“There’s a situation at home and, well, if you don’t mind I’d rather not talk about it. But everything I’m telling you is true. And I promise, if that damn tiger hadn’t made me crash, I’d be out of here even though the stupid piece of crap truck I bought doesn’t have a heater.”
His fist hit the steel countertop and every dish on it rattled.
Her body jerked in surprise. Maybe she should go to the deputy. He could take her to a bus station and she could see how far her last fifty bucks would take her.
“Did you say tiger?” He grumbled as he pulled a cell phone out of front jean pocket.
She shrugged. “You think I’m crazy but I swear that’s what it was. The Deputy didn’t believe me. It sat in the back of my truck for a good ten minutes and stared at me, inches from my head.” She shivered at the memory. “You don’t forget something like that. I kept waiting for it to eat me but it just sat there. I swear it laughed at me.”
Luc headed to the back door and stepped outside into the blizzard wearing only a t-shirt, jeans and cowboy boots. Idiot man.
“Hey,” she said, but the door shut behind him.
Who am I to tell him to put on a coat?
It might be awhile before she could afford another meal so she dug into the stew and sopped up the juice with the bread.
Luc stomped back inside and brushed the snow from his hair and arms. “The snow will cover the tracks, yes. First thing in the morning.” When he passed by, the heat rolled off of him as if he hadn’t spent the last five minutes standing in a blizzard.
Obviously, I’m more tired than I think.
It had been the day from hell.
“Yep, I’ll call her. If he’s back, he’ll end up there eventually. Nah, Jake’s out there. He can handle it. Well, wouldn’t hurt. I’d go, but with Keen and—yeah. What? Hell, that’s all right then. I’ll go see them before I come by your office. Yeah, I’ll keep an eye out,” he stared at her. “He has her scent. He wouldn’t do it on purpose, but if he can’t tap into uh,” he glanced down at her, “his humanity, you know, I’m not sure what will happen.”
Wow. The conversation had gone deep. Someone had lost his humanity. She shivered. After seeing one too many serial killer movies, she just hoped this person wasn’t out to murder her.
He hung up and she started to ask him if she could stay at least the night. But he held up a hand.
Opening the swinging doors, he whistled loudly. Everyone on the other side of the doors went silent. “Babies and mom are healthy, and it was a boy and a girl just like she thought. Goes to show you the doc’s not always right even with his high tech gear.”
There was a loud cheer and then the noise returned to normal.
“Congratulations,” she said. “Are they your family?”
His eyebrows drew together and his fists clenched.
“My family is dead.”
…
There was a long pause as Luc tried to get himself under control. For years he’d kept his temper, yet this woman had brought it out twice in the space of an hour.
“Leave it to me to stick my entire leg in my mouth,” she said hurriedly, attempting to cover her shocked silence after his abrupt statement. “I lost my family, too. Well, my parents anyway.” No need to mention what was going on with her brother and uncle. She took a deep breath. “The pain never seems to go away. It sits on your chest like a heavy anchor until sometimes you feel like everything would be easier if you just stopped breathing.”
She blinked several times and then glanced down at her hands. She and her parents hadn’t been super-close when she was growing up but they’d all become much closer in the last few years before the car accident. “I think the loneliness is the worst. You have all those memories and no one to share them with or even to call when things aren’t going quite your way.” She sniffled.
Luc’s anger dissipated immediately. She described every waking day since he lost his wife and son. He’d lost his parents in the same flood that had taken his child and his bride. All of them swept out into the roaring river created when a dam broke. Luc had been working a case in Cleveland. He didn’t even remember how he made it home that night.
Never again did he want to experience the heart-shredding grief he’d gone through after that night. His shattered heart couldn’t bear it.
Losing his parents had been horrible. But his wife. And his son…
He’d always heard that losing a child changed a person.
And he’d learned firsthand that was true.
He cleared his throat. “You can stay the night but you have to leave in the morning,” he said. “This place isn’t safe for someone like you. It’s a rough town, and like I said before, you need to get as far away as you can.”
As he said the words, an ache burned in his chest. He didn’t want her to go. He’d never get to smell her soft scent or delve into those beautiful green eyes. And when he’d touched her, her skin had been soft as a down feather. But she represented a threat to the vow he had made to himself when he lost his wife and child. Never again would he put himself in a position where he could become so vulnerable to another person.
He went on the occasional date, but never with the same woman twice. And nothing serious.
No exceptions.
Ainsley was a woman who might make him think twice about that vow. Even now, he ached to reach out and take her in his arms. To soothe her pain. She’d been frightened and had fled with the clothes on her back.
Was she running from a man? Had she been physically abused?
She didn’t lift her head and it tore at him to see her in such emotional pain. Opening the fridge, he pulled out the last piece of the chocolate pie he’d been saving. It was the ultimate sacrifice, but he was at a loss.
“When I’m having a bad day, pie seems to help,” he said softly as he put the plate next to her bowl. “Chocolate has healing powers. You’ll be better before you know it.”
What the hell was he talking about? Now he’d become a blithering idiot.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
He saw a drop of water fall from her cheek to her skirt where she sat on the stool.
