“Just think, Hailey—”
“Never going to happen.”
“But—”
“I talked to Kyle, too, last night, and he was the same dickhead he’d always been.”
“Were you a bitch first?”
That had Hailey’s eyes narrowing and her voice growling out, “If I was, I was justified. Remember the time when somebody rigged the exploding stink bombs to my locker door?”
“Kyle?”
“Or the time when somebody wired my toolbox to deliver an electric shock when I touched it?”
“Oh, yeah.” Patton laughed. “Your pinky twitched for almost the whole day.”
“Yeah, that was a great laugh. It was even funnier when somebody Vaselined the path to the liquid recycling bin, and I busted my ass, knocked over a drum, and got covered in used motor oil. I almost shit myself I laughed so hard.”
“Okay, okay.” Patton held up her hands. “I give in. But if you knew Kyle did all these things, why didn’t you say anything in high school?”
“Because I didn’t find out until years later when Kyle broke up with Mary Katherine, and she ratted him and his friends out. Besides, what would I have done? You’re the master at these juvenile games. Me, I’m too mature to pull off those kinds of pranks.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t underestimate yourself.” Patton smiled. “I’m sure you can do juvenile.”
Chapter 3
Hours later her conversation with Patton still echoed through Hailey’s head. Working out her frustration as she always did in the shop, her anger wound slowly down. Cole was an ass, sure. Kyle might be a jerk, yep.
They also happened to be Pittsview’s top-ranking bachelors now that Chase, Slade, and Devin had been erased from the list. It seemed almost conceited to think they’d make a play for her, given her ranking on the bachelorette list had to be somewhere in the middle.
Average, that was her position in life. Men like Kyle and Cole didn’t put any serious effort into chasing women like her down when they had porno queens out at their club more than willing to bend over and take orders. Even if they did come sniffing her way, what did it matter?
She wouldn’t end up in any man’s bed she didn’t want to end up in. Not even if the idea tempted her. Not even Cole’s. That would certainly serve as a shock to his arrogant ass. It would be fitting retribution if they did come after her. Then the whole town, and all their fellow Cattlemen, could see just who really mastered the control of their desires.
Hailey should have known not to issue even a silent challenge to fate. Fate always answered. Today it spoke back with the roar of Kyle’s oversized pickup pulling into her drive all the way up to the garage door.
So it begins.
Chunking down her gloves, Hailey didn’t dawdle to go greet her unwanted guest.
“The driveway is only for friends and customers. All others are supposed to park on the street.” Hailey hit him with that before his feet had even finished touching down on the cement. Not that it gave Kyle even a slight pause as he slammed his door shut.
“Well, then it’s a good thing I’m at least one of those.” Casting her a grin as if she had only been teasing him, Kyle strutted on up. He had the body to back that walk. Something about the way the frayed and worn edges of his jeans hugged his hips drew a woman’s eyes, seducing her with the smooth motion as he came closer.
All those muscles keeping his tummy hard and flat made sure a lady’s gaze lingered. Long and slow, before taking the easy trip up over that chest and the tanned tendons of his neck to curl around hard chin and fall into that smile.
It was pulled a little too much into a smirk at that moment, making her aware that he noticed just how long it took her to meet his gaze. Hailey’s knees might have become infected with the same rubbery disease Cole afflicted them with, but Hailey had many more years learning how to get around that with Kyle.
“Get your truck out of my drive, Kyle.”
“But I’m a customer.” Kyle’s complaint trailed very close behind her.
Hailey didn’t even need the details. “No.”
“Oh, come on, Hailey. I got cash, and what good business owner turns down cash.”
“No.”
“But this is serious business proposition.”
“No.”
“Aren’t you the least bit interested?”
“No.”
“Ah, come on, I come here hat in hand to seek your services as a professional. Now don’t you think you could do the curtsey of at least hearing me out?”
Like a pit bull, he just never let go of anything. A trait that had driven her nuts in high school and still did. Flinging her wrenches back into the drawer, she slammed it closed before turning around and giving him one more “No.”
