by Silver James
He had. She’d checked in that night with no problem. The desk clerk had barely looked at her. Either Chase Barron had strange women asking for his card key all the time or Kade had totally smoothed the way. Before her ignominious exit, things had been great. She’d gotten Indigo settled into his stall at the Clark County Fairgrounds and had enough grain left to feed him well. She’d unhooked her horse trailer and parked it in the designated area near the barn before driving to the Strip.
She’d found a place in the Crown Hotel and Casino’s parking lot and locked up her old truck. Not that it would take more than a twist of baling wire to pop the locks. Even with the odometer logging 200,000 miles, the old Ford still got her from rodeo to rodeo. She even had half a tank of gas—hopefully enough to last until she won the barrel event that weekend. And she had to win. She had a total of $175.00 in her checking account and twenty bucks in her pocket.
Then she’d woken up to a strange man in bed with her. The man who lived in that penthouse suite. Chase Barron. All six-plus feet of sexy male with his lean, I-run-on-the-treadmill-every-day body, his silky dark hair and those coffee-colored eyes. She jerked her thoughts back and remembered she’d nailed him in the chest with her boot. He deserved it. He was the world’s biggest jerk.
The security guy mostly ignored her, but the walls of the elevator were polished to the point they might as well have been mirrors. She struggled into her jeans, got them buttoned and her belt buckled. He didn’t give her time to dig a pair of socks out of her duffel. Marching her barefoot across the lobby to the obvious entertainment of everyone they encountered just added to her now miserable night.
Security shoved her through the entrance, held open by a smirking doorman. Savannah stumbled a few steps, found her balance and moved to a granite planter. Plopping her butt on the edge of it, she glared at the man standing over her, ready to snatch her up to keep her moving. “Hold your frickin’ horses, dude. I’m putting on my socks and boots.”
It took her a minute to stamp her boots on. Straightening to her full height, chin up, she offered him her glaringest glare. “I can find my way out.”
Turning on her heel, head still high, she stomped across the valet drive and headed into the crowded lot. Her truck was parked in the far corner. She kept walking, and about three rows in, her escort dropped back, then stopped altogether. She ducked behind an RV, and when she peeked back, he was returning to the hotel.
Still seething, she found her truck, only to discover the front tire was flat. That made her choice easy. Rather than driving back to the fairgrounds to sleep in Indy’s stall, she’d sleep in the truck. She was too tired to change the tire tonight. Crawling inside, she swiped at her cheeks. She didn’t have the spare time or energy to waste on tears. She would be back here in Las Vegas come December, competing in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, but that meant she had to be at her best for this week’s qualifying rodeo. February was a late start but she was determined.
She pushed her duffel against the passenger door, stretched across the bench seat and jerked the Indian blanket off the back of the seat to cover her legs. She would deal with everything in the morning, including calling Mr. Kaden “I’ll fix it” Waite to tell him not to do her any more favors.
Savannah sat straight up, cussing. She couldn’t call Kade. She couldn’t call anyone. Her phone was plugged in, charging on the nightstand, next to the bed belonging to the jackass who lived on the fiftieth floor of the monster hotel looming just beyond her windshield. Dammit. She would have to face the man again in the morning. With her luck, the jerk face would just throw her phone away when he found it, which would suck because she didn’t have the money to get a new one.
Snatching a baseball cap off the headache rack behind the seat, she put it on and pulled the bill over her eyes. She had to sleep or she’d be sluggish tomorrow. She needed to work Indy in the arena because he’d been off training for three weeks. Her horse needed to settle and be in shape to get a good time for the first round. If her time wasn’t fast enough, there wouldn’t be a second round and she’d be in a world of economic hurt. She was already two rodeos behind on getting points and winnings.
Savvie thumped her duffel and sought a more comfortable position. She eventually drifted off.
* * *
Just before dawn, Chase found the woman’s phone, when it buzzed on his nightstand. Irritated, he rolled over and grabbed it, ready to throw it against the far wall until he saw Kaden calling on the screen. It was the ranch manager of the Crown B. Curious, he answered.
