Cowboy Country (82 page)

“Abruzzo’s an idiot,” Levi said. “He’s proved it over and over. But that dimwitted bottle blonde instead of you tops the stupid list.”

Something warm and fuzzy surrounded Ava’s heart. Did he mean it? Most men found the Marilyn Monroe wannabe sexy as hell. Tiffany had never been at loss for male companionship. When Dario spotted her, he, too, couldn’t date her fast enough. “It just means we’re in more danger because Tiffany’s seen me in street clothes and with no makeup. She’ll know me anywhere.”

“I’m going to put them off the track a little bit.” He picked up his phone and dialed. “Hey, Trav. I know it’s late. Sorry. Hey, can you bring me one of the ranch trucks to drive for a week or so? Could you get Paco to follow you in and drive you home? Yeah. I’m fine. I just want to let my truck sit for a while. I’m in room 212 of the Sheraton. See you tomorrow afternoon. Thanks, buddy.”

He hung up. “My brother’s going to bring us one of the ranch trucks.”

“I hate involving your family in my mess.” Ava sat up, still hugging the pillow.

“You didn’t. I did.” Levi kicked off his boots. “Laying a false scent is the best way I can think of to throw off wolves.”

“You think driving a different truck will throw them off?” Ava stood, dropped the pillow and went to the window, but didn’t pull the curtain aside. “If they’re watching us it’s going to be hard to get away without them seeing, even in a different truck.”

“Unless they’re going to take turns sitting up all night keeping watch, we can slip by,” Levi said. “And I doubt very much that’s going to happen with a mobster dragging along a pampered princess.”

Did he think she was pampered, too? Too sheltered to think? “The thing is, Tiffany’s used to staying up all night.” Ava hated to remind him of this, but it was true most showgirls rarely went to bed before dawn.

He frowned. “You think they’re going to sit out there and watch every exit? Around the clock?”

“It’s possible,” she said. “But they can’t watch every door at all times.”

He grinned. “Especially if a bunch of cowboys leave at the same time through a lot of places. I’ll be right back.”

Ava spotted the pink tee. Maybe a hot bath would help relax her. She hurried into the bathroom. After stripping, she stepped into the oversized tub. She shampooed with the bottle the hotel provided and twisted her long hair into a knot on top of her head. The hot water felt wonderful, and for the first time in almost twenty-four hours she began to wind down. The kink in her neck loosened a little and the muscles in her stomach unclenched.

“Ava? You in here?” Levi called from the other side of the door.

“Yes,” she answered.

“Just making sure you’re okay.

“Fine.”

He moved away from the door.

She slipped nose deep into the water and closed her eyes. Almost completely waterlogged and nearly asleep, she pushed out of the tub. Wrapping in one of the skimpy hotel towels, she dried her hair with the provided blow drier. Finally, she slipped Levi’s t-shirt over her head. It hung to mid-thigh and the sleeves hit below her elbow. Good enough for a nightgown. Tomorrow she’d get Tessa to take her shopping for some new outfits.

Levi had stretched out on his bed, hands behind his head. His gaze, when it settled on her, lit up. “I like my clothes on you.”

She glanced down. “Thanks. But I’d rather wear my own.”

“That’s too bad, because I have something for you.” He reached for something next to him. He held a folded pair of Wranglers, a western shirt and a Stetson. “Try these on to see if they fit.”

She took the garments. “Why?”

“Because we’re going to leave here in the morning with you posing as a cowboy.” He looked at her bare legs. “If we can make you look like a man, that is. I’m not sure that’s possible, though.”

“Whose are these?” She shook the jeans loose and held them to her waist. They looked long enough. The blue and green striped shirt appeared brand new.

“Mine.”

She found something tangled up in the clothes and held it up. “What’s this? An Ace bandage? What for?”

“To make your”—he nodded at her chest—“look like a guy’s.”

Heat flashed up her neck and face. “You’re telling me I have to tape myself down? And pretend to be a man to get out of here?”

“I think it’s our best plan.” For once he seemed serious.

She drew a deep breath. “Okay.”

He motioned to the black Stetson on the bed. “Try on my hat.”

“Okay.” She picked it up and placed it on her head. It slipped down over her eyes. “A little big, but if I put my hair up, I think it’ll work.”

