She was a forever kind of woman. Not someone you take to bed and leave in the morning.
She was exactly who and what he wanted.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Roxy hadn’t made it to the front door before it swung open and Lisa stepped into the foyer. Lisa’s white tank top dipped low on her black-lace-covered breasts. The dark under the light an easy way to show off her assets. Tight jeans hugged her curves and disappeared into a very expensive pair of cowboy boots. She shook back her tousled hair and glared right back with her smoky enhanced eyes. Her wine-red-painted lips turned down into a frown.
“If Mary can’t even make it to the door anymore, Noah should fire her.” Such callous words, coming from a heartless woman.
“What are you doing here?” Roxy wanted this viper out of her house. Now.
“I need to talk to Noah.”
Right. Lisa hadn’t come to see Annabelle. “He just sat down to dinner . . .”
Lisa pushed past her and headed for the dining room. “This can’t wait.”
“Mom. Why are you here?” Annabelle stood on the stairs, her eyes filled with dread.
“I’m here to talk some sense into your brother.”
“You came because you want money.” Disappointment filled those words, because Lisa rejected Annabelle just by making it clear something else took precedence over seeing Annabelle.
Roxy pointed to the kitchen. “Annabelle, I’ve got this. Go help Mary bring dinner to the table.”
“But Roxy . . .”
“Go,” she snapped, not wanting to give Lisa another chance to break Annabelle’s heart.
When they were alone again, she turned her attention back to Lisa, who went on the attack. “John had to be out of his mind bringing you here.”
“Sometimes, I agree with that,” Roxy admitted, though she doubted Lisa understood that Roxy would do anything to keep her past and people’s perception of her from tainting Noah and Annabelle in any way. “I care about them. I’d never do anything to hurt them.”
“Who and what you are, your being here hurts them.”
“They want me here.”
Lisa frowned at the lack of complete confidence Roxy had in that statement. “We’ll see. Because this is only the beginning of what’s about to happen because of you.”
Roxy didn’t know if that was a threat or simply the truth based on the gossip that had already resulted in lost sales for the ranch and people changing their opinions of Noah and Annabelle because of their association with her.
Lisa didn’t waste any time getting to why she was here when she walked into the dining room.
“Seriously, Noah, save yourself the money and ridicule and get back together with Cheryl, someone people will actually believe is your girlfriend and not your whore.”
Noah glared at Lisa, then stood and grabbed Roxy by the arm before she passed him. His hands cupped her face and he stared directly into her eyes. “I don’t care what she or anyone else thinks, you are my girlfriend. The only one I want.”
His lips brushed hers, then settled warm and soft. He kept the kiss short, but with a world of promise and feeling behind it. When he pulled away, he kept his face close, his eyes locked on hers. His thumbs swept across her cheeks in a soft caress. “Just let that settle in for a while.”
“It went all the way to my toes,” she said to describe the heat and thrill that shot through every cell in her body.
“I meant the girlfriend thing and you know it.”
Roxy understood, but hesitated to really accept. It seemed so odd and unlikely, yet here she was, standing in the circle of his arms.
“You’ll get used to it, sweetheart.” Noah brushed his nose against hers and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. He let her go and turned to address their “guest.”
Furious they ignored her, and Noah called Roxy his girlfriend, Lisa crossed her arms under her breasts and glared at Noah. “What is she still doing here? People are talking. You don’t want to be associated with someone like her.”
Noah understood her meaning all too well, but asked, “Someone like her?” just to see how far Lisa planned to take this.
“You know what she is. Even her own father refused to have anything to do with her.”
Robby stood. “Excuse me. I’ll let you handle this in private.” He eyed Lisa and shook his head in dismay and disgust.
Roxy poured a glass of apple juice from the pitcher on the table and sat in one of the chairs facing him and Lisa, calm and content to watch this thing play out without participating one damn bit.
Noah looked Lisa in the eye. “You don’t know Roxy, and everything you’ve heard is a lie.”
Lisa rolled her eyes. “How can you be okay with Annabelle living under the same roof with that slut?”
Noah barely held his temper. “You’ll remember this is my house. You call Roxy that, or anything else like it again, and I’ll toss you out on your ass. And you’re one to talk. You flaunted your affairs in front of me when I was Annabelle’s age.”
Lisa didn’t have a comeback.
“Roxy is kind and generous and without guile. She speaks her mind and tells the truth no matter what. Unlike you, she thinks about others before herself. She saw a spark of interest in what Annabelle wants to do in the future and found a mentor and job for her to see if she really wants to pursue a career as a veterinarian. Does any of that sound like she’s harming Annabelle?”
“She’s a hooker.” Lisa spit out her outrage.
Noah sucked in a deep breath and tried to rein in his anger at hearing someone call her that again. “She is a ranch manager, horse trainer, a businesswoman, and a cable systems designer.”
“A what?” Lisa asked, completely thrown off.
“She has a job. A degree. You know, that thing you get when you attend college for four years. She works for a company and earns a paycheck. But no one wants to hear that and believe it.” He turned to Roxy, who sat quietly listening, a touch of a smile tilting her lips. “God, your life is so damn frustrating to explain, because no one listens.”
