To Catch a Man (In 30 Days or Less) (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series)

by Judy Angelo

Trying for normalcy, she decided to strike up a conversation. “Do you know if they picked out a name yet?” She put up a hand to keep her hat from hopping off her head. Stone had better get to a smooth path soon or she’d be seasick.

  “I have no idea.” He looked totally unconcerned.

  “Hey, what if we come up with some suggestions? Wouldn’t it be great if they liked one of our names and used it?” She was half speaking half shouting so he could hear her over the rumble of the engine.

  Stone looked at her like she’d gone crazy. “What do I know about baby girl names?”

  “Well, I have some. What about…Sierra? Or…” she looked around at the flat grass land, “...Savannah?”

  He snorted, seeming unimpressed.

  She didn’t let that stop her from thinking up some more. “Hey, I got one. What about Safari?”

  He glanced over at her again but this time he was shaking his head and his look was full of pity.

  “No,” she said earnestly, “I’m serious. It’s a Swahili word that means long journey. And they journeyed all the way here to work at the compound, didn’t they?” She looked away. “Safari,” she said again, almost to herself. “I like it. I’m going to suggest it to them.”

  “Please don’t,” he groaned as he steered the vehicle over the dirt path.

  "Please, yes,” she said. “They’ll love it.”

  After that they got to talking about her name and how she came about having it. Indiana, she explained, was for the state in which she was born. Although born of Canadian parents her birth certificate showed that she was an American citizen.

  Moon, she told him, was for the time of year she was born, when the moon was full in the sky. And Lane was her absentee father’s name.

  “Moon,” Stone repeated. “Somehow I thought it was a reflection of Native American heritage."

  “Well, I’m part Mohawk on my mother’s side,” she said, “so you sort of guessed right.”

  He grinned at her, obviously pleased with himself.

  Indie grinned back. Oh, don’t be too pleased with yourself, fella. I’m not done with you yet. “And what about your name?” she asked. “How did you come to be called Gladstone Hudson? And do you have a middle name, by the way?”

  That wiped the smile off his face real fast. His brows lowered and his mouth set in a hard line.

  Indie burst out laughing. “If you could see your face. You look like a three year old who's just been told he has to go to bed.”

  That made Stone cough and then he chuckled and then he was laughing out loud just like she was. The wide open savannah echoed with the sounds of their mirth.

  After the laughter died and she’d caught her breath Indie wiped her eyes and looked at Stone. “Seriously, though, who gave you that name? Your mom?”

  Stone gave an exaggerated sigh and shook his head. “Gladstone Marcus Hudson the third. It was my grandfather’s name then my father’s and now it’s mine. The curse of the Gladstones.”

  She gave him a look of sympathy. “Please don’t inflict that kind of punishment on your son.”

  He chuckled. “The suffering ends here.”

  After that they fell silent for a while and Indie sat back to enjoy the landscape and the view of brown mountains in the distance. Then she closed her eyes to enjoy the warmth of the evening sun. After a long while she yawned and opened her eyes again. Better to stay awake and keep Stone's company. She glanced over and noticed that he was frowning. Then he began to mutter under his breath.

  She sat up immediately. “Is something wrong?’

  For a while he didn’t answer but just kept scowling and muttering until she knew something was definitely wrong. “Talk to me, Stone. What is it?”

  His scowl deepened then he gave a quick shake of his head as if annoyed. “I’m not…seeing the landmarks I should be seeing by now. There’s supposed to be a rock-”

  “Are we lost? Are you telling me you don’t know where we are?” Indie gripped the top of the passenger door. This was not good.

  “Not lost, just…on the wrong track, somehow.” Stone did not look at her, just kept his eyes on the trail ahead.

  Indie frowned. “Come to think of it, we should have hit the main road by now. We’ve been on this road over an hour.” She looked around. “And didn’t we pass that butte like half an hour ago?”

  Stone didn’t answer but the muttering started again.

