Yours for the Taking Read online

  Gina heard Rosalie’s annoying voice in her head telling her to be nice. “Look, Kate, I know why you’re doing this, and I understand where you’re coming from. You love Ben, that’s obvious. I can tell you not to worry about him, but since you don’t trust me, it would be meaningless. I stand warned. Can we just leave it at that and go on with our lives?”

  Kate looked shocked.

  “What? Is there something else you wanted to say?”

  Kate’s brows furrowed. “You’re not going to defend yourself?”

  “There’s not much to say, is there? I didn’t go looking for this. Ben approached me. If I had to do it all over again, I’m not sure I would.” So far, it had been a complete bust, Tina refused the money, and Gina still hadn’t heard one encouraging word about Rafael.

  Kate put her hands on her hips and looked down her short nose at Gina. “What do your parents think about this?”

  Gina was quickly tiring of this conversation. She wanted to tell Kate to stuff it, but she was really trying to be nice. “I don’t have parents. They’ve been gone for a long time.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Gina shrugged. “I’ve been taking care of myself and my sister since I was a kid. I put myself through school, got my masters, and a career I love. I don’t need Ben. He needs me.”

  “What happened to your parents?”

  Gina took a step back. “Look, Kate. I’m really trying not to be rude. My best friend just gave me a lecture this morning about practicing being nice. So don’t take this the wrong way but it’s none of your business.”

  “Fair enough. Ben said he’s taking you to the ranch. I’m just concerned because he’s never taken a woman to the ranch.”

  Oh, that’s just great. Either he’s doing this to torture her or he’s doing it to get closer to her. Neither of which she was interested in exploring. “Yes, he’s packing now. I thought I’d take a look around the house. It’s not quite what I expected.”

  “What did you expect?”

  “I don’t know. It’s a whole lot different than the house Ben twisted my arm to buy. It’s a five-story Romanesque Revival mansion. It looks like a museum. This house is homey, comfortable. Ours, not so much.”

  Kate nodded. “Ben’s always had expensive taste. I don’t know where he got it. When he left for NYU, you wouldn’t have been able to tell him apart from my three boys. He came back wearing clothes with designer labels and Italian shoes. I blame the girl he met on campus; she was all about clothes making the man. Ben even minored in art history to be close to her. The relationship didn’t last long, but Ben fell in love with art and he’s never been the same. He really likes New York. Not that he’s willing to give up his life here, but he wants both. His parents were never like that. That’s why they turned their back on the family business and moved up to the ranch. Joe wasn’t happy about it, and he lost his only son because he was too damn stubborn to let him lead his own life. I don’t want to see Joe make the same mistake with Ben.”

  Gina wasn’t the most demonstrative person, but she found herself reaching out to touch Kate’s arm. It seemed to shock Kate almost as much as it shocked her. “Ben loves Joe, you, and your whole family. He’s not going to let this or anything else get in the way of that.”

  “I hope you’re right. Thanks.” Kate let out a sigh and patted Gina’s hand. “Don’t think for a second just because I like you that I trust you. I’m keeping my eye on you.”

  “I’d expect nothing less.”

  Kate walked back toward the kitchen. “I have more coffee on if you’re looking for another cup. I know how you New Yorkers love your coffee.”

  Gina smiled and followed Kate back to the kitchen. A cup of coffee sounded good, she just wished they had an espresso machine. She could really go for a caramel macchiato after this run-in. Hell, she’d rather face down an angry Rosalie before she’d face down Kate again.

  ***

  Ben finished packing his clothes and threw his duffel bag by the door. He laid out all the clothes he bought Gina on the bed and went in search of her.

  Since Del had called to tell him the bridge was passable, he wanted to get a move on. It was a three-hour drive and he wanted to make it to the ranch before nightfall. Driving along the Middle Fork of the Boise River on a one-lane road with no guardrails and hundred-foot drops was no fun after dark.

  Ben went to the kitchen to pack a cooler. He’d asked Kate to buy enough food to last them a couple of weeks. She’d gone shopping while he and Gina were getting clothes, booze, and condoms.