Damn if he didn’t want to scoop her up and hold her until he soaked up all her pain.
Backing out of the kitchen, he watched her, forcing himself to go in the opposite direction his heart insisted on.
She was already under his skin.
Good thing she was leaving the next day.
But the idea of watching her go didn’t set well with Luc.
Yep, she was trouble.
Chapter Four
Three hours and two numb feet later, Ainsley gritted her teeth against the pain in her ribs and counted her tips. She had almost sixty dollars. Money she’d worked her ass off for seemed so much more important than the thousands, sometimes, millions she’d made at the gallery. This was what it was like to be a real working stiff.
She sometimes spent sixteen hours a day at the auction house but it was far from the backbreaking work at The Cub Club. Slipping off her shoes, she massaged her toes. Between the cold and the four-inch heels, her poor feet probably thought she’d gone insane.
She stuffed the shoes in her bag and waited for Luc. The bar had been scrubbed clean, as had the floors. The chairs were stacked on the table and the napkins restocked. The Cress boys had filled all the mustard and ketchup containers and stuck them on a tray in the large walk-in cooler.
Now she had to find a place to sleep. He’d told her that she could stay the night, and she hoped it meant he had an empty bed somewhere close. Tired, aching from the accident and emotionally spent, the only thing she could think about was a pillow. She didn’t care if she had to curl up in one of the booths. At the moment, she felt safe for the first time in forty-eight hours.
Thanks to Luc, a man who couldn’t stand her.
She sighed. They had one thing in common. Unfortunately, it was something that caused immense pain. She’d seen the horror on
his face when she’d mentioned family. Wondering who he’d lost, she decided to run to the ladies room while she waited for him to come back. Grabbing her purse, she headed into the bathroom.
She snorted when she glanced into the mirror and shook her head.
“Hello, Death.” That was what her brother used to call her when they were kids because she was so pale.
Oh, Robbie. What have you done?
Shoving the angry thoughts from her mind, she pulled out the small toothbrush she kept in her purse and brushed her teeth. Bending over, the pain in her side intensified. After unwinding her hair from the bun—most of which had started falling anyway—and finger brushing her tresses, she pulled the snarled, and still slightly damp curls back on top of her head. Then she removed her shirt and hung it on one of the stall doors.
There was long mirror in the corner and she took inventory of the bruises she sustained in the accident. The seatbelt had caused the most damage. A wide strap-like bruise had developed across her chest and stomach. She unzipped her skirt and hung it with the shirt. The cause of the pain on her side and hip was evident, and explained why it’d hurt when Harry had pinched her. She must have hit the door handle of the truck damn hard. There was a big bump and an indentation on the backside of her hip.
“What the hell?” Luc’s voice boomed. He must not have realized she was in the bathroom because he hadn’t even knocked before barging in.
Ainsley crossed her arms trying to hide at least the important bits of her body. “Um, turn around,” she said. “And why are you yelling. What did I do now?”
“Did someone hit you?” He growled as he moved closer.
She was standing there in her lacy pink bra and panties and he didn’t even act like he noticed she was almost naked.
Story of my life.
Most guys preferred tall slim model types and she was anything but. Not that she cared. She’d long accepted herself for the way she was.
“It’s from the accident.” She winced as she grabbed for her shirt.
“You’ve done something to your shoulder,” he grumbled as he touched it gently. His big hands were surprisingly gentle, though the fingers were calloused from hard work. His dark eyes burned with intensity. A strange humming sensation hit her lower extremities and she forced herself to pull away from him.
“Probably slammed against the door when I hit my hip. Just bruises. They’ll heal soon enough.” She couldn’t take the chance that he’d make her go to the emergency room to be checked out by a doctor. How would she keep her identity secret then? “Though, my head is starting to hurt,” she acknowledged as she yawned and turned away. “I hit the side of my face on the steering wheel. I’ll be lucky if I don’t wake up with a black eye or two in the morning.”
Luc turned her around to face him. His fingers trailed along her temple cheek and chin as he searched for injuries.
Gently, he lifted the strap of her bra and stared at the bruise underneath.
“You should have said something,” he reprimanded.
“To who? No one here knows me.”
“To me,” he growled. “I can’t believe you worked with all of this trauma to your body.”
“Uh, it’s just bruises.” She said, stifling another yawn. She slipped her blouse on but didn’t immediately bother with the skirt. He’d already seen her half naked and the shirt hung well past her hips. Instead she held her skirt and her bag in her hand. “I don’t mean to be rude, but if you have a blanket and a pillow, I need to sleep.”
His eyebrow lifted. “Where were you thinking about doing that? Especially half-dressed?”
She shrugged. “I’m okay with one of the booths. The six–seater is long enough.” Though, at five seven her feet would hang off the end, but she didn’t care. Forcing her eyes to stay open, she waved a hand. “It’s okay if you don’t have extra pillows. I’m so tired I can just curl up on the booth.”
Before she could take a step, she heard him growl again.
“You are going to see the doctor. There’s a good chance you have a concussion.” Like the deputy, he scooped her up as if she were nothing.
Man, the guys in this town were bossy.
