Code had a bad feeling about this. He let up the pressure on the guy’s neck. “What are you doing here?”
Suddenly, porch lights flashed on. Code blinked at the brightness temporarily blinding him. The entire place was illuminated now and immediately the front door jerked open. Hayley took one look at the scene, Cody subduing the perpetrator, and made a shrieking sound that could’ve woken the dead. “What’s going on?” she demanded, her voice rough.
Wearing a pink T-shirt and nothing else, Code’s gaze traveled from her gorgeous legs up to the very tight pinch of her mouth. “I found this guy lurking around your bushes.”
“Oh no, that looks like…” Barefooted, Hayley stepped onto the porch and bent over, her eyes going wide as saucers when she spotted the man’s face. “Is that you, Tony?”
“It’s me,” a muted voice confirmed.
“Let him up, Code. Now!”
“You know this guy?”
“God, yes, I know him. He’s my agent.”
Code released his hold and stood up, his adrenaline still pumping. Agent or not, he’d been lurking around Hayley’s house. What was that all about?
“Help me get him up,” she ordered.
Code grabbed him on the left, while Hayley helped him on the right. On the way up, the guy jerked his arm away from Code, giving him a growl and a glare. He leaned on Hayley for support, her hands holding him steady, a move that Code didn’t miss and then stood to full height, brushing off his jacket.
“Gosh, I’m so sorry, Tony,” Hayley said.
It irritated him no end that she was apologizing to this guy.
“What the hell were you doing hiding in the shadows?” Code asked. Hayley’s hand was still wrapped around the guy’s arm which pissed him off even more.
The sound of another door being yanked open had them shifting their focus to the house next door. Hayley’s neighbor stepped outside, craning her neck to see what was going on from her porch. A German Shepard nudged her leg and moved into view beside her. “You okay over there, Hayley?”
“I’m fine, Catherine. Thanks. I’m sorry for the disturbance.”
“Is that Cody Matthews with you?”
“Yes, I’m here, Mrs. Fuller,” Cody called out.
“Okay, as long as you’re looking out for her, I’ll go back into the house.”
“I am,” Code said, giving a sideways glance at Hayley, whose mouth was ready to drop to the ground.
“Let’s go inside,” she said tightlipped and shivering now. “Before the whole town gets in on this.”
She marched inside, Tony following and Code bringing up the rear.
“You two. In the parlor.” She pointed the way and they entered the room. Neither one of them sat down. Code was busy sizing the man up and making no bones about it. He’d brought Hayley champagne and roses. That didn’t sit well. Weren’t all Hollywood agents gray-haired and pudgy around the middle? This guy was no more than thirty-five, with a head of dark hair and sea blue eyes, the kind women melt over. And either he spent a whole hell of a lot of time in the sun or he had his skin sprayed. No one was that tan before summer set in.
This Tony guy was eyeballing Hayley like a dish of chocolate ice cream with cherries on top. Two ripe perfect cherries that was, strategically placed on her chilly chest where the material clung a little too snugly. Code took a swallow, steering his own gaze away from her chest. “Why don’t you put something warmer on, darlin’. We’ll wait right here.”
Her hands went to her hips and her expression turned to righteous indignation. “I’ll, I’ll put something on in a minute, Code. I want to know what’s going on.”
“Okay,” he said, “but it’s doubtful you’re gonna get dreamy eyes over here to stop gawking at you.”
The guy’s head jerked around. “I’m not gawking, asshole.”
Hayley darted glances at both of them, then threw up her arms in defeat, which gave him a world class view of her creamy thighs. Only problem was Tony, the supposed non-gawker didn’t miss ogling her either. “Oh, for goodness sake. Alright. I’ll be back in a minute. And, Code, try not to put Tony in a chokehold while I’m gone.”
Tony flinched at the implication that he couldn’t take Code on. The unintentional dagger went right at the heart of his manhood. “I’ll try,” he said, his lips twitching.
Had he heard another “asshole” being leveled at him from under Tony’s breath?
