A Perfect Storm (35 page)

He didn’t hurt her, but no way could she get out of his hold, either.

Near her ear, he asked, “What would you do now?”

Still held tight, she said, “Normally I’d stomp an instep, or deliver a head butt. Or even just drop my weight so you had to readjust your grip. But you’ve already taken away those options.”

“True enough.”

“I guess I’d just bide my time and wait for an opening.” She tipped her head around to smile at him. “Everyone slips up eventually.”

“Maybe.” Dare released her. “Unless I snapped your neck without missing a beat.” He smoothed down her mussed hair, then lifted her chin. “And that’s the thing, Arizona. You never know how trained someone might be. Most idiots in bars are without skill. But not always. It’s not something you can take for granted.”

Feeling her blood sing through her veins, Arizona grinned. “Okay, so school me.” She shook out her limbs. “I’m all ears.”

Trace laughed again. “You’re all something—not sure ears are the right description.”

Over the next few minutes, as she and Dare tried several different moves together, she was
almost
able to put aside her conflict with Spencer.

But not quite.

Where was he now? What was he doing?

Was he so angry that he’d avoid her the rest of their trip?

Like hell. She wouldn’t let him brood. If he wanted to argue, fine, she’d argue. But she wouldn’t—

She grunted when Dare caught her unawares and tripped her to her back. She bounded right back, jerked to the side and kicked him in his sexy butt.

The women started cheering; it was Arizona they wanted to see come out ahead.

They booed Dare when he again took her legs out from under her, even though he brought her down easy to the grass. “You’re distracted,” he scolded. “And that could cost you your life.”

They hooted and hollered when she rapidly squirreled around and locked her arms tight over Dare’s throat. “Not that distracted,” she said as she used her knees in his back for leverage.

Dare laughed. “You are fast.”

“Cry uncle?” she asked outrageously, just to egg on the women.

“I don’t think so.” Dare flipped her over his shoulder and tossed her high into the air, making her squawk loudly in surprise.

Trace roared with hilarity even as Dare caught her again, and the women joined in.

Jackson came to stand over her. “You said something about crying uncle, Arizona?”

Exhilarated and gasping for breath, she shouted, “Never!”

Sargie and Tai wanted in on the game. The big dogs started bounding around them to the point that Grim the cat hissed and ran off, and even Liger turned up his nose and moved a safer distance away.

On her back, grass in her hair and the sun in her eyes, Arizona fended off the dogs and laughed till her sides hurt. It was so much fun. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d…played.

Maybe she never had.

Shaking his head, Dare threw more grass at her while Tai and Sargie both tried to get in his lap. “I’ll concede that you have some skill, brat.”

“And just think.” Wearing a proud grin, Jackson stood over her, his hands on his hips. “If you lived close, I could work with you until you’re good.”

Ha! She looked up at him. “I’m already good.”

“Yeah, maybe.” His grin widened. “For a girl.”

Grabbing his ankle, Arizona jerked him off balance, and he ended up on his butt beside her. For a second, he sat in stunned silence while Trace and Dare chuckled and the women heckled him.

Then Jackson’s eyes narrowed with wicked intent. “Paybacks are hell, honey.”

Uh-oh! Snickering, Arizona shot to her feet, but she didn’t get far. She squealed again as Jackson easily brought her to the ground, but instead of grappling, he…
tickled her.

Until that moment, she hadn’t realized she was so incredibly ticklish. She laughed and struggled, kicked and punched, and did her best to get away.

She was no match for Jackson.

He caught her wrists and pinned them down. “Cry uncle,” he insisted with unrelenting good humor.

“No, never!” Around her laughter, she said, “I’ll get you somehow. I’ll—”

Jackson contained both her wrists in one big hand. He half loomed over her, using one leg to trap hers in place.

Too late, Arizona realized her precarious position.

The laughter died; her heart started a mad drumming and her lungs compressed.

But no matter what she tried, she couldn’t get free of him.

* * *

L
AUGHING
SHRIEKS
INTERRUPTED
Chris’s efforts to distract Spencer by waxing on about the in-depth program. Not that he’d been able to concentrate much anyway. It had been clear to Spencer that the entire birthday celebration was difficult for Arizona, so he’d tried not to take her cutting remarks to heart.

