The Wild One (16 page)

“No problem,” she said. But then reality came crashing back in. “But I actually called for a reason.”

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice suddenly serious. “Is there something wrong at the ranch?”

“I’m fine. The ranch is fine, too. But…” She cleared her throat. “I have something I wanted to talk with you about.”

“Sweetheart, I feel like an ass rushing you off the phone after what we just did, but now I’ve only got fifteen minutes to get ready for my next meeting.”

“Oh, okay,” Roxxy, said, scrambling to keep up. “Maybe I could call you later tonight then?”

“Actually I managed to move all of tomorrow’s meetings to today, so it’s back to back, then I’m having dinner and drinks with the C.E.O of a foundation I’m hoping will give us some grant money. And then I’ve got to get some sleep, because I’m headed to the airport early in the morning to catch the first flight out of D.C.”

She blinked. “You’re flying out tomorrow morning? But you aren’t due back for two more days.”

She could hear his smile on the other side of the phone. “I wasn’t kidding about missing you, sweetheart. I’ll be back at the ranch before breakfast. So we can talk then, okay?”

“Okay,” she said, her voice small.

“Love you, sweetheart. I’m going to show you how much tomorrow, all day, so don’t make any plans.”

She laughed, but it sounded weak, even to her ears. “I love you, too.”

She hung up the phone with a sigh. Apparently, she wouldn’t be able to get away with leaving it to others to tell Andrew what she had done after she’d left, or even telling him over the phone, so he’d at least be on the other side of the country.

No apparently, Fate seemed hell bent on making sure when she ruined the best thing that had ever happened to her, she’d be doing it in person.

CHAPTER 21

ANDREW
was still feeling guilty when Jeb picked him up from the airport the next morning. Layla had asked him to talk yesterday, and he’d practically shoved her off of the line, and right after phone sex at that. Yes, he’d done it, because he was rushing into meetings in order to get back home to her sooner. But he didn’t want her to think sex was all he cared about when it came to their relationship.

The sex was, he had to admit, outstanding. Better than anything he’d ever imagined when they’d dated the first time around and she’d asked him to wait. But their current relationship was definitely about more than that. When they were in college, he’d liked Layla because she was sweet and smart, and really cute. It had also helped that he was going through a small rebellious phase. He’d not only recently dumped his blond society girlfriend, he’d managed to land someone who was the complete opposite of her, someone who he really liked, and someone his parents did not approve of. It felt like a total win.

Dating Layla in college had been a little like dating Mother Teresa. She wasn’t like any of the other girls he had dated. There wasn’t a cynical bone in her body, she volunteered on a regular basis, and had a kind word for everybody.

When the old Layla looked at him, she didn’t see a pampered rich kid who, unlike her, had been given everything in life. She saw the best in him, and it made him want to be a better person. He respected the hell out of her, so he watched himself carefully to make sure he never said anything untoward to or around her. He didn’t pressure her or demand anything more than she was willing to give. More than anything, he wanted to be the man she saw when she looked up at him, which had been part of the reason he let her go when she asked for his blessing to marry Nathan.

But then she’d reappeared out of the blue on his ranch, way sexier and much funnier than he remembered. She’d completely wreaked havoc on his self-control. He’d been acting the gentleman all his life, but with this new Layla he felt stripped bare, like he had no choice but to be the real version of himself around her. She seemed to relish getting under his skin, and responded to his dirty talk like she had an engine inside her primed only for him.

He wanted her. Not just her body, but all of her. He also wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He patted the ring inside his suit pocket. He knew it might seem like it was too soon to others and to Layla herself even. But in his opinion, it wasn’t soon enough. He’d known he’d wanted to be with her permanently ever since their first night together in the barn.

He wanted to have kids with her, and make Sinclair Township happen with her. For the rest of his life he wanted her by his side. He just hoped she felt the same way and that her divorce from Nathan hadn’t left her feeling bitter about marriage like it did with some women.

