I Knew You Were Trouble: A Texas Kings Novel (2 page)

“Faith?”

She cleared her throat and stared back at him, lips tipping up into a smile that made Nate uncomfortable.
Hell no
. He was about to be talked into something; he just knew it.

“I heard you’ve been advertising for a housekeeper,” she said, “and it just so happens that I’m perfect for the job.”

“No, you’re not,” he replied. “If you need someone to talk to, then come on in, but I’m not hiring you. Besides, you’re way overqualified.” And the last thing he needed was to be tempted by Faith bloody Mendes in his own home.

“Yes, you are,” she insisted, hands on her hips. “And no, I’m not. I haven’t even graduated with my master’s yet.”

“Faith, your brother is my best friend. I’ll help you, but he’d never let you take a job with me, let alone one that involved you being in my home.” If he so much as looked at her the wrong way Sam would have his head, and there was only one way a man could look at Faith. She was pure sex appeal, no other way to describe her, all long limbs, bronze skin, and deep-brown eyes, not to mention that hair that she always wore loose and tumbling over her shoulders and down her back.

Nate sighed and looked out to the fields. He’d kept his distance from her for so long, and having Faith in his home working for him wasn’t something he was going to let happen.

“Nate, I need somewhere to stay and you need someone to look after your house. It’s the perfect arrangement.”

“Stay? Now you’ve definitely lost your mind,” he muttered. “I don’t recall at any point advertising for a live-in housekeeper. And besides, all applications were supposed to go to my assistant. Maybe I should give you her number.”

“Please, Nate? I wouldn’t ask you if I wasn’t desperate.”

Nate tried to look away, tried to ignore her, but when her hand found his and she blinked up at him he was powerless. Never in his life had he found it hard to say no to anyone. Hell, he did it all the time. But Faith? There was something about his friend’s little sister that made it impossible for him to walk away. And the older she became, the harder it was to remind himself that she was off-limits, especially when she looked at him like that. That mouth of hers alone was pure torture, because every time she spoke, hell, every time she moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue, there was only one thing he thought of. And it was wicked the things his mind could come up with.

“Nate, I have nowhere else to go.”

He sighed and moved past her, refusing to acknowledge her bags on the porch and pushing open his front door.

“Fine, you can come in. But that doesn’t mean I’m saying yes, you hear me?” He’d hear her out, find out what was wrong and what kind of a predicament she was in. Then he could figure out what to do with her.

*   *   *

Faith settled into one of the oversize outdoor sofas on the patio of the King homestead and gazed out at the land. She’d only visited the property a few times when she was younger, but never for a second had she forgotten how beautiful it was. The fields seemed to stretch endlessly into the horizon, the only intrusion the massive barns and stables a few hundred yards from the house. It was easily the most beautiful place she’d ever seen, and when she was a child it had been the kind of home she’d fantasized about. Horses to ride, trees to climb, places to hide … and now here she was seeking refuge, still looking for that place to hide away from reality. Everyone always talked about the King ranch being the most sought-after real estate in Texas, but it was more than that. There was something about the place that could just make a person forget everything else, and Faith could see exactly why it had been in the same family for so many generations.

“I was going to offer you a beer, but I decided a coffee was probably more appropriate.”

She looked up when Nate appeared, his big frame filling the doorway. It didn’t matter that she’d known him her whole life—he still managed to make her stop and stare. His shoulders were broad, body big and muscular, and those eyes … she’d never managed to match his warm, chocolate-drizzled gaze without smiling.

“I’ve been legally allowed to drink for quite a few years now,” Faith told him with a laugh. “You’re not going to get in trouble for giving me alcohol anymore.”

He passed her the cup of coffee and sat down on the other sofa, a hint of a smile bracing his mouth.

“You know, you always were a pain in the ass when you wanted something.”

