The Reluctant Beauty (3 page)

Lord, if he knew! “Um…I need a place to stay. Short term. No strings attached.” He could easily get a hotel room, so why was he even going there?

“You broke?”

“Nothing like that…” He couldn’t out-and-out lie to her. “Okay. Just for tonight.”

Turning on her heel, she walked out.

Austin shoved the glasses at the scowling maître de, who glanced at Peg and muttered, “Finally, she’s leaving!”

“Hey, buddy,” Austin said. “Can you get my bag? It’s in the coat check room.” He tossed him the ticket and didn’t wait for a reply, but stormed outside after Peg.

The cold wind whipped through him. Icy drizzle pelted him. She was there huddled on the sidewalk, obviously waiting for a cab.

“Come on, Peg,” he said, touching her elbow. She was shivering. The maître de from the restaurant came carrying his denim coat and black duffle bag.

“Mr. Rhoades,” he said, scrunching up his shoulders against the brutal weather.

He tipped the guy, thanked him for his help, and then grabbed his things. With a murmured thanks, the guy rushed back inside, throwing a dark glare over his shoulder at Peg.

“Here,” he said, wrapping his coat around Peg’s shaking shoulders and bundling her up. When she looked at him like that, he melted. “I’ll sleep on the floor. I’ll make you breakfast.” Then he’d go meet his sister afterward.

“I’m sleeping over at Rico’s.” Her teeth chattered.

“I’ll join you two.”

She smiled then—a wobbly one, but it was a smile. “You have no idea what you just got yourself into, buddy.”

A sleepover? Rico would love this
. Peg used her key and unlocked the door to Rico’s apartment. She reached over and flicked on the light.

“Pink and white?” Austin asked, eyeing the freshly painted loft Rico had taken over from the King sisters.

“That’s our Rico,” she said with a smile in her voice. She kinda liked what he’d done with the tiny space. White paint, white furniture, and with pink accents, it made the space look bigger and brighter.

She watched him slowly enter and check out the place. “Rico, boy or girl?”

“Boy.”

“Your best friend, right? Couldn’t pass him off as your date?”

Peg nodded to the interior decorating. “Whatcha think?” She pointed out. “Not too subtle, you know. My folks would never buy that one.”

“Gay?”

“He’s happy as a lark,” she said, smiling widely.

Austin chuckled, and then dropped his duffle bag near the door. “Doesn’t he have friends he could hook you up with?”

Kicking off her shoes, resting her clipboard and pencil on a nearby end table, and shucking off his coat, she snorted. “He’s got mostly girl friends. Hey, now that’s an idea, I could bring a girl and freak my folks out even more. Yeah, Ma and Pop, this is my honey; she’s willing to get impregnated so we can have that little bambino in one point eight years just like you want.”

They both began to laugh.

“Or I could bring you,” she said offhandedly.

The laughter died in both their throats. Silence ticked. Her heart thumped. She stared at him, wide-eyed and blinking like the owl guy at the restaurant. “Hey, that’s not a bad idea.”

He held up his hands, backing up. “Don’t look at me. No can do.”

“Ah, come on, I’ll make it worth your while…”

Austin took a few more steps backwards. She followed, sizing him up as her gaze traveled the length of him, and back up.

Her body hummed. He gulped.

“You owe me, remember? Not the other way around,” he pointed out.

Still, she advanced, backing him against the wall. Crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her foot, she said, “They’ll be shocked when I introduce you. But, they might buy it, for a while. Then, when you dump me in a week or two, they’ll cluck with sympathy and understand why you wouldn’t want to be with me.” A slow smile edged up her lips. “This just might work. They’ll back off for a while, thinking how heartbroken I must be and won’t pressure me.”

“No,” he said with a firmness in his voice. It didn’t stop her.

“Fat chance, bub,” she said. “I’m too busy to keep looking. They’re coming next week. And I’ll pay you. Cold, hard cash. Oh, and I’ll give you a place to stay for the next week and the few days they’re here in town. You can’t refuse me.”
He was the answer to her prayers.

“Wanna bet?”

“I’ll cry.” She sniffed, but there were no tears. She dropped her hands and inched closer.

