Permanent (Indelibly Marked) (Volume 1) (12 page)

In an instant Shane charged out and caught her. “Being around you makes me feel very manly.”

“Well, you are a man.” She shut her eyes. That was it. Apparently she needed a break from Shane and her own mouth, and she pushed away from him.

“I try.” He raised his eyebrows. “So, where are we off to?”

Wearing her English riding breeches, jacket, and boots, it was not exactly the outfit she wanted him to see her in. “I considered scuba diving.”

“That outfit would probably make your butt look good too.” He pressed his lips together.

Since she managed to make a joke without sounding like a fool, she decided to try another sentence. “I was going to catch up on my reading.” She held up her bag.

He chuckled. “Are you going to read on a horse?”

“I need to strategize on the audit.”

“I need a strategy?” His smile evaporated.

“I want to do my best work.”

“Cool.” He nodded and scratched his nails down both sides of his Mohawk. “I take it you’re quite the horsewoman.”

“I ride a little.” Fine, she rode a lot. Not something she needed or wanted to admit to the man who exemplified Hollywood chic.

“Would you believe it if I told you that I’ve never been on a horse?” He shoved his hands in his pockets.

“I would.” She’d have bet all her money on that one.

“Then I guess you’ll have to be my teacher.”

Her jaw dropped faster than recession stock prices. Shane wanted to go horseback riding? Really? “You want to go with me?” Maybe this was his way of asking her out? Her heart seized, grinding to a halt.

“I’m not letting you go into the wilderness without a man, and you just called me one.” He tilted his head. “Look what happened when you went to Orange County.”

The ledger in her mind opened to run the tally on whether it was a good idea, but she slammed it shut. She wouldn’t pass up a chance to be with Shane, alone and out of his natural habitat. “Let me get some things together.”

“Awesome.” He rubbed his hands. “I’ll get the crew and we’ll meet at your place in fifteen.”

The crew? Heat washed across her face, but she willed herself to show no reaction. “Okay.” She headed back to her apartment.

“Ivan was right.”

Over her shoulder she glanced at Shane leaning against his own door and staring at her backside.

“It would be a sin not to say something, because it is magnificent.” He mock bowed to her and slipped inside his apartment.

The tears started and she blinked to focus on getting her key in the lock and the door open. No, not her and Shane alone, no date, he didn’t want her alone. Deep down, she knew the truth. That was why she wanted to go alone. With her limited experience she didn’t know the difference between friendly flirting and real interest.

The only option was to contain the damage and she’d planned for that contingency. She armed herself with everything she needed to combat Shane not wanting to be alone with her, and be sure she wouldn’t come off as a country bumpkin. Quickly, she darted around her apartment and collected items as everyone started to arrive.

“Mrs. Blake downstairs said this came for you yesterday while we were at the shop.” Ivan entered carrying a box.

Carson and Emily came in next.

“Am I dressed okay?” Emily bounced over to her. “I love this.” She took Lindsay’s arms and held them out so she could better assess the riding outfit. “The boots are to die for.”

Lindsay wished she looked like Emily with her cute jeans, little t-shirt, dark sunglasses and pink hair that hung in her face. The only things missing on Emily were the tattoos, and her brothers wouldn’t let that happen any time soon.

“Do you want me to open this so I can get rid of the box?’ Ivan turned to Carson. “She hates empty boxes.”

“She doesn’t like clutter.” Carson nodded.

Shane slinked into the apartment with a blue bandana tied around his forehead.

No matter what the man did he exuded sexy, and she groaned at her stupidity at thinking the afternoon would be a date.

Ivan opened the box. “Here’s the rest of Lindsay’s outfit.”

She tore her eyes from Shane in time to watch Ivan pull out her riding helmet. Her stomach gurgled, threatening to empty its contents, especially after he retrieved her crop.

“This stuff is kinky.” Ivan put the helmet on top of his head and swiped the crop around. “Awesome.” He handed the crop to Carson who hit his own backside with it.

