Whirlwind (The Champions 1)

All’s well. Something about the way Tess spoke the words roused Lexie’s suspicions that they weren’t entirely true. “Is there something you’re not telling me?” she asked. “Has there been more trouble?”

“Nothing that can’t wait until you get home.” Tess’s voice was fading. They were losing the signal. “For now, it’s been taken care of. Just . . .” Tess hesitated as if weighing her words. “Just be careful. Watch your back—and check every inch of the rig before you leave, okay?”

“Tess—”

“You’re cutting out. We’ll talk when you get home. Call me if you learn anything new.” Tess ended the call before Lexie could ask her any more questions.

“Blast!” Lexie glared down at the silent phone. If Tess wanted to spare her from worry, she was going about it the wrong way. For a moment, Lexie was tempted to call her sister back and demand to know the truth. But that would only create tension between them. She’d been warned to be careful. But she would be more than careful. She would be looking for answers. If any of those answers were here, she would do her best to find them—even if it meant being civil t

o Brock Tolman and his all-too-attractive right-hand man.

“Well, if it isn’t Miss Lexie Champion!” Lexie’s pulse clicked into overdrive as Shane Tully strolled into the bright circle cast by the security light.

Her defenses sprang into place. Shane had a way of making her feel like a fluttery, vulnerable high school sophomore. Her instincts told her to make her excuses and leave. But she’d resolved to get some answers about Brock Tolman’s connection to the troubles at the ranch. Here was her chance.

She gave him a smile. “Surprise. I thought I was all alone out here. Then you show up out of nowhere. How did you manage that?”

“I didn’t. I’m staying over there in that trailer. When I looked out the window, there you were. I was hoping we’d bump into each other while you were here. But I never figured it would be this easy.” He paused, his gaze meeting hers, holding it for an instant before he spoke again. “Are you hungry? I had a pizza delivered a few minutes ago. It’s keeping warm in the oven. If you’re hungry, you’re welcome to come over and share it with me. Call it a peace offering.”

A peace offering. The words sounded innocent enough, but they put Lexie on her guard. Given the circumstances, she couldn’t afford to trust anyone.

“Where’s your boss?” she asked.

“Brock’s flying in for the rodeo tomorrow. He pilots his own plane. I drove one trailer and brought a couple of the bulls. Brock’s regular driver, who brought the other truck, wanted to stay in a hotel. So how about it? Just you, me, hot pizza, and cold beer—no strings attached.”

No strings attached. The first time Lexie had heard that line was the night she’d lost her virginity at a frat party in college. The experience, which had left her feeling cheap and used, had also given her a deep-rooted distrust of handsome, charming men. Men exactly like Shane Tully, who probably had women falling into his bed anytime he wanted.

But turning him down would mean passing up the opportunity to get him talking. She weighed, then rejected the idea of asking him to bring the pizza outside. If she wanted to learn his plans, and perhaps Tolman’s, she would need to appear trusting.

She tried to make sure her polite smile wouldn’t be seen as a come-on. “I was about to go get a chili dog on the midway. But pizza sounds better. Sure, I’ll join you—just for a little while.”

He gave her a knowing look. “Relax, Lexie. I just want to share some pizza and small talk. If you start to feel uncomfortable, the door will be a step away.”

Heat surged into Lexie’s face. His honest response had made her feel like a ninny. Maybe she’d underestimated him.

The smile she gave him probably looked as fake as the last one. “Lead the way,” she said.

He ushered her into the front compartment of the long, sleek trailer. Lexie’s eyes widened. She’d seen similar models at rodeos and on sales lots, but this was the luxury edition—leather furnishings, granite countertops, a built-in home theater setup, everything state-of-the-art high tech. She couldn’t even imagine what the bedroom and bath might look like.

“Bathroom’s down the hallway if you want to wash up,” he said, as if he’d read her mind again.

“Thanks. I probably smell like a barn.”

He grinned. “Don’t we all?”

The bathroom was tiny but beautifully appointed, with marble fixtures and a massaging shower. Shane’s toothbrush and razor were neatly arranged on the side of the vanity. That small intimacy, seeing his personal things there, sent a faint quiver of awareness through her body.

After washing up and drying her hands on a velvety towel, Lexie couldn’t resist a peek into the bedroom. The king-sized bed was covered with a fluffy duvet in a buckskin color. Everything else—including the closet, the shelves and the dresser—was built into the walls, leaving just enough floor space to stand and dress.

“So what do you think of the place?” Shane’s voice, almost in her ear, gave her a start. She turned to find him standing in the hall behind her.

Lexie’s cheeks flushed. “I just had to look. It’s impressive. I hope you aren’t going to tell me it belongs to you.”

He laughed. “I could. But I’d be lying. Brock lets me use it sometimes when I haul the bulls.”

“You said he was coming in tomorrow?”

“Right. But he’ll be renting a car and staying in a fancy hotel. He doesn’t like roughing it.”