  Indie jerked forward. “Let’s check the map. That should help us figure out where we are.” When Stone made no move to hand it to her she spoke louder. “The map, Stone. In fact, both of them. Let me look at them while you drive.”

  Still no answer.

  That made her suspicious. Then she spoke again and her voice was calm and steady as if she had no concern in the world. “You don’t have the maps, do you?”

  He shook his head as if to get rid of some annoying gnats and kept his eyes on the road.

  “Do you, Stone?”

  “No, I don’t, all right?” His voice was an angry bark. “I didn’t think I’d need them.”

  “You didn’t think…” Her voice trailed off as she stared across at him. Then she continued with a scathing rebuke. “The operative words being, ‘I didn’t think’. What the hell were you thinking?”

  “Just be quiet, will you?” Came his biting retort. “I need to concentrate.”

  “You need to concentrate,” Indiana muttered. “Concentrate on getting us lost is what you’re doing. No map. And now we’re lost all the way out in this wild countryside.” He shot her an angry look and she shut up. Pissing him off was not going to work. Better to spend her energy thinking of a way to get them out of this mess. She did a quick calming exercise, breathing in and breathing out three times and only then did she speak again. “How long ago did you realize you weren’t on the right track?”

  There was a delay of about ten seconds then Stone responded. “About twenty minutes ago.”

  “About twenty min-” Indie stared at him in disbelief. “But you didn’t say anything.”

  “I thought I’d just drive some more, see if a familiar landmark showed up.”

  Indie wanted so badly to blast him but she held her tongue. He was a man, after all. He couldn’t help it. For some reason unknown to humankind men could never be influenced to ask for directions. Or, in this case, to get a damn map. Okay, Indie, stay calm. Blowing your top is not going to help anybody.

  She looked ahead at the sun sliding toward the horizon. “Okay, we have about forty to fifty minutes of daylight left. How are we on gas?”

  “Good,” he said, visibly relaxing now that she’d changed her tone. “A little over half a tank.”

  “Okay.” She raised herself up and leaned over to where her backpack lay on the back seat. She dug around till she found her notebook then pulled a pen from the outside pocket. She looked around ,surveying the terrain, then began to sketch. “Immediately you had a doubt you should have said something to me,” she said, not looking up. “There’s no shame in asking for help.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Stone said, his tone sarcastic. “Ask for help from a girl. Everyone knows that women have no sense of direction.”

  “What? Don’t let me slap you upside your head. And I would do it, too, if we weren’t in such a dangerous position. We’re on the African continent, in case you’d forgotten. The land of lions and hyenas.” She glanced to the back of the Jeep. “Speaking of which, does this Jeep have a cover?”

  He glanced at her then focused again on the road.

  Oh Lord, that obviously meant no. They were in big trouble. She rose up again and reached over to slide her hand into her backpack. She pulled out a curved dagger with jagged edges. It was almost a foot long.

  Stone glanced over at her and did a double take. “What the hell? Where did you get that?”

  “My backpack,” she said, her tone casual. “You didn’t think I was coming all the way to Africa without protection, did you?”

  He still looked
stunned. “But…do you even know how to use that thing?”

  She slid her thumb along the thin edge of the blade, testing its sharpness. “Who? Sylvester? He's served me well over the years. Skinned many a rabbit, gutted lots of fish. Great at peeling the hide from a deer.”

  His eyes widened as he stared at her. “You’re a hunter?”

  She grinned. “Let’s put it this way. I hunt a lot better than I cook.” She slid the big knife beneath her thigh and picked up her paper again. “The sun sets in the west so Johannesburg is that way as the crow flies.” She pointed in the direction exactly opposite to where Stone was heading. “You need to turn around and head back the way you came.”

  He gave her a doubtful look. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.” She didn’t take her eyes off him until he began to turn the Jeep around. “Tell me something,” she said, "are you carrying a weapon?”

  He glared at her as if she shouldn’t have had to ask. “Shotgun. It’s on the floor in the back.”