“Yeah?”
“Uh...is Savannah around?”
“No.”
“Where is she?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Who is this?”
“Chase Barron.”
Silence stretched for a long moment before Kade replied. “Chase? Kaden Waite. I thought you were in Nashville.”
“I was until last night. Found someone in my bed, Kade.”
“Damn. I’m sorry. Chance and Cord told me it’d be all right if Savvie stayed in your place while you were gone. They expected you to be in Nashville for at least another two weeks. The rodeo is over Saturday night and Sav would be back on the road Sunday.”
“She your girlfriend?” Chase didn’t expect the burst of laughter from the other man.
“Kissing her would be like kissing my sister. Our mothers were tight and we grew up practically next door to each other.”
“So she’s Chickasaw?” That would help explain the sleek, black hair, carved cheekbones and snapping brown eyes.
“Nope. Choctaw. Is that a problem?” Kade’s voice took on an edge. “Look, Chase, I was trying to help the kid out. She’s living on a shoestring and has big dreams about being the next All-Around Cowgirl. She was gonna sleep in her truck or her horse’s stall, so I figured since you were gone and your brothers said—”
“Yeah, yeah. I rained on her parade by coming home early. Not a big deal, Kade. Look, she’s out right now. Forgot her phone. I’ll have her call you.” Chase was lying through his teeth. He wasn’t about to explain he’d kicked her out last night.
“That’s okay. She’ll just get pissed because I’m checking up on her. I worry about her being out there alone, ya know?”
“Gotcha. Anything else? I gotta go, man.” Yeah, he had to go find her before Kade found out.
“Thanks, Chase.”
“Anytime, bro.” And that last slipped out before he could catch it. Luckily, Kade hung up without comment. Chase was convinced Kade was a product of one of the old man’s liaisons. The guy didn’t act like he had a clue and he always kept an employer-employee barrier up between him and the Barron boys. Still, they all had their suspicions.
At the moment, though, figuring out Kade’s parentage was less pressing than finding the girl Chase had tossed out like yesterday’s garbage. He realized, belatedly, that she’d tried to explain her presence, and he never gave her the chance. Plus, he’d forced her into a walk of shame with Security—with everyone in the lobby there to witness every step. He could be a right bastard sometimes. He called Tucker about sending someone to the fairgrounds later to locate Savannah, and arranging a comped room for the girl.
A shower and a cup of coffee later, Chase dressed in an impeccable suit and custom black boots, then stood staring out the window. Activity in the parking lot below drew his attention. Red and blue flashing lights. Police. Members of hotel security. And a beat-up old truck. He slammed his mug on the counter and headed to the door at a trot.
Downstairs, the doorman got the heavy glass door open half a second before Chase would have slammed it open himself. He ignored the valet and strode into the parking lot. As he approached the knot of cops and security personnel, he heard the woman’s indignant voice.
“But I wasn’t soliciting that dude. He came on to me!
” Her fisted hands hung stiffly at her sides and she had a smear of grease across one cheek. “I was just changing my tire.”
Chase noticed the jack, the flat tire and the sorry state of the old Ford truck in general. Kade hadn’t lied about her circumstances. And now that Chase wasn’t pissed off and worried he was being set up again, he realized how gorgeous she looked, even in the same faded T-shirt from last night. She also had on a plaid shirt, faded jeans, muddy boots, and her face was dirty. She barely kept her temper in check, and Chase had the insane desire to find out what would happen when she snapped. Instead, he pushed into the group.
“I see you’re still here, Miss Wolfe.”
She glared, and he had to bite back a smile.
“You know her, boss?” Bart Stevens, head of hotel security, stepped up beside him.
“Kade called this morning,” Chase said to her, without answering his security chief’s question. He held out her phone. “You left this behind last night.”
