Claimed By Him: (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

by Alexis Winter

He clears his throat and readjusts his sweater. “I…uh…it’s nothing personal. I just, I like to know who I’m dealing with. You don’t have bad credit—you just don’t have much of anything on your report other than your truck, and that was nearly seven years ago.”

  I laugh and shake my head, hoping to clear it of the confusion I’m now feeling. “I don’t know what to say, Liam.”

  “Say yes!” His eyes are wide and he’s wearing a big smile. “We can go over the details later.”

  “I can’t just take that much money from you. I mean, starting up a business like this is expensive. There’s the price of the building, and who knows what repairs it will need, plus the startup costs. I just…I can’t. It’s too much.”

  “I’ll make you a deal.” He leans forward and locks his eyes on mine. “I’ll be a silent partner. I’ll give you all the money you need. We’ll set up a payment plan that starts five years after your opening date.” He glances from me to Vesper and back. “It’s common knowledge that a business doesn’t make its money back for the first couple years,” he explains. “But in exchange, I want you to pop in and out of here over the next week—help Tyler with the animals, help the vet if needed. Feed the cat and water the plants, that kind of thing.”

  My face wrinkles in confusion. “You want me to house-sit?”

  “Exactly. We’re…” He looks quickly at Vesper. “We’re taking that vacation.”

  “You are?” I ask Vesper.

  She nods once. “I guess we are.” She smiles. “But only if you take this deal.”

  I lift my glass and take a long drink, thinking it over. “Okay. Deal.” I stand and hold out my hand. Liam stands and slides his into mine, and we shake on it.

  With that out of the way, dinner goes smoothly—nothing but a couple of friends laughing and talking.

  “So, when are you leaving for your vacation?” I ask, taking a bite of the perfectly grilled steak Liam brought in.

  “Sunday evening,” he replies.

  “And where are you going?”

  He grins. “That’s a surprise.” He darts a glance at Vesper, who looks a little uncomfortable. Knowing her, she probably is. Vesper isn’t the surprise type. She’s a bit of a control freak and likes to know everything. This surprise vacation is probably stressing her out.

  “How romantic,” I coo in her direction, rubbing it in because only I know how much this is driving her crazy.

  “It will be nice to get away. You think you can manage at the clinic?” she asks, setting her fork down and picking up her wine.

  I wave my hand through the air. “No worries. I may smack Dr. McAsshole around a little if you don’t mind.”

  She laughs. “Don’t run him off and please remember to call him Judah, I don’t want you slipping up with that nickname.” She points her finger at me. “Seriously, it took me forever to find him.”

  I roll my eyes and sit back. “Next time, try to find someone with a personality,” I joke…kind of.

  The rest of the dinner goes smoothly, and I promise to stop by Sunday afternoon to send them off.

  It’s going on nine o’clock by the time I’m driving home, and it quickly passes through my mind that I should stop at the bar and chill out a little before heading home since it’s still so early. But then I think of my mom, and the urge to want to kick back with a cold one passes. Looking back on our lives, it’d be way too easy to get lost down the same rabbit hole she’s in.

  I drive straight home, take a long hot shower, then cuddle up in bed with a good book and a cup of hot tea. The comfy bed, my warm, fuzzy pajamas, and my tea relax me to the point I find myself drifting off with the book still in my hands. Finally, after fighting off sleep for an hour, I place the book on the nightstand, pull the blankets up to my chin, and drift off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  It’s going on eleven when I wake up Saturday morning, and I have to rush to get to the animal shelter on time. Vesper is already in the back, looking over today’s lineup.

  “What do we have on the schedule for today?” I ask, dropping my bags onto a nearby table.

  She spins around, panic painting her features. “I’m freaking out here, Amy!”

  “What? Why?”

  “This vacation! I couldn’t even sleep last night.”

  I wave her off. “Don’t be silly. What could happen other than you not getting to plan out every minute of every day?”

  She rolls her eyes. “He’s doing this on purpose.”

