by Cathryn Fox
“Forever.”
“Did a family member build it?”
“Grandfather.”
“Is he still alive?”
“No.”
“What about your parents? Do they live—”
“Gone.”
I glance over my shoulder and take in the tightness in his jaw, the way his muscles ripple as he clenches down.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks.”
His green eyes lift, and I bite back a gasp as he zeroes in on me. Holy hell, being the sole focus of this man’s attention is…a bit intimidating, and a whole lot stimulating.
“What?” he asks.
“Do you always give one-word answers?”
“No.”
I laugh at that. “You’re the strong silent type, huh?” I say, hoping he can’t hear the arousal in my voice. Then again, a guy like him is probably used to it. Coming from the MMA circuit, he’s used to women throwing their panties at him. I am not going to be one of those women. Ever.
His hardened demeanor changes, and he offers me a grin that is so playful, so downright sexy and mesmerizing, it’s all I can do to stop myself from ripping my panties clear from my hips and tossing them at him.
No, no, no, Haven.
I am here to work, not to get involved with a local, no matter how good looking, and…sweet, he is. Really, beneath that rough and tough surface, I think maybe Gram was right, and he is a softie.
“You think I’m strong?” he teases.
All the tension from the day spills out of me and I laugh. “I think you’re something,” I say.
“You’re something too,” he responds when we reach the top step.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” He scrubs his face. “I’m just tired. I don’t know what I’m saying.”
I stretch out my arms and stifle a yawn, and his glance drops to take in my chest as I expand it. Holy shit, I’m not sure any man has ever looked at me with such desire in his eyes. Truthfully, most men don’t look at me—Haven. They see the movie star actress, the character I played. Then again, am I ever really myself anymore? Do I even know who Haven is, or what she wants, after all these years of pretending to be someone else?
I follow him to a room, and he stands back, gesturing for me to enter. I walk past him, my body brushing his, and I’m certain he just cursed under his breath. Is he feeling this ‘thing’ between us too? Could that be what Carter was picking up on?
He looks like he’s about to leave, and even though I should let him, I find myself saying, “Gram said there were eight of you. Cousins and brothers?”
“Carter, Ryan and Jace are cousins. They grew up with us after their parents died.”
I touch his arm. “I’m sorry, Tyler.” His gaze drops to my hand and I pull it back.
“Sean, Jamie, and the twins, Jared and Jacob are my brothers. I’m the middle child.”
I groan. “Ugh, the dreaded middle child,” I tease. “Did you feel left out?” His face drops, and my pulse jumps. Holy God, did I hit on a sore spot. I quickly try to backtrack. “Tyler, I was just—”
“Night, Haven.”
He turns and I say, “I…um…do you think I could have a shower first? I feel icky after my long flight.”
He scrubs his chin and angles his body. I study his strong profile when he says, “Yeah, sure.”
He points to the door to the bathroom. “Shower is in there, and you’ll find towels in the closet.”
I put my hand on his arm before he leaves and his gaze jerks back to mine. “Thanks Tyler, for this…and earlier.”
“No problem,” he says, his voice a bit gruffer. “Get some sleep.”
I watch him walk away, my gaze latched on his backside, pulled by the easy way he walks. The stairs creak as he descends and I back up, step into his room. A grin plays on my lips as I take in his space, and before I touch his bedding and run my hand over the sheets, I glance over my shoulder. I have no idea why I feel like I’m invading his privacy.
After a thorough inspection of his room, and the view of the lake out back, I grab my bag, toss it onto his bed, and pull out my pajamas. I hurry to the bathroom, shower quickly, and then climb between Tyler’s sheets, which smell freshly laundered. I close my eyes, secure in this room with all the big Owens boys milling about. It doesn’t take long for me to fall asleep, but then suddenly a crashing sound outside my window pulls me awake.
I sit up, and rub my eyes, not sure if I was dreaming or not. I listen for a sound, and something creaks outside my door.
