“Good. I’d like you to take down the video equipment you have on my property.” The notion of some creature being stalked, just as she was, sent chills up her spine. No way could she condone that.
He frowned then pointed his fork up toward the camouflaged security camera above the glass sliding doors, which apparently wasn’t as unobtrusive as she’d hoped. “Looks like you’ve got a bit of surveillance going on at your house as well. That’s the third one I’ve noticed.”
She stiffened. And took note of the fact that he hadn’t agreed to remove his cameras. “My purpose isn’t to stalk anyone or anything. It’s for my protection.” At his raised eyebrow, she went on. “I’m no shrinking violet, but I spend a good amount of time by myself here.”
“Except when your elusive boyfriend is around, hmm?”
Why bother defending her fib about having a man in her life?
His expression grew more serious. “I’m glad you have a security system. Are they motion sensitive or stationary?”
“They’re supposed to be motion activated, but apparently it takes an act of Congress to get a repair person out here.”
“I know a lot about video cameras. Would you mind if I had a look at them?”
That sounded like an imposition. Besides, if she didn’t make him leave soon, he might get the impression that he was welcome to hang around a while longer. Which he wasn’t. He couldn’t charm her with those incredible eyes, or that adorably crooked grin. “I don’t want you falling off a ladder and breaking your other ankle, but thanks for the offer.”
Pushing away from the table, he shook his head. “I’m not usually a klutz, trust me. I insist. It’s often a minor adjustment or something that got out of whack on the camera.”
Before she could think of a response, he’d grabbed his crutches and started down the steps. She could have stopped him, but having her security system all fixed would be great, even if it meant letting Dean stay a few more hours. She was quite sure that he meant her no harm. Anyway, even if he did, it wasn’t as if he was a threat with his broken ankle and all.
Piling their dishes on her arms, she cleared the table and headed inside to clean up the kitchen. She finished loading the dishwasher then wiped down the counter. Through the window, she glimpsed Dean out front, monkeying with the camera mounted on the big oak tree, and not-so-cleverly disguised in a birdhouse. How had he managed to climb the ladder? Or for that matter, how had he gotten it all the way from the stable to the front of the house?
He pulled off his t-shirt and used it to wipe his forehead, which gave her the opportunity to stare at his bare, sweat-slick chest. Who knew that underneath his loose clothes there lurked such a buff guy? He had an eight-pack. And what a set of guns. She hadn’t seen such great biceps since she’d quit working with male models.
Too quickly, he put his shirt back on and returned to his task. But with only one foot on the ladder rung and the one in the cast just dangling precariously, Mr. Macho looked like an accident waiting to happen. So she went outside to spot him.
“How in the world did you get up there?” she asked.
Giving her a wink, he said, “Magic.”
And that little flutter started again in her belly. No, no, no. She refused to be turned on by him. Absolutely not. Standing taller, she cleared her throat. “I have a feeling that my insurance agent would cancel my homeowner’s policy if she caught wind of this.”
“Then let’s not tell her.” He threw her a wink.
Despite herself, she laughed. And he treated her to the warmest smile she’d gotten in a very long time. Beyond warm, actually. It was pretty hot.
Dean returned his attention to the camera, using a small screwdriver to reattach the cover plate then stuck the tool into a pouch on his toolbelt. “Do you have the app on your phone to monitor these?”
Nodding, she reached into her back pocket for her cell.
“See if this one is working, would you?” He stepped down to a lower rung, holding onto the rails for support.
Ember opened the app and scrolled to the image for the first camera. She saw the real-time video of herself standing there. When she moved left and then the right, the camera followed her. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
He basically slid the rest of the way down the ladder, landing on his good foot. He picked up his crutches. “Onward and upward. Hopefully, the one on the back deck will be as simple a fix.” He reached for the ladder, but Ember beat him to it.
“I’ll get this.” Over his protestations, she carried it to the deck, leaned it against the wall below the security camera there then waited as Dean hopped up the steps.
