“Oh,” she said softly, “I don’t think we’ll ever be friends. There’s too much past between us.”
That bothered him, too, damn it.
“Psychoanalyzing us, are you?”
She laughed a little and turned her head until she was watching the flames in the hearth. “Oh, nothing so formal. Just acceptance of the reality of it all.”
“I see.” He didn’t, but he would say it so he didn’t look like a complete idiot. Kellan much preferred being the one who laid down the rules in any romantic entanglement—not that this was romantic. Having Irina suddenly become the cool, calm, disinterested voice of reason was annoying.
The fan on the fireplace kicked into life and became a low hum as warm air drifted into the room, chasing the chill into the shadows.
“I know I said sex would be a mistake,” Irina continued, and he had to lean in to hear her soft but firm voice. “But I don’t think it was.”
“Well, how fortunate for us.” Sarcasm colored his tone and he wasn’t sorry for it.
She ignored his jab and said, “I think it was a good thing for us to do this again.”
“Happy to hear it.” Sarcasm continued to drip from his words, but apparently, she didn’t pick up on it. Or didn’t care.
“Because now we know that we share chemistry—but nothing else.”
Insult rose up now and tangled with the irritation but he couldn’t find anything to say to combat her words. It wasn’t just chemistry and they both knew it, in spite of what she said. That was the danger.
He’d always known it. Sensed that Irina was the one woman who could slip past his defenses and put him at risk again. Hell, that was the reason he’d avoided being near her all these years. It wasn’t just chemistry. It was more.
“So I’m glad we did this.” She nodded, as if encouraging herself. “I think it was good for me.”
“Happy to help,” he muttered. This was not going the way he’d imagined it. Kellan had known going in that sex with Irina was going to be world shifting. It always was. And he’d known that he’d have a hard time leaving her again.
What he hadn’t expected was Irina having such an easy time of walking away.
“Kellan,” she said and the faint music of her Russian accent flavored her speech, teasing him with memories of hushed whispers in the dark. “I almost want to thank you.”
“Oh, sure.” Thank him? He choked out a harsh laugh and nodded even while his insides were churning. “Why not? Be sure to leave a referral on the dresser before you go.”
A ripple of laughter erupted from her and she reached over to give his hand a quick pat. “Why do you sound so insulted?”
“How should I sound?” He sat up, the duvet pooling in his lap, and looked down at her. Hand patting. Laughing. Hell, this whole episode had gone from X-rated to a damn farce. “Did you use me for sex to set yourself free?”
“Why?” she asked, still smiling. “Do you feel used?”
“Starting to,” he admitted. Not to mention, more than a little annoyed.
She really laughed then and the sound rolled through the quiet room. He wanted to be angry but she was so beautiful when she laughed, he couldn’t quite manage it.
When she caught her breath, she looked up at him and shook her head. “God, Kellan, now you sound outraged.”
“Only because I am,” he countered. Irritation was back, fiercer than ever, and frustration bubbled in the pit of his stomach. He was off balance. Unsteady, and he didn’t like it.
“Damn it, Irina, what the hell’s going on here?”
She touched his cheek briefly, then shrugged again, tugging the duvet up to cover her breasts. He couldn’t have said why that gesture hit him so hard, but it did.
“The last time we were together, you walked away. And I had to watch you leave.” Irina’s dark green eyes locked on him. “You said you had to let me go for both our sakes. Well, this time, Kellan... I’m letting you go.”
Six
Stunned speechless, Kellan stared at her for several long, tense beats. Before he could think of something to say to that, he heard footsteps pounding up the stairs at a dead run. He turned to face the door. Did he lock it?
His brother crashed in and stopped dead at the threshold.
No, he didn’t lock it.
“Damn it, Vaughn! What’re you doing?”
“Oops.” Vaughn laughed, then nodded a greeting. “Hey, Irina. Good to see you.”
She only smiled and said, “Hello, Vaughn.”
