by M. A. Ellis
“You’re welcome, Tex. Very, very welcome.”
Chapter Four
“I’m not going to do it.” Trey stared across the balcony table at his uncle, the sound of his heart echoing in his ears, drowning out the crash of the surf twelve stories below. In all his years he’d never disobeyed. Not an order. Not a request.
“Don’t be a fool, son. Of course you’re going to do it. That was the plan.” His uncle, the man who had raised him and Chrissy and Gabe, took a healthy bite of his western omelet and offered a dismissive nod.
Trey saw his sister bristle and shot her a quick look, hoping she wouldn’t interject anything and make matters worse. The girl wasn’t known for her even temper, especially where her lovers were concerned. And there was no doubt that last evening, after he’d carried Susanne to her room and made love to her in every way imaginable, Chrissy and Susanne’s friend had been exactly that. When he’d departed early that morning, he hadn’t really needed to trace Chrissy’s trail of discarded clothing to the suite’s other bedroom. He’d seen the telltale package of cherry pull-apart licorice on the hallway table and known his sister was there. He had no idea how his sibling felt about being part of their uncle’s scheme, and for once he didn’t care. There was only one thought on his mind.
“I’m not ruining her chance of winning just so you can have first crack at her.”
“I don’t believe I was the first one to have a ‘crack’ at her.” The old man chuckled wickedly and Trey shot to his feet.
“Pick one of the others,” Trey ground out, his body tensing.
“Sit the hell down, boy. No need to be fannin’ those feathers like a banty rooster. I’m not lookin’ to tap your woman—just her mind.”
“She’s not my anything,” Trey admitted. The sickening realization of that statement knotted his insides. He wanted her now as desperately as he had when she was lying naked before him.
“All the more reason to make sure she comes to me,” the old man said smugly. “What better way to keep track of the woman than to have her at arm’s length at all times? How are you going to woo her if she’s a thousand miles away doing the biding of that comb-over shithead she seems to think holds the keys to her future?”
In that moment, Trey realized he’d been played. He knew his siblings had shared their concerns about his loneliness, his unhappiness. It should have occurred to him they wouldn’t be able to keep their mouths shut. Hell, if one of them had been as down as he’d been, Trey would have beaten down his uncle’s door with the news. They all knew their uncle wouldn’t sit idly by and let them wallow in hurt or depression.
They also knew Walter Ryder was a master at killing two birds with one stone. The man had made a lucrative living by concocting deals that were mutually beneficial to all parties involved. Trey suddenly realized he had been part of one of those deals.
“You old bastard.”
“Guilty as charged. But you have to admit this is going to be useful to us both.”
Trey didn’t want to admit the possible truth in his uncle’s statement. And he didn’t want to admit the old man could have expended so little effort and found the perfect woman for both of them.
“I can’t let you tarnish her reputation just to ensure she ends up in San Antonio. Hell, her goal was to move an hour north of here, not halfway across the country.”
“Won’t know that until she’s forced to decide, will we? Hell, she might even pull herself from the competition when she sees you’re part of the judging team. Women, I’ve learned, have unbelievably strong codes of honor,” Walt said.
“Maybe you could take a few lessons,” his sister sarcastically suggested.
“You hush with that freshness, Missy. You were to help Trey divert Miss Webb from the proverbial herd, not look for a filly of your own. Why you couldn’t have just married that Winn boy is beyond me,” Walter muttered, but he and Chrissy clearly heard his words.
“Besides the fact that I don’t do dick, Uncle Walt, Jimmy Winn had no personality. None whatsoever.”
“Heir to the largest stud farm in west Texas? Damn girl, we could have bought him a personality.”
Trey watched his sister push out of her chair, unexpectedly pleased that she offered their uncle a temporary distraction. He needed a moment or two to think.
“Couldn’t you just pretend it was one of those swirling rubber dongs and not a real penis?” his uncle asked with all seriousness.
Chrissy shook her head and with a disgusted growl turned toward the suite, yelling over her shoulder as she disappeared through the doorway, “He was hung like a fucking rabbit, Walt!”
Silence enshrouded the balcony as her words lingered in the air.
“Well, shit. No help for that, now is there?” His uncle’s resigned tone somehow broke through the previously serious mood and both men laughed.
“No, sir,” Trey said, with a smile. He owed his sister a small debt of gratitude. Once again, she had defused a situation that was heading south fast.
“Any chance that last night you showed Miss Susanne that most of the time everything is bigger in Texas? Did you cut the mustard enough to have her wanting to see you again? To take my offer if she doesn’t win?”
Trey laughed. “She’s going to win, old man. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
“So that’s a ‘no’ to you making the Ryder men proud where mounting is concerned.”
“Chrissy might feel fine talking to you about her love life but I’m not going there, you old pervert.”
“Fine by me. Just so you know what you need to do when we take our place at the judges’ box.”
The anxiety Trey felt over his uncle’s request slowly dissipated. He did indeed know what he needed to do and suddenly he couldn’t wait until the moment he and Susanne came face-to-face once again.