It was a mild taunt, in comparison to the vile string of adjectives Code was mentally tossing at the guy who couldn’t keep his eyes off of Hayley.
In less than sixty seconds, Hayley was back with her prissy attitude intact. It must be a record or something. Women usually took a lot longer to dress. Too bad for Code, he found her sass super sexy.
She took a seat on the sofa, dressed now in pretty white jeans and a soft gray sweater. “You guys can stand up all night, but I’m exhausted and I’m sitting.”
Code made the first move. He sat in a tufted wing chair and Tony sat in the opposing seat.
“We’ll start with you, Tony. What are you doing here? And why didn’t you call?”
“I tried to call, Hayley. For two days. You never picked up. I got nervous, because I know you were having trouble out here. And I had good news for you. So I hopped on a plane this afternoon. But when I got here, the place was dark and no one was answering the door. I knocked and rang the doorbell several times. Walked around back and looked through windows hoping to see signs of life.”
Hayley flinched.
“Sorry, bad choice of words.”
Code grunted. The guy was not smooth. “Where’s your phone, Hayley?”
“I, uh, shut it off yesterday and tossed it into a drawer.”
“Why did you do that?”
She looked him dead in the eyes without hesitation. “I didn’t want to deal with anything. Or anyone. I guess I forgot about it today.”
“You had me scared,” Tony said. “I have no other contacts for you here at the ends of the earth.”
“This place is not that bad, Tony. It’s a really a nice town. And I’m sorry if I worried you. I’ve had a rough week. Going through my grandmother’s things hasn’t been easy. I haven’t been sleeping all that well. Tonight, I conked out early. I guess that’s why I didn’t hear you knocking.”
“Wouldn’t have been so bad if King Kong over here hadn’t jumped me from behind. I know he’s just doing his job, but damn,” he said, rubbing his forehead. “I’m going to have a major headache tonight.”
Cody smiled at Hayley. The guy thought he was Hayley’s bodyguard.
She gave him a look that said she’d deal with him later and then focused on her agent. “You said you have some good news?”
“I do. Oliver Rayburn is granting you the part. Just like that. He said he’d given it a great deal of thought and came to the conclusion that you’re the only one he wants in the role of Jessica Rumsville. We can sign the docs when you come home this Monday.”
Code leaned forward. “You’re leaving on Monday?”
Guilt washed over her face and she looked at her toes for a second. “Oh, I… uh, I was thinking about it.”
“How long have you known?”
Tony piped up. “We made those plans over the weekend, didn’t we, Hayley?”
Her throat worked at swallowing and she nodded, but refused to face him. “Yes, it was Saturday, I believe.”
Code stared at her face, trying to sort it out in his head. He felt betrayed in an odd sort of way. A lie of omission was still a lie. Hayley hadn’t told him her plans to leave sooner than expected when they’d shared so much about themselves over the weekend. That last night in the cabin, they’d been desperate for each other and on Sunday, Code opened himself up to her. He’d told her things he hadn’t told another living soul. He’d let her in. Let her see his pain and guilt and torment.
It shouldn’t matter that she was leaving on Monday instead of two weeks from Monday. But his belly was killing him
and his head was spinning.
“It seems you have some celebrating to do, Hayley Dawn,” he said.
Using her stage name seemed fitting. This thing they had together had been doomed since high school. They weren’t suited for each other and nothing made it clearer than knowing she’d jumped at the chance to leave Marietta in the dust, for an acting role. Leopards didn’t change their spots, wasn’t that the saying? She’d left in a rush years ago to pursue her dream, and she was doing the same thing again.
He rose from his seat and then turned his attention to Tony. “Sorry for the head plant, but, next time, don’t go lurking in the dark and peeking in windows. That’s how people get hurt.”
Tony made a face and Code didn’t wait around to listen to his reply. He swiveled on his heels and headed for the door.
“Code, wait!”
He glanced over his shoulder. Hayley was out of her seat and coming toward him.