But damn it, was she serious?

Send her to another man? Hell, no, he didn’t want to do that. Ever. The idea of her with someone else ate him up inside.

Long before he’d made love with her, he’d fought that internal battle over doing the right thing or being selfish.

“Is someone skinning the cats?” Grinning, Chris headed for the back door.

“That was Arizona.” Frowning, Spencer followed. He’d recognize Arizona’s voice anywhere, but shrieking? That was so unlike her. “Something’s wrong.”

“They’re probably just playing.”

Spencer hastened his step. He had hoped that eventually Arizona would realize how these people cared about her.

But he hadn’t expected it to happen today.

He drew up short at what he found.

He’d been inside less than twenty minutes—and somehow, in his absence, she’d ended up on the ground with Dare and Jackson both.

He’d heard her laughter…so why did he feel so uneasy now?

Chris, still holding a stack of printouts from the computer program, grinned when he saw the antics in the yard. “We’re missing all the fun.”

Spencer didn’t return the grin. The closer he got, the tighter his tension grew.

Finally, as Dare stood, Spencer got a good look at Jackson straddling Arizona’s hips. Her hair was now more out of the rubber band than in it. With one hand Jackson kept her arms over her head, and with the other he attempted to tickle her bare midriff while she twisted and turned.

Even more than that, Spencer saw her face. Pale, drawn. She fought silently, trying to free herself without giving away her terror at being under a man.

An anomalous emotion, blistering hot and explosive, coursed through Spencer.
“Get the hell off her!”

“Whoa, subtle, dude,” Chris told him. “Real subtle.”

Not giving a damn what anyone thought, Spencer reached her in three long strides. Catching Jackson by the upper arm, he literally hauled him up and away from Arizona, freeing her from his hold.

In an instant, she was on her feet, sucking in much-needed air, still shaky but, again, trying her utmost to conceal it.

She kept one fist pressed to her stomach, the other stiff at her side.

Heaving beside her, Spencer marveled at her strength, her pride. He fought the urge to grab her close—and the urge to flatten Jackson. He wanted to hug her, to shield her against his body.

Everyone now stood around them, watchful, their gazes ripe with sudden understanding, concern and…sympathy.

Fuck.

Arizona would
hate
that. She’d rather suffer through the terror than have anyone look at her in pity. Any second now someone would reach out to her.

She looked as if she’d fracture if that happened.

As a distraction, Spencer turned to Jackson and crowded close to ask hotly, “Are you out of your mind?”

Slowly, his every movement precise, Jackson straightened to his full height, which remained a few inches short of Spencer’s near six and a half feet. His expression darkened, but he looked beyond Spencer to Arizona and then back again.

Spencer held his gaze, willing him to understand. Praying that he would.

And he did.

Though still edgy, Jackson pulled it together. “She’s good,” he quipped in a tone that was
almost
congenial. “Against an average guy, she just might hold her own.”

Relief rolled through Spencer. He dragged in a breath, and nodded. To maintain his own role, he said, “If she stays out of trouble, she doesn’t need to hold her own.”

“No guarantee that she’ll do that.”

“Not with her skill set,” Dare added, doing his part to ease the situation. “She lacks strength, but she makes up for it with speed.”

“And daring,” Trace added. “If what she showed us just now was accurate to how she’d be in a real battle, then she’s not a cautious fighter. That’s both good and bad.”

Arizona pushed back her hair—and took a firm step forward. “I’m standing right here, you guys.” Only a faint trembling gave away her lack of composure.

“What Chris said makes sense. She’s going to be around danger. It’s in her nature. You know that.”

“What did Chris say?” she asked, but no one gave her an answer.

In that moment, Spencer’s respect for each of the men doubled. They were ruthless when need be, but they were also kind and caring. “There’s danger, and then there’s danger.” Without looking at her, Spencer reached for her hand and tugged her into his side.

And she let him.

“You said it yourself, she lacks the strength to go toe to toe with a psychopath.”

“It’s my decision, Spence.” She looked up at him. “Not yours.”

