I smiled. “We’re already family.” Blake waltzed out of the building with something in his hand. “I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay. And remember . . . don’t get attached. You’ll be leaving there soon.”
“You have nothing to worry about. I’ll talk to you later.” I hung up and unlocked the doors just in time for Blake to reach the handle.
He opened the door and tossed something in my lap. “That’s for you. It’ll help your skin.”
I read the label on the tube; it was prescription strength antihistamine cream. “Did you go in there just for this?”
“Don’t get used to it, princess. I’m not a nice guy.”
I smiled. “And I’m not a nice girl. Remember, you still have a payback coming your way.”
He burst out laughing. “I look forward to it.” He wouldn’t be saying that once I got done with him.
As soon as we arrived at his ranch, we got out of the car and he grabbed my bag. “What made you change your mind about me?” I asked, following him to the door.
“Does it matter? I apologized for being a dick, didn’t I?” He opened the door and held it wide for me.
“And I appreciate that.” I held up the cream. “But the Blake I met wouldn’t have given a rat’s ass about my skin. I want to know what changed.”
Sighing, he set my bag down. “Why do you care?”
“Because I do,” I said, scratching my arm.
His gaze landed on my reddened skin. “I think we need to focus on one thing at a time.” Taking the cream from my hand, he nodded toward the couch. “Sit down. I’ll put this on your back.”
Eyes wide, I gasped. “I’m not taking off my shirt.”
He rolled his eyes. “You can lift it, not take it off. You won’t be able to reach back there.” Grasping my elbow, he gently pulled me to the couch. “Come on, I’m not going to molest you. I know your boyfriend wouldn’t appreciate it.”
“You mean Nick?” I asked, taking a seat on the couch.
He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess so. Not unless you have more than one. Nick’s the hockey player right?”
Taking a deep breath, I lifted the back of my shirt, trying my best to keep my chest covered. “Yes, but he’s not my boyfriend. He’s my agent’s brother. They thought it would get the stalker off my back if I made it known I was with someone.”
“That worked well. Are you worried about him?”
I nodded. “More than anything. I hated having to leave him.”
“He’ll be all right. I’ve seen him play. He takes down everyone on the rink.”
The thought made me smile. I missed watching him and the guys play. “That’s what gives me hope. I just pray he’ll be able to get back on the ice. Hockey is his life.”
Taking the cream, he squirted some in his hands and rubbed them together. When he touched me, I sucked in a breath. “Is it cold?”
“No,” I breathed. “It’s fine.”
“We should probably take you to get more clothes. Not unless you want to wash the same couple of outfits every day.”
“Not really. But do you think it’s safe to go out in public?”
You’ll be fine. Plus, you have your new identity. No one in this town is going to believe Hadley Rivers is here.”
I glanced at him over my shoulder and didn’t realize he was so close. His fingers stopped on my skin, our lips were only a few inches apart. “Why is it so hard to believe? I like the mountains.”
He lifted a brow. “Do you like hiking them too? I know they’re pretty to gaze at, but there’s so much you can’t see by looking at them from afar. A city girl like you couldn’t hang on the trails.”
“Wanna bet?”
A mischievous gleam sparkled in his eyes. “How about this . . . we take you to get some new clothes tomorrow, then the next day, I take you hiking.”
I loved proving people wrong, especially when they thought I couldn’t do something. “What are we betting?”