* * * * *
After his under-the-cover-of-darkness departure, Susanne really hadn’t expected to see him again. But there he was. Undeniably handsome. Impeccably dressed. Standing in the last place on the planet she would have ever imagined seeing him. The last place she’d ever want Trey to be.
The bright track lighting made his hair seem much lighter but the stubble along his chiseled jaw was a testament to the true color. Wearing a pair of khaki slacks, a white polo shirt and a navy blazer, he looked as if he’d left his horse at home and was ready to step foot on any one of the massive yachts docked at the marina. He looked as if he absolutely belonged in the Tejas International judges’ box. The thought made Susanne’s already jittery stomach turn a double somersault.
She had worked very hard over the past six hours to hide her abject disappointment from earlier that morning. All it had taken was one roll to the other side of her empty bed to realize two very important things—one-night stands totally sucked and she had somehow lost a decent portion of her heart to him. Trey Ryder—masterful lover, easygoing jokester, devil incarnate.
Yeah. Not only had she pushed each and every one of her sexual boundaries, she’d done it with one of the judges. She rubbed the area below her breastbone in an attempt to stop the reflux of churning stomach acid.
It’s the Jack. You shouldn’t have drunk it.
Susanne gave a disheartened laugh that caught the attention of the men flanking her. She wished she could blame her distress on something as mundane as a few glasses of fine whiskey. Which she would never be able to drink again because just the thought of the smoky blend sparked images of Trey.
She knew she was fucked. Fucked with a capital F. It was only a matter of time before someone commented on the fact she’d been talking to him in the bar—that they’d left within minutes of each other. One of the staff was probably watching the security tapes right now. From there it would be a call to the production manager and then she’d be disqualified. After everything. Booted out over a booty call. A five-hour booty call. The only five-hour booty call in her existence. The best five-hour—
Stop it! Focus, for shit’s sake. No one’s sa
ying a word.
That seemed true enough but she was getting furtive glances from the elderly man Trey was conversing with as well as his sister. She’d met Chrissy when the woman strolled buck-naked from Gia’s room that morning, retrieving each piece of her forgotten clothing as she went. They had had a pleasant conversation as Trey’s sister stood in the living room and dressed. Susanne wondered if the woman had also neglected to mention to Gia that she had a bright yellow judge’s pass just waiting to be used. Her friend was going to hit the roof. The pastry division might just get an eyeful of a pure unadulterated catfight when Gia took the stage.
There was no way coincidence was even a passing possibility. The thought sent a surge of anger rocketing through Susanne. It was very clear that the previous evening had been some sort of game to them. His sister had played Gia and he’d played her. All those endearments delivered in that hot Southern drawl? The little let-me-get-to-know-you talks between the mind-blowing bouts of lovemaking.
Making love? Hah! Apparently a man could be focused and masterful and coitally courteous but when the night was done and he rode off into the sunrise, none of that really mattered because he, like ever other guy she’d fallen for, was full of shit. In his case, it happened to be bullshit and she’d been dumb enough to step right into it. With both feet. God, she was totally pitiful.
He had asked question upon question and she had dutifully answered them. Everything from the childhood she had mentioned to exactly why she was here and who she had targeted for her dream job. She should have had a clue that he somehow had an inside track to the entire event when she didn’t have to explain the pros of going private as opposed to targeting a Vegas venue. You should have had a clue when you realized you never told him your name but he called you “Susanne” in that sexy drawl and you crumbled.
He had brushed her hair out of her eyes and told her he had every confidence that she would win but pointed out that if she didn’t, he had names of a few estate managers who might love to have her join their team. She looked toward their judging box and shook her head.
And at what point did I decide I might actually be falling in love with the asshole?
Yesterday she would have considered the thought completely ludicrous. Yesterday love wasn’t an option as far as Susanne was concerned. Now, even in light of the fact that he had obviously deceived her, it was a point she couldn’t argue.
She could still try to convince herself it was all about the sex. That’s what Gia would suggest. But somewhere between that fourth and fifth orgasms she had decided there was something a little more meaningful than mere fornication happening. No, that wasn’t at all when it happened. It was when he took her face in his hands and said he’d never before made perfect love to anyone, ever in his life. When she had seen the regret and pain that etched his face when he had opened up about his previous sexually adventurous lifestyle. When right before dawn he’d pushed them over the edge together, calling her name over and over on the way down. That was the moment she realized all the talk about “the one” might not be so far out of the realm of believability. It was when she realized Trey Ryder just might be the man she’d been waiting for.
“Fifteen minutes, folks.” The loud voice of the assistant producer echoed through the room and Susanne’s heart beat a little faster.
This was it. Spirits were always first. They would have ten minutes to create a drink to go with the final theme, another twenty to mass produce it for the judges’ boxes. She took a few deep breaths and did a quick count to determine how many drinks she would have to make. Eight for the main judges. Seventeen if she took care of the secondary attendees. Easy. Definitely doable if she kept it straightforward. And if she totally avoided eye contact with a certain judge’s box.
She turned and checked her station for the umpteenth time. Everything was in order.
