Lucas slid back in his seat, crossing one leg over the other. His brother didn’t say a single word, just gave the hawk-like stare that had helped him win numerous cases in the courtroom.
“I’m not used to you apologizing for anything. It threw me for a moment,” Lucas admitted. “First, let me finish before you give your thoughts. I want you to hear me out before you disagree with my idea.”
“Fine, I will listen.”
“I have been discussing with Tanner and Morgan about doing something for Dante’s baby. This will be the first niece or nephew for our family. We are all excited about Amara being pregnant. However, we don’t know what to send them. After talking to Griffin, I found out that she is further along than we first thought, so the clock is ticking.”
Rowan was momentarily speechless in his surprise. He thought the proceeds from the calendar were going to be their gift to Dante and Amara. “I hadn’t given any thought to buying any kind of baby gift for them,” he admitted ashamed. “What does that say about me?”
“Nothing,” Lucas quickly answered. “I have been thinking about it since Morgan told me about Amara’s post on Facebook after he accepted her friend’s request.”
He hated to be the one who thought the worst all the time, but he had to say it. “I need to be honest and put it out there. Dante hasn’t accepted anything we have been trying to do to get closer to him. Why would he take a baby gift from his estranged brothers?”
Lucas drummed his fingers against the arm of the chair. “I thought about that as well, but we are doing the calendar for Amara, not Dante. So, we decided whatever we get will be for Amara and the baby. You remember how Dante protected her at the hospital? He loves her, and if she loves our gift Dante won’t take it away from her. Can you at least think about going into this with us?”
For a split second, Rowan almost told Lucas no, but he fought down the urge. “Yes, I would like to be a part of whatever the rest of you decide to do. I don’t want to be left out.”
“Great,” Lucas replied, standing up. “Thanks for not saying no. I’ll let you get back to work and when I get an idea or two I will run them past you. Just don’t get too buried in your paperwork and forget to take another step outside these walls.” His brother glanced down at the paperwork on his desk then looked back at him. “It was nice to see you outside for another reason besides dealing with dealing with the ranch. You looked really good standing next to Ms. Mathis. Have you thought about asking her out on a date?”
“I don’t…”
His brother held up his hand, cutting him off. “Hey, we actually talked more than ten minutes without getting into a fight. How about we leave it alone?”
“Fine,” he reluctantly agreed. “I’ll talk to you in a few days and you can give me an update.”
“Sounds good to me,” Lucas agreed, walking away and then out of the door closing the door behind him.
Staring at his closed office door, Rowan couldn’t get over how nice it felt talking to Lucas without any animosity between them. His brother usually avoided him. It brought back flashes of good memories of when they were younger and got along with each other before Dante got sent away. He might be older now, but he didn’t want to lose any more brothers like he had done with Dante. But, he would never admit that to Morgan, Lucas, or Tanner.
No, he would just keep that piece of information to himself and steadily work to make Dante find a place for him in his life again. He had loved being a part of the Braden Five as a little boy and secretly hoped it would happen again.
Picking up a gold pen, he grabbed a profit report about the ranch and began working. He tried to focus his mind on the numbers, but his thoughts wandered into a different direction that didn’t have anything to do with Dante or his brothers…Akayie had taken over now.
Why couldn’t he stop wanting to be around her more and more? She was stubborn, opinionated, and didn’t know how to leave well enough alone. Akayie was everything he avoided in a woman. So, why was he going towards her instead of in the opposite direction?
Chapter Nine
Raising the camera to her face, Akayie stared through the lens at Colin. “Move back a little bit so the sun can hit you some more. The lighting coming from the top of the stable will enhance the look I’m trying to get from you,” she insisted.
Colin took off his cowboy hat and ran his fingers through his thick, sun-streaked blond hair. “Are you sure the boss is fine with us being this far out?” he asked, taking a quick glance around his surroundings. “I don’t want Mr. Braden to lose his temper with us.”
Sighing, Akayie moved the camera away from her face. This was her first day taking photos for the calendar. She wanted Colin relaxed and comfortable in front of the lens, not worrying about his boss showing up out of the blue.
“I promise you that we aren’t going to get into any kind of trouble,” she insisted. “Now, how about you give me that sexy smile I saw when I first met you? You captivated me with it, so I know other women around the world want to get lost in those baby blues of yours and imagine what kind of secrets you are keeping from them.”
Colin had the kind of rugged sex appeal that even the most sophisticated women denied they wanted, but dreamt about when they were alone at night. Right now, he was her top pick for the calendar cover. He had all the traits, from his baby blue, hypotonic eyes to the lopsided smile that would make any woman hang him on their wall.
“If you’re sure.” He hesitated, but she could see the excitement on his face. Colin wanted to enjoy his time in front of her camera.
“Positive. Now, how about you take off that shirt so I can get some sexier shots?” she suggested. “We want something that will have the calendars flying off the shelves.”
“I’ll see what I can do for you,” Colin said, smiling and then stripping out of his shirt. He tossed it to the side. “Where do you want me again?”
