“Better stock up on batteries on your way home,” she teased. “What’s he look like? It’s been a while since I’ve met someone that made me think of things like that.”
“I’m pretty sure Carter will make anyone with a pulse think of things like that. If you look up Tall, Dark, and Handsome in the dictionary, you should find a picture of him there.”
“Ooo, I like Tall, Dark, and Handsome. I’m also kind of grateful it’s not my house he’s moving into. It’s been way too long for me to have a hot guy who I actually get along with under my roof.”
“You’re telling me.” I reached up to wrap my ponytail around itself. Cold or not, it was getting a little too hot to have my hair on my neck. It’s not just because I’m thinking and talking about Carter. It’s not.
I nearly rolled my eyes at myself. Yeah, right. Of course, the sudden heat in your entire body has nothing to do with him.
“What am I going to do?” I groaned. “Except for buying batteries. That’s a really good plan, but will it be enough? Maybe I should invest in a new lock for the guest-room door so he can guard himself from my libido.”
She burst out laughing. “At least you know everything is still working, right? I distinctly remember you saying a couple of months ago that you were sure your hymen had grown back and you didn’t even care.”
“True. How is it that you always manage to find a silver lining?”
Turning to jog backward, she shot me a wink before facing the path again. “It’s a talent. This guy is with you until at least New Year’s, right?”
“Right. I’m going to be facing the holidays with a stranger. Where’s the silver lining in that? Please tell me you can find it.”
“I can think of at least ten Christmas movies where holidays with a stranger who’s no longer a stranger by Christmas works out pretty darn well.”
“If only my life was a Christmas movie,” I pretended to lament. “Unfortunately, it’s been more of a tragedy recently.”
“Oh, stop being so dramatic.” She laughed again.
I swiped a hand across my brow, grinning before I threw my arms out to my sides. “I’m an actress, darling. I was born to be dramatic.”
“You just had to throw in the ‘darling,’ didn’t you?” She made air quotes with her fingers, shaking her head while trying to get her laughter under control.
“You know it.” I winked before getting serious again. “What are your plans for the holidays? Any handsome strangers I should know about?”
“Sadly, no. Cash and I are going to my aunt’s upstate. I’m pretty sure the youngest man in her community is in his eighties. He’s a sweet old man, but I just don’t really see anything happening there.”
“Maybe he has a hot son or grandson coming in for Christmas?” I suggested hopefully. Tani was a romantic. Despite that, I knew she’d given up on finding love for herself but I was still holding out hope for her.
She rolled her eyes. “First, she tells me I look great and then she tries to make me believe I’ll be falling in love with someone in Mr. Tanner’s family. You do know you’re really bad at lying, right?”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “I’m going to be working on it with Carter actually. But I’m not lying to you. I’m trying out your whole optimism thing, and you really do look great.”
“Maybe you should leave the optimism to me. The last thing I need right now is to fall in love. I’d rather not even think about it.”
“And you say I’m bad at lying.” I gave my head a brief shake before we lapsed into silence for a few minutes.
I loved this part of the trail even more than the rest of it—especially at this time of year. Between the trees, I caught glimpses of the city streets being decorated for Christmas.
Lights were going up and others were already there. Most of the stores had festive décor in the windows, and every now and then, I spotted a tree inside.
Warmth filled my heart and a smile spread across my face. My life felt a little crazy right now, but Christmas was still my favorite time of year. There had been a time not so long ago when I’d been at such a low point that I didn’t even really believe I’d live to see another Christmas.
I knew better now, but I’d made myself a promise back then to treasure every moment, and I planned on keeping it. The crispness of the air, the smell of cinnamon wafting from the bakery I knew was up ahead, and even the sounds of traffic from the streets nearby were things I took a moment to appreciate.
Eventually, Tani and I slowed to a walk and grabbed our coffees from a nearby truck when we were done. She held her mug in both hands as she nodded at the Broadway poster overhead. “Are you looking forward to being on one of those again soon?”
The warm fuzzies I’d been feeling crashed into my stomach lining. “I was, but not so much anymore. Did Jules tell you about what happened with Nathan Biles?”
“No.” She frowned. “What did that creep do now?”
“He found out about Wicked somehow.” I was still miffed that he knew about it. “Have you heard any rumors?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary. Definitely nothing that specific.” Worry darkened her eyes when she looked at me. “It really weird. As far as I know, everyone has been doing a good job of keeping your part in it under wraps.”
My teeth sank into the inside of my lower lip. “That’s what I thought, too. He was either guessing or there’s a rat somewhere. It’s pretty difficult to believe that, though.”
Tani shrugged. “I suppose there could be a rat, but I don’t believe it either. He’s probably just guessing. There has been a lot of suspense around the mystery person who’s going to be the witch. The promo campaign has really played up that angle.”
“Yeah, they have. You’re right. It has to be that.” There was a gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I was blaming that on the paranoia Nathan had inspired.
This was Broadway, for heaven’s sake, not a matter of national security. Sure, it had happened before that details got leaked to the press and those kinds of things, but that happened everywhere.