  I laugh and playfully smack her arm. “Listen, he sees how much you do. I mean, you have enough jobs to employ the town! He wants you to relax. Why’s that so hard for you?”

  She lets out a deep breath.

  “Nothing is going to go wrong. I promise. The clinic will run fine; it has this far. And you’ve already approved all the plans for the new building. What’s the big deal?”

  “What if Judah gets sick and can’t come in? I won’t be here to pick up his position at the clinic.”

  “Then we’ll do what we did before you hired him and you got sick. I’ll call all the patients and reschedule.” I place my hands on her biceps and narrow my eyes on her. “Take a deep breath and enjoy your time off. Before you know it, you’ll be planning a wedding and going crazy with that. Not to mention, I’m sure some baby Liams will be popping out in the next few years.” I laugh.

  Her eyes grow wide. “Oh my God! I didn’t even think of that. How am I going to handle having kids with all this work?”

  My laughter picks up and nearly has me doubling over. “Stop overthinking everything and just chill. Enjoy this day. Today is the only thing you need to think about. Let life happen, Vesper. You can’t control everything.”

  Chapter 5

  Sunday rolls around and I make the drive out to the ranch. Liam is carrying their bags out to the car as I’m pulling up. I wave him a quick hello, grab my bags, and head into the house where I find Vesper running around like a chicken with her head cut off.

  “What’s up?” I ask, dropping my things onto the kitchen table.”

  “I’m just going through my checklist.” She looks at the coffee pot, then stares up at the ceiling, counting things off on her fingers.

  “Did you pack enough clothes?”

  She nods. “I packed a little of everything since I have no idea where we’re going.”

  “What about your makeup, hair products, shoes?”

  “Check, check, and check.”

  “Birth control?”

  Her eyes grow wide and her mouth drops open. “Oh my God. How could I have forgotten that?” She quickly runs upstairs, leaving me laughing.

  I turn and open the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water.

  Liam walks in. “Where’d she go now?”

  I quickly swallow the water in my mouth. “Upstairs. She forgot something.”

  He laughs and shakes his head. “I guess an impromptu vacation is more stress than she has already.”

  I lean against the island. “Yep, Vesper is more of a planner. I mean, she needs several months’ notice. Just a little information for next time.”

  He nods and leans against the fridge. “Next time, it will be our honeymoon. She’s already started looking up suggestions online. Hopefully, I’ll get her to set a date this week.”

  I laugh. “Knowing Vesper, the date she’ll set will be two years away.”

  “Stop talking about me and my organizational skills.” She walks back into the room, shooting daggers at both of us.

  Liam and I both laugh.

  “We’re just amazed at how well you manage everything you do, honey.” Liam holds out his hand and she walks to his side, taking it in hers.

  “Yeah, yeah.” She rolls her eyes playfully.

  Liam raises his hand, glancing at the time on his watch. “We should probably get going. Are you ready?” He looks down at her.

  “I don’t know. I think so. Amy?”

  I nod with a smile in place. “Get out of here.” I shoo them toward t
he door. “Have fun and don’t worry. I’ve got everything covered!” I yell from the open door as they make their way down the steps and to the car.

  “Thank you, Amy,” Vesper says before sliding into her seat.

  “You’re welcome!” I shout.

  Liam closes her door, then walks around the car to take his place behind the wheel. “Thank you, Amy.”

  I smile and wave, leaning against the doorframe as I watch them disappear down the driveway.

  When they’re no longer in view, I turn to head back inside, but get a flash of something out of the corner of my eye. Tyler.

  Again, the night we spent together had been lost in everything else going on. It’s only now that I see him that the emotions I was feeling that night come rushing back.

  I step out, closing the door behind me, and walk over to the barn where I find him baling hay.

  “Long time no see,” I say, leaning against a horse stall.

  “Hi, Amy. How ya been?” he asks from over his shoulder.

  I shrug and press my lips together. “Not too bad, I guess.”