“Hey, put me down.” She tried to push out of his arms, but he held firm, yet still mindful of her bruises. “I’m fine. Really.” She started laughing. The situation was absurd. This giant of a man was like some big Neanderthal taking her to his cave.
Ignoring her protestations and laughter, he hit a button with his boot just off of the kitchen. A door leading to a stairway opened. When she’d been in the kitchen, she hadn’t noticed it. Hidden doors, this guy was interesting in a weird way.
“I—uh. Where are you taking me?”
“To my bed,” he grumbled.
“Oh, no. I’m not going to—” Though the idea of sleeping with him wasn’t exactly abhorrent. She wondered what it would be like for those hands to stroke—
Stop it. This guy is taking you to his bed without your consent. Maybe you should do something about that.
She tried to shift in his arms but he only held her tighter.
“Don’t even think about it,” he warned. “I’m not going to attack you. I’m putting you in my room so you can rest. That is, once Doc takes a look at you.”
“You aren’t very good at listening are you?” She said as she rolled her eyes.
Luc paused at the top of the stairs and looked down at her. “What do you mean?”
“I told you I am sore but fine. Put me down please.”
He frowned and pushed the door open. The loft space surprised her. The creamy earth tones blended to make a calm and cozy space, even though it encompassed the entire space above the bar. It had to be at least three thousand square feet. The low leather couches faced large windows on the south and east side. The kitchen was state-of-the-art, and a huge stone fireplace was centered in the room.
The bedroom was on the southwest end up on a platform.
“You live here?” the incredulity in her voice impossible to hide.
“Why do you say it like that?”
I don’t know, maybe because you are a giant, lumberjack–Hell’s Angel.
“I—it’s beautiful. I mean, like out of Architectural Digest impressive. Unexpected,” she said.
“Like the ginger,” he said as he put her down on the bed. “I’ll find you a t-shirt or something to wear tonight so you don’t have to mess up your blouse. The doc should be here a few minutes after I make the call.”
“I’m not fond of doctors,” she complained, panicked that he may insist she go to the hospital. No doubt they would ask for all sorts of personal information. “And I’ll be fine.”
“Tough one, I know,” he said. “You couldn’t have worked as hard as you did in as much pain as you are if you weren’t. But you need to take care of yourself. There’s no way of knowing if you have internal injuries. Some of that bruising is severe. There could be clots.”
Scooting back against the large padded headboard, she chewed on her lip. “Jeez, you know how to scare the crap out of a girl,” she said. “I wasn’t worried, now I wish you’d hurry up and get the doctor here.”
Truthfully, she hadn’t thought of what might be going on inside of her body other than the stiffness she experienced.
“Well, it won’t be good for business if you die,” he said gruffly. “Word gets around in this town.”
She should have known he didn’t really care. He just didn’t want to have to deal with her if she keeled over. Once again she bit back the retort on her tongue. No matter what his motivations might be, he’d been kind and helpful in his way.
He drew a beautiful ring quilt that looked like it had been lovingly hand-stitched over her legs.
“This is gorgeous and so detailed,” she said smoothing hands over the small pieces of fabric forming one of the rings. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful quilt. Whoever made this was a true artist,” she said thoughtfully.
“My wife made it befor
e she died,” he grumbled before stalking away to make his call.
His wife. He slept every night with a quilt she’d made.
Her heart melted for the big bear. His outside might be tough and his attitude cranky, but inside he knew how to love. She recognized the pain on his face since she’d seen it reflected in her mirror after the accident involving her parents.
More than anything, she wanted to know that softer side of Luc. What would it be like to be loved and cherished by such a man?
There wasn’t a chance in hell he’d let her find out, but a girl could wish.
Eyes fluttering closed, she smiled. As she scooted down in the bed, she imagined him beside her. His amazingly gentle hands stroking her face, neck and breasts.
Yes, a girl could dream.
…
Luc watched her sleep. Doc had found her passed out on the bed when he arrived. She’d barely been able to open her eyes. After checking her injuries, he said she had some serious bruising and left some drugs for her take when she woke. If she got dizzy or the pain in her hip became unbearable, Luc was to call. But she didn’t have a concussion, which meant he could let her rest. Doc wasn’t so sure she hadn’t chipped a bone where the seat belt had bitten into her but he couldn’t tell for sure without an x-ray, which Ainsley had groggily declined getting.
She’d been worried for her life, that’s why she’d run. Conrad was discreetly running her through missing persons. They were using the older system so that if they did tag her, it wouldn’t alert her local law enforcement. If she were in danger, they didn’t want to help whoever it was find her.
The pain he’d seen earlier when she talked about her family was something he knew intimately. Had someone killed them and then tried to take her out, too? She obviously had money. Why hadn’t she just flown off to some tropical island? Why in the hell was she in the middle of effing Montana driving him mad? Even now, he had to shove down the beast within, which was inexplicably drawn to her.
Luc put his glass on the side table, so he didn’t break it.
Conrad said she’d taken the highway. When the blizzard began, she’d taken the first exit hoping to eventually run into a town.
Lions, Tigers, and Sexy Bears, Oh My! Page 3
