Surrender to Temptation (15 page)

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” a deep voice intruded.

Nikki stiffened, and the moment was lost. Chase muttered a curse under his breath, and his hand tightened briefly on Nikki’s waist before dropping away. Lousy timing. He looked over his shoulder and glared at his cousin.

CHAPTER 10

Nikki barely stopped her jaw from dropping. The cowboy leaning casually against a pole, one booted leg on the bottom rail of the paddock and a camera in his hand, could have easily graced the cover of Western Lifestyle Magazine.

Tall, dark and… so Fitzgerald—the chiseled cheekbones, the sensual lips, the rough-around-the-edges look, and a body forged by a combination of good genes and serious physical workout.

“Dean,” Chase said, not making an attempt to introduce the guy.

“Chase.” Dean whipped off his sunglasses to reveal sexy blue eyes Nikki now associated with the Fitzgerald family. He had a dimpled chin like Chase’s older brother Lex. “And you must be Nikki Savoy. I’ve heard quite a bit about you. I had to come and see if you were real or a figment of Mrs. B’s imagination.”

“Mrs. B?” Nikki gripped the reins and led Trinity forward.

“She called my mother, who’s now curious. A woman who can stand up to the grouch here,” he indicated Chase with a nod, “is definitely worth knowing.”

Nikki and the mare stopped close to the cowboy. “You must be Chase’s cousin Dean.”

“I like to think of Chase as
my
cousin.” He took her hand, raised it to his lips, and pressed a kiss on her wrist, right where the riding glove ended. “Now I know why he’s been hiding you.”

“I haven’t been hiding her,” Chase said, coming to stand by Nikki. He was so close she could feel his warmth. He swept a hand down her back until it came to rest possessively on her waist. Her breath caught. “Why don’t you take Trinity inside and rub her down?”

She looked at him, and whatever she was about to say died on her lips. The heat in his eyes took her breath away. When his gaze dropped to her lips, it was as though he’d touched them. The moment stretched, and she swayed toward him.

Dean cleared his throat, and her eyes flew to his, heat flooding her face.

“May I?” He lifted the camera. “Chase said you needed photographs, and I’m the best photographer in the county.”

Chase scoffed. “Don’t believe anything he says. He’s the closest and a relative, therefore free.”

“This camera has captured some of the most beautiful women in this county.” He stepped back, lifting the camera to his face. “May I?” he asked again.

Nikki’s hand went to her hair. She was a mess after her ride.

“You look perfect,” Dean said, as though reading her thoughts, and pressed a button. Rapid clicks followed. He glanced at the LCD screen. “Beautiful. If you ask nicely, Chase, I might give you one.”

Chase chuckled. “Some of us keep our treasured moments here.” He tapped his head.

Dean laughed. “Then I’ll keep them all.”

“Like hell you will,” Chase retorted. “All the pictures you take today belong to me.”

Nikki shook her head. Men. She opened the gate and led Trinity to the barn. She removed the saddle, blanket, and the bridle and watered the mare. Her mind drifted to Chase, her heart picking up speed at the thought of what almost happened out there. She wanted him with an intensity that surprised her. Somehow, she had known that she wouldn’t resist him for long.

Nikki was brushing the horse down when Dean appeared. He leaned against wall and watched her. “You’re good with her.”

“Thank you.”

“Did you grow up around horses?”

She chuckled. “Yes and no. I grew up in a small cattle town in Texas. There were lots of cowboys and horses, but I was still scared of them. Today, I put a saddle on Trinity unaided. Chase said I would, but I didn’t believe him. Horses need a firm hand and affection, too.” When he grinned, she flushed. “But you already know that.”

“Yes, but I’ve never heard it said by such a beautiful woman before.”

“I thought you were in here taking pictures, not flirting,” Chase said, entering the grooming area.

Dean ignored him. “I saw some of your work, Nikki. Do you think you can fit me into your schedule?”

She cocked her eyebrows, not following. “Schedule?”