Unfortunately, that camera wasn’t as simple to repair. Dean spent the next few hours taking it apart and putting it back together several times. By the time he’d finished with it, he was soaked with sweat, and she could tell that his ankle was bothering him. Even though she’d suggested that he stop and rest several times, he hadn’t.
When he finally came down off the ladder for the last time, she insisted he go and relax in the guest suite. “You’re probably due for more pain medicine, too,” she said.
He gave her a weary nod. “No argument here.”
Athena and Artemis scurried after him, and Ember took advantage of the time to grab her second shower of the day. Stripping off her clothes in her bathroom, she glimpsed the ugly red scar just below her clavicle—the permanent reminder of the violence that had led her to retire from modeling and seek refuge on this remote mountain. She was safe now, and in truth, she was glad that Dean had insisted upon fixing her security cameras. Just knowing that all the surveillance equipment was now working made her feel a lot more secure.
Or perhaps it was Dean’s presence making her feel that way. Not that she needed a guy around to keep her safe. Heck, she was an Amazon, stronger than any mortal man. But she’d learned the hard way that she was far from invincible.
Shaking off the awful memory, she took a long, leisurely shower. As she sluiced a soapy sponge over her skin, she reflected on how long it had been since she’d been intimate with a man. She was lonely, and she’d probably stay that way. Trusting anyone came hard to her now.
After she’d dressed in jeans and a silk camisole, she headed to the stables to check on Lycia. And maybe Dean, too.
She cleaned out the mare’s stall, washed her saddle with leather cleaner, but heard nothing from the guest quarters. She dried her hands then went to the suite and pressed her ear to the door.
Silence. Was he okay? She knocked softly. Nothing. What if he’d fallen and hit his head? Sure, he’d insisted that he’d mastered walking with crutches, but she wasn’t buying it. He could have accidentally taken an extra pill and slipped into a too-deep sleep. Obviously, he wasn’t used to painkillers.
She swallowed hard. Maybe she ought to go in and check on him, just in case. Before she did, though, she knocked again, this time harder, but still got no answer. Gingerly, she eased open the door and stuck her head inside. “Hello? Dean?” When he didn’t respond, she worried even more. So she went in and looked around. The bedcovers were turned down, and the lights were off. “Dean?”
Starting toward the bathroom, she bumped into his open laptop on the coffee table, which woke the computer. The screen lit up with a picture of her—her Sports Illustrated cover.
So he knew who she was. Her heart pounded. Could he have set her up? Had their meeting in the woods been part of some elaborate scheme for him to worm his way into her life?
The bathroom door flew open. Dean stood there wearing nothing but his cast covered in a plastic bag. Every sinewy inch of him was slick with water.
She couldn’t stop herself from skimming her gaze over his body. Her mouth was suddenly dry as sand.
Startling, he awkwardly backed into the bathroom and used one of his crutches to shove the door shut. “I…I didn’t know you were here or I’d have…”
“It’s me who should apologize,” she called through
the door. “I knocked and got worried about you when you didn’t answer. So I used my key.”
Opening the door, he hobbled through, now with a towel cinched around his waist.
Ember reined in her libido when she recalled what she’d seen on his computer. She folded her arms over her chest. “Tell me the truth. Did you set me up?”
His expression was blank. “What do you mean?”
She turned the laptop around so he could see the screen. “This. Did you bump into me on purpose?”
His mouth fell open for a moment. Then lines fanned out from the corners of his eyes. “I can’t blame you for being so suspicious after what you went through.”
A hot flush spread up her throat and face. So he knew everything, at least what had been in the news.
Closing the distance between them, he leaned on one crutch and with his free hand, he gently touched her shoulder. “I had no idea who you were until early this morning. There was something familiar about you, so I searched online. You can’t believe that I came here to expose you or something, could you?” He shook his head and put a little space between them. “I should probably get back to my campsite.”
