The way he said my name — low, slow, and sensual — was all I needed to confirm that staying with him would be a very bad idea. “Why are you pushing this? You don’t even know me.”
“I’m a nice guy and you need a friend,” He stated plainly. He wasn’t wrong, but that didn’t mean I liked admitting it.
“Still. I don’t know you and I’m not in the habit of sharing a home with strange men.”
“Fine. My name is Preston Worthington and I work for the NPS doing search and rescue. I was born and raised here in Tulip, minus a few years for college and S&R training. I have good credit, no arrests, and you can ask anyone in town about me.”
I already knew none of them would have anything bad to say. Despite his family’s wealth and his model good looks, Preston seemed to be a good guy. “Do you have a girlfriend or a wife?”
It was the one piece of information that even the town gossips could only speculate on, which I found odd. And, I had to confess, pretty intriguing.
He put the gear shift in park and slid from the truck. After jogging around the front in the way fit guys made look so easy, he pulled open my door with a grin. “Interested?”
“In whether or not some crazy chick is going to sneak in overnight and hold a knife to my throat? Hell yeah,” I explained. “So?”
“No girlfriends. No wives.”
“Booty calls?”
“Nope,” he said with a gleam in his eyes.
“Boyfriend?”
He frowned and I laughed. “Actually, my best friend Ry is the only one who might show up unannounced.”
“Gin Rickey with a twist of lime.” It was the EMT’s favorite drink, an old cocktail hardly anyone ever ordered so it had stuck with me. “He’s your best friend?” I figured he hung out more with the uptight but handsome District Attorney. or some of the finance guys who lived in the city and retreated to the country only for long weekends and holidays. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Get your paws off me!”
Ignoring me, Preston lifted me out of my seat as if I weighed nothing. Considering how tall and muscular he was, my five-foot-five frame was probably nothing, but still — a girl had her pride. “I’m helping.” He smiled. Smiled at me, like this was some sort of game. Some flirtation.
“I have crutches to help.”
“Paving the driveway is pretty low-priority on my list of things to do around here, so let’s just get you to the house and then we can fight some more. Okay?”
Maybe I was being a much bigger brat that I needed to be, since he was offering help out of the goodness of his heart. Or, maybe it was required that Worthington family members perform a certain number of hours of good will each month. “I’m sorry. I’m tired, in pain, and no good at accepting help.”
“No kidding,” he muttered under his breath, snickering like I’d just told him a joke. I inhaled his scent — clean, and masculine mixed with rain and earth — and let it settle into my bones. He really was too gorgeous and too masculine. Everything about him spelled trouble. Luckily, I was only accepting his help for the evening.
Just for tonight.
“How is your pain?” The concern in his voice pulled me from my own wayward thoughts, and I turned away from the big windows overlooking the lake.
“Not great,” I admitted, shrugging. “I’ll survive.”
“I’m sure you will, but if you’re in pain, we can actually do something about it, you know?” Preston rolled his eyes, but his lips remained curled in a small smile as he pointed in this direction and that, giving me a stationary tour of his home. “You only need the bathroom since you’re not supposed to be on your feet at all for the next three days.”
“No need to be so bossy; I remember what the doctor said.” He smirked again and folded his arms, like he thought he could wait me out. “Don’t you have to get back to work?”
“You’re not gonna do something stupid like try to run back home, are you?”
“As you pointed out, I couldn’t navigate the gravel if I wanted to, so no. I plan to stay right here, alone, until tomorrow.”
He nodded, satisfied with my response. “Good. You can take the bed, since I won’t be here until tomorrow evening, anyway. I’ll have Maxine or Ry bring you some food in an hour or so. Just stay off that foot.”
“Yes, sir.” My words were accompanied by a sarcastic salute, which produced a genuine grin that lit up Preston’s whole face. It was a good face, a great face, actually, but I had no business gawking at it like it was a piece of art hanging on the wall.
