Page 72 of Untamed Heart
But Ashley was already preoccupied, giggling as she borrowed Jesse’s hat and tried it on. He looked delighted, indulgently watching as she posed for him.
‘Wait, wait – let me get that,’ said Alix, the guy that’d emerged with them, laughing at Ashley with Bailey and Lil. He pulled out his phone, tapping the screen and moving closer.
I waited, letting them capture the flirting, grateful, despite my heavy, sick feeling, that everyone was playing their role. Jesse was in his element, embracing the role I’d briefed him on, posing with Ashley, taking his hat but promising her the opportunity to win it back. Their backdrop was the old, pretty ranch house, the setting sun setting the back of it ablaze in golden reds.
‘Hi there, I’m Lottie. I was the one in touch with your agency,’ I said, introducing myself to Kendra, who was mid-flow, talking to Cole about her hometown.
‘Oh, right, hi,’ she replied, her handshake as insipid as her greeting. ‘Wait, are you on social too?’ she asked, narrowing her eyes as though she recognized me.
I felt my old self, my corporate veneer settle into place. Cole watched us with interest, careful to stay a step back.
‘No, not my scene,’ I said, suddenly sounding more British than I had for some time. ‘But it’s great that you could make time for us this weekend. Lil will show you to your cabins.’
Kendra nodded.
‘Right, great. I think maybe you just look like someone I recognize – the whole dark-haired, light eyes thing, plus the accent . . . Yeah, it’s definitely a look at the moment.’
I raised an eyebrow but smiled, noticing more lights approaching on the drive.
‘That’s our last guest – excuse me,’ I said, taking sure, deliberate steps past them, nodding to Lil to get them moved on. Slowly, she rounded them up, her and Bailey taking their bags.
As the taxi approached and rounded the top curve of the drive, I noticed two people in the back, hidden by the glare of the sunset on the back windows. Confused, I wondered if perhaps it wasn’t Leo after all, but some other tourist couple, chancing their luck at finding a place to stay. When it pulled up and Leo emerged, I stopped.
Because emerging from the other side of the taxi was a tall, slim, dark blond-haired man with a sense of style so out of place on the ranch that it was identifiably him from a full mile away.
Kyle.
All of the breath left my body and I stood, rigid, as Leo greeted me.
‘Lottie! Oh God it’s been an age! When I told Kyle I was doing this he jumped at the chance to come and surprise you – said you hadn’t been home in weeks. It’s shit about your job, eh? I was saying to him that you should do content creation – you’ve got the face for it, he always could pick the hottest woman in the room.’ He chuckled, waiting for Kyle to walk around the taxi and join him.
‘Oh God, no . . . I’m better behind the camera, I think. But thanks so much for coming,’ I finally managed, fixing on his face, his wild brown wavy hair swept back. ‘Would you be able to just head over to my cousin Lil? The blonde over there? She’ll show you to your cabin. I just need to have a minute with Kyle.’
He laughed.
‘I’ll say! After that much time apart,’ he added, winking back at Kyle.
My shock was rapidly turning to rage, a slither of anxiety underlying it. As Leo walked away, cheerfully calling out to Lil, I looked up at Kyle, his face impassive, eyes all over me and my clothes. The lack of designer anything, the dirt on my boots, my loose curls and the hat keeping them back off my face.
After one more glance over at the cabins, noting that everyone was now almost inside, I stepped up to him.
‘What the actualFUCKare you doing here?’ I hissed, unable to help myself as I used both hands to push him back.
Steps behind me made me pause.
‘Lottie, what’s going on?’
Cole’s voice was worried; he was still too far back for me to feel his presence, but close enough for me to feel safe.
‘I don’t know, Kyle,’ I snapped, taking in his surprised, submissive expression. ‘What the fuckisgoing on? Why are you here?WAIT– hold on,’ I said as the taxi started to move away, stopping as I banged on the window. The driver rolled it down. ‘Could you wait a moment, please? This man needs a ride back into town.’
‘Lottie, we need to talk,’ Kyle said, shaking his head as though I was a toddler, mid-tantrum, that needed to be reasoned with via a firm voice and a guiding hand. ‘It’s all been a misunderstanding.’
‘You’re damn right it’s a misunderstanding,’ I replied, my voice shaking. ‘You were not invited here and have absolutely no fucking right to just turn up uninvited and try and justify what you did.’
‘Lottie, for goodness’ sake,’ he said, taking my arm and moving me away from the taxi. ‘Let’s just talk and—’
‘Get your hand off her.’ Cole’s shadow fell across us both, close enough for me to be enveloped in his scent, and feel the threat in his voice. ‘Get in that car and get off this ranch. If she wants to talk to you, she’ll come to you herself. Right now, if you don’t leave, I will personally escort you off the property.’
