by Laura Ann
“The type to sit around swooning over Jane Austen and dreaming of being swept off her feet by a guy on a horse.”
Everly pinched her lips, but her shaking shoulders gave away her amusement. Soon a snort slipped out and the rest of her laughter followed. Ridge couldn’t help but join in as she put her face in her hands and shook her head at his joke.
“Sawyer?”
It took Ridge a second to remember he was answering to his brother’s name. “Uh, yeah?”
Her golden brown eyes studied him and Ridge held in the need to fidget. “You’re...different today.”
“Really?” He put his hands in his pocket. “How so?”
“I don’t really know...” Everly stood and took her plate to the sink. “Less...stoic, I guess. More carefree.” She folded her arms and smirked. “And definitely more flirtatious.”
Ridge’s eyebrows shot up. Whoa. Wasn’t expecting her to be quite so blunt. “Flirtatious, huh?” He sauntered toward her and stopped a few inches away. “Do you like flirtatious?”
Everly met his gaze and raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure. I do find it interesting, however, that it didn’t appear until after my brother left.”
Ridge choked at her accusation and put a fist to his mouth as he coughed a few times to catch his breath.
“Are you okay?” Everly reached out and patted his back.
“Yeah, fine,” Ridge wheezed. Truth was, the feel of her hand on his back was making things worse. Rather than helping him breathe, it was sending electricity through his entire body and he had to fight the urge to reach out and pull her into his arms. He’d been watching this girl for a long time, and as much as he had been attracted to her in her videos, being with her in person was a hundred times worse...or better, depending on how he looked at it.
He sucked in a cleansing breath. “So...what were we talking about?”
Everly narrowed her eyes. “Nothing, I guess.”
Ridge mentally wiped the imaginary sweat from his forehead. This is definitely going to be harder than I thought. It seemed so easy when we were kids. “What are your plans for the day?”
Everly glanced at the stovetop clock. “Same as usual. I need to finish that song and get it recorded. So I’ll probably spend most of the day in the practice room.”
Ridge nodded. “Oh...okay.”
She frowned. “Why? Is that not okay?”
“I just...” Ridge rubbed the back of his neck. “Is it okay if...I mean, can I listen?”
Everly’s eyebrows shot up. “You want to listen? I got the impression you didn’t follow my music.”
He shrugged and dug the toe of his shoe into the kitchen floor. “I’ve heard some of it. I’d like to watch you work, if that won’t creep you out or anything.”
She frowned. “I don’t know...I don’t usually have anyone in the room with me. It might be kind of weird.”
“What if I promised to sit in the corner and not say a word?” His mind spun as he tried to come up with a good excuse to stay with her. “Plus, I’m supposed to be close by at all times. If you’re locked up in your music room, I might not know if something happens.”
Everly squished her soft, pink lips to the side in a gesture Ridge found just as cute as the robe and messy hair she was sporting. When she had walked out looking all sleep-mussed, he’d nearly blown his cover and ruined breakfast. Okay, so breakfast was probably a little over the top, but how in the world am I supposed to impress her otherwise? She said she loved baking.
“If you really think it would be best, I guess that’ll be all right.”
Ridge sighed in relief. “Yeah. I think it’s for the best.” He glanced at the table. “Why don’t you go get ready for the day and I’ll clean things up in here. Then you can head to the music room as soon as you’re ready.”
“You don’t have to do that!” Everly scowled and folded her arms. “You’re the guest here. I’ve told you that before. What kind of host would I be if I let you do the dishes? I mean, you already cooked breakfast.”
Ridge grinned and stepped really close. The angry expression on her face slipped away and her eyes widened. Putting his hands on either side of her on the counter, he brought himself nose to nose with the cute musician. “Only the best hosts recognize that long-term guests want to help out. They feel awkward letting someone do everything for them. Especially when they’re here to work.”
“Long-term?” she asked breathlessly. “Are you going to be here long-term?”
Ridge mentally cringed at his choice of wording, but there was no backtracking. “I’ll be here until you’re safe, no matter how long that takes.”
