He rolled his eyes. “You can lift it, not take it off. You won’t be able to reach back there.” Grasping my elbow, he gently pulled me to the couch. “Come on, I’m not going to molest you. I know your boyfriend wouldn’t appreciate it.”

“You mean Nick?” I asked, taking a seat on the couch.

He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess so. Not unless you have more than one. Nick’s the hockey player right?”

Taking a deep breath, I lifted the back of my shirt, trying my best to keep my chest covered. “Yes, but he’s not my boyfriend. He’s my agent’s brother. They thought it would get the stalker off my back if I made it known I was with someone.”

“That worked well. Are you worried about him?”

I nodded. “More than anything. I hated having to leave him.”

“He’ll be all right. I’ve seen him play. He takes down everyone on the rink.”

The thought made me smile. I missed watching him and the guys play. “That’s what gives me hope. I just pray he’ll be able to get back on the ice. Hockey is his life.”

Taking the cream, he squirted some in his hands and rubbed them together. When he touched me, I sucked in a breath. “Is it cold?”

“No,” I breathed. “It’s fine.”

“We should probably take you to get more clothes. Not unless you want to wash the same couple of outfits every day.”

“Not really. But do you think it’s safe to go out in public?”

You’ll be fine. Plus, you have your new identity. No one in this town is going to believe Hadley Rivers is here.”

I glanced at him over my shoulder and didn’t realize he was so close. His fingers stopped on my skin, our lips were only a few inches apart. “Why is it so hard to believe? I like the mountains.”

He lifted a brow. “Do you like hiking them too? I know they’re pretty to gaze at, but there’s so much you can’t see by looking at them from afar. A city girl like you couldn’t hang on the trails.”

“Wanna bet?”

A mischievous gleam sparkled in his eyes. “How about this . . . we take you to get some new clothes tomorrow, then the next day, I take you hiking.”

I loved proving people wrong, especially when they thought I couldn’t do something. “What are we betting?”

He bit his lip. “Dinner every night for the rest of the time you’re here. If you can’t keep up with me on the trails, you cook. Sound fair?”

With a wide grin, I nodded and lifted my hand. I was planning on doing that anyway. “Deal. And if I win, you have to wear a pair of Mexican pointy boots for an evening out on the town.”

He shook my hand. “I guess this would be part of my payback?”

“Some of it. But your boots need to be a pair that I pick out,” I added.

“Oh hell,” he laughed, letting my hand go. “That’s not going to happen.”

I turned back around, hiding my smile. He was going to lose. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and waited for his fingers to touch me. When they did, I didn’t want him to stop. They were warm and gentle as he spread the cream over my skin. Goosebumps fanned out across my body and a deep chuckle vibrated in his chest. My eyes shot open. Fuck, had I moaned out loud? Thankfully, he couldn’t see my flaming cheeks.

“Are you about done?” I asked, feigning impatience.

“Almost,” he replied. I could hear the smile in his tone. “Just a little more.” As soon as he was done, he tapped my side. “You can lower your shirt now.”

I dropped it and quickly moved to the edge of the couch. “Thanks.”

“Want something to drink? After breaking out in hives and demolishing the waffle batter machine, I’d say you need one.”

Groaning, I covered my face. “I will never forget that as long as I live. But a drink would be great. I don’t care what kind.” He tossed me the cream and I applied it to the rest of my body as he rummaged around the kitchen.

He came back into the room with an apple cider beer for each of us.

“Interesting,” I said, taking one of the chilled bottles.

“Not exactly the champagne you’re used to getting, but they’re really good.”

I threw a couch pillow at him and he dodged it, chuckling. “Whatever, jackass. I don’t even drink champagne.” We laughed together and it felt good to joke around. It made the whole situation more endurable.

He finished off his beer and lounged back on the couch, his gray gaze on mine.

“Who’s the girl with you in that picture in your room?”

Jaw tense, he looked away. “Someone from my past.”

“O-kay . . . care to elaborate?”

“Not really. But if you must know, she’s the first and last girl I ever gave a damn about.”

“Where is she now?”

“Out in California with someone else. We parted ways a long time ago.”

“Do you miss her?”

“Not in the way you think. We’ve both moved on.” His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. “Robert, what’s going on?”

Heart thundering, I sat up. Blake’s expression hardened and I knew whatever he was hearing wasn’t good.

“Are you fucking kidding me? That’s ballsy. What the hell is he doing there?”

I heard Robert’s voice on the other end, but I couldn’t tell what he was saying. Blake hung up and blew out a frustrated breath. “What happened?” I asked.

He clenched his phone. “The surveillance cameras picked up an intruder at your house. When the police showed up, he fled.”

Gasping, I threw a hand over my mouth. “Was he trying to come after me again?”

“I don’t know, but if it’s the same guy, at least we know he’s not here. You’re safe for now.”

Yeah, but how long was that going to last?

Blake

“What made you want to sing?” I asked, pulling into a parking spot in the middle of downtown. It was our first venture into Jackson Hole.

Hadley turned to me and smiled. “My mother. She sang to me every night before I went to bed. Granted, it was always Christmas songs, but she had the most beautiful voice.”

It was amazing how gorgeous she looked with no makeup on, her blonde hair thrown in a messy ponytail. I wondered if anyone else ever had the privilege of seeing her like that. We hopped out of the car. “Why country though? I know a bunch of people give you shit because they think you’re not the real deal.”

Huffing, her smile faded. She joined me on the sidewalk, her arm brushing mine. Instead of playing the role of siblings, we decided it was best to be past lovers. “I don’t see how anyone can say I shouldn’t be singing country. My first song was about my mother and father, who in fact did grow up on farms in Idaho. He was her cowboy, her first and only love. They moved to New York before I was born. Once that song took off, the image kind of stuck. But then people found out where I was from. It’s been a battle ever since.”

“I know how that goes,” I grumbled.

“How is that?”

“Once you meet my friends, you’ll find out. First, let’s find you some clothes.”

Multiple outfits and an hour later, we were headed back to the car. “I didn’t bore you, did I?” she asked, elbowing me in the side.

I chuckled. “No. It’s nice to be around a woman who knows what she wants. That indecisive bullshit is what gets me.” The shopping trip had actually been pleasant with her company, which was a first for me.

“I’m not like that, well except for when it comes to ice cream. There are just too many flavors to choose from.”

I had to admit, she was different from the stars you saw on TV. “We can pick you up some when we go to the store. I need to make sure the house is stocked so you can cook me dinner when you lose the bet.”

Hadley punched me in the arm. “You are so full of yourself. Have you always been like that?”

I winked at her. “It’s part of my charm. The ladies love it.”

“I bet,” she said, rolling her eyes.