Faith grinned as she reached for her coffee. Nate had been her brother’s best friend since before she’d started elementary school, which meant she’d had a lot of practice at convincing both of them to do things for her. The only difference was that today she actually did need help, and Nate was one of the few people in the world she knew she could count on. She might have had a crush on him throughout all of her teenage years, but right now she wasn’t interested in being with
any
man, and it wasn’t like Nate had ever treated her as more than an honorary little sister. Although she could see how he managed to lure so many women into his bed—even the way he stroked his fingers across his coffee cup made her wonder what he’d be like between the sheets.

“So does that mean you’ve decided to let me stay?” she asked.

He shook his head, jaw fixed like steel as he stared straight at her. “No. But I’ll call Sam for you.”

“I don’t want you to call him, Nate. I need to deal with this on my own.”

His laugh was deep, like the rumble of a volcano. “And by on your own, you mean with my help?” He stared at her, eyes never leaving hers. “You haven’t even told me why you’re really here.”

She sighed, glancing away. “I don’t expect you to understand.”

Now Nate looked annoyed, the scowl on his face impossible to ignore. She watched as he took a sip of his coffee and looked out over the land, before taking a deep breath and turning to face her again. If she hadn’t known him for so long, she might have been intimidated by the dark expression on his face and the way he leaned forward, elbows on his knees as his body came closer to hers.

“Tell me what the hell’s going on, Faith!” he demanded, words as cool as ice. “I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me, and you’re not staying here unless you give me a damn good reason.”

Faith met his gaze and leaned forward to put her coffee down again, knowing what she had to do, that the only way Nate was going to let her stay was if she opened up to him. Right now she needed to be here, needed time and space to figure things out. She took a deep breath, then stood, lifting the hem of her T-shirt and holding it just high enough to show him her stomach, shivering as she bared herself.

Faith forced herself to meet his gaze, watching his mouth open like he was about to protest before he clamped his jaw shut again. It only took a second, a moment for him to look her in the eye and then focus on her skin again, before the darkness in his face exploded around them.

“Who the fuck did that to you?” Nate’s voice was so quiet, so menacing, that it was more terrifying than if he’d yelled.

Before she could answer, he stepped into her space, so close to her that she could hardly breathe, his big body the only thing she could see as he towered over her.

Faith glanced down at herself, saw how ugly the purple bruise looked against her skin. Nate was peering at her stomach, his eyebrows bunched together and his fists clenched at his sides.

“I asked you who did this, Faith? Was it that scumbag boyfriend?”

She watched Nate clench his fists into tight balls, and one glance up at him told her she’d managed to make him angrier than she’d ever seen him before. It was just Nate, though; she knew he’d never hurt her, that he’d always look after her. Faith gulped, wishing he didn’t look like he was about to hurt
something
.

“Yeah, it was,” she managed.

Nate stepped back, running a hand through his hair before folding his arms across his chest.

“I’ll fucking kill him, Faith,” he murmured, words almost too quiet to hear. “I’ll make him wish he’d never laid a goddamn hand on you. No one hits you and gets away with it, you hear me?
No one.
”

She took a deep, shaky breath, wrapping her arms about herself, not sure what else to do. Maybe she shouldn’t have come here, shouldn’t have been honest with Nate about what had happened. Something told her that he maybe was capable of doing what he’d just threatened, and she didn’t need that on her conscience. Just like she didn’t need to be faced with violence right now after what she’d been through.

“I was just so sure Sam was wrong about him,” she said, instinctively touching where he’d hurt her. “I guess he was right, though, huh?”

Nate stepped forward and touched her hand, guiding her top down, before putting his palms on her shoulders and staring hard into her eyes. He was easily a head taller than her, but he’d angled his body so they were almost level, his decadent brown eyes so full of unexpected kindness that it almost made her cry. But she wasn’t ever going to shed another tear again,
not where any man was concerned.
She’d done the one thing she’d always sworn she’d never do, and that was fall for the same kind of man her mom had. But Faith sure as hell wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.

“I
will
make him pay for this, Faith,” Nate muttered. “Sam told me he was a jerk, but I figured he was just being overprotective. Seriously, I’m going to make him regret
ever
laying a hand on you, and that’s a promise.”

