Читать книгу Sex, Lies and Designer Shoes - Kimberly Van Meter - Страница 13
ОглавлениеHE DIDN’T EXACTLY have a safe house but he knew a hotel that was fairly small and off the beaten path that would serve his purpose. The only problem? It wasn’t much to look at. However, that was the point. No one was going to look for an heiress at a two-star hotel that was built in the ’70s and hadn’t been updated since it was erected. And, okay, maybe he was just a little entertained by the idea of subjecting the spoiled brat to something a little less luxurious than she was accustomed to, but it was safe and that was his primary concern.
“Where exactly are you taking me?” she asked, returning with a designer rolling suitcase. “I prefer something along the lines of the Biltmore but I’ll settle for the Four Seasons.”
He chuckled. “I’ll take that under consideration. Are you ready?”
She looked at him with irritation. “I’m standing here with luggage. What do you think that means?”
“All right, then. Let’s hit the road.”
She grumbled something under her breath but didn’t repeat herself when he gave her a sharp look. They climbed into his Range Rover and took off.
“What are you smiling about?” she asked, suspicious. “You’ve been the picture of grumpy since the moment we met, yet you’re smiling like you just won the lottery.”
“What? A man’s not allowed to smile in your company?” he asked, smothering his grin when he realized he was borderline gloating in anticipation. Was he being a jerk? Possibly. But she deserved it. He was doing this for all the men out there who’d had the misfortune to snag this girl’s eye. No doubt, CoCo had left behind a string of men after she’d had her fun. “Just sit back and enjoy the ride. We’re almost there.”
She looked out the window with a frown. “Just where exactly are you taking me? This neighborhood doesn’t look safe at all. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“I know exactly what I’m doing.”
“So far, that’s debatable.”
“Just relax, princess. If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s protect overprivileged, spoiled heiresses.”
“Exactly how do you get jobs? You have the manners of a pig. Just so you know, so far I haven’t been very impressed with your methods. And in case you haven’t noticed—people care about what I have to say. One bad review from me and you’re finished.”
“Have you noticed that you don’t have many friends? It might be because you’re unbearable to be around.”
Her indignant sputter was entertaining. “You don’t get to judge me. You’re no one. And when this is over my life will go on and yours will be ruined.”
Oh, she had balls. “Let me get this straight...you’re saying when I’m done protecting your ass, you’re going to ruin my career just because I don’t jump when you snap your fingers? Hmm, that’s not a glowing recommendation for protecting you at all. Maybe I ought to just dump you off at the nearest corner and let you fend for yourself.” He barked a laugh at the idea. “You wouldn’t last a day.”
She shrugged. “You’re the one who believes there’s a real threat out there, not me. This is all going to blow over. Just wait and see.”
“Maybe you’re right. But I’m getting paid either way and since you’re not the one signing my paycheck just zip your lip and sit tight.”
She jerked her gaze away from him with a delicate sniff of annoyance and he had to stop himself from chortling. Why was he baiting her? He’d never acted like this with a client. Not even with the snobbiest, but for some reason he just couldn’t shut it down. Her ego needed an ass-whupping in the worst way and he was more than willing to be the one to deliver.
He took the exit ramp and within a block the hotel came into sight. Just as he expected she started to screech.
“Oh, hell no. You’re out of your ever-loving mind if you think I’m staying here. It doesn’t even look like it has running water or indoor plumbing!”
He put the Range Rover into Park and climbed out with a chuckle. “I promise you there is hot and cold running water. But you’re out of luck if you’re looking for room service.”
She quickly followed, the bee in her bonnet buzzing loudly. “This place is disgusting. I wouldn’t let a stray dog sleep here. And you think I’m supposed to sleep here? You are out of your mind! If I’d wanted to go camping, I would’ve booked a trip to Yosemite.”
“Somehow I can’t imagine you camping anywhere.”
“That’s not the point. I’m not staying here.” She stamped her foot. “I told you I would settle for the Four Seasons, not this disgusting edge-of-the-world shack.”
“Calm down, princess. It’s clean, it’s safe and exactly where we need to be right now. No one is going to look for you here.”
“Of course not! I feel like I’ve been kidnapped. I wouldn’t stay here if my life depended on it.”
“Interesting choice of words. Actually, your life does depend on it. Now come on, let’s go.”
“I won’t and you can’t make me,” she said, standing her ground with her arms crossed.
“Actually, I can make you. I can throw you over my shoulder and carry you into the hotel room if that’s what you prefer. I aim to please.” He took a step toward her and she paled.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me. You’re nothing but a job, princess. And making sure that you are safe is my number-one priority. How you get there or your relative comfort means nothing.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“I’ve been called worse and by better people. Let’s go.”
He was almost hoping that she would continue to be a pill but she grabbed her suitcase handle and jerked it toward her, stomping behind him. He could almost feel the heat from her glare burning a hole into his back but as long as she was moving her feet, he didn’t care. He made quick work of checking in under false names and then took them straight to the room. He opened the door and saw the problem as soon as she did. He looked at her with a slight apology. “This room used to have two beds.”
