Page 4 of Provoked

His eyes crinkle at the corners and his lips — that’s a smirkif ever I saw one. But he doesn’t say anything, just tips his hat and starts towards the mound of bags. Efficiently and somewhat impressively, he grabs two in each hand and starts walking steadily around the corner of the building. I gape and then scurry after him. He doesn’t seem inclined to worry if I’m coming or not.

My bags are placed neatly in the back of a massive, shiny black truck. When he turns around, Danvers once again eyes me from head to toe, frowns, and then picks me up by the waist. I squeak in surprise, but he already has my feet resting on the running board while he opens the passenger door. He picks me up again and sets me gently on the seat. He pauses as he’s shutting the door, gives me a wink and comments, “You’re too short.”

Of all the —! I am not too short! But in the interest of getting to my new house as quickly as possible, I let it go. When he’s started the engine and pulled out of the gravel lot that doesn’t even have spaces marked, I ask sweetly, “So, Danvers, is that your first or last name?”

He glances briefly my way before turning his attention back to the road. Finally he drawls, “Does it matter?”

I flush and turn my face towards the window. Apparently not. But now I’m embarrassed because in my imaginationhe’simagining that I was asking because I was thinking about marrying him or sleeping with him or something. I bite my lower lip to keep from denying these unspoken accusations. But I’d really like to wipe that smirk off his face.

It does finally disappear when he drives us down a long narrow driveway lined with old leafy trees. It ends in front of a quaint cottage that was once the original farmhouse for the ranch. But there was a fire and a major remodel that reduced it in size by a half and modernized it completely. I love it to pieces and I’m so excited it looks just like I remembered it.

Except for the black SUV parked to one side and the talldark man slowly rising to his feet from the front steps and folding his arms over his chest. I blink and check again. It is. It’s Justin. “What the fuck is he doing here?”

I realize I said that out loud only when Danvers head whips around to stare at me. Luckily, he’s already hit the brakes and we’ve come to a stop.

“Friend of yours?”

I snort. “That’s Justin. He’s my… attorney.” I finish lamely, not wanting to announce that I’ve got an untouched inheritance of several million. It could be more by now for all I know. Since I can’t access it, I don’t bother to read the financial statements Justin sends me every month. One more thing he likes to yell about.

“Why is he glaring?”

I breathe out a laugh. “Oh, that’s just his natural expression. Thanks for the ride. Are you the person taking me to look at vehicles on Saturday?”

Danvers nods hesitantly. “You don’t want lover boy taking you?”

“He’s not my lover and he’ll be long gone by then,” I state definitively.

“You want me to stay until he is?” Danvers narrows his eyes as he studies Justin through the windshield. Even from here, I can see Justin’s glower of disapproval. Sometimes I act really impulsively. Almost always I regret it soon after, but the compulsion at the time is irresistible. Like now. I lean over and kiss Danvers’s tanned cheek. “Thanks, but I’ll be fine.” Then I open the door and slide out like the seat just heated to two-hundred degrees. “See you Saturday!” I call out loudly for Justin’s benefit, forgetting that my luggage is still in the back.

Danvers doesn’t though. Forget that is. He exits the truck like he’s in no particular hurry. This time he only takes one bag in each hand, so he has to make two trips. Each time, he acts like Justin isn’t even there. He places the bags neatly on thesmall front porch by the door. Then he tips his hat at me, a new twinkle appearing in his eye and that damn smirk back in place. “Ingrid, have a nice evening. Welcome to Montana.” The chuckle he’s been holding in escapes as he saunters back to his truck.

I turn to face Justin’s wrath with a sinking stomach.

4

A part of me knows that Ingrid is attempting to rile me up by flirting with a ranch hand. She’s so innocent and naïve she’s overacting. A more subtle show might deceive me long enough to rile my temper. But that’s not what has my blood boiling to the point that my collar feels tight around my throat.

Ingrid stops at the base of the shallow steps. Her pale blond eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks as she takes in a deep breath. Then her coffee-brown eyes meet mine with a newly minted glint of determination.

“Justin,” she enunciates carefully. “What the hell are you doing here?”

I arch one eyebrow in disbelief. “Since when do you swear, Ingrid? And who was that guy?”

She huffs out a laugh of disbelief. “Seriously? That’s all you’ve got to say?” She pushes past me to unlock the door with a shiny brass key she retrieved quickly from under the cushion on the glider. She pauses with one foot inside, her slim shouldersrelaxing like she’s glad to be so close to shutting me out again. “That was Danvers. He’ll be back in a few days to take me shopping.”

Staying patiently where I am, I wait for her to realize I’m not going to be leaving this porch anytime soon. The moving truck is due in a few more hours, and I’m determined to be here for the entire unloading. I’ll grab a hotel room in town when they’ve fully vacated the premises, and I know Ingrid won’t be harassed. “That doesn’t tell me anything,” I grouse.

Ingrid turns slightly to stare at me over her shoulder. “Again, why are you here?”

Since most of the anger has leached from her voice, this time I answer her. “I’m here to make sure nobody tries to take advantage of you. A young woman on her own…” I hesitate to find a way to complete that sentence that won’t set Ingrid off again.

“For how long?”

I stare at her blankly, wondering if I missed something while I was contemplating my words.

“How long are you going to hover?” she bites out, her naturally pale skin flush with emotion.

“When the movers are done and gone, I’ll leave you to get settled in.”

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