Perhaps she was overreacting. She stayed silent as he negotiated the room as best he could, and she pictured him trying to maneuver in a tent. Her chest squeezed. “I appreciate you fixing my security equipment.”
“No problem.” He grabbed his jeans from a chair, slung them over his shoulder then walked back toward the bathroom. “I’ll be out of your hair in a few minutes.”
Punishing him for someone else’s sins wasn’t fair. Deep down she knew he was telling the truth. If he wasn’t, he’d have made up a more plausible story than saying he was trying to find Bigfoot. She paced the floor until he came out of the bathroom wearing his pants but no shirt. “Look, I’m sorry. I can be kind of paranoid.”
Lowering himself into a chair, he met her stare. “That’s completely understandable. I’m sorry, too. I didn’t mean to invade your privacy. I was trying to figure out why you looked familiar.”
That made sense. Which only made her feel worse about her accusations. Although they’d gotten off to a rocky start, to say the least, she did like him. How could she not? He was a bit obstinate when it came to his work, but he was also funny and kind and pretty easy on the eyes. She sat on the loveseat opposite him and huffed. “I believe you. And I’d like to make it up to you. Let me take you out to dinner tonight. There are some really good restaurants in Nocturne Falls.” Going into town wasn’t something she did often. Usually, she just went to the Hair Scare, the supermarket or Jordan’s apartment, but she had to do something to show him her appreciation.
“You don’t have anything to make up to me, but I’d love to go to dinner with you.”
She thought about the restaurants in town. Most were too busy and bright for someone with a recognizable face who didn’t want to be recognized. Her favorite was Café Claude, but if she took him to the most romantic restaurant in Nocturne Falls, he might get the wrong idea about her intentions. “Do you like Italian?” she asked him.
“I love it.” He lifted his right foot onto the ottoman. “Should I dress for a pizza joint or something fancier?”
Salvatore’s Pizza was way too busy for her taste, not the sort of place where she could lay low. Guillermo’s, on the other hand, was more intimate, although not nearly as romantic at Café Claude. “Not jeans, although you don’t need to dress up much.”
“I don’t exactly have a lot of wardrobe choices with me, but I’m sure I can come up with something that’ll work.” That ridiculously adorable grin settled on his lips.
“Okay, only this time we take my car.” Skimming her gaze over his muscled chest and abs, she felt that flutter of arousal in the pit of her stomach.
“What, you don’t like my old pickup truck?”
Shrugging, she stood. “It’s not the truck; it’s the gimpy driver.”
“So you’re saying you wouldn’t care for my left-footed driving, hmm?”
“Probably not.” She wished he’d quit poking at her libido with his playful teasing. “I’ll let you get dressed then.” She squeezed her eyes closed and drew a calming breath.
He’ll be gone soon she reminded herself. Just a matter of hours. Yet she wondered how he’d manage with a broken ankle.
Not my problem.
She couldn’t get too caught up in his issues. After dinner, she’d send him on his merry way, and that would be that. Being alone with a half-naked guy who happened to be sexier than anything she’d seen in ages, was probably a bad idea. She got up and backed toward the door. “So I’ll pick you up at about six?”
He glanced at his watch. “Perfect.”
Which was exactly how she’d describe him when she returned to the suite an hour later. He’d shed his nerd wear in favor of khaki pants and a deep green polo shirt that brought out the color of his eyes.
His gaze trailed over her body, singeing her skin as if he’d touched her. “You look…stunning.”
A warm flush rose in her cheeks. She rarely had occasion to dress up lately, but apparently, the little black dress she’d chosen had hit the mark. Not that what Dean thought mattered to her. Not really.
Maybe just a little.
“Thank you. Are you ready?”
“Absolutely.” He opened the door and waited for her.
Passing him, she inhaled his woodsy cologne. God, he smelled great.
Artemis ran over and walked with them to the Range Rover. As Ember opened the driver’s door, the cat tried to climb in. “Oh no you don’t.” She picked up the kitty and gave her a smooch before setting her back on the ground. “Go back to the house now.”
