Claim & Protect Read online

  Chapter Twenty

  The door to Trevor’s hotel room clicked shut behind him, the harsh metal-on-metal sound ricocheting up and down the empty hallway like the hammer of an empty gun. He strode toward Natalie’s suite just a few rooms down and huffed out an ironic chuckle. Fuck if that wasn’t the most appropriate analogy for where his head was at right now. Natalie might not have cottoned to it yet, but he’d dodged one helluva bullet this morning, diverting her question about where they were headed and distracting her from her fears the best way he knew how.

  The funny thing was, he’d been juggling the same idea of something more with enough frequency it scared him shitless. Was she really interested in more than the light-and-easy arrangement they’d agreed on? Or maybe he’d misunderstood her carefully veiled confession and she was trying to find a polite way to get him to back the hell off.

  He stopped outside Natalie’s door and bit back a frustrated grumble. Whatever was going on between them, he didn’t have to figure it out right now. Right now was for relaxing and supporting Zeke and Gabe. The rest could come later. Preferably after all the shit with Wyatt was behind him. He knocked and stuffed his hands in his slacks pockets.

  Levi’s voice sounded through the thick wood. “I’ll get it!”

  Trevor grinned, and a little of his tangled emotions loosened. One thing about Levi—it was impossible to be in a bad mood around him. Ninety percent of the time he was as innocent and playful as a curious puppy with a new toy. The other ten percent Trevor would swear a wise old man was hidden inside Levi’s little boy body.

  The door swung open and Levi scanned him from the top of his unbound hair, down his charcoal-gray suit, to his shiny dress shoes. When he finally looked up, his face was pinched in a hard frown. “I don’t like suits.”

  Well, that tidbit didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out. Levi might have his pants and shoes on right, but Trevor’d seen scarecrows wear a shirt and jacket better. His red tie hung unknotted, dangling around his neck.

  “They’re not all bad,” Trevor said. “Rumor has it, chicks love ‘em. You just have to get ’em situated right.” He chin-lifted toward the room behind Levi. “How about you let me in and I’ll help get you sorted.”

  Levi’s scowl shifted more toward resigned acceptance, and he stepped back and let Trevor in.

  As suites went, the one he’d secured for Nat, her mom, and Levi was completely tricked out. Rich cherrywood furniture, a fancy green couch, and saddle-colored leather chairs gave the front sitting room an old English study feel, and a huge picture window offered a sweeping view of the lake and the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Tucked into one corner of the room was a wet bar, a mini fridge, and a ransacked basket of snacks. “Where’s your mom?”

  “Getting ready.” Levi slunk toward the open bedroom door on the left. “She said she’d help me with my tie when she’s done with her hair, but that was forever ago.”

  The room Levi led him to was pure class. Unlike the entry, it was light and airy with most of the colors trending toward ivory and gold, but the main feature was the king-size bed. Tall posts reached nearly to the ceiling and some kind of girly, sheer fabric was draped over the top and tied at each corner. A mound of silk pillows to match the taupe comforter were artfully centered in the middle.

  Even without recognizing some of the clothes strewn across the couch in the corner, he’d have known Natalie had chosen this room by the wildflower scent lingering on the air, and damned if his body didn’t get tight in response. “Gotta give women their time, bud. Besides, we’re the ones who get to appreciate ’em when they’re done, right?”

  “I guess.” Levi glared at his image in the armoire’s full-length mirror and wrestled with his jacket.

  “Relax.” Trevor perched on the foot of the bed directly behind Levi and motioned him over with a crook of his fingers. “How about we start with you losin’ the jacket so we can get your shirt buttoned up right and your tie lined out?”

  To his credit, Levi bit back any further complaints and complied, even going so far as to trade out his pout for focused attention while Trevor realigned his buttons.

  Trevor picked up Levi’s tie where he’d tossed it on the bed. “You learn how to tie a knot yet?”

  Levi shook his head. “I’d rather not have to wear one at all. They’re too tight.”

