Page 47 of On A Manhunt: Complete Series

DEX

“Did Mav fuck over my sister or not?” Lindy asked, joining me where I watched the doors close on the elevator where her sister and my brother just disappeared.

“Nope,” I told her. We stood side by side, but I turned so her shoulder was against my chest. “He’s one of the good ones.”

She tipped her head back to look up at me. “Wait. You knew?” she practically shouted. “We flew all the way here and didn’t tell us? I can’t believe you made Bridget suffer.”

“Shh, sugar, not so loud,” I said, resting my hand on her arm. Her bare arm that was silky soft and warm beneath my touch.

“Don’t sugar me,” she countered, taking a step back.

I sighed, but tried not to smile. The corner of my mouth twitched from the effort.

“But you’re so sweet,” I countered, although the look she gave me was anything but. “Look. It wasn’t my story to tell. She needed to hear it from Mav himself. Don’t forget she shut down her phone. Mav emailed and called her multiple times.”

She pursed her lips, ones I wanted to kiss so fucking bad. I may have helped Bridget and Mav get together by flying her to Denver, but I had an ulterior motive: to make Lindy Beckett happy.

Because when she opened her front door… Bam!

I’d felt as if I’d been slammed against the boards, had a slapshot to the helmet. Whatever hockey term that had me down for the count because one glimpse of the gorgeous woman and there was no going back.

“Fine, that’s reasonable, but can you tell me now? Please?” she prodded while I stared at her blue eyes framed by ridiculously long lashes. Her pert nose and full lips. All of it I studied and memorized as if it was a new offensive pass in a playbook.

While Lindy didn’t know, she was going to be mine and I’d take out anyone who got in my way until she figured that out.

Yeah, I had it bad. Just like Mav with Bridget. Except while I might be into her, having thoughts about forever and babies, Lindy wasn’t so thrilled with me. For some reason, she thought I was too young. Too… who the hell knew what?

“Sugar, you ask so nicely. I’ll give you anything you want when you beg.”

Her mouth dropped open and her cheeks flushed. Yeah, she hadn’t missed what I was laying down. The way her eyes flared was proof she wasn’t used to a man being a little dominant with her. Or bold.

“They’re back together, right?” Mallory interrupted, sidling up to us with a coffee drink in her hand. She stuck the straw in her mouth and took a deep swig. She believed in the love-at-first-spill-of-coffee between her BFF and my brother.

“Dex was just about to tell me why Maverick broke up with Bridge and then she took him back.” Lindy crossed her arms over her chest, which only lifted up her lush tits, then somehow looked down her nose at me which was impossible since I was at least six inches taller.

My dick got hard–no, harder–at how fucking pretty she was, and her attitude. She’d learn soon enough who was in charge.

“You should aim that anger at your future brother-in-law,” I told her.

“Future… Maverick and Bridget marry? They’ve only been together for a week!”

I wasn’t thinking of Mav being her brother-in-law because of him marrying Bridget. No, it was because I was going to marry Lindy.

I was. I totally was.

I took in her pink toenail polish, her tanned legs that were so fucking long I imagined them wrapped around my waist. No, me holding her ankles against my shoulders as I fucked her.

I wondered what color panties she had on beneath the flirty hem of her blue sundress because I wanted to take them off with my tee–

“Well?” she prompted.

“Woman, it’s been two minutes since they took the elevator,” I reminded.

“She didn’t knee him in the balls?” Mallory asked.

I winced and stopped myself from reaching down and cupping my own. I needed to tell them what was going on. They’d dealt with a sad Bridget all week. I’d been pissed at Mav until he told me the truth.

So I shared it all with them. Mav being a fake groom. Every detail with the hotel guests swirling around us.

While Mallory’s eyes widened as I spoke, Lindy barely blinked.

“That was… a good thing he did,” Lindy admitted when I was done.

Mallory’s shoulders slumped. “God, imagine if Bridge hadn’t given you her phone and ignored Mav,” she said, glancing at Lindy.

They’d still be in a bed fucking like rabbits right now. Maybe not in Denver…

“That’s so romantic” Mallory said on a sigh.

“Our work here is done. I think they’re going to be awhile. Like, maybe, a few days. Mav will take care of her.”

