Flanked (21 page)

“Go on, but call me from Montana. Okay?”

“Okay. Promise. Bye.” Silver hit the button without waiting for Beckie to say goodbye, or looking at the Caller ID. “I’ll be ready to go on time. I promise.”

“Good to hear. I wouldn’t want you to miss your flight.”

As usual, Garret’s voice, which happened to sound sexier than usual today, brought a smile to Silver’s lips. “Garret. Hi. I thought you were Aaron.”

“Yeah, I figured. He making you get to the airport like three hours early?”

Silver laughed. Garret did know Aaron well. “Yup.”

“So listen, you gotta do this. When he’s not looking, grab and hide his boarding pass. It’ll be sticking out of the back pocket of his jeans—that’s where he always keeps it. It’s hilarious when he discovers it’s missing.”

Her eyes opened wide. “You’ve done that to him?”

“Oh yeah. A few times. Now he knows to come looking for it on one of us, but he won’t suspect you.”

She could hear the smile in Garret’s voice and smiled herself. “Garret James, you have quite an evil streak running through you. I like it.”

His low and sultry laugh stirred something deep inside her. “Right back at ya, Mrs. James.”

“Now, now, you know I’m keeping my own last name. I’m a modern girl.”

“You sure as hell are.”

Silver’s phone beeped again. She glanced at the ID and this time it was Aaron. She let out a sigh. “I better go. Aaron’s calling.”

“That’s okay. I’m at the gate at the airport and we’re about to board. I’ll text you when I land.”

“All right. Have a good flight, husband.”

“You too, wife.” Garret disconnected the call and Silver hit the button to switch over to Aaron’s line.

She didn’t bother with hello. “Yes, Aaron. I’ll be ready when you get here.”

At least she would be if Aaron would let her hang up and get finished already. She grabbed a fistful of panties from the drawer and carried them to the suitcase on the bed.

Garret leaned down close to Silver’s ear. “I can see your mind working.”

“Mine? Oh really. And what do you think it’s working on?” She tried to ignore how the warmth of his breath against her skin made her stomach clench. It had been so good to see him coming off the elevator when she’d texted that they were in the lobby checking in. He’d smiled as broadly as she did.

“A plan.” Garret looked good. He was barely even favoring his shoulder anymore, a month after the operation. He wasn’t even wearing his sling, though she had a feeling he was probably still supposed to be.

Glancing up, she confirmed Aaron was still busy with the front-desk clerk booking his and her room before she asked Garret, “What sort of plan would that be?”

“For us to be alone together.”

“You’re right.” She laughed.

Silver had been sizing up potential rendezvous places ever since Aaron had pulled the rental car into the hotel parking lot. But as fun as the sneaking around was, she was more than ready to be done with it. “Maybe we can tell him we are going to pretend to hook up tonight so it doesn’t look suspicious when we announce our marriage. You tell Skeeter you’re going to get lucky with me and he’ll have to crash with Aaron. Then we can go back to your room together.”

An entire night alone in Garret’s room. The thought had her heating from within, until she saw Garret shake his head.

“Nope. Won’t work.”

“Why not?” She frowned.

“For one, I already lectured Skeeter about how bull riders don’t hook up with each other’s sisters. And two, he knows how Aaron is. Your brother’s not the type to shrug and tell you to have fun if you and I were to just hook up. Especially since we supposedly barely know each other.”

“Crap.” Silver fought the urge to pout. She really didn’t feel like another night spent fumbling in the darkness of yet another vehicle in a hotel parking lot.

As satisfying as it had been that one time in North Carolina, she wasn’t in the mood for that. Especially after having had Garret in her bed in her apartment. Besides, it was freaking cold here in Montana. Exposing the necessary flesh in a cold truck would not be very pleasant at all.

“We’ll figure something out.” Garret smiled and shook his head at her.

“What?”

“I just enjoy your enthusiasm.”

“I’ll show you enthusiasm. You better make sure you’re ready.” After this latest hiatus in her newly active sex life, she was more than ready to break the dry spell. As her brother turned away from the counter, keycards in hand, Silver pasted on a smile. “All set, big bro?”

“Yup. We’re on the third floor.” He handed her one of the cards.