Her expression withered. “I guess you’ll be sleeping on the floor or in the bathtub, then.”
“I’m not sleeping in the bathtub,” he told her. “We’re both adults and if you can keep your hands to yourself, we’ll be okay.”
She gasped. “As if I would ever touch you. I’d rather die first.”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” he said with a short scowl. “Besides, you’re not my type, honey.”
“Like I believe that,” she muttered. “I saw the way you looked at me when we first met.”
“That was an act,” he said, happy to throw a bucket of water on her smug comment. “I prefer my women to be a lot less spawn of the devil, more of the human variety.”
“Ha-ha. Yes, well, women bought by the hour tend to be more agreeable.” She cast a disparaging look around the room. “I’ll bet you bring your girls here. Seems appropriate for that kind of commerce.”
He narrowed his gaze. “Careful, princess. One of these days your mouth is going to overload your ass.”
She ignored his warning. “I can’t believe you brought me to this place and now you think you’re going to sleep in the same bed with me. Unbelievable. Maybe I’ll just sleep in the car.”
“Negative. You stay where I can keep an eye on you. That’s the whole point of coming to a place like this. It might not look like much but from a defensive standpoint it’s pretty solid. A place like the Biltmore or the Four Seasons is a logistical nightmare. Too many people coming and going and it’s way too easy to pretend to be someone you’re not. Here, there’s no room service—which means no one is coming to the door that hasn’t been invited and all points of entry are easily watched. So, it’s not the lap of luxury but it will serve its purpose.”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she muttered, but something he said must’ve made sense because she stopped arguing even if she added, “I’m still not sleeping with you. You can take the floor.” She moved past him and closed herself in the bathroom.
“Just so you know, the idea of sleeping next to you isn’t high on my priority list, either,” he called out and she barked an incredulous laugh, mocking him.
As if he’d want to snuggle up to that spitting cobra? He’d rather chew off his own foot.
This was going to be the hardest he’d ever worked for a dollar, that was for damn sure.
* * *
THAT MAN HAD lost his mind if he thought he was going to climb into her bed as if he had a right to. She’d rejected hotter guys than him and he’d best remember that she was a catch! She sat on the closed toilet lid, quietly fuming. He had to be the single most annoying, rude jerk that she’d ever met—and that was saying a lot because she circulated in some pretty elite circles filled with self-important blowhards. At this rate, she was ready to surrender to whoever was threatening her family if it meant that she no longer had to put up with Rian Dalton. Who did he think he was? She had some of the richest, most eligible bachelors on two continents running after her and he had the gall to turn his nose up at her? That man was not only rude but an idiot, as well.
So what was she going to do, sit in the bathroom all day? No. He was not going to chase her off. She splashed some water on her face and then exited the bathroom with her chin held high. “I find it hard to believe that this is the best that you can find as a safe house. You can’t tell me that you bring politicians and other celebrities here to this awful place.” The slow, lazy smile told her exactly what she needed to know, and she clenched her fists as she howled. “You’re torturing me on purpose!”
But even as he didn’t rightly deny it, he didn’t admit it, either. “I find it important to adjust accordingly. This was the best place I could find that was suited to the situation,” he said as if she weren’t smarter than that, and she called him on it.
“Bullshit. You picked this place because it sucks and you don’t like me. Do you think I’m stupid?”
“Not at all. I think you’re very smart. But you’re also a pain in the ass. Did I pick this place because I thought it might annoy you? Maybe. But my original reasons stand. It’s a safe place. Deal with it.”
“Deal with it? Deal with what? The fact that there are probably more cockroaches in this place than there are actual people? We are in the middle of nowhere, I’m not sure when these bedsheets were cleaned last and I’m fairly certain people have probably been murdered in their sleep here. Why would I feel safe here?”
“I doubt anyone has been murdered in this room.”
“And that’s supposed to make me feel better? I swear to God, if my father wasn’t wholeheartedly convinced that you were the only one who could do this job, I would walk out the door right now and gladly never see you again.”
“Well, I guess I should be thankful for small favors. One thing, though, are you going to be this screechy the whole time? If so, I will need to invest in earplugs. Your voice is grating.”
Grating? She sputtered. “You have a lot of nerve. I don’t know if I should be impressed by your decided lack of common sense or if I should feel pity for you because you’re an overwhelming idiot.”
He snapped his fingers with a smile. “Earplugs it is.”
She growled. The man was insufferable. “This room is about to lose its murder-free status because I’m going to kill you in your sleep.”
“Careful, making threats like that is a felony. I’d hate to have to arrest you. Although, you sitting in jail would definitely be a safe place. But I can’t promise that the accommodations are superior to what we have right here.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Princess, you’ll find that I dare much. Keep pushing and you’ll find out just how far I’m willing to go.”
