Bossing the Billionaire: Billionaire Brothers Kent - Ryder's Story (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) (2 page)

Ryder pushed the front door open and, like at the gas station, there
was the sound of a bell tinkling above. The lighting in the room wasn’t great
but he could plainly see the half a dozen men who turned at his entrance. They
were lounging around tables, each man with a drink in his hand. That was when
Ryder realized he’d stumbled on some kind of bar.

“Howdy, stranger,” one of the men said, holding up his mug of beer.
“Pull up a chair.” The way he said the word made it sound like ‘cheer’.

“Uh, thanks,” Ryder said, letting the door close behind him, but he
didn’t move, still taken aback by the unexpected invitation. These Texans were
something else. They were either super-friendly or downright crabby. Was there
no middle ground with these people?

“Go on. He’s not going to bite.”

At the sound of a female voice, a bright and bold, almost teasing
tone, Ryder’s head jerked up and he found himself locking gaze with the most
startling ebony eyes he’d ever seen. It wasn’t so much the color of the eyes
that got him but the audacious stare she’d fixed on him. Like a goddess who
deigned to associate with mere mortals, the look she gave Ryder told him that
in this little part of the planet she was the woman in charge.

And if that wasn’t enough to make him stand rooted to the spot, on
top of that the woman was breathtakingly beautiful. A mass of wavy, dark hair
tumbled over her shoulders, framing a face blessed with high cheekbones, a pert
nose and the sexiest lips he’d been ever so lucky to behold. She was the lone
flower in a field of pot bellied beer-drinking men and among such weeds her
beauty bloomed brilliant. And she knew it. He could see it in the way she
carried herself, back straight and eyes fearless as she stared at him.

The beauty leaned forward to rest her elbows on the bar counter and
her luscious lips curved into a smile. “Are you going to stand there staring at
me the whole evening?” she asked, tilting her head as she regarded him with
amusement. “Your butt got something against chairs?”

Ryder blinked. He’d thought he had a good handle on women but this
one took him by surprise. When it came to being shy or reserved this girl
didn’t know the meaning of the words. But how a woman so young could be so bold
in a sea full of grizzly men, he couldn’t figure out. Instead of being
intimidated it looked like she was the one who usually did the intimidating.

Before she could throw out a command Ryder cleared his throat and
tore his eyes away from the mesmerizing Texas rose then he glanced down at the
man who had invited him over. His unexpected host was still grinning up at him
so he figured the invitation was still open. With a shrug he headed over to the
table where the man sat with another, a smaller man, who stared up at him in
open curiosity.

As he approached, the big man used his foot to push the free chair
away from the table. “Make yourself comfortable, stranger. It’s not everyday we
see a new face in these parts.”

Ryder gave him a nod of appreciation for the welcome. “Thank you,”
he said as he took the seat that was being offered. “This is my first visit to
Marfa.”

“Marfa?” The bearded man let out a hearty guffaw. “Did you hear
that, fellas? This stranger thinks he’s in Marfa.”

The man got the reaction he’d probably been looking for. The whole
place erupted in raucous laughter and, to Ryder’s chagrin, even the woman
behind the bar was chuckling.

Feeling like a fool, he cleared his throat again then frowned when
he realized he’d fallen right back into his nervous habit. Whenever he felt out
of his depth he was always clearing his throat. It was a habit he’d thought
he’d licked but now it was back, just when he didn’t need it causing him even
further embarrassment.

“Where am I then?” he asked, now giving up hope of ever finding this
place called Marfa.

“This is Pequoia,” the woman said as the laughter died down. “One of
the oldest towns in Texas.” Then she gave him a rueful grin. “Now one of the
smallest, what with all the youngsters leaving as soon as they're old enough.”
Then she dried her hands on a nearby towel, lifted the counter and came over to
him, a letter-sized laminated card in her hand. “Here’s the menu. You might as
well make yourself comfortable and grab a bite. Looks like you’ve been on the
road a while.”

Ryder gladly took it from her hand but it wasn’t the food list that held
his attention. It was her. She was even lovelier close up.

“What did I tell you about staring?” Her voice was brusque but her
lips twitched then curved into a crooked smile that had Ryder smiling back.

“Sorry.” Suitably chastised he glanced down at the menu. “The roast
beef sandwich sounds good. Can I have that?”

