A Warrior's Love [Blackhawk Brothers 3] (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

by Lavada Dee

  * * * *

  Page punched her pillow and rolled over for the umpteenth time. Darn, why had she eaten that junk? Even as the thought hit, she knew it wasn’t what she’d ate, it was thinking of Devon with someone. Someone that had every hair in place, and was made up to perfection. She would be tall and willowy. Maybe even a little exotic.

  Turning over again, Page got a look at the clock and shot out of bed. When had she fallen asleep? Good grief, it was almost nine o’clock. She listened, but couldn’t hear anything from the other room. Maybe, hopefully, Tyrell had slept in too. A quick stop in the bathroom to run a comb through her hair and brush her teeth and she quietly opened the bedroom door.

  Tyrell was on the couch or half on the couch. He was too big to really fit. One leg was dangling over the end. The blanket was almost on the floor, showing an expanse of chest and rock-hard abs. Scars new and old ran across his legs which were exposed beneath the sleeping shorts he had on. She wouldn’t be surprised to find that when he wasn’t injured he slept in the raw. Not that she’d be around to find out.

  What is wrong with me? The images and thoughts she was having were foreign to her. Growing up, she had seen a lot of girls think they were in love. They would whisper in the locker rooms. She had never wanted to be a part of that group. Besides, she was pretty sure there was something wrong with her because she had never been temped. So why was she having these feelings now? Could it be for Tyrell, who was bigger than life in both his physical looks and personality? Or what about Devon, who looked like he had just walked off the cover of a magazine? She needed coffee. Living in was seeming more and more like a bad idea.

  “Oh well, it won’t be much longer.” She mumbled as she made her way across the living room to the kitchen.

  “What won’t be much longer?” Tyrell sat up and pulled the blanket back over his lap.

  How in the world could he have heard her? When her mind saw him as almost mythical, it was spot on. “Nothing, just grumping to myself.”

  “Getting tired of me? Or is it Devon that has you tossing and turning?”

  Now how could he know that? Not answering, she poured two cups of coffee. Then she realized that the timer had been set for almost two hours earlier and the coffee was only lukewarm. She put one cup, then the other, in the microwave and was thankful it gave her time to avoid Tyrell and his questions.

  A few minutes later, she handed him a cup and kept going toward her bedroom.

  “Hey, hold up. Come back and sit a minute. It’s not like we’re on a time clock.”

  “We’re late.”

  “So?” He held her gaze. “I want to talk to you.”

  Another bad thing about living in, she was never entirely off the clock. She took the chair. “What about?”

  “I want to dump this wheelchair. It’s a hassle to get around in, especially in the bathroom.”

  “It’s a little too soon.”

  “I walked a quarter of the bars yesterday. I’ll do the entire course today.”

  Page wasn’t sure how to answer Tyrell. Again, she thought of how different he was from any other patient she’d had. For one thing, his wounds were healing almost to the point you could actually see them change. Normally, a patient wouldn’t be discharged from the hospital before he could do the basics for himself, but with the family resources and around the clock nursing, they had been able to bring him home earlier. The nurse that accompanied him home was only here for two weeks before Tyrell was pulling himself out of the chair and using the bathroom on his own. Finally forming an answer, she said, “You don’t need to push. You’re already setting records for recovery.”

  Tyrell scowled over at her. “It’s not too soon for me. It’s been over two months and…”

  “And your injuries were critical.”

  All of Tyrell’s good humor vanished. “I have enough upper body strength to walk across those bars with just my arms. With the padding I couldn’t really hurt myself if I fell. In fact, isn’t that what the therapy course is designed for? Don’t most patients fall before they re-learn to walk?”

  “Yes, and I expect you will, but if you graduate to a walker too soon…”

  “Whoa, I’m not using a damn walker.”

  A quick knock and Devon let himself into the room. “I didn’t need super-hearing to hear you out there, bro. Is Page picking on you again?”