“Looks good on you.” His voice was husky. Sexy.

Tipping up the brim, she peered at him. Lust, pure and uncut, rested in his eyes. Wearing his hat and t-shirt, almost bare underneath, she had felt less exposed in one of her stage outfits. This time it was her heart on display, not her body. She took the hat off and dropped it on the nearby chair. “Aren’t you tired? I’m exhausted.”

The truth was her pulse pounded like a greyhound’s after a race, and her nerves jumped under her skin. Levi was too close, too sexy and entirely too dangerous. Not physically hazardous like Dario, but treacherous to her heart. She instinctively knew he wasn’t the keeping kind.

Keep him?

She couldn’t get back to her real life fast enough. And that didn’t include Levi Callahan. The thought depressed her. She turned back the covers and crawled in between the sheets. “Good night.”

“Sleep tight,” he replied, and turned off the light.

Although worn out, Ava couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned and twisted up in the blankets then kicked them off. Her thoughts turned to Dario. How had she misread him so badly? At first, he’d been kind, attentive. A perfect date. But there had always been an element about him that unsettled her.

Breaking it off with him hadn’t been as ugly as she feared. He seemed to take it okay. But then he began showing up at her performances. She’d often see him before or after a show. All this time he’d been stalking a man, the one he killed, and not her?

When he began dating Tiffany, also a blonde, Ava had breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully he’d found someone else and they could both move on. In fact, she hadn’t seen Dario around the casino in a month or more. Until she ran into him last night, with his gun in the face of the dead man.

She shuddered.

Turning on her side, she spotted Levi’s silhouette in the other bed. Was she misjudging him, too? He’d put himself out for her to the point of putting his own life in danger. But would he turn into a stalker? A killer? If she rebuffed him, would he get ugly? He’d made no secret of wanting her. His kiss had been filled with longing.

No. Levi was nothing like Dario. They were as different as motor oil and seawater. If they made love he wouldn’t turn her into a possession, or arm candy.

The thought of being with him sent hot shivers through her. She curled her toes into the covers and muffled her moan.

“You okay?” Levi asked, his voice sleepy.

“Just can’t relax.”

“Come here.” He tossed the blankets aside. “Get in with me.”

“I’m okay.”

“Come on. I won’t bite and we need to get some rest.”

Guilt filled her. He had to be beyond exhaustion. All because of her. Maybe she could sleep and let him relax, too, in his arms. She kicked the twisted covers off her legs and stood. Crossing the two feet to Levi’s bed, she crawled in between the sheets.

They lay facing each other for a few minutes until he reached out and removed a strand of hair from her mouth. His fingers barely brushed her lips. A tingle raced from the tips of her hair the soles of her feet. Sleep suddenly became the last thing on her mind as her stomach tightened. “Levi—”

“Levi, what?” His voice was deep, husky.

“Don’t.”

He sighed. “I haven’t forgotten your rule, Ava. Get some shut-eye, because I’m going to.”

Turning her back to him, she plumped her pillow and closed her eyes, willing her body to relax, which seemed next to impossible with his warm, musky scent enveloping her. Worse, he draped a heavy, muscular arm over waist and tugged her close.

She lay rigid, afraid to breathe.

But as his soft breathing turned deep and regular, she began to unwind. His thighs and groin pressed against her legs and bottom should have made her uncomfortable, but instead made her feel safe. Protected. Secure.

Almost loved.

Her eyes shot open in the dark.

Loved?

She barely knew this man, she couldn’t love him. Like him. Respect him. Owe him a lot; even credit him with saving her life. But love? Not happening. She was confusing gratitude with a deeper emotion. The shock of seeing Dario blowing Lenny Force’s brains out was getting to her. Shock was settling in, muddling her mind.

Satisfied she’d figured it out, she closed her eyes again.

Instead of sleep, images of the last twenty-four hours played in her head: leaving her dressing room, the murder, the car chase through Vegas and the run across the desert. Levi’s presence flashed in almost every frame. Steady. Calm. Dependable.

With those comforting thoughts, she wrapped her fingers around his arm and finally slept.

CHAPTER SIX

Ava woke with a start.