“What a coincidence. I’m on the third floor too.” Garret smiled, but hid it by turning toward the elevator. He hit the button for up. “So we’ll drop off your bags and then try and find something to eat?”

“Sounds good.” Aaron nodded. “Any of the other guys here yet?”

“Luke and Annie are at the ranch getting ready for tomorrow. Mustang, Slade and their girls are still on the road. They’re driving here. Skeeter’s flying in tonight, and since Chase is at the airport waiting on Leesa, he’s going to hang around and give Skeeter a ride too. So I think it’s just us for right now.”

Aaron nodded. “It’s probably good the three of us spend time together in public this weekend anyway. You know, to lay the groundwork for the announcement.”

The announcement. Silver was more than ready for that.

“By the way, how’s your shoulder feeling?” Aaron asked.

“Fine. I haven’t done anything more with the arm than drive though. I’m seeing the doc again when I get back.” Garret clenched and unclenched his left hand a few times. “I’m hoping he’ll let me start rehabbing it so I can build up the strength.”

“Yeah, that’s what you need to do. Get back in shape and then you can get back to riding.”

Silver noted how no one mentioned what else Garret’s being totally healed would mean—their divorce. It was strange. Even though their marriage hadn’t been real in the romantic sense, the word
divorce
still sounded horrible to her. That must come from a lifetime spent thinking of it as the tumultuous and devastating end to a relationship that was supposed to last forever, rather than just the completion of what amounted to a business deal like her and Garret’s marriage.

Stepping inside the elevator, she watched him push the button for the third floor. She imagined all that one finger could do to her if they could only get some time alone. The moisture pooled between her legs. Damn. Maybe they could sit next to each other at dinner. Who would see what his hand was doing under the table? Mmm, interesting idea.

Their marriage may be a business deal, but she sure enjoyed the fringe benefits. And she would really miss those benefits should they go away.

Chapter Eighteen

“I’m warning you, if we don’t get some time alone together while we’re here, I’m going to explode.”

Silver’s declaration in the middle of the church vestibule Saturday morning nearly made Garret choke. He glanced around them to make sure they weren’t being observed. “We’ll figure something out.”

“You better.” She shot him a withering look that had him smiling. “I’m going to find the ladies’ room.”

His wife sure did get cranky when she didn’t get her way. Hopefully that meant she’d be extra grateful when he arranged to give her exactly what she wanted later. His gaze swept the area until it landed on Mustang. He had driven here from his home in Texas in a kickass trailer, complete with beds. That trailer happened to be parked right here in Montana for the entire weekend.

More importantly, given Mustang’s past reputation with the ladies, he would definitely understand Garret’s need to find some privacy to be with a woman.

Steeling his nerves, he strode up to the group. Mustang, his girlfriend, and Slade and his girl all stood together. “Hey.”

“Garret.” Mustang tipped his head in greeting. “How’s the shoulder feeling?”

“Good. Real good. I got the surgery right after the finals.”

“I’m glad. I could tell by the way you were riding in Vegas it was giving you too much trouble to put it off any longer.”

Meaning how shitty he’d ridden.

Garret couldn’t fault Mustang for mentioning that. It was the damn truth. But now it was fixed. “You’re right. I had to do something. It’s stiff but definitely on the mend. Just waiting for the green light from the doc and I’ll start working it and get the strength built up.”

As the two girlfriends chatted away together, Slade had been listening to Garret talk about his surgery. “Great news. Good to hear it.”

“Thanks, Slade. Uh, Mustang. Can I talk to you for a sec…in private?”

“Sure.” He laid a hand on his girl’s arm. “Sage, you gonna be okay here with Slade and Jenna for a minute?”

“Of course. I’ll be fine.” The pretty young thing smiled up at Mustang like he was the light of her world. No wonder the great playboy had fallen so hard for her, proving how even the mighty succumbed to love eventually.

“All right. Come on then.” Mustang slapped Garret on the back and steered him outside. “What’s this about?”

Garret drew in a breath. Now it was time to ask, he wasn’t sure what to say. “I, uh…” He ran a hand over his hair. Shit, he should have come up with exactly what he wanted to say before he’d asked Mustang to talk.

“You in trouble? Jeez, you didn’t get her pregnant, did you?” Mustang’s brows drew down in a deep, almost angry-looking frown.

