Chill Out Read online

  Table of Contents

  Excerpt

  Praise for Jana Richards

  Chill Out

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Epilogue, One Year Later

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  The bedroom door swung open, and Renata stood in the opening wearing a short robe that revealed her lovely legs. A light floral fragrance drifted to his nose—he envisioned a field of flowers. Spike brushed past her and entered the room.

  “Oh! I didn’t realize you were with Spike.”

  “I’m sorry. When he gets a notion, he’s pretty hard to stop. I’ll get him out.”

  “No, that’s okay. I don’t mind having him in my room. Besides, I doubt you could make him leave if he doesn’t want to.”

  She was probably right. “You’re sure? He snores something awful. And did I mention the drool?”

  She smiled. “Yes, I discovered the delights of sleeping with Spike last night. But I have to admit, I kind of like having the big lug around.”

  “You’re sure you don’t mind?”

  “I’m sure.” She took a step backward into her room, holding the door between them. “I should get some sleep.”

  “Yeah.”

  She hesitated, as if waiting for him to speak. For a moment he thought she was going to invite him into her room. But then she swallowed and lowered her gaze.

  “Goodnight, Noah. Sleep well.”

  “Goodnight.”

  She quietly closed the door. Noah’s heart beat frantically as he stood outside. He wanted her in a way he hadn’t felt in a very long time, a deep primal urge, an overwhelming desire. Should he knock, ask to come in, ask to spend the night with her? Should he throw caution to the wind and let her know how he felt?

  Praise for Jana Richards

  “Richards has a knack of developing characters with real depth.”

  ~Belinda Williams, Belinda Williams Books

  “Jana Richards is a new to me author and if this is the norm for her I will definitely be on the lookout for more works by her.”

  ~Dianthus, Long and Short Reviews

  “Ms. Richards knows how to keep a reader turning page after page.”

  ~Coffee Time Romance

  “So, in summary, put aside your book markers because you won't need them; turn off the phone because you won't want to be interrupted, lock the door, and ENJOY this one by Jana Richards.”

  ~Seriously Reviewed

  Chill Out

  by

  Jana Richards

  A Candy Hearts Romance

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Chill Out

  COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Jana Richards

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by RJ Morris

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Champagne Rose Edition, 2016

  Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-0370-3

  A Candy Hearts Romance

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To Warren, my Valentine

  Chapter One

  His breath was hot on her face. Renata moaned as he licked the shell of her ear, his wet tongue rasping over her sensitive skin. Blindly, she reached up to touch his smooth hair, his soft beard, his wet nose…

  Wait. His what?

  Renata woke with a start. And came face to muzzle with the biggest dog she’d ever seen in her life. Or perhaps it was a pony. She wasn’t awake enough to tell.

  “Holy crap!”

  At her high-pitched squeal, the dog backed away from the sofa where she’d fallen asleep after arriving at her friend’s cottage. Renata climbed over the top of the sofa, then peeked over the edge and raised her fists. How boxing was going to help if the beast decided to rip her throat out, she had no idea, but she wasn’t going down without a fight.

  “Where the hell did you come from?”

  “He’s with me.”

  Renata jumped at the sound of the deep male voice coming from behind her. She whirled to face him, her heart in her throat. A long-haired man with an unkempt brown beard was in the kitchen, unloading groceries from white plastic bags. He looked as big and scary as the dog.

  She lifted her fists a little higher, trying to disguise her fear. “My husband is upstairs. With a gun. All I have to do is scream, and he’ll be down here in a flash.”

  “Relax, nobody’s going to hurt you. It’s Renata, isn’t it?”

  Alarm bells clamored in her head. “How do you know my name?”

  “Tyler told me. He’s an old friend. He loaned me the use of the cottage for a few weeks, but apparently he and Caroline had a miscommunication about who was staying here this weekend.”

  Caroline Montgomery was her best friend and business partner. She and her husband Tyler owned the cottage in question. It was located on the shores of Falcon Lake, a little over an hour’s drive from Winnipeg, and Caroline had offered it to her as a refuge this Valentine weekend.

  “I don’t believe you. Caroline would have contacted me. How do I know you’re not a thief?”

  He held up a can of soup. “Do most thieves bring their own groceries to a heist?”

  She frowned. He had a point. Still, it freaked her out that some stranger had just waltzed through the door while she was sleeping.

  “How did you get in? I’m sure I locked the door.”

  “Tyler left a key. I called out, but you didn’t wake up. Do you always sleep like the dead?”

  She glared at him. Her sleeping habits were none of his damn business. She’d arrived exhausted after working full tilt since six that morning so she could clear her desk and get away for the weekend. He was the one with some explaining to do.

  Keeping one eye on the dog, she grabbed her purse and pulled out her phone. “I’m calling Caroline to check your story.”

  “Knock yourself out.”

  She saw immediately that she’d missed a phone call and several texts from Caroline. She really had been sleeping like the dead. She scrolled to the first text.

