“S’mores?” he whispered, tempting her. She covered her mouth with both hands to keep from laughing out loud and running off any deer in the area. Nodding happily, she waited patiently as the marshmallow began to brown and he gave her the signal. She took a graham cracker from the cooler and a small square of chocolate, smashing them on the pierced marshmallow. Warm gooey fluff oozed from between the graham crackers and she took a bite, leaving a sticky mess on her fingers. Licking her lips, she tried to get the mess off of her lips, and held her hand carefully in front of her, trying not to smear any more marshmallow fluff anywhere else.
Shocked, Tyler took her hand and immediately licked the sticky residue off her thumb, causing her to gasp loudly at the intimacy of it. The feel of his tongue touching her made her mind instantly turn to mush as she stared at him, frozen just like the deer they were hunting. His eyes met hers, the hazel depths as hot as the candle flame nearby, just moments before he leaned in to kiss her across the wooden floor.
Tyler’s lips hesitated just seconds before he finally closed the gap between them. His firm lips and scratchy beard made her heart flip-flop deep in her chest. She had thought the s’mores were sweet, but the sheer essence of him tasting her was rocket fuel to her soul. He pulled her from the seated position and wrapped his arms around her without breaking their kiss. Her arms twined of their own volition around his neck before she came to her senses.
“No!” Rachel blurted out aloud and flinched at how her voice carried. She could hear the wildlife rustling in the trees and shrubs below. Their chances at getting a deer today were shot and she felt like she’d just ruined everything. The deer, their friendship and whatever was blossoming between them. “We can’t. I can’t do this Tyler. Not yet.”
“I’m sorry, I lost control,” He stammered before he released her and looked away, his own face flushed with embarrassment. “I have never pushed myself on someone that wasn’t interested in me and maybe I…”
“I’m interested, oh my word… am I ever interested,” she said vehemently. “I just don’t want to mess up things or go too fast, does that make sense? You have issues with trusting people and I’m too afraid to ruin my budding career here with a fling.”
“It wouldn’t be a fling with us.” His face was tight with tension and desire; she could see the frustration in his eyes. He wanted to take the next step between them yet she kept pushing him away. She never ever thought that she would turn down a gorgeous man that was after her, much less a billionaire…yet she did.
“I just can’t yet and I hope you understand,” Rachel whispered pleadingly. “I hope you can wait for me to be ready, for us to become more to each other than just incredibly attracted to each other. Maybe we should try hunting again some other time because I am not going to be able to forget that kiss and being in an enclosed space is a bad idea right now.”
“I don’t ever want you to forget that kiss because I know I won’t,” Tyler admitted, his voice possessive and seductive. “Let’s get our things and head back. I’m an incredibly patient man when I know what I want – and I want you.”
9
The ride back from where they’d set up camp was incredibly silent and uncomfortable. Rachel felt simply awful pushing Tyler’s advances away. She was scared and he was intense. The desire was there and she wanted to remove herself from temptation. While the thought of hanging out with him, doing something she enjoyed sounded like a good idea originally…after that heated kiss, she realized it was an incredibly bad idea.
There was already talk in the office that she’d received flowers from the richest, most incredible looking bachelor for miles around and that all she had to do was to ‘snag’ him. She didn’t want to snag a guy, she wanted to win his heart, and Rachel didn’t believe in love at first sight. She believed in lust at first sight…but not love. Attraction to Tyler wasn’t a problem, it was figuring out how the rest of the puzzle would fall together. Could they get along, would his devotion be an issue, did they have similar tastes?
Tyler’s phone rang suddenly and her own phone buzzed as they got service once again. She had a voicemail from a number she didn’t recognize and had a sinking feeling in her stomach as she heard a crying voice coming through the speaker of his telephone. She didn’t want to intrude and opened her voicemail, waiting as the phone transcribed it. Sure enough, it was Clara. Apparently Tyler had given his mother her cell number and the woman had fallen. She didn’t question why he’d programmed it, only felt horrible as she listened to his conversation. The truck sped up as he raced down the highway.
“Mama, I want you to hang up and call 911,” he ordered and heard the woman begin to protest about the cost, that she wasn’t hurt that bad and only scared. Rachel didn’t wait. She dialed 911 on her phone and her eyes met Tyler’s grateful ones.
“Just don’t get us killed before we get to her, slow down a hair – okay?” she whispered understandingly. As the voice on the other end of the phone picked up, she explained that she wasn’t sure the extent of injury but that an elderly lady had fallen and was alone. She repeated Tyler’s address into the phone at his immediate prompting and informed the dispatcher that they had Clara on the other line to keep her talking. Rachel’s hands were shaking and she could only imagine the trauma that Tyler must be feeling right now.
“Are you okay?” Rachel asked Tyler softly as he talked to his mother, asking where she was and what had happened. Tyler shook his head no and pulled over immediately. Without a word and without prompting, she immediately pointed that he should move to the passenger seat. Rachel climbed over his lap clinically so in order to keep from having to worry about traffic on the highway. She took the driver’s seat, turned on the signal and began to accelerate in order to merge back on the highway. He was distraught and they were still about twenty miles from Eureka. Rachel overheard the paramedics arriving and his mother crying out in pain. She glanced at Tyler sharply as he got quiet and saw a tear roll from his eyes as he listened helplessly.