“I’d like a website for my ranch, too. The same deal as Chase. I’ll provide accommodation, transportation to and from San Diego, and pay handsomely while you stay at my ranch.”

Nikki glanced at Chase and caught the annoyed expression on his face. The next second, he was slapping his cousin on the back.

“Don’t try to lure her away yet. She and I are not done.” His eyes met hers, and he had the nerve to wink at her. “Winston will take her back to pasture when you’re done. Come on, Dean. We’ve got work to do.”

The two men disappeared outside. As soon as Winston took the mare, Nikki headed for the house and went straight to the den, where she’d left her cell phone. The first call she made was to her parents.

There was no answer. Dee should be out of surgery. She called the nurse’s station and confirmed it, and then she called Amelia.

“I tried calling my parents, but they’re not picking up,” Nikki said.

“I’m sure they’re at the hospital,” Amelia said.

“I’m worried about Dee. She had her last surgery today and should be out of the OR, but the nurses couldn’t tell me how she’s doing or whether my parents are with her.”

“Your friend Kristine wasn’t there?”

“No. The nurse I spoke with doesn’t know me and was a total bitch about giving me information. Worse, Dr. Parker is unavailable, according to Nurse Sourpuss, so I don’t know what’s going on, whether Dee is—

“Whoa, Nikki. Stop panicking. I’ll find your parents and have them call you a.s.a.p., okay? If not, I’ll stop by their house. Just stop imagining the worst.”

Not feeling better, she went upstairs. A long shower made her feel like a new woman. There was no call from her mother or Amelia. She tried the hospital again and got the sour nurse. Frustrated, she headed downstairs.

Dean and Chase were seated behind the desk in the den, their focus on the computer screen. The two men stood and offered her a chair.

“No, I’m fine. I don’t have to work on the website now.” Work was the last thing on her mind. “I’ll visit with Mrs. B for a while.”

“Don’t go.” Chase walked around the table and reached her side before she could leave the room. He stared into her eyes and frowned.

“Are you okay?” he whispered.

How she wished she didn’t wear her emotions on her sleeve or that he wasn’t always so perceptive. She nodded, but from his expression, he didn’t believe her. He ran his hands up and down her arms. His gentleness was Nikki’s undoing, especially when she was feeling so vulnerable. Her throat closed, and tears rushed into her eyes.

“Dean, excuse us,” Chase said and placed his hand on her back, nudging her out of the room. A fair distance from the den, he stopped. “What’s wrong?”

He was the wrong person to discuss her problems with, yet she couldn’t help herself. “My sister had surgery this morning and I’m trying to find out how she’s doing, but I can’t get a hold of my parents.”

“Which hospital?”

“It doesn’t ma—”

“Of course it does. You are worried about your sister and scared.”

Nikki shook her head. “I’m sure everything is fine.”

“Let me help you. Which hospital is she in?”

“UC San Diego Medical Center, but it’s okay. My friend Amelia is already driving there and will call me any minute now.”

“I don’t mind helping.” He pulled out his cell phone. “And it so happens that I know someone who knows someone at that particular hospital.” He speed dialed a number and placed the phone to his ear. As he waited, he reached out and pushed the hair at her temple. He pinched a lock and rolled it between his fingers. “Hey, Lambert. I need a favor.” He chuckled. “Really? That’s great. We’ll talk after this. Right now I need your contact at the hospital to check something for me. A patient who had surgery this morning. The name of the patient? Just a second.”

Nikki’s stomach dropped. This was going to end badly. “Uh, her name is—”

Her phone went off, the interruption so timely she laughed with relief. “Just a second.” She yanked the phone from her pocket and slapped it on her ear. “Yes?”

“I just talked to your nurse friend, Kristine,” Amelia said.

“Oh, thank goodness. What did she say?” Her eyes connected with Chase’s.

“Your parents are with Dee, and you know how hospitals are big on cell phones being turned off,” Amelia said. “She promised to have them call you as soon as possible.”

“And my sister?” Nikki asked, too conscious of Chase’s presence to say much. A quick glance at his face caught his frown.

