The Billionaire of Bluebonnet (5 page)

Huh? Risa blinked. “Come again?”

“I will pay you to come with me to Houston,” he said slowly, his face utterly serious, no hint of a smile touching his mouth. “It doesn't have to be long. A week. Two, max. You come with me, move in to my apartment. Show me how to care for the pig. And then you leave.”

And then you leave. So cut and dry. So simple.

So businesslike. What they'd done last night was anything but businesslike. Could she be around him if all he wanted was a live-in pig maid? Why did that hurt her heart so much? She shook her head. “My friends are expecting me in Dallas.”

He glanced back down at his BlackBerry again, typing. “Do you have a job there?”

She swallowed. “Not yet.”

“I'll pay you twenty grand for two weeks of your time.”

Her jaw dropped.

At her silence, he glanced up again. “Thirty?”

“Thirty's good,” she squeaked. “Just to show you how to care for a pig?”

A slow, devastating smile suddenly curved his hard mouth. “I'd be lying if I said I only had the pig in mind.”

A warm flush heated her cheeks. She bit her lip, not wanting to giggle like a schoolgirl. Or seem too eager. Instead, she pointed out, “This is sounding awfully a lot like a
Pretty Woman
arrangement. I don't know if I approve.”

“It's just for two weeks,” he told her. “And if you want it to be purely business, it can be.” His tone grew crisp and efficient. Oh no. He was retreating to businessman mode. She'd screwed this up.

Her dream man was asking her to spend two weeks with him for a crazy amount of money, and here she was messing it up.

Risa suddenly pushed forward and brushed aside his BlackBerry. Before he could comment on that, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a hard, fierce kiss. His tongue gave hers a possessive stroke in response before she broke the kiss, letting her know that he was very much interested in her. “I want this to be more than business,” she told him. “Don't misunderstand me.”

And that smile curved his mouth again. “Good.”

* * *

With her bags packed, Risa harnessed Gregory and clipped on his leash, determined to take him for one last walk before they left Bluebonnet behind for Houston.

Her motive wasn't entirely altruistic, of course. She needed time to gather her thoughts and clear her mind. Being around Travis was heady, and she wanted to make sure she just wasn't intoxicated with her fantasy of him.

Gregory was excited about the walk, prancing and snorting down the sidewalk. Risa deliberately ignored the sleek, black sedan in the driveway—she didn't want to gawk at it like a rube—as they left the old Victorian house and turned down the street. Pearl had lived two blocks away from Main Street in tiny Bluebonnet, and that was their destination today. Risa had a few people she wanted to say good-bye to . . . and to talk with. Just in case she was losing her mind.

After all, not every woman was offered thirty thousand dollars for two weeks of simply taking care of a pig. Was she crazy to jump on it? Wouldn't she be crazy not to?

The pig's hooves clicked on the sidewalk, his little tail swishing, and she smiled at the sight of him. He was such a good pig. Well mannered, smart, not a biter. She was glad she was going to get to spend a little more time with him and his new owner. She wanted Travis to love Gregory as much as she did, and as much as Pearl had. How could you not love such a sweet animal?

Lost in thought, Risa waved a greeting to passersby as they strolled down the street. Gregory was well known to people in these parts, and she smiled politely when children would come up to pet him, as they always did. Everyone loved seeing the spotted pink and gray pig, and it just further reinforced her decision. She'd go to Houston and make sure that Travis didn't abandon Gregory as soon as her back was turned. If he needed two weeks to fall in love with the pig, by golly, she'd make it happen. Then, when she left them behind, she could be confident that both would be happy with their new circumstance. She owed Pearl's memory no less.

As she passed by the only hair salon in Bluebonnet, she paused thoughtfully, looking into the glass at her reflection. Her hair was a tumble around her head, her eyebrows were dark, unsculpted slashes. She looked down at her nails, noticing they were ragged from where she'd been biting them during the past week due to anxiety over her situation.

Inside the salon, a hand waved and the door clanged open a moment later. A tall, perfectly made-up blonde in a pale tank top and matching white capris tucked a magazine under her arm. “Hey, honey,” Beth Ann cried out. “I was wondering if we were going to see you before you left us for Dallas!”