“Actually it’s theirs.” He nodded at the men—and prayed they’d find a way to let her down gently. What she’d just gone through proved she wasn’t ready, emotionally or physically, to run the risk of getting caught again. “And they don’t look like dummies to me.”

Jackson said, “Don’t push your luck.” His smile was mean.

Trace shouldered Jackson aside and spoke to Dare. “Now might be a good time to ask him.”

Spencer smoothed his thumb over Arizona’s chilled knuckles. “Ask me what?”

“If you’ll join us.”

Proving he wasn’t really pissed at all, Jackson nearly felled him with a whack on the back. “The pay is a shitload better than what you’re used to, man. And you get to exercise your alpha dog.” He winked. “A real win-win.”

Well, hell, Spencer thought. He hadn’t seen that one coming.

He looked down at Arizona and found her beaming—with pride. Huh.

No jealously. No resentment.

Never the expected from her—because she rose above the expected, over and over again.

Incredible.

He’d think about her astounding acceptance later, but for now, she’d been distracted from her fear, and that was what mattered most.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

N
EEDING
A
FEW
MINUTES
,
Arizona excused herself and went inside. In the bathroom, she splashed her face, straightened her ponytail, put a little more makeup over the bruise on her jaw.

And she took time to breathe.

But honestly, excitement for Spencer overshadowed everything else.

They wanted him to sign on.

Damn, she was
soooo
proud of him. She couldn’t imagine a bigger compliment or a better testament to Spencer’s ability and his honor. They trusted him, and that meant so much.

And if he worked with the guys, then maybe she could convince him to partner up with her. Yeah, he wanted to cut their time short, she knew that. She hadn’t forgotten his motives or what he’d told her from the get-go.

But now she had a good excuse to try to talk him around.

She now had hope—and wow, hope was a scary thing.

On her way back out, she heard the women talking in the kitchen, laughing and chatting so amicably. At least they weren’t gossiping about her—yet. If she got the opportunity to stick around long enough, though, she knew they would.

She pasted on a smile and stepped into the room.

Priss immediately asked, “Did you bring a suit? We’re getting ready to go down to the lake.”

“Yeah, it’s under my clothes.” And with any luck, it’d stay there.

But luck wasn’t with her today.

“Soon as the guys are done talking, we’re all heading down,” Alani told her. “I think Chris wants to ski, and I wouldn’t mind cooling down with a swim.”

Molly rinsed a glass and put it in the dishwasher. “I’ll be ready in just a minute.” She left the room.

Priss stood. “I need to find the sunscreen. Trace gets apoplectic if I burn.”

“I have some,” Alani told her.

“You two go on.” Arizona had other interests than swimsuits and sunscreen. “I’ll wait for you outside.”

“You just want in on the conversation out there,” Alani teased, but without any insult. “Go on then, and we’ll join you soon.”

But when Arizona stepped out, the yard was empty. Frowning, she followed the sound of low voices over to the side yard—and overheard Dare and Spencer talking. Curiosity got the better of her, and she hoped to glean a few details about the offer.

Wearing a half smile, she inched closer.

“You shouldn’t fight it,” Dare said. “I can tell you from personal experience, it’s impossible once you’ve met the right one.”

That didn’t sound at all work-related. Arizona started to interrupt, and then Spencer replied.

“Unfortunately, I had to bury the one that was right for me, and I’m not looking for a replacement.”

Arizona staggered back. Her heart dropped and her stomach cramped.

Whatever Dare said in return was lost on her. A ringing sounded in her ears. She’d known. She wasn’t stupid.

But hearing Spencer spell it out like that…well, that hurt.

So maybe she was pretty damn dumb after all. Why else would she have let herself get emotionally involved? Spencer hadn’t misled her. He’d been brutally honest every step of the way.

Praying the men wouldn’t hear her, she turned away. Disgust carried her halfway down the hill before she even realized where she was going.

Her jumbled thoughts kept her stomach pitching.

Tomorrow, she’d defy Spencer’s trust. She would sneak away and meet secretly with Quin.

For a guy like Spencer, that in itself would be a deal breaker, not that they’d had any sort of emotional deal. But…God, she wished they did.