  He stops his work, placing his hands on his hips as he looks me up and down. “I see you haven’t run off to become a professional beach bum yet.”

  A puff of air leaves my lips as a silent laugh. “Nah, not only does the pay suck, but the health insurance is nonexistent.”

  He lets out a short laugh. “So, you’re house-sitting for the week?”

  I nod. “Yep. I’m going to be stuck way out here in the middle of nowhere. Boredom City,” I joke.

  He begins stalking closer, eyes trained on mine. “I don’t know. I’m sure we can find something to do out here.”

  With his every step, my heart beats faster. “Oh yeah?” I stand up straight. “You got plans for dinner?”

  He offers up a cocky grin as he comes to a stop in front of me, sliding his hands into his jean pockets. “I just happen to have two steaks marinating right now. I was worried I’d have to eat them both myself, but if you’d like to take one off my hands, that’d be great.” He offers up a sexy grin.

  I smile up at him. “Are you inviting me over for dinner?”

  “What do you say?”

  I think it over, unable to say no. I nod. “Sure.”

  His grin turns into a full-blown smile. “Good. Just let me finish up here and I’ll come in and get you.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll go clean up.” I walk past him, feeling his eyes on my back the whole way.

  When I walk into the house, I rush to the kitchen, grabbing my bags and taking them up to the guest room. Tossing them onto the bed, I dig through my belongings until I find a short jean skirt and a low-cut top. Taking both items to the bathroom, I jump into the shower to freshen up and shave.

  About an hour later, I’m walking down the stairs just as he knocks on the door. “Come in!” I call out, pausing in the corner to pull on my jacket.

  He steps inside, looking absolutely delicious. His tight Wranglers fit him to perfection. His white t-shirt is wet with sweat, and it clings to his every muscle. Just looking at him causes me to freeze and my heart to beat harder.

  He gives me a sexy smile. “You ready?”

  I nod, realizing that I probably look like a crazy person who’s frozen in place just staring at him. “Uh, yeah.” I nod. “Yes, I’m ready.”

  He holds the door open for me and I step out.

  Once we’re in his truck, I notice that he doesn’t leave the driveway. Instead, he follows the dirt road around the house and into a field.

  “You live out here?” I point toward the line of trees that surround the big empty field.

  “Yeah, I live on the property. I stay in the hunting cabin that’s just through these trees.”

  “Wow, that’s interesting. Liam must be very generous.”

  “I’m the ranch hand. If the cows get out in the middle of the night, I need to be close by to wrangle them up. I can’t do that if I live in town. So Liam offered me this place for free. I thought it’d be a great way to save up some money to hopefully buy my own ranch one of these days.”

  He drives through the opening in the trees and comes to a stop about a mile into the woods. There’s a small cabin—not tiny, but not huge—in front of us. There’s no grass since the massive trees block the sun from reaching the ground, and despite the lack of vegetation, it feels homey. The wood siding is a rich chocolate color, and there’s a covered porch out front. Based on the smoke coming from the chimney, there’s a fire burning inside, meaning the place will be warm and cozy.

  “This is it,” Tyler says, hopping out. He walks around the truck and comes to a stop at my door, opening it and holding out his hand to help me down. I place my hand in his, and he leads me to the front door.

  Stepping inside, the warmth of the fire hits me, and I feel instantly relaxed.

  “Sorry about the smoke smell. This place is old and the only way to heat it is with the wood-burning stove and fireplace. Since it’s never seen a bit of sun, it stays cool up into the summer months.”

  I shrug off my jacket and drape it over the back of the old brown leather couch. “I like it. It gives this place a warm, comforting feeling.” I glance around the room, taking in the stone fireplace, the leather couch and matching chair, the small TV in the corner, and the bearskin rug on the ground.

  “How long have you lived here?”

  “A couple years,” he answers. “Why?”

  I walk up to the fireplace and view the pictures on the mantle. “It’s just that all the pictures in this cabin are of Liam and—I’m guessing—his family. There’s nothing of yours? Nothing to make it homier for you?”