Risa hugged her friend on the sidewalk, gesturing at the pig. “I was giving Gregory here a walk before I leave. He doesn't travel well.”

Beth Ann gave a little hop, her heeled sandals clicking on the pavement. “Oh mercy, did you meet that billionaire Pearl said was her nephew? Was he gorgeous?”

Risa bit her lip. “Yes and yes. Can we talk for a sec?”

“Of course, honey!” Beth Ann tugged the door to her small salon back open and gestured for Risa to enter. “Come on in. I can put out a bowl of water for your piggy. Does he like cheese and crackers? Celery? I've got a few things in the mini fridge.”

“Celery,” Risa said, slipping inside into the cool air-conditioning. The day wasn't hot yet, but it was definitely going to be a muggy one. “No one here this morning?”

“I have a ten
A.M.
,” Beth Ann said, flipping the lock on the door and then turning around her closed sign before heading to the back of the salon. Risa heard the blonde rooting about in the fridge, then watched her pull out a small bowl and pour a water bottle into it. “Which gives us plenty of time to chat. Have a seat.” She gestured at the salon chair. “Want me to do your nails? Eyebrows?”

“Yes to both?” Risa said with a faint smile, dropping Gregory's leash. The pig immediately ran for the bowl and began to drink in noisy gulps. Risa took the empty chair at Beth Ann's nail station and sat.

“Both, hmm?” Beth Ann gave her a knowing look. “This billionaire must be cute. He single?”

“I sure hope so,” Risa said, and grimaced. “Considering I slept with him last night.”

Beth Ann gave her a wide-eyed look. “You did?”

Risa explained as much as she could about the situation—how she'd had such a crush on him for so very long. How he'd been lonely and staring at her with his hot eyes. How he'd been a little drunk and vulnerable and she'd more or less jumped him. “And I don't regret it. Shouldn't I regret it?”

“Not if he's hot,” Beth Ann said in a practical voice, plugging in the wax heater and then setting a timer. “Does he like Gregory?”

“Not really,” Risa said. At her friend's dismayed look, she rushed on, “He says he's too busy to take care of a pig. He didn't know it was a pig, either. He thought it was a dog. I was sitting right there when he tried to call a shelter to come and pick him up. You know that would have killed Pearl.” She twisted her hands in her lap, and then admitted the rest. “This morning, he offered me thirty grand if I'd go live with him for the next few weeks and show him how to take care of Gregory.”

Beth Ann said nothing for a long moment, and then leaned over to stir the heating wax. “Mmmhmmm.”

Risa couldn't tell if that was a good
mhmm
or a bad
mhmm
. So she continued, “And I think I'm going to do it. I don't have to be in Dallas right away, not really. And it'd be good to show him how to love and care for Gregory. I know that if he has some time with him, he'll get attached. It's impossible not to love Gregory. And someone's got to do the job. Did you know he tried to feed the poor thing tuna casserole this morning?”

“Mmmhmmm.” Beth Ann walked to the shelf of nail polishes and picked up a bottle of pale pink, then began to shake it.

“So what do you think?”

The blonde paused in her nail-polish shaking. “You're asking my opinion? Why?”

Risa twisted her hands. “You don't think this is dangerously close to . . . you know . . . hooking?”

Beth Ann laughed. “Did he offer you thirty grand to sleep with him?”

“Well, no. But I'm going to sleep with him anyhow.”

“Then it's not hooking,” she said bluntly. “It's a case of him being really hot and needing a service you provide. Don't look at it like hooking. Look at it like, I don't know. Pig nannying.”

Risa gave a skeptical snort. “That's a damn expensive nanny.”

“Hey, if you want a specialist, sometimes you have to fork out a little more than you'd expect.” Beth Ann's eyes twinkled with amusement. “It sounds good to me, honey. Thirty grand would set you on your feet when you go to Dallas. In the meantime, you can have your cake and eat it, too.”

With that, Risa began to feel better. She smiled at her friend. “So you don't think I'm selling myself too cheap?”

“Of course not.” With a mischievous grin, Beth Ann picked up a nail file and then Risa's hand. “You tell that handsome, rich man that you know the best hairdresser in town, and she's willing to be bought, too.”