  He shook his head thinking how stupid he’d been to push Gina that morning. He knew she was skittish, and he’d gone ahead and pushed anyway. In his mind, going without a condom didn’t make a difference as long as they were both healthy and she was on the pill. Obviously, her mind was wired differently. He wasn’t sure why that bothered him, but it did. He wished he knew why. He thought she would trust him enough to know he wouldn’t lie about something as important as his or her health, but then he’d lied about being gay. He wanted to kick himself for about the hundredth time for that one. He should be thanking his lucky stars she hadn’t held it against him. Not much anyway, or maybe just not yet. With Gina, he never knew. She made no sense to him. He wondered if that was a woman thing, or just a Gina thing.

  When Ben made it into the kitchen he found Gina sitting with Kate drinking coffee. “Hey Gina, I don’t mean to break up your coffee klatch, but you might want to go finish packing. We need to leave.”

  She stood up and gave him the evil eye. “What do I need to pack?”

  “Everything.”

  “Then why did you have me unpack this morning?”

  Kate got up and grabbed the cooler from the mudroom. “Ben, why don’t you go and help Gina, and I’ll get started in here.”

  Kate and Gina gave each other a look that mystified Ben. He knew all of Kate’s looks, and this was a new one on him. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

  “I don’t mind. You two go on.”

  Ben followed Gina back to the bedroom and when he entered, she turned on him. “You could have warned me that Kate was in on this whole matrimonial fiasco. I don’t appreciate being blindsided by your surrogate mother.”

  “What?”

  Gina tossed her clothes out of the drawers and onto the bed. “You heard me.”

  “I didn’t think she’d say something to you. Kate figured it out on her own. I should have known I couldn’t get anything past her, and I couldn’t lie to her.”

  “You probably should have thought about that before you proposed to Karma. And that’s just one more thing you blindsided me with, or Kate did.”

  “Whoa, I told you I asked a family friend.”

  “Yeah, but Karma is a whole lot more than a family friend and you know it. Is there anything else I’m gonna get hit with? If there is, you’d better tell me now because I’m quickly losing my patience.”

  “No, that’s it. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s no wonder Kate hated me on sight. Men like you should come with warning signs.”

  Gina began throwing all her clothes from the drawers into her bag. With everything he’d bought her earlier, her bag was way too small, not that she seemed to notice or care.

  “Here, let me give you a duffel bag to use.” He rummaged through the closet and came out with a bag and the jeans she’d hung up earlier. He felt like a real ass. He hadn’t expected Kate to say something to Gina and wished he knew what went down. He’d ask Gina, but she didn’t look like she was in the mood to do anything except maybe make his life miserable. Not that he blamed her.

  Ben took over folding her clothes and placing them neatly into the duffel bag while she went to retrieve her toiletries. By the time she returned, he’d re-packed most of her things. She tossed her makeup bag on top of her clothes and he grabbed her before she could get away from him. He pulled her close and she stood board straight, with a don’t-fuck-with-me look pasted on her cute little face. He wanted to
kiss it right off, but since she looked as if she might bite him, and not in a good way, he didn’t. “I really am sorry. I screwed up. All I can say is I’ll try not to do it anymore.”

  “See that you don’t.” She turned away from him and zipped the duffel closed. “I’ll go help Kate while you pack the car.”

  Ben took her hand. “You don’t have to.”

  Gina just raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I do. I like Kate. I’d feel better if she didn’t hate me. Just let me go and help her, okay?”

  “Sure, but Gina, she doesn’t hate you. She’s probably more pissed with me than anything.”

  Gina shook her head. “She might be pissed with you, but she loves you. It’s different, she doesn’t know me from Adam, and now she thinks I’m a whore trying to separate you from your money. I didn’t sign up for that.”

  “Hey, Kate would never think that.”

  “Yeah, right. Think about it, Ben—what makes me so different from any other whore?”