  Chuckling, Trevor turned Levi by his shoulders so he faced the mirror and flipped up Levi’s collar. “Can’t blame you on that one, but every man’s gotta know how to do it. Might as well start now. Besides, it’s not as hard as it looks.”

  “That’s easy for you to say. Mom does it fast.”

  Out of nowhere, an image of Natalie helping him with his own tie crashed front and center in his thoughts. Bonnie used to do that for Frank, too. She’d fuss and straighten every tie Frank ever knotted on his own, even when they’d been perfect, and Frank had always taken advantage of the closeness by finishing off her preening by pulling her close and stealing a quick kiss. Fuck, but he wanted that. Not just for a little while, but...

  Nope. He wasn’t thinking about that. Not right now. He cleared his throat and adjusted the tie so the wider end hung a little lower. If Levi noticed anything wrong with the rough edge to Trevor’s voice when he spoke, he didn’t show it. “The trick is remembering three loops—one on the left, one on the right, and one on the center.”

  Levi watched his every move, his faced etched with concentration.

  Twenty-plus years melted away, leaving the first time Frank had taught Trevor how to do this very thing superimposing itself over the here and now. The memory was as fresh and clean as it had been all those years ago. The importance of it. The patience Frank had shown in every second, and how only hours later, a judge had declared Trevor officially Frank and Bonnie’s son. And now he was sharing it with Levi.

  He made the knot’s final loop and guided it up and over the back. He could have more times like this. Share the same kind of love and care with Levi that Frank and Bonnie had shown him if he wanted. If he dared.

  The bathroom door opened behind them, shaking Trevor from his thoughts.

  Still facing the mirror, Levi’s gaze shot from Trevor to Natalie and he smiled huge. “Mom, look! Trevor fixed my tie.”

  Natalie faltered mid-exit from the bathroom and smoothed her hand down the front of her bold blue dress. The fabric was sinful enough to remind him of silk sheets, and the wrap design accented her curves in a way that ensured he’d spend the rest of his afternoon fighting a hard-on. Likely all the other men would too, which meant he’d also spend the day fighting the urge to punch half of his brothers.

  “Sorry.” She glanced toward the main room then to Trevor. “I didn’t hear you come in or I’d have hurried faster. Are we late?”

  “Nope. Not late.” Though if Levi weren’t right next to him, he’d be tempted to make them late. Very, very, unforgivably late. “Wouldn’t matter if you were though if it meant I got to see you in that dress.”

  Her cheeks fired a pretty pink, but her smile was bright enough to rival the late-afternoon sun sparking off the lake through the window. “Thank you.”

  “Think the gratitude’s all on my end.” He squeezed Levi’s shoulder. “Besides, we took the extra time to learn how to work a Windsor knot.”

  “You did?” Her gaze shot to Levi and she smiled as she hustled forward, the sexy sway of her hips not doing one little bit to fight back his seriously developing wood. Getting a load of her strappy matching heels only made things worse. Eventually, he’d get to peel her out of that dress, but no way in hell were those coming off. “It looks great, Levi.”

  “Trevor showed me a trick,” Levi said as Natalie crouched in front of him and smoothed his collar into place. “All you gotta do is three loops and it turns out perfect.”

  “I see that.” She stoo
d and snatched Levi’s jacket off the end of the bed. “How about we get your jacket on and get going?”

  Maureen was already waiting on them in the sitting room, a Cheshire smile on her face that said she’d heard the lion’s share of conversation between him and Natalie and had wisely kept her distance. The second they emerged from Natalie’s bedroom, she swept into grandmother mode and kept Levi tight to her side, conveniently allowing Trevor to keep Natalie tight to his.

  The next hour went by in a rush. Natalie disappeared with the rest of the women to wherever Gabe was hiding, and the men plied Zeke with good-natured barbs about the demise of his bachelorhood. Only when Viv, Natalie, and the mothers emerged, did Danny peel off from the rest of them, and the minister guided everyone to the short pier that jutted over the lake’s glassy surface.