Risa laughed.

* * *

The drive to Houston was more uneventful than Risa had expected.

Gregory wasn't a good traveler—though the pig was good natured and easygoing most of the time, he didn't like being inside a car. He squealed with fright and huddled at Risa's feet for the entire drive, and the driver cast her annoyed looks in the rearview mirror time and time again as she tried in vain to calm the pig down. Travis hadn't said a thing, though.

He'd been on his BlackBerry the entire time. She wasn't sure what to make of that. Surely one man couldn't have that much work, could he? He had people he could delegate to. He could at least chat with her, make her feel a bit easier about her decision.

But he hadn't. He'd only laid a possessive hand on her knee and continued to text and answer e-mails with his other hand, and they drove to Houston in silence.

Well, except for the squeals of the pig.

When they'd hit the outskirts of Houston, she began wondering what area of town Travis lived in. When they headed downtown, her stomach began to sink. As they headed into the arts district and pulled up to the door of a large, posh apartment building, her stomach twisted into a knot.

This building was . . . ridiculous. It was clearly a high-rise intended to cater to the Houston elite. There was even a doorman who rushed forward to get the car door for her. He paused at the sight of Gregory, but recovered quickly, gesturing for her to exit the car.

She did so, biting her lip and holding Gregory's leash tightly. A moment later, Travis was at her side.

“Are you sure this place takes pets?” she asked in a worried voice, staring at the sculpted bushes in front of the glass doors.

“They will,” Travis said, putting a hand at her back to lead her forward.

But Risa couldn't fight her misgivings. When Gregory's little hooves clacked against the marble floors as they moved through the lobby, she winced. When people passed by and gave them frowning stares, she quailed a bit internally. She glanced over at Travis, but he was still occupied with his BlackBerry, even as his hand on her back steered her toward the elevator.

They went up to the top floor, and at the door at the end of the hall, Travis pulled out a key card and ran it through. The door opened with an electronic beep, and he gestured for her to follow him in.

His apartment looked like a showplace, and the nervousness in her stomach grew. Cherry hardwood floors gleamed under a white throw rug. His couches were white leather, the coffee table a delicate glass confection. The far wall was entirely windows, showcasing the Houston skyline. Expensive abstract art hung from the walls. The place looked as if it had never seen a fingerprint or a smudge or a speck of dirt.

And here she'd brought in a pig. And while Gregory was clean, he, like any other animal, had a litter box. And he was bound to spill something at some point. Heck,
she
was bound to spill something.

He'd told her that his life didn't allow for a pet and she'd blithely waved that off as something he was just rebelling against.

But the more she saw, the more uncomfortable she felt. Gregory didn't belong in this man's life any more than she did. Clutching the leash, she turned to give Travis a wary smile. “So . . . what are your plans for today?”

He pulled out the BlackBerry again and she wanted to grit her teeth. He studied the screen, and then clicked a button. “I have three meetings.”

“It's Saturday.”

He glanced at her, his blank look indicating that she was clearly talking nonsense. “Business doesn't stop on the weekend.”

Well, it should
, she thought, but said nothing. “I need to make sure that Gregory has the proper food. Is there a supermarket nearby? And a feed store?”

He wrote down a phone number and handed it to her. “Call my assistant. She can get whatever you need.”

“I can do it.”

Again, he gave her a blank look. “She's my assistant. It's her job to do these things.”

Risa gritted her teeth.

* * *

She spent the day bored as Travis continued to work. Now that he was back in his apartment, he was on the phone constantly, flipping between that and his computer, watching a PowerPoint in a remote meeting presentation, or brokering some sort of consultancy deal, or a jillion other things she couldn't follow. The man was a workaholic.

For her part, she played with Gregory, flipped through a magazine, and then watched some mindless TV. She'd called Travis's assistant with her grocery list and the woman promised to bring it by in a few hours. With the sun close to setting and Travis still hard at work, she put Gregory's leash back on and took him for a walk. This part of Houston was lovely enough, as wealth could buy manicured lawns and perfect nearby walking parks. Gregory enjoyed the excursion, seemingly none the worse despite his harrowing car ride.