Stranded and Seduced
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Charlene Sands
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HarlequinOne
April always knew her luck would run out one day.
In a town the size of Boone Springs, she couldn’t avoid River “Risk” Boone forever.
But she hadn’t expected to see the tall, handsome Texan walk into her real estate agency that morning.
Her stomach in knots, she gazed at him from across her desk. He tipped his hat back, his eyes a mesmerizing dark brown, his skin still as bronzed as it had been in his rodeo days. Wearing crisp jeans and a tan button-down shirt, his business casual attire and good looks turned heads in the Texas town founded by his ancestors. He’d turned her head once, too, and that had been a big mistake.
“Hello, April.”
The deep timbre of his voice, the way he drawled her name, gentle and sure, rang in her ears. On wobbly legs she rose from her desk. “Risk, w-what are you doing here?”
His brows arched as he looked her over from head to toe, a gleam in his eyes as if he was remembering the night they’d shared. Heat rose up her throat, and she was stunned Risk still had the ability to jumble her thoughts.
Clovie, her assistant and good friend, gave her a quizzical look from the desk adjacent to hers. Clovie knew something about her past history with him.
“I’m here on Boone business. I understand you’ve spoken with my brother Mason’s secretary about the Canyon Lake property.”
“Yes, that’s correct. I answered some of her questions about the lodge. But that’s as far as it went. I, uh, do we have an appointment?”
She knew darn well they didn’t. And she also knew darn well she wasn’t going to turn him away on some false premise that he needed to make one. She didn’t know why she’d asked that question, other than a bad case of nerves. It’s not as if she could ignore a member of the Boone family. The three Boone brothers were wealthy cattle ranchers and entrepreneurs. They owned much of the town.
“Never mind,” she said. “If you have questions about Canyon Lake Lodge, I can help you.”
He gave her a nod. “Apparently you did a great job talking up the lodge, because we’re definitely interested in finding out more about—” Risk stopped speaking. Oh God, he’d noticed the pain in her eyes, the frown she couldn’t conceal.
Two years ago, they’d spent one night together. She hadn’t expected diamonds and flowers afterward, but she had expected him to be there when she woke up in the morning.
“Listen, is there someplace we can talk privately?” Risk asked after a long pause.
Clovie piped up instantly. “I’ve got the bank deposit ready, April. I was just leaving.” She stood, gathering up a folder and hoisting her handbag over her shoulder. “I’ll stop for lunch and see you in an hour or so.”
“Okay.”
Clovie dashed out quickly as both watched her leave and shut the door behind her.
“Ask and ye shall receive.” April’s sardonic tone shifted Risk’s attention back to her. She was at a complete loss. Seeing him stirred up deep feelings of hurt and abandonment again. Mostly she hated that Risk Boone, the ex-rodeo champion, had treated her like one of his buckle bunnies when she’d believed they’d really connected that night in Houston. Though he’d once been her secret high school crush, the fantasy-come-true night they’d shared two years ago had turned into a bad memory.
“April, look, I’m here because you have the listing for Canyon Lake Lodge. I’m the new head of real estate acquisitions for Boone Inc. My brothers want to expand the business and like the idea of opening a lodge. I didn’t make an appointment because I wasn’t sure you’d see me. I owe you an apology.”
“You were afraid I wouldn’t want to see you?”
“Judging by the sound of your voice, I’m not far from the mark, am I?”
“Your apology is a little late in coming, wouldn’t you say?” She folded her arms across her middle, not in a show of attitude but to help brace herself. “That was quite some time ago.”
“I’ve been working out of town a lot these past few years. It’s not an excuse, but simply the truth.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Listen, I was in a bad place back then. I couldn’t stay. Shannon really messed me up and, well, I wasn’t ready for...you. I couldn’t give anything back. I guess—no, I know—I ran scared. And I’m sorry.”
I wasn’t ready for...you.
Oh God, what a silly fool she’d been thinking that talking openly and sharing confidences and making love throughout the night would mean something, when all she’d been to him was a one-night stand.
She’d known about his two-year relationship with superstar actress Shannon Wilkes—the tabloids had made sure the entire country was well versed in the details of their relationship and scandalous breakup. Risk had been a rodeo celebrity at the top of his bronc-busting game, and Shannon had won a Golden Globe. They’d been paired as a super couple, until Risk took a bad fall from a bronc, injuring his shoulder and ending his rodeo career. Shortly after, Shannon broke up with him and immediately got involved with a top NFL quarterback, breaking Risk’s heart and humiliating him in front of the entire country—the life he’d known all but gone. “Twice Dumped” had been the headline, showing side-by-side photos of him grounded by the stallion and an unflattering pose of him and Shannon.