  “Everything. I came to you. It’s a business transaction. Besides, I had to talk you into it.”

  Gina nodded. “Yeah, and I put up a hell of a fight, and now…” She shook her head. “Before, you were gay and I wasn’t sleeping with you. I had my own reasons for taking the deal but now, even I’m questioning my story.”

  Ben wrapped his arms around her. “Hey, it’s not like that. You’re not a whore. You’re my wife. We’re legally married. You’re getting no more money than any woman I married would and it’s not as if I’m leaving it on the bedside table. I’ve never had to pay anyone to sleep with me.”

  Gina blew her bangs out of her eyes. “Don’t worry, cowboy. You’re rep is safe and sound. No one has accused you of being a John.”

  “If anyone insinuated that the only reason you’re sleeping with me is because I’m paying you, that’s exactly what they’re doing.”

  “No, Kate said I married you because you paid me. It’s not the same thing.”

  “Yet, that’s how you took it.”

  Gina didn’t say anything; she stared at him as if he was insane. He couldn’t stand it anymore; he bent down and kissed the creases that formed between her brows before he trailed his lips down to her ear. “I can’t be in the same room with you and not want to make love to you. Even when you’re pissed at me, I want you, but I never want you to feel cheap.”

  Gina just laughed and pulled away, grabbing her own neck and trying to massage away the tension he’d felt running through her. “Don’t worry about it, Ben. At $35,000 a day, I hardly feel cheap.”

  ***

  After Gina helped Kate pack up more food than two people could possibly eat in a month, she said good-bye to Joe who insisted on giving her a hug. Heck, even Kate hugged her. Gina endured it by shooting imaginary darts at Ben’s head. She was sure he’d said something to Kate. Frankly, Gina would rather have Kate’s blatant dislike than forced affection. Before Gina got in the car, Kate ran out and gave her a pair of gloves. She said it would be cold up there in the mornings. Where the heck was Ben taking her anyway? The tundra?

  Ben received another hug and kiss from Kate before he got behind the wheel of the Land Rover. It felt really weird to be in the front seat of a car. As a matter of fact, she couldn’t remember a time when she’d ever ridden in the front seat. In New York taxis, the passengers almost always ride in the back.

  Gina took control of the radio, something she’d never had the opportunity to do. She flipped through the pre-set stations, looking for something that fit her mood. After going through them twice, Ben handed her his iPod.

  “You might as well see if this has anything on it you feel like listening to. We’ll have a hard time getting a decent radio station once we get farther into the mountains anyway.”

  “We have a hard time getting a decent radio station now.” Gina had, of course, seen people with iPods. Heck, everyone she knew had one except her. When she didn’t move as fast as he deemed acceptable, he set the radio, put the iPod on the docking station, clicked something, and music poured out of the speakers. Nifty. She just hoped he didn’t have crap taste in music. What came on was an eclectic mix; there was country to rock, new age, jazz, and everything in between. “How many songs do you have on here?”

  He touched a button and pointed to the space over the picture of the album cover. It said one of twenty-two thousand six hundred forty-three.

  “You have over twenty-two thousand songs?”

  Ben flipped his turn signal on as he stopped at a stop sign. “Sounds about right.”

  Gina turned in her seat toward him. “Do you mean to tell me you have twenty-two thousand dollars tied up in music?”

  Ben shrugged. “I had a large music collection before I downloaded everything, but I guess over the years, I’ve spent that much. It’s not as if I sit on iTunes and just buy whatever I see.”

  “You could buy a car with that much money, and it’s all sitting here on your iPod.”

  “Yeah, I guess. What’s on yours?”

  “My what?”

  “Your iPod. What kind of music do you like?”

  “I don’t have an iPod. Spending money on music you can get for free on the radio seems like a waste.”

  Ben raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.

  “Where I come from, people don’t have money for food yet they walk around with iPods and cell phones. I’ve never understood it. They can’t feed their kids but they have big-screen TVs. Not me. I bought food, clothes, paid my rent, and utilities. I didn’t get a computer until I had to for school. I probably still wouldn’t have one if the company hadn’t paid for it. An iPod isn’t something I have a hard time living without.”

