Crazy Nights (The Barrington Billionaires Book 3) (2 page)

“
N
o
,” was all Emmitt could say through gritted teeth as he boarded West Oil’s private jet. His blood boiled when he saw the silky golden hair cascading down Evie’s back as she turned away from him.

“Don’t throw me off,” Evie croaked as she spun around quickly and sat down in the closest seat, like a child trying to win a game of musical chairs. He watched as she clutched the arm rests tightly, her long slim fingers were punctuated with red nail polish.

“You aren’t coming to Boston. I don’t care what James told you. Just go.” He turned his back as he tossed his bag down. Intentionally ignoring her presence, he poured himself a drink from the most expensive bottle he could find and grabbed a handful of the chocolates James had explicitly said not to touch. Whatever protest Evie would come up with, he knew she’d be more convincing if he had to watch it head on. There was something so penetratingly sweet about that girl, and he didn’t need those long lashes batting up at him when he told her to go.

“It’s not about James.” Evie forced assertiveness and but it came out as frantic. She sounded more desperate than brave, and he could knock down some arrogance, but a woman on the verge of tears was not as easy to shut down. “That’s not why I’m here. I need to go to Boston.”

“What a strange coincidence.” Emmitt laughed as he finally sat on one of the plush chairs that faced her. She’d managed to get him to turn around, to care how she’d spin this story. “This morning you were busy throwing coffee around, and now you have important business in Boston? Does someone up there need a latté poured on them?”

“I didn’t say I had business up there,” Evie corrected, her face turning crimson, which had him turning half hard. There was something about the full pink lips and her crystal blue eyes that kept him staring. “I can’t stay in Texas. I have to leave. Getting on this plane is something I have to do.”

“Just go back to your farm, I’m sure the cows need milking. No one said you had to stay in Texas. If it’s about money, Mathew would pay your way home.” Emmitt had recalled that prior to her big break in the movies Evie was just a small-town country girl who grew up the farmer’s daughter. The vision of her in cutoff jeans and cowboy boots had his mind running wild. He’d been with a lot of women, but a farmer’s daughter was still on his bucket list.

“I can’t go back there either,” she declared with a quiver she tried to mask with a cough. “I need to go to Boston.”

“You have friends there or something?” Emmitt asked, trying to ignore the intoxicating aroma of her perfume and the glassy tears coating her eyes. For a man who’d served multiple tours in combat zones he was reluctant to admit he was a sucker for tears. That’s what having a little sister did to a guy. There were only a few things that could get to him but a woman in pain always did.

“I’ve never been there,” she croaked out. “No friends in Boston. But I’m not really working for West Oil. There’s no future there for me. I haven’t been able to do a single thing right. They’re just being nice to me because I stood up for Jessica with the Pierre drama. Otherwise, with all the mistakes I’ve made, I know they’d have sent me packing back to Nebraska. I need to find something else. Something better, more permanent. I need to have something stable and maybe I’ll find it in Boston.”

“So why don’t you just keep being an actress? The guy, Pierre or whoever, he can’t stop you from doing what you love even if it’s not on the same scale. So he’s talked some shit about you and some people won’t hire you, it’s a great big world sweetheart.” Emmitt leaned back in his chair and stuffed another chocolate in his mouth. His eyes rolled back as the silky smooth coco flavor lit up his senses.

“It’s not what I love,” she admitted, the words spilling out as though she too was surprised by them. Her thoughts in the last two months hadn’t been about her tarnished name in the acting world. It had been about her family. Their disappointment and need. She didn’t really miss the acting itself, just the promise of a future it held. “Everyone always told me it’s what I should do, it would be my fastest way out. And I wanted out.
Smile, Evie. Wear a tighter shirt, Evie. Run another mile, Evie
.
More makeup. Less talking. More touching
.”

