bit nervous about using a relatively new company. But Brax was proving that he was good at his job if the reports from Max were anything to go by.
“Brett will be finished in Chicago soon. We could send him.”
Derrick tapped his pen against his desk. “That’s three weeks away.”
“Joshua is very capable—I’m sure he can hold things together.” Joshua was Max’s assistant, and, although young, he was very good at his job.
“Yes, I know. But he’s inexperienced and I’d just feel better if I had someone I trusted there, checking up on things.”
He stared at her.
“Me? No way.” Uh-uh, not happening.
“I trust you. Let Joshua do his job; just keep an eye on him and Brax.”
“You want me to go spy on them?”
“Not spy,” he soothed. “Just look out for the company’s best interests. There’s been a bit of grumbling from the citizens of Lilyvale over the resort. Just go there, keep an eye on things and let me know if I need to step in and do any troubleshooting.”
She sighed. “I was really looking forward to staying at home for a while.”
“I know, love. I’m sorry. I’ll send Brett to you as soon as he’s free. You might get there and find out that everything is fine. Just humor me.”
Like she’d refuse him. “Okay, okay. I’ll fly out there tomorrow. But you owe me.”
“How does two weeks off sound? Anywhere you like.”
“Overly generous.” She’d never take him up on it, though. For one thing she already owed him so much, plus, there was nothing sadder than going on holiday alone.
“Thanks, love.”
*****
Derrick definitely owed her big time. Holly pulled into the building site early on Wednesday morning. She had flown in late last night then collapsed in her hotel room without bothering with dinner. This morning her rumbling stomach had woken her early. Grabbing some breakfast and coffee from the local bakery, she had decided to drive straight out here.
No one was onsite yet, which suited her fine. She wasn’t looking forward to seeing Brax and yet at the same time, she was filled with nervous anticipation.
Why were things never simple?
As she climbed out of her hired car, she immediately saw the bright green and yellow graffiti covering the trailers and storage units.
“Oh no.”
Fuck off. Go home.
The threats weren’t exactly articulate, but they were effective. She wandered over to one of the trailers that looked as though it were being used as an office. The door had been smashed in. Within the trailer, furniture had been turned over and smashed, papers spread everywhere, tread on by muddy footprints.
“What the fuck!”
Holly jumped at the loud voice and turned too quickly, her weak leg nearly crumpling. She was wearing her brace today which helped support her leg. She should have been wearing it that night Brax had rescued her off the pavement, but she’d foolishly thought she’d be fine for a short walk.
She stepped out of the trailer, gasping as Brax turned on her, his gaze fierce. Immediately, he softened.
“Holly?” he asked, stepping forward. His gaze ran over her, as though checking to make sure she was all right. “What are you doing here? Did you see who did this?”
She shook her head. “No, I’ve no clue. It’s terrible.” Holly bit her lower lip. “They smashed up the office.” She stepped aside to let Brax in. He brushed past her, leaving her skin tingling.
“Shit. I’m going to kill him.” His voice was filled with cold fury.
“Who?”
“Mason Philips. This is too far. He can attack me—that’s personal, but not where I’m working.”
That seemed weird logic to her. Men.
“Are you sure this was him? Derrick said you’ve been having problems with some of the locals opposing the resort.”
Brax turned back to her, his gaze hard and cold. “How long have you been here?”
Holly let out a bark of surprised laughter. “Surely you don’t think I did this?”
Brax waved his hand dismissingly. “Of course I don’t. But you were out here alone; you could have interrupted him.”
“I think whoever did this was long gone by the time I got here, Brax.”
“Don’t come out here alone again,” he ordered, seeming to forget that he wasn’t the boss of her. “In fact, I don’t like you going anywhere alone. What was Derrick thinking, sending you here?”
Holly drew herself up to her full five-foot-three stature, and threw her shoulders back. She was used to dealing with dominant males who thought they knew best, but there was something about Brax that made her melt around him. She shook the feeling away—she was here to do a job.
“He was thinking that I could take care of myself.” Although if Derrick knew that things had escalated to this he’d never have allowed her to step on that plane.
“I want you to stay in Hamilton,” Brax told her, arms crossing over his chest. “You’ll be safer there.”
“No.”
“While you’re here, I am in charge of your safety,” he told her.
She gaped at him incredulously. “How do you figure that?” She placed her hands on her hips. Damn he was infuriating, arrogant and so gorgeous. Sugar, she was in trouble.
“Derrick sent you here to me. He expects me to watch out for you.”
“We’re not living in the seventeenth century, Brax. I’m a grown woman. I can take care of myself.”
Brax stepped closer to her, staring down at her. She forced herself to meet his gaze.
“I’m the male; therefore, I’m the protector.”
Holly’s jaw dropped. “That is so old-fashioned.”
“That�
��s me, baby.”
She should be furious, yet a warm feeling had invaded her stomach. She wasn’t used to anyone but Derrick watching out for her. But she wasn’t going to fall at Brax’s feet in total obedience.
“That may be. But I am here to do a job and I’m not in any danger. This has nothing to do with me. You’re overreacting,” she told him gently. “Besides, I’m not without my own means of protecting myself.”
Brax glared and she met his stare with a firm one of her own. “I’m here to check how things are going. It’s another twenty minute drive to Hamilton. I will be fine in Lilyvale.”
“Don’t be naïve.”
“Don’t be a jerk.”
Brax ran his hand over his short, dark hair, his eyes filled with worry. “Fine, fine. But please don’t come out here when no one else is around. And be careful for God’s sake. If this isn’t Philips, then whoever did this might decide to take things further when this doesn’t scare us off.”
She nodded. That sounded sensible.
“Don’t worry about me. Derrick made sure I brought protection.”
Brax’s eyebrows rose and the chill in his eyes dissipated. She blushed, realizing the way that sounded.
“I meant that I have my Taser and pepper spray with me.”
Brax placed his hands on his trim, jean-clad hips. He was dressed in a white t-shirt, ripped dark jeans, and a cowboy hat on his head—and she thought she’d never seen someone so sexy in her life. She wondered what it would be like to have those large, tanned hands touch her, cup her breasts, part her legs.
Mouth watering, she raised her gaze as he cleared his throat. Her blush deepened as he grinned, realizing she’d been caught staring at him.
“You lucked out using that Taser against Philips. Don’t let it make you cocky. I want you to stay away from him, understand me?”
“I’m going to forgive you for insulting my intelligence because you’re obviously overwrought; however I have no intention of going anywhere near Mason Philips or his brothers.”
“Overwrought?” he said incredulously. “I’m not overwrought. I’m furious.”
She nodded. “I can understand that; just remember that you’re not in charge of me.” Glancing over, she saw some other vehicles arriving. “I have to meet with Joshua. I’d like you to be there.”
His Old-Fashioned Love (Old-Fashioned Series) Page 4