“What? What is it going to take to get you to give me a chance? You want me to go on my knees? I’ll—”
“Kyle.”
“I ain’t got no problem. See?” Somehow Kyle actually made kneeling sexy. “Please, Hailey?”
“Oh, for God’s sake.” Hailey left him there, heading for the open garage door.
If he thought she’d be stupid enough to fall for all his charm, then the man really didn’t know her at all. Or maybe he does because her heart still raced, her knees still tingled, and worst of all, she could feel that vibration deep down in her soul. She felt alive in a way that made the sun brighter, the air sweeter, and the damn man in front of her almost irresistible.
“I’m begging you, Hailey.” Kyle wobbled back and forth as he followed on his knees. “I need your help.”
“Get out of my garage, Kyle,” Hailey tossed back, completely unimpressed. “Or I’ll lock you in here.”
“Damnit, Hailey. Why you got to be so stubborn?”
“Because I’m not dumb enough to fall for whatever trap Cole sent you over here to lay,” Hailey retorted. Turning around, she confronted him. “So whatever prank you’re planning, I’m not in the mood today.”
“Cole?” Kyle either was a really good actor or honestly confused. Either way, the emotion carried him back to his feet. “What the hell does he have to do with this? Did he do something?”
“Did he do something?” Hailey coughed up a laugh at that more from shock at Kyle’ audacity. “Like you don’t know.”
“Know? Know what?”
“That Cole declared war on me this morning outside the Bread Box,” Hailey explained calmly, waiting to see what Kyle had planned. It started with looking affronted. The grin fell from his features, and this time when he moved closer, he didn’t have that swagger.
“I didn’t hear about that.”
“Bullshit.”
“Serious, Hailey.” Kyle came to a stop before her all stern and concerned looking, but Hailey still didn’t believe him. Why should she? They both knew that Cole couldn’t get within a foot of her without danger to his person, so they sent Kyle. Kyle who had years of knowledge about how to get under her skin.
Just because she wanted to make sure she had a right to her anger, she held back, keeping calm as she asked, “Neither Cole nor Aaron or Jake told you about how your asshole of a business partner took it on himself to spank me in a public parking lot?”
“Cole didn’t come home last night, and I ain’t seen those three all day, been out shopping.” Kyle’s voice trailed off slightly as his gaze narrowed. “What did you do to Cole?”
The accusation in his tone, in his gaze, put her instantly on the defensive. For a second, she forgot this conversation wasn’t real and responded from her gut. “Nothing.”
“He just upped and spanked you for no reason?”
“He’s an ass, what can I say?”
“Hailey.”
“I kicked him, okay.” Hailey raised her chin. “And I’m about to kick you if you don’t get out of my garage because that’s how little patience I have left today.”
“Okay, here.” Kyle fished his cell out of his pocket. Rapidly pressing buttons, he circled to her side, co
mplaining every step of the way. “I was trying to build up to the moment, but since you’re in such a crabby damn mood, just go on and take a look at that and then tell me to get out.”
She didn’t want to, but her eyes obeyed that command out of instinct. Dropping to the cell phone he shoved under her nose, her gaze locked on the thumb-sized picture of a rusted out car. It took a second for it to register.
“Oh, my God,” Hailey whispered, awed despite herself. She couldn’t help but to lift the phone a little closer as her gaze narrowed on the tiny details. “Is that…”
“A nineteen sixty-four Studebaker Daytona.” Kyle’s dark purr tickled over her ear, igniting two passions at once as he growled on. “An R4, Hailey, the rarest of the rare. Think about it, two four-barrel carburetors, original V-8, rated at 280 hp, but I bet we can crank more out of that bad boy.”
Yes, we could. Hailey swallowed at that thought…ah crap!
Eyeing Kyle as she passed the phone back, she didn’t know what he wanted. Her body, her humiliation, what price did he intend to exact for the prize he had dangled in front of her?
“What do you want, Kyle?”
