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“No, Savannah. That’s not true. Not really. Yes, I need to be legally married before he gets here Friday. Yes, you happen to be here and in a position where we can help each other out. But no, it didn’t occur to me that you’re...that you would be something to taunt him with. Well, beyond the fact that I’d be preemptively marrying you before he could try to force me to marry Janiece.”
He sank onto the granite block that served as a coffee table, scrubbing at his face with the palms of his hands—hands, she reminded herself, with a better manicure than her own. There he sat in designer slacks, a starched cotton shirt with so many threads she probably couldn’t count that high, his high-dollar haircut and boots that likely cost more than she’d made last year. And here she sat in faded jeans fraying at the back pockets, scuffed boots all but falling apart, a T-shirt advertising a boot company, and her hair semitamed into a braid.
“But I have to be honest, now that you’ve brought it to my attention. Yes, if you marry me, there will be flack. From the old man and probably from my family. I’ve already talked to my brother Chance. He’s an attorney. I want him to draw up a prenuptial agreement.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but Chase held up a hand to stay her argument.
“It’s to protect you as much as me. I’m making certain promises to you. You have every expectation that I’ll deliver. The prenup ensures that you’ll be taken care of, as promised. I won’t lie. Chance is not happy with me, but that’s par for the course. I’m sort of the bad seed in the family.” He offered a boyish grin meant to disarm her, and it succeeded—to a point.
“I’m not your type, Chase.” She tried to meet his gaze head-on and add a glower, but she couldn’t keep her eyes from sliding to the side as she spoke the truth. “I’m rough. I live from payday to payday. I don’t wear heels or designer duds. I don’t talk like you. Heck, I bet your hands are softer than mine. No one is going to buy this marriage as anything other than what it is—a marriage of convenience to get you out of trouble with your father.”
Chase couldn’t deny her words, nor would he do her the disservice of trying. She told the truth, but at the same time, there was something compelling about that. Most women—okay, every woman he’d ever dated—wanted something from him and would tell him whatever they thought he wanted to hear in order to get it. Savannah was different. She was...real. What he saw was what he’d get. And what he saw fascinated him.
She was prickly, stubborn, full of pride, curvy, tomboyish—all the things he stayed away from when it came to women. She’d be way more trouble than she was worth. She’d be a crimp in his social life. She’d bedevil him like crazy. And some perverse part of him looked forward to the challenge, actually craved it. He watched her struggle to meet his eyes, realized she was feeling exposed and didn’t like the feeling.
Despite his social failings where the opposite sex was concerned, Chase understood people and their motivations on a visceral level. That made him extremely successful in the entertainment business. He sensed this woman would always speak the truth, at least as she perceived it. He’d appreciate that in the long run, if not always in the present. And despite her strength, there was a vulnerability shrouding her that stirred a deeply buried protective streak.
“I won’t embarrass you, Savannah. I wouldn’t do that to you. I’ll take care of you for the length of the contract between us. You’ll walk away at the end with what I’ve promised—new truck, the trailer, the horse we get from Kade, all your expenses. Clothes. Food. Hotels. Vets for the horse, including Indigo. I’ll get Kade to bring your new horse out and he’ll take Indigo back to the ranch to heal. You keep the money you win. You’ll have enough to keep you going when we divorce. I’ll even do something stupid so it’s all on me. You can walk away free and clear with your head high.”
“Why, Chase? I still don’t get it. Why not just tell your father to go...” She stopped before using the word on the tip of her tongue and corrected it to “Uh...take a flying leap? You’re an adult. Why let him control you?”
She had a point, but his reasons were so messed up, a battery of psychiatrists would have a field day trying to figure out his family dynamics. “Look up the term dysfunctional family in the dictionary. The definition will be two words. The Barrons.” He lifted one shoulder in a negligent shrug. “But you deserve the truth. I’m weak, Savannah. And a coward, pretty much. My father is a right bastard, and he’s ridden roughshod over every one of us. He’s threatened to fire me. Chance fixed the family trust so I’ll be taken care of, but I wouldn’t be in charge of Barron Entertainment.”
He pushed off the table and strode to the windows. Las Vegas and the desert beyond spread before him in a seemingly endless vista. “I like what I do. Hell, I love it. But more important, I’m good at it. I wasn’t good at anything growing up.”