Kellan glanced at her, astounded by her composure. No frantic tugging at the duvet. No embarrassment. No reaction at all. Seven years ago, she’d been constantly worried they’d be found out. Today, she was stark naked beneath that duvet and she’d clearly just had sex with Kellan and she was as cool and serene as if she were at a tea party with the damn Queen of England. Who the hell was this woman?
And why was she even more intriguing now than she had been all those years ago?
Anger pulsing inside him, Kellan demanded of his brother, “Don’t you knock?”
Vaughn lifted both hands and grinned. “Hey, middle of the afternoon. Who knew you’d be...busy up here?”
Kellan sighed. His own damn fault. Should’ve locked the door. “Go away.”
One eyebrow lifted and Vaughn leaned one shoulder against the doorjamb, clearly going nowhere. “Is that any way to talk to a man who’s bringing news?”
“Fine,” Kellan ground out tightly. “What do you want? Then go away.”
Obviously enjoying himself, Vaughn gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I was in town and heard something. Thought you’d want to know. Miranda’s got her Ex-Wives show filming some scenes at the Hollow.”
Kellan’s head exploded. “Damn it!”
* * *
Lulu loved Blackwood Hollow.
The Bellamy, where the cast and crew were staying, was luxurious, as good as or better than any five-star hotel she’d ever stayed in and she had zero complaints. But this ranch house deserved at least ten stars, she thought.
The rooms were huge but cozy at the same time, and the grounds...from the tennis court to the swimming pools—two of them—to the hot and cold running cowboys all over... Well, she could see why Miranda had always described it so lovingly.
“It’s an amazing place, isn’t it?”
Lulu looked at Fee. They stood beside an enormous Christmas tree in the front window of what Miranda called the great room. Another point in the ranch house’s favor—the Christmas decorations that filled the house. Lulu could only imagine how beautiful it all looked at night, with the lights glittering in the darkness.
“It really is,” she said with a little sigh. “I could see myself living in Texas, if it could be like this.”
Fee laughed. “I’d miss Manhattan, but I’d be willing to make the sacrifice.” Staring out the window at the wide sweep of lawn and the seemingly endless Texas sky, now studded with dark clouds, she said, “You forget, don’t you?”
“What?” Lulu studied her friend’s wistful expression.
“That there’s a whole world outside New York.” Fee took a deep breath and let it slide from her lungs. “I mean, just look at the space. There’s so much room here. You can see the entire sky. I’m more used to seeing patches of it with the high-rises crowding the image.”
“True,” Lulu said, turning her gaze back to the ranch. “And really, the night sky is even prettier. So many stars.”
Behind them, the crew was setting up for a shot and the other girls were enjoying the coffee and tea served by the ranch cook. Except for Miranda, who was upstairs looking for Irina Romanov.
“You had a good idea,” Lulu said thoughtfully. “Having Irina as a guest star on the show.”
Fee shrugged. “When Miranda told us about her, I talked to Nigel and he loved the id
ea. Said it would really get people talking. I mean who even knew mail-order brides even existed anymore?”
Lulu nodded, because she really didn’t have anything to add to that. Nigel Townshend was the head of the studio and the producer of their show. He was smart and intuitive, so if he thought having Irina on the show would be a good idea, everyone else would go along.
Outside, the cowboys were working with horses in a corral painted a bright, shining white. An old dog pushed itself slowly to its feet and ambled up to one of the men, who absently stroked its head. It was such a different life from the one Lulu was used to; it was as if she were living in a documentary.
“Who,” Fee murmured, “is that?”
Lulu followed her friend’s gaze to the man just arriving in a big black truck. As they watched, he climbed out, slammed the door and tugged his hat on. He had sharp, handsome features, dark blond hair, and Lulu would have been willing to bet his eyes would be either blue or green. He was tall and muscular and walked with a slight limp that somehow only made him sexier.
“I don’t know,” Lulu said softly, “but he’s pretty.”
