Page 14 of Taylor’s Warrior

She called his bluff. “Okay. Once this is all over, we’ll get together and work on it.”

Silence was not the response she’d anticipated. Had she caught him unaware with her offer?

It appeared not.

“Great idea. So, what made you want to sound like a Texan?”

“Self-preservation. I wanted to blend in.”

“Because of the circumstances that put you in this situation?”

The short answer was yes. The longer answer was that her father’s manner, possibly even more than his words, had left her terrified of standing out wherever she went.

Fortunately, a yawn put an end to her dilemma about how best to answer the question. “Sorry, I didn’t sleep too well last night. Probably because of not knowing where we’re going. Are you going to tell me now? Properly, I mean. ‘Somewhere warm’ tells me nothing.”

He kept her dangling for a couple of very long, tantalizing seconds, then responded in an entirely infuriating maddening way. “Not yet. Why don’t you take a nap? We’ll be on the road for a while yet. I can always wake you when we stop.”

She was tempted. She was also genuinely tired, and the premium pickup’s seats were so soft and luxurious. Taylor relaxed into a more comfortable position. “Thanks,” she murmured.

“Don’t mention it. Now shut up and go to sleep.”

CHAPTER 6

They arrived in El Paso pretty much on schedule and checked into the hotel Rhys had chosen for their first night on the road. They had adjacent rooms with an interconnecting door, and when Taylor agreed to his strict instructions to use that door if she needed him, he figured it was about time he stopped being quite so surprised by every instance of cooperation.

Another advantage to this particular hotel was that it had room service. Although Taylor had accepted his decision to have dinner served in their rooms, she’d clearly been unhappy about it. That unhappiness hadn’t settled well with him. So, after reporting an uneventful journey to Nick, followed by a swift shower and a call to room service, here he was, pacing the room and trying not to think about how Taylor was spending her time until dinner.

There was no denying it—the damn woman was under his skin. Even though they hadn’t spoken much during the journey, it had been enough for him to become even more intrigued by her.

Just as well. He had a job to do. And access to a shower that dispensed cold water very efficiently.

As a precaution, Rhys had had both meals delivered to his room. When the food finally arrived, he checked the dishes, signed the slip and gave the waiter a generous tip, before moving his own meal from the cart to the desk. Then he knocked on the connecting door.

“Taylor? Food’s here. Are you decent?”

“Just a minute.”

Seconds later, the door opened, and the vision that confronted Rhys delivered a punch to the gut he’d never forget. Clad in a bathrobe, Taylor was obviously fresh from the tub. A subtle floral scent surrounded her, and she was… glowing. It was the only word he could think of to describe her.

“Rhys? Are you okay?”

The question gave his stalled brain a much-needed kick-start. “Yeah, fine, thanks. Sorry. Food. It’s here. If you stand back, I’ll bring it in for you.”

“Thanks.”

As Taylor cleared the way for him, Rhys pushed the cart into her room. He took the opportunity to glance around—it was pretty much the mirror-image of his, except this one was strewn with items that clearly indicated a female occupant. Allowing himself a small smile at the colorful disarray, he left the cart near the desk.

He turned to face Taylor. “I’ll leave my side unlocked, so just push it back to my room when you’re done with it. I’ll see to getting it taken away.”

“Thanks. Have a good evening.”

“You too. And don’t forget, keep⁠—”

“My door locked. I will.”

After a moment of semi-awkward silence, Rhys gave a brief nod and returned to his own room. He didn’t even get a chance to sit down before there was a knock on the connecting door. Puzzled, he went to open it and was greeted by the sight of Taylor, still apparently only wearing the bathrobe, standing beside the cart, which still bore the plates of untouched food.

She shrugged. “I’d rather not eat alone tonight.”