Her jaw slackened as she drank in the sight of him. Her vision tunnelled—she could only see him. And even then, he was blurry. Why was that?
“Hey doll, what does a guy have to do to get serviced ‘round here?”
She blinked and turned her head. Funny how time seemed to have slowed.
Ultimate Jerk-off was smiling at her. Weird. He didn’t usually smile at her. And why did Double Jerk have his phone up like he was taking a photo?
“I want a Manhattan.”
“You want a cocktail?” Confused, she simply stared at him. Since when did Ultimate Jerk-off and his cronies want cocktails?
“Yeah. A Manhattan. Or is that too complicated for you?”
She glanced behind him at the peacock pretty dresses. Oh of course. “It’s fine.” She’d been making them since before she was legal. Working in her father’s little hotel bar.
She turned, surveying the gleaming bottles behind her. Back to the show. But it was like her hand was disconnected from her body. She couldn’t get her fingers to move fast enough. She watched, unable to move, as in slo-mo the bottle fell to the floor at her feet. And smashed.
She’d dropped the damn bottle. She never dropped the bottle. She always caught it.
And then, she giggled. And then she giggled some more. Because Savannah never giggled. Not like that.
“Savannah?”
She turned. It was him. Hot car sex guy. And he knew her name? Weird. Everything was weird. “That’s not my name.”
His blue eyes weren’t looking angry anymore. God they were gorgeous. But why was he walking behind the bar?
“Isn’t it sweetheart?”
His voice came from so far away, yet if she wasn’t mistaken, he was getting closer.
She shook her head. Only suddenly stopped because it was like her brain had shrunk to the size of a ping pong ball and was rattling round in her skull. It hurt. “I’m not a sweetheart…”
“No? What are you then?” His arms were around her now and she sighed and fell against him.
That was better. But her head still felt weird, and there was a relentless dizzying noise.
“I’m Sugar.”
When he’d first walked in Connor had thought everything was normal. If it hadn’t been for that glitter in her eyes, he’d never have thought she’d remembered that she’d been out in his car fucking the life out of him less than twenty-four hours before. And she was so gloriously immaculate again. But he knew that perfect presentation was merely a mask.
A mask that had suddenly, alarmingly slipped.
In a matter of seconds she was so flushed, so full of smiles… and then she dropped that bottle. Now he wondered if she was drunk.
But she’d been sipping from a water bottle. He suddenly angled his head to see past her, hunting for that green bottle. But his gaze collided with that asshole’s. The one who’d been harassing her the night before. He was smirking.
Oh no. Oh hell no.
Holding her close he glared at the three men leaning on the other side of the bar and he just knew. How the fuck did they think they were going to get away with it? And how long did those drugs take to kick in? What if she had a bad reaction? His blood iced but his heart raced as he tried to rationalise. They were in a full bar, the assholes couldn’t be expecting anything too awful to happen to her. They’d meant it to be a sick joke. And the aim?
Humiliation.
The shorter guy held a phone. Were they planning to publicly shred her? Post this online for people to laugh at?
Not on his mountain they weren’t.
Connor walked, half carrying the now clinging Savannah into the kitchen out the back. “Luca?” He called, looking for the young manager. “There’s serious shit happening here.”
“Connor?” Luca stepped out from behind a bench where he was what, kissing the other waitress? And they’d left Savannah alone out there?
Connor seethed.
“What’s happened?” Krista hurried out of Luca’s embrace and came forward.
“Connor?” Savannah lifted her head slowly to glance up at him, her expression confused. “Connor?”
“Savannah’s not feeling well.” He lifted her into the other guy’s arms. “Hold her here. I’ll be back in a sec.”
He strode back out to the bar and looked for the bottle of water she’d been drinking from. It had been by the ice bucket. But it wasn’t there now. He saw the smile on the asshole’s face freeze, like he knew what he was looking for.
“Hey…” The other guy next to him tried to smile. “Just a joke, right?”
