Surrender to Temptation (9 page)

Nikki closed the door, sat on her bed, and started making calls. She caught Amelia at a meeting, so their conversation was brief, but her package was on its way. The answering machine kicked in when she called her parents. Nikki left a message and finally called the burn unit.

 
“Could I talk to Kristine, please?” Nikki asked as soon as someone answered. She didn’t wait long before the nurse came to the phone.

“Nikki?” Kristine asked in surprise. “I thought you were on vacation.”

“I am. I’m just checking in. How’s Dee doing?” She lowered her voice even though she’d closed the door.

“Great. She’s healing fast, and her vitals are normal,” Kristine answered. Then, as if she couldn’t help herself, Kristine added, “You just left yesterday, Nikki. Why don’t you enjoy your vacation and let us worry about Dee for the next couple of weeks?”

A brief smile crossed Nikki’s lips. “I’ll do that.” She planned to call as often as she could. “Do you know when Dr. Parker will be performing the last surgery? He mentioned a few weeks but didn’t give me a specific date.”

“Just a sec.” There was silence on the line, and then Kristine came back with, “She’s scheduled for the last skin graft on Monday.”

Nikki frowned. “But Dr. Parker said the next one would be in a few weeks.”

“Dee’s healing fast, and the doctor thinks she’s ready. In fact, I overheard him mention pulling her out of the coma sooner than he’d planned. Do you want to talk to him? He’s in the O.R. right now, but I can have him call you back.”

“That would be great. Will you be on duty on Monday?” Nikki asked.

“Yes. Freda will be here, too.”

The nurses at the burn unit had been more than great. Because Nikki was a nurse too, they’d bonded at a level rarely enjoyed by regular relatives of a patient. They often explained her sister’s prognosis in detail whenever Nikki called, even though every word felt like a scratch on a festering wound.

“Thanks, Kristine. Don’t forget to ask Dr. Parker to give me a call. I’ll talk to you next week,” Nikki reminded her and hung up.

Hearing about her sister’s impending final surgery made her even more determined to find out what happened the night of the fire and head back home. Once Dee was out of the coma, the lawsuits would begin.

Feeling helpless and frustrated, Nikki sat on the edge of the bed and fought tears. She had to be honest about why she’d schemed to get close to Chase Fitzgerald. Hearing his side of the story wasn’t going to help her sister if she was guilty. Just because he hadn’t contacted her family, she had hoped he had no anger, animosity, or even hatred toward her sister, and just maybe, he wouldn’t mind being a character witness for Dee.

Chances of that happening were zero to none. Worse, Nikki had a feeling that the problems with his eyes might be tied to the fire. Maybe she should just come clean and tell him who she was and hope for the best.

CHAPTER 6

Chase grinned as he headed upstairs. Nikki had no interest in Lex. That thought kept playing in his head. It opened doors to endless possibilities, and he planned to explore them.

He’d never liked easy conquests. He enjoyed sex and loved watching a woman come apart in his arms, but the fun for him was in the chase and the seduction, fueling the smoldering need and heightening awareness to a point where they must rip clothes off each other’s backs or go insane. In the meal for the senses, seduction and the chase were the spices.

He noticed the vase of flowers outside his door, and his grin broadened. He headed for Nikki’s door, knocked, and waited.

The door flung open, and the first thing he noticed was her eyes. They were shiny as though she was fighting tears, and her skin seemed to have lost its earlier glow.

“Yes?” she asked with a frown.

 
His eyes shifted from her face to the cell phone in her hand and then back to her face again. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” She pushed hair from her face. “Uh, what do you want?”

“Mrs. B sent me to get you. It’s lunchtime. You sure everything is okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Give me a second.”

She disappeared inside the room, leaving the door open and giving him a glimpse of her room. Lace and silk clothing spilled out of her suitcase on top of the upholstered storage bench at the foot of the bed. On the floor were delicate sandals. None of her clothing was suitable for farm life, yet he couldn’t see her wearing anything else.

She reappeared, hair brushed and the bruised look in her eyes gone. He didn’t move from the doorway, forcing her to stop. “Thanks for the flowers.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Next time, feel free to take them inside. I don’t mind.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You know if you’re in trouble,” he cocked his eyebrows, “you can talk to me.”

She studied him as though contemplating his offer. “Thank you, but it’s something I need to work out on my own.”

Short of forcing her to confide in him, there was not much he could do. He let it go for now and led the way downstairs.

Mrs. B was carrying a tray of sliced French bread on one arm and bowls on the other, while trying to open the back door. Chase plucked the tray from her hand, ignored her protest, and carried them outside. Conversation stopped, and the ranch workers scrambled to their feet when Nikki followed. They stared. Chase didn’t blame them.