Her words weren’t for him anymore, she was talking to herself, off in a world of her own. He could cut in. Tell her none of this mattered and plant her skinny butt out the side of the plane. But it did matter. Emmitt had fucked over plenty of people. He’d left a lot of women wondering why he was such an asshole. But Evie wasn’t just a toy to play with and discard. He could tell she was at a breaking point, and one small flick of his finger could snap her in two. Emmitt didn’t need that on his conscience, even if it was a tiny and often ignored conscience.

“Acting isn’t my passion. That’s the point. I don’t have anything that makes me feel like I’m doing exactly what I’m meant to. I probably could get another part in some movie somewhere and work my way back into the industry. But I don’t want to. I need something faster than that and more reliable.” She shook her head, seeming disgusted with herself, and Emmitt understood that feeling well as she continued.

“I have no idea what I want. Or who I am. Or where I’m supposed to be. I just know I need a plan, and it better come together quickly because I have people who depend on me. People who thought I’d be a movie star by now.” She caught her breath and put a hand over her heart. “So I want to go to Boston. Because Boston isn’t Texas, and no one in Boston is going to look at me the way everyone here is looking at me when I accidently hit ‘reply all’ to an email. No one in Boston is even going to give me a second look. And maybe I can figure shit out.”

That wasn’t true. She’d get a second look everywhere she went. Every chance Emmitt had he was tracing the hemline of her skirt, trying to mentally will one of her blouse buttons to pop off. He’d be looking at her plenty.

The engine of the jet roared to life before Emmitt could speak. When the noise leveled out he leaned in. “We’ll be taking off soon.” He tossed a few chocolates over toward her. “Better buckle up.”

“I thought James said not to eat his chocolates. They are like imported or something. Maybe you would get along with him better if you respected his space and didn’t do things just to make him mad.” She held one chocolate in her delicate fingers, and he waited anxiously for her to put it to her lips. He liked the way she chose her words, saying things like mad rather than pissed.

“Whatever you have in your head about saving me, you better forget it now. There’s a line of women before you that thought they could help me, fix me, or stop me. They want to get me to walk the straight line.
To not eat the chocolates.
And if they’re all cautionary tales then you should know, I’m much more likely to break you than you are to fix me. Now eat the damn chocolate.”

E
vie stood quietly
by Emmitt’s side as they checked into the hotel. She didn’t have money, or at least not enough to stay in a hotel as extravagant as this one for very long. Anything she had saved in her account was something she’d need. In the rush of it all James and Mathew hadn’t really told her how to handle her expenses. So the burden fell on Emmitt. She truly did feel like a burden as she followed him around the noisy city, trying to avoid speeding cars and elbowing crowds. He was one of those men that just knew what he was doing. He knew where to go and how to get there. “Don’t you live in Boston? Don’t you have a house or an apartment?”

“I don’t live anywhere. I don’t need to, and since I got back from my last deployment I’ve preferred no roots, they just tie you to the ground. I’m billing them for this,” he explained as he handed her the room key. “I think you’re on the fifth floor.”

“We’re on different floors?” Evie asked, the nagging loneliness she’d been feeling lately made even worse by the new city. Texas wasn’t home for her but she’d been welcomed by Libby and Jessica, and things were finally feeling familiar. Now in another loud bustling place her nerves were starting to wear thin again. It hadn’t taken very long to start questioning her choice. How could she do any better here if she was going to be alone?

“I’m on the twenty-sixth, why?”

“I don’t know,” she sighed, nibbling nervously at her lower lip. “I just figured we’d at least have rooms next to each other.” When his face twisted up in annoyed confusion she flushed. “Never mind. I appreciate you getting me a room.” The last thing she wanted to do was need more from Emmitt than he was already giving her.

“Did you want to hook up? Is that what this is about?” The grin on his face grew devilishly large, flashing a deep dimple on his left cheek. “Because one short elevator ride could have you taking a
very long
ride the rest of the night.” He closed the gap between them to about six inches and his towering body cast a shadow over her head.