“It’s your lucky day,” she said. “That’s the most popular item on
the menu but it so happens I’ve got some left. Just enough for one.”

“I’ll take it,” Ryder said, his mouth already watering at the thought
of the meal. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast and at this hour of the day he’d
reached starvation point.

The woman nodded and took the menu from his hand and was just about
to turn away when Ryder stopped her. “Do you mind if I ask your name?”

She stopped and actually looked surprised that he’d asked. “It’s
Blake. Blake Beaumont. And what’s yours, stranger?”

“I’m Ryder Kent.” He put out his hand. “I’m pleased to meet you,
Blake.”

She took it even as she cocked an eyebrow at him, the amusement back
in her eyes. “Are you sure about that? Maybe you should get to know me better
before you throw out such statements.”

“Yeah,” one of the men from a neighboring table said. “This is one
tough gal, my friend. Don’t be fooled by all this beauty. When she’s ready she
can be a real b-”

"Calvin, you mind your mouth, you hear me?” Blake’s voice was
stern. “No need to scare off Mr. Kent with your crude language.”

“Call me Ryder,” he began but she’d already turned away and was
heading back to the bar. Well, so much for striking up a conversation with the
sole woman in the place. He might as well turn his attention to his new-found
friends.

Within minutes of a lively conversation about the current issues plaguing
the dairy industry Blake was back with a salad and the sandwich that smelled so
good it made Ryder’s stomach growl.

She smiled. “I could tell you were hungry. It’s all yours. Chow
down.” She laid the plate on the table then handed him his silverware rapped in
a white cloth napkin.

He glanced across at his table companions. “May I order something
for you gentlemen?” He hoped they’d say yes. It was going to feel weird, chomping
on his sandwich while they just sat there and watched.

“We already ate,” the small man said.

“But I’m all out of beer,” the big one said. “I could do with
another one, for the road.”

Somebody behind Ryder cleared his throat, a not-too-subtle hint that
a drink would be welcome at that table, too.

Ryder grinned. It seemed they were all too eager to take advantage
of a generous offer and he didn’t mind at all. “Drinks on the house,” he said,
loud enough for Blake to hear. “It’s on me.

She heard all right. Before he’d taken his second bite she’d come
from behind the counter, a tray of drinks in hand. She obviously knew what each
of her patrons drank because she didn’t ask a single one for his order. She
just served.

“And what about you, Ryder?” she asked, pausing at his table. “What
are you having?”

“I’ll just take some cranberry juice,” he said, “if you have any.”

“Sure do.” And then, as if this was the sort of thing you did in a
place like this, she gave a man at a neighboring table a quick cuff to the back
of the head. “Stop snickering and drink your beer.”

Ryder almost snorted in laughter but his mouth was full. Obviously,
Blake Beaumont was not one to trifle with.

A half hour passed and then an hour and by that time most of the men
had left, leaving only the two at Ryder’s table. The darkness of night was now
properly settled on the land and he could feel the exhaustion creeping up on
him. Time to get going.

He lifted a hand to catch Blake’s attention. “Could I have the bill,
please?”

She tore her eyes away from the small T.V set in the corner of the
room. She’d been absorbed in the T.V news for the past half hour but she picked
up a piece of paper from the counter and walked over. “Here you go,” she said,
depositing the bill on the table in front of him. “You racked up a pretty hefty
bill, buying all those rounds of drinks. You’d better be good for it.”

“Don’t worry,” he said, grinning up at her. “I am.” Little did she
know he could buy all the drinks she could ever serve. Heck, he could buy the
whole town, and more. Still smiling, Ryder reached around to dig his wallet out
of his back pocket.

His hand slid in and came back out…empty. “Sorry.” He gave her an
embarrassed grin and dug into the other back pocket. Nothing. He frowned.
“Weird.” As he muttered the word he shoved a hand into the front pocket on the
left then the one on the right. His frown deepening, he patted the pocket of
the denim jacket he was wearing. Still nothing.

Ryder cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. It looks like I left my wallet
in the truck. I’ll have to go get it.”

Before he’d gotten all the words out Blake’s smile had disappeared
and in its place was a glare that said she was not amused. “Do you really think
I’m going to fall for that? You’re trying to pull a fast one on me, aren’t
you?”

Ryder shook his head. “No, I’m not. I swear. My wallet must have
fallen out in the truck. I’ll just go get it and come right back.”