“I’ll walk you out,” she said. When she got to the door, she turned to her agent. “Excuse me, Tony.”
And then they were both outside, standing next to each other on the porch. Looking up at the stars.
“That guy in there has it bad for you,” he stated. There was no doubt in his mind, because he could relate.
“Tony?” She sighed, nodding and didn’t pretend otherwise. That was one of the things he liked about Hayley. She didn’t play coy. “I was hoping that wasn’t the case.”
“So, you know?”
“I suspected. But he’s a good guy, and a really good agent. And…and nothing has ever happened between us, Cody. We have a professional relationship.”
“That why he traveled thousands of miles to bring you roses and champagne?” He pointed to the chair, now fully illuminated and sporting the evidence.
Her shoulders sagged. “What do you want me to say?” She sounded weary. “I don’t return the feelings. And I never will. Not in that way.”
Relief whirled through him as fast as a twister. It wasn’t a good sign. He was all set to be ticked off at her. “Why didn’t you tell me you were planning on leaving early?”
She leaned against the porch post. Her pretty green eyes sparkled under the light as she faced him, her arms crossed over her middle. “I guess I was waiting to see…something.”
“What?”
“Code, we had an incredible time together. I was hoping, wanting…oh, never mind. You’d made yourself clear after the weekend was over. And I was being foolish.”
Drawn to her, as in, he couldn’t look away. He had to be near her and took the few steps needed to block out everything else. Her eyes were swollen red, her hair was falling out of its band and she wore a crestfallen expression, yet no woman on earth had ever looked better to him. “You’re not a fool, Hayley.”
“Aren’t I?”
“No, never.”
He reached out to touch her face, his finger tracing a path down her cheek to the sweetheart curve of her mouth.
She sucked in a breath. This thing they had, that sparked like a lightning bolt, seemed to know no bounds. It had a life of its own and all he wanted to do right now was kiss her senseless and make her forget the man waiting for her in the parlor. “Hayley.”
Unable to resist, he brought his mouth to hers and the softness of her lips, the familiar sweet taste of her he’d missed like crazy, pretty much cemented the moment. His hands to her waist, he drew her up flush against him and laid claim to her body. Giving, taking, letting the power of their mutual need dictate the terms.
But too soon, Hayley gave a little shove to his chest. He moved because she wanted him to, and he gazed down into a pair of confused eyes. “Code,” she whispered. “How is it that you just happened to be driving by my house tonight?”
He wrinkled his nose and ran his hand down his face. To admit that he couldn’t stay away, that he had to go to bed at night knowing she was safe, would reveal too much. He simply shook his head, his mouth refusing to work.
“You were driving down my street to check on me, weren’t you?”
Shit. Busted. “Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“You know what I’m asking.”
It was hard to tear away from her probing eyes, to ignore the demand in her voice and the hopeful expression on her face. When he didn’t answer right away, she shook her head. “Is it so hard for you to admit you care about me, even a little bit?”
“Of course I care about you,” he blurted. Didn’t she know? He cared too damn much. “Never think otherwise, darlin’.”
“I honestly don’t know what to think. But I see things in you, Code. You’re not the fuck up you think you are.”
He blinked at her language.
“But you’re punishing yourself. And everyone around you.”
“I’m not doing that.”
“You being in limbo punishes your friend, Victor. He’s waiting for an answer from you. You left him holding the bag in Dallas. And what about Uncle Brand? Doesn’t he have a right to know whether you’re coming or going? He’s an old man. He clearly loves you and wants you to be happy.”
Code’s nerves jumped. She was hitting the nail on the head. And saying things he wasn’t ready to hear.
“And then there’s me and you.”
He glanced at his boots. He didn’t want to listen to her reasons. Their situation was impossible. They came from different worlds. She was a big superstar with a major acting career. She had life by the balls. And he was a man in hiding. Maybe that much was true. He shielded himself to keep others out. To protect them. To protect himself. His inner body armor hugged him like Kevlar, the fit good and tight. He wasn’t ready to remove it. Not even for an incredible woman like Hayley Dawn O’Malley.
