Free Cowboy Jackpot: Valentine's Day by Randi Alexander Page A

wild
night and very little sleep. She planned to plug in her phone and crawl right
back into his arms for more nap time.
    Locating her purse under the entryway table, she pulled out
her phone and brought it into the bedroom. She found her charger in her
suitcase and plugged in the phone. "Five messages?"
    How had she not heard them? "Oh yeah." She'd
turned her phone to vibrate on the way up to the suite this morning with
Dallas. Accessing voice mail, she heard the first message. Stormie, whispering,
asking her to call her right away. Oh no, was something wrong?
    The next message was her cousin again. "Jayden told me
something, Kira. Call me. I'll keep my phone in my bra so I can hear it."
    In her bra? Crazy Stormie. What could Jayden have told her
that she needed to know so desperately. Her head swung toward the open bedroom
door. Dallas. It had to be something about him.
    The next two messages were Stormie waiting for a callback,
but the fifth, sent at five in the morning, laid it all out. "Okay, I've
got to tell you this, and I'm sorry to do it over the phone. Jayden said the
only reason Dallas is with you right now is because he doesn’t trust you to
split the jackpot. He said that when you went back to the casino guy's office,
Dallas figured you were working a double-cross."
    A lump of fear plugged Kira's airway. Was that true?
    "Jayden was a little drunk…okay, really drunk, when he
told me, so I don't know if he was making it up or what. But it sounded like
something you needed to know. Anyway, it was good to see you. The folks and I
are heading back to OKC around nine this morning, so I probably won't get a
chance to say goodbye."
    Kira heard Jayden's voice in the background. He sounded a
little drunk.
    "Gotta go, cousin. Love ya!" Stormie had hung up.
    Kira set down her phone, closed the bedroom door, then
walked into the bathroom. Her face in the mirror looked pale and her eyes
looked tired. Was she tired of fighting Dallas's distrust of life, of everyone?
Of her, too? Maybe Stormie was wrong. Maybe Jayden was talking out of his ass.
God knows the kid was full of bullshit. Dallas's behavior hadn't seemed
devious.
    But she needed to be sure. She'd test Dallas, give him one
chance. She didn't want to give up on him based on her gut instinct plus a
drunken cowboy's ramblings.
    She laughed humorlessly as she started the shower. How
pathetic. She was so attached to Dallas, she was willing to ignore her own
instinct? As the water warmed, Kira called her attorney and made sure he was in
Vegas, and would be at the eleven o'clock meeting.
    An hour later, at ten o'clock, Kira leaned over the back of
the couch looking at Dallas as he slept, sprawled along the length of it. So
handsome, so innocent in his sleep. All she wanted to do was crawl in next to
him and enjoy the little time they had remaining together. But she had to know
the truth.
    She hated to do this. Hated that she felt she had to test
him to alleviate her own suspicions. Dressed and packed, she wheeled her
suitcase and banged it against the side table next to the couch.
    He didn't wake.
    She tried it again, this time with a little shout.
    That did it. He hefted in a breath, gave a little cough, and
sat up.
    She walked toward the door, quietly, as if sneaking out.
    "Hey." He jumped up, buck-naked. Pulling the
blanket around his waist, he stumbled after her. "Where are you
going?"
    "I'm just…" She made her voice sound casual, went
for an innocent facial expression. "I was going to say goodbye to
Stormie."
    His brows drew together. "With your suitcase?"
    She shrugged. "We have to check out soon, don't we? I
thought I'd leave my bag at the valet desk and pick it up later when I have to
head to the airport."
    He stepped forward and took her wrist—the one holding the
suitcase—in his hand.
    "Stay. I'll call for a late checkout."
    She let go of the bag and it stood itself upright.
"Okay. Sure. I'll just go find Stormie."
    He didn't release her. "Wait until after I