Blake gave him a look of suspicion and then she looked at the big
man sitting at Ryder’s table. “Go with him, Ted. Make sure he doesn’t try to
take off.”

“You got it.” Ted was grinning as he got up then he cracked the
knuckles on his beefy hands. “Come on, buster. Let’s go see if you can put your
money where your mouth is.”

Ryder shrugged. “I’ve got no problem with that.” He got up and
walked in front of Ted, out the door and toward the Dodge Ram. He pulled the
door open and glanced at the driver’s seat then the passenger’s seat. He didn’t
see anything so he checked if it had fallen between the seats or onto the
floor. It was nowhere in sight.

As he pulled back and straightened up Ted grinned at him. “You
really were pulling a fast one. You think you’re slick, don’t you?”

Ryder felt like punching the jeering smile off his lips. “I’m not
pulling anything. I must have dropped my wallet somewhere. It’s okay. I’ll
call…” As the last word left his lips he realized something. He’d gone through
his pocket and his truck and he hadn’t run into his cell phone at all. That was
missing, too.

“Oh, shoot.” The words left his lips in a groan of realization.
“That guy at the gas station. How could I have been so stupid? I should have
known he was too darned friendly to be real.”

Ted gave a snort of derision. “Don’t tell me you’re going to draw
for some story about getting robbed.”

“But it’s true. My wallet and my cell phone are gone.”

Ryder’s words were like the signal for Ted to get rough. The man
clamped a massive hand around his upper arm, his lips curling in a sneer. “Come
on, bud,” he snarled. “You ain’t going to cheat the little lady out of her
dough. You’re coming with me.”

Ryder didn’t even bother to resist. Talk about embarrassing.

He was not looking forward to explaining himself to Miss Blake
Beaumont.

CHAPTER TWO

“May I borrow your phone?”

“He ain’t got no money.”

Both Ryder and Ted were speaking at the same time, which made Blake
glance from one to the other. “What?”

“He ain’t got no money.” Ryder had opened his mouth to speak again
but Ted beat him to the draw the second time around. “He was there pretending
to search around for his wallet.” Then he gave a snort of disgust. “Like he had
any money in the first place.”

Blake felt the anger settle in the pit of her stomach. She should
have known his friendliness and generosity were too good to be true. She fixed
a caustic glare on the man in question. “So what do you have to say for
yourself?” She didn’t even know why she bothered to ask. Sneaky snakes like
this one always had a ready answer. She wasn’t about to swallow anything he was
planning to dish out.

“I got robbed,” he said, “at my last stop. I had my money and my
cell phone up to that point. If you’ll just lend me your phone I’ll have your
money to you in no time.”

Doug, the small man who’d sat watching the whole time, burst out
laughing, his crooked teeth giving him a comical look. “Lend me your phone, he
says. Don’t he know we ain’t got no phone in these parts?”

Ryder gave him a look of disbelief. “No cell phone service, maybe,
but you’ve got to have a landline phone.” He looked at Blake. “You do, right?”

“Nope. Never did and it looks like we never will.”

“What? But how is that even possible? This is the United States, for
Pete’s sake, and it’s the twenty-first century.”

“Tell that to the phone companies,” Blake said, her tone dry as
toast. “All the phone companies we contacted said they weren’t wasting money to
come all the way out here. Too expensive and not worth it for a couple of
hundred people.

“I see.” That seemed to stump Ryder. Then he looked hopeful. “What
about cell phone service? Do you guys have that?”

“They’ve been promising that for years. This town's still waiting.”
She shoved her hands inside her pockets. “Anyway, let’s cut to the chase. You
owe me over a hundred bucks and it looks like I’m not going to get any cash out
of you. You know what that means, don’t you?”

Ryder gave her a suspicious frown. “No. What?”

“If you can’t pay in cash you’ve got to pay in kind. You’ve got a
lot of cleaning to do tonight, buddy.”

His brows fell. “Excuse me?”

Just in case the thought crossed his mind to try arguing his way out
of things Blake pulled her hands out of her pockets and folded her arms across
her chest. “You’re going to work off your debt,” she said, her voice cold.
“Tonight.” Then she gave him a mirthless smile. “Lucky for you I’m the gentle,
forgiving type. Otherwise I’d just have Ted break your arms.” Of course, she
didn’t mean a word of that. She just wanted to put some scare into him. She was
not about to be ripped off by some slick city swindler.