“Oh, he’s more than pretty,” Fee corrected.
“What are you two looking at?”
Lulu turned to smile at Miranda. “Just enjoying the scenery,” she said. “That one in particular. Who is he? Do you know?”
Miranda took a look and nodded. “Sure. That’s Clint Rockwell. He’s got a neighboring ranch.”
“Does he?” Fee murmured, tipping her head to one side to study the cowboy.
“He was a good friend of Buck’s,” Miranda said. “He used to help Buck out a lot, keeping an eye on things at the ranch. I guess he still is,” she added as Clint walked over to the corral. “He’s also a volunteer fireman for Royal.”
He rested one boot on the bottom rail, then crossed his arms on the top one as he talked to one of the working men. Lulu was willing to bet that Fee was also noticing how Clint’s jeans hugged his very nice butt.
“Cowboy and fireman?” Fee mused. “Interesting.”
Lulu grinned. She hadn’t seen Fee this interested in a man for a very long time. This could be fun. Then she turned to Miranda. “So where’s Irina?”
“I don’t know. She’s not home, but her work is spread out across her bed, so she’s probably just out on the property somewhere and will be back soon.” Miranda touched Fee’s arm. “Thanks for suggesting we have Irina on the show as a guest star. I think it will really help push her book.”
Fee tore her gaze from Clint Rockwell long enough to smile at her friend. “It’s no problem. I’m looking forward to meeting her.”
Lulu hooked her arm through Miranda’s and left Fee to enjoy the view. She herself wasn’t interested in that cowboy, but she’d like more information about a certain lawyer. “Let’s have some tea and cookies and you can tell me all about that lawyer friend of yours, Kace LeBlanc.”
* * *
Kellan bolted, stark naked, out of bed and grabbed his clothes.
Instantly, Vaughn held both hands up and made a cross out of his fingers as if he were warding off a vampire. Turning his head to one side, he said, “Dude. I don’t want to see that.”
From Irina’s perspective, she thought a naked Kellan was an excellent view. Of course, he wasn’t naked for long.
“Kellan, what are you doing?” Irina watched him as he dragged on jeans, a shirt, and then sat down to put on socks and his boots.
“I’m going over to the Hollow to have a ‘talk’ with Miranda.”
“Why bother?” Vaughn asked.
Kellan shot him a furious look. “If you don’t care, why’d you rush over here to report it to me?”
Uncomfortable, Vaughn stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. “Thought you’d want to know is all.”
Kellan scowled at him. “So you’re okay with this ridiculous television show being filmed in our house?”
“Not my house,” Vaughn argued stiffly. “Not for a long time.”
“That’s a damn lie. It’s Blackwood Hollow. You’re a Blackwood.” Kellan stomped into his boots, then pulled his jeans legs down over the tops.
Irina listened to the brothers argue, but her gaze was locked solely on Kellan. He looked furious and she wanted to kick Vaughn for bringing the news. Not only had he gotten Kellan all worked up over Buck’s will again, but he’d interrupted an important conversation. Irina was proud of herself for standing up for herself. For letting Kellan know that she wasn’t the shy, timid woman he’d once known. But with the news of the film crew, she had a feeling everything she’d said had flown from his mind.
“It’s Miranda’s house, Kellan.” Irina sat up a little straighter, clutching the duvet to her chest with one hand and pushing her hair back from her face with the other. She could see anger pulsing around him in thick waves, and she tried to calm him down. It didn’t work.
“If you think I don’t know that, you’re wrong,” he told her, slanting an angry look in her direction.
“Then what are you planning on doing?” She wished she could get up and go over to him, but she wasn’t willing to stand up naked in front of Vaughn. And dragging the duvet with her would only make her trip.
“I’m going to remind her that this isn’t over,” he ground out. “I’m talking to my own damn lawyers and until this will business is settled, I don’t want her putting the family ranch out on television for God and everyone to see.” He stood up and glared down at her.