Maybe, since he enjoyed having sex with her, she could convince him to…what? Keep sleeping with her?

Hadn’t Marla tried that trick? Why should she think she’d be any more successful?

Because she wouldn’t make demands. Yeah, so desperation drove her. She’d never really wanted anything, or anyone, the way she wanted Spencer Lark. He was worth fighting for.

Problem was, she didn’t know how to engage in that type of fight. She sure couldn’t pound him into agreement. And she already knew he disliked games and despised dishonesty.

What tools did that leave her?

She could let Spencer know that she wanted, needed, nothing in return. Just great sex. Just…his company on occasion. Maybe the casual arrangement would work for him.

No matter what, she had to try, because the alternative, never seeing him again, was far too crushing to consider.

* * *

A
RIZONA
FOUND
C
HRIS
sprawled on the dock looking as lazy as the dogs when they sunned themselves. He’d obviously taken a dip in the lake; water beaded on his wide shoulders, dripped from his wet hair and left a small rivulet down the deep groove of his tanned back, all the way to his still-soaked shorts, which now drooped low on his hips. So low, in fact, that she saw a strip of paler skin that they usually covered.

“Stop staring.” Eyes still closed, voice languid, Chris added, “I’m starting to feel naked.”

“All but,” Arizona told him, and she sat down at his side. She thought about putting her feet into the lake, looked over the edge of the dock at that dark water, and shuddered.

“The vitals are properly covered.” He shifted a little, squinted one eye against the glare of the sun and resettled himself.

She’d never paid much attention before, but Chris looked good. Six-two, black hair, blue eyes, lean but muscular build. From what she knew of him, he spent as much time in the water as out of it.

At the sound of a fish jumping, she pulled her attention away from his body and instead looked at the lake. “You ever skinny-dip in there?”

Indolent amusement curled his mouth. “What do you think?”

“I bet you do.”

“Not so much now that Molly’s around.” Rolling to his back, he scratched his chest, put his arms over his head and let his legs sprawl.

She couldn’t help noticing that his shorts were a little low in the front, too. Odd that her intimate involvement with Spencer increased her awareness of other male…attributes.

Chris caught her peeking but didn’t comment on it. “What about you? Got the urge to commune with nature?”

“No.” Before she even considered getting in the water, she wanted Spencer with her. No matter what else happened, he’d promised her that much.

“Where’s everyone else? The guys still talking shop?”

“I guess.” Would Spencer join up with the others? Arizona just didn’t know. “Molly and Alani are changing into their suits, and Priss was going to put on sunscreen.”

“What about you?”

“I don’t burn easy.” And she had no intention of staying in the water any longer than it’d take to prove…what? That she wasn’t a chicken?

“Me, either.” A dragonfly buzzed close, and Chris watched it until it zipped away. He closed his eyes again, and it almost looked as if he dozed.

“Can you sleep in this heat?”

“When people aren’t talking to me, yeah.”

So she was bothering him? Well, tough. She needed some advice, and who better to ask than Chris?

If she tried talking to any of the guys, they’d either rat her out to Spencer, or they’d start issuing him warnings. She didn’t have a single doubt. It was like some macho, protective code they had. Buttheads.

And the wives…well, nice as they were to her, she felt almost dysfunctional around them. Other than being female, she had zip in common with them.

So that left Chris.

He groaned out a laugh. “Come on, Arizona. Spit it out.” Shielding his eyes with a forearm, he squinted toward her again. “You’re down here with me for a reason, right?”

After rolling a shoulder, she asked, “Where’s Matt?”

He gave her a long stare, then dropped the arm over his eyes and rested back again. “No idea.”

“He wasn’t invited?”

Exasperated, he half sat up to glare at her. “Why is it if you put two gay guys in a room together, everyone assumes they’re a couple? I can have friends, you know.”

She blinked at him. Wow. What a reaction. “So…touchy much?”

In a priceless expression of bemusement, he huffed. “Not usually, no.” And then, turning the tables on her, he said, “But look who’s talking about being touchy.”