It looked like the message was beginning to sink in because Ryder
glanced up at Ted who stood at least two inches taller and looked like he
weighed about a hundred pounds more. It was obvious he was sizing him up but,
smart man, he didn’t go the route of tackling the big man. He glanced back at
Blake. “What do I have to do?”

“I’ve got a sink full of dirty dishes in back,” she said. “You can
start there.”

Ryder’s brows fell. “Start?”

“Yeah. You didn’t think that was all, did you? The back bar and the
tables won’t clean themselves, you know. And you’ve got the floor to sweep and
mop.” Then she smiled. “When you’re done doing that I’ll let you know what
else.”

The look Ryder gave her was a mixture of incredulity and horror. She
had to fight to hold the laughter in. He was cracking her up and he didn’t even
know it. “You’re going to earn this hundred and fifteen dollars,” she said with
an emphatic nod. “Trust me on that.”

As she turned she pretended not to hear Ryder’s groan. “Come on,
then, " she threw over her shoulder. "Roll up your sleeves. Dish
washing time.”

When Blake took her conscripted helper to the kitchen she almost
felt sorry for him. The stack of dirty dishes was a formidable sight, and that
was before she threw the pots and pans into the mix.

“There you go,” she said, showing him the dishwashing liquid and the
sponge. “Give me a shout if you need me.”

“You’re going?” For a fleeting second he looked lost, like he didn’t
know where to start.

It was too funny. Blake could just imagine his life back in whatever
city he came from. He probably had people doing everything for him. He might
even be one of those spoiled guys who’d never done a lick of housework in his
life.

“Yeah, I’m going to finish watching the news.” She headed toward the
door. “We don’t have all night so get cracking.” And before he could say
another word she was out of there, leaving him to get through the pile as best
as he could.

And if she had to be totally honest with herself Blake would have to
admit that she’d practically fled from the kitchen, not because she was scared
of the stranger who’d arrived on her doorstep. Quite the contrary. From the
moment Ryder Kent walked into Beaumont’s she’d known he spelled danger. Danger
for her heart, that is. She’d felt an immediate attraction for him, an
attraction so strong she’d resorted to hiding behind a tough exterior. The last
thing she wanted to do was fall for some slick trickster’s charm. It was what
had sent her scurrying to this dive of a town in the first place. More
trickery, she could do without.

And so she hightailed it out of the kitchen, leaving Ryder to fend
for himself while she hung out with Ted and sought refuge in the nightly news.

“That sort of worked out for you, didn’t it?” Ted relaxed in his
chair as he watched her watch the T.V.. She knew Ted. He wasn’t going to leave
until he knew she had everything, the stranger included, under control.

She nodded. “You know I hate doing the dishes.”

“Yeah. You complain about it every night.”

“Ad nauseum,” Doug added, making Blake turn to give him a cutting
glare.

“Anyway,” the little man said, rising to his feet, “it’s past my
bedtime. I’ll see y’all in the morning.”

Blake gave him a goodbye wave and Ted gave him a grunt and then he
was off. They heard when the engine of his truck roared to life and, seconds
later, the rumble grew more distant until it faded into the night.

After that Blake settled back to watch the T.V and soon she heard
the low buzz of Ted’s snore. She smiled. He was a good friend. It was past his
bedtime, too, but she knew he wasn’t going to leave until she’d locked up and
all was safe.

She’d been caught up in the television and Ted had been snoring a
good thirty or forty minutes when Blake frowned. She hadn’t heard a peep out of
Ryder since she’d abandoned him in the kitchen. He hadn’t stuck his nose out,
not even once. Could he have sneaked off? She gave her head a slight shake at
the thought. There was no way he could have started his truck and driven off
without her hearing it.

So, curious, she got up and headed back to the kitchen. There she
found Ryder dutifully at his task, his arms all the way up to his elbows in
suds.

“You’re good?” She walked over, observing the stack of sparkling
plates he’d already cleaned.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said with a nod. “I always fulfill my obligations.”

She could see that he meant it. Apparently there was a lot more to
Ryder Kent than what that sinfully handsome exterior would suggest. The man had
principles. She liked that.

“Okay. I won’t bother you, then.” She left him alone again but this
time she wasn’t feeling quite so cross that he hadn’t paid her. Even though she
was the one who had made him do it, he was certainly working hard for the
money.