The feline meowed at her before scooting off across the lawn. Inside the SUV, Ember turned on the stereo. “Vivaldi okay?”
Dean raised an eyebrow. “Another favorite. We seem to be on the same wavelength about a lot of things.”
She hit Play and The Four Seasons started with the playful Spring concerto. Turning left onto the road, she glanced to the right to check for cars and noticed that Dean had his eyes closed but his fingers quietly tapped to the beat of the music. “How do you figure?”
“Hmm?”
“How are we on the same wavelength?”
“We both love classical music, Italian food…” He shifted in the seat. “And cats.”
She merged onto the highway. “I didn’t realize you were a cat lover.”
“I always wanted a pet, but when I was growing up, my dad took me camping a lot—research trips. Mom said she wouldn’t take care of an animal while we were off….” He frowned. “Anyway, I live alone now and work long hours. When I’m not at the university, I’m out in the field, like I was here. I’d worry a cat would be lonely.”
“That’s why I have two. Although I’m pretty much always home.”
“Must be nice.”
She glanced at him to see if he was teasing her but his expression was stoic. “You envy my homebody life?”
“I do. Not that I don’t enjoy my work. I do. I get to go all sorts of interesting places. As a grad student, I spent time in the Galapagos Islands studying rice rats, and then in Bolivia to research the bamboo rats there.” Shrugging, he didn’t say anything for several moments. “I never felt rooted anywhere.”
She could relate. “Most of the time I was modeling I was always away from home—Paris, Milan, London. I thought it would be fabulous since I’d rarely left Miami when I was growing up. But I missed home, and of course, my family.”
“So you’re close to them?”
“Mm-hmm.” The mention of her familia tugged at her heart. “All the time. They come up pretty often.”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “That’s nice. I rarely speak to my mother.”
“What about your dad?” she asked.
He visibly stiffened. “I talk to him every week. He’s not well. And our relationship�
�s been strained for a while.”
Rather than ask, she waited for him to tell her. After a few moments, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “My dad’s always been…intense. Mom called him high strung, which was a lot like the pot calling the kettle black. Anyway, after the divorce, he only got more controlling, and his main outlet for that was me.” He shrugged one shoulder. “It’s just how he is. We’re close in our own way.”
“Sounds complicated.”
A wry grin lifted one corner of his mouth. “Understatement of the year.” He shook his head. “So tell me about this restaurant.”
“I think you’ll like it.” Even though she was watching the road, she felt his stare on her. The heat of awareness stole through her.
“If you do, I’m sure I will.”
When they arrived in Nocturne Falls, she parked around the corner from the restaurant. Since it wasn’t quite dark yet, she slipped on her sunglasses.
“You look even hotter with the shades.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.
Swallowing past her suddenly-dry throat, she forced a laugh. “They add to my mystique, hmm?”
“You’ve got more than enough already.” He got out of the SUV. “Please know that if these darn crutches weren’t cramping my style, I’d have come around to open your door.”
“Duly noted.” As they walked, she wrote on an imaginary tablet. “Dean is a gentleman.” Tipping her chin at the distinctive red awnings ahead of them, she said, “There it is.”
“Nice. I like the sidewalk tables behind the fence. Very European.” He managed to hold open the door for her.
She strode to the reception desk, and the maître d greeted her. “Good evening, signora,” he said with a smile. “Nice to see you again.”
“Thanks, you too. We have a reservation.”
The man checked the book and grabbed two menus. “The courtyard, yes?”
“Yes, please.” The back courtyard was way more private than the front area.
“Watch your step, signore,” the man told Dean. He seated them next to the fountain then lit the candle on the table. “Antonio will be right with you.”
Dean opened his menu as he glanced around. “Great choice.” He pointed to the fairy lights woven through the ivy-covered trellis. “Nice touch. It’s kind of…magical.”
Beauty and the Bigfoot Hunter Page 5