“No,” she rebuffed indignantly. “I don’t want to
hook up
.” She’d always been pegged terrible at lying, but she hoped for her sake it wasn’t spotted now. Since she’d met Emmitt in Jessica’s makeup trailer a few months earlier, fantasies of him had filled her mind. But she’d never admit that to him. “I just don’t know where I am here. I told you I’ve never been before. I thought we’d at least be on the same floor.”

“Are you scared or something?” he asked with a laugh that fell flat when she didn’t answer right away. After a moment’s hesitation she worked to right herself.

“Never mind. Forget what I said about the floor.”

“The floor, the bed, the pool, you pick where you like it and I’ll give it to you.” He leaned down close to her face, and she thought for a moment he’d kiss her. Instead his large hand pawed for her bag and lifted it effortlessly onto the rack for the bellhop.

“Hey, I need that,” she snapped, feeling slighted for not getting kissed. She’d have slapped him away, but she at least wanted the opportunity to do it.

“They bring it up. Just tip him when he gets there.” Emmitt backed away, leaving her warm body feeling suddenly cold.

“I don’t have cash,” she muttered through her embarrassment. “I didn’t really have time to plan anything this morning. I just got on the plane.”

“Regretting it?” he asked, and she wasn’t sure which answer he’d be more pleased with. So she said nothing, taking his chance to be smug away. But her silence didn’t accomplish that. Smug seemed to be his normal look.

“Here,” he groaned, pulling a large wad of money from his pocket. “I think it’s about a thousand. Just give the guy five and hold on to the rest of it. I have a meeting to go to so you can get yourself lunch.”

She took the money in her hand and was surprised by the weight of it. “I can’t take this. Trust me, anywhere I’m going to eat lunch they probably won’t even break a hundred.”

“Then eat somewhere better.”

“Alone?” she asked. The idea of sitting by herself at a restaurant felt completely unnatural.

“Why not? I eat alone all the time. You can actually enjoy yourself instead of having to listen to some other person blather on about shit you don’t care about.”

“I care about other people’s stuff; what they have to say matters to me.” She was trying desperately to hang on to the thread of herself that still made sense. Evie knew so little of the world and how she fit into it, but she did know she was kind. Even when it was hard, even when it was met with rejection, she was still kind. Emmitt was the type of man who could snuff it right out of her if she let him.
She wouldn’t let him.

“Lovely,” he said with a roll of his multi-colored and hypnotizing, beautiful eyes. “You’re one of those. So I guess you won’t be knocking on my door later tonight looking to ride me like a bronco. Good to know.”

“I . . .” She choked on the words. “You are a pig. I had a much different impression of you when you were pretending to be my bodyguard. I actually liked you.”

“The key word there being
pretending
. I was using you to get a close proximity to Jessica so I could watch her for my brother. If I’d have acted like myself, you wouldn’t have kept me around.”

“You’re right, but it doesn’t explain why you didn’t kick me off the plane. If you’re such an ass, why am I here?”

“Keep up, girlie. Did you miss the part where I said I thought you might come knocking on my door late at night? I like to have fun as much as the next guy. I thought maybe you’d be a nice toy. I’d like to play.”

“Think again,” she said, folding her arms defiantly across her chest as they moved toward the elevator. “And if you think this money is in exchange for—”

He cut her off and his teasing face fell serious. “I don’t need to pay for it, trust me. The money is just because you’re here, and you failed to plan better for yourself. My brother will get the bill with interest. It’s all the same to me.”

They stepped on the elevator, and he pressed the buttons for their separate floors. “Wait, so that’s it? We just go our separate ways now? I’m up here doing nothing?”

“I made suggestions for what you could be doing while you’re here. I’d keep you busy. If you didn’t like that I can’t help you. I’m sure the jet can swing back around any time for you. It could even drop you off on that farm of yours back west. I bet there’s a dude in overalls who’d love to pull on your pigtails.”