Fifteen minutes later Ryder, looking a little worn at the edges,
came back into the restaurant. “All done,” he said and shoved his hands inside
his pockets. “Where do I find the broom and mop?”

His question surprised Blake. She’d thought he would have kept mum
on that, hoping she’d forgotten. But no, he was the one who was bringing it up.
She got up. “I’ll get them for you. Wait here.”

When she got back she handed him broom and dustpan then got him a
mop and a bucket filled with soapy water. “Knock yourself out,” she told him.

He took the cleaning supplies, looked around then let out a soft
sigh. It was obvious he was tired but Blake had already set the fine for his
failure to pay his bill. She wasn’t going to back down and look like a wimp
just because she was feeling sorry for him. If there was one thing she’d
learned, running a business in this tiny town of Pequoia, it was to stick to
your guns and play tough. It was either that or become someone else’s lunch.

So she watched from behind the bar as Ryder’s muscles flexed when he
pushed the mop over the floor. He’d shed his jacket and his shirt and was
wearing a sleeveless undershirt that put his muscular arms and strong shoulders
on display. And with that sexy distraction in plain sight there was no way
Blake would be watching much T.V for the rest of the night. She was pretending
to watch but she wasn’t absorbing a thing. Ryder Kent was just too hot to
ignore.

Ted slept through the whole thing and it was only when Ryder’s mop
bumped his chair that he jerked awake. “Yeah? What?” He blinked then
straightened up and looked around, taking in the fact that the floor all around
him was gleaming and wet. “Well, I’ll be a horse’s rear end. You really did come
through, didn’t you, fella?” Then he chuckled and looked over at Blake. “He
ain’t half bad. Hell, I wish he owed me some dough. He’d have my place spic and
span in no time.”

Blake only shook her head. She knew Ted's place. A mess like the one
he had in his house would be enough to kill Ryder. She wouldn’t wish that fate
on her worst enemy.

When Ryder finished cleaning he took his tools outside. Blake even
heard him out there at the outdoor sink, rinsing out the mop. Both she and Ted
looked at each other, eyebrows raised.

“I think you found yourself a good one,” Ted said. “He don’t seem so
bad, after all. Maybe he was telling the truth.”

She grimaced. “Yeah. Maybe.”

When Ryder came back into the restaurant he blinked then rubbed the
back of his hand across his right eye. He looked like he was stifling a yawn.
“Well, I’m all done,” he said then looked around for the shirt and jacket he’d
left on the nearby chair.

“They’re on the rack,” she said. “Over there.” She pointed to his
clothes hanging by the entrance.

“Thanks.” He strode over to the door then shrugged into his shirt
and jacket, denying her the view she’d been enjoying all the while he’d been
working. He turned toward them and drew in a breath then let it out in a heavy
sigh. “Please accept my apologies for not paying my bill,” he said as he looked
at Blake. “As soon as I get back I’ll send you the money. I promise.”

She shook her head. “No need. You’ve already paid. In full.”

“Thanks.” He nodded, looking like he was ready to go, but then he
paused. “I wonder if you could tell me where to find a hotel?” He gave her a
doubtful look. “If there’s a hotel in Pequoia?” Then he grimaced. “I don’t
think it would be a good idea to hunt down this Marfa place in the middle of
the night.”

Blake shook her head. “That would be a dumb idea. You couldn’t even
find it in the daytime. What makes you think you’d find it at night?” Then she
cocked an eyebrow at him. “And you don’t have any money, remember?”

“Oh, yeah.” He fell silent.

“You can forget about Marfa. It’s your lucky night tonight.” Blake
gave him a cheeky grin. “It just so happens that Beaumont’s isn’t just a pub
and a restaurant. Sometimes it's a bed-and-breakfast, too, when it suits me.”

“Seriously?” Ryder looked like he didn’t believe it.

“Seriously.” Blake gave him a stern look. “You can get one of the
rooms for the night,” she said, “but you’re going to have to work to pay your
keep.”

Ryder grimaced and then he shook his head. “I’m so bushed I’ll agree
to anything, just as long as I can get a bed for the night. Whatever you have
in mind can’t be worse than what you’ve already made me do.”

“Fine. If you’ve got stuff in your truck, go get it. You’ve got
yourself a room for the night.”

“Thanks.” Ryder nodded then turned and headed out the door and off
to his truck.

Blake only smiled. Little did he know what lay in store. Poor thing.