Savannah stared at him but didn’t reach for the phone. Her expression reminded him of Miz Beth, the woman who’d helped raise the Barron brothers, staring at a rattlesnake—as if she didn’t know whether to be afraid or take a hoe to his neck. He stepped closer, unsnapped the flap on the pocket over her left breast and slipped the phone inside. Turning to Stevens, he added, “Call the garage and have them send someone over to change the tire and move the truck.”
“I can change my own tire,” she growled at him, and he was reminded again of her wildcat tendencies.
“I’m sure you can, Savannah. But I’m paying people to change tires whether they are changing them or sitting on their butts. Grab your stuff and come with me.”
“No.” Her fists were now planted on her hips, her face darkening as her eyes narrowed. “Don’t do me any favors, Mr. Barron.”
Oh, yeah, this was going to be fun. “Do you really want to do this in front of an audience?” He gestured toward the three uniformed security guards, his suited security chief and the four LVPD officers circling them.
“No. I just want to change my flat, get in my truck and get to the fairgrounds so I can work my horse.”
“While the hotel garage is servicing your truck, I’ll take you to the fairgrounds and you can work your horse.”
Savannah glanced around before she stepped close to him and snarled into his ear. “Why are you being nice? You threw me out on my ass last night.”
“I apologize.” He said it quietly, his gaze covering the other men. “Long story. I’ll explain later.” He stepped back and said more loudly, “C’mon, Savannah, I’ll buy you breakfast and then we’ll head out to Clark County.”
He offered his most appealing smile, the one most women begged to get. This woman just rolled her eyes, pivoted and reached into her truck to grab the duffel. She jerked her keys from her front pocket and dangled them from her fingers. Chase nodded to one of the guards to take the keys. A second guard reached for the duffel. Savannah relinquished it after a short tussle.
“I can carry my own stuff,” she muttered.
“Yes, but this is my hotel and guests don’t carry their own luggage.”
She arched a brow at Chase. “Guest?”
“Come back to my apartment for breakfast and we’ll talk.”
Her gaze raked over him from his face to his boots and back to his eyes. “You don’t impress me as a man who talks much, unless he’s issuing orders.”
Chase threw back his head and laughed. He dropped his arm across her shoulders and drew her along with him. “You think you have my number, wildcat. C’mon.” When they had a modicum of privacy, he lowered his head closer to hers. “You can grab a hot shower and clean clothes while we’re waiting for room service.”
“Your bathroom better have a lock on the door.”
He snorted and another deep belly laugh erupted as he squeezed her in a side hug. She tensed and tried to lean away, but he didn’t let her. “I promise to be on my best behavior. Besides, Kade would probably beat me up if I tried anything.”
The tension left her body. “You really did talk to him?”
“Yeah.” He didn’t say anything else until they crossed the lobby and entered the penthouse elevator. Chase took her duffel from the guard and the doors closed behind them. “I’m sorry I jumped the gun and didn’t let you explain. I was coming off a situation that had to do with two girls and some selfies posted to social media and subsequently picked up by the press. That’s why I came back to Vegas early. I also bypassed the front desk coming in, so they didn’t have a chance to tell me I had a guest.”
She turned her head and her lips quirked. A flash of heat washed over him as he watched her mouth. She stiffened beside him almost as if she’d read his mind. He needed to work on his poker face. Chase blinked to break the connection growing between them. She was a beautiful woman, sexy in a blunt, earthy way, and totally unlike his usual side dish. Still, the attraction remained—an attraction he wanted to explore. She’d be in town only a week. That was more than enough time.
Three
Chase leaned on the metal railing of the outdoor arena fence and watched Savannah ride the big black horse. The gelding loped around the perimeter, a rocking-chair gait that made the rider’s hips undulate in a way that every part of Chase stood up and noticed. He’d grown up around horses, and cattle, but nothing had ever turned him on like watching Savannah simply ride in circles. Which was completely crazy. He wasn’t a cowboy. He’d never hit the rodeo circuit like Cord and Chance, or Cash for that matter. He could ride. He’d grown up on the Crown B. But this? He shifted uncomfortably, and jerked when his phone buzzed in his hip pocket.