He was shaken from his thoughts by his phone going off just as they were pulling up to the front gate of the ranch. It was Nathan. He sent the call to voicemail again, knowing he’d eventually have to call his brother back and let him know Layla was with him now. He knew his brother. If he still wanted Layla even a little bit, he’d come out to Montana and fight Andrew tooth and nail for her. That was the kind of predator he was. But Andrew wouldn’t let him win this time. He loved Layla too much, and he’d be damned if he concede her to Nathan again.

As if summoned by his heated thoughts of her, there was Layla at the front gate, waving to him. He waved back and got out of the truck. He frowned when he noticed her hair was once again large, with kinky curls that fell all the way to her shoulders—the way she’d worn it when she was with Nathan.

Admittedly, he didn’t know much about black women’s hair, but he knew that there wasn’t any place nearby where she could have gotten a weave. And she’d never struck him as the kind of person to wear wigs. Also, was it him, or had she gained a little weight since the last time he’d seen her? Not that he minded—he’d take Layla at any size. She just looked…different.

But then she was running up to him and wrapping her arms around him in a big hug. “Oh, Andrew! I was so worried. It’s good to see you again.”

He laughed. “No, need to worry. The flight got in just fine. But I missed you, too. Come here.”

He cupped his hand around the back of her neck and kissed her with all the passion he’d been storing up the five days they’d been apart.

But then he felt her pushing against his chest. “What? Andrew, stop! Let me go!”

Shit, he must have accidentally triggered her again. He stopped kissing her, but held her firm. “Breathe, sweetheart. It’s me Andrew. It’s okay—“

She slapped him, so hard his head cracked sideways.

“I can’t believe you!!” she all but screeched. And the next thing he knew, she was walking away in a huff, back toward the house.

What the hell?

ROXXY DID NOT SLEEP WELL the night before Andrew was due home. First, there was the dream about Andrew flipping out and calling her every name under the sun before kicking her off his ranch.

Then there was the dream about Andrew, the entire ranch staff, and all of its guests gathering around her in a circle and chanting, “Liar! Liar! Liar!”

Then came the worst dream of all, the one that shook her up more than the other two combined. In that one she explained everything to Andrew, only to have him wrap her up in his arms and say, “I just want to be with you. I don’t care who you are.” That dream had nearly broken her heart when she’d woken up only to discover it wasn’t real.

She took a shower, but still felt dirty as she donned the t-shirt and jeans Andrew had bought for her. The thought of her usual morning tea turned her stomach. No, this was a coffee kind of morning, and she just hoped she could get at least one cup in before she had to make her confession to Andrew.

Luck, however, was not on her side. She found Andrew, standing in the middle of the living room with his phone to his ear. “Hey, since you weren’t answering any of my calls, I decided to pay you a visit. I’m at the ranch, so call me back.”

She paused on the bottom step, wondering who he was talking to. There was something different about him this morning. His voice seemed more cynical than she remembered, and the sandy highlights had disappeared from his hair, leaving it darker. This gave him a hawkish air, and somehow he didn’t seem like the man who had left here just a few days ago.

Roxxy tried to shake off the uneasy feeling. It was just nerves, she assured herself. But still, she stood there awkwardly, not quite sure how to alert him to her presence in the room.

A kiss, she thought to herself. One last kiss, before she had to destroy everything between them.

So she covered his eyes from behind.

“Layla,” he said, “I know it’s you. Who else would be covering my eyes?”

“No, senor,” she said. “It is I, Mrs. Garcia.”

“That is a terrible accent,” he informed her.

Then he surprised her by capturing her hands by the wrist and turning around, so her hands were trapped tight behind his neck. Suddenly the kiss she had thought she was initiating was completely taken over by him.

Roxxy squeaked a little bit. This kiss wasn’t like any of the ones he’d given her before. Usually Andrew’s kisses were steady and insistent, like he was patiently pulling every ounce of passion she had to give out of her. But this one was nothing short of a hostile takeover, and for many confusing moments, it felt to Roxxy like she was being kissed by a complete stranger.

IT TOOK ANDREW A FEW running steps to catch up with Layla. “What the hell, Layla?”

“I should be asking you the same thing,” she shot back, her face tight with anger. “What did you think you were doing back there?”

“Kissing the girl I love. I thought you loved me too, otherwise why are you here?”