The elevator chirped as the doors opened on the fifth floor. “Go to hell,” she blurted, angry tears spilling out. “I don’t need you or your money.” She pulled the wad back out of her pocket and threw it into the elevator just before the doors closed. Evie heard him utter the word
crazy
as he bent down to pick up the cash.

Squeezing the room key tightly in her hand she began to march toward the numbers on the wall. If she could change the oil on a tractor in the dead of winter, then she could make it in Boston. How hard could it be? There was still some money in her bank account and the room was paid for through the week as long as Emmitt didn’t pull his credit card off it.

“Your bags,” a bellhop said loudly behind her as she slid the electronic key in the door.

“Shoot,” she said, remembering the tip she was supposed to give and the money she threw back at Emmitt. The first of what would probably be many oversights in her plan fueled by righteous indignation.

“I don’t have cash on me,” she apologized a few times as he brought the bags in and placed them down.

“It’s really no problem ma’am. A beautiful woman like you shouldn’t have to pay for anything. Getting to look at your . . .” he hesitated for a beat as his eyes raked over her, “smile is payment enough.”

She grinned and laughed in that uncomfortable way that always made her feel small. A man’s lingering eyes or inappropriate turn of phrase had a way of making her confidence shrink.

“Can I do anything else for you?” he asked, hopefully bouncing a bit on his toes.

“No, you’ve done plenty. Sorry again about the tip.” She swallowed hard and waited nervously for him to leave.

“I’m off work in a few hours, maybe we could get a drink in the bar downstairs,” he said, adjusting the shiny gold button on his coat. His wiry black hair stuck up in the back with a wild cowlick and his hooked nose could easily be mistaken for a beak. “You’re here alone, that’s not much fun. I bet you’re fun.”

“Thanks but I’ll have to pass,” she said, painting her face with yet another apology. “I’m here for work and I have so much to do. I really don’t think I’ll have any down time at all.” She gave far more explanation than a man like him deserved.

“Call down if you need anything. My name is Steve; ask for me. I can be up here in a flash.”

“Thank you, Steve.” She smiled and sighed with relief as he closed the door behind him on his way out.

Finally having a chance to glance around the room, she took in the opulence of it. Though the space wasn’t sprawling, the details were impeccable and luxurious. This must be costing Emmitt a fortune. Her mind spun to the worst case scenarios. What if she never saw Emmitt again on this trip, and therefore Mathew felt under no obligation to pay for her time there? What if they forward her a giant bill? Boston might not be the promised land she was hoping for. She’d be back to square one.

As she flopped into the plush suede chair that likely cost more than she would make the rest of the month, she picked up the spa brochure and the room service menu. Let Emmitt go have his meetings and do his thing. Evie would do more than just take care of herself, she’d pamper the hell out of herself—on his dime. Because who knew when she’d ever have money for a mani-pedi again? Or a facial? Or a massage? Or chocolate-covered strawberries? Or that water with the cucumbers in it?

She picked up the room phone and continued to add items to her list of requests for the spa. “Hello I’d like to make some appointments.”

“Absolutely Mrs. Kalling, what can I do for you?” A man’s voice on the other end of the line said cheerfully.

“Um, no,” she answered.

“I’m sorry is this not Mrs. Kalling? I had the room booked by Mr. Emmitt Kalling and billed to his card. That’s my mistake.”

“No mistake,” she said quickly. “I was speaking to someone else. I’m sorry. My husband has meetings today, and I’d like to keep busy in the spa. Can that be arranged?”

“Absolutely, Mrs. Kalling,” the man replied happily. “We have some very special treatments this week for our elite customers like yourself. Are you interested in reserving a spot for any?”

“You’ll bill it to the card on file?” she double checked to be sure.

“That’s no problem.”

“Then I’m very interested,” she replied through a smile.

“I’ll get you all the information and book the appointments you need. Will there be anything else? Something from the restaurant downstairs?”

“Yes,” she said, glancing at the menu. “How’s the lobster?”