“See you later, Nina.”
“Thanks, Preston, for everything. Really.”
He winked. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” His chuckle lingered as he made his way to the door.
“Keep talking smack and I’ll put itching powder in your underwear drawer.” The last thing I heard before his truck engine started up again was his deep laughter on the other side of the thick wooden door.
It was just as well. I had too much on my mind to let it daydream about a rich guy who was well and truly out of my league.
Preston
The rescue of young Bailey was all the town could talk about in the days following the flood — a flood which had, as predicted, caused a great uproar only to leave behind nothing but beauty and peace, along with an influx of tourists eager to see what would bloom now that the water had revived the greenery in the park. An activity as benign as stopping for a cup of coffee was now a twenty-minute affair, as I fielded endless questions about Nina’s well-being.
As for Nina, she was as much a mystery to me as she’d been since she arrived in town almost a year ago. Feisty and stubborn, Nina didn’t make a damn thing easy — not even when I’d offered to cook her breakfast.
But she was also funny as hell, with a wit sharp enough to cut through bone. And she was hot. Even though Nina Ryland was not at all my type, with tattoos all down her arm and a red gem sparkling from her left nostril, everything about her kept me fully aroused.
Her thick brown hair fell gently around her shoulders, tempting me to run my fingers through the waves to see if they felt as soft as they looked. Her light blue eyes, the color of the early morning sky, gave her an irresistible look of vulnerability, which I was sure she’d hate to hear — Nina was a tough girl. The kind of girl who didn’t do vulnerability or softness, the kind of girl I usually disliked. But on her, it was damned attractive.
Or maybe I was just intrigued because she wanted nothing to do with me. Rather than be drawn to me, or at least feign interest, because of my family’s wealth, it seemed to turn her off completely, which made me a total bastard for using it to get a rise out of her.
“I brought food,” I called out as I let myself in the back door of my house, smiling at Nina’s surprised gasp.
“There’s no need for food when you’re about to drive me home.” She tried to stand and dropped back to the sofa, clearly frustrated. “This damn boot is driving me crazy!”
“Have you practiced walking on it?”
“Practice? I know damn well how to walk. There is no need to practice. This thing is ridiculous and definitely not made for walking.”
Muttering grumpily to herself, Nina pushed slowly off the sofa and sighed happily when she remained upright.
“You have to practice or stay on your ass all day.”
“What difference does it make, anyway? Buddy won’t let me work with the boot on, even though I can walk the length of the bar and back in this thing. I mean, I’m sure I could, if I had a reason to practice.”
I set the bag down on the counter and hurried to her side, scooping her up in my arms and setting her back down on one of the bar stools in the kitchen. “A good reason to practice might be so you can navigate those death trap steps at your apartment, unless you’re finally getting used to having a roommate?”
She snorted a laugh. “You’ve been a great, if annoying host, Preston. But if I stay any longer, tongues will start wagging, and that’s the last th
ing I need.”
I frowned as I pulled out the Camembert, figs, prosciutto, and fresh goat cheese pizza I’d picked up at Kellyanne’s Gourmet Shop. “You don’t strike me as the kind of woman who gives a damn about what other people think.” If she did, the tattoos and piercing might have run her out of town before she’d even signed her name on the lease.
“I don’t. What I do care about is snarky mean girls leaving me shitty tips because they think I’m screwing the town golden boy.” She picked up the cheese, examined the wedge from every angle, and curled her nose up into an adorable frown. “God, that smells awful.”
“It does,” I conceded, “but it tastes so good you’ll question your sanity.” I took the cheese from her and opened it, cutting a couple slices so she got one that was more cheese than rind. “Taste it and don’t hold your breath.”
Still frowning, she held the slice between two fingers for a moment, then opened her mouth and placed it on her tongue. The move shouldn’t have been so sensual but good god, it was. It totally fucking was. Her thick, naturally pink lips closed, and a throaty moan pierced the silence. “Fuck me, that is good.” She shook her head as she picked up another slice, giving it the same careful eye as she had the piece before. “Rich people are weird, but I’m starting to get it.”