The tall prick elbowed his thick friend. “Shut up.”
“What was it? What did you give her?” Connor leaned across the bar and snarled.
But the tall guy turned and started walking. Fast. Taking his friends with him.
“You’re not going to get away with it,” Connor shouted over the music. “You’re not fucking getting away with it.”
He didn’t have time to chase the bastards now, he needed to make sure Savannah was okay.
“Savannah?” Luca was looking stunned as he propped her up. “Jeez, Connor, I think she has a fever or something—”
“Connor?” Savannah turned her flushed face towards him. Her eyes looked too large for her scarily white face.
“Krista, I’m going to need you to go unlock my car and then hold the door for me, okay?” Connor tossed the waitress his key and stepped up to put one arm around Savannah’s waist, lifting her arm from Luca’s shoulder and putting it along his own.
“What’s wrong with her?” Luca asked.
“Nothing that a good night’s sleep isn’t going to fix.” Connor said, hoping it was the truth. He was getting her to his home, then he’d get a doctor to look at her. He bent and hoisted her right into his arms.
“Connor…” she murmured, a bittersweet whisper in his ear. “Connor... King of the Mountain…”
He paused and looked down at her beautiful face.
She blinked heavily, and then closed her eyes. “I’m so stupid.”
“You’re not stupid,” he answered, feeling guilt twinge.
She’d been looking for him and he’d not told her. He’d slept with her instead. But he still couldn’t regret it. He’d never regret those mad moments in his car.
“I’m supposed to hate you,” she said, suddenly lucid.
“But you don’t?”
She opened her eyes and looked right at him. “I think I do.” Tears sheened over her unnaturally large pupils.
Something pulled hard in his chest.
“I hate them too...” she muttered.
“Not as much as I do, Sugar.” He cradled her more closely, trying to ease the anger thrumming in his muscles. He was making them pay.
“You’re hot.” Her eyelids drifted shut again. Twin tears tracked down her white cheeks. “I don’t feel so good.”
“You gonna be sick, sweetheart?” He wished she would. He wanted that poison out of her system.
She didn’t answer.
Connor tightened his grip and turned towards the back door. “Luca, I’m taking Krista with me. You’re just going to have to manage.”
“Krista? Why?” Luca looked even more concerned than he had over Savannah.
Which pissed Connor off even more. “So she can tell Savannah that she’s been treated well this whole time.”
“Why wouldn’t she—jeez,” Luca frowned as understanding finally dawned. “Are you saying—”
Connor stopped, appalled the guy hadn’t worked it out already. “That she’s been drugged? Yes.”
“Drugged?” Luca looked aghast.
“Maybe if you didn’t let jerks harass your bar staff night after night, this might not have happened. But you’re too busy harassing your staff yourself.” It was a cheap shot. But he couldn’t stop himself.
“Harass?” Luca looked anxious. “Savannah can handle them.”
“No one can handle something like this,” he spat. No matt
er how strong they were. Connor fought to relax his muscles and not crush her to him. It was so fucking unfair.
“Connor.” Krista had reappeared and had grabbed a container just in case. Practical woman.
“Just get the door for me, will you?” Connor instructed.
But as he paused to carefully navigate down the steps, Luca grabbed his arm. “Connor please. No one can know. If it gets out that something like this happened here? My dad will—”
“I’ll take care of your dad,” Connor said grimly. “But let’s take care of Savannah first.”
“But—”
“But nothing.”
“Don’t worry.” Krista kissed Luca. “Back soon.”
Connor wasn’t sure she would be back all that soon. “You can drive my car, Krista?”
“Sure.” The girl, only a year or two younger than Savannah, shot him a look. “Is she going to be okay?”
“She better be.” Connor eased into the car, still holding the now barely conscious Savannah.
For the second night in a row he held her in his lap in the back seat of his car. Only tonight, she lay limp. She wasn’t the fiery, vital woman who’d ravished him. Who’d been so determined to take what she’d wanted from him. And giving him so much in doing so. He wanted that Savannah back.
