Whisper My Name Page 7

  “I’m not surprised. She was always manipulative and clever. She wanted you from the first time she laid eyes on you.”

  “But I didn’t want her.”

  “Even after all this time, you are still lying. We were engaged, Rio, but it didn’t matter to you.”

  “I messed up. I think—”

  She glared. “You think,” she released with sarcasm.

  “I tried to contact you, but your agent and friends counteracted my every move.”

  “I would’ve never come back to you. Once I’m done, it’s over.”

  “The slap…I don’t know what came over me that night. I was losing you and I couldn’t let that happen. I apologize. I never meant to hurt you.”

  She uttered a short laugh. “You apologize for slapping me but not for screwing another woman in my bed. You’re unbelievable. How long had you been cheating on me, Rio?”

  “It was the first time.” He dropped his head to keep from meeting her eyes.

  She shook her head in disgust. “You’re lying. I found out about the others. I wanted to see if you would tell the truth after all of this time. You are still a liar and a cheat.”

  He lifted his chin. Anger flashed in his eyes. “That’s always been your problem. You take things too seriously. I’m a man with strong needs. Of course I had other women. So what? It meant nothing. It couldn’t touch what we had. I loved you.”

  “I don’t want that type of love.”

  “Then you don’t want me.”

  “You got something right. I don’t want you. Nothing you could’ve done or said would have made me stay with you. You betrayed me. I could be petty and request to have you replaced on this shoot but I won’t because you being here doesn’t affect me one way or the other. Today will be the last discussion we’ll have on anything personal. From now on, it’ll be business or nothing at all. Do you understand me?”

  He glared at her. She returned it.

  He turned and walked out of the room almost, knocking Lee over at the door.

  “You don’t know how to say excuse me, asshole?” Lee shouted at him.

  “One of these days…” Rio roared. “Get the hell out of my way!”

  Lee got up into his face. “You better be glad I have my best nails on today.”

  Rio pushed past him, slamming out the door.

  “I told him, sista.”

  “Not now, Leroy.”

  His mouth dropped open. “Oh. No. You. Didn’t.” He planted his hands on his skinny hips and slung his head back into a lock position. “You know damn well I’m no longer Leroy. It’s Ms. Lee, honey.”

  Danielle released a long sigh. “Are you going to finish my make-up or do I have to do it myself?”

  He picked up the brushes. “I’m doing it. I won’t let you destroy my masterpiece. Besides, I heard a man asking one of the interns where to find you. I couldn’t see his face because the damn poster board of Adore Cosmetics was in the way. He sounded yummy. I didn’t know you had a new man.” Lee mused.

  “I don’t have a man, Lee.”

  “Damn. Damn and double-decker damn. If you don’t want what’s strolling toward you,” he whispered and then nodded toward the opened doorway, “I’ll certainly take him.”

  Danielle swung around in her chair to face the door. Brody dressed in boots, dark jeans and a black T-shirt, with his long black hair loose around his shoulders, strolled toward her. He came to stand in front her.

  “Hot damn! I can’t breathe,” she heard Lee whisper beside her.

  “What are you doing here?” She tried to come to grips with Brody’s unexpected presence. How did he even know she was at the shoot? “Never mind, big mouth Sally.”

  “Have you eaten?” Brody asked.

  “A half slice of toast and coffee a few hours ago.”

  “You need more than that. I’ve come to take you to breakfast.”

  “I can’t. I’m due on set in five minutes.”

  “I’ll wait.”

  “It could take hours.”

  Brody crossed his large arms across his chest and perfected a stance. “I’ll wait,” he said, again.

  Lee cleared his throat. Danielle ignored him.

  “It’s ridiculous for you to sit around. If you had told me you were coming, I could’ve given you a time to show up.”

  “Are you trying to get rid of me, Danielle?”

  “You don’t understand the long and tedious hours on a shoot. There are many re-takes, wardrobe changes—”

  “Do you want me to leave?” His hard green gaze held hers without blinking.

  She was quiet for a moment. “You can stay.”

  Lee’s loud clearing of his throat escalated.

  Brody ran a finger down her cheek. “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  Her friend poked her side, hard.

  “Ouch! What did you do that for?” Rubbing her side, she glared at him.

  He stretched his hand toward Brody. “I’m Lee, make-up artist extraordinaire, infamous stylist and Danielle’s best friend.”

  He batted his lashes. Brody frowned, but shook his hand.

  “Brody Beaumont.”

  Lee’s eyes widened and his mouth felled open. “Billionaire Texas Beaumont family? The same Brody Beaumont, who dated supermodel, stalker, Lacy Carrs, the man who caused Princess Amanda of Bondorra to break her engagement because she couldn’t get you out of her system, the hunk who caused Hollywood’s ‘It’ girl, Jai Monroe, to tell Vanity Fair she would give up her career to get you back in her bed?”

  “Lee…”

  He looked at Danielle. “You sure know how to pick them, honey.”

  “Don’t you have something else to do, Lee?”

  “No.”

  “Yes, you do,” she stressed.