If only April hadn’t seen a recovering Risk guest hosting the Houston rodeo that day. If only she hadn’t bumped into him later at the hotel bar. If only he hadn’t been so vulnerable and open and kind to her that night, good sense might have prevailed. But they’d really connected that night, and his lovemaking led her to think impossible things.
But never in her wildest expectations had she thought he’d walk out on her the next morning without so much as an explanation, a note, a goodbye. It cheapened what might have been the best night of her life.
“Okay, I get it.”
Risk exhaled, seeming relieved. “You accept my apology?”
If he’d come exclusively to apologize, it surely would’ve meant more. “Risk, why don’t we just drop it and keep our personal lives out of this. Have a seat and we’ll get down to the real reason you’re here.” She couldn’t help the jab; he deserved it, and judging by the frown on his face, it hit the mark.
“Fine.”
They both sat down, and she pulled the file for the listing. She had one month left on her contract with the owner, Mr. Hall, and selling the $5.3 million lodge would put her struggling agency in the black well into next year.
“Let’s focus on the potential of the property,” she said.
He nodded, and his gaze roamed over the office, leisurely taking it all in. “But first let me say I like what you’ve done here. The place never looked this good when it was ole Perry Bueller’s shop.”
“Mr. Bueller was selling antiques. I had to modernize a bit, but I was hoping to keep some of the charm of the old place.”
April had opened her own real estate agency in Boone Springs one year ago with goals to be the premiere high-end listing company in the county. She’d worked for three years in adjacent Willow County learning the ropes and getting her feet wet, but when Perry Bueller decided to retire and sell this storefront property in the heart of Boone Springs, April knew it was time to take action to realize her dream of living and working in her hometown. She’d scraped together the money and transformed his rustic antique store into a modern-day office.
A teardrop crystal chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, beautiful mahogany bookcases hugged the walls and the computer-topped desks made of the finest polished cherrywood were all pieces generously gifted to her by Mr. Bueller, her late grandmother Beth’s dear friend.
“You’ve done well for yourself, April.”
She didn’t take Risk’s compliment lightly. April had worked hard, and it was nice to be recognized, but she had to keep it in perspective. She couldn’t allow herself the luxury of liking Risk again, despite his long overdue apology or his Texas charm.
The last deal she’d worked on had fallen through at the last minute. Six weeks of putting a deal together, all for naught. Her small agency couldn’t take another hit like that, and she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sell the unoccupied lodge to the Boones. She had a mortgage to pay, a reputation to build and a desire so deep to make her dream a success, she wasn’t about to let her feelings about Risk interfere with her goals. “T-thank you.”
She gave Risk the file on Canyon Lake Lodge and pointed to the photos. “As you can see, it’s a great piece of property.”
“It’s remote.”
“I like to think of it as secluded, a perfect place for a getaway. The lodge is set back in the hills, miles away from traffic and the town. There’s something for everyone, whether it’s kicking back and relaxing or outdoor activities. The lake is amazing, and there could be horseback riding and fishing and boating. It’s a perfect place for vacationers to experience nature.”
“It gives rustic a whole new meaning. It’s overgrown. Looks like it’s falling apart.”
She held her breath. “Looks can be deceiving.”
“Or they can be dead-on.”
“There’s wiggle room for negotiation. And there’s an intriguing story behind the lodge’s history. I have the articles here.” She reached into her drawer and came up with a manila folder with articles written about the lodge from sixty years prior. “You can read up on it. The research is fascinating. I have no doubt the lodge could be marketed in a very appealing way when the time comes to book guests.”
She set the folder on the desk, and Risk flipped through the articles. “You’ve done your homework, haven’t you?”
“I always do.”
Risk looked up from the file just as she did, and their eyes met. A sizzle worked its way down to her toes. She was close enough to breathe in his scent, to be reminded of her fantasy night with him.
“I’m impressed,” he drawled in that special way he had.
She jerked back and fiddled with the papers on her desk.
“Mind if I take a better look at these articles?”
“No, of course not. Take them with you.”