For a minute she was disoriented, unsure of where she was. Then everything came rushing back and she sat upright and looked around in terror. Where was Levi? Had he left her to fend for herself?

Water running in the bathroom calmed her racing heart. He hadn’t abandoned her, he was only showering. With a sigh of relief, she fell back against the pillows. Levi’s scent enveloped her and she breathed deeply of his unique leather and blue spruce cologne.

The bathroom door opened and Levi stepped into the bedroom, wearing only a towel wrapped around his slim hips. Ava feigned sleep, but watched through her eyelashes as he bent over his suitcase and dug out his clothes. Long, muscular legs, firm butt, broad, taut shoulders…A soft sigh slid out of her.

“You going to keep gawking at my backside, or you going to get up?” he asked without turning around.

Ava giggled. “I’m getting up.”

“The shower’s all yours.” He turned to face her and pulled a blue t-shirt over his head. His hands went to the towel at his waist.

She bolted for the shower, grabbing her borrowed clothes as she went.

Ava stayed under the hot water longer than necessary, making sure she gave Levi plenty of time to get dressed. After she dried, she opened the door a crack. “Are we leaving soon?”

“As soon as you’re ready,” he replied over the sound of the TV.

“Okay.” She closed the door and eyed the Ace bandage. “I’ve never tried to be a guy before.”

After several attempts, she realized she couldn’t get the wrap tight enough to do her any good. She tossed it aside and pulled on Levi’s jeans. They were a little snug, but fit better than she would have ever guessed. His boots were another matter—they were two sizes too big. “I can’t wear these,” she muttered. “I’ll be stumbling around like a drunk.”

Picking up the wrap, she cracked the door. “Levi? Can you help me?”

“What do you need?” He came to the door.

She held out the bind. “I can’t get this right. Can you do it?”

“Yeah.”

She turned her back to him and crossed her arms over her breasts. “Come in.”

He entered the bathroom and took the bandage from her. “What’s wrong?”

Heat splashed up her face. “I can’t get it tight enough to do any good.”

His eyes met hers in the mirror. “Got it.”

She wasn’t modest; she’d dressed and undressed in front of twenty other girls, the stagehands, managers and agents a million times. Not to mention the paying customers who’d watched her dance at the Blue Valentine. But in the tiny confines of the hotel bathroom she had covered her breasts. Unsure why, she lifted her chin and stared into his intense gaze, reflected in the mirror.

“Hold your arms out.” His voice was husky.

She slowly lifted her arms and held them at shoulder level. Keeping his gaze on hers, Levi reached around her and began taping down her breasts. Like a lady’s maid in some Victorian novel, he cinched her up as if he did this sort of thing every day. With clinical efficiency, he cinched. He didn’t seem to notice his hands passing over her breasts, his knuckles brushing her bare back.

Every single time he touched her, she shivered.

Did he notice?

He appeared not to, going about it as if she were just another cowboy. But she knew better by his breathing. Fast, a little harsh.

She licked her dry lips.

When he had the bandage wrapped around her so tight she thought she might die for a deep breath, he stepped back and asked, “Can you draw air?”

“Barely.” She dropped her hands to her sides and turned to face him. “But I’ll manage. I’ve worn costumes that were far more uncomfortable.”

“It won’t be for long. We’re going to meet my brother and get the ranch truck from him.”

“Let me finish dressing and we can go,” she said. “Wait out there, and in five minutes you won’t even recognize me. I’ll be just another guy.”

For the first time, his gaze dipped to her flattened chest, then rose to meet her eyes. “Uh, okay…buddy.”

She made a fist and shook it at him. “You’ll think ‘buddy.’”

He backed out of the bathroom, laughing.

Ava combed her hair into a tight ponytail, then twisted it into a sleek knot and pinned it on top of her head. Maybe it would keep Levi’s hat from slipping into her eyes. Finally, she slipped into his blue and green striped shirt and tucked it in the way she’d seen him do.

She looked at her image in the mirror. With no makeup, her hair practically glued to her head and her chest taped down, she thought she made a decent-looking man. With a deep breath, she opened the door. “Eat your words, Callahan. If I’m not a man, I don’t know who is.”

His face said it all. Surprise. Wonder. And disbelief. “I’ll be damned. You’re almost pulling it off.”