“She’ll be alright,” Rachel told him softly and grabbed his hand. He squeezed it fiercely and didn’t say a word until the paramedic came on the line and instructed them to head to the hospital. She tugged her hand from his, put the name in her navigation on her phone and saw that they were actually now not twenty miles away, but thirty-five miles. There were only clinics in Eureka and whatever was wrong couldn’t be handled there. Rachel took his hand in hers once again, trying to provide some sort of support for the time being until they got there. It felt like it was taking forever and once they pulled into the parking lot, she dropped Tyler off at the emergency room doors and drove his truck to a parking spot. Locking the doors, she ran inside to see him still standing there at the counter filling out paperwork.
“He needs to go back and see her; can we take this with us?” Rachel interrupted, shocked that they were making him wait. Even she could see Tyler’s hands were shaking and he wasn’t thinking straight. He’d written the date in the phone number spot, crossed it out and was busy writing it down again.
“Mr. Howe needs to go ahead and complete them,” the woman at the desk said coldly. This irritated Rachel to no end as she saw Tyler take another deep breath nervously. He was barely keeping it together and probably imagining the worst.
“That’s ridiculous,” Rachel snapped annoyed. “You obviously know who he is. Everyone in these small towns know each other! What room is his mother in? You can show us or we can just find her. Tyler, just go.” She pointed down the hallway at the double doors that had just opened up and were quickly closing. “I will fill this out and if I need something, I’ll text you.”
His dark eyes looked at her gratefully and he quickly kissed her on the cheek, leaving Rachel there at the desk, and headed down the hallway, slipping into the door just before they shut. An orderly walked out of the office and Rachel ordered him to immediately show him where his mother was being treated. She saw Tyler dart sideways through the hatched safety glass of the door int
o one of the rooms and knew he’d found his mother. She sat down in one of the chairs and practically groaned as she realized she knew nothing on the form. She pulled out her phone and texted him: what’s your address?
Tyler immediately texted back his address, social security number, a photo of his insurance card and driver’s license. Shocked, Rachel glanced at her phone again surprised at the level of trust he’d just put in her. If she was a thief, he’d just handed her the keys to his kingdom with his social security number.
Smiling, she texted him again - LOL, blood type?
O positive
Rolling her eyes, Rachel realized he didn’t even realize she was joking. He was probably beside himself. She quickly finished filling out the form and turned it into the desk without a word. She also didn’t wait for approval, walking straight back to where Tyler had disappeared. She walked in and a nurse stopped her at the door.
“Miss, you’ll need to wait in the waiting area. We’ll come get you. Family only.”
“She waits with me,” Tyler’s voice boomed loudly. “We both want her here.”
Rachel walked around the drawn curtain to see Clara lying in the hospital bed. If she had thought she was tiny before, she looked positively frail now and the bedding seemed to swallow her whole. Tyler looked like a giant in comparison as he held her delicate, veined hand in his. Her eyelids were half shut, indicating that they’d given her something strong for the pain.
“What happened?” Rachel said softly, laying her hand on his shoulder. Tyler didn’t answer, but instead turned and wrapped his free arm around her waist. She held his head against her for several minutes as he cried softly. He’d hit his limit emotionally. Rachel felt her own eyes water as she looked down at the two of them. This moment would be etched in her memory forever. She’d never seen such a proud, strong man brought down so hard.
“Shhhh, you wouldn’t want her to see you like this. She will want to see you here beside her, not crying and certainly not looking worried. Put your game face on, Ty.” Rachel yanked several Kleenexes from the box and handed them to him without a word. She grabbed a few for herself and wiped her own eyes, hoping that her face wasn’t red or splotchy.
“Sorry about that,” Tyler said thickly. “I’m fine, it’s just a bit much.”
“We’ll sure it is,” she agreed. “But she’s comfortable right now and they are going to help her. What happened?”
“She slipped and fell. They think she might have broken or fractured her hip. She obviously broke her arm. They were setting it when I walked in,” he said weakly, staring at the floor. “It’s funny, I can clean a deer without a problem but the noise of the bone setting in my mother’s arm will give me nightmares for a while. They’ve got it splinted right now until some of the swelling goes down.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Me too. I should have been there.” Rachel saw his shoulders fall physically as he mentally beat himself up over his mother’s injury. He cared deeply and kept it all tucked behind a tough exterior shell.
“You couldn’t have stopped this; you can only help her now.”
“I know, but I still feel guilty.”
“It’s because you love and worry about her,” Rachel soothed, smoothing back his hair from his forehead as he looked up at her. She could see his eyes were still a little glassy and he was trying to keep his pride in check.
“I’m really glad you’re here,” he admitted softly, taking her hand and kissing it. He didn’t release it, but instead held it against his cheek. Rachel’s hand was held by his and Tyler’s other hand held his mother’s – almost as if the three of them were tethered.
“Honestly, I am too. Do you want some coffee or a soda? We’ll be here for a while.”