Chase snapped his mouth shut and stiffened. What the hell was wrong with him? He never revealed his true thoughts to anyone. Not even Cash, especially not now. He wasn’t smart like Chance. He wasn’t a leader like Clay. He wasn’t honorable like Cord. And he sure wasn’t like his twin, always putting the family before his own needs. Quite the opposite, in fact.
“We’re not consummating the marriage.”
Thankfully, her words interrupted his reverie. He turned his head, and heat curled deep inside as he swept his gaze over her. She really was beautiful in a down-to-earth way. He didn’t miss the widening of her eyes, the quick intake of breath that swelled her breasts or the delicate shiver that skittered over her skin as he watched her.
“But we are sleeping in the same bed,” he countered.
“Whoa. What?”
“We have to convince my father we’re married. That means you sleep in my bed—with me—while he’s here. You’ll be headed out on the circuit after the rodeo, right?”
She nodded, apprehension warring with something else in her expression. Was that interest? Maybe a touch of curious lust? He liked that idea.
“We won’t necessarily be together under one roof. Except when you come back here and there’s a long stretch between your appearances.”
“Why can’t I go home to Oklahoma?”
“Because you’ll be my wife, and since this is my main residence, you’ll come here. I’ll arrange for permanent stable and training facilities for you.” He walked back across the room and stopped in front of her so she had to crane her neck to look at him.
“We work together in public to make sure no one gets the wrong perception.” He resisted the urge to cup her cheek. “We’ll paint a picture of a happy couple in love. I’ll have Tucker set up accounts for you at the hotel’s boutiques. Buy whatever you need. I promise not to drag you to a fancy party unless absolutely necessary, and I’ll prep you before that happens. We’ll hold hands in public. Smile at each other. Do that sort of thing. Here in the apartment, when we’re alone, we act as normal. My bed is huge. You can put pillows down the middle or whatever you need to feel comfortable. I promise not to put the moves on you.”
He held out his hand. “Do we have a deal?”
* * *
Savvie’s palm itched, and the muscles in her right arm contracted in preparation for the shake that would seal her fate—at least for the next year. A look crossed Chase’s face as his gaze swept over her, much as it had when he stood across the room. This time, the impact was immediate. She couldn’t ignore the thrill zinging through her. She couldn’t help it. Despite being a royal jerk, he was sexy. And handsome. And charming. And she was a red-blooded Oklahoma cowgirl who knew prime breeding stock when she saw it. The guy had good genes—and jeans, or at least slacks. She shook her head to clear the sexual tension building in her middle. Getting involved with him was Trouble with a capital T.
But could she afford to walk away? He was offering her the chance to fulfill her dream. Making this deal with the devil would ensure she could keep Indy, and he’d get the treatment he needed. She wouldn’t have to tuck tail and sneak home. All she had to do was live in a fishbowl for the next twelve months. She shouldn’t trust this guy any farther than she could throw him but some twisted part of her urged her to accept him at face value. He was a scandal waiting to happen, but his boyish charm held a touch of uncertainty with a side helping of wistful desperation.
“Deal.” She raised her hand and he clasped it. Had she been a romantic, she would have expected a bolt of energy or awareness or some mystical connection to surge between them at the touch of their hands. But she felt nothing beyond smooth skin, gentle pressure and a sense of relief.
“Excellent. We have a lot to do between now and Friday.” He whipped out his phone and pressed a number. “Tucker, I need you in the apartment.” He hung up and hit a second number. He listened for a moment, then left a message. “Chance, draw up the paperwork we discussed. Courier the originals out here. I’ll have Tucker witness and notarize. Thanks, bro.”
He paused to wink at her. “I’ll have Security give you a code for the elevator. Tuck will take you downstairs to shop. In the meantime, call Kade. Tell him exactly what you need.” He turned away, already keying in the next number on his cell.
“Uh... Chase?”
He refocused his attention her. “Yeah, kitten?”
Huh. She’d gone from wildcat to kitten. She wasn’t quite sure how to process that. Instead, she pushed forward. “I...um... I don’t mean to be greedy or anything, but could I talk to Kade about borrowing two horses? If I have a roping horse to go with a barrel horse, I can double up on my events and points. I won’t keep them or anything, after...well...next year. I just want Indy. I’ll ride the other horses, but they’ll still belong to you. Okay?”