“A moment of your time, Miss Webb, if you please?”
Susanne spun around to find the executive producer standing in front of her station.
“May I introduce Walter Ryder, chief operating officer of Tejas International. He’d like a quick word.”
She looked at the man and didn’t say anything. It was more than clear where Trey got his rugged good looks. And his unique eye color.
“Miss Susanne. A pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard a great deal about you.”
“Is that so, Mr. Ryder?” She couldn’t mask the anger in her voice.
“It is. And I did so like what I heard.” He offered her a wide grin.
She felt like screaming.
“How can I help you?”
“All business, huh? I can appreciate that.” He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “And I can understand your pissiness.”
Susanne’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak.
“Don’t go off on me now,” he interjected. “There’ll be time enough for it later, and quite frankly, I’ve spent what should have been a beautiful morning being berated by my niece and my nephew, so I don’t need your two cents’ worth.”
Susanne clasped her hands in front of her and squeezed tightly. She had no other choice than to smile blandly and let him have his say. There was no doubt that more than a few people in the room were watching them.
“I just wanted to get a leg up on that pompous ass a few boxes down. I know you think he’s the golden carrot you’ve been lookin’ for but let me tell you somethin’, missy. His net worth has just dropped considerably, due to a Brazilian casino deal gone bad, and rumor has it that he’s one fiscal period away from declaring bankruptcy on all his Malaysian pre-constructs. You’d be well advised to look for an employer who’s a little more solvent. One who has equally attractive properties. One who treats his people like family.”
“And that would be you?” she asked, trying to ignore the fact that he and his nephew possessed the same crooked, self-assured grin.
“Only an egomaniac has prospective employees run the gantlet to prove their worthiness. Those of us at Tejas know there are better ways of ensuring we get the top talent.”
“Do they involve forcing your family members to put those possible employees into compromising positions?” she asked in a caustically soft voice. She’d seen enough behind-the-scenes business subterfuge to realize the easiest way to achieve a goal was simple blackmail.
“First of all, no one forces any member of my family to do anything they don’t want to do.”
Susanne pressed her fists against the ache in her stomach, praying she wasn’t about to throw up.
“Five minutes!” This time the announcement was delivered over the speaker system and Susanne looked at the makeshift production booth in the corner of the room. No one seemed to be paying a bit of attention to her and Walt Ryder.
“I won’t lie. My initial intent was to have you disqualified. Easiest means to an end. I’ve done my research well. I can use a woman with your practical experience and creativity. I want signature creations. Something Tejas can call its own. I’m a businessman, darlin’. I take the path of least resistance when I see something I need.
“If Trey had listened and just let security see him when they came ‘round, we wouldn’t be standing here.”
“No,” Susanne spat, unable to keep quiet any longer. “My ass would have been tossed out, my reputation in shambles. For all I know, it might still be. No one likes a cheater, Mr. Ryder. And no one forgets.”
“Call me Walt, darlin’.”
“Oooooooh.” Susanne growled her frustration.
“You’re safe. No one’s going to say a damn thing and do you know why?”
She heard the sharp edge to his voice and looked into his eyes. They were steely. Serious.
“My nephew is a man of integrity. Where was he when security did their sweep? Not sitting in the middle of your living room like I suggested. Or lying spread-eagle, naked as the day he was born, in the middle of your bed, which would have really brought my plan to fruition. Don’t worry, he didn’t kiss and tell
. I raised my sister’s boy to be a perfect gentleman. I’m seventy, sugar, but I’m not dead. I sure as hell know what I’d be doing holed up for six hours in a beautiful woman’s suite.”
Susanne felt heat creep into her cheeks. Dear god, things were really sad if an old man could make her blush. She looked away, mistakenly in the direction of his box, and met Trey’s penetrating but somewhat worried gaze.
“He went against my express wishes for one reason and one reason only.”
She forced herself to look at him, trying not to let her heart override her mind.
“For you, Miss Susanne. He did it for you.”
* * * * *
“What the hell did you say to her?” Trey demanded the moment his uncle stepped back into their box.
“Take it easy, son. All is well.”
“That’d be a first where your ‘interventions’ are involved,” his sister huffily said, stacking her arms over her breasts.
“You calm down too. I’ll speak to your friend as well, when the time comes.”
“Great! Thanks for nothing! Here’s a news flash—Yente, the Matchmaker you’re not. I don’t even want to be here,” she said, starting to get to her feet.
“You sit your fanny down, Christina. Right now.”
His uncle took on the no-argument tone they had learned to obey and his sister did as she was told.
“We’re going into this united. Just as planned.”
“So you didn’t offer her a job?”
“I threw the bait out there but for some reason, she didn’t bite.”
Trey raised his chin and looked his uncle square in the eye. “I told you before, I’m not exposing her. And neither are you.”
“Agreed.”
The speed with which his uncle capitulated was suspicious.
“As long as you make sure, when this day is done, that woman is on the payroll.”
“And how the hell am I supposed to do that? I’m pretty certain, if she didn’t hate my guts before, she does now. You did tell her exactly what you were up to, didn’t you?”
