TroubleinChaps Read online

  She had to get out of there. Now.

  Finishing up quickly, she hurried back through the bedroom, refusing to look at him as he lay on the bed. She ran to the den where she made short order of dressing. Cliff walked in, naked as the day he was born, as she was pulling on her tank top.

  “Is there a problem?”

  “I have to go.”

  “Why?”

  “Just do.”

  She slid on her sandals, snatched up her denim shirt and headed for the door.

  “Roxie, hold on!” Cliff moved in behind her, putting a hand to the door as she tried to open it.

  She whirled, pressing back against the door to keep as much distance between them as possible.

  “What just happened?” he asked, concern and confusion clear in his eyes.

  “Just let me go, Beckett.”

  “You reneging on our deal?”

  God, he fought dirty. She’d never gone back on a bet in her life. But she couldn’t stay here. Couldn’t let him touch her again.

  “No, but I need to leave now.”

  “Can you tell me why?”

  “No, I can’t.”

  He searched her eyes for a long moment then moved back. “Okay.”

  “Thank you.” Relief flooded through her, along with gratitude. She threw on her shirt, turned and ran, never stopping until she was in the truck. Then she paused and looked toward the house. Cliff stood in the doorway. Every fiber of her screamed for her to get out of the truck and go back to him.

  Every fear she’d ever experienced shouted of the danger of such action.

  Fear won. With a sob, she started the truck and pulled away. Dear god, what had she gotten herself into?

  Chapter Four

  Roxie was pulling her hair back in a ponytail when she heard a knock at the door. Barefoot and dressed in cut-off shorts and a t-shirt, she ran to the door.

  Lola and Emily grinned at her, their arms laden with bags from the local market and overnight bags. It was girls’ night and they’d agreed to crash at Roxie’s room.

  “I hope that’s not mojito makings,” Roxie said with a grin, peeking in the top of one of the bags in Lola’s arms as her friends entered.

  Emily groaned. “God, no. Last time nearly killed me.”

  Lola laughed. “Wimps.”

  Roxie took a bag from her and set it on the small table beneath the window. “Just toss your stuff anywhere.”

  Lola eyed the bed. “We’re all gonna sleep in that little thing?”

  “Don’t worry, you’ll be too toasted to care,” Emily quipped and pulled out a fifth of tequila. “Roxie, where do we get ice?”

  “Got an ice chest in the bathroom.”

  Roxie was lucky to have scored a room at Mrs. Chester’s boarding house that had its own bath. She could tolerate having only a bedroom to call her own space, but sharing a bathroom was where she drew the line.

  Emily pulled an electric blender from her overnight bag. “Where can I plug this in?”

  “There’s an outlet in the bathroom and a drop cord under the sink. I think it’ll reach the dresser if you want to put the blender there,” Roxie said over her shoulder as she and Lola unloaded the rest of the bags. Chips, chocolate, cheese, crackers and a couple of fat subs that had to have come from the diner.

  “So, anything new?” Lola asked in a tone that sounded decidedly sly. Roxie busied herself arranging things on the table rather than look at her friend. She had no doubt there was gossip about her and Cliff but felt a bit uneasy about it. She still hadn’t told her friends about her bet with Cliff and didn’t know that she would.

  As far as they were concerned, she was just having fun with the man while she was in town.

  “What’ve you heard?” she asked.

  “Nothing. Just asking.”

  “No, you weren’t.” Roxie looked up at Lola. “I know you. You’ve heard something, so spill.”

  “Well… Sam did mention that you’d been spending quite a bit of time with Cliff. At his place.”

  “Oh. Yeah, I guess so.”

  “And?”

  “And is he half as good as he looks like he’d be?” Emily asked, returning with a blender full of ice.

  Roxie shrugged. They knew her to be a woman who didn’t form attachments and viewed sex as something casual. She hooked up with men from time to time, but never seriously. It was always just a “for sex and fun” arrangement. It was no surprise that they’d assume she’d had sex with him.