His gaze narrowed and then cleared as she babbled. “Babe, whatever you need. Don’t worry about expenses. I have money. Feel free to spend it. And those horses are yours. No matter what.” With that, he moved away from her and into the recessed space that served as his office, his phone pressed to his ear.
She dug her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Kade. She didn’t expect the first words out of his mouth.
“Are you out of your freaking mind?”
“Uh, hi, Kade. I’m fine, thanks. How are you?”
“Pissed, little girl. You need to get as far away from Las Vegas as you can get.”
“Nope. Can’t do that.”
“What have you done?”
“We shook on it, Kade.” She huffed out a breath heavy enough to stir the thick strand of hair straggling over her forehead. “Look, this is a good deal for me. If I don’t take it, I slink home so my mother and that jackass warming her bed can rub it in my face. I can’t do that. I won’t do it. Chase is offering me a deal I can’t walk away from.”
“You don’t know him.”
“Yeah, I do. I read the tabloids. I know he’s a womanizing jerk face with entitlement issues.”
An uncomfortable silence stretched between them before Kade’s voice whispered in her ear. “Itek soba, he’ll break your heart.”
Sister of the horse. Kade hadn’t called her that in a long time. Using the childhood Chickasaw nickname he’d given her brought home just how worried he was. “No, he won’t. I’d have to love him first, and that is so not gonna happen, anakfi.” She used the Choctaw word for brother. “There’s paperwork so we’re both covered. I have to do this, Kade. You know that. Are you going to help me?”
“Of course I am, Savvie. But I damn well don’t have to like it.”
“So... I need two horses.”
“I figured you might. I have two Crown B bred horses I think will work. Tansy Reed’s been working Cimarron. He’s rough and still needs seasoning but he’s fast, and I think the two of you will work well. He has a soft mouth.”
“Okay.” Wow. Tansy Reed was the premier barrel racer and trainer. She’d retired from the rodeo circuit to raise her family and train horses. “What about a roping horse?”
“Have the perfect guy for you. I’ve been working Big Red myself. He’s quick, responsive and I swear he knows where the calf is gonna be before I do. I’ve also done both heading and heeling with him in case you want to add team roping.”
“I’ll keep it in mind. Don’t have a partner for that.” She pursed her lips, considering. “Yet. I’ll look around, see who’s available.”
“I’ll load up and head that way today. I’ll be there by Thursday morning. You’ll have time to ride them both, and they’ll have their ground legs back before the rodeo starts.”
A knock on the door caught her attention. “Call me when you get here. I’ll meet you at Clark County. Somebody’s at the door. I gotta go, Kade.”
His heavy sigh hung between them. “Are you sure, little girl?”
“Yeah. Everything is gonna be fine. You’ll take care of Indy for me, right?”
“You don’t even have to ask.”
She ended the call, and when she caught Chase’s attention, he waved her toward the door. She opened it, only to be confronted by a handsome man. He vaguely resembled Chase, except instead of sharp brown eyes, this man’s were a startling blue and his hair was a dark russet brown instead of black.
“Huh.” He stared at her, obviously not very impressed. “I can’t wait until Uncle Cyrus gets a load of you. Let’s go.”
“Go?”
“Yeah. I’m Tucker, soon to be your cousin-in-law. I’m taking you shopping. Clothes. Truck. Trailer. Sound familiar?”
“Before we sign the paperwork?”
“Nothing goes into your name until after the marriage.”
“Oh.” Savannah wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that.
Tucker looked over the top of her head and called to Chase. “We’ll stop by Security and get her into the system. See you for dinner.”
He grabbed her arm and tugged, but she jerked free. “Wait. My purse.”
Reaching around her, Tucker pulled the door closed. “You won’t need it.”
Five
Chase watched Tucker tease Savannah, surprised at the burn in his chest. His cousin and the woman he planned to marry had spent the previous afternoon picking out a pickup, a fancy horse trailer, getting her added to his credit accounts with a checking account of her own and into the hotel’s security system so she could access his apartment. He’d spent the day auditioning some new showgirls, dealing with a situation on the casino floor and listening to his big brother rant about how stupid Chase was being. That was easy for Chance to say. He’d found and married the girl of his dreams. True, Dad had done his best to break them up, but Chance told the old man off and went merrily on his way. Chance didn’t have the old man breathing down his neck, complete with a forced marriage looming.
