Stud in Texas (Rugged and Risque 4)

She shook her head. “I drove to Texas that night. Left my clothes behind and everything else, except for my box of recipes I’ve always kept in the glove compartment, because I like to have them with me wherever I go.”

“What about when you bought the trailer?”

“I had my lawyer get me a hotel room in Fredericksburg and I lived off the mini-bar while I searched for a place to buy. I found the listing for the trailer on the Internet and my lawyer handled the transaction as well. It was a cash deal so it didn’t take too long, but by the time the escrow papers were ready to sign, the bruise on my cheek was gone.”

“Why so careful?” he asked. “Making sure no one saw you. Not going to the police in Nashville…?”

Her head dropped. “Look, as much as I claim to be a nobody, my face and my name are familiar. I don’t want anyone to know about this, Sam. It’s…humiliating.” She crossed her arms over her chest, a defensive move.

Sam hooked a finger under her chin and gently lifted it. “If you tell me you’re ashamed about what happened, you know what I’m going to say about that, right?”

Mist covered her eyes. “That it wasn’t my fault.”

“Yeah.”

Her lips pressed together for several seconds, then she said, “Much as I’d like to believe that, Sam, I do have a history of getting involved with the wrong men. There have only been a few, but still… I chose this one as a boyfriend and a manager. So, really, who’s to blame?”

“Not you,” he told her in a strong voice, his gaze unwavering. “He tried to steal money from you. He ra—”

Her hand instantly shot out and her fingers pressed to his lips. “Don’t say that word.”

He pried the fingers from his mouth and said, “Call it what you want. The fact still remains that you were assaulted.”

His fingers curled around hers and he rested their entwined hands against his chest.

She took a few deep breaths, then told him, “Reese can’t know about this.” Her beautiful blue eyes pleaded with him. “You need to know, because I’m still a little skittish and I don’t want you to think it has anything to do with you. And I don’t want to start something with you without being totally honest. You wouldn’t do that to me.”

“No, I wouldn’t. But Reese is your best friend, darlin’, and she’d be damn hurt if she heard it elsewhere.”

“She’s not going to hear it elsewhere.” She gave him a hard look. “This is just between you and me. And I already know you’d never say a word to anyone, not even Caleb, if I asked you not to. I might not know you as well as the others at this ranch, but one of the things I have picked up on is that you’re loyal and you’re genuine. You wouldn’t do anything to discredit me.”

“Jesus, Sky.” He shook his head as dismay slithered through him. “You really believe Reese would think less of you if she knew about this?”

Tears sprang to her eyes. “She’s like a sister to me, Sam. And she just thinks so highly of me… I couldn’t stand to see any sort of pity in her eyes. Or worse. Disgust.”

He pulled her to him and was damn glad she let him hold her. Her arms wound around his neck and her body melded to his.

“You heap a hell of a lot onto yourself, darlin’.”

“It’s my bind,” she said, her warm breath on his neck. “I got myself into it.”

“And how do you plan on getting yourself out? Especially if you won’t let anyone help you?”

She squeezed him tight, then stepped away. “I’m guessing the best thing to do at this point is to give him the money. I mean, I have the cash. It’s not as though it’d create any sort of hardship for me. I didn’t hand it over initially because of the principle of the matter, but… If money gets him out of my life, then it’s worth it.”

Sam considered this a viable option, but a dark thought occurred to him. Actually, two dark thoughts occurred to him.

He said, “What if this guy takes the money and starts thinking of you as his own bank teller, because he wore you down the first time?”

Dark thought number one.

She crossed her arms over her chest again and rocked back on her boot heels. “Chances are good I’ll never get rid of him, aren’t they?”

“Well, darlin’, if he believes you’re an open checkbook…”

“Goddammit.”

Sam groaned. Now for dark thought number two. “The other concern is that it’s not just your money he wants. He broke into your trailer when you were there. What’d he expect to find? That you keep your money stashed under your mattress and you’d just happen to have the sixty grand waiting for him when he popped by uninvited?”