Page 1 of The Wrangler

1

KEELY

Milan, Italy

Keely Malone stepped back and surveyed the final touches on the stage, her gaze skimming over the delicate interplay of steel and silk, of sharp modernism and decadent opulence. It was a masterpiece, if she said so herself.

“Perfecto, signorina,” Matteo, the lead lighting designer, murmured, hands on his hips. “The show will be unforgettable.”

She flashed him a quick grin. “Damn right it will be.”

Her job was done. Tomorrow, Milan’s fashion elite would marvel at her work, and she’d be halfway across the Atlantic, sipping champagne and pretending not to notice her brother’s latest attempt at playing overprotective caveman.

The familiar tickle at the back of her neck started the second she stepped into the Via della Spiga. Someone was watching her.

Again.

She didn’t let on that she knew, keeping her stride casual, her heels clicking against the cobblestones as she weaved through the throng of impossibly stylish pedestrians. It could be any number of people. A pickpocket. A lovesick designer looking to poach her for another project. A reporter sniffing around for an inside scoop on the show.

Ever since she’d spotted him trailing her back at the fashion venue, all sharp angles and brooding authority, she’d known Reed had sent one of his Silver Spur guys to babysit her. Did he think she hadn’t listened when he taught her to never enter a room without assessing potential escape routes or how to thwart a kidnapping attempt? Her brother meant well, but he was a giant pain in the ass.

And, of course, it had to be Jesse. Jesse Bryant—the man was impossible. He was always so serious, always regarding her as a problem to solve rather than a woman to admire.

Even if she hadn’t caught the brief glimpse of his scowl, she would’ve known by the way her pulse kicked up. Jesse had that effect on her—on everyone, probably—but he’d never been one to acknowledge it.

A mistake on his part.

Well, if he was going to shadow her all over Milan, she might as well make it interesting. Keely bit her lip, holding back a smile. Game on.

She ducked into a side alley, quickening her steps before emerging onto another street. The city was a maze, and she knew every shortcut, every hidden courtyard. She slipped into a boutique, watching from the reflection in a mirrored display as a broad-shouldered man prowled past.

With a flick of her hair, Keely slipped out the back of the boutique, cutting through the café’s narrow alleyway, weaving between tables as she murmured soft apologies in Italian. The air smelled of espresso and fresh pastries, but she had no time to linger. She stepped onto the next street, quickened her pace, and let out a quiet laugh.

Let’s see what you’ve got, cowboy.

She slipped between a pair of strolling tourists, took a sharp right, then ducked into a side alley, her heels clicking against thecobblestones as she made another quick turn. Daring. Testing. Winning.

Keely grinned to herself, slowing her steps as she prepared to loop back toward the main street. Poor Jesse. He must have been furious—probably scowling and muttering curses under his breath, already planning a gruff, bossy lecture about safety for the moment he caught up with her.

Except… The moment she rounded the corner, she crashed into a solid immovable object. All broad shoulders, muscled torso and controlled stillness, watching her like a predator who had known exactly where his prey was going to run.

Her grin faltered.

“Shit.”

A slow, wicked smile curved Jesse’s lips. “Lose something, darlin’?”

Damn it.

Keely let out a dramatic sigh. “I was hoping for someone more exciting. Maybe a dark and dangerous Italian looking to sweep me off my feet.”

Jesse arched an eyebrow. “That so?”

She waved a hand. “Instead, I get you.”

He stepped closer, crowding her, forcing her to lift her chin to meet his gaze. “And what exactly is wrong with me?”

Keely knew better than to play with fire. Knew Jesse wasn’t the kind of man she could push too far before getting burned. But she’d been living on the edges for too long, pretending she didn’t notice the way he looked at her when he thought no one was watching. She refused to believe she was the only one feeling this pull between them.

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