“Stay with me Sugar,” he cuddled her closer. “Come on, Sugar. Stay awake.”
He gritted his teeth, stopping himself from screaming at Krista to drive faster. But she was driving them fast enough, just this side of safely. She’d grown up in Summerhill, knew the road as well as he did. Knew that at this moment it was safer for her to drive than him.
Besides, he wasn’t giving up this burden.
Connor wriggled his hand into his jeans pocket and retrieved his phone.
Austin answered immediately. All Connor’s staff did. No matter what time he called.
“Doc, I need a house call. Meet me outside my suite. Get there now.” He rang off and cuddled her closer.
He hated her limpness. Her pallor.
“Go round the back,” he said as the Lodge came into view.
It was a testament to the discretion of his night porter that he held the door with an utterly impassive face. Connor made a mental note to promote him sometime.
“Follow me,” he barked at Krista.
Connor wound slowly up the back stairs to his suite. She needed privacy. So did he. So he wasn’t walking through the front door, not when there were still customers in the bar and restaurant. When there were still skiers coming down from night-skiing.
Austin, this season’s resident doctor, was waiting just by his door. His eyebrows shot up as he saw Connor’s burden. “What happened to her?”
“Roofied.”
Austin looked even more shocked. “Symptoms?”
“Slurry speech, flushed, uncoordinated. Which is very unusual. Said she didn’t feel well. Since then she’s been in and out of consciousness.” He looked down at her and damn if his heart didn’t squeeze again, sending power hurtling along his veins. He’d just climbed a kabillion stairs carrying her, but still felt amped and strong enough to climb another fucking four dozen, just to get her to the damn doctor.
Her eyelids fluttered.
“We need to get her inside,” he growled.
“Want me to take her while you—”
“No.” He hoisted her higher and punched at the keypad with his still bandaged index finger. It took two goes before he heard the click. He barged in backwards, swivelling to then stalk into the spare bedroom. “Come on. Both of you.” He didn’t look to see if they’d followed, he was too busy looking at how dark Savannah’s lashes were against her whitened face.
“Are you going to put her down so I can examine her?” Austin asked, unusually warily.
“What?” Connor’s arms instinctively tightened. “Oh. Sure. Of course.”
Carefully he placed Savannah on the edge of the bed and stepped back only just enough to let Austin past.
The doctor checked her over with annoyingly slow thoroughness.
“You haven’t been partying tonight?” Connor suddenly barked at Austin.
“No, I’m aware of my obligations,” Austin said mildly, not looking up from his examination of Savannah. “I’m on call most of the time. Therefore I don’t drink. Most of the time. And I haven’t tonight.”
“Good.” Connor fisted his hands and folded his arms across his chest, watching the doctor’s every move. He knew he could trust him. Austin was a good guy.
“Breathing’s good. Heartbeat’s strong and regular.” Austin sent him a troubled look. “But I don’t like that we don’t know what we’re dealing with.”
“I know.” Connor replied grimly. “Some drug.”
“Stupefying,” Austin nodded. “Could be one of several. Where the hell was she?”
“In the middle of St Clair’s.”
Austin looked puzzled. “With a million people present?”
“I don’t think they wanted to attack her, just humiliate her.”
Puzzlement turned to disgust. “You called the sheriff?”
“About to.” No way in hell were those assholes not getting caught. And punished.
“I’m going to put her on a drip. Make sure she’s hydrated. Flush out her system.”
“You can do that here.” Connor didn’t want her leaving his sight. “You’ll stay with her, right?”
“Of course.”
“You okay to stay the night with her as well?” He turned to Krista.
“You want me to?” Krista fidgeted with the car key.