  “Oh, you don’t need to hit me over the head. I understand you want to be alone with him.” Lee scanned Brody’s body, inhaling with short, deep breaths. “He’s all man, honey” He pointed to Brody. “But you make damn sure you take care of her.”

  Brody watched him leave, a frown still on his face. “Where is he from?” he asked.

  “New York City.”

  “Figures.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked in an acid tone.

  “He doesn’t take any shit from anyone.”

  “And you could tell that how?”

  “He’s very protective of you.”

  “He’s a good friend. One of the very few I have in New York.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “Lee seemed to know quite a bit about you.”

  “All conjecture.”

  “I don’t think so. Lee devours the celebrity magazines and talk shows. He’s obsessed with them. Are you saying that it’s not true?”

  “I’m saying there are always two sides to a story.”

  She laughed. “You’re right. The person telling the story and the paparazzi.”

  “I see you understand a lot better than I thought you did.”

  “I have been their subject a couple of times. I didn’t like it. But you, on the other hand, puts yourself into their hands with your escapades.”

  “Escapades? What… uh…civilized term.”

  She frowned at him. He sounded as if he found the topic funny. She didn’t. Hearing Lee rattle off some of the women he had been with left her annoyed.

  She stood and smoothed the fabric of the black jumpsuit. “I have to go.”

  “I know.” He grasped the back of her head, circled her waist with one arm, and kissed her hard.

  She moaned and moved deeper into the kiss. His arms tightened like steel around her, his mouth moving sensual across her lips. He smelled as she remembered a week ago, a woodsy scent that reminded her of a heavily dense forest. His mouth was hungry and demanding. His body, pressed against hers, was hard, hot and enticing. He wanted her. She damn sure wanted him. For one second she almost surrendered but came to her senses. She pushed at his shoulders. He pulled away but stead
ied her before he removed his hands and stepped back.

  “Go, Danielle.” His voice was raw with need but yet sexy.

  She cleared her throat, averted her gaze and glanced in the mirror behind her. She picked up a tube of lipstick from the counter and reapplied it to her tender lips. Her mouth felt swollen. She tried to breathe. It wasn’t easy with him standing so close to her.

  ###

  Danielle tilted her head, arched her neck, and let her eyes caress the camera.

  “You’ve given me that same pose for the last ten shots, Danielle. Don’t you know how to own the camera? What’s wrong with you? You’re dead in the eyes. I need something! Give me anger, joy, give me sex, if you know how!” Rio snapped. He beckoned the assistants standing around. “Someone touch up her make-up and remove that damn lipstick. It makes her mouth look swollen. I want a softer look.” They scurried to do his bidding.

  She relaxed her posture and glared at him. “It’s an ad shoot not a fashion layout, Rio. I’ve given you more than enough to make it a wrap.”

  “I say you haven’t.”

  She ignored him and started walking away.

  He moved to stand in front of her. “Where are you going?”

  “It’s well past lunch. We have been at this for hours. The crew needs to eat and so do I.”

  “I’m in charge of this shoot. They eat when I say we’re done and not before.”

  Danielle turned to the crew. “It’s a wrap everyone.”

  They wasted no time leaving them alone. Danielle stepped around him.

  He blocked her path again. “I told you we weren’t done.”

  She glared at him, counting to ten to rein in her temper.

  “Is there a problem?” Brody came into view.

  Surprised he was there, she swallowed before speaking. “No, there’s no problem.”

  Rio frowned. “Who the hell are you?”

  “A friend. And you?”

  “Her fiancé.”

  “Ex-fiancé,” she threw out.

  Brody enclosed her into a gentle embrace. “Are you ready, sweetheart?”

  “Yes. Give me fifteen minutes to change,” she said, and walked away without looking back.

  ###

  Rio moved to go after her, but Brody stepped in front of him.

  “What are you? Her bodyguard. Get out of my way,” Rio sneered.

  Brody stiffened perceptibly. He drew in a measured breath. “Not happening.”

  “This is between me and Danielle.”

  “Your best interest would be to leave her alone.”

  Rio laughed cruelly. “I saw you standing in the shadows watching her.” He placed a finger under his chin. “I get it. You’re sniffing around hoping to get lucky. Don’t waste your time. She’s mine and always will be. Did you know I was her first? ”

  Brody shook his head, while every nerve ending in his body stood to attention. “Is that supposed to mean something? Because it doesn’t. She’s no longer yours. She’s off limits to you or any other man who may think she’s available. Stay. The hell. Away from her.”

  Rio grinned. “Are you threatening me?”

  Brody got up close in Rio’s face wanting him to feel and see his anger. “Take it any way you want. Don’t fuck with me. I guarantee you won’t like it.” He moved to walk away but turned back. “It doesn’t matter who was first, who will be the last is the important dominator.”

  Chapter Nine

  They had just finished a late lunch at a little outdoor café near the studio when he asked if she would take a drive with him. She had only nodded wanting to spend more time with him.

  They drove out of Dallas in companionable silence. She was glad he didn’t offer conversation because she wasn’t in the mood for idle chat.

  Her nerves were frayed from her recent encounters, first with Jon and then Rio. Her vacation had become tumultuous in just a few short days.