“Help,” Kyle snorted, doing a damn good job of looking innocent. “Shit, Hailey, I like Studebakers, but I ain’t in love like you. I mean you can see the condition this car is in. It’s been sitting down in Florida rusting until some guy passed and his kids went to unload the graveyard of cars in his backyard.”
Backing the sincerity in his tone, Kyle gave her a level look, one that almost felt like an equal. “It might be a diamond one day, but it ain’t going to get there without you. You know this car, Hailey. You know what it’s supposed to look like, feel like, smell like, even sound like. I need your help.”
“Huh.”
Very impressive, his impassioned speech sounded good coming from him. It might have even sounded right if she didn’t know the rascal lurking beneath that puppy-dog gaze. It didn’t move her one bit, but it did make it hard not to smile.
“So, what? I’m supposed to come down to the shop and help you fix her up so you can sell her off?”
“Well,” Kyle shoulders rolled slightly. “I was going to have it hauled to the shop and sell out half the interest to Cole, but I thought maybe you’d like to take that half instead.”
“You’re offering me half a stake in that car?” Hailey smiled. “Why don’t I just buy it outright from you? Hell, I’ll pay you double and take it now.”
“I don’t think so, princess,” Kyle smirked.
“Why not?”
“Why would I?”
“Because we both know once you put the time and the material into it, you ain’t gonna double your cost at sale.”
Kyle shrugged, a relaxed gesture that didn’t match the predatory gleam in his gaze. “Not everything is about profit margins, Hailey.”
Hailey froze. “So, you don’t deny that this is a set up?”
“I don’t deny when I saw it I thought first of you, just as I won’t deny that I’ve considered the fact that you’d walk through hell for a car like this. I ain’t asking to go to hell, Hailey. I’m just asking you to work with me.”
There came those puppy-dog eyes again. Kyle did sincere so well it almost scared her because it made even her question. Was it real? Hell if she knew, but Hailey knew she wouldn’t be letting the Daytona go. He had her good and trapped, even knowing this might be a set-up.
Paranoid of the possibility, she gave in with ill grace. Turning, she stormed out of the garage without a word for him to follow or not. He did. Kyle’s footsteps thundered over her own softer stops across her porch steps, and the back door didn’t slam shut behind her shoulder.
All the way to her checkbook in the living room desk, he shadowed her, making her feel more hunted then followed. The sensation put a slight tremble into her hand, and she scrawled out the check fast to hold it steady.
Ripping the check free of the register, she turned and shoved it at him. “This doesn’t make us friends.”
“But it does make us partners.” The slow drawl matched Kyle’s lazily satisfied motions as he took the check and folded it.
“That car comes here and Cole doesn’t.” Hailey didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding on this point. “Not. Ever.”
“It’ll be here in the morning.” The check disappeared into Kyle’s pocket before his hands settled on his hips in a relax stance. “So you need help clearing out a spot in the garage?”
“Get out.” Hailey added a point to that order.
“Don’t you even want to talk about—”
“I’ll see it in the morning.” The mad rush she felt to get rid of him played well into her act. Hailey needed the time, the room to think. She couldn’t do that with him here, grinning at her, infusing the very air she breathed with a musky, sexual scent that made her body just hum.
“But we have plans we have to—”
“Talk about it later.” God, but she just wanted to test the strength of all those muscles. Shoving him toward the door seemed like a good excuse.
“You know this isn’t a very gracious thank you. I certainly didn’t agree to work with you, so you could make my life hell.” Kyle carried on while she fumbled with the doorknob. Finally, it turned and the door swung free of its frame.
“Get out.”
Laughing, shaking his head, Kyle got out. “See you tomorrow morning, princess.”
Hailey took great pleasure in slamming the door on his smirk. The moment of victory didn’t last but a second. Dissolving into tremors of need, Hailey leaned against the door. Even its hardwood surface wouldn’t hold her up, and she slid down to the floor.