  That was the way it should be with Cliff. Should being the operative word. Roxie wished she could see Cliff in that light, but something about him got to her and she was pretty sure that if she did ever have sex with him, she wasn’t going to want to stop at a casual one-nighter.

  And that scared her.

  “Come on,” Lola encouraged.

  “Let’s just say that the man has moves.”

  “Oh, details!” Emily said.

  Roxie moved to the bed and flopped down on her back, staring at the ceiling.

  “Uh-oh,” Emily murmured.

  “Drinks, we need drinks,” Lola directed.

  Emily got busy fixing a pitcher of drinks and filling three plastic cups. She and Lola climbed on the bed with Roxie. “Okay, let’s have it,” Emily ordered.

  Roxie sighed, took a big swig of the drink and grimaced. “Damn, a little heavy-handed on the tequila there, Em.”

  Emily chuckled. “So?”

  “So,” Roxie paused. “I sort of have this little bet going with Beckett.”

  “Bet?” Lola looked alarmed. “Honey, you think that’s wise? I mean, you haven’t gone near gambling in—”

  “It’s not that kind of bet. Well, not exactly.”

  “Just what kind of bet is it, exactly?” Emily asked.

  Roxie quickly outlined the details of the wager. By the time she was finished, it was time for a new round of drinks. Lola blew out her breath. “That’s kinda… hot.”

  “Hot doesn’t even come close,” Roxie admitted, as she got up to refill their cups. “The man has mad skills.”

  “And you’ve got how much longer to hold out?” Emily asked.

  “Two weeks. Well, thirteen days to be exact.”

  “So, if I was a betting gal, who would I put my money on?”

  Roxie shook her head. “Damn if I know. The man gets to me in a big way.”

  “Question is, do you get to him?” Lola asked quietly.

  Emily and Roxie both looked at her. “She’s got that look,” Emily commented.

  Roxie giggled. “I feel a Lolaism coming on.”

  Lola flipped her off good naturedly and they all laughed. “Okay,” Roxie said. “Let’s have it. I know you’ve got something cooking in that blonde-covered brain.”

  “Just thinking,” Lola replied. “I mean, sure you’re gonna have to suffer some sleep loss, but no reason you can’t have fun with it.”

  Roxie felt like a terrier, the way her ears perked up. “I’m listening.”

  “Well, hell. You are a woman, Rox. And you’ve teased your fair share of men. Why not ramp up the temptation a little?”

  Roxie felt a smile taking shape on her face. “Hmmm, I like it. Grab those chips, Em. We’ve got some strategizing to do.”

  They dragged the table over to the bed. Two hours later, they were all slightly drunk and had come up with several plans, all of which had sent them into giggle fits as they contemplated the outcome.

  Roxie shoved a pillow behind her back as she leaned against the headboard. “Maybe if I concentrate on giving him a case of blue balls it’ll take my mind off what I’m not getting. And,” she added, “it’ll get us out of this dustbowl and back on the road with a nice little cushion.”

  The light-hearted mood suddenly vanished. Emily looked away and Lola got off the bed, saying she had to take a bathroom break.

  Roxie suddenly realized she’d not stopped to consider her friend’s feelings when she made the bet with Cliff. She’d just assumed they w
ere as eager to leave Mesa Blanco as she was. That didn’t seem to be the case.

  Could it be that Emily and Lola were falling for Wyatt and Sam? That thought brought a sinking feeling to Roxie’s gut. What if her friends decided they didn’t want to leave? What would she do?

  Roxie reminded herself that she’d been alone most of her life. She could do it again. Problem was, she didn’t want to. Emily and Lola were all the family she had and she couldn’t imagine not having them around.

  That’s not going to happen, she told herself. They had a plan. All she had to do was win the bet with Beckett and they’d hightail it out of Mesa Blanco and on to wherever the wind blew them.

  And one day they’d tell stories and laugh about their adventure. They’d remember the people they met and giggle about the hot guys they left behind. Roxie couldn’t let herself believe any other way.