His back hit the wall, hard.

Peg leaned close, settling her hands on the wall around him, snaring him in a trap. “Now, Austin, you wouldn’t want me to disappoint my family, would you? Geez ’em Pete, I’m their only daughter. I’m an anomaly in the family. All these generations of perfectly proportioned, perfectly height appropriate beauties—even the guys are beautiful—and boom, I come out looking like a squalling twig without a tuft of hair on my beanie old head and they cry for weeks and months, praying I’ll grow out of it.” She smirked. “I’m already a disappointment to them.”

***

Austin frowned. Her eyes gave away the hurt she felt. His gut twisted.

She was so close, watching him. Dropping his stare to her lips, he tried to stop himself. But he couldn’t. He kissed her.

Slow. Long. Deep.

He felt the shock ripple through her. Still, he persisted. The soft little catch in the back of her throat shot straight to him. He groaned.

Grabbing his head in her hands, she kissed him back.

Bold. Hot. Wet.

He couldn’t catch his breath when she broke contact. His heart thumped widely in his chest, just like he got right after he left the stage at the end of one of his concerts.
The rush
. The walking on air feeling. The natural high.
What did she do to him?

Her glassy, questioning stare must have matched his.

“You’re good,” she said. “You do this a lot?”

“As a matter of fact, no.” He wished she’d take a step back, give him some room.

“Hmm…I guess we’d have to forgo the kisses—well, those kind.” She shrugged. “But little friendly ones in front of my family would be okay.”

“Peg, I’m not going to be your date.”

“It’s not real, you know. Just pretend. No harm no foul. Name your price?” She stepped back with her hands on her hips.

Now, that was enticing. He scanned her long body, imagining what she’d look like without the business attire. Desire hit hot and hard.

He shook his head. “Nope.”
Can’t risk it
. “I’m just in town for a day or two. Then I’m gone.”

“Well, holy hotness, why didn’t you say something before now?” She might have sounded like she was okay with it, but he saw the emotions chase across her face.

No, he was not going to get involved with her. His plans of a low-key hiatus stood paramount in his mind. Meeting her family did not fit into the scheme of things. Spending even more time with this funny, lively long-legged minx definitely would upset his much-needed downtime.

If he ended it now, it would be as clean a break as any, he guessed. “Look, this isn’t a good idea, even me staying overnight.” He grabbed his duffel bag and snagged up his coat. “Peg, nice to meet you. I hope you find that date you’re looking for. But, it’s not me. Good luck with it.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You don’t have to make up anything else, okay, bub.” She opened the door for him and waved a hand. “Thanks for the rescue at the bar, oh, and the apple martinis. My new favorite. Bye.” She practically shoved him out the door, and then closed it in his face.

He blinked a few times. Then he shook his head.
Fast. To the point. Over
. He’d never thought a woman could be so efficient and end things like that.

Going down the three flights of steps, Austin couldn’t put enough distance between them. But his heart tugged. She was a breath of fresh air and had made him forget all about who he was and how he’d just wanted to disappear for the next few months.

The cold blast of wind and icy drizzle hit him the moment he exited the building. He stopped long enough to shrug on his coat and turn up the collar. He should have bought a hat, he thought, as his bare head took the brunt of the bad weather.

It was dark. It was cold. He hiked back the way the taxi had come and tried to find another one. No such luck.

He spotted a coffee shop on the corner and jogged the rest of the way to it. Warmth and the pungent scent of coffee greeted him. He waited in line. More people came in after him. He looked around, nodded, and then kept his head down when curious stares lingered.

“Hey, anyone ever tell you that you look like that guy in the band the Rhoadies?” A woman in front of him wouldn’t stop gawking.

Her friend chimed in, “Yeah, you’re right. You know, what’s his name? But he’s got all that hair. Come on, it can’t be the first time someone’s ever asked you.”

“Thanks,” he muttered.

They looked like they’d either been out to dinner or were going to start their night; both were dressed up: short skirts, high heels, faces made up, and hair overdone with too much spray. He’d seen so many women like this in the front rows at his concerts.

The first one moved closer. “I used to buy all their CDs, but lately they’re not as good. What do you think?”