Tucker. Chase swiped his thumb across the phone to answer. “Yeah, bud. What’s up?”
“I have her booked into a room with full comp.”
“Thanks.”
“You wanna explain what’s going on?”
He would if he understood it himself. Instead, he went for the easy answer. “She’s a friend of Kade’s.”
“A...friend.”
“Get your mind out of the gutter, Tuck. Not that kind of friend. They grew up together, sort of like brother and sister. She’s here for the rodeo this weekend. I’m doing him a favor.”
“Uh-huh.”
Silence stretched between them before Chase finally broke it. “Say what’s on your mind, Tuck.”
“I got a look at the security footage, man.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah. The video has been deleted.” The uncomfortable silence returned, but Tucker sliced through it this time. “She’s not a stray dog, Chase. You can’t toss her out, then leave food on the porch.”
Chase thought fast because after talking to Kade, he did feel sorry he’d thrown her out, but there was something more—something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. “If I’d known who she was, Tuck, I would have comped her a room last night. She’s not a stray. She’s Kade’s friend.”
“Whatever, cuz.” Voices hummed in the background before Tuck continued. “When are you coming back?”
“What’s up?”
“Not sure. Security thinks there might be something hinky going on out on the floor.”
“Keep them on it. I’ll be back after lunch.”
“Okay.”
He continued to silently watch Savannah exercise her horse, but when he noticed the animal’s gait was off, he started to say something. She’d already realized there was a problem, reining the animal to a stop and slipping off his back. She checked his rear leg, then walked him to the gate. Chase met her there and took in her slumped shoulders and tight expression with one sweep of his gaze as he opened it for her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Indy was kicked three weeks ago. I dropped out of that rodeo and didn’t enter another to give h
im a chance to heal up. He seemed fine when we got here so I paid my entry. If I don’t run him, I lose the fee.”
“What’s the vet say?”
She mumbled something Chase couldn’t understand, so he touched her shoulder. Her muscles twitched but she didn’t jerk away. “Savannah?”
“I don’t have the money for a vet.” She wouldn’t meet his gaze, keeping her chin tucked in and her eyes downcast. “It’s just a deep muscle bruise. I had someone look at it. Rest, heat, mild exercise.”
“But...”
She pulled away from him and began leading the horse toward the long barn with the rental stalls. “But nothing. If he can’t run, my season is over. I can’t afford to buy another horse as good as Indy. Thing is, I have to win to keep going. I don’t even know if I can get him back to Oklahoma and keep him long enough to heal. Grain isn’t cheap.” Snapping her mouth shut, she tucked her chin against her chest again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to dump my problems on you. It’s none of your business. I’ll deal with it.” She moved away from him, putting the big horse between them when she added, “I need to cool Indy down, muck his stall and brush him. Can you stick around to give me a ride back to pick up my truck?”
“Yeah, I can do that.”
When they entered the barn, and he figured out which stall was hers, Chase sent her off to cool down the horse. He took off his bespoke suit coat, stripped off his designer tie and rolled up his sleeves. Before he grabbed the shovel and hay fork, he placed a call to Tuck to get the best large-animal vet in Vegas to the fairgrounds to check out Savannah’s horse.
While Chase shoveled manure out of the stall, then raked the dirt and clean straw into place, his internal dialogue was short and sarcastic. He didn’t need to get wrapped up in this girl’s problems. Not his style. At all. But her tough-girl exterior and the flashes of vulnerability he glimpsed stirred something deep inside—something more than his libido.
Chase knew better than to examine that feeling too closely. He wasn’t a white knight and this girl didn’t need him riding to her rescue. Her clothes were old, her boots scuffed and run-down at the heels, her tack fixed so many times the repairs had repairs. She needed more than a quick roll in the hay and that was his standard operating procedure. He was definitely a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy. Plus, he preferred his women sleek, designer and aware of the rules of his game. He didn’t want—and definitely didn’t need—a down-home cowgirl next door like Savannah Wolfe.