Nathan was just a creepy reporter, just like Tani had said. He wasn’t a spy, and hopefully, he wasn’t actually dangerous.
So why won’t this feeling go away?
Chapter 9
CARTER
My suitcase lay open on my bed. It felt like I’d basically packed my entire house into it, even if was just some clothing and toiletries. Maybe it was because I didn’t have many personal things in my apartment, but once my everyday stuff was packed up, it was always a little like the place could’ve belonged to anyone.
I still felt a little off about having to leave my home to move into Rylee’s, but there was no turning back. There was no one else I’d rather have watching over her, which meant I just had to suck it up and go.
Max, who Bart would’ve had to take care of if Rylee hadn’t said I could bring him, lay on my bed and looked at me with his head tilted. I reached out to scratch his black and tan fur. “Don’t worry, buddy. You’re coming with me this time.”
It banged me up inside me whenever I had to leave him behind. A guy I knew who worked at the police department had found Max as a puppy living in an alleyway. He’d tried to find out if the dog had an owner, but no one in the area had recognized him and no one seemed to be looking for him.
At first, I’d simply agreed to keep the puppy for him until he could find it a permanent home. By the time he found someone who was willing to adopt him, Max and I had bonded. The dog refused to go with him the day he tried to pick him up, and I couldn’t bring myself to try and convince him to go.
Three years later, I still thought keeping him had been the best decision I’d ever made. He jumped when my phone started ringing underneath his stomach, glaring at it as he moved to curl up somewhere else.
I grinned when I saw my dad’s name on the screen, rubbing Max’s head as a way to make it up to him. “Hey, old man. What’s up? How are you guys?”
“I remembe
r the first time Tucker called me that,” he said gruffly. “When did all of you start following his lead?”
“Tuck’s a real trendsetter,” I joked. “Besides, I thought you liked it.”
“We’ll see how much you like it one day,” he said. “But you can call me whatever you like if it means your mother and I can come see you for Christmas.”
“I’m with a client for the foreseeable future. I already texted Mom about it.”
He let out a heavy breath. “That’s why I’m calling. If you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you.”
“I don’t even know what the client’s plans are yet. We might not even be in the city at Christmas.” In fact, we might just be close to my parents after all. “Won’t all the others be there?”
“Nope. Apparently, they’ve all committed to their in-laws this year. Oh, and Parker’s taking the family skiing.”
“Now that, I’d like to see,” I mumbled, chuckling under my breath. “How are they going to keep track of all three kids by themselves? Maybe you and Mom could join them.”
“Linda’s having matching, lime-green jackets made for them I hear,” Dad said, sounding amused. “We would join them, but we’ve already talked about it, and we don’t want you to be alone.”
“I won’t be. I’ll be with a client. Go with Parker. I’m sure you’ll have a lot more fun on the slopes than you’ll have with me when I’m working.”
“Tough shit, son. Mom and I are coming for Christmas. I just thought I’d let you know.”
Whatever. I’d have to talk to my brothers about it, but there was no way I was having them at Rylee’s with me for the holidays. “We’ll see.”
“We’ve already seen.” He laughed. “I’ll let you get back to work. Stay safe.”
Before I could say anything else or try to talk him out of it, he hung up on me. I shoved my phone into my pocket and shook my head at Max. “I’ll deal with them later. Let’s go, boy. It’s moving day.”
Max jumped off the bed and trotted dutifully at my heels to the door. I gathered his things, clipped his leash on, and led him to my truck. I’d have to come grab my bike later. There was no way I was getting all my shit and Max over there on a motorcycle.
Rylee lived in a mansion of a penthouse on the Upper East Side. My jaw had become slightly unhinged when I’d seen her address, but when she opened the door for us, it nearly hit the floor.
She flushed slightly when she saw my reaction. “It’s ostentatious, I know. Much too big for one person, but it’s got the best security we could find.”
“It’s quite something.” Before she even stepped back to let me in, I could see that her outer walls were mostly made of glass and had a great view. The ceilings were high, the pristine white tiles polished and the furnishings bright and colorful. “Are you sure it’s okay that Max stays here with me?”
Her blue eyes dropped from mine for the first time, and she lowered herself to her haunches as she smiled up at me. “It’s perfect. He’s just gorgeous. Yes, you are. You’re such a pretty boy.”
She gushed over him, scratching his neck and sides as if she couldn’t get enough. Meanwhile, all I could focus on was the fact that she was very close to being face to face with my crotch.
When she looked up at me with her eyes bright and lips slightly parted, I felt my dick becoming aware of her close proximity too. Yeah, this is going to be a really long fucking assignment.
“What kind of dog is he? He looks so regal.” She stood up and motioned me in.
My mouth was so dry I had to swallow before replying. “He’s a Shiba Inu. They’re Japanese.”
I had no idea why I’d added that last bit, but Rylee seemed intrigued. “Really? I’ve never seen one before. What are they like?”
“Fearless, alert, loyal. Not the easiest to train.” I tightened my grip on my suitcase. “Just point me in the right direction and I’ll drop this off.”