Ouch! That stung! Nothing like a critic
. He shrugged.

She nudged his arm. “Why don’t you join us? We’re waiting for a few friends to meet us and then we’re going to this new club we heard about.”

“Oh, that would be so cute if we brought him, don’t you think?” her friend said.

What was he? A puppy?
“No, thanks.”

Someone from behind jostled him. He turned quickly. A couple eyed him closely. “I swear that’s him,” the female half of the duo said. “I’d know him anywhere.”

The big, hefty guy stared him down. “Shit, you’re right. I can’t believe it’s Austin Rhoades right here.”

“Can I take a picture with you? Can you give me your autograph?” the guy’s date asked, pulling out her cell phone and taking a picture of him.

“Hey,” the woman in front said. “I spotted him first.”

Within seconds, the line was abuzz and the whole coffee shop came to a halt just to see what was going on. Panic rippled through him. He backed out of the line, holding up his hand. “Thanks, guys.”

He bumped into people as he headed toward the door. “Sorry. I forgot something.” Yeah, like how damn hard it was to live in the real world anymore. Dodging his way out, Austin finally exited, but they were right there on his heels.

It was hard to make out what they were saying; all of them were talking and snapping pictures at the same time. Noise and white flashes overtook his senses. At the street corner, he looked in all directions and then back at the group of people surging toward him. He bolted, darting into an alleyway and cutting across streets to get away.

In the back of his mind, he knew where he was going, his feet automatically pointing him to one place he felt safe. One person he felt secure with. Peg.

The pounding on the door matched the pounding in her head. “Geez, Louise, I shouldn’t have had the apple martinis. Sneaky little suckers,” she groaned. “Okay, okay, Rico. I’m coming. Whatcha do, go and forget your key? You know, I shouldn’t even let you into your own house when you left me high and dry like that.”

She kept talking as she moved to the door. “I swear my head’s gonna explode if you don’t quit that racket.” Peg unlocked the door and yanked it open.

Holding her aching head, she stared into the hottie’s pale blue eyes. She gulped hard. “For cripes’ sake, what are you doing here?” She realized she had on her pink polka dot jammies with her silly pink bunny slippers.

“I…messed up. I do need a place to stay,” he said, looking over his shoulder.

“No can do.”

“What? Come on, Peg. Just tonight.”

“Nope.” She went to close the door, but he put his foot out, stopping her.

“I’m in a bind.”

She eyed him closely. He did seem a little out of sorts now. “You rob a bank or something?”

“Come on, Peg, do I look like I would do something like that?”

“You’re nervous. You keep looking over your shoulder. The law after you?”

“No. I need a place to stay. It’s cold and wet outside.”

Dollars to doughnuts, he was hiding something. Could she make this work to her advantage? “I need a date.”

“Seriously? Are you bringing that up now?”

“Terms are, I do you a favor and you do me a favor.”

“How fair is that? I just need a place to crash. You need a, what, two-week commitment?”

“You get free room and board for two weeks. You meet my folks, brother, sis-in-law, and behave, then you dump me, in front of them. Poof, you’re gone. I’m happy. You’re happy. Whatda say?” She stuck out her hand.

***

Two weeks?
Two days would be better for him.

But that might give him enough time to hide out, meet up with his sister, catch up on her life, and avoid the fans while he planned his next move out of the limelight. This time he’d fly off to some damn island where no one cared who he was or what he did.

Doubts crowded in. Evelyn would let him bunk there, but she had a chatty roommate. And the press would make the connection and hound his sister. Even after he left, her life would still be upended; they never would believe he’d skipped out of town.

They’d done it before. He’d helped her move to avoid the ongoing aftermath. They’d do it again.

He shook Peg’s hand. “You’ve got a deal.”

***

Peg wanted to do the happy dance, but settled for a handshake instead. She yanked him in and shut the door behind him.

He had no idea what he’d gotten himself into. And she wasn’t about to fill him in on the details. Her family was relentless. Even with her, thus the date thingamajiggy plan had percolated and taken root.

In fifteen minutes, Peg, with Austin’s help, put together his sleeping area: a couple of thick comforters on the floor and a spare pillow and blanket.