“Everyone, meet Nikki Savoy,” Chase said.

“Don’t stand on my account, please,” she said. “I promise not to bother you with too many questions about Montana or ranching. Winston knows I get carried away when I start talking about things that interest me.”

There were vigorous nods. Chase introduced her to Big Joe, the lumberjack type with massive arms and gentle manners. His teenage son, Little Joe, was a little slow and talked with a lisp. Little Joe smiled shyly at Nikki, but she put him at ease when she asked about the horse he’d been taking care of earlier. RJ Tucker, the Texan horse trainer touched the brim of his Stetson. He wasn’t a talker. Mac—the shy, young man Winston called Sonny—blushed when she looked at him.

Chase didn’t know whether it was her interest in their work or because she was a beautiful woman, but they included her in their conversation. Lunch turned out to be very interesting. He got to watch his men make fools of themselves. Nikki asked questions about the horses, and they all tried to answer. Even Tucker strung a few words together to answer her questions.

Big Joe was the man to call around Dillon when you wanted horse hooves trimmed. Most horses needed their hooves trimmed and their shoes replaced every six weeks. Big Joe’s oldest son ran the family farrier shop while he, and Little Joe made farm visits. Little Joe was almost eighteen, but had the mind of a ten year old and was more comfortable around horses than people, which explained why his father traveled with him. Whenever they came to Eagles Hill, they stayed until all the horses were shoed. Little Joe even did chores around the ranch and earned some money.

Tucker and Winston lived in self-contained units by the barn, while Mac preferred to sleep in the barn even though there was a perfectly good bed in one of the units. Chase planned to build better quarters in a couple of years. He learned, from running his restaurants, that happy and comfortable workers were efficient.

While the others returned to their duties, Winston lingered. “The boss told me you want to pick up a few things in town, Ms. Nikki,” he said.

“Yes.” She smiled at Chase then the foreman. “If you can give me directions—”

“No, miss,” Winston said. “It’s easy to get lost around these parts. I’ll drive you into town when you are ready.”

Once again, she glanced at Chase. He just shrugged. He would have driven her, but he didn’t like taking chances with his eyes.

“Is this afternoon okay, Winston?” Nikki asked.

Winston glanced at Chase. “Do you need me, boss?”

“Nope. Big Joe is showing me how to trim hooves this afternoon. You two have fun.”

Nikki stood with her bowl and reached for the one nearest to her on the patio table, but Mrs. B shook her head. “Leave those alone, child. Go and get ready for your trip.”

“I don’t mind.” Nikki carried the bowls inside the house.

Mrs. B exchanged a glance with Chase and sighed. “She’s a stubborn one.”

Chase chuckled. “No, just independent.”

“She reminds me of Faith,” she said, collecting the bowls. “That child fought me from the moment she arrived at your mother’s house.” Shaking her head, she disappeared inside the house.

Chase leaned back against the chair and stared into space. His cousin Faith had joined their family at thirteen. Having had a tough childhood, she had been wary of people doing things for her. Mrs. B had only known little girls like his sister Jade, who had been sweet and amiable. Faith and Mrs. B had knocked heads from day one, possibly because they were both independent, stubborn, and outspoken. Like Nikki.

He opened the kitchen door to hear Nikki say, “Thank you but you shouldn’t, Mrs. B. I can make my bed
and
do my laundry.”

Mrs. B chuckled. “Okay, child. But don’t be shy if you need help with anything. I want you to treat this place like it’s your own home. If you want something to eat, help yourself. We have fruit in the fridge,” she waved toward the stainless steel refrigerator, “cold cuts and cheese, bread in the breadbox, and I make fresh lemonade every morning. You see that door?” She pointed at the door on the other side of the kitchen. “It leads to the pantry. You can find anything you need in there. Snacks. Cereal. Also, if you don’t want to eat with the men, you and I can eat in here. We can watch TV.”

Nikki leaned down and kissed Mrs. B’s cheek. “Thank you.”

“Just remember, she eats dinner with me,” Chase called out, and both women glanced at him.

“Of course, dear,” the housekeeper said.

Nikki rolled her eyes and teased, “Do I have to, Mrs. B?”

“Oh yes, or he’ll be impossible.”

“See, a woman who understands me.” He bent and dropped a kiss on Mrs. B’s cheek. Grinning, Chase left the two women and headed toward the barn, where Big Joe and Mac were working on Royal. Changing a horse’s shoes was a painstaking task—from checking the gait for imbalance to trimming the sole the right way to replacing the shoe.

Since he had time to spare, Chase worked alongside Big Joe, until it was time to ride to Libby’s. He knew the moment Winston and Nikki left and watched the truck disappear, wishing he was in the driver’s seat.