  She gave him a brusque nod. “Good. If any animals decide to come sniffing around we can scare them off with that.” She gave a snort. “God help us if a whole pride of lions decides to take us on.”

  He was looking over at her again, seeming bemused. “Aren’t you scared?”

  “More than I’ve ever been in my life.”

  “You don’t look it,” he said, lifting an eyebrow.

  “Yeah, well I’m good at hiding my emotions.”

  “You can say that again.”

  After that they fell silent, he concentrating on the trail and she watching for signs of animals in the distance. “Do you have any binoculars?” she asked.

  “Dashboard.”

  She reached over and pulled it out and immediately began perusing the brush and trees in the distance. “It’s going to get dark soon,” she said, her voice low, “and I want to know what I’m up against when the sun goes down.”

  He didn’t say anything for a while then he blew out his breath. “See anything?”

  “Nope. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there.” She dropped the binoculars. “Pull over for a sec. I want to check something.”

  “I don’t know about that, Indie. Right now I’d say let's not stop anywhere unless we have to. Animals are more likely to stay away from a moving vehicle than a stationary one.

  “No, stop,” she said again, her voice brooking no dissent.

  He stopped.

  Indie hopped out of the Jeep then walked off the trail and to a patch of dirt surrounded by clumps of grass. She dropped to her knees and peered at the markings in the dirt. Then she got up and followed a faint trail of dirt across the grass. She stopped after just a few yards and stared out over the flatland toward the copse of straggly trees.

  When she got back to the Jeep Stone was frowning at her. “Any signs of animals?”

  “Yep, and it’s not good news.” She climbed into the Jeep and slammed the door shut. “No lion but a cheetah was here recently. Can’t be too far away.” She gave him a serious look. “And cheetahs run damn fast.”

  “Okay,” he said pressing on the gas, “let’s get out of here.”

  “Not without a plan.”

  “Which is?”

  She glanced at the gas gauge. “Based on my estimate on how far we are from our destination we have just enough gas to get us there. As long as we don’t get lost again. So…” she stood up in the vehicle and when the wind blew off her hat she didn’t even look back, “…I’ll navigate while you drive. That way we won’t waste any gas driving around in circles.”

  She heard a grumble at that but he didn’t say anything out loud. He’d better not. At this stage she was their only hope of not spending the night keeping company with the wildlife of Africa.

  “Now step on it, Hudson,” she yelled. “Let’s eat up some miles before the sun turns in for the night.”

  They drove fast but they drove carefully, with Indie stopping Stone a few times along the way so she could check the trail and keep their nose pointed in the right direction. Night was fast approaching and Indie kept watching the sun slipping closer and closer to the horizon. Come on, sun. Stay with us a while longer. Just till we find the road.

  She was trying not to show it but she had a sinking feeling they weren’t going to make it to civilization tonight. It was already dusk and the shadows of night were beginning to shroud the savannah. And if they ended up spending the night in the wild she wasn’t sure an army knife and a shotgun would be any guarantee that they’d get out alive.

  She was just about to stop Stone one more time when he gave a shout. “I see it. That’s the landmark I was looking for.”

  Indie peered straight ahead. She didn’t see a thing she would call a landmark. “What is it?” she yelled.

  “That rock with the little chip at the side. See? It’s an arrow pointing north.” He grinned at her excitedly then he was laughing out loud as the Jeep roared toward the rock.

  “That?” Indie said, incredulous. “That little rock is your landmark? No wonder you missed it.”

  “Well, I was right and we can’t get lost after this,” he yelled back. “I know exactly where I’m going.”

  Oh Lord, not again. Indie rolled her eyes. “Are you sure, Stone? Don’t you think we should head back to the compound?”

  “No way. From here we’re closer to Joburg. Better to keep going.” He laughed again. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head. I’ll get you there safe and sound.”