  Sorry, sorry, sorry! Just found out Tyler told his friend Noah he could stay at the cottage. Noah just called saying he was almost there! Going to kill Tyler!

  “Crap.”

  He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. So this Noah person was legit. Renata wanted to scream in frustration. All she’d wanted was a peaceful couple of days alone to read romance novels and hide out from her family. Was that so much to ask for?

  She scrolled to the next text.

  Where are u? Understand if u r not speaking to me. All Tyler’s fault!

  “So you’re a friend of Tyler’s?”

  “Yeah, we go all the way back to elementary school. I’ve been out of the country and needed a place to stay, and Tyler offered. I’m Noah Brownlee, by the way.”

  “Renata Cabral. Caroline and I own an accountin
g business together.”

  “So she said. I’m sorry about this.”

  “Not as sorry as I am.”

  Caroline’s subsequent texts were progressively more frantic, and more than a little weird.

  Is he there yet? Are u not answering cuz you’re dazzled by his good looks? #smokinghot! Text me all the juicy details!

  Smoking hot? Renata glanced surreptitiously at the hairy man in the kitchen. She didn’t mind a man with a little scruff, but this guy had taken scruffy to new lows. The faded plaid shirt and beat up denim jeans made him look more homeless than handsome, but she had to admit he had broad shoulders and a trim, athletic build.

  Will make it up to u! Spa day with mani/pedi. My treat! Call me, please!

  Tyler is so dead! Went out to lake to leave key for Noah & didn’t tell me. The jerk!

  Okay, now I’m getting worried. Where r u? Could have sworn Noah wasn’t an axe murderer. Call me!

  It was time to put her friend out of her misery. Renata dialed her number.

  “Hi, Caroline.”

  “Renata! Thank God! Are you okay?”

  “Yes, of course. I fell asleep, that’s all.”

  “Is Noah there?”

  “Yeah, he’s here.”

  “I’m so sorry. It’s all Tyler’s fault.”

  “Don’t be mean to poor Tyler. You didn’t tell him you’d given me the keys either, did you?”

  “Well, no…”

  “Look, it’s not a big deal. I can be home in a couple of hours.” As much as she hated the idea of driving back to Winnipeg in the middle of the night and possibly having to face her family, the thought of staying in a remote cottage with a man she didn’t know was even more unpalatable. Even if he wasn’t an axe murderer. “What time is it?”

  “Nearly midnight. I’m sorry. I know how much you wanted to be out of the city over Valentine’s Day.”

  “Maybe I’ll check into a hotel under a fictitious name. That should keep my mother off my trail.”

  “Would it really be that terrible to go to the wedding?”

  Renata shivered. “Worse than terrible. You know my family.”

  “Kevin’s not worth all this trouble, you know.”

  “I know.” She swallowed. “I’m just not ready to deal with it, especially this weekend.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  She couldn’t help chuckling. “So you’ve said. Maybe this is a good time to ask about borrowing your new Italian leather purse.”

  “We’ll talk on Monday and see if I’m still feeling guilty.”

  “I’m kidding, Caro.”

  “I’m not. Promise me you’ll call as soon as you get home. I won’t be able to sleep until I know you’re safe and sound.”

  “I promise. Goodnight.”

  She ended the call and turned to face Noah. “I’ll pack my things and be on my way.”

  He continued to put away canned goods. “You might want to reconsider.”

  “Why?”

  “Take a look outside. The snow’s coming down pretty hard, and the roads are bad. I’d offer to leave myself, but I almost didn’t make it here.”

  Renata made her way to the front door, taking a wide berth around the dog, who watched her every move, his massive head resting on outstretched front legs. When she opened the door, a gust of wind nearly ripped it out of her hands. Noah hadn’t been kidding. She could barely see her car through the heavy, swirling snow. With a groan of frustration, she pushed the door shut. She’d lived on the Canadian prairies all her life, and a little snow and cold didn’t bother her. But she wasn’t stupid. Driving a hundred and twenty kilometers through a blinding blizzard in the dark was a really dumb idea.

  “It’s not safe for you to be out there. You should stay the night,” Noah said. “With any luck, the storm will have blown itself out by morning and you can be on your merry way.”

  She knew it was the only solution, but not a comfortable one. What did she really know about this guy, aside from his friendship with Tyler?

  She glanced toward the door, and sighed. She didn’t have any choice.

  “You’re right. Thanks.”

  He rolled his broad shoulders and stretched. “It’s late, and I’m tired. Where are the bedrooms?”

  “Upstairs.” Renata pointed to the staircase. “I’ve already got my things in one of the guest rooms.”

  Noah snapped his fingers. “Come on, Spike. Time for bed.”

  “Spike? That’s the beast’s name?”

  The dog lumbered over to him, and Noah scratched his ears. “Hey, you can say whatever you like about me, but don’t insult my dog. He’s a great guy. Why don’t you pet him? He loves a good scratch.”