  Page gave him a grimace that she knew wouldn’t pass as a smile. “Your brother is being difficult. You can try to reason with him. I’m going to get dressed so we get this day underway.”

  Again, she reminded herself that this was a job. She’d had difficult patients before, she just hadn’t been attracted to their brothers. Page made short order of getting dressed. When she got back to the living room, Devon was lounging in the recliner. Standing behind him to avoid eye contact, she said. “I’m going down to get some breakfast, then start Tyrell’s session. Do you want to bring him down to the gym in say forty-five minutes?”

  “How about you wait and we’ll all go downstairs and get something to eat together. So far, Tyrell is taking almost all his meals up here. I think he’s about ready to expand his horizons, so to say.”

  As much as she hated to admit it, Devon was right. “Okay, judging by this morning, he does need to get out of this room. Maybe it will help him get his recovery in perspective and not expect so much of his body.”

  She had no sooner gotten the words out of her mouth and Tyrell erupted. “Damn it to hell. Who do you think you’re talking about? For a start, I don’t need Devon bringing me down to the gym or any place else. I decide what I do and where I go and I’ll get there on my own.” Cursing under his breath Tyrell wheeled across the room. “And, Page for your information I don’t need a perspective check, I know my body and what to expect from it.”

  His words were strong enough without the glaring look he shot at them. With another string of curses he didn’t give her a chance to respond. “And, just so it’s clear. I’m in charge, not you two. Stop talking about me like I wasn’t in the room.”

  Still grumbling Tyrell waited for her to open the door and then impatient pushed through it. Devon gave her arm a pat and said, “He’s right. We were out of line.”

  “I can hear you.”

  “Always the last word,” Devon mumbled.

  Chapter 4

  Still grumbling, Tyrell all but growled at Page and Devon as he led the way to the elevator. “I swore I wasn’t going to be seen in this damn chair.”

  Devon rolled his eyes at Page as they followed. “Be glad you’re in the pilot’s seat. A few weeks ago I would have had the fun of pushing you.”

  “In your dreams, bro. And, by the way, that I can wheel myself is the only reason I agreed to this little excursion.” He paused. “Well that, and Page’s promise to work on getting me up on my feet.”

  Page sighed loud enough that she knew even without his super hearing Tyrell could hear.

  “I heard that.”

  “And I’m surprised? Not! You were meant to hear it. You are one frustrating man.”

  “Come on, frustrating? You know you love me.” Tyrell looked over his shoulder and gave her a rakish smile. Why couldn’t she be attracted to him? More her type, life with him would never be boring. Not that she’d be bored with Devon. Anything but. As soon as the thought entered her mind, though, she rejected it. She had a job to do and the faster she got it done, the better. Until then she would stop thinking about either brother in the ways she had been doing.

  They were almost to the center of the large foyer when all three of them stopped short. Page would have laughed at Tyrell’s and Devon’s stunned looks if she wasn’t pretty sure the same one was pasted on her face.

  It was very possible that the perfect woman that Tyrell had said didn’t exist had just walked in the front door of the lodge. She has to be a movie star, but who? Talk about a cameo moment, for a split second everyone and everything seemed frozen. She heard Devon mumble “Wow” and Tyrel
l’s “Holy shit.”

  “I think they need help at the desk.” Devon was already heading that way.

  “Guess we’re on our own for breakfast?” Tyrell wheeled himself at record speed across the foyer.

  * * * *

  Nadia couldn’t believe her eyes. The man she had been looking for stood smiling behind the reception desk. A clerk? It couldn’t get better than this. She took a deep breath and cautioned herself to go slow. She didn’t want to scare him off.

  “Two rooms, not adjoining but on the same floor.” Her grandmother was very specific about accommodations. In fact, she was precise over everything and especially this road trip.

  “Do you want one or two beds in the rooms?”

  Nadia met the clerk’s gaze. He didn’t have a nametag like the other two receptionists. “One king bed in both rooms, Mr.…?”