Her shoulders stiffened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, no you don’t. Don’t go looking all pugnacious and put out. You covered it well, but not well enough.” Sitting up cross-legged, he draped his forearms over his knees. “So you don’t like being pinned down? Big deal. Get over yourself already.”

She had no idea what to say to that. Denials would be absurd and cowardly. She thrust up her chin. “I’m working on it.”

“Yeah, so work on it with Spencer. You trust him, right?”

Trust had nothing to do with it. Why had she ever wanted to talk to Chris anyway? “You are such a smart-ass.”

“Only when I’m right.” He grinned, leaned forward and gave her shoulder a shove. “Admit it.”

After she righted herself, Arizona glared at him. She wouldn’t admit a damn thing. Not yet, anyway. If he wanted admissions, he could go first. “I only wondered about Matt because I know Priss is fond of him.”

“Oh.” He shrugged. “Yeah, well, he’s only a friend and this was a family thing, and if I’m touchy about it, that’s because everyone seems to think otherwise.”

“That you two are…?”

“Yeah.”

“But you’re not…?”

He rolled his eyes. “No, we’re not. I like being a bachelor.”

“Yeah. I get that.”

“Somehow I don’t think you do.” Going all serious and solemn, he tipped his head. “So…about Spencer?”

Screw it. She needed his input. Trying to figure out the right words, she said, “What if a guy enjoyed kissing you and…stuff? Could you assume he wanted more?”

Much arrested, Chris gave her a blank stare. “Of course he wants you.” Stretching out on his back once more, he folded his arms over his head. “You know that already.”

Since he wasn’t looking at her, she stood and skinned off her shirt and shorts, then sat beside him again. “I’m talking about…more than sex.” When he groaned, Arizona slugged his arm. “Come on, Chris, stop making those ridiculous noises. I can’t talk about this with anyone else.”

Dropping his arms, he half sat up—but fell back at the sight of her. “Jesus, girl. Give a man a shock, why don’t you?” His gaze moved all over her. He shook his head, and his voice dropped. “No wonder the guys are having fits.”

Damn it, now
she
felt naked. “You’re gay!” And really, the suit was as plain as she could find, dark so nothing would show through, not overly skimpy…

“Doesn’t make me blind.” He frowned at her. “You do realize you’re incredibly sexy, right?”

“I don’t care about that!”

“You’re awfully screechy today.” He eyed her critically. “So what’s the problem, anyway?”

A deep breath didn’t alleviate the sense of desperation. She did not want this to be her last night with Spencer. “I need to know what I can do to make Spencer like me.”

Tiredly, Chris said, “He already likes you.”

Not enough to tolerate deception, to put up with her peculiarities, to keep her around beyond the time it took to “help” her. But she couldn’t say all that, not to Chris.

He caught her chin and lifted her face. “Hey, what’s not to like, right?”

Too many things to count—and that was the problem for her. She didn’t think she could change, not enough anyway. “You don’t have to sugarcoat things for me.”

“Me?” he asked dramatically. “I’m honest, always.” Smiling, he smoothed back her hair. “And I’m telling you that you’re a nice person, not too pushy, totally loyal, and
hot.
Trust me. Spencer likes you plenty.”

Avoiding his gaze, Arizona picked at a splinter of wood on the dock. “Is there anything I can do to make him…more than like me?”

“I don’t know,” he said carefully, watching her. “How much more are we talking?”

“Enough that he’d forgive…other things.” Before he could ask what other things, she drew a deep breath and forged on. “Enough that, even if he gets really peeved at me, he’ll still want to have sex.”

“Yeah, well, that’d cover most guys. No worries there. Men let very little get in the way of physical pleasure.”

“Damn it, Chris, I want him to
care.
”

The teasing ended. “So it’s like that, huh?”

God, she was afraid so. Truly afraid. She didn’t want to care about Spencer, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.

She looked at Chris and nodded.

His expression of sympathy had her fidgeting, and then he glanced up the hill. With a satisfied smile, he said, “I think what you’re doing is working just fine.”

* * *

S
PENCER
TOOK
IN
Chris’s amusement and Arizona’s guilt and he felt his blood boiling. What was she up to now?