Connor glared at her. “If you were drugged and couldn’t remember anything that had happened to you, wouldn’t you want some reassurance from someone that you weren’t hurt? Weren’t touched or humiliated in any way? I’m not having her doubt it, even for a second.” He turned and looked at the woman lying motionless on the bed. “She’s not being left alone with any one person until she’s fully alert again.”
Not even him.
Austin nodded. “Good. I just need to go get a couple of supplies. I’ll be five minutes, tops.”
“Great,” Connor stepped closer, taking the space that Austin left. He glanced over at Krista. “Can you take off her boots and loosen her clothing, but don’t undress her any more than that.”
“Absolutely,” Krista hurried forward.
Only then did Connor step away from the bed and turn slightly away. He pulled out his phone again and called the sheriff.
Ten minutes later Austin was back and quietly making notes at the small desk under the bank of windows. Connor sat in the chair nearest the bed, aware of Krista on the other side shooting him curious glances now and then.
“I wasn’t aware you knew her,” she finally said.
He didn’t answer. He just watched Savannah, lying too still. That fire that had caught his eye that first time he’d seen her was lacking. That spark and strength. And sweetness. He so got off on that combination. And he wanted all of it back in her eyes—that sparkling intelligence and challenge.
“Sheriff’s waiting, Connor.” Austin interrupted his thoughts.
He stood. But hesitated.
“Don’t worry,” Krista spoke. “I’ve got her.”
He met the girl’s eyes. Saw she meant it. Realized for the first time that she was upset too. Savannah was more than her workmate? She was her friend.
“Thanks,” he muttered, his voice croaking out on him. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Chapter Five
Worst. Headache. Ever.
Savannah’s eyes wouldn’t open. Good. She wanted to go back to sleep anyway. Anything to escape the totally crappy feeling swirling in her stomach and the ringing-and-thumping combo in her head.
What on earth had she done last night?
Her eyelids popped open. She stared at the wall. It was the palest blue, which meant it definitely wasn’t the wall in her bedroom in her undersized apartment. She blinked a couple of times
, taking in the beautifully framed series of photographs, hanging in a perfect line along the wall. Definitely not her place. This was… somewhere else altogether.
Where?
Her pulse thundered in her ears. She winced, then froze. Because her pulse wasn’t the only rhythm ricocheting around her head. There was the sound of breathing too. Not her quickening breathing, but some one else’s deep, regular breathing.
Holy shit. She wasn’t alone in this big bed?
What the hell had she done last night? And with whom?
But thinking hurt and all she could come up with was a confusing jumble of scenes. She remembered the bar being busy, noisy. Krista and Luca being as kissy as always. The usual crowd clamoring for more cocktails. The jerks irritatingly obnoxious… All the images swirled in her head. Damn she felt seasick. But then they merged into the one picture.
Passionate blue eyes. Ultra short hair. Strong, strong arms. She remembered a sensation of weightlessness.
No. He couldn’t have been there, right? And if he had, if by some weird happening she’d come home with him… With one hand she carefully peeked under the covering down at herself—it seemed she was still wearing her shirt and black skirt from the bar. Yeah, she’d thought so. And if she had come home with him, wouldn’t she be naked? Unless they’d done it clothed again? How could she not remember?
Very slowly she turned her head, hoping not to wake him, hoping not to hurt her head more, hoping she’d at least recognize the person she was lying next to. That it was him.
But she wasn’t lying next to anyone. The other occupant in the room was curled up in a gorgeously comfortable looking armchair. And Savannah totally recognized that sprawl of dark blond hair.
“Krista?” she screeched, her voice total sandpaper.
“You’re awake.” Krista jerked upright. “Wow. Thank God. Great. You’re okay?”
“Uh… I think so…” She read the concern in Krista’s eyes. “Am I?” She licked her hideously dry lips. “Should I be? What happened?”
Krista unfolded herself from the chair. Savannah watched her wince as she straightened up. Why was her colleague clad top to toe in such obviously straight-from-the-packaging Summerhill sportswear?
Bound For Me Page 6