  If he ever did tie the knot, this was the kind of place he’d want to do it. Natural and easy. Unlike standard hotels or the busy hubbub of Jace and Viv’s Vegas wedding, the resort Gabe and Zeke had picked had more of an oversized lodge feel. The sun was only a few hours from dipping beneath the horizon, and the temperature couldn’t be much more than mid-forties, but inside the perimeter of towering space heaters, it felt more like an early fall afternoon.

  The second Zeke saw Gabe emerge from the lodge, his shoulders pushed back and he smiled big enough to show a full set of pearly whites. No fear. No hint of worry, just pure pride and excitement.

  Natalie shifted closer to Trevor, giving him some of her weight as Gabe’s brother, Danny, led her down the aisle. The minister’s words were little more than background noise, the mix of how Gabe and Zeke looked at each other mingling with Natalie’s presence beside him and doing wonky things with his thoughts. Would Natalie like a place like this to get married? Or a place like his ranch? He’d bet his Gulfstreams she’d had the big enchilada when she married Wyatt, so maybe she wouldn’t want another one. If she did, she’d get a bigger one than her first. No way he’d let Wyatt Jordan outdo him with Natalie.

  The muscles in his torso locked up tight, the realization of where his thoughts had gone jolting him out of his languid haze. They weren’t getting married. He couldn’t get married. It was too soon. Too dangerous for her and for Levi.

  Natalie snuggled closer, her front pressed along his side and her palm just below his heart.

  Trevor pulled her in tight and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. All the women gazed at Gabe and Zeke with a mixture of sappy and romantic expressions, but Natalie’s was different. Almost wistful.

  A strong, unyielding squeeze took root behind his sternum, and a pleasant weight settled in his gut. Like his heart had grown two sizes in the space of seconds, and his body had found gravity after years of floating adrift. Maybe that was the anchor his dad had talked about.

  You’re nothing like your biological father.

  Zeke had repeated the same line for years. So had Axel and the rest of his brothers. Frank insisted his anger was a good thing, a tool to keep those he loved shielded instead of a threat. Maybe they were right. Maybe he could dare to think about something like what Frank and Bonnie had.

  Trevor’s arm tightened around Natalie’s shoulder, the force of his thoughts plowing through him and rearranging his future in one merciless blast. Natalie could be his. Where his brothers and Frank had tethered him to some degree over the years, she and Levi could be the cornerstone he’d craved. Could bring more goodness into his life than he’d ever dared dream. Frank and his brothers wouldn’t steer him wrong. Not in this. And if Nat was even remotely entertaining the same thoughts he was, he’d be a fool not to take a chance. All he had to do was nut up and make it happen.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  One thing about country bars, they made for great people watching. Granted, none of the crew Natalie was with blended with the rest of the crowd, but being only three blocks from their lodge and packed with friendly people, it had proven to be the perfect place for the brothers, their mothers, and Viv to unwind and relax.

  Of course, Gabe and Zeke weren’t there. The groom had swung his bride up about a nanosecond after the photographer deemed his work done and carted Gabe away amidst a flurry of jibes and well wishes. Natalie’s mom was missing in action too, having lured Levi into staying at the hotel with the promise of all the room service he could eat. Trevor had jumped all over that idea and volunteered to pony up for the bill.

  Not that he’d let her or her mom pay for anything so far on this trip. She’d tried at dinner and had earned an affronted male glare not just from Trevor, but every one of his brothers.

  Beside her, Viv recounted a debacle from one of her recent events, a tale that involved the chairman of the board, a socialite housewife, and the unfortunate discovery of the two in a compromising situation between dinner and dessert—by their spouses. The moms, Sylvie and Ninette, listened and laughed throughout the sordid tale, while Jace sat beside Viv, seemingly content just to hear her voice.

  The rest of the men took turns at the pool table behind them, their rich voices mingling seamlessly with the music. Well, all of them except Trevor. He’d stayed close to her, rarely leaving her side except to take his turn with a cue or to get the next round of drinks.