“To see you. I was worried about you. That’s why I’m here, not to have you shove your tongue down my throat. I thought we had come to an understanding about this.”

“I thought we had, too,” said Andrew, his mind roaring with rage. “I don’t understand why you would slap me when I tried to kiss you.”

She shook her head at him. “I love Nathan, okay. I don’t want to hurt you. But I’ve already told you I loved Nathan. You were at our wedding. You were his best man. I can’t believe you would do this.”

It was like his worst nightmare came true. Layla was looking at him like he was some sort of psycho, like she couldn’t believe he’d think she’d ever pick him over his brother. “You came to me!” Andrew yelled at her. “You’re the one who got my hopes up.” A thought occurred to him and it stopped him in his tracks. “Wait a minute, did you hit your head again? Did you forget you said you loved me?”

Now the look in her eyes morphed from anger to pity. “When I said I loved you, I thought it was understood I loved you as my brother-in-law, not like I love Nathan.”

They came to the house then and she jogged up the stairs. Andrew couldn’t figure out if she was trying to take refuge in the house or put space between them. Maybe both.

But then once she was at the door, she turned back to him and said, “Listen, I’m sorry I came. It’s obviously caused you some hurt and confusion. But I was worried about you.” She put her hand on the doorknob. “Come inside and we’ll all talk.”

“No,” he said, his face a storm cloud of emotion. “I dumped my girlfriend to be with you, Layla. Do you really think this is something we can just talk out?”

Layla looked both confused and distressed now. “Nathan’s inside. Let’s all just sit down and talk about this.”

His face screwed up. “So that’s what this is all about? Nathan’s back and now you’re ready to toss me aside. Does he know what we did, how many times we fucked all over this ranch? What you told me at the ski lodge? You don’t do that with someone you love like a brother-in-law—at least not outside a porno.”

Her eyes widened in horror. “Okay, Andrew. If you care about me at all, please come inside. Nathan will call somebody for you, because I think you need professional help.”

He stalked up the stairs toward her. “Professional help my ass. I’m not going to let you play the victim this time, Layla. I’m going in there, and I’m going to tell Nathan what happened between us. I love you, and maybe Nathan’s managed to brainwash you, but I know you love me. I’m not backing down this time.”

He shoved open the door, but then stopped short when he saw his brother in the living room in a heavy make out session with a woman who looked exactly like the one standing beside him, only with shorter hair.

She must have seen them out of the corner of her eye, because she pulled away from Nathan.

“Good idea, we don’t want to start anything we can’t finish before my brother gets home.” He then blinked at her. “Did you go and get a hair cut somewhere? And when did you change clothes?”

Then, he, too, seemed to finally sense Andrew and Layla’s presence at the door.

He looked between longhaired Layla and shorthaired Layla before saying, “Holy shit. All this time, we thought you were out here running a ranch, and you were cloning my wife.”

Andrew’s heart became a stone in his chest. “There’s no such thing as a human clone you can replicate as an adult from scratch,” he said to his brother. His eyes then landed on shorthaired Layla. “Who are you?”

Shorthaired Layla winced. “You know, I never, ever name drop. But would this situation be helped at all if I told you I was the chart-topping super star, and international singing sensation, Roxxy RoxX?”

CHAPTER 22

ROXXY’S
announcement was greeted with stunned silence, which she guessed meant no one believed her.

And that was confirmed when Andrew repeated, this time louder and even angrier, “
Who are you?”

“Not Layla, obviously,” she said. Then the whole story came out in a quick rush of words. “And I’m really sorry I lied to you. But here’s the deal. I was being stalked by somebody who turned out to be my former bodyguard, and I needed a place to stay. So Steve Kass flew me out here to Montana to hide out at your ranch. However, I sort of accidentally got drunk, then I woke up here, and you thought I was Layla. And I would have told you the truth, but the
district attorney of New York
— by the way, he’s not a very nice guy
at all
, and I will not be voting for him in the next election—anyway, he told me I had to stay put and to maintain the cover story you’d given me. You see people couldn’t know who I really was, because if word got out, it would lead the stalker straight to me. So I had to lie to you and everybody else here. Again, I’m really sorry.”