Her eyes darted back and forth between his, searching, pleading and yet confused. “I...I don’t quite know what to make of you, Sawyer Lockwood.”
Hearing his brother’s name snapped Ridge out of the spell he was under. Being this close to Everly was wreaking havoc on his good sense. He could hear her short, shallow breathing and feel the warmth coming off her skin. She smelled of warm winter nights wrapped in flannel, and it made him long for a hearth and home in a way he’d never had before. Oh, man, I’m totally losing it. What would Sawyer say about me now?
Backing up, he forced a grin. “You don’t need to make anything of me. I’ll take care of the dishes. You just worry about getting yourself ready.”
Disappointment filled her lovely face and Ridge wanted to take back everything he’d just said, but he was playing a dangerous game. He wanted to get to know her, but if he kept pretending to be Sawyer, then he risked Everly falling for the wrong brother.
“Okay. I’ll be a half-hour or so. I want to shower.” Everly stepped around him and headed toward the hallway. She paused for a second before glancing over her shoulder and giving him a small smile.
Ridge waved, then immediately felt stupid. Who waves at someone when they’re in the same house?
He felt immediately better, however, when Everly’s smile brightened and her cheeks turned pink. Ducking her head, she hurried down the hall and soon Ridge heard her door close.
Blowing out a long breath, Ridge rubbed his hands over his face. “You are in so much trouble, idiot.”
CHAPTER 9
Everly’s mind was a chaotic mess as she got ready for the day. She couldn’t get Sawyer and his shifting moods out of her mind. “How does he go from quiet and serious to nervous and clumsy, to flirty and confident, and then become cold as a snow runoff?” she asked her reflection. “And I thought I had issues.” She leaned forward, blinking rapidly as she put mascara on. “It’s like he’s a totally different guy.”
Her hand froze midair.
“Oh, no. No, no, no.” She looked at herself in disbelief. “They wouldn’t...would they?”
Her mind went back to how she had felt when she’d been in the hallway at the firm, watching Ridge and Sawyer wrestle. Ridge had been smiling and playful and he had flirted outrageously with her right in front of Leon.
Sawyer, on the other hand, had been laughing up until Harlan caught them. Then he’d become Mr. Serious.
Then there was the grocery store. Everly had had the same reaction she had had to Ridge, but she had thought she’d run into Sawyer. Her mind ran over their conversation. “He never said who he was. But if it was Ridge, why didn’t he tell me?”
Their next meeting was at the house. Those same butterflies had taken flight when Ridge entered, but nothing had happened when Sawyer showed up. Nothing had happened all week between her and Sawyer. It wasn’t until this morning that she had begun reacting to him again. “And this morning he’s bright and playful again.” She chewed her lip. “But...if Ridge was here, why wouldn’t he just say so? Why try to make me think he’s Sawyer?”
Because Harlan wants Sawyer on this job.
It all became clear. Harlan had been very specific that he wanted Sawyer to protect her and had scolded Ridge in the hallway, telling him in no uncertain terms to back off.
Everly chewed her lip and tapped her mascara tube against the c
ounter. “But how can I be sure? Do I just walk up and say, ‘Hey? Are you really Ridge?’” She shook her head and pushed out a breath. “No way. That just makes me sound like an idiot...especially if I’m wrong.”
Everly threw all her makeup back in the case and put it away.
“I guess I’ll just have to watch him, and see if he changes again. But if he really is Ridge, why did he back off in the kitchen? He’s hinted at being interested before.” She frowned. “Or at least I thought that’s what he meant.” Everly let her head fall backward. “Why am I not more experienced in the dating game?” she moaned. “Then I’d know for sure how to handle all this junk.”
Shaking her head, she left her bathroom and walked to her bedroom door. Before she opened it, she paused and took a deep breath. “Okay. Just act cool and pay attention. If he’s really Ridge, something is bound to give him away sooner or later.” Feigning confidence she didn’t feel, she threw back her shoulders and pulled open the door, marching into the hallway.