He couldn’t zero in on what he found so captivating about Nikki Savoy. From watching her interact with his workers, she could be sweet, funny, and down-to-earth. From their dealings, she could also be stubborn. There was more to her, and he couldn’t wait to peel the layers and see what made her tick.

Chase frowned, recalling the panic that had darted across her face last night when they were discussing the reason she wanted this gig at his ranch. She must be running away from something. Or someone. It might explain the panic and the sad, teary eyes a few hours ago. Years of dealing with temperamental employees at his restaurants and fussy clientele had taught him how to read people. Nikki Savoy, despite her sassiness and stubborn streak, was hiding something.

He really shouldn’t care. After all, she’d only be around for two weeks. And he’d asked his uncle to do a thorough background check on anyone they sent to the farm, which meant whatever was bothering Nikki was more personal. Personal meant it was none of his business. Unfortunately, after the mess with Deanna Marshal, he’d promised himself never to surround himself with people he didn’t know or trust.

Deanna had been secretive about her past, volunteered to work during the holidays when most workers asked for time off, and never mentioned her family when workers exchanged anecdotes. Everyone, him included, had assumed she was an orphan. It wasn’t until Ken started digging into her background that Chase had learned that Deanna’s parents were still alive and lived in a small town in Texas, and she had a sister, too.

Thoughts about Nikki kept him preoccupied as he worked with his cousin at Libby’s. If Dean noticed he was distracted, he didn’t say anything.

Hours later, Chase studied his reflection and frowned. He had paid close attention to what he wore for dinner and even shaved. He wasn’t vain about his looks, though he knew women found him attractive, which he’d always used to his advantage. He was bringing his A-game to dinner and finding out everything about his guest.

Downstairs, the food was already laid out on the table. Mrs. B and the others were eating in the kitchen while watching TV. Tucker was missing, probably eating at his place or with the horses. The man’s dedication was a breath of fresh air after Hogan.

Chase looked at his watch again and drummed his fingers on the table. What was taking Nikki so long?

***

Nikki looked in the mirror and grinned. She’d seen the embroidered orchid dress on a window in Dillon and fallen in love with it. By the time she’d finished shopping, she’d bought several long-sleeved shirts, gloves, and splurged on two pairs of gorgeous cowboy boots.

The orchid dress was simple but hugged her body in just the right places before swirling around her knees. The V-neck showed more cleavage, and the spaghetti straps left an expanse of skin. Sure it was a little overdone for dinner on a farm, but a woman had to know when to cast her enchantments and seduce. She pressed her flat abs, looked at her backside in the mirror, and grinned.

Watch out, cowboy!

She needed Chase Fitzgerald at her feet. She couldn’t deny that there was some serious chemistry between them, but she wanted to speed things along before his brother came to visit. From her experience, a man in lust tended to hold nothing back.

Nikki slipped on medium-heeled sandals and headed downstairs. Guilt licked at her, but she pushed it aside. Scruples weren’t going to slow her down now. She needed everything she had to counteract Chase and his seductive smile. She had to be in control of the situation, not become a puppet. All the man had to do was smile at her and her body hummed. One touch and she’d trembled like a pubescent girl discovering boys.

That was not going to happen again.

Chase was already in the dining room when Nikki walked in. He smiled, stood, and stepped from his chair. Oh my! He looked good enough to make a girl forget she had a plan. A plan that didn’t include drooling and ripping off his clothes.

He looked urbane in a white, button-down shirt and black pants. The cowboy boots were replaced by loafers. He’d shaved, and she had an insane urge to rub her cheek against his jaw.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Chase,” she said in a voice suddenly gone husky.

“I wasn’t sure whether to send a search party or come fetch you myself.” He gave her one of his heart-stopping smiles as he held a chair for her, and her neck grew warm. “But you were worth the wait.”

“Thank you.” She sat, shifted her glance to him, and caught him with his eyes closed as he inhaled. She knew he was appreciating her unique perfume.

“That’s an unusual scent,” he murmured.

“Thank you. It was a present, and I’m partial to it.” A gift from a perfume maker and a dear friend.

“It suits you.”

They were so close she could see the little imperfections on his skin. They added character to a face that would have been merely beautiful. “I’ll have to tell Deveraux. He worked tirelessly to catch my essence.”

Their eyes connected, and the moment stretched. His gaze left hers and moved lower to her lips. Her lips tingled as though he’d touched them. Nikki was sure he’d lean forward and kiss her. She wanted him to. Her lips parted, inviting him. His eyes, now heavy-lidded, lifted slowly to snare hers. Nikki didn’t look away.

“Deveraux?” Chase asked in a sinfully husky voice.

“A satisfied client with a nose for scents.”

“He caught your essence perfectly, exotic and sexy.”

Nikki loved the compliment. “I do believe you are flirting with me, cowboy.”