He rose, and she came around the desk to walk him to the door. When she was standing beside him, he filled her space, and she swallowed hard. “I’d better get back to work. If you have any further questions or would like to see the property, don’t hesitate to call. The number is inside the folder.”
“Give me a day or two. I’ll definitely be in touch.”
“Okay, sure.”
“Oh, and April?”
She gazed into eyes that had softened on her. He seemed ready to say something but then shook his head. “Never mind.”
She closed the door behind him and slumped in relief.
After two years, she’d finally spoken to Risk Boone again.
And because of a possible sale to Boone Inc., she had to hold back on the choice words she’d reserved just for him to hear.
Normally April didn’t go out on a work night, but tonight was special. Tonight was her best friend’s birthday, and she couldn’t let the party go on without her. Jenna Mae turned the big three-oh today; it was monumental. So April donned her black party dress with silver rhinestone straps and met her friends for drinks at the Farmhouse Bar and Grill, a honky-tonk that was always bustling no matter the day of the week.
It was live band Thursday, and Jenna Mae kept glancing at the guitarist up on the platform stage. She was newly single after a disheartening breakup with a guy who didn’t know the ass end of a donkey. Jenna was better off without him, and April and Clovie had let her know it. Because that’s what friends did. When a storm was brewing, they got out their rain jackets and umbrellas and shielded each other as best they could.
April finished off her first mango margarita as all eight girls swarmed around Jenna Mae at their table near the long, handcrafted Farmhouse bar. They were already an hour into the celebration; gifts had been opened and funny birthday cards passed around.
“Yum, this is delicious,” Jenna said, taking a big bite of her cupcake catered by Katie’s Kupcakes. “Thanks for this, April. I’m glad you’re here. Wouldn’t be the same without you.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it, Jenna. You know that.”
Jenna put her arm around April’s shoulders. “I do know that. I’m just glad you moved back from Willow County when you did.”
“Me, too.”
“Are things getting any easier?” Jenna asked. “Sold any big-ass mansions lately?”
“I wish. Actually, I’m waiting to hear back on a potential huge deal. If I land it, it would keep the agency afloat into next year.”
The waitress came by with another round of drinks. April wasn’t a big drinker, but number two looked good, so she grabbed it up and took a sip.
“I hope it works out for you.”
“I’m beginning to have my doubts,” she mumbled. “My buyer was supposed to get back to me last week. And I haven’t heard a word.”
“Why not call and give him a nudge?”
“You won’t believe who it is.”
Jenna Mae grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the crowd. “Tell me.” Jenna was on her third drink, which might just be her limit. She wobbled a little when she walked.
April spoke in Jenna’s ear. “It’s Risk Boone. If you can believe that.”
Jenna knew all about her high school crush and fantasy night with Risk, and so it wasn’t surprising that her mouth dropped open. “No.”
“Yes. He was at the office last week. It was...awkward.”
“I can imagine. Man, you crushed on him heavily in high school. You’ve always had a soft spot for that guy.”
“Not anymore. Not after...Houston.”
“Really? Because I didn’t want to say anything, but he’s sitting at the bar right now.”
April couldn’t believe it; now her mouth dropped open. And her heart sped up. She had her back to the bar, and she casually turned to look over her shoulder. Yep, there was Risk, sitting on a stool, flanked by two women, one on each side of him. They were leaning against the bar top, engaging him in conversation. Typical. Women swarmed around Risk like bees to honey. He’d been a big celebrity at one time. It was crazy to think she’d been one of his hangers-on a couple of years ago.
“Oh wow, I’ve never seen him in here before,” Jenna said.
“No, neither have I,” she muttered. “When we spoke, he made it seem like he hasn’t been in Boone Springs much lately.” And April wasn’t a regular customer at the Farmhouse. She’d been too busy to go out during the week, and there was a diner closer to her office that delivered.
April was about to look away, a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, only to discover that Risk didn’t seem to be listening to the women speaking in his ear. His eyes were on her through the reflection in the wide rectangular mirror behind the bar. She was caught in his gaze, her heart pumping hard. There was a moment of awareness, pure and instinctual, that sparked in her veins.
His lips twitched upward. Was he smiling at her?
Oh boy. She stared another half a second then grabbed Jenna’s arm. “Let’s get back to the table.”