* * * *
Kyle still laughed at the memory of how flushed and fiery Hailey had gotten hours later as he watched GD’s dart sail through the air before burying itself in the middle of the board. Bull's-eye. The clink and murmurs of Riley’s bar didn’t invade their little corner. Perhaps because most of the nighttime crowd returned back to the club to enjoy another night of revelry.
Tonight would be the competition and skills test that would rank the Cattlemen in order of abilities. Those rankings would carry over into auction when the men would get the opportunity to bid and win on the new crop of women waiting to be trained as slaves.
Actually, all those women were members. Far from being true virgins at the altar, they had the opportunity to request certain masters, or they could offer themselves up to the auction. Only one rule held at the club—during a woman’s stay she only had one master, no matter how many lovers he shared her with.
Kyle had three such women in his corral until about a half hour ago when he told GD to take him off the schedule. He turned in his membership gladly because he only needed one feisty woman trying to defy him at every turn. Thank God, he now had at least one rope around her neck.
Kyle didn’t doubt God’s hand in his good fortune. Less than twenty-four hours ago, he’d been feeling itchy and wondering at that sense of restlessness that had invaded his bones. Then, some force turned Hailey back into his life and then gave him the leash to bind her there permanently. Kyle didn’t tend to be a religious man, but he didn’t argue with the spirits, either.
“I’m telling ya.” GD stepped up to the board to pull his darts out as Kyle moved onto the line. “Cole’s got his full focus set on Hailey now. I bumped into him out at the club, and he was freeing up his schedule.”
“It won’t last,” Kyle predicted as he sent his first dart whizzing through the air. He wished it could because corralling a wild woman like Hailey would definitely be a fight to the finish without some back-up. Cole, though, had set his bridge on fire when it came to Hailey, and Kyle didn’t intend to get burned by those flames.
“You don’t think?”
“I know.” Kyle sunk his own bull's-eye. Cole would only be a negative in Kyle’s column, and he’d earned enough of those on his own.
“And how’s that?”
“Because you are going t
o make sure it doesn’t.” His third dart almost kissed the second one before Kyle looked over at GD. “Because you are going to find some Miss Double D to help keep him distracted.”
GD swallowed down his gulp of beer before banging the glass onto the high top table. “And why would I be doing that?”
“Because I’m asking you to do it.”
Never one to hesitate to ask, the big bull rider considered Kyle for an unusual moment. “Why you working so hard to keep Cole from going after Hailey?”
Knowing nothing but the truth would satisfy GD, Kyle gave it to him. “Because I’m going after her.”
“Then why ain’t you going after her with Cole? You two share, anyway.”
“Because Cole is a liability.”
That brutally honest answer had GD’s nose curling with distrust. “I don’t know, Kyle. Cole and you are best friends, business partners, roommates, and you putting a girl in the middle of all that? This situation could get nasty, and I’m not sure I want to be sinking in a pile like that.”
“I’m not asking you to.” Kyle left his darts in the board to take the matter up close with GD. “Look, man, you know I’ve had a thing for Hailey since like the beginning of time.”
Instead of being impressed, GD just snorted. “Why you saying that now? Huh? You got a thing that’s burning all this time but ain’t made no move until suddenly Cole’s thinking of making his? You know how that sounds?”
“I know, but I didn’t know Cole was making his move this morning when I turned in my membership to the Cattleman’s Club.”
That had GD snorting, not nearly impressed. “You didn’t turn it in, Kyle. You suspended it. Whenever you change your mind, you know you’re welcome back, so what kind of sacrifice is that supposed to be?”
“Damn it, GD. I’m telling you here and now, if this was just about a little pussy, you know I’d be game to let Cole join in. Hell, I’d be game still if I thought for a second he wanted something more than a little revenge, but what I’m after, Cole and his reputation is only going to get in the way.”
“And you think you’re going to fare any better? Because what? Your reputation is so much cleaner? Any sin Hailey can lay at Cole’s feet she can lay at yours, too. Everybody in this town knows that you two are joined at the hip.”
Hailey's Game Page 3