“You don’t have to stay,” he offered, yet Rachel knew deep down inside that if it was her – she wouldn’t want to be alone. She would want friends or family near her in a time of need and Tyler seemed to be lacking in both departments.
“I don’t have anywhere else to be.”
“I didn’t mean to run you off when I kissed you.”
“I don’t want you to think that you did, I just need a bit of time. It’s hard to explain.”
“When the job is done, right?”
Rachel nodded. That was the majority of her hang up with even considering starting any type of relationship with him. Friends or acquaintances was one thing, but emotional attachments were a whole ‘nother thing altogether. She couldn’t mix the two knowing that money would be involved once she’d completed the design of his house. It felt certainly odd, and certainly didn’t feel right.
“I hope you know it’s not a fling to me,” he said softly, holding his mother’s hand in one of his and Rachel’s in the other hand. “You are closer to me than anyone has been in a long time. I consider you a friend and hope there is more between us someday.”
“I’d like that…someday, but if you could give me a few pointers on what you like then maybe the project would go a little faster,” she teased, trying to get him to smile – and smile he did, his eyes held hers.
“I’m a simple guy…I like you.”
10
Rachel stayed there at the hospital for quite a while. It’s not like she had another ride home since he’d picked her up in the truck early this morning. It was now getting very late in the day and she didn’t feel like she could leave just yet. Clara had been put in a room, but the doctors were still determining whether or not they would have to do surgery to insert a pin in her hip if a fracture showed in the x-ray or if it would heal on its own. Her arm had swelled against the splint from where they’d set the bone and it made Rachel’s own arm ache with sympathy.
Sitting there silently on the small divan in the room, she simply watched Tyler as he sat there next to Clara’s hospital bed. His head was hung, his fingers clasped in prayer and eyes shut as he tried to cope with seeing the only person he loved in his world in pain. Clara had been given medication to keep her from being uncomfortable and was sleeping deeply right now until it was time to either move to surgery or put a cast on her arm.
Rachel stood a moment to stretch her legs and walked over to where Tyler sat. He glanced up at her and gave a short nod.
“You don’t have to hang out here with me,” he offered. “If you want to head home, just take the truck.”
“Actually, I was going to suggest you sit with me on the couch and rest your eyes,” she whispered. “You’re exhausted and it’s been a long day. Come with me,” she prompted, outstretching her hand. His hand slipped in hers effortlessly and as he stood, she pulled him close into a bear hug. His arms wrapped around her as he just held her.
“C’mon,” she said, pulling back and tugging him towards the divan. Rachel sat down and patted the seat beside her. As he sat down, she motioned for him to rest his head on her lap where she’d placed a tiny pillow from the rolling table nearby. “I’ll wake you if anyone walks in, I promise.”
Tyler nodded and lay his head down. Rachel drank in the sight of him unabashedly. He felt vulnerable and turned to her for comfort. His dark eyelashes rested against his cheeks as his breathing evened. She gently stroked his dark hair tenderly, watching him. As he lay there, she thought about him and what made her tick when he walked in a room. He was familiar, approachable and warm, things that reminded her of home. It wasn’t something he said or did, it was the whole package…which was how the design needed to be.
Rachel had been trying too hard- she needed to think of things that made you feel at home, warm, approachable, combined with his fierce love of the things closest to him: God, country and his mother. If she made Clara happy, then Tyler would be thrilled. Maybe she’d been going about this the wrong way the whole time. She’d been looking for some theme for him – but what if there wasn’t one.
The only thing he’d shown interest in was the fireplace from that one photo where she’d used Austin Limestone. What if she designed the house with Texas in mind? Mason jar li
ght fixtures with barb wire, cedar paneling or accent pieces, slate tiles – there were so many things that she could do with this and her hands were itching to get started.
Instead of sketching ideas, she let the idea develop in her mind and shut her eyes peacefully as she lovingly brushed a lock of hair off of his forehead. This was heaven and what she needed to keep in mind when she worked on his design. Feelings, instead of things. Sensations, instead of touch. This explained why he couldn’t tell her what he wanted in his house. How exactly did you describe a feeling to a person, especially when each person could feel the same thing differently? She understood now. Tyler needed his home to reflect his heart and soul…it needed to be him.
Just like Rachel now realized that she would have never gotten the design right if she hadn’t fallen for him. Her hand paused mid-caress as the idea hit her like a ton of bricks. She realized that she cared for the handsome man more than she ever understood or knew. So much for her personal ethics; she was falling for a client who’d wormed his way into her heart.
She knew that she would have to keep her thoughts to herself. It was too soon to care for someone and would only end up hurting her in the end. He might toy with the idea of dating her, but she knew that he deserved better than a struggling interior decorator. The man could have supermodels hanging off of his arms or be living a party lifestyle – and she assumed that perhaps winning that money was all still too new to him. Once he tested the waters, he was bound to want to let loose, not be tethered to some Kansas farm girl.
The doctor walked in the room at that moment and Rachel shook Tyler’s shoulders gently to wake him. He sat up quickly, looked at her in surprise and confusion, before remembering what had happened. Tyler shot to his feet and shook the doctor’s hand eagerly. Rachel did the same.
Winning the Billionaire Page 8