“Hello?” I say, and glance at the clock. It’s well after midnight, surely everyone has gone to bed by now. Moving as quietly as possible, I reach for my phone, pad across the wooden floor, and press my ear to the door. Silence meets my ears, so I quietly open the door and glance down the long length of the hall. Swallowing against a dry throat, I turn on my flashlight app, tiptoe to the stairs and head to the kitchen for a drink.
The light over the stove provides a path to the cupboards. I turn off my flashlight app, and after searching for a glass, I fill it with cold water. The house creaks, and I nearly jump a foot off the floor when something bangs outside again. Breathing deeply, I drop into a chair at the big oaken table and take a fast drink to calm myself. The floor creaks behind me, and I spin so fast, water spills all over me, drenching my pajama shirt.
“Tyler,” I gasp, as his big presence eats up the doorway.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I heard you get up.”
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” I say quickly and work to regulate my breathing.
“You didn’t. I was awake.”
“Carter’s snoring?” I tease, hoping to lighten the mood.
He takes a step closer, hovers over me. My pulse skyrockets as my gaze drops to take in the gorgeous man before me, dressed only in a pair of jeans, which he wears entirely too well. From the dim light over the stove, I count eight abdominal muscles.
My gaze lifts back to his, and he’s not smiling. Nope, not smiling at all. There’s a new kind of ferociousness about him. In fact, he’s looking at me with murder in his eyes and a shudder goes through me.
“Are you okay, Haven?”
“Oh yeah, sure. I…I heard noises.”
A moment passes and he finally says, “This is an old house. Things creak, pipes bang.”
“Right,” I say with a shaky nod, as I work to pull myself together. “That bang was probably just a water pipe. Sounded like a damn gunshot.”
He sits down in the chair next to me, his solid presence offering comfort, and my shoulders relax. “You want to tell me what’s going on?”
3
Tyler
I have never in my life seen anyone this spooked. I’m not sure what’s going on with her, and from the way she’s wrapping her arms around herself in a defensive move, I’m not so sure I’m going to find out. All I know is something is wrong, and if she wants to open up to me, maybe I could help her. Or maybe I should reach out to Rock, let him know his sister might need him.
“What do you mean?” she asks, and I take in the dark circles under her eyes. When was the last time this woman had a good night’s sleep?
I hand her a napkin from the holder Gram keeps on the table. She presses it to her wet pajama top and I do my best not to stare. I just wish my best was better than it is. Goddammit, what kind of man am I? This woman is frightened and I’m staring at her damn breasts.
Looking for a distraction as she dries herself, I run my thumb over the old table, touching the dents that have been made over the years by one brother or another. Warmth touches my soul as I recall the fights and fun we had around this table over the years.
My gaze cuts back to her once she finishes drying herself. “I think you know what I mean,” I say.
She blinks rapidly as she sets the napkin on her lap, and reaches for her glass, swallowing what’s left so hard that the sound reverberates around the big empty r
oom. “It’s just…” she begins and stops, her brow furrowed. For a second I think she’s going to tell me, but then she says, “Just a big old house and I’m not the best sleeper, anyway.”
I watch her for a second, note the way her dark lashes are fluttering rapidly. In the cage it’s my job to read my opponent’s body language, and right now hers speaks volumes. “It’s not my business, but if you’re in some kind of trouble, maybe I could help.”
“Why would you want to help?” she blurts out, her gaze jerking upward. “What is it you want?”
My head rears back. Whoa, what the hell did I say to put her on the defense? I hold my hands up, palms out. “Okay, not my business. Just wanted to make sure you were okay.” I make a move to stand and her trembling hand on my arm stops me.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell like that.” She briefly closes her eyes and shakes her head, obviously sorry for that outburst. “It’s just…I guess it’s the world I grew up in. It’s tit for tat you know. No one does anything altruistic. So, I guess I just assumed…”
“Assumed I wanted something,” I say, finishing her sentence. “I don’t, Haven. Despite what you think of me, or what you’ve heard about me,” I say, knowing her brother talked trash about me for years, even though that was for show. It certainly doesn’t mean the world didn’t believe it though, or that Haven doesn’t think I’m a world class prick who preys on the dreams of innocent children. “I was raised to do the right thing.”