“No, you’re not Nate, but I like the fact you want to protect me. If I told Sam he’d just lose it, and the last thing I need is you or him ending up in jail trying to look after me.”

“There’s one thing I’m good at, Faith, and that’s keeping my word. He won’t ever hurt you again, you hear me?” His low chuckle sent a shiver down her spine. “And don’t worry about me going to jail. I might be hotheaded, but I’m also careful.”

Faith let Nate tuck her against him when he tugged her forward, relaxing into the warmth of his body. His cologne smelled like citrus and she just shut her eyes and inhaled, knew that he would never turn her away now. Nate’s big arms held her tight, his torso hard against her chest. His embrace was firm yet soft, her frame snug against his in a hold that she knew would be so easy to never pull away from.

She knew what everyone said about him, that he was Mr. Love ’Em and Leave ’Em, but she didn’t care. Nate might have bedded half the women in Texas, but he’d always treated her with respect, and right now that respect went a long way. But there was something dangerous about him, something that made her think he just might try to kill her son of a bitch ex. And right now, as much as she was loath to admit it, the idea was kind of comforting. She might not want him to actually commit murder, but the fact that Nate was prepared to do anything to protect her was kind of comforting in a weird sort of way.

“Tell me what happened, Faith. Tell me everything,” Nate said when he finally let go of her and pulled away. “I want to know exactly what he did to you, every last detail.”

She sat down, this time on the same sofa. She’d shown him her bruise and that meant Nate expected answers.

“It’s been getting worse for a while, drinking, all the usual stuff. But this time he got so drunk and I couldn’t get out of his way when I realized what was about to happen. I just still can’t believe that after all the years of counting down to get out of Dad’s house I went and fell for the same kind of man.” She took a big breath and looked out at the horses that’d come closer to the house, needing the distraction as she was forced to relive what had happened. “He punched me hard in the stomach, and then pinned me by the arms. He just kept on yelling that he’d seen me with another guy, that I was a bitch, that he’d make sure no other man would ever want me. He’d never laid a hand on me before, and I wasn’t going to hang around for him to do it again.” She took a big breath, needing a moment to gather her thoughts. “Nate, you have to believe me that I never would have moved in with him if I’d thought he’d hurt me. I honestly thought we had a future together.”

Nate took her hand and squeezed it, but the softness of his touch wasn’t matched by the look on his face. His eyes were as dark as a thundercloud.

“Screw what your brother thinks,” Nate muttered. “If you want to stay here, you’re welcome for as long as you want. But you need to tell him what happened, because if you don’t, I will.” A smile played across his lips. “Or maybe I’ll tell him
after
I make that asshole pay for what he did,” Nate said in a low voice.

“I’m scared of what he’ll do if he finds out. Sam’s not like you; he could just freak out and do something stupid. You know how he is when it comes to me.”

Nate’s laugh was ice-cold. “Sugar, I’ll make sure Sam keeps his head. When I tell him that I’ve got it under control, he’ll trust me.”

“Really?” It meant a lot to her, having Nate in her corner. He had a reputation for being fiercely loyal to the few people close to him.

Nate put his boots up on the low table and smiled over at her. “You don’t have to be my housekeeper to stay, Faith. I made a promise to your brother years ago that I’d always look out for you, and that I’d, ah, well, never…” He laughed, shaking his head. “Let’s just say he made it very clear that his little sister was off-limits. To me, anyway.”

Faith shook her head. All those years of trying to make Nate notice her and he’d made a vow not to touch her? Typical. It sure as hell would have been nice to know that particular fact when she was seventeen. Instead she’d wondered what the hell was wrong with her that Nate King didn’t so much as look at her when she’d tried so damn hard to catch his eye.

“I appreciate the offer, but if I’m staying here I want to earn my keep.” It wasn’t like she wanted to work as a housekeeper, but she was short of cash and it was the only way she could pay her way.

“You’re sure about that?” The slight upturn of his lips told her that he found her offer amusing, and it annoyed her—she wasn’t afraid of hard work and she’d prove him wrong if that’s what he thought.