“Code?” His name came out as a plea. The sweet sound filled him with regret and made him second guess everything in his life up until now. And as he gazed into Hayley’s eyes, he saw something he never wanted to see there. Pain. “I have this need in me to be accepted and maybe even loved. Except for Grandma Marie, I’ve never felt it before. That’s why I ran away from Montana, to gain the attention I never had from my parents. I needed that gap filled. I needed to know I mattered. And now, here you are doing what my folks did to me, all over again. Shutting me out.”
Tears entered her eyes. “I, uh.” She bit her lower lip, being brave and killing him moment by moment. “You don’t need to drive by my house anymore, Code. Not unless you’re willing to knock on my door and come inside. I think…well, I don’t need your protection after all. You never wanted to give it and I’m sorry now that I forced you into it.”
“You didn’t have to force too hard.”
Her finger went to his lips, shutting him off from saying anything more. She was shaking her head and trying hard not to cry as she rose up on tiptoes. “Good-bye, Code.” And then her lips were on his in a kiss that didn’t last all too long.
Before his head could clear, Hayley brushed by him and walked inside the house. He heard the turn of the latch, locking him out. It was hardly a big, splashy Hollywood ending, but the impact hit him hard, all the same. Hayley hadn’t dumped him. No, she’d made her point loud and clear.
Code had abandoned her.
And he’d hurt her immeasurably in the process.
*
Hayley stared at the birthday present she’d wrapped yesterday in denim blue paper with giant red and white stars on it. It reminded her so much of Brand Matthews. The man was a patriot, a war veteran who kept the American flag flying high on his property on a specially built flagpole every day of the year.
Inside the package, sat a pair of designer western boots she’d had overnighted yesterday that spoke of his service to his country. The boots were a more subtle version of the gift wrap, deep blue leather studded with silver stars.
She grabbed her pen and opened his birthday card to begin writing.
Uncle Brand,
For seventy-five years, the world has been a bet
ter place with you in it. Wear the boots in good health and maybe even dance a jig every so often and think of me. You are a special man I’m honored to know and consider a good friend. Happy birthday with love,
Hayles.
PS. Remember, you owe me a rematch at gin rummy!
Hayley smiled as she sealed the envelope. One day, they would have that rematch. She would always have ties to Marietta. The other day, after she’d had a heart-to-heart with Tony, about their professional relationship being just that, she’d had a revelation about the path her life would take.
She couldn’t give up Grandma Marie’s house. It would be like cutting out part of her heart and Hayley’s heart was already too fragile to sustain any further damage. So, she made a deal with Catherine Fuller to manage her grandmother’s home in her absence. Catherine would oversee the improvements and repairs Hayley wanted to make and maintain the grounds.
Catherine had been thrilled at the prospect of having this project to help fill her days. And she assured Hayley, she’d let her know if the job ever became too difficult. She had been blessed with a caring neighbor in Catherine and so, the problem was solved and Grandma Marie would’ve definitely approved. It was a simple as that. It was one check Hayley could mark off on her list of to-dos.
The next check mark though, was a little harder.
If she was to attend Uncle Brand’s surprise party, she would have to leave soon. She wanted to go, but seeing Code again, after the way they parted the other night, would be awkward and painful. Admittedly, Hayley didn’t face a lot of rejection in her life anymore. She’d learned to weed out the people who could do her harm and surrounded herself with friends and professionals who, at least on the surface, wanted her friendship and to be her pal. Maybe it was superficial, but it kept her feeling safe.
Now, the one man she’d fallen for, the one man who’d earned her love and respect, after all these years, was too broken to open himself up to her. She didn’t agree with him, but she did understand him. She’d cried enough in the past few days to fill a rain bucket, but she had to come to grips. If she was going to that party, she had to get a move on. She didn’t want to spoil Uncle Brand’s surprise.
Bachelor for Hire (Bachelor Auction #1) Page 13