  They drove on, following a river until they came to a huge dam and just beyond that, a beautiful reservoir named Lucky Peak surrounded by treeless foothills. After a few miles, they hit the tree line and the road narrowed. They’d been climbing steadily for a half hour, and Gina couldn’t believe they kept going higher. Lodge pole pine rushed by on one side, and a raging river on the other. The road turned into a well-trimmed gravel surface and followed the river even higher.

  “How much longer?”

  Ben smiled. “It’s about three hours.”

  “Down a road like this?”

  “Up a road like this… well, a few miles up, it turns into a logging road.”

  “What’s a logging road?”

  Gina heard a huge pop inside her head, and a swooshing sound. She pulled on both her earlobes and wiggled her jaw. “Oh my God! What just happened?”

  Ben handed her a stick of gum. “Your ears just popped. It’s the altitude.”

  “How high are we?”

  “About twenty-five hundred feet and climbing.”

  “And just how far are we climbing?”

  “Three Whores Bend is at about seventy-five hundred feet above sea level.”

  “I’m guessing that’s higher than the Empire State Building.”

  Ben turned on the heat. “Yup, way, way higher.”

  “Madre de Dios.” The road narrowed again, and soon the gravel disappeared and turned into a narrow, dirt road, not wide enough in many spots for two cars to pass. She looked over the side of the road, which dropped about a hundred feet or more down to a raging river the likes of which she’d never seen outside a movie theater. “Ben, can you move over?” She inched closer to the center of the car, hugging the armrest.

  Ben looked over at her. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you, sweetheart?”

  Holding onto the armrest with a death grip she usually only reserved for her caffeine fix, she peered out the window. “Heights, no. Driving off cliffs, yeah, very, very afraid.” The road took a sharp turn to the left and Gina grabbed Ben’s arm. If she wasn’t mistaken, she might have even screamed.

  He put his arm around her. “Calm down, I’ve driven this road a hundred times at least. I haven’t driven off a cliff yet.”

  Gina elbowed him in the ribs. “Would you stop feeling me u
p and put both hands on the wheel?” By this time, she was practically sitting on the center console. “Ben, is it like this all the way up?”

  His smile did nothing to alleviate her fears.

  “It’s going to get worse than this?”

  “In about a half hour, you’re gonna want to close your eyes.”

  “Crap, Ben. You need to turn around.”

  He looked at her and not at the road. “Where?”

  Something darted in front of the car. “Stop!”

  Ben hit the brakes and dust blew up everywhere. “What is it?”

  “A dog!” Gina released her seat belt, climbed over Ben, opened his door, and jumped out of the Land Rover. “Where is he?”

  Ben put the truck in park, set the emergency break, and put the hazards on. Why, she had no idea. She hadn’t seen another car in over half an hour. “Here, puppy.” She made kissing noises. “Come here, little guy.”

  She saw a flash of white trying to scamper up a cliff on the other side of the road. She gingerly walked across the washboard road and up a steep hill into the forest.

  “Gina, don’t try climbing—”

  Ben was behind her when a little puppy slid down into her arms. Catching it threw her off balance and back into Ben, who tried grabbing them both. The two of them landed on him as he fell on his back onto the road.

  The puppy landed on Gina, knocking the wind out of her. She lay there, holding the wiggling dog and heard a very strange sound.

  “Get up! Now!” Ben scrambled to his feet, pulling her alongside him as she tried to hold onto a very unhappy and scared dog. When she looked up, she saw a huge eighteen-wheeler barreling down the mountain toward them. The driver blew his horn, scaring the puppy even more. It jumped from her arms as Ben dragged her toward the car and around the other side.

  “The dog is out there!”

  Ben pulled her to the edge of the cliff. Holding her by the waist, he wrapped one arm around a small tree growing on the edge of the road as the truck sped past, barely missing the car. Ben held her so tight she couldn’t breathe.