“That’s my little sister you’re talking about,” Lindy snapped.

I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t mean it that way. Jesus, sugar, you have a dirty mind. I like it.” I winked.

Lindy flushed, which was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to see her do that at other times too, like when I got her bare and told her to part her legs to show me her perfect pussy for the first time.

I put her out of her misery by saying, “I’m not all that interested in thinking about my brother’s sex life either. Now yours and mine–”

“I have no sex life,” Lindy countered. When she realized what she said, she flushed even hotter and quickly added, “With you.”

Yet.

I leaned in and whispered in her ear, breathed in her floral scent. “What do you say, sugar, that we get a room and change that?”

I might have made it sound like I was gently flirting, but I was fucking serious. Or serious about fucking.

Her pupils dilated as her eyes roved over my face and settled on my lips.

Oh, she was thinking about it.

I grinned and that snapped her out of it.

“Are you insane? You’re way too young. And… no.” I’d flustered her and I was enjoying it immensely. “I need to get home.”

Mallory’s eyes widened as if Lindy said she wanted to take up belly dancing. “Home? We’re in Denver! At a beautiful hotel. What’s your rush?”

“We don’t have a room–” Lindy replied.

“I kinda know the owners and can probably get you–us–one,” I offered.

“–and I have work to do.”

“You have your laptop in your bag,” Mallory countered, pointing to the leather cross shoulder bag Lindy carried. “Besides, it’s Saturday! Can’t you take a little break?” She held her hand up with her thumb and finger close together.

I didn’t say a word, just listened, watched and learned about Lindy.

How she’d spontaneously flown to Colorado and had enough forethought to bring a laptop.

That she first thought about work now that the Bridget crisis had passed.

That she wasn’t thinking a weekend, or even a day in Denver would be cool.

Or a romp in five-star sheets with me would be fun.

Life altering.

“Do you ever wind down?” I asked.

Lindy shifted her gaze to mine and glared. If lasers could shoot from eyeballs, I’d be a pile of ash on the floor.

“I have a job. It pays the bills. You wouldn’t understand being a James and all.” She glanced around the fancy lobby to get her point across.

Sure, I had family money, but I didn’t need it. I’d made my own fortune from hard work. Skill. Talent.

“Lind, he’s Dex James,” Mallory told her.

Lindy stared at Mallory as if she wondered if the drink in her to-go cup was actually coffee and not something stronger.

“I’m well aware he’s Dex James,” she snapped. “A James trust fund can help anyone wind down.”

“Um, that’s not what I meant,” Mallory replied, her eyes flicking between us.

It was obvious that Lindy had no idea I was a famous professional hockey player for the Colorado Silvermines. Number one draft pick right out of college when I was nineteen. Two Stanley Cup wins.

“She’s right,” I told Mallory. “I’m only Dex James.”

I liked Lindy not knowing who I was. She was being honest and bold, which I didn’t think she’d be if she knew the truth. The longer she was in the dark about my profession, the longer I knew she wasn’t after me for money or fame.

“My millions got you here on a private jet and can also provide stellar lodging,” I continued, “so you should be able to wind down with me. At least until tomorrow when we can go back to Hunter Valley.”

Mallory fist pumped the air. “Yes! We’re staying.”

Lindy glared.

“A room for Mallory and a room for you and me, sugar? I can think of lots of ways we can wind down together.”

Lindy glared some more, then snagged Mallory’s drink and left, speed walking across the lobby to who the hell knew where.

I stared at her ass as she went, and so did other men. I gritted my teeth at the flare of jealousy.

“I’ve known Lindy practically my whole life,” Mallory said. “I’ve never seen her so riled. I swear she doesn’t talk to people like that. Well, except for you.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her glance my way. “Wow. You’ve got it bad.”

“I’m going to marry her.”

She gasped. “Seriously?”

Only when Lindy was out of sight did I look to Mallory. “Seriously.”

She laughed. “Good luck with that.”

“Want to help me pick out a ring?”

Mallory’s eyes lit up. “Hell, yes.”

Lindy was going to be mine, ring on finger, baby in her belly soon enough. I played to win and I was going to win over Lindy Beckett.