Looking around, Akayie spotted a tree in the distance with a low hanging branch. She could see him standing there against it with the sun shining over his shoulder. “I want you to move over there by that tree. I know the pictures I want to take will look better with that as a backdrop.”
He glanced at the tree and then back over to her. “You’re the professional. If you think that will make a better shot, then I will take the pictures.”
Akayie had taken a variety of shots in different places. She wanted more than one look to choose from when it came to the cover. She liked how easygoing Colin was, at first. Colin hadn’t complained about any of it until they came to this last location. She could see the change in his body language instantly.
“Is there a reason we shouldn’t be out here taking pictures?” she asked.
She and Rowan weren’t at each other’s throats anymore, so she didn’t want to do anything to break their truce they had formed. For a split second, Colin looked like he was going to tell her something, but the moment passed quicker than it came.
“No, there isn’t any reason that we can’t shoot over there,” he said, snatching his shirt up off the ground. “Let’s go. I only have a few minutes left before I have to head back to work.”
Instead of saying anything else, Akayie just followed behind Colin, hoping nothing came up to take the remaining time she had left to work with him.
* * * *
Forty minutes later, Akayie walked past the open door of the stable when a man’s voice coming from inside caught her attention. Turning on her heel, she wandered slowly inside. It took several seconds for her eyes to adjust to the semi-darkness. She continued towards the back of the stable and stopped when she spotted Rowan standing there rubbing a beautiful chestnut stallion.
It only took her a few seconds to realize that his white Stetson was off his head and the sunlight coming through the small window was shining off his dark brown hair. The image he made was captivating. She slowly eased her camera up to her eyes and took several shots. The lens loved the angle of Rowan’s tall, muscular frame because
every position of his body resulted in one amazing shot after another. She only hoped that when he posed for her, his calendar pictures would be this easy. Rowan still hadn’t agreed to his photos yet, but maybe now would be the best time for her to get a confirmation from him. This was the most relaxed she had seen him since they had met each other.
Lowering her camera, Akayie moved closer to Rowan but she stepped on something and it crunched under the heel of her boot, making Rowan’s dark head swing in her direction. He captured her eyes, piercing the distance between them. For a long moment, she looked back at him and studied his face, feature by feature.
“Good morning, Ms. Mathis. How did the photo session go with Colin?” he asked, turning to face her fully. “I hope you got enough time with him.”
“Morning, Mr. Braden. Yes, I did have enough time with Colin. He’s very photogenic. I got a lot of great shots of him. I think he’s going to be a great addition to the calendar. How are you doing this morning?” she asked, walking up to him.
Akayie paused at Rowan’s side, then turned her head and focused her attention on the beautiful animal. Reaching out, she slowly patted the horse’s shiny coat. Everything about the animal was breathtaking.
“My morning is going well. I had some free time, so I decided to come out here and check on Duke. He had been having problems with his leg. I called the vet to come and check him out for me.”
“Oh, is he alright?” she asked, removing her hand and looking up at Rowan. “He is such a stunning animal.”
Being this close to him, she could still feel the attraction that seemed to be there, always simmering between them. He was so disturbing to her in every way. There was a tingling in the pit of her stomach as he watched her closely.
“Yes. Duke is getting better. The vet said with another week of rest he should be back at hundred percent, and I’d be able to start training him again to race,” Rowan answered, leaning against the stall.
“I’m surprised to see you in here. You don’t come across like a woman who would be interested in horses or ranch life in general.”
Akayie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at Rowan’s comment about her. Where would he get something like that from? He knew nothing about her. “Why would you say something like that?” she questioned. “How do I come across to you?” She couldn’t hide the hint of anger in her voice.
“Hey. I wasn’t trying to insult you. I’m just saying you look like you spend more time in a spa or working at an exotic location than in Texas on a ranch.”
“I’ll have you know that my grandparents had a small farm that I went to every summer when I was a child. In addition, I used to ride anytime I got a chance to when I was there, but I graduated from high school and went off to college and things changed. I wasn’t able to go there as much,” she confessed sadly.
“I apologize. I shouldn’t have judged you. I guess looks can be deceiving. Did you go to college for photography?”
Akayie hated talking about her time at college, but she had brought it up, so she couldn’t ignore Rowan’s question. She just had to make sure to keep the memories at bay which was hard to do at times.
“No, I was studying to be a veterinarian, but after taking a photography class as an additional credit I fell in love as soon as I looked through the camera lens. I changed my major the very same day and I guess the rest is history,” she said, smiling.
“What made you realize that you had a love for taking pictures?”
Taking the camera from around her neck, Akayie held it up between her and Rowan. She loved talking about her passion. It gave her a sense of pleasure that, most of the time, she found hard to put into words.
“Most people are very good at hiding the feeling behind this well-placed mask, but once I get them in front of my camera, I see the truth they don’t want anyone else to see about them. It’s like the mask falls away and I get the privilege of seeing into their souls. I believe it is an experience like nothing else. Do you want to give it a try?”
She lifted the camera to snap another picture of Rowan, but he quickly took it out of her hand. “I’m not your subject today, Ms. Mathis. Colin was, so I’d rather not have my picture taken until the day I want it done.”