If he had to take the plunge, Chase was darn sure he’d be doing it on his terms, not his dad’s. He studied the woman he’d be marrying within the next twenty-four hours. This morning, he had a conference call with investors and the architect of the new hotel project in the Bahamas. He’d need to rent a car for Savannah to drive until the new pickup and trailer were ready. Kade was due to arrive in the morning, and she’d be out at the fairgrounds all day with the ranch foreman and the new horses.
He planned a fast trip to the Clark County Marriage License Bureau, an office open 24/7 due to Vegas’s reputation for quickie weddings, for later in the afternoon. They’d get married Thursday night so it was a done deal before the old man hit Vegas on Friday.
“Hope you don’t mind.”
Chase pulled his head into the conversation and stared at Tucker. “Mind what?”
“That I’m taking Savannah to Leather and Lace.”
Savannah choked and coffee spewed out her nose. She grabbed a napkin, coughing, while Chase thumped her on the back. “Can you breathe?” When she nodded, he still watched her to be sure, but answered Tucker. “I don’t have a problem with that. See about getting her some custom boots. They won’t have them ready before she heads out, but we’ll have them here the first time she comes home.”
“Uh, hello. Right here. I don’t need boots. Or anything else...leather.”
Both men glanced at her and Tucker chuckled. “L and L is the premier Western store in the area. The few things you found in the boutique downstairs won’t go far.”
Chase nodded. “We need to fill up your half of my closet. And Tuck’s right. You need new clothes.”
Her face turned red again, and she pushed out of her chair, all but spitting mad. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”
It was totally perverse of him to enjoy her anger but dang if it wasn’t fun. “Darlin’, those jeans are nothing but holes held together with a prayer. You need new work boots. You need new boots for the arena and—” he propped one booted foot up on the table “—I know how comfortable custom boots are. As my wife, you need to upgrade. It’s expected.”
She sputtered and spit and shoved his foot off. “You musta been raised in a barn, boy. Don’t you know better’n to put your feet on a table with food?”
He grinned and was almost sorry she’d be taking off soon. He’d like the chance to get to know her better and do a whole lot more teasing. He liked her curves, and the way her expressions revealed her thoughts. Maybe he would do a little seducing along the way. Before he could think too deeply on that urge, Tucker’s phone pinged.
“Courier from Chance is here.” Tuck left to meet the person Security was escorting up.
Chase leaned back in his chair and studied Savannah. He hadn’t missed her quick inhalation or the widening of her eyes at the mention of the arrival of the prenuptial paperwork. “Second thoughts, kitten?”
Her eyes wouldn’t quite meet his when she replied. “No. Yes. A little.” She squared her shoulders and met his gaze. “What about you? You can walk away and not be stuck with me.”
“Something tells me I’m getting the better deal.”
He realized he’d said that out loud when he saw the surprised look on Savannah’s face. But before he could add anything, a very feminine squeal filled the air, and a bundle of feminine curves landed in his lap.
“Chase! I’m so glad Chance sent me. I’ve been wanting to see you for...like...forever.” The girl in his lap cupped his cheeks and plastered kisses all over his face. He would kill his brother the next time he saw Chance. “I’ve never been to Vegas. I took some comp time so I can stay a couple of days, and you can show me around and we can—”
He cut off her babbling by clamping his hands around her waist and lifting her out of his lap. A glance at Savannah made him wince. She tried to hide her feelings, but she wasn’t quick enough. He saw anger, and was that a little hurt, too? She definitely wasn’t happy, and he couldn’t blame her.
“Where’s the paperwork from Chance, Debbie?”
“Darla. My name is Darla.” The girl huffed in displeasure, one hand on her hip, the other holding a manila envelope.
“Oh, yeah. Right. Whatever.”
Tucker relieved Darla of the sealed envelope. Using a pocket knife, he slit it open while Darla glowered. After a few moments, her eyes flicked to Savannah.
“Who’re you?”
“This is my fiancée,” Chase answered before Savannah could.
Savvie wasn’t very happy when Darla bent over from the waist, laughing hard. She started to tamp down the remark on the tip of her tongue and then gave up on being circumspect. That wasn’t really her style. Reaching over to take Chase’s hand, she put her best snooty face on. “Chase, darlin’, you really need to stop screwin’ the hired help. They get so pushy and all uppity when you do.”