Once she reached the kitchen, however, her confident stride faltered. Sawyer...or Ridge...whoever he was, was sitting at her kitchen table, scrolling through his phone. That curly mop of hair was so tempting and it softened the harsh look of the muscular man. Not that I’m complaining about the muscles. I’ll bet they’d feel amazing to have wrapped around me...FOCUS! LOOK FOR DETAILS!
“Hmmm...” Everly hummed, catching Sawyer/Ridge’s attention.
“There you are.” He smiled, and once again, her heart fluttered.
Proof number one. Sawyer doesn’t make my heart flutter. At least not when the brothers are together.
“Yep. Here I am.” Oh my word, could I be any more lame?
“You ready to head to your music room?” Her bodyguard rubbed his hands together eagerly and Everly couldn’t help but chuckle.
“You really that excited to watch me work? I would think it would be akin to watching paint dry.”
“No way! I’ve never gotten to watch a musician do their thing before. I’m excited to see the whole...creative process.”
Everly shook her head and began to walk across the room. “It’s a whole lot of trial and error, really. Most of the time I feel like when a song comes together it’s just dumb luck.”
She jerked to a halt when Sawyer/Ridge reached out and grabbed her forearm while she was passing the table. Little skitters of electricity went scuttling across her skin and she sucked in a breath at the strong sensation.
“Sorry.” Sawyer/Ridge dropped her arm as if he had been scalded.
“It’s okay,” she whispered. Proof number two. Sawyer’s touch definitely didn’t cause that to happen once this week.
“I just wanted to tell you that none of your music is dumb luck.” He chuckled uncomfortably and pushed a hand through his curls. “I mean...I’m sure people tell you all the time how talented you are, but some of us realize that it’s not just talent that gets you a million followers online. It’s hard work. It’s sweat and tears and the refusal to give up.” He closed her hanging jaw with his knuckle, a wry grin on his face. “So don’t sell yourself short, okay?”
Everly couldn’t speak. She’d never had anyone recognize the sacrifice of time and effort she put into what she did. Most people simply thought she’d been “discovered”, but that wasn’t the case. She’d fought tooth and nail for every step forward and she was proud of it. But to hear someone else, especially someone like this handsome man in front of her, acknowledge all that...well, she was simply lucky her legs were still holding her weight, let alone that she was able to form words.
Sawyer/Ridge chuckled again when she still didn’t speak. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all up on my soapbox.” He cleared his throat. “You ready to work?”
Everly blinked several times and forced herself to look away from his mesmerizing eyes. “Uh, yeah. Let’s go.” She started walking again, then stopped quickly. “Thank you, by the way. I think that’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
Sawyer/Ridge smiled and nodded in answer before Everly turned back around and led the way to her practice room. Once inside, she held open the heavy door for Sawyer/Ridge, then shut it tightly. “It’s supposed to be soundproof,” she explained.
“Gotcha.”
Everly looked around. “I’ll have you set up camp over here, if you don’t mind?” She waved toward the side of the room that was opposite of her instruments and chair she sat on. “I’m not trying to be rude by putting you on the far side, but I’ll be able to concentrate better on my brainstorming if there’s a little distance between us.” Because everything from your hair to your smell distracts me!
“That’s cool.” He grabbed a folding chair from the wall and set it up before plopping down and folding his arms. “Brainstorm away, O Mighty One.”
Everly rolled her eyes, but secretly loved that Flirty Bodyguard was back. Walking to the wall, she selected the case she wanted and lugged it to her seat. Double checking that she had pencils and staff paper, she settled in.
RIDGE COULDN’T TAKE his eyes off the beautiful woman in the center of the room. Every cell in his body was riveted to her, watching her every move and listening to every sound. Her thin fingers strummed the guitar strings effortlessly, creating rich, melodious chords that echoed through the room. And when she began humming? He knew he was lost.
Who would’ve thought that a celebrity crush could turn into this? Is this how chicks feel when they watch superhero movies? Geez. Sawyer is gonna take away my man card.