  Renata shuddered. “No, thanks.”

  “Seriously, you don’t have to be scared of him. He’s a big softie, aren’t you, boy?”

  The dog’s tongue lolled out the side of his mouth as Noah vigorously scratched his flanks. He didn’t seem aggressive, but he was just so incredibly big.

  “Are you afraid of dogs?” he asked.

  “Not normally. But you’ve got to admit Spike is pretty intimidating.”

  “English Mastiffs are known as gentle giants for a reason. If they were any more laid back, they’d be comatose.”

  Renata couldn’t help but smile at that. “So Spike has never bitten anyone?”

  “No, but he’s nearly drowned a few people in slobber. Why don’t you say hello? If we’re going to be roomies for a while, I don’t want you to be scared. I swear he won’t hurt you.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “I’ll be right here, Renata. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Renata blinked at him, momentarily arrested by the kindness in his strikingly blue eyes. She took a deep breath and started toward them. When she was within touching distance of the dog, she stopped, afraid to take her eyes off him.

  “Now what?”

  “Hold out your hand and let him sniff it.”

  “If I stick my hand under his nose, can you guarantee I’ll get all five fingers back?”

  “I guarantee your fingers are safe.”

  “Okay, you’d better be right.”

  Tentatively, she reached out her hand. Spike sniffed it for a moment, then ran his wet tongue over her palm. Surprised, she pulled her hand back.

  “It’s okay. He’s just saying he likes you,” Noah said with a grin. He had a nice smile with even, white teeth. For a moment Renata found herself wondering what he looked like under the whiskers.

  She pulled her gaze away from Noah, and extended her hand to Spike once more. This time she was prepared when he licked it.

  “Why don’t you try a scratch behind his ears? He loves that.”

  Renata lifted her hand to Spike’s huge head, gently rubbing at first, then using her nails to scratch. Spike bowed his head and leaned into her hand. When she stopped, he looked up at her with adoring eyes.

  “He really does like me!”

  Noah grinned. “Sure he does, but don’t let it go to your head. He likes pretty much everyone.”

  Renata ran her hand along Spike’s back. “Maybe, but we’ve got something special going on, don’t we, sweetie?”

  In answer, the dog licked her hand once more.

  “You’re right. Spike is a sweet guy. Like the saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover.”

  She wondered if the same was true for Noah. Was there a sweet guy lurking under his hairy cover? Or was he the kind of guy who would take advantage of their situation?

  The smile left his face. “Look, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m not going to push my way into your room in the middle of the night.”

  Renata blushed and wondered if he’d read her mind. “Thank you.”

  “I hope you’ll respect my privacy, as well.”

  She stared at him, stunned. Was he actually worried about her making advances? “I wouldn’t dream of disturbing you.”

  “Good. As long as we underst
and each other.”

  “Don’t worry. Your message is loud and clear.”

  She watched them climb the stairs, seething at his parting words. Spike turned his head halfway up and gave her a doleful glance, as if apologizing for his master’s rude remark.

  She couldn’t wait to leave in the morning.

  Chapter Two

  Noah stared at the ceiling of his bedroom. Stupid, stupid, stupid. What had prompted him to make such a rude remark to Renata?

  One minute she’d been smiling at him, her lovely brown eyes full of amusement, and the next he’d panicked and opened his big, fat mouth. She was sweet and funny and, according to Tyler, wicked smart. Exactly like Kendall.

  What had made him think he could come home?

  It was too late to regret his decision. After two years, he was back in Canada. He’d meet his brother in Winnipeg and then decide whether to continue his self-imposed exile or make his homecoming permanent. His stomach knotted. Would Dylan even want to meet with him?

  Spike rolled over and took most of the blankets with him. Noah tugged them back. Apparently Spike’s former owner had allowed him to sleep in her bed, under the covers, no less, and no matter what Noah did, he couldn’t persuade the dog to sleep on the floor. In the week they’d been together, on their drive from Toronto to Falcon Lake, Manitoba, Spike had pushed his way into his hotel room bed every night. When they got their own place, he was going to have to lay down some laws, and the first was going to be that dogs slept on the floor.

  He changed positions, trying to make himself comfortable once more. Despite his discomfort, it was hard to stay mad at Spike. Noah smiled when he thought of the way his dog had won over Renata. Once more he saw her dark, expressive eyes, ringed by long, thick lashes. She was a nice woman, and he’d insulted her by insinuating she wouldn’t be able to keep her hands off him.

  What a joke. He knew he didn’t exactly look his best these days, and until now his appearance hadn’t concerned him. Stroking his beard, he tried to remember when he’d last shaved. What about his hair? How long since he’d cut it? Two years? Three? Where he’d been, no one cared about his looks, and he’d stopped caring too. But maybe it was time to return to the land of the living. And good grooming.