It was just the response I’d been hoping for. “Wait until you get your mouth on this pizza.” I wiggled my eyebrows and she shook her head again, laughing.
“Now pizza, even fancy pizza, I can get excited about.”
I briefly wondered what else she got excited about, but decided to save the question for another day. “So, food? Or do you want me to drive you home and watch you struggle with the stairs before you decide to come back here?”
Arms folded, glared at me as she finished chewing the cheese. “Maybe I’ll struggle with the stairs and decide I want you to take me to Max’s place.”
That pulled another laugh from me. With her smart mouth, I never got away with anything. “I guess that’s also an option, but wouldn’t you rather struggle on a full stomach instead of an empty one?”
“I always prefer my stomach to be full, so that’s kind of a dumb question.” She slipped from the stool and limped to the fridge, pulling out two beers. “So, Preston, why search and rescue?”
“You mean instead of big business with my family?” It was a question I was asked all the time — enough that I had a pretty thick skin about it — but I’d thought Nina might be different. Maybe I was the one judging her.
She shrugged. “Or instead of becoming a cop or a soldier, an EMT or firefighter. Doctor, lawyer, candlestick maker?”
“I spent a lot of time outdoors as a kid, hiking and fishing, swimming, and in college, I took up rock climbing. The summer before I graduated, I was part of a search party looking for two lost hikers. We finally found them huddled in a cave halfway between the ground and the top of the rock on Mount Katahdin, and I watched in awe as the S&R guys climbed up there and rescued them.”
“And the rest was history?”
“Hell no,” I confessed. “I managed a year of law school before I realized it was boring and I hated it, but I didn’t have the guts to tell my mom. Instead, I did all the training first and then came clean.”
Nina smiled, looking impressed with my deception. Admittedly, it was an odd response, but I was learning that Nina was a bit of an odd woman. “You were more worried about telling your mom than your dad?”
“Mom is all about appearances and she’s the Worthington by blood, which means she cares way more than Dad.” My dad had been happy for me, and he was proud of the work I did, but he didn’t show it in Mom’s presence.
“Did she get over it?”
I barked out a laugh as I slid the pizza into the oven. “Nope. Kicked me out of the family, except when a photographer is around. Can’t have the entire world knowing she’s actually a terrible person.” She wasn’t truly terrible, just judgmental and overbearing, but I didn’t feel like explaining that to Nina.
“Wow. Rich people really are fucked up. I think you just got more interesting, Preston.”
“Thanks. I think?”
She shrugged. “I mean, it’s kind of screwed up that you save people for a living and that’s not somehow good enough. Sure, there are some good lawyers in the world, but there are also ones who defend rapists and corporations that kill the environment. Pretty sure you guys don’t do any of that.”
“We don’t,” I clarified, my tone deadpan. “But it wasn’t part of her plan. None of the socialites she dreamed I would marry would be caught dead with a husband who wears a uniform to work.”
Nina snorted. “Where I come from, a guy with a job and no drinking problem is considered a catch.”
“Where are you from?” For as long as she’d been in town, there hadn’t been much gossip about Nina Ryland.
“Mostly St. Louis. I lived in Cleveland until I was seven, but I don’t remember much of it.” Her gaze was fixed out the window, far away. I wondered what she was thinking.
“A midwestern girl.”
“Something like that,” she grinned. “Born and raised there, but since I have no family to go back to, I don’t consider it home anymore.”
“Home is where the heart is,” I offered with a smirk.
She snorted an endearing laugh that drew my eyes to the bounce of her breasts and back up to the curve of her lips. “You are such a cheese monster.”
“That’s such a farm girl thing to say,” I teased, laughing at her affronted look. I laughed even harder when she flipped me the bird.