“It’s a pain in the ass. You’re doing very well. Very sweet of you to try,” she added with a bright smile that made his heart leap. It faded to a firm line. “Just toss her out and be done with it. It’s not worth explaining when she’s set her mind to saving you from me, so she can ingratiate herself to you and you’ll do whatever it is she really wants.”
Determined to get at least one person to listen, he turned back to Lisa. “I’m not finished.”
Lisa softened her tone. “Stop this. You only look like more of a fool for believing her lies.”
“I am so damn tired of having to say this. She is not and has never been a prostitute.”
Lisa gave him a sad smile that said, You’re stupid for believing it.
“You want to know what she’s taught me and Annabelle in the week she’s been here?” God, had it only been a week, well, two since he’d met her. “She’s taught us to see past gossip and find the truth. That being a friend means caring for someone because of who they are, not what they do, or what you can get from them.” He raked his fingers over his head. “She wakes Annabelle every morning before school and helps her pick out clothes and does her makeup and hair. She makes sure she eats right and does her homework. She cares about Annabelle’s interests and nurtures them. She looks out for Annabelle like you never did and treats her with kindness and respect, even when she’s acting like a bratty teenager.
“I could go on, but what’s the point? You’re not here because of Roxy or even to see your daughter. So let’s get to it. Tom actually did his job and notified you there will be no more alimony payments.”
“We had an agreement that he’d pay me until Annabelle turned eighteen. I want what’s owed.”
“As Tom told you, and you should already know, your divorce agreement died with John. As I see it, you’ve been paid enough money over the last twelve years you’ve been divorced to make a decent life for your
self and have plenty in the bank.”
“Reinstate the payments or I’ll seek custody of Annabelle.”
“Go ahead and try. All you’ll do is use up whatever money you have left on lawyer’s fees. Roxy and I together make better parents than you’ll ever be. A judge won’t take Annabelle from a stable home with two capable adults watching over her.”
“I’m her mother.”
“You signed away your rights to John. He said Roxy is what’s best for Annabelle, not you. And I agree.”
“She’ll be fucking every ranch hand on the place behind your back. You’ll see.”
Noah didn’t rise to that bait. “Now we’re talking about you and what you did to John. You made sure he caught you with one of the guys. Young and dumb and believing you’d never want to get caught with him, he lost his job and livelihood because of your games. And because he didn’t want any part of you, he signed those papers just as fast as you did. You want to go to a judge and cast accusations at Roxy, there’s plenty of truths about you that make you look worse than Roxy’s undeserved reputation. You don’t want me to prove to a judge which one of you is the better woman. Roxy will win hands down.”
“You’ve always been a vindictive asshole.”
“I’m Annabelle’s big brother and I will protect her with my life.” He pointed to the door. “Get out and don’t come back.”
“This isn’t over.” Not a very inventive threat, but Lisa meant it because she never quit when it came to getting what she wanted.
Lisa huffed out a breath, spun on her heels, and left him alone with Roxy. The front door slammed. A moment later, she gunned the engine on her car and drove away.
“That was fun.” Roxy broke the silence with her false brightness.
“Loads.” He raked his hand through his hair and dropped into the chair beside her. He took her hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing her palm. She immediately reached for his face and placed her hand on his jaw. He leaned into her touch, needing the closeness.
“You’ve got to stop trying to convince everyone I’m not who they think I am. You’ll only frustrate yourself more.”
“I hate what people think of you.”
“I know. It’s one of the things I love about you.” She boldly dropped that four-letter word between them.
Noah leaned forward in his chair, planted his forearm on his thighs, and just stared at her. He wanted to ask if she meant it, but didn’t have to, because Roxy didn’t say things she didn’t mean. In her own way, she was letting him know just how deep her feelings ran. It made him so damn happy. And scared. As sure as he was that he wanted her, he couldn’t bring himself to say the words that would tie him to her forever.
So damn good at hiding her feelings, nothing flickered in her eyes. She didn’t look away and didn’t say anything. He couldn’t read anything in her that said whether his silence hurt or disappointed her. He didn’t want to do either.
He broke the silence and the tension by asking, “Is that the only thing you love about me?”
Taking his cue to lighten things up, she responded with, “Nope. You’ve got a really great ass and the most chiseled abs I’ve ever seen.”
He laughed and brought her hand back to his lips, kissing it with tender slowness. “Admit it, you’re dying to get your hands on me.”
She gave him a sexy as hell grin. “You know I do.” Her voice dropped an octave to that seductive tone he liked so much, but she was careful not to use. Most of the time.
“That’s not what you love most about me though.” He kissed her wrist. Her pulse raced under his lips.
“No? What do you think I love most?”
“That I make you laugh, for one thing.” She gave him a nod, her eyes locked on his mouth as he kissed her wrist again. “But the most important thing to you is that I see the real you. You’re more beautiful on the inside than anyone I know.”
“Noah.” She sighed his name. Her hands came up to cup his face. She leaned forward and kissed him, long and soft and warm, her lips over his, her eyes locked on him. “You’re very sweet.”