Tucker lost it. He laughed so hard tears squeezed out from the corners of his eyes. Chase stared at her, biting his lips, but his eyes danced with amusement.
“Oh, my God. You can’t be serious, Chase. She’s...she’s...”
Chase flicked his gaze to the girl, and Savannah was really glad he wasn’t looking at her with that expression on his face. “She’s the woman I’m marrying, Darla. You’d be wise to remember that. I’ll call Chance about sending the papers back. For now, I suggest you head to the airport and catch the first flight back to Oklahoma City.”
“But...but... I flew out here in the company jet.”
“The company jet is reserved for family and employees. Effective as of right now, you are neither.”
Savannah couldn’t prevent her jaw from dropping. She squeezed Chase’s hand and started to say something, but Chase shushed her with a look. She clamped her mouth shut and waited.
“I’ll show you out, Darla.” Tucker took the girl’s arm and tugged her toward the door. A few minutes later, he returned and shut the door. “Security has her. They’ll escort her to the airport, and make sure she’s on a plane. I’ll call Chance, fill him in.”
“Hey.” Savannah quietly asked for Chase’s attention. “You didn’t need to fire her.”
“Yeah, I did. You’re going to be my wife, Savannah. Legally and binding. No one talks to you that way. No one makes that kind of assumption.”
She studied his expression. He was serious and being truthful. Wow. Who knew the guy had some depth, and maybe a modicum of honor, after all? “Okay. But just so you know, I’m pretty good at taking care of myself.”
Chase and Tucker exchanged looks, then both burst out laughing. “Hired help,” Tucker sputtered.
“Pushy and uppity.” Chase snorted, and laughed harder.
Savannah crossed her arms over her chest. “Dang. It wasn’t even that snarky.”
“Finish your breakfast, wildcat. Tucker wants to go all metrosexual and pick out a wardrobe for you. Let him.”
“Okay.” Savannah chewed on her bottom lip a moment.
“What?”
“What what?”
Chase’s gaze lasered in on her mouth. “You look like you want to ask something. What is it?”
“Oh. Just...uh...wondering what you’ll be doing today while I go spend gobs of your money?”
“Running my empire.” He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “And I doubt you’d spend my money at all if I weren’t forcing it on you. Just be back by four this afternoon. We need to get the marriage license.”
Her breath caught, and her body went a little haywire, not that she would let her reaction show—especially since they had an audience. She’d be smart to remember that Chase Barron was a rascal—a very sexy one who used women without a shred of guilt. Pushing back from the table, she retreated. The expression on his face told her he knew what she was doing. She didn’t really care. She needed space.
“Before you go, we both need to sign the prenup.”
“Oh, right.”
* * *
Tuck watched her go through the racks. He was flirting with the salesclerk, but he also made note of what Savannah was doing. Every time she checked the price tag of an item, he snagged it and told the clerk to hang in it the dressing room.
“Stop doing that, Savannah. If you like something, try it on. If you want it, it’s yours.”
“Yeah, easy for you to say.”
The negligent lift of one shoulder indicated he didn’t care about her feelings on the matter. “Look, hon, my cousin very often leaps without considering the consequences. I read the prenup. I know what you’re getting out of this deal. I’ve also spent time with you. You aren’t comfortable with this. I don’t know what your reasons are but they have nothing to do with Chase’s money.”
It was her turn to offer a desultory shrug. “People are still gonna talk.”
“Yes, they will. You need to be prepared for that. Especially since Chase won’t always be around to shield you.”
“What does that mean?” she faced Tucker and asked. “Shield me from who?”
“His family. The media. Anyone familiar with the Barron name.”
Chase would deal with his family so that wasn’t a concern. The media? Yeah, that would suck. “Maybe I can fly under the radar. I won’t use his name when I enter my events.”
“Sorry, babe. That won’t work. The Barron name will be plastered all over your truck and trailer. And Chase isn’t exactly shy and retiring.”
That got an eye roll. “No kidding.” She closed her eyes and tilted her head back in an attempt to ease the tight muscles in her neck. After taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and offered Tucker her I’m-gonna-do-this face. Then she spoiled it all by asking, “He’s not going to be monogamous, is he?”