  Lola came out of the bathroom and climbed on the bed next to Roxie. “I know you’re eager to leave, Rox, but you might as well have some fun while you’re here.”

  “Are you having fun?” Roxie asked.

  Lola smiled and stretched. “Did I tell you what Sam and I did the other night?”

  All at once, the atmosphere lightened. Crowding together in the small bed, they snuggled under the warm blanket as Lola began her tale. And for the moment, everything was fine in Roxie’s world.

  Cliff finished reading the report his investigator had sent and tossed the pages onto the coffee table. There was definitely more to Roxie Ellis than met the eye. He felt a twinge of guilt over having her checked out but quickly dismissed it. Despite outward appearances, he was, by nature, a cautious man. He always had people checked out. Not only did it save him from potential problems, it gave him the edge he needed—in both business and gambling.

  Not that Roxie legitimately fell into either category. Well, maybe gambling. Loosely speaking. He was in the middle of the most erotic bet he’d ever made in his life. And he did intend to win.

  He’d expected Roxie to have at least one skeleton in her closet. Most people did. What he hadn’t expected was to discover that she’d been blackballed from every casino in Vegas. Seems Roxie fell into not only the world-class gambler category, but was also one of the best cheats in the gambling world.

  Good enough that it had nearly cost her jail time. The only reason she had escaped serving time was that the charges against her couldn’t be proven. No one could figure out how she’d rigged the game of five card draw that cost four very high-profile players millions of dollars.

  Nor could anyone figure out where the money had disappeared to after the win. Cliff thought about it. How did someone dispose of or hide several million dollars? She’d paid the required taxes on the money so she was square with the IRS, but her life had not changed at all. No fancy cars, penthouse apartments, or extravagant purchases. If she had that kind of money, why was she so broke on paper and where the hell was the money? All his investigator had been able to determine is that the funds were deposited, taxes paid, then what remained withdrawn.

  What the hell? Had she stuck it under her mattress? Buried it in a backyard somewhere? It just didn’t add up.

  The report had certainly revealed some interesting information, but it’d also brought more questions. Roxie was quite the mystery and Cliff was a true sucker for mysteries.

  He pushed himself up off the couch and wandered into the kitchen. He’d been up since before dawn and it was closing in on nine in the morning. Time for something to eat.

  After a quick look in the refrigerator, he headed for the shower. Might as well head over to the café where there was real food before he made a trip to the market. Besides, if what he heard was true, Roxie and her friends had holed up at her room in the boarding house last night for another of their girls’ nights. Chances were they’d be making an appearance at the café before long.

  Not that he was trying to arrange a chance meeting with Roxie. Not at all. At least that’s what he kept telling himself as he hurried to shower and dress.

  Less than an hour later he was sitting at a table in the café with Sam, the town sheriff. “So how’re things going with Roxie?” Sam asked over the top of his coffee cup.

  “Interesting.”

  “Meaning?”

  Cliff hesitated a moment. Sam was one of his closest friends but was also the sheriff. He wasn’t sure revealing information about Roxie’s past to the law was a good idea.

  “Meaning she’s not quite what I expected.”

  “Seems like none of those gals are.”

  Cliff grinned. “So I hear. Matter of fact I hear you and Legs are getting pretty hot and heavy.”

  “Legs?”

  Cliff shrugged. “Hey, I’m a guy. I have eyes. And she does have legs, man.”

  Sam smiled. “That she does.”

  “And?”

  “And that’s all I’m prepared to say at the moment.”

  Cliff laughed. “That’s what I like about you Sam, such a blabber-mouth.”

  They both chuckled and turned their attention to the breakfast plates the waitress delivered.

  Halfway through the meal the door opened and in walked Roxie, Lola and Emily. Cliff had his back to the door and wouldn’t have known who’d entered except for the look on Sam’s face.

  Damn. The man was in love. Cliff wondered if Sam realized he’d fallen for Lola. He turned in his chair and suddenly it seemed the temperature in the café rose ten degrees.