  “Just Devon.” His smile was lethal. Who would have guessed she would find exactly who she was looking for out in the back of beyond. And, better still, that her grandmother had announced when they pulled up to the lodge that she wanted to stay and rest for a few days before continuing on to New York. At the time, Nadia had grumbled that they were never going to get home at the rate they were going. Now it didn’t matter so much.

  “Well, Devon, could you arrange for someone to help my grandmother to her room?”

  “Certainly. I’ll do it myself.”

  Nadia led the way back out to the town car and watched as Devon charmed her grandmother. Maybe she should think a little further than the male model she’d been looking for. But then again, if she brought home a hotel clerk her father would have a fit, even if he was drop dead gorgeous.

  Grandmother wasn’t as frail as she pretended, but seemed to enjoy the care she received from the handsome clerk. Nadia watched the exchange and remembered how put out she had been when her grandmother had wanted to stop so early. This was their third day on the road and they had only covered five hundred miles of the twenty-eight hundred from Seattle to New York. If they could have made this many miles each day, it would take them five and a half days. Instead it would take them around fifteen, and then her grandmother wanted to stop for a few days? Didn’t her father realize what he was asking? She had been so frustrated, but now, seeing Devon, she wondered if the fates were in her favor.

  She followed behind her grandmother and Devon, catching, but not processing, their conversation. The lodge was beautiful, rustic, but with a touch of class she hadn’t expected. Instead of elevator music, country played softly in the background. She didn’t like country, or so she had always thought, but here and now it sounded so right.

  Had it only been a week since she had stepped out of the limo and moved toward the hotel doors, leaving the driver and concierge to take care of her luggage? And, now she found herself in a lodge following a guy that didn’t even have a blazer on. Evidently they were pretty casual here in Montana. In fact, she had never stayed in a place like this one, and she would bet her grandmother hadn’t either. She glanced again at the two in front of her. At her grandmother laughing at something the clerk said. She shook her head. Unbelievable.

  Her thoughts again returned to a few days earlier. It had been a difficult flight from New York to Seattle with two delays. To make matters worse, she hadn’t expected to return to the West Coast, but things had changed when her father had called and told her to come back to Seattle. It seemed her grandmother needed to avoid high altitudes after her eye surgery, so would need to travel back home to New York by car. And her father had decided Nadia would drive her. She had argued that she didn’t have time, but to no avail.

  When her father had opened the door for her, she had been surprised and asked where the maid they hired for her grandmother was. Her father informed her that he could still open doors and that the maid was busy packing and getting grandmother ready for the trip home. One thing that didn’t surprise her was his I don’t have time for this attitude. He never had time for her.

  “And, you’re late. I’d hoped to have more time to discuss where you are at with the launch of the new men’s fragrance for Cortico, and of course, the particulars for the drive.” His voice, always slightly off-putting, was decidedly sharp.

  Drive? Well, that had been a nice term to use for traveling just under three thousand miles. She could remember the conversation that followed almost word for word and, thinking back, hated how she had to defend herself. Always seeking approval and never finding it.

  “The flight was delayed twice. I got here as soon as I could. You can get a later flight home.”

  His reply had been, “I. Don’t. Think so. I have to be back in New York tomorrow morning for a meeting and have a flight out in less than two hours.”

  Russell LaMar worked hard to keep his intimidating image, and the fact that Nadia was his daughter didn’t make a difference. If anything, he put up a stronger façade with her. Nadia knew this. She also knew he respected her more for standing up to him, so why did she find it so hard? With a nod, he had motioned for her to follow him to the adjoining den area. As soon as she stepped through the door he said, “Shut the door. I don’t want your grandmother to hear us.”

  Not waiting for her father to open the conversation, Nadia got in the first volley. “I can’t drive across country with Nona. You know she won’t want to travel more than three hundred miles a day and that’s on good days. It’s imperative we find a male model for the holiday launch of Cortico’s Essence of Man fragrance soon. Like in the next couple of weeks.”