His eyes were frosty and she hated to see it. And still, she tried to talk him down. “It’s just a TV show, Kellan. It’s not that important.”
His expression hardened and she knew that had been the wrong thing to say.
“Blackwood Hollow shouldn’t be used as a backdrop to a bunch of silly women whose only claim to fame is being divorced from rich men.”
Irina shook her head. “It’s a silly show. Why are you so angry about it?”
He took a breath, scrubbed both hands across his face and finally answered, “Because I grew up in that house. Buck might have been a crappy father, but that house means something to me. I’m a Blackwood and so’s he—” Kellan jerked a thumb at his brother “—whether he wants to admit it or not. Some things shouldn’t be used like a damn sideshow, and my family home is one of those things.”
She read that plain truth in his eyes and a part of her could understand it. But at the same time, Irina had to wonder if it wasn’t more the pain of Buck overlooking his children in the will that was driving him right now.
“How’re you going to stop it?” Vaughn asked and Irina wished he’d go away. Unconsciously or not, he was feeding Kellan’s anger.
Kellan swung around to face his brother. “I told you, I’m going to talk to Miranda. Set her straight.”
“You’re only going to make things worse, Kellan.” Irina felt as if she were talking to a brick wall. But if she were, she could at least rap her head against it in frustration. “The fact is Buck left her the ranch. Legally, she can do whatever she wants there.”
“You’re in law school,” he countered. “You know a will can be fought in court. Nothing’s settled yet, so why take sides against me?”
She flinched at the jab, but she didn’t stop. “I’m not taking her side. There are no sides, Kellan. And even if you are fighting the will, the fact is right now, the will says the ranch belongs to her. You can’t change that.”
Irina looked from Kellan to Vaughn and back again. Both Blackwood brothers were looking at her with accusatory glares. Apparently, Vaughn was no happier about this situation than Kellan was—he was just better at hiding his real feelings.
“I’m going to challenge that will, Irina, so don’t bet on Miranda coming out on top.” He walked closer to the bed and stared down at her with a coldness she hadn’t seen since he’d walked away from her seven years before. �
��I’m damned if I’m letting that gold digger slither back here from New York and take what belongs to my family.” He pushed one hand through his hair and muttered under his breath, “Buck must have been out of his mind.”
“With that, I’ll agree,” Vaughn said and Irina sent him a look meant to shut him up. Instead, he gave her a smile and shrugged.
“You know the bottom line here, Irina?” Kellan asked. “I don’t care about the money. Buck could have left her every single dime and I wouldn’t have said a word. But our family home? The ranch? Blackwood bank?” He shook his head firmly. “No. Like hell am I going to sit still and take it.” He started out of the room.
“Kellan,” she called out, “wait for me. I’ll go with you—”
But he was gone. Vaughn was still standing in the doorway, though, so she said tartly, “You set him off. You could at least go with him.”
He shrugged. “No, thanks. Kellan wants to fight that woman, it’s on him. I’m out.”
“You’re not fooling me, Vaughn.” Irina watched him and saw his gaze shift from hers as if he couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eyes “I know you’re no happier than Kellan is with the situation.”
His features went blank. “You’re wrong about that. Anyway. Like I said, good to see you, Irina.”
She tugged the duvet higher. “Uh-huh. Close the door on your way out.”
* * *
Irina was only five minutes behind Kellan.
So when she raced into the house at Blackwood Hollow, the argument was still in full swing.
Miranda and Kellan were squared off in the foyer, in full view of everyone else, who were in the great room. She swallowed a groan when she saw that both cameramen were grinning as they kept their lenses focused on the arguing pair. Kellan had wanted to stop the filming. Instead, he was giving everyone quite a show.
“You’ve got no right,” Kellan was arguing, his voice low and grim.
Irina heard the restrained fury in his voice and had to admire the way Miranda stood her ground against him. Actually, the woman looked completely relaxed, rather than cowed.
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