  He shakes his head. “I don’t need things to feel at home. There’s nothing left for me there. You want a drink?” he asks, walking into the kitchen.

  I want to ask him what he means by that, and what made him leave home in the first place, but I feel like it’s none of my business and that maybe he will open up to me when he gets to know me better. “Sure,” I answer his question.

  He comes back a few seconds later, taking a sip of his beer and handing me one of my own. I look at the bottle, at him, and back. “Actually, do you have anything else? I don’t really feel like drinking.”

  “Oh, yeah. Just a sec.” He disappears and returns, handing me a water bottle. “Make yourself comfortable while I throw these steaks on the grill.”

  I sit on the couch, watching the fire and occasionally glancing around the room. When he comes back in, he heads straight for the kitchen and I get up and follow him.

  “Is there anything I can do? I feel weird sitting alone while you do everything.”

  “Uh,” he glances around the room like he’s trying to find me a job, “you can make a salad if you’d like.”

  I force a smile onto my face and crack my knuckles. “My specialty is coffee, but I’ll give it a shot.” I laugh.

  He smiles and finds me a wooden bowl, a cutting board, and a knife. “Everything you’ll need is in the fridge. I’ll be back in a second. I’m going to toss on the steaks.”

  When he walks out, I go to the fridge to pull out the lettuce and the rest of the vegetables. My stomach is in knots and I don’t even know if I’ll be able to eat. Things in the barn felt easy, but now it feels strained. Why did he invite me over? Was it so I wouldn’t be alone? Did he really want to enjoy my company, or did he just want to try to get lucky again? Today is the first time we’ve seen each other since he snuck out of my bed, and I want to ask him why. It’s nearly burning my tongue to hold in my questions.

  Between grilling the steaks, Tyler bakes some rolls and potatoes. I keep to myself and absentmindedly chop the vegetables for the salad. When everything is done, we set the table and sit down. It then hits me that I haven’t even looked at him the whole time we’ve been preparing dinner.

  “Is everything okay, Amy? You seem quiet.”

  I jerk my head up. “What? Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

&nb
sp; He pulls his eyes from mine, looking at the food on his plate as he moves it around. “It’s just that you haven’t said much since I picked you up. Did I do something?”

  I take a deep breath. “I’m just confused is all.”

  “About?” he urges.

  “Well…I guess I’m just trying to figure out what this is. I mean, I haven’t seen you or heard from you since that night. And earlier in the barn, things seemed easy between us. But since you brought me here, things feel forced. Did you really want to have dinner with me, or did you just feel obligated because I was alone? And if you really wanted to have dinner, was it for my company or was it for another hookup?” I’m nearly breathless from that long drawn-out speech.

  He lets out a laugh over the speed of everything that just escaped my mouth. He nods. “I see.” He pauses, thinking it over. “I didn’t feel obligated to invite you, Amy. I really did want to spend the evening with you. As far as the hookup, I wasn’t planning anything. I figured we’d just see where we ended up.”

  I take another deep breath and release it, hoping to force myself to calm down. “I’m sorry. I’m just confused. I thought we had a really great night together. I didn’t expect you to sneak out of my apartment.”

  I watch as his jaw flexes. He picks up his beer and takes a drink. “Amy,” he breathes out, “I had a great time with you that night. It’s just that staying over, it isn’t something I do. Relationships aren’t something I do. Now, if you just want to have fun, I’m your guy, but—” He shakes his head. “If you’re looking for something serious, I’m afraid you’re looking in the wrong place.”

  I swallow down the sadness that’s bubbling up my throat and push back my chair, standing up and walking to the fridge to grab a beer. I pop the top and take a long drink, feeling his eyes on me. I lean against the counter, looking at my feet and thinking everything over.

  I like Tyler, and I definitely could’ve seen myself moving forward with him. But now that’s out of the question. Do I still want to see him if I know it can never be anything?

  He stands and walks directly in front of me, his chest nearly touching mine. “Look at me, Amy,” he demands.