  “Nonsense. We can set up everything but the model, and you’ve done most of that. Do you think I’d expect you to jeopardize one of our biggest accounts?” He had balanced on the edge of the desk and now paced over to the window. The view of the city with Mount Rainier in the background looked beautiful, but Nadia doubted he saw much of it.

  Nadia was so lost in thought that she hadn’t realized Devon had let her grandmother into her room and she still stood in the open doorway. Devon handed her two key cards. “Here’s an extra one for this room and one for yours. It’s two doors down. If you change your mind and prefer two connecting rooms or a suite, we can move you tomorrow when both will be available. Though if you decide you do want to switch, you’ll need to let the front desk know soon to ensure you get one of them.”

  Nadia took the keys and smiled up at him, then reached into her purse for a tip. “Thank you for showing us up. I noticed you don’t have bellhops so I’m guessing this is extra service.” She didn’t mean to sound uppity but it came out like that. “I mean…”

  Devon laughed and held up his hands refusing the money. She wouldn’t have believed he could be any more gorgeous. Her gaze moved to his sensuous mouth showing perfect teeth and lips that made her want to lick her own in anticipation.

  “I’ll take coffee for a tip.” His eyes held hers. Was he flirting? Of course, he was. She didn’t need experience to recognize his intent.

  “Coffee?”

  “Yes, like in the coffee shop. Downstairs.”

  “Oh, uh, sure.” She stammered. “Let me put my coat in the room and I’ll meet you down there.” She never stammered, and took pride in being composed. Nadia was around attractive men all the time. This would pass. All she needed was a minute to collect herself.

  “I’ll wait.” He lounged up against the wall, not offering to take the key and let her in.

  So much for a few minutes to herself. She stepped in the room and again, he surprised her by staying in the hall. She thought he would have followed her. With looks like his, he was no doubt used to women all but throwing themselves at him. Well, he was in for a surprise. She wanted to hire him, not go to bed with him.

  She took off her coat and threw it on the bed, then resigned to no time to freshen up, turned back to Devon. “Guess I’m ready. Let me just make a quick stop back by grandmother’s room.”

  He again gave her that devastating smile and stepped away from the wall. “Okay, let’s go. I was actually going to
breakfast with my brother when you came in.”

  “And instead, you checked me in?”

  “Caught, but then you are no doubt used to having men take a second look.”

  “Second looks? Maybe, but not giving up breakfast.”

  They had reached the elevator and he pushed the down button. “Okay, I’ll be honest. Yes, both my brother and I took a second look, but being brutally honest, you looked like you might take a little extra time to check in and the desk is understaffed at this time of day.”

  Nadia wasn’t sure what to say. Thankfully, the elevator arrived and she chose to dismiss his comment. Proceeding into the elevator she said, “This is a beautiful lodge. Does it stay busy all year or are you more seasonal?”

  “We stay busy year round. Summer it’s fishing, swimming, a lot of families. In the winter it’s hunters, cross-country skiers, winter things.”

  Nadia wanted to cut to the chase, and ask him if he had ever thought about a career in modeling, but the ride down wouldn’t allow enough time for that discussion so she would have to be content to making small talk. “Have you worked at the lodge long?”

  “Yeah, it’s a good job.”

  The elevator opened in the lobby and she stepped out ahead of Devon. Even though she had complimented him on the lodge, she really hadn’t taken all that good a look at the lobby when she arrived. She had been ticked off about stopping so early, and being so far away from any city. Then she had seen Devon and the lodge had faded, along with her annoyance. Now, she noticed that while the Ritz it wasn’t, it definitely was five-star. A massive staircase rose from the center of the room, ending on a large balcony. A chandelier that would do a grand European hotel proud hung at the top of the stairs. There were two clerks at the desk now, and both wore red blazers. It made her wonder what role Devon played on the staff, likely the manager. And, that might pose a problem in getting him to give it up for a modeling job. Though on second thought, what she offered wasn’t just an average modeling gig, and the money had to be far above what he made here.