  Roxie was wearing a pair of sweatshorts that hung low on her hips, a running top that stopped just short of her navel and sneakers. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her face scrubbed free of makeup, and still she looked like something out of a wet dream.

  Her eyes met his and Cliff knew. Something had changed. So far, she’d been holding her own in the bet, but the moments when she seemed to be having fun with it were not as frequent as he’d like. She was intensely determined to win. Intensely determined to leave Mesa Blanco.

  And if he was honest, the bet was more about keeping her there than the sex. Sure, he wanted her. Painfully. But the idea of her leaving brought another kind of pain, a kind he wasn’t familiar with and wasn’t sure he could handle.

  Her mouth lifted in a sexy smirk that had his blood racing. She sauntered over to a table with her friends and took a seat with her back to him. Cliff turned back around, watching Sam, whose face was split with a smile. No doubt for the lovely Lola.

  “Well, I better hit the road,” Cliff announced. “Got some things to take care of.”

  Sam nodded as Cliff stood. “Catch you later.”

  “Yeah, later.” Cliff went to the counter, paid for breakfast then headed for the door, making sure to pass by Roxie’s table. “Ladies,” he nodded and smiled.

  Emily and Lola wished him a good day. Roxie just sat there with that fox in the chicken coop smile on her face. Cliff returned the smile, but once outside blew out his breath. He’d lay money she had something cooking. He could almost see it in her eyes.

  But what?

  He shrugged off the question and headed for his truck. Sooner or later, the answer to that and hopefully many other questions would come to light. Until then, he was going to give some thought on how to up his odds in the bet.

  Chapter Five

  Saturday nights usually pulled a full house at Chaps, but this Saturday the place was slammed. Standing room only. Roxie had been on her feet for three straight hours, waiting tables, and it was getting busier by the moment.

  She delivered a round of drinks to one table and stepped up to another, one occupied by four rodeo cowboys in town for the night on their way home. They’d been drinking steadily for two hours and with each drink, one of them got a bit louder and more obnoxious. She wondered if it wasn’t about time to cut him off, but figured she’d keep an eye on him and let Beckett know if he got out of hand.

  “Another round, boys?”

  “Ain’t no boys here, sweet thang,” the obnoxious one boasted loudly an
d made a grab for her hand.

  Roxie dodged his attempt and moved a step away. “Slow down there, cowboy. You know the rules. You can look but you can’t touch.”

  “Ta hell with that.” He stood and started for her. “You been teasing me all night, baby, and damned if I’m in the waiting mood. Get your sweet ass over here and give Danny boy a taste.”

  “Not gonna happen,” she retorted, backing away.

  “Oh it’s gonna happen.”

  Roxie set her tray down on the table beside her, ignoring the curious looks and comments from the people seated there. She kept her eyes on the drunk, Danny.

  “You need to sit back down.”

  “Rather have you sit on my face.”

  She grimaced and reached for one of the empty beer bottles on the tray as Danny moved in on her. “You really need to step back,” she warned.

  He laughed and grabbed her arm. Just as he started to yank her close, she raised the bottle and swung. And met with empty air. Danny boy was being pulled back like an elastic band that had been stretched to its limits and released.

  Beckett had hold of him. And from the look on Beckett’s face, the man was soon to be toast. Roxie started after him as he pulled the drunk along toward the door. “Beckett!”

  Her call caused him to pause and when he did, the drunk took a swing. The blow clipped Cliff on the side on his chin and did little more than snap his head to one side before he retaliated.

  One punch and the drunk was flailing backwards, arms waving and spit flying. Two seconds later, he hit the floor. Two seconds of stunned silence filled the bar then the drunk’s friends jumped up and headed toward Cliff.

  Roxie hurled the bottle in her hand, catching one of the men in the side of the head. He stumbled into a table, arms out, reaching for support and managed to overturn the table, spilling beer on two women. Their companions took exception to that and went for the man.

  Meanwhile, the remaining two cowboys were closing in on Cliff. Roxie broke out into a run, headed straight for them, but before she could reach them all hell broke loose. The men were attacked by patrons of the bar.