  As it had since they’d commandeered the big table at the back of the bar, Natalie found herself watching the couples shuffle past on the dance floor. Some kept their steps simple, while others spun and twisted in intricate moves that left her astounded. More than that, she found herself enjoying the music. She’d gone through a country music phase in her senior year of high school, but none of the songs she remembered sounded like these.

  Trevor’s strong hand cupped the back of her neck and his sexy voice purred beside one ear. “You want to give it a go?”

  She craned her neck to take in his handsome face. She’d thought by now the simple act of looking at him wouldn’t still tangle her tongue, but she was as stunned speechless now as she was the day of her interview. “Give what a go?”

  He tilted the pool cue he’d anchored butt end on the ground toward the dance floor. “You want to dance?”

  “Me?” She shuttled her gaze between the dance floor and Trevor. “Oh, no. That’s waaay beyond my skill level. My dancing is limited to house cleaning and impromptu moments with a good song in the car.”

  His lips twitched like he was trying awfully hard not to smile. “I think I’d pay to see either one of those.” His hand on her neck tightened and his expression shifted to something she couldn’t quite name. Contemplative maybe, but smoldering with a possessive glint that terrified and thrilled her. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen that look tonight either. Ever since the wedding, he’d vacillated between his usual indulgent self and a sexy stalking puma.

  Axel straightened from the pool table and frowned at the eight ball nestled at the corner of the red felt-covered top. “Damn it all, I thought I had this one.” His gaze shifted to Trevor. “You’re up, brother.”

  Trevor’s thumb skated back and forth along the pool cue’s lacquered surface, his focus never straying from her face.

  The upbeat song came to an end and a slower one took its place. Twice the number of couples hurried to the dance floor.

  Wedging his pool cue behind Natalie’s chair, he grinned down at her, clasped her hand and tugged her off her stool. He glanced back at Axel. “How about I pass and we agree you won this one?”

  “Gonna show the lass your smooth moves, are ya?” Axel chuckled, pulled the rack out from beneath the table and waggled his eyebrows at Natalie. “Doubt he’d show you all his tricks here, but if you’re nice, maybe he’ll give you the full show later.”

  “Tricks?” Her mind was still trying to puzzle out Axel’s meaning before it registered they were headed toward the dance floor. She dug in her heels and tried to pull her hand from Trevor’s. “Trevor, really. I can’t do this. I mean, look at me.”<
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  Unlike her efforts to stop him physically, her words stopped him on a dime. He turned, scanned her head to toe and smiled. “Been looking all day and still can’t decide if I like the blue dress or the ass-hugging jeans better. Don’t see what that’s got to do with dancing though.”

  “I’ve got on Keds, for crying out loud.” A tactical error she’d made when Trevor had shown up at her door in a tight-fitting navy-blue T-shirt, jeans and black Luccheses. She’d assumed his casual attire meant they’d hang out at the lodge’s bar and head right back to their room. Not head out for a local club.

  Trevor moved in close, his confidence engulfing her as strongly as his arms around her waist. “Trust me when I tell you, it wouldn’t matter if you were barefoot and wearing a tutu. If you can count to two, I can not only get you around this dance floor, but you’ll have a good time, come back out of breath and smiling.”

  Oh, boy. Clearly, Trevor had never seen her moves, or more like the lack thereof. “Um, you’ve never seen me dance.”

  “I’ve seen you dance plenty. You were naked every time and close enough I didn’t miss a second. No doubt about it, you’ll be fine.” He cupped the side of her face and lowered his voice. “Trust me, darlin’. It’s just a slow dance.”

  She peeked around his shoulder, a mix of terror and curiosity banging around in her chest. Yeah, she’d probably look like an out-of-place dork, but she was over fifteen hundred miles from home, for crying out loud. “Just a slow dance?”

  “To start. If you’re done after that, we’ll call it quits.”

  “You have to swear you won’t laugh.”

  His mouth twitched again.

  “I mean it, Trevor. I really suck at this. No laughing, or no deal.”

  He pried her hand off his bicep, placed it over his heart, and laid his own over the top. “I’d cut out my own tongue before I’d laugh at you, and I’d throttle anyone else who did.”