“Let me give you a tour,” she said, letting the door swing shut behind us. When she came to stand next to me, I caught that same sweet scent coming from her that I had the other day. God, my attraction to her is going to make this really awkward.
She looked gorgeous even in her light gray sweatpants and a pale pink, long-sleeved T-shirt. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail, and her face was bare. My only saving grace was that she wasn’t flirty at all.
In fact, she was almost shy. On the other hand, that just makes it worse. Nothing about her puts me off.
“The kitchen is to the right and the living area’s down the hall to the left. There’s a rooftop garden for Max here, a nice balcony off the TV room, and our rooms are just upstairs.”
“That’s… really impressive,” I said.
She smiled and led the way to a sweeping, modern staircase. “I’m glad you like it. Maybe it’ll make you feel better about being here with me. I’m sorry you had to move in, by the way.”
“You really have to stop apologizing. None of this is your fault. It was the right call to have someone with you at all times. There are very few security systems in the world that are infallible, if any, and people are often targeted entering or leaving their homes anyway.”
“I just wish it wasn’t necessary at all.” Her cheeks grew pink again. “Not that I mean I don’t want you here. It’s just…”
“Trust me, I get it.” Again, I had to fight the urge to reach out to her. Instead, I took another look around to distract myself while we walked.
It would take someone really dedicated to get in here, but it wasn’t impossible. When I turned my attention back on her, I noticed that her gaze seemed fixed on Max and I held up the hand with his leash in it. “Would you like to take him?”
“I’d love to. Let me show you to your room. Then I’ll take him upstairs. I’m sure he’d like a bathroom break and some fresh air. Does his breed need much exercise?”
I nodded. “At least an hour a day. I go running with him either early in the morning or early in the evening. I’ll arrange for Bart to be here when I go out.”
Bart didn’t really work in the field anymore, but he’d already told me he was willing to help out on this one. Especially since Max wasn’t going to stay with him for the duration of this job.
“That won’t be necessary,” Rylee said, shaking her head as we climbed up the stairs. “I go running most days anyway. I could just join you, if that’s okay. My friend Tani might like to join us too. She was talking about getting in more running time just yesterday.”
“Let’s see how it goes first. Keeping you safe is my number-one priority. We shouldn’t tempt fate by adding another possibly daily target to the mix.”
She paled and bent over to scratch Max’s head again. “I think I’ve fallen in love with this one already. It will be fun to take him out every day. I’ll talk to Tani. Don’t worry about it.”
And now she loves my dog. That’s just great too.
Strangely enough, he seemed to reciprocate the feeling. His breed were typically one-person dogs. It was unusual for him to take a liking to anyone else.
He tolerated Bart just fine, but he’d never wound around his legs like he was doing to Rylee now.
She giggled, and the lightness of the sound was like a stroke to my balls. “He’s a bit like a cat, isn’t he?”
“They’re actually known as cat-dogs,” I said, stopping behind her at a door near the end of a richly carpeted hall. “This it?”
She nodded. “Yep. Make yourself at home. I’ll be outside with Max when you’re ready.”
Without waiting for me to reply, she gave me a friendly smile and took off back to the staircase with Max happily in tow. I heard her murmuring to him as they went, and rolled my eyes at the way he was practically smiling up at her.
We’re pathetic. Both of us.
The thought flew out of my mind when I opened the door to my room. It was bigger than my entire apartment, with a bed that was about as big as my bedroom.
Billowy white curtains hung in the win
dows, the bedding was white and a deep royal blue, and there was a desk with a workstation, a dresser, and a door leading to an en-suite bathroom. If I added a kitchenette area, I could move in here for good and never have to leave.
Moving slowly while I tried to process that this space was mine for the time being, I unpacked and stowed my suitcase in the top of the closet. Once I was done with that, I went back to the truck to fetch Max’s stuff and got that set up in my room as well.
Carrying up his spare bowls with some food and water to leave in the garden, I pushed the door open and paused when I saw them. Rylee had found some kind of toy for him and was throwing it while he fetched.
The garden wasn’t huge, but there was enough space for him to run around a bit. There were patches of grass, a bench, pallets with what looked like herbs and vegetables growing in them, and some trimmed hedges.
Plastic covered the plants, protecting them from the cold, but I could still envision how it would look in summer when everything was green. Too bad you’ll never see that.
If I hadn’t secured Rylee against the current threats by then, I’d have to seriously consider a different profession. As disturbing as that thought was, it still wasn’t enough to distract me completely from her playing with my dog.
It would be dark soon, and it was freezing out here, but none of that seemed to bother her. Her head dropped back as she laughed when he licked the sleeve of her shirt. “I’m getting kisses already, huh? I must be doing something right.”
For the first time in my life, I was jealous of a dog. He might only have gotten to kiss her shirt, but he’d still kissed her.
It was then that I realized I might just be in real trouble. This might not only be the start of a hard-on but the start of a relationship with someone I actually really like
“Steer clear, Carter,” I muttered to myself before walking over to join them. “I don’t know what you did to win him over. He’s usually not overly friendly to new people.”
Dropping The Ball: A New Year’s Billionaire Romance Page 6