“What? No, nobody’s pregnant. And who are you talking about anyway?” Garret sputtered at that accusation.

“Aaron’s sister.” Mustang hissed the last word.

“Aaron’s sister?” Garret’s eyes popped wide. How could Mustang possibly suspect he’d been with Silver? “Why would you say that?”

“You two are sleeping together, aren’t you?” Mustang folded his arms across his chest.

Garret opened his mouth to protest and then gave up. “Shit. How the hell did you know?”

Mustang let out a laugh. “It’s pretty obvious. Has been since the North Carolina event.”

“What?” The pitch of Garret’s voice rose. He glanced around and tried to remember to keep his voice low. “There’s no way you can tell that.”

“Why not? Because you were so careful when you snuck out of the arena right after your ride? Yeah, and you two didn’t come back looking freshly fucked and guilty as shit. Nope, not at all.” Mustang’s tone dripped with sarcasm.

Garret cursed under his breath. Maybe only Mustang had noticed. For some strange reason, he was more observant when it came to this kind of shit than most of the guys. He could hope anyway. “No one else noticed, right?”

Chase walked over, his girl by his side. “Hey, what are we talking about?”

“How Garret here thinks we haven’t noticed anything going on between him and Aaron’s sister.” Mustang grinned.

Leesa let out a burst of a laugh. “I figured that out the first night I met her.”

“Shit.” Garret let out the curse softly, but it still had all three of his companions grinning wider at him. He turned his attention to Chase, his supposed best friend. “You too? Why didn’t you say something?”

“I figured you’d tell me when you were ready to.” Chase shrugged.

“Crap.” Garret ran a hand over his face.

This was a nightmare. They’d been sneaking around, making all these plans for how to reveal a relationship that Aaron still thought was completely fake, meanwhile everyone except for Aaron knew they’d been together since the night they met. He had to remember the most important part though. They all didn’t know about the marriage.

That was the main concern. That was the true secret. So what if they had noticed he and Silver were hot for each other? Fine. Whatever. They were both single and unattached—at least they had been until they’d gotten secretly married.

Damn, this was a mess.

“So what did you want to ask me before?” Mustang’s question broke into Garret’s misery.

Might as well spill it now. Garret glanced at Chase and Leesa, then turned back to Mustang. “If I could use your trailer so I could get some private time during the reception…with Silver.”

Mustang’s face broke into a wide grin. “Sure, the door’s open, but who are you hiding it from? We all know. Why not just take her back to the hotel to get some
privacy
?”

“You may all know, but Aaron doesn’t.” And Garret sure as hell didn’t know how to tell him. Skeeter probably hadn’t figured it out yet either. He wasn’t thrilled about all the shit Skeeter would likely dish out about this, given Garret’s own self-righteous no-sisters lecture.

“You’re banging one of your best friends’ sisters and he doesn’t know? Oh, man.” Mustang shook his head.

Leesa touched his arm lightly. “Why not just tell him? It’s obvious you two are totally into each other and have been for a while. It’s not like this is some one-night stand and you’re not going to call her afterward.”

“No, it’s not a one-night stand.” Garret let out a snort. Leesa had no idea the truth of her words.

What was supposed to be a one-night stand, just the scratching of a sexual itch as Silver put it, had morphed into a marriage, which had somehow started to take hold of him. Just the thought of the eventual divorce had him feeling ill, not because he wanted to be married so much, but because he couldn’t stand the thought of losing the connection to Silver he’d become so used to over the past month.

He let out a breath filled with frustration. Meanwhile, Mustang, Chase and Leesa were all still watching him carefully, and he could see Silver making her way to him across the vestibule.

Garret braced himself for her arrival. “All right. This isn’t the time or place to tell Aaron anything, so everybody just keep this quiet until I figure out what to do. Okay?”

They all agreed, though the combined amount of amusement in their expressions didn’t instill a whole lot of confidence in Garret.

“Hey, everybody.” Silver smiled. “Good seeing you all again. It was really nice of Aaron to invite me as his plus one so I could be here.”

“Very nice of him.” Leesa smiled and shot Garret a glance. Next to Leesa, Chase wiped a hand over his chin and hid a smile.