“Fine, I was just trying to have a little fun with you, but I can see that you aren’t up for it. Do you mind giving me back my camera?” Akayie asked, reaching for it. Rowan held it out of her reach.
“Not until you tell me that you won’t sneak and take a picture of me.”
Dropping her hand, she took a step back and continued to stare up at Rowan’s ruggedly handsome face and hazel eyes with unbelievably long, black lashes. His thick, rich brown hair shined in the light inside the barn. He was absolutely gorgeous, better looking than all of his brothers and the other guys she was shooting for the calendar.
So why didn’t he want her taking any candid shots of him? The ones taken when a model wasn’t looking were the ones that came out the best. She would let this go because she had the pictures from earlier that Rowan didn’t know about, but she was sure another opportunity would come up where she could get some more of him.
“I understand,” she answered, holding out her hand. “Now, can I please have my camera back? I can’t be late for my next session. I need to meet up with Dexter. He’s probably wondering what happened to me.”
Rowan placed the camera in her hand and the backs of his fingers brushed over her palm, sending tiny shivers through her body. She glanced into Rowan’s watchful eyes, but he didn’t act like he felt anything.
“Good, I’m glad you do. I need to go as well,” he said, walking around her. “Check for Dexter at the other stable. I sent him there to check on the broken fence on the other side. I gave him an hour to take your pictures before I need him back at work.”
“Yes, sir,” Akayie shouted at Rowan’s retreating back. She tried not to laugh when he spun back and gave her a look before pivoting and stalking out of the stable.
She laughed.
Rowan was way too serious for his own good, she thought. He needed to loosen up a little more. Life wasn’t as tough as he was making it out to be. Maybe she could help him see being a little more laid back wouldn’t take away from the tough edge he was constantly putting out.
Chapter Ten
Further across the property, Danya placed her red ear buds inside her ears and allowed The Weeknd’s voice to fill her head as she set up for the next location. She decided to help Akayie out by doing this since Rowan had only given Dexter, the ranch foreman, an hour away from his job to get this done. Her best friend wouldn’t have enough time to set this up and then take Dexter’s pictures. She was here to help Akayie any way she could.
Anyway, she didn’t want to run into that jerk she went out on a date with last night. Why didn’t she listen to Akayie? Travis had spent more time bragging about how he was moving up at Braden Ranch. He hadn’t once asked anything about her over dinner. She had been more than happy when the waiter brought the check, signaling it was finally over and she could go back to the hotel. Thank God, Akayie had already taken his pictures so she wouldn’t have to run into him.
Moving the chair around to another position, Danya sang along to “The Hills” when she stepped back, bumping into a hard body. Screaming, she pulled the earbuds out and spun around, staring up into the amused eyes of Lucas Braden. She had met him briefly the other day when he had been looking for Akayie to schedule his photo shoot.
In her opinion, he was the best looking of all the Braden brothers. Her eyes froze on his long, lean form. She took in his tempting, attractive male physique. His muscular arms were bare, and she looked at the powerful set of his shoulders. He carried himself with a commanding air of self-confidence.
The shadow of his beard gave him an even more manly aura. His lips were firm and sensual, and she couldn’t help but notice how one lock of his hair had fallen onto his forehead.
“God, Mr. Braden. I didn’t know you were behind me,” Dan
ya said, sliding her earbuds into the front pockets of her jeans.
“I know you didn’t,” he answered, watching her. “Do you want to tell me why you’re in this room and what you are doing?”
Danya swallowed down the surprise hurt she felt from him not remembering her, even if their first encounter only lasted a few minutes. “I’m Danya Holt, Akayie’s assistant. We have met before once, but you must have remembered it.”
Lucas studied her for about a second or two. “I know who you are. I remember seeing Rowan outside talking to you and Ms. Mathis a few days ago. I wanted to know why you’re in here moving all of this stuff around. Shouldn’t you be outside with your boss taking pictures for the calendar?”
“No, Akayie wanted to take some pictures inside to have different contrasts for the calendar. She was busy with another project, so I’m in here getting everything ready for her. Do you need this area? I can move if I have to and just let Akayie know she has to pick another spot.”
She hoped that she wouldn’t have to move, because it took her almost an hour to get the room looking the way Akayie wanted it.
He shook his head. “No, you’re fine,” Lucas answered, glancing around the area. “Who are you planning on taking pictures of? I know Rowan mentioned that Akayie had at least three of our men scheduled for their calendar shoots today.”
Moving around Luca’s hard body, Danya worked on getting the final touches on the setting. She couldn’t stand there and keep looking into Luca’s amazing eyes. They were so mesmerizing that she could literally get lost in them. She didn’t want to make him uncomfortable by ogling him—something he must be used to when it came to the opposite sex. Besides, Akayie was already upset with her for flirting with Travis. She didn’t want to get another disapproving glare from her best friend. Hell, she would get more than a glare if Akayie found out she was staring at one of their bosses. Akayie, without a doubt, would book her a ticket on the next flight back home.
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