There was something about the way he held her gaze that sent a dangerous thrill arcing through her nerve endings. There was no pushing him around—no bulldozing him. Men crumbled when she pushed. Not Rian. He not only pushed back, he dared her to push harder. There was something electric dancing between them even if neither wanted to admit it. And that stubborn mouth had the most sensual lips she’d ever seen. So he wasn’t hard on the eyes, she grudgingly admitted, finding it hard to pull her gaze away when she realized she’d been staring a little too long. Rian would be the perfect guy to have angry, I-hate-you sex with. If she were into that kind of thing. “So if there’s no room service, how exactly do you plan to feed me?” she finally asked.
He pulled a brown square package from his backpack and tossed it at her. She caught it in confusion. “What the hell is this?”
“That, my dear, is a military-issue MRE. I think it’s meat loaf. Not bad but not great, either. I don’t want to oversell it.”
She dropped the package as if it were made of poison and it landed on the floor with a dull thud. “Are you kidding me? Those things have, like, three thousand calories. I can’t eat that.”
“They fill the belly. I suppose if you get hungry enough you’ll dig in.”
“You can’t be serious. We’re not at war. There is no reason why I should have to eat something meant for soldiers in the field. And I don’t believe you eat these, either. If you had a steady diet of MREs, you’d be fat as a tick.”
He rubbed his belly. “I guess I just have a fast metabolism.”
There was no winning with this man. She threw her hands up. “I guess I’ll starve. And when you return me to my father, starving and near death because I haven’t had any food or water, something tells me he won’t be hot to write you a check.”
He sighed dramatically. “You are the biggest pain. Fine, I’ll go get you something to eat, but I’m talking burgers and fries, not some fancy French froufrou stuff. Got it?”
She supposed that was a victory of some sort. “It’ll do for now. But if that’s how you eat normally, your arteries must be clogged with gunk.”
“Don’t worry about my arteries—they’re just fine.”
“Are you always this much of a jerk with all your clients?” she asked. “Because you have terrible manners. I can’t imagine you’re saving all of that just for me.”
“How about you, princess? Your manners aren’t exactly great, either. I would ask how you have any friends at all but then you’re rich, so that probably helps. People can put up with a lot if they’re getting perks. Do you hand out Coach bags for the ones that hang around the longest?”
She drew back, stung. “That’s ridiculous. You don’t know me and you certainly don’t know what my friends are like.”
“Oh, I have a pretty good idea. Don’t you remember I watched you all night last night? I hate to break it to you but I’m willing to bet you don’t have any true friends. All those people were doing was trashing your house—excuse me, it’s not even your house—trashing your mother’s house. Doesn’t that bother you?”
“They weren’t trashing the house,” she disagreed hotly. “And besides, we have a cleaning company coming in to pick up in the morning. My mom will never know.”
“That’s not the point. It’s not your place to trash. If you are throwing a raging party at a house—pick your own.”
She blinked back sudden tears. “Excuse me, I don’t think it’s your job to lecture me. You don’t know my family dynamics so butt out.”
“You’re right. And I don’t care about your family dynamics. All I know is that someone is out there pretty pissed off at your family and looking to take it out on anyone they can get their hands on. But you have to wonder what is it you guys did to piss someone off that bad.”
“Who said we pissed anyone off? My father is a very rich, influential man. Sometimes people are just envious of his success.”
He shrugged. “Perhaps. Or maybe your dad stepped on too many people on his way to the top.”
“Look, you don’t get to talk about my dad that way. You don’t know him. He is the nicest man you’ll ever meet. He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. But he shouldn’t be made to apologize for his success. He worked his ass off to get where he is right now and it’s shady people who think that they’re entitled to what someone else has that has put us in this position.”
Her heated answer surprised him enough to soften a little. “All right, you’ve made your point. All I’m saying is that you’re not making anything easier with your bad attitude.”
“And it’s my job to make your job easier?”
“Maybe if you weren’t so difficult, people would be more interested in helping you.”
She cocked her head at him. “And by people, do you mean you? Because I’m not looking for your approval.”
“Whatever, princess. All I’m saying is... Hell, forget it. You can’t hear anything that you don’t want to hear anyway.” He went to the door. “Stay here. I’m going to get your food. Don’t leave.”
And then he was gone. For a long moment she just stared at the door, his words banging around in her head. Why did she care what he thought? He was no one. But knowing that he thought so little of her, that all he saw was a spoiled heiress, pinched her hard. She was more than that. And she hadn’t always been this way. Growing up for the first part of her life in rural Italy, she’d been like a lot of other girls. It wasn’t until her parents split up and she had to travel between two different continents that things changed.
It sounded like more poor rich-girl problems but no one knew what it was like to be raised by nannies, rarely seeing her parents. Her mother was never around, always too busy finding the next man of the hour to bother with a little girl. She lost herself to a moment of self-pity. No one understood—and that included Rian Dalton. Not that it mattered. She didn’t care what he thought.