  She exhaled a long sigh as confusion warred within her thoughts. She dated one man who was a cheat and the next one who turned out to be possessive and abusive. Hell, both of them had uncontrollable anger issues. What was wrong with her? She always made careful decisions about her career, why couldn’t she do that with her personal life? But somewhere, she’d lost focus and everything ricocheted. She was a rational and methodical person but the free fall of bad decisions needed to stop.

  Brody parked the truck in front of some large stables that surrounded the grounds. She observed the beautiful horses grazing on the land and others running around in the corral. She turned to him to find that he was studying her in a tense silence.

  “Do you ride?” he asked.

  She hesitated. “No.”

  He waited.

  “Well, I rode once with Sally, but I didn’t care for it.”

  “It’s because you were nervous. A horse can feel it.” He got out of the truck. Then he strode to her side of the vehicle, opened the door, and reached for her hand.

  “Do you live here?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I own the land, the horses, and the stables.” He pointed to a secluded section further to the right. “I have a small house further up the road.”

  Danielle squinted but couldn’t see anything but wide open space.

  “Sally said you have a huge penthouse in the city and a ranch in Montana.”

  “I do.”

  She waited for him to give more, but he didn’t.

  She looked around the grounds. Many men were busy with horses while others were herding cattle into a far off pasture. “What’s the name of this place?” she asked.

  “Running Waters.”

  “That’s pretty. Is it named for something?”

  He gave her a silent hard look and then said, “My grandfather.”

  “Your grandfather? A Beaumont named Running Waters?”

  She squinted and waited for an answer, none came.

  “Let’s go.”

  She decided not to press for an explanation. She’d thought that he didn’t know anything about his Native American heritage. She was wrong. Evidently, he did but he wasn’t sharing it.

  “Are you going to ride, now?” she inquired.

  “We, both will, but you need to get used to the horses first.”

  She threw him a silent, questioning glance.

  “I’m around them all the time,” he said.

  “Oh.” Confusion flitted through her brain, wondering what that had to do with her.

  No other explanation was offered, but it still bothered her.

  They walked towards an older man rubbing a beautiful gray horse with black spots in his coat.

  Danielle slowed her step as they got nearer.

  Brody took her arm. “Don’t be afraid.”

  She straightened her spine and continued forward. “I’m not.”

  The man turned toward them upon their approach with a wide smile on his weathered face. “Howdy, Mr. Beaumont.”

  “Hey, Jack. How is Sun doing?” Brody ran his hand gently across the animal’s back.

  Danielle looked at the horse’s broad shoulders, proud neck and shiny coat. She had to admit he was exquisite and a magnificent sight to behold.

  “Just fine. He ate a lot better today.” Jack chuckled. “So much so, I had to take the oats away. Didn’t want him to get sick, ya know.”

  “Good. Keep monitoring his water intake,” Brody said as they continued toward a group of stables located to their left.

  “Yes sir, no need to worry. I got it under control.” The man turned back to his chores.

  Danielle walked alongside Brody in silence, observing everything. A few of the cowboys acknowledged them with nods but other ranch hands barely looked their way. Although, there were white men and a few African Americans working on the ranch, more than half of the men were Native Americans.

  “How many horses and cattle do you have on this ranch?”

  “Two hundred and twenty cattle, one
hundred calves, and ninety horses.”

  “Wow. That’s a lot. This a real working ranch.”

  He didn’t say anything. A small smile quickly formed on his face to her comment as they continued on.

  She saw other animals scurrying around the grounds, but they seemed to know their place. They didn’t get in the way of the men who were busy working. Several of the dogs stopped and watched them but soon lost interest.

  She was glad she’d decided to change into a pair of lightweight khaki slacks as it turned into a hot day. Even though her clothing was a little bit dressier than regular denim, she still felt comfortable being on the ranch in them.

  They entered the stables and Brody moved toward a stall that housed one of the largest horses she’d ever seen. She stumbled in her stride but was determined not to show her nervousness.

  “Come closer, Danielle.”

  Her steps were slow but at least she didn’t run. “He’s huge.”

  “He’s a stallion. His name is King.”

  “He looks scary.”

  “He can be aggressive. But he’s also disciplined.” Brody took her arm and maneuvered her forward to the closed gate of the stall. “Don’t touch him.”

  She uttered a nervous laugh. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

  “Just let him absorb your scent,” Brody said.

  As they stood in front of the gate, Brody positioned her in front of him. Through his clothing, she could feel his heat on the curve of her back.

  “The stallion has an inborn tendency to dominate, and can be to some degree affected by the proximity of mares in heat,” he whispered in her ear.

  Her breathing had become difficult. She swallowed hard as his warm breath slid against her neck.

  “Contrary to belief, stallions are not leaders of the herd. The mares are the ones in control. But a male will defend and protect the herd and can be a potential source of danger.” Brody’s arm circled her waist, pulling her against him.

  Her heart jumped at his words, causing warmth to flutter in the lower part of her body.

  “When the herd is at rest all share the responsibility of watching for danger. But the stallion is usually on the edge of the group to defend the herd if needed.” His voice was now low and husky against her skin.