As a grand finale to her embarrassment, Ivan rifled through the box and pulled out two trophies and several blue ribbons. The heat radiating from her cheeks could power a small city for a week and she pretended to look in one of her bags. With luck she’d hyperventilate and pass out. Her only saving grace was her mother hadn’t added any pictures to the box, but the thought of them seeing her pre-California days made her weak and she knelt down.

Shane lifted one of the awards. “Everyone gather around and look at this.”

Feet rushed by her and she ground her teeth. Never again could she show her face with them, her only friends. The teasing would commence any time. She lifted her head to mark the moment where everything changed.

Shane pointed at the trophy. “Grand champion.”

Emily ran her fingers over the words. “I think that’s better than first place.”

“Lindsay is better than first place.” Shane put his hand on her back. “That’s why she’s my business manager.”

She nodded, mostly to herself. Always good enough to be the helper, the advice person, never good enough to be the one.

“She’s our business manager.” Ivan put the other trophy on her bookshelf.

“Mine.” Shane corrected and pulled in for a hug. “She’s mine.”

Yeah, right. She would never again forget she didn’t belong with them, with him. He only said those things because he wanted something, and that something wasn’t her. “Let’s go.”

*~*~*

While Shane never prided himself in book smarts, he was a master of reading people, and as he opened the Lindsay book, he didn’t have to skip ahead to know the woman was pissed at him. The crease between her eyebrows if she made the mistake of looking at him, the fact she wasn’t talking to him, and the way she stared straight ahead the entire ride were all subtle clues.

Under normal circumstances he would be able to pinpoint the origin of her anger, but he wracked his brains and came up with nothing. He was the personification of charming. Princes would soon come to him for lessons. His flirting was endearing, laced with compliments that went beyond mentioning her looks, and he used his manners well. What more could a girl want?

As he crunched through the gravel to pick up their horses, he touched his hair and caught a glimpse of his arm. The tattoos, the Mohawk, and everything about him, summed up why he hadn’t made a move with his little accountant. His pendulum continued to swing on what action to take. Make a move or let it be?

The moment she traced his tattoos the day she got lost, the pendulum stopped. Such an innocent act, but he went wild. The chills she created on his spine stayed with him, and he could relive the sensation often. In that moment he knew Lindsay was for him and screw everyone else.

Lindsay spoke with Emily, definitely avoiding him. Soon she would mount a horse and trot away, and being the grand champion she was, he might not get another chance to talk to her. If they were on his turf with his people, he would have devised a way to end up alone with her.

Hold up. He was still Shane Elliott. He stopped and scanned the area. He plastered a smile on his face and found the main horse guy. Luck still with him, his sister distracted Lindsay and he managed to reach his new best friend.

“Howdy.” Shane bowed his head.

The rustic, heavy-set man raised an eyebrow.

He held a finger up and confirmed the whereabouts of the girls. With no time to forge a friendship, he opted for a more universal route.

“I need to make sure I end up on the same ride with the one in the S and M outfit.” He reached into his pocket and tossed the man some bills. “Make it sound believable.”

The man jutted his jaw out and stared at him.

“I need to be on her horse.” He added a bill. “I’ve never ridden a horse, and as you can see, she has, so it will only be to your benefit and the horse’s.” To sweeten the deal, he added one more bill and some change. Lindsay definitely couldn’t see this because he wouldn’t have a receipt.

“You’ll have to ride Big Bob.” The man shook his head but scooped up the money.

 “Gotta love Big Bob.” At that point he’d take a donkey.

Shane hung back and let everything take its natural progression. The man presented Ivan, Carson and Emily with seemingly normal horses, and then approached Lindsay with the super-sized model. There was a reason they called Bob big.

With a wrinkled nose and shake of his head, the man motioned for Shane and pointed to Lindsay and her horse. “You two ride double.”

Lindsay opened her mouth and raised her hand.

“This is great.” Shane sauntered over using his best western walk.

She tightened her lips into a line as she slipped her foot into the stirrup and hoisted herself up on the mastodon. “Excuse me, but won’t this hurt the animal?”

The man patted the horse. “Big Bob likes it.”

Before Lindsay could protest again, the horse guy held his hands out like a makeshift stirrup, and somehow Shane managed to struggle on top of the animal in what seemed a near impossible maneuver.