She nods, and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. She looks down for a second and when her head lifts, the worry on her face hits harder than one of Rock’s haymaker punches. My brain is still rattling around in my skull from the last one.
The freckles around her nose bunch when she says, “I…I can’t really say anything.”
“Okay, you can have your secrets, but you’re in my house. I can’t have you bringing trouble here, Haven. I have brothers and cousins to think about. I have Gram to watch over. Here in Blue Bay we protect what’s ours.”
She nods, and goes quiet again. “I’m sorry, Tyler. I’d never want to do anything to jeopardize you or your family, especially after everyone has been so kind, opening your home to strangers.”
My heart pinches at the worry in her voice. I have a feeling Rock was right when he told me his sister was one of a kind, a girl who cares more about others than she does herself. “There are no strangers in Gram’s life,” I say, and it brings a smile to her face.
“She’s really sweet. She’s like the grandmother I never had.”
I nod, sad that Haven never had anyone like Gram in her life. Honestly, she’s the glue that holds the family together. After Mom died, she stepped right in to keep us boys in line. “Yeah…,” I murmur.
She glances at her hands as she twists them in her lap. “It’s just if my director ever found out.”
Tabloid pictures fill my brain. Ah, now I get it. Haven is worried about bringing more trouble to the set, and losing her career. Shit. She’s definitely caught between a rock and a hard place. I touch her chin, lift it until those pretty eyes of hers are on me again.
“Your secret is safe with me. You have my word on that.”
She nods, picks the wet napkin back up and nervously plucks at it. “I’ve been receiving letters…threatening letters.”
Fuck. I exhale and sit back in my seat. “Did you go to the police?”
She shakes her head fast. “No, I can’t. I can’t do anything to lose this job. My career…”
“That’s why you kissed me at Winchester’s? You thought Sean was some sort of stalker, and thought if he saw you with me, he’d back off.”
“After I landed, someone shoved a letter under the bathroom stall. It said, You’ll be mine.”
“If it was the woman’s bathroom, do you think it was a woman?”
“I don’t know. I guess.”
“Well, a guy could have paid someone to do it, I suppose. A beautiful woman like you, I can see it being a guy, especially saying you’ll be mine.”
“Yeah,” she says with a nod. “I just don’t know.”
As a jolt of anger rushes through me, I shake my head, my fingers curling into fists. She notices my reaction and gives a megawatt smile, like she’s said too much and wants to backtrack. Her switch in demeanor happens so fast it catches me off guard.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” she says quickly.
I narrow my gaze. “If it was nothing, you wouldn’t be so frightened.”
She continues to smile, but when I arch a brow, refusing to let her off the hook, she gives in and her face falls. “Yeah, you’re right.”
I lean toward her, and brace my elbows on my thighs. “How long has this been going on?”
“A couple of weeks now.”
“Do you have enemies?”
“I…I don’t think so. Rock does, but—”
I consider our MMA fans. Would one go so far as to threaten a fighter’s sister? “You think someone who has it out for Rock would come after you?”
“I really don’t know.” Blue eyes full of vulnerability search mine, and my gut twists. “Do you think it could be?”
“I don’t know either, Haven. Do you think you should call your brother?”
She shakes her head. “He has a big fight coming up in Vegas and I don’t want to worry him.”
“He’d want to know. You’re everything to him.”
A small smile touches her mouth. “I know. He’s everything to me too. He’s the only guy…”
Her words fall off, but she doesn’t need to finish for me to understand, her brother is the only guy she’s ever been able to count on. Well, that changes right now.