Nina
Enjoying a decadent lunch in the middle of a workday was nice, if a bit surreal for a girl who lives by meager means. I didn’t have a damn thing going for me, other than a need to cook and a desire to be around actual human beings instead of holed up at Preston’s place on the outskirts of town.
“You can go on and tuck that frown away, girly, because I ain’t affected at all. Nope, not at all.” Buddy stared back at me firmly, the air between us heavy with infinite stubbornness. “I’m sorry, Nina, but I can’t risk having you fall on spilled beer or fried chicken grease and re-injure yourself. I won’t have that on my conscience. When the doc says you’re all clear, you can come back.”
I let out a dramatic sigh, thick with frustration, but nodded at Buddy’s words. “I understand.” And I really did, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t pissed.
Still, I knew arguing with Buddy would do nothing to get me back behind the bar. And I needed to get moving so I could pick up the groceries with this irritating boot making things way harder than they should be.
“Don’t go and do nothing stupid now, Nina. I mean it. You’re a part of Tulip, and folks will pitch in to help. I guarantee it.”
There was a bookstore in town where I could grab a newspaper on the way home, to scope out the classifieds section. Until then, I would have to be frugal and push my savings as far as it could go. Since I couldn’t drive with the boot, I’d save on gas, and since I couldn’t cook to save my life, I’d also save on food.
“You want something to eat?” Buddy asks, well aware of my lack of kitchen skills.
“Nope. I have a few more stops to make, and I’d prefer to not lug around any extra pounds. Thanks.” I watched Buddy turn away, grumbling under his breath, leaving me and the last of my beer in peace.
But it didn’t last long — not the beer or the peace.
“You look like someone ripped out a piercing.” Jayne smiled at me, her green eyes shining and her dimples winking with joy.
“Gee, thanks,” I grunted and rolled my eyes as I finished off my drink. “Good to see you, Jayne.” Now was as good a time as any to get on with my errands.
“Oh, don’t be so sensitive, Nina, I’m here to help. Honestly.” Her smile brightened, making her look barely legal instead of the twenty-something I’d guessed she was. “Hey, Buddy, can I get a margarita?”
Buddy hated mixed drinks, and Jayne kne
w it. She winked at him, anticipating his regular complaints about how drinking should be done as the good lord intended — from a tap or in a glass. The end.
When her gaze swung back to me, I shrugged like it didn’t matter even though it mattered more than I wanted it to. “Yeah? And who’s benefitting from this help, me or someone else?”
Her laugh was good-natured as she gave my shoulder a playful bump. “I like you, Nina. You’re always honest and you don’t scare easily. Why does it have to be either or?” Her question was so abrupt that it nearly gave me whiplash. I knew she’d done it on purpose.
“In my experience, it usually is. I’m open to being surprised.”
“And I love surprising people, so we’re already a perfect match.” Jayne tossed back the rest of her margarita and nodded toward the wall as she slid off the stool. “Hey Buddy, can you bring us a pitcher of margaritas and the overloaded nachos? Extra jalapeños. Come on,” she called to me as she walked away, certain I would follow.
I would. Silently. In a quiet booth, we sat facing each other and saying nothing, both of us too stubborn to get on with it. At least, until Buddy set the pitcher and two chilled glasses between us. “I have a drink. Talk.”
Her lips twitched in amusement. Most of the people here were too polite to speed her along, instead indulging her whims, tangents, and oversharing. “Were you around when the tornado hit?”
“No, I arrived in Tulip not long after. But I helped with the cleanup.” It was probably why the good folks of Tulip hadn’t judged me too harshly when they’d caught sight of my body modifications.
“Well, then, I’m sure you’ve heard all about Tulip’s Tribute on the town square. The statue is cracked, the garden has been trampled, and the fountain needs to be restored.” She sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. “Of course, the Worthington family would love to just toss a few bucks at it and call all the shots, but the town wants to do it.”
Mr. Savior: A Roommate Hero Romance Page 5