Lindsay was between his legs and he smiled at the image. If she weren’t pissed at him and facing the other way, the situation could have some real potential.

As he gave his new best friend a thumbs up, the animal lurched forward and he tipped backward. “Whoa!” He grabbed Lindsay’s waist.

She pulled the reins, stopping the living semi-truck. “We haven’t started yet.”

“We are really high up.” He scooted closer trying to figure out a way to save them both. At the moment his only plan was to hold on tight.

Lindsay turned and glared at him.

“This is cozy, just the two of us.” He shifted in the saddle and watched her face soften. He felt her take a breath. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.” She made a clicking sound and lightly kicked the horse and off they went.

If Lindsay would have been talking to him, he would admit he didn’t mind being on the back of a horse once he got used to it. Though he wasn’t much of an outdoors type, the scenery through the canyon path was incredible. Everything appeared more vibrant, the colors seemed brighter, and the air cleaner. But his thoughts were muddied with what could have possibly happened to make Lindsay turn from a girl who smiled and blushed at him, into one who flinched at his touch.

When they got to a clearing to take a break, he barely noticed her stop the horse.

“You get down first.” She stared straight ahead.

While he wanted to grab her and insist she speak to him, he needed to tread lightly. Though the horse hadn’t gotten any shorter, he swung his leg over and practically fell off the animal. An odd wobbly sensation ran through his legs with his first step, but he managed to hold his arms out for Lindsay.

“I got it.” With the ease of a ballerina, she dismounted and tied Big Bob to a post.

Everyone else followed suit.

“Help me.” Ivan bent over and adjusted his jeans. “I think I could be sterile now.”

“Walk around that will help.” Lindsay laughed and helped with their horses.

“Now what?” Carson bent his knees and stretched.

Shane wanted to ask that exact question, but Lindsay was already coming toward everyone with two of her bags.

She motioned for Carson and reached in her bag and pulled out a stack of magazines. “These are the latest issues.”

Carson sifted through the pile. “Sweet.”

“Hold on.” From her second bag she gave him a juice box and a bag of pretzels.

“You’re the best.” He bent in, kissed her cheek and trotted off toward a tree.

Next, she went to Emily and handed her a paperback. “Here’s the next in the series.” She also gifted Emily with a juice box and snack.

Emily squealed and hugged her.

Shane had to give it to Lindsay for getting his sister reading.

She turned to Ivan. “I got you one, too.”

A second paperback appeared.

He took a breath. Lindsay had also gotten Ivan reading which was pretty good, even if it was romance.

Ivan waited and tapped his foot.

Smiling, Lindsay produced his juice and bag of treats and then as an extra benefit she popped the straw in the top for him.

Ivan kissed her forehead and left for his quiet place.

Shane kicked at the grass below him and shoved his hands in his pockets while he waited for Lindsay to come to him. The possibility that she forgot him or would purposely ignore him made his knees weaker than horse riding.

Her smile waning, Lindsay approached him and without a word handed him a pad of fine drawing paper and placed a set of colored pencils on top.

“What’s this for?” The afternoon and the pit in his stomach rendered him without a cute comeback.

“I thought you could work on your sketches.” She handed him his goodies, looked at him for an extended moment then walked away with her bag of tricks.

Before moving, he took in the entire scene. Emily, Carson and Ivan all chose the same tree and sat around it reading their respective materials. Rather than joining the group, Lindsay chose a tree several yards away and disappeared behind it.

With determination he stomped past everyone toward Lindsay’s tree and sat on the opposite side. Something happened, he just couldn’t figure out what, and now he was on a quest to make it right. Rather than sketching, he curled around the tree and studied her.

A huge book laid open on her lap, and she thumbed through a stack of spreadsheets. She read the report while her fingers whisked away on a calculator. He never saw anyone work a calculator so fast. Then she returned to reading as she shoved a brand new pencil in her mouth, masticating it until he could hear the crunch of the wood beneath her teeth.

“Is that for the audit?” He needed to say something, anything to get her to talk to him.