A few minutes later, April polished off the rest of her drink as she chatted with her friends who were still seated and not cutting loose on the dance floor. Her head was a little fuzzy, she had a definite buzz going on, and the more she thought about Risk Boone not giving her the courtesy of a return call this week, the more it bugged her.
“I left him two voice mails about the lodge, and he never got back to me,” she told Clovie and Jenna. And now he was sitting at the bar smugly, watching her every move. How was she supposed to take that? “I’m gonna talk to him now, whether he likes it or not,” she said. As she began to rise, two hands came down on her shoulders, pushing her back down, Clovie from the right and Jenna from the left.
“Wait,” Clovie said. “I know that look in your eyes, April. You need to calm down. There’s still hope for the deal. You can simply, tactfully ask him what the delay is.”
“Clovie’s right,” Jenna said. “You’re a professional. Don’t blow it because you’re ticked off.”
April sighed and nodded, thinking it through. Risk was a rich, handsome hunk, but he’d also been a jerk to her. Still she couldn’t let her personal feelings about Risk deter her from her job. “Okay, you guys are right. I’ll do that.”
“And another thing you’re going to do is put this on.” Jenna slid a diamond cluster ring off her right hand. “From now on, you’re engaged.”
“I’m what?”
“You heard me, you’re engaged to be married. It’s just a form of insurance when dealing with Risk.”
“I can’t do that. That’s your grandmother’s ring.”
“It’s for a good cause. I know you’ll take care with it.”
“For heaven’s sake, Jenna. I can certainly speak with the man—”
“Whoops, looks like he’s heading this way.” Jenna pushed the ring onto April’s left ring finger. “Remember, you’re a professional. And you’re engaged,” she mouthed softly.
April’s head swam, and the next thing she knew, she was standing up facing Risk wearing a ring on her left hand and all the other girls had vanished onto the dance floor.
“Evenin’,” he said, the one word pronounced with enough charm to swallow her up. Suddenly, the ring on her finger didn’t seem too over-the-top. There was something about Risk that was too darn attractive. Wearing this ring just might be a blessing in disguise. “Do you have a minute to talk?” he asked.
“I, uh, sure. Here?”
Music blasted from the live band, the drummer’s rolling solo doing a number on her ears.
He shook his head. “It’s too loud in here. Take a walk with me outside?”
She needed to hear what he had to say, and actually having some privacy would be better to discuss business. “I, uh, sure.”
Risk led the way through the packed crowd and she followed behind him, bumping shoulders and ping-ponging through the patrons. A strong hand came out to take hers, and suddenly the bumping stopped, Risk forming a human barrier for her as he led her toward the door. As soon as she stepped foot outside, she shivered.
“Damn, it’s cold out here,” he said.
She couldn’t disagree. She’d left her coat inside the Farmhouse, and not even the dizzying buzz from her second margarita warded off the winter chill.
“Let’s go sit in my car—it’ll be a lot warmer for you.”
“Is it too cold to talk out here?” Her teeth clattered as she said the words.
“In the parking lot?” He smiled. “You tell me.”
A blast of wind ruffled her curls, lifting them high in the air and chilling her to the bone. Goodness, she was being silly not wanting to be alone with Risk. She needed to make this deal, and not even having an unorthodox meeting in a client’s car should deter her.
“C’mon, my car’s over here.” Risk took her arm, drawing her close to his body, and the heat radiating off him kept her a bit warmer as they walked to his SUV. He opened the door for her, and she climbed into the passenger seat. “Put this over you,” he said, giving her the sheepskin jacket lying on his seat.
It did the trick immediately. The jacket was snug and warm around her shoulders and arms and was so long it partly covered her legs, too. “Thanks.”
He closed the door and wound around to climb into the driver’s seat.
And April found herself bundled up, sitting very close to Risk Boone, his male scent drifting her way, his presence filling the space inside the SUV.
“You look real pretty tonight, April.” Risk blurted out the first thing he’d noticed about her tonight as he turned to face her.
Her chin went up. “Thank you.”
“I didn’t expect to see you tonight.”
“No, I didn’t expect to see you, either. But you promised me a call that I never received. What happened? I guess I wasn’t on your radar?”
Quite the contrary. After seeing April last week, he’d thought about her plenty.
He hadn’t known her all that well in high school, but when he’d seen her that day in the rodeo stands in Houston, after his life had hit an all-time low, she’d been one friendly face, one person from home he could relate to, and finding her at the hotel bar later that night had been pure luck on his part. They’d sat and talked for hours, and then things had heated up really fast in his hotel room.