  Indie rolled her eyes again. “I give up,” she said and flopped back down into the seat. Now that Stone had found his way he was all macho man again. She didn’t have the heart to remind him that she was the one who had taken them back to their route. “Wake me when we get there,” she said in a grumpy growl as she tried to block out Stone’s whoops of relief.

  Surprisingly, within fifteen minutes of their finding the trail they flew onto an asphalted road and then five minutes later they hit the highway to the city.

  “Yeah!” Stone did not hide his exultation as they cruised toward their salvation. Indie swore silently that she would never let Stone drive her across the South African plains again. If there wasn’t a driver to take her to the city, she wasn’t going anywhere.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Stone was in love. He stood in the middle of his hotel room, as naked as the day he was born, and he was grinning from ear to ear.

  Earlier this evening he’d seen his life flash before his eyes, the possibility of being devoured by wild animals a stark reality, and then, like a true warrior princess, Indiana Lane had come to the rescue.

  He couldn’t believe he was here celebrating being rescued by a woman. Hell, he should be ashamed of himself, getting lost like that. But in the end maybe it had been a good thing because it was that nerve-racking situation that had shown him what a rock Indie really was. He’d never met a woman like her in his life.

  She’d shocked him with her calm composure in the face of probable death. And death by lion was not a pretty way to go. Instead of his having to calm a hysterical woman it was she who had kept a level head and kept him going.

  To say he admired her was an understatement. And to say he loved her was the truth.

  He’d felt it before tonight, of course. That first touch had been the start, and then that first kiss, and then that night when he’d almost gone a whole lot farther than just kissing. But tonight…

  Tonight he’d seen a side of her that touched his core. She was honest, she was true and she was brave. And he wanted her in his life. But the big question was, would she have him? They’d known each other less than a month. If he told her how he felt would she really take him seriously? Questions, questions, questions. He shook his head. He would sleep on it and tomorrow he’d decide what to do. They planned to be up early next morning to visit Jenna and her new baby. And then he’d see what the day would hold.

  ******

  “Isn’t she adorable?” Indie cooed as she he
ld little Jessica Diamond Pringle in her arms. She shifted the baby to the crook of her arm and angled her so Stone could get a good look.

  “She’s beautiful,” he said, and reached out to pat the tightly swaddled baby on its tiny pink hospital cap. He looked almost afraid to touch her. "And so tiny.”

  Jenna laughed as Kirk helped her sit up in the hospital bed. “The way she eats she won’t be tiny for much longer. She gets that from her father.”

  “Hey.” Kirk tried to sound hurt but the wide smile on his face spoiled it.

  “Congratulations, Kirk.” Stone reached out and shook his hand. “Great work.”

  “Great work?” Jenna looked indignant. “What part of the work did he do? I’m the one who looked like a cow for nine months and then had to be cut open. Sheesh!”

  They all laughed at that and Indie leaned over to place Jessica in her mother’s arm.

  She and Stone had arrived at the hospital as soon as visiting hours began at ten o’clock and had been with the happy family almost two hours. She looked at Stone and caught his eye. He got the message.

  “We’re going to leave you now so mommy and baby can get some rest.” He reached over and took Indie’s hand. She almost pulled it away. What must Kirk and Jenna be thinking, seeing something like that? But when she looked at them they were so engrossed in the baby it seemed they hadn’t noticed a thing.

  Then she looked back at Stone. Boy, he was acting strange today. He’d been smiling a whole lot more than usual. Maybe he just loved babies. But then he’d captured her hand in his – in front of Jenna and Kirk – and when she tried to slip from his grasp he’d held on tight.

  Could it be…no, it couldn’t. There was no way. But – it was the weirdest thing – Stone was acting like a man in love.

  She had no time to dwell on that, though, because he was pulling her toward the door.

  “Bye, guys,” Jenna called out. “Thanks for coming and thanks for the presents.”

  After the visit they had lunch in the exclusive Palais Royale Restaurant and then spent the afternoon together in the National Botanical Park. Then that evening as the sun was setting and they entered the hotel lobby Stone rested his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward him.