The music stopped and Ridge refocused on Everly. She was chewing her lip, which told him she was debating something.
“Sawyer?” she asked softly.
Ridge grit his teeth. He was beginning to hate his plan to pretend to be his brother. “Yeah?”
“I don’t know quite how to say this, but it’s really hard to work with you in here.”
He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. “Sorry. Was I making noise? I didn’t realize I was fidgeting.”
“Oh, you’re not. It’s just...” She pinched her lips and fiddled with the pencil in her fingers. “It’s not that you’re doing something wrong; it’s just you.”
Ridge winced. Ouch. I thought she’d been enjoying our banter this morning.
“Wait, wait, wait.” Everly slapped her forehead. “That came out so wrong. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean there was something wrong with you. Or even that I don’t like having you here.”
Ridge’s eyebrows furrowed together. “Then I’m confused. What’s the problem?”
Everly looked pained as she moved her head around as if debating what to say. “I mean...your presence is distracting. You sitting over in that corner all brooding and attractive is making it really hard to come up with new ideas.” She snapped her mouth shut as if she hadn’t meant to say that much, but it was too late now.
A slow smile formed on Ridge’s face. Brooding and attractive? Ah, yeah. Now we’re getting somewhere. He stood from his seat and slowly walked toward the furiously blushing woman. “Brooding and attractive?” Ridge raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to her level. “I didn’t realize I was brooding.”
Everly sputtered a laugh and managed to meet his eye for a moment. “But you’ve never worried about whether you were attractive, huh?”
He shrugged. “I try to be self-aware.” He chuckled when Everly laughed harder. “However, if I’m that distracting” —he leaned down so his mouth was close to her ear— “I’ll step out and leave you in peace.” Ridge took in a deep breath and closed his eyes at the smell that was uniquely hers. “I wouldn’t want to keep you from your work.”
Everly’s breathing had sped up and the pulse in her neck was racing. Ridge grinned, but didn’t run a finger over the spot like he wanted to. It was obvious she wasn’t super experienced with men, and he didn’t want to frighten her by moving too fast.
“Thanks, Sawyer,” she breathed.
Ridge shot upright, the moment over. I really hate Sawyer right now.
“Right.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll just check over your online accounts and look for anything from the creep, all right?”
She nodded. “’Kay. Thanks.”
Ridge nodded and spun on his heel, making sure the door was closed tightly behind him. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he let out a long breath. “This is so stupid. Maybe I should just wait until this is all over and then get to know her. If I make her fall for Sawyer, I’m gonna lose my chance forever.”
Or you could just tell her who you are. The thought floated through his mind and Ridge looked back at the door, considering it for a moment. “No...” He shook his head. “If Harlan ever found out we were swapping, I’d be a dead man. Not to mention it might hurt business. We’re gonna have to just play this out as is.”
His phone buzzed and Ridge pulled it out of his pocket.
Harlan: I know it’s your day off, but I was wondering if you and Roman had traced that comment yet?
Ridge groaned and rubbed his forehead. Between yesterday’s job and then coming here, he hadn’t had a chance to finish his analysis for Harlan yet. Roman was working on more complicated tracings while Ridge was trying the basics. “Well...it looks like I have time now.”
Ridge: Working on it as we speak. I’ll get back to you soon.
Harlan sent back a thumbs up and Ridge dropped the phone on the couch. Going to the backpack he had brought with him, he grabbed his laptop and booted up all the systems he needed.
He lost track of time as he began to run programs, doing his best to track down where the last comment originated from, but he was getting nowhere. He set the computer on the coffee table and rubbed his hands over his face, groaning.
“Things going that good, huh?” Everly’s amused voice broke through his frustration.
Ridge grinned wryly. “Yep. That good.”
She slowly stepped into the room and sat on a chair across from him, and their eyes locked together. “What, uh” —she blinked and looked at her lap— “what were you doing?”
“I’m trying to trace that comment left last week, but whoever your troll is seems pretty good at erasing their footsteps.”