“Believe me, you’ve been on my radar.”
Her head snapped up at that. Questions filled her eyes, and he wasn’t going to answer any of them. “I’m sorry about not returning your voice mails, but I haven’t had time to look at the articles about the lodge. The truth is, I was called out of town. A friend’s mother was gravely ill, and she wanted to see me. I felt compelled to go. She was a wonderful, gentle woman that I really cared about.”
“Cared? Did she pass on?”
He nodded. “Yes, I stayed in Atlanta for the funeral.”
Sympathy touched April’s eyes. “I’m sorry.”
He kept it to himself that it had been Shannon Wilkes’s mother who’d passed on. Shannon had been texting him for months, about her personal life being a hot mess, her career taking a bit of a hit and then her mother’s illness. Risk had resolved things with Shannon a while back. Though the scars were still there, he’d realized she wasn’t the right woman for him, yet he’d sympathized with Shannon over losing her mother. For the two years he’d dated Shannon, Mary had been like a mother to him, and they’d always gotten along. “Yeah, it was rough.”
April gave him a sympathetic nod.
After he ran scared that night in Houston, he wouldn’t have blamed April if she refused to work with him. The sale of the lodge was important to her, and he owed her a fair shake, at the very least. “Do you have plans day after tomorrow?” he asked her.
She looked at him skeptically. “Why?”
“Maybe we can drive out to the lodge and take a look at it. I’ll read the articles about the place tomorrow. Then I can see for myself if it’s doable.”
April’s eyes brightened. “Yes, I’d love for you to see the lodge. I’ll plan on it.”
“Okay, good. I’ve kept you from your friends long enough. Let me walk you back inside.”
“No, that’s not necessary.” She handed him back his coat. “Thanks anyway, but it’s a short walk. See you Saturday.”
She got out of his car, and he got out, too, and watched, his instincts telling him not to let her walk through the darkened parking lot by herself. And sure enough, when April was less than twenty feet away, a drunken cowboy approached her, blocking her passage, giving her grief and making crude suggestions. Her voice rose as she told the guy to back off, and then the cowboy began grabbing at her. Risk moved fast and was there in seconds, shoving the man’s shoulders, pushing him out of the way before he could lay a hand on April. “Buddy, get the hell outta here or you’re gonna be real sorry. Go sober up somewhere. Now.”
The man eyed Risk with contempt. Risk would be all too happy to nail the guy to the wall, but after a three-second staring contest, the cowboy stalked off.
Risk turned to April. She was shivering, this time in fear. He saw it in her eyes, too. “Are you okay?”
“I...will...be.”
He wrapped his arms loosely around her shoulders, bringing her into his warmth. “Come here a sec and calm down.”
“Thank...you.” She leaned against him, setting her head on his chest as if that’s exactly what she’d needed. “That was scary.”
“You handled yourself well.” He’d heard the tone of her voice, the gruff way she tried to warn the guy off. “You know, the Southern in me would never let a woman walk through a parking lot without seeing her safely inside, but then again, the female revolution has changed all that. I never know what to do.”
April pulled away from his chest to gaze up at him, the pretty blue of her eyes damn near mesmerizing. “You did good.”
He smiled, and she smiled, too, and something clicked in that moment, a spark that he hadn’t felt in a long time. He hadn’t met a woman who interested him in months, and now, suddenly, he was thinking about April that way. “I did?”
She gazed at his mouth and nodded. Was it an invitation? In that one second, Risk’s body twitched, and he tightened his hold on April. “You did,” she whispered.
He laid his palm on her cheek and felt her softness, witnessed the sweet look she was giving him. “April,” he said, right before leaning in to brush a soft kiss to her lips.
She moaned a little bit and gave in to the pleasure of his mouth. She tasted sweet and tangy, like a fruity drink, and he started remembering things about her that quickened his pulse.
Then out of the blue, April pulled away quickly, giving him a slight push on the chest. He backed off instantly. What in the world?
“Don’t.”
“Don’t? April, did I read you wrong?”
“I’ve had too much to drink tonight and I do appreciate you protecting me from that drunk, but yes, you read me wrong.”
She lifted up her left hand and wiggled her fingers right in front of his nose. “I’m engaged to be married, Risk.”