He spoke, his mouth a breath away from hers. “You love that about me, too.”
“Yes, I do.” Her mouth touched his and she fell into him, giving everything.
Those simple words were a promise and pledge rolled into one.
She meant them and sealed the bargain with her kiss. A kiss that made his head light and his heart stutter and slam against his chest.
Humbled by her words and still electrified from the kiss, he lost his grip on her when she stood and took a step back. “Where are you going?” His body pulsed with his need for her, even as his mind swirled with thoughts after Lisa’s visit.
“You said we were having dinner as a family. The family is in the kitchen eating without us.” Her fingers combed through his hair and she tipped his head back so he looked up at her. “I’ll tell them you’ll be there in a minute.” She smoothed out the lines on his forehead and he relaxed at her touch. The plaintive look on her face didn’t help ease his mind. “I said too much.”
“No you didn’t. As always, you said what you meant. I needed a minute to let it settle.”
“Finished?” She kept a teasing tone in her words, even if her eyes said she was skeptical.
“Not yet.” He gave her back the honesty she always gave him.
His feelings for her ran deep. Yes, he wanted her in his bed, but he was also content to wait, get to know her better, find out all the little things he didn’t know about her, like how much she liked apple juice and peach yogurt. Her sentimental side when she wore John’s Stetson every time she rode. The way she babied her horses and greeted them with sheer joy when she went into the barn and they neighed a hello to her. The way she stopped everything when Annabelle needed to speak to her.
He loved how he could just be himself around her. “I didn’t think we’d get here this fast. My head is still catching up.”
“Fair enough. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
Leave it to Roxy to make things easy. She held her hand out to him and he stood and took it. Yep. Easy. No demands that he talk about his feelings, spill his guts, and say and do things he wasn’t ready to admit or commit to.
She gave him a tap in the gut with her fist. He tightened his abs and took the hit, making her smile. “Suck it up, big guy. You can take it. Life’s a gamble. If you never risk the bet, you’ll never hold the winning hand. I made it clear from the beginning what I want.”
She didn’t sleep around for sport. She wanted a commitment.
“I think you want the same thing.”
Yes, he did.
“So, I’m all in. It’s up to you to decide if you’re ready to play for keeps.”
Chapter Thirty
Play for keeps. The damn woman left him with those words, a challenge that she’d anted up and he was still holding out. He spent the last four days thinking of nothing else but that conversation and her final say on the matter before all hell broke loose at her work. She’d closeted herself inside the office, some big project that had to be done immediately, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. It required her to take one conference call after another and spend hours at her computer drawing and redrawing her designs.
He woke up this morning and found her gone with nothing but a note left on his bedside table telling him she’d meet him at the dinner tonight. He wanted to kick his own ass for sleeping through her coming into his room and standing next to his bed to deliver her message. He had such a vivid dream of her running her hand over his hair and down the side of his head and over his jaw.
He could still feel her mouth press to his in a soft kiss and taste her on his lips. The dream took a turn and she was under him. Her soft skin pressed against his as he sank deep inside her. Her mouth covering his as she sighed out her pleasure and his name. Her hands kneading the muscles in his back and sliding down to his hips and covering his ass, her fingers squeezing and pulling him close as he thrust ha
rd and deep.
Startled out of his thoughts, he jumped when a hand clamped onto his shoulder and squeezed. He blinked and his eyes focused on the man standing beside him smiling wide.
“Is it possible to get stood up by a hooker?” Austin’s wide grin accompanied the bad joke.
“If you weren’t my best friend, I’d kill you.” Noah shifted and stood chest to chest with Austin and glared into his friend’s eyes. It pissed him off to see them dance with amusement at his expense. Noah kept his head enough to realize they were clear and not clouded by booze for a change.
“Where’s your wild rose?” Austin teased again, coming dangerously close to getting decked.
“She’s meeting me here. Some last-minute business trip.”
Austin mocked him with an eyebrow raise.
Noah inhaled deep and let it out slow. “I’m only going to say this once. She is not and never was a prostitute. Make me repeat myself, and we’ll step outside and I’ll beat it into you. It’s bad enough everyone else is gossiping. I expect better of you, since you know what it’s like to have people talking behind your back about stuff they know nothing about.”
Austin slapped him on the shoulder, a silent apology for talking out his ass.
“Tell me about her. People are talking. Your ex-lady-love paid me a visit and asked me to talk some sense into you before Roxy ruins your life even more than she already has. Cheryl said that woman has you turned upside down, you even had hookers staying at the house with Annabelle. Now, if that’s the case, all I want to know is, why wasn’t I invited?”
Noah downed the rest of his whiskey, the ice clinking against the glass when he thumped it down on the tray held by a passing waiter. He shoved his hands in his pockets and glared at his best friend.
“Cheryl’s got no right to be telling tales.”
“I heard your girl’s knock-out gorgeous, able to fell men with a single knee to the family jewels.” Austin elbowed him, attempting to put things back on a lighter note.
Noah laughed, responding to Austin and the easy way his friend dropped the hooker thing at his word.
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