Surrender to Temptation by Ednah Walters Page B

said.
    Lex snickered. “Okay? She’s stunning.”
    Chase frowned. “Is that interest I hear in your voice?”
    “Maybe.”
    A wave of possessiveness washed over Chase, blindsiding him. He had no claim on Nikki Savoy. Sure, her comment about him not being her kind had rankled, but if Lex was interested in her, he was welcome to court her. His brother was unstoppable, like a force of nature. Any woman who caught his interest didn’t stand a chance and was off limits.
    “You should fly out and visit,” Chase said.
    “Maybe I will. Do you need anything else?”
    Chase chuckled. Lex used to ask that very same question when Chase was in college. He was thirty-four now, too old to be running to his brother for help. “Nah. I’m good.”
    “Have you spoken to Mom?”
    Chase winced. She must have complained to him. “Not in the last week or so. I’ll call her.”
    Chase put the phone down and leaned back against his seat.
    As far as brothers went, Lex was not bad. He was a rock. That didn’t mean he wasn’t anal. Chase and Baron were fourteen, Jade twelve, and Lex eighteen when their father had died. From giving up his college of choice to letting go of the woman he’d loved, Lex always put their family first. Sure, the uncles did their part, but Lex was the oldest boy in their family and he’d taken that responsibility seriously.
    The day Chase woke up in the hospital blind, Lex had done what he did best, taken charge. After the doctor’s prognosis about his sight and his fiancée’s disappearance, Chase had shrouded himself in a cocoon of indifference and refused to let anyone in. One by one, his family had tried to reach him, failed, and backed off. Not Lex. He’d had flown out to Montana every weekend, pushed and nagged until Chase had lost his numbness. That was the kind of brother he was. Chase frowned. If Lex was interested in Nikki, he would make sure his brother got a chance with her.

CHAPTER 5
     
                                                                
    Nikki stretched and smiled. Fresh air drifted through the lacey curtains into the room, bringing with it birdcalls and glimpses of clear blue sky. She’d had a restful night. No worries about dashing to the hospital or sleeping through her alarm clock.
    Her eyes flew to the bedside clock. Nine-thirty? She’d overslept. She threw back the covers, raced to the bathroom, and splashed water on her face. First day and she overslept. What would Fitzgerald think? Chances were he had already gone riding without her. He didn’t seem like the patient kind.
    She went to her bedroom door, opened it, and peeked into the hallway. No one was around. She angled her head. No sounds came from downstairs. Closing the door, she went to find something to wear.
    Nikki changed into the pair of jeans she’d worn yesterday and a blue tank top. Biting her lower lip, she contemplated the rest of her wardrobe. Even if Amelia mailed her extra pants and tops, she was still going to need a few hardy clothes. Maybe boots. She didn’t own a pair. Long-sleeved shirts. She read somewhere they were perfect for riding and had packed a couple. Her mother had replaced those, too.
    “Thanks, Mama,” Nikki muttered.
    Sighing, she brushed her hair, pulled it back into a ponytail, and headed downstairs. The silence around the house was eerie. She needed coffee. She couldn’t function without a cup. She pushed the kitchen door and groaned. It was empty.
    “Good morning, dear,” Mrs. B called out from behind her.
    Nikki jumped and whipped around, her face warming. “Morning. Sorry, I overslept. I don’t know what happened because I don’t usually sleep in.”
    Mrs. B dismissed Nikki’s words with a wave and a broad grin. “It’s the air. When I moved here, I slept like a log. Chase had to get his own breakfast for weeks and didn’t like it one little bit. Neither did I,” she added in a low tone, grinning. “He’d