“Dee is fine. The surgery went smoothly. Why did you say “my sister” like that?”

“Just a second.” She pressed her cell phone to her chest and gave Chase a brief smile. “My friend just talked to a nurse at the hospital.”

“Is your sister okay?” he asked, concern lacing his words.

Nikki nodded. “The surgery was successful.”

“Do you need to fly home?”

“No, that’s okay. I just need to talk to my parents.”

He closed the gap between them and peered at her. “If you need to go, it’s okay. I can get you to the nearest airport,” he glanced at his watch, “in the next hour.”

If he only knew. Guilt threatened to swallow her whole. “Thank you. You are kind and nice.”

***

He wasn’t sure he liked being called “nice”. “I’ll be in the den if you need me.”

She nodded and took off toward the front door. She had changed out of her riding clothes into a skirt and a lacey top. He loved her in feminine clothes. They accentuated her curves. He waited until the door closed behind her before he put the phone to his ear. “Still there, Lambert?”

“What’s going on?” Ken asked.

“It’s okay now. So what’s the good news?” Chase walked to the stairs and sat on a step, his gaze on Nikki, whom he could see through the window. She was still on the phone and was smiling. Funny how her smile filled him with relief.

“First, Ms. Marshal had her last surgery this morning. My informant thinks they’ll pull her out of the coma in a week or so.”

Then she had to deal with scars, physical and mental issues, and Keira’s lawsuit. Chase felt sorry for the woman, but there was nothing he could do about that.

“That’s the good news?” Chase asked.

“No. Remember I told you I was checking a different angle?”

“Yeah, the big secret you couldn’t divulge.”

“We hit pay dirt. I’m sending you a link. It connects to our surveillance archive. One of my people got surveillance footage from the hospital where your ex-girlfriend was undergoing treatment for her burns. On her first day there, a man visited her. He didn’t stay long and left in a hurry, but he never came back to visit her again. Take a look at the video and call me back.”

“Just tell me—”

“Watch the video, Chase, and you’ll see why we want to find this mysterious man. I want to know if you know him. We were lucky to get that surveillance footage. I’ll wait for your call.”

The line went dead. Frowning, Chase stood and headed for the den. Dean was still on the computer. He looked up. “I need to tweak the photographs a bit, but I’m going to leave the memory card. The two of you can choose the ones you want, place them in a separate folder, and save them in the Dropbox. Do you have one?”

“No, but I’m sure Nikki can set up one for me.”

“Okay. I’ll leave my e-mail so she can add me to her list of contacts.” Dean scribbled his e-mail on a piece of paper. “I can work on them as soon as I get them.”

“Great! Nikki will be pleased.”

“And pleasing her is important to you,” Dean said with certainty as he slowly got to his feet.

“Something like that.”

Dean grinned, walking toward Chase. “Then you are a lucky man. It’s obvious your interest is returned.”

Chase chuckled. “I know that, too.”

“But if you let her get away—”

“Get out of here, Dean.”

“Just saying.” He slapped Chase on the back. “I still hope to convince her to create a website for my ranch.”

“She’s worth every penny, so don’t go shortchanging her,” Chase warned.

“Don’t forget Sunday dinner. Bring Nikki.”

Chase wasn’t ready to share Nikki with anyone. Not until he knew where they stood. “We’ll see.”

Dean plopped the cowboy hat on his head and touched the brim. “Just remember, if you don’t come, Mom will pay you a visit.” He disappeared out of sight. The front door opened and closed. Then his voice and Nikki’s drifted through the window. He and his cousin understood each other, so their laughter didn’t bother him.

Aunt Siobhán, Dean’s mother, was the sweetest of all his aunts, but she was close to Aunt Viv, the matriarch of the Fitzgerald family. He’d gotten away with being a recluse when his sight was fucked up. Now that he was better, and he was sure Dean already told his mother, Chase couldn’t pull that shit off without someone saying he had something else to hide. One phone call to his indomitable Aunt Viv and she would invade his ranch. He loved his family, but there was a time when he didn’t want to deal with them.