“Okay, then it’s settled. From this second until the movie finishes up and you leave Blue Bay, you’re with me. I’ll be that boyfriend you were seeking at Winchester’s. Whoever gave you that letter will have to go through me to get to you, I won’t let anything happen to you,” I say.
I’m not doing this just because Rock is my friend—yeah, we put on a good show, but he’s the guy who stayed with me all night when I found out my dad died. I’m doing it because she has no one else to turn to and I don’t want anything to happen to her.
“What do you want in return?” she asks.
“Your safety. If I had a sister in trouble, I’d hope someone would do this for her.”
Her entire body tightens, and her eyes narrow in on me. That obviously wasn’t the answer she was expecting. Confused, she stares for a good solid minute, or at least it feels like that, and then she shakes her head, like she can’t seem to wrap her brain around anyone not wanting something from her. That totally pisses me off. What kind of world did she grow up in where she can’t count on people? Christ, I could call any one of my brothers right now, for anything, even a paper cut, and they’d be here in a second.
“What’s the problem, Haven?” I ask, since I’m a no bullshit kind of guy.
“I can’t ask you to do that and not do anything in return,” she says. I’m about to tell her it’s fine when a loud bang reverberates through the house. She just about jumps three feet in the air.
I put my hand on her shoulder, to calm her. “It’s probably just an animal in the trash. You stay here, I’ll go look.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” I push from my chair, and open the door, which isn’t even locked. Hell, no one locks the doors in Blue Bay, but maybe we’ll have to change that for the time being. Outside, I find the garbage tipped over, and I pick it back up and secure the metal lid. Back inside, Haven is still sitting in her chair, her eyes wide.
“Breathe, Haven,” I say when I reach her, and she sucks in a breath. “It was likely just a racoon.” I stifle a yawn and she stands.
“Thank you, Tyler. I’ve definitely kept you up long enough.”
“Wasn’t sleeping anyway.”
She puts her glass in the sink, and gives me a weird little finger wave as she starts toward the stairs. I
follow behind her, and try not to look at her sweet ass in those short pajama bottoms. A groan I have absolutely zero control over rises in my throat and I fake a cough to cover it. Haven momentarily stills on the steps, and I nearly crash into her.
“You okay?” she asks.
“Fine.”
She starts up again and I follow her to my bedroom. She enters and I step inside with her, shutting the door behind us. She turns to me, her eyes wide. “What are you doing?”
“I’m staying in here tonight.” I gesture to the chair in the corner. “I’ll sleep there.”
“Tyler—”
“I don’t want anything from you, Haven,” I say, although that’s a big fucking lie. I want her in my bed, beneath me, but that’s not going to happen. “First nights in strange beds aren’t easy.” I almost snort at that. How many women have I gone home with and jumped straight into bed with, no problems at all? Although I never stay the night and sleep wasn’t what we were after. The women who get involved with me know straight up I don’t stay. I leave before they have to explain I’m not ‘meet the parents’ material.
She looks at the chair. “No, they’re not, but I can’t ask—”
“You’re not. I’m offering.”
“What will your family think?”
“I’m a big boy, Haven. I don’t have to answer to anyone but myself.”
She nods in understanding. “How about you take the bed and I’ll take the chair?”
Okay, so she’s not opposed to me staying with her, she’s just opposed to me being uncomfortable, and I like that about her. She’s definitely not a pampered princess like the media makess her out to be. My heart softens as she moves toward the chair.
“Not happening, Haven,” I say and capture her hand. I spin her to face me and that’s when I see it—lust in her eyes as our fingers connect. She doesn’t pull away. Nope, instead she weaves her fingers through mine, and damned if that doesn’t stroke my cock.
With my traitorous dick thickening, I stand over her, hover close, watch a streak of pink crawl into her cheeks.
“I just don’t understand why you would do this,” she says so quietly I have to strain to hear.
