The man willing to protect her

But why had he done that? she wondered. The information she’d collected on him showed him to be a rich guy.

She hadn't gotten his workplace or the source of his wealth. She was sure that he wasn't the boss of Agatha that she was searching for.

She had agreed to tail him up to here under Camilla's insistence and here she hasn't gotten much. Maybe if she meet the Drake they were talking about.

What reason would he have to be so suspicious of her? Why had he assumed she’d been lying when she’d told him she’d been bird watching? And why would he think anyone was watching him?

He had an edge to him, Bella thought. She recognized it. It was the same kind of edge her father had.

It was wild, reckless at times, but always contained, always just below the surface.

Until something, or someone, brought it out. What secret could he be hiding?

Something told her there was more to Miguel Rodriguez than he was replated to Agatha. And whatever that something was, she intended to find out.

For now she’d wait. And while she was waiting, there was no reason not to enjoy the scenery.

She breathed in the scent of pine and damp leaves that drifted on the evening breeze. It had finally cooled down, and the air was comfortable, fresh and soft from the storm. Crickets came to life with their rhythmic night music, and bullfrogs joined in as background chorus.

This was as far from the city as a person could get, Bella thought, letting herself relax against the porch rail. No bumper-to-bumper traffic, no police sirens, no screaming arguments from Bianca and her mother.

The quiet was wonderful, she told herself. Exactly what she needed.

It was going to drive her crazy.

She needed sound. Horns honking, the pounding beat of rock and roll, the blare of a television set.

She’d been raised with noise, lots of it, and loud. She needed it to unwind, especially after a day like the one she’d had.

But there was no TV, not even a radio in the room, and the internet connection? Is the worse. Infact Bims International hotel is the worse she had ever been to. She wondered who the owner was to build an hotel in such a remote county. And now, she’d have to settle for crickets and frogs.

A shower would help, and she decided to risk a quick one. She figured she had at least another hour before Miguel showed up, and it would be easier to face him if she were clean and dressed in something other than military fatigues. A suit of armor, maybe.

She jumped at the sound of the phone ringing from inside the room, then hurried to answer it, locking the door securely behind her. She doubted a simple lock would keep Miguel out, but it might give her an extra couple of seconds to compose herself when he finally showed up.

She almost laughed out loud at that thought. She’d had more than an hour and she wasn’t ready to face the man. A couple of seconds would hardly matter.

She grabbed the phone on the third ring. “Hello?”

“Bella?” Camilla's voice was heavy with concern. “Are you all right, baby? Lionel and I were worried when you didn’t call earlier.”

“I’m fine, did you tell Lionel about it?” she replied, though that wasn’t completely truthful.

"Yes"

“But I’m afraid there’s been a little change in our plans.”

"What's it?"

***
Tanner’s Tavern was dark and smoky. The gravelly wail of a country-western singer poured from a corner jukebox, while a pinball competition brought whoops and hollers from three men crowded around the clanging, lightsflashing machines at the back of the bar.

Drake Blackhawk was bent over the cue ball, eyes narrowed while he set up his shot.

“Hey, Drake.” Victor casually chalked his cue on the opposite side of the table. “Did I mention that our dear Miguel Rodriguez has a beautiful woman in his room when I stopped by this afternoon? Not even in his room but his closet?”

Drake pitched forward, miscued and sank the cue ball. He glanced up sharply from the pool table. “What did you say?”

Miguel tightened his hand around the cue stick he held and did his best to ignore the two sets of dark eyes focused on him. He’d known it was coming, of course.

He’d been waiting for Victor to ask him about this afternoon ever since Drake walked in thirty minutes ago. Miguel was only surprised Victor had waited so long, but realized that he’d been waiting until Drake was about to sink the game ball.

And now he’d never hear the end of it.

“A woman,” Victor repeated. “As in female. As in dropdead gorgeous. As in hot. She's even an actress and also my fan”

Miguel moved to rack the balls, thought about slipping the wooden triangle over Victor’s head and twisting. “Shut up, Santos.”

Drake straightened slowly and lifted one brow. “No kidding. So who is she?”

Miguel knew they wouldn’t go away if he ignored them, and besides, from past experience, he knew that the more evasive he was, the more curious they would be.

“No one you know.” Miguel scooped up the balls and dropped them into the rack as he lied.

“She’s on vacation, renting the room next to mine, and we ran into each other by the beach.”

Victor leaned closer to Drake. “He tried to get rid of me before she came out of the bathroom dripping wet"

Both brows raised now, Drake stared at Miguel. “Dripping wet?”

“We got caught in the storm,” Miguel said through clenched teeth. “She was drying off in the bathroom, that’s all. She was fully clothed, for God’s sake. Don't go around saying bad things”

She had been fully clothed, Miguel recalled, but her tank top had been tight over her full breasts, and she would have won a wet-T-shirt contest hands down. He forced the image from his mind, replaced it with the memory of her crushing her boot into his foot. It still throbbed.

Victor grinned. “She called him honey and darling.”

Drake’s jaw went slack. “Miguel’s only been in town three days and he’s already got himself a woman in his hotel room hideaway? You’re putting me on.”

Victor raised three fingers. “Burst your brain. Her name’s Bella Trump. Blond hair, green eyes and a body that would make you—”

“Shut up, Santos,” Miguel warned. “And for a man who’s getting married, you sure noticed a hell of a lot.”

“A beautiful woman walks out of your bathroom for the first time and I’m not supposed to notice?” Victor leaned on his cue stick and gave a snort of disbelief. “Besides, I had to pay attention. Drake wasn’t there to share in the moment, and I figured he’d want details.”

“Drake has better things to do than listen to you talk on about something that was nothing.” Miguel moved around the table to break. They weren’t going to let this drop, he thought irritably. One more reason to dislike Miss
Bella Trump.

“I haven’t got anything better to do,” Drake said. “Julianna went with Maggie for their final fittings on their dresses, and they took the twins.” Drake grinned at Miguel. “So she really called you honey?”

Miguel broke hard and the balls exploded against the table’s cushions. “Both of you can either put a sock in it and play pool, or I can leave and you two sweethearts can bat your eyes at each other and fantasize some more about my love life.”

“He’s jealous because she recognized me,” Victor whispered loudly to Drake.

“She told me she’s a fan of mine, and that she thinks I’m amazing"

Drake laughed.

"Our Miguel Rodriguez is finally having a woman in his life!!!"