“But you didn’t,” she said quietly. Because she couldn’t help herself, she ran her fingers through his thick, springy brown hair. “Go grab a shower if you want to. I’ll have the food waiting when you get back. Steak? Chicken?”
His crooked grin was more like the old Vaughn. “A little bit of everything. I’m starving.”
He took his bag and disappeared down the hall. Soon, Brie heard water running. It dawned on her then that he had never actually said when they needed to leave. Maybe he wasn’t thinking clearly. She didn’t want him to miss his oh-so-important meeting.
Though it was embarrassing, she knocked on the bathroom door, leaning a shoulder against the frame. “Vaughn? How much time do we have? I’m going to set an alarm so we won’t be late.”
The door opened so suddenly, she stumbled.
Vaughn hadn’t gotten in the shower yet. His hair and his skin were still dry, but he was completely naked except for one of the hotel’s plush towels he had wrapped around his hips.
His eyes sparkled with humor. “Did you decide to share?”
Her throat went dry. They were standing so close together she could have leaned forward and licked his collarbone. Heat radiated from his body. It was no wonder she had fallen in love with him all those years ago.
Whoa. No, no, no. She wasn’t in love with Vaughn Blackwood. Maybe once upon a time when he was pursuing her hard and fast. But that was before their breakup. Before Danika. Before Brielle became a responsible mother to her child.
Not now...
Even as she voiced the mental denial, her hands reached for him. Placing both palms flat on his hard, sculpted chest, she ran her fingers up to his throat and then down to his navel...tracing ribs, tracking his heartbeat.
“Don’t take too long,” she muttered, not quite able to meet his mocking gaze. He knew exactly what he did to her.
Vaughn sucked in a sharp breath when she touched the edge of his towel. “Either stay or go, Brie, darlin’. Your choice. But make up your mind.”
Twelve
Vaughn cursed his own stupidity in giving Brie a choice. What he should have done was pull her into the shower with him for a long, leisurely round of hot, wet lovemaking. If he’d made the decision for them, he was sure she would have gone along with it. A man knew when a woman was interested.
What held him back was the knowledge that Brie was conflicted. He could see it in her eyes and in her body language. She wanted him. But she didn’t want to want him. It was a fine distinction and one that unsettled Vaughn.
Unfortunately, her doubts mirrored his own. Why had he brought Brie with him to Dallas? The ostensible reason was to show her off as his new fiancée and let the gossip begin filtering back to Royal, so Miranda would find out.
However, that could have easily been accomplished without leaving town. The truth was, he needed to deal with this very important business meeting, and he wanted Brie by his side.
And then there was Danika. Those mornings when he drove her to day care had shown him that the beautiful child with the bright temperament was a delight. Any father would be lucky to have such a smart, curious kid. Did Vaughn even deserve to call her his own? He wasn’t dad material. Again and again, he had asked himself if it wouldn’t be better to let another—better suited—guy adopt the precocious little girl.
That was the part that stuck in his craw. He could almost convince himself that Nika was better off without Vaughn as a dad. But when he imagined Brie with another man, his blood pressure skyrocketed. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Brie was his.
His whole life he had always known how to get what he wanted. Years ago, when he was getting his business off the ground, he might even have stepped on people and things to meet his goals. He liked to think he had matured along the way, become more compassionate.
The careless arrogance he had evidenced as a twenty-five-year-old had altered and tempered. But he hadn’t gone soft. Not at all. Which was why he was determined to make this enormous land deal with McCready happen.
He couldn’t let himself be distracted by his need for Brielle.
Under the hot sting of the shower spray, he debated his options. She was the one question he couldn’t answer, the one thorn in his flesh he was never able to excise.
Being intimate with her so soon after they reconnected in Royal had been a mistake. He knew that now. Sex complicated things, especially with a baby in the mix. But God, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it.
His body hardened as he remembered that first incredible night. Never in a million years had he imagined that coming home for Sophie’s wedding would end up with him in Brie’s bed. The exhilaration of being inside her again had momentarily silenced all his discontent with his father’s will and the drama with Miranda.
Making love to Brielle had seemed natural...inevitable.
But then morning had come, and with it, the harsh light of day. The inevitable voice of reason. Brielle was not the kind of woman a man picked up and put down when the mood struck him. She was decent and capable and kind. She had gone through nine months of pregnancy alone. Then she had spent two long years juggling the demands of a tiny baby, now a toddler...with no backup. No father to share the incredible load of parenting.
Vaughn could argue that it wasn’t his fault. He hadn’t known Danika existed. But the truth was more layered than that. If he hadn’t been so adamant in the beginning that he didn’t want anyone or anything to tie him down, Brie would never have broken up with him. She wouldn’t have faced almost three years of unimaginable challenge without receiving any help or support from him.
Vaughn was culpable in that scenario, no matter how you sliced it. There were amends to be made.
Could he change? Was he willing to make the necessary sacrifices? He honestly didn’t know. Even more daunting was the fact that he might not be who Brielle needed.
That last one was a gut punch.
As the water began to run cold, he washed his hair gingerly and then rinsed off, careful not to make contact with the bandage covering his stitches. He probably wasn’t supposed to get the area wet, now that he thought about it.
Too late. His head had been killing him when the EMTs gave him instructions. He hadn’t been thinking clearly.
With a glance at his watch, he realized that he was running out of time. Though he wanted to sprawl on the sofa and close his eyes, he went instead to his suitcase and pulled out his tux and neatly folded dress shirt.
When he appeared in the living room, Brie’s eyes widened. “Wow,” she said. “For a man who crashed a plane today, you look pretty darn great.”
He sat beside her on the love seat and surveyed the plates of food. “It was a hard landing, not a crash,” he said wryly. “Give me some credit.”
For a moment, hunger took precedence over other considerations. He and Brie split the steak and ribs and baked chicken. Vaughn took the mashed potatoes. Brie chose the spinach salad, washed down with coffee.
When they were almost done, he curled a strand of her hair around his finger. “As much as I would love to stay here and goof off, we do have to leave in about twenty minutes. Does that give you enough time to get ready?”
Her eyes rounded, and her cheeks turned pink. “Next time, a little more warning would be nice.”
He leaned over and kissed her softly, tasting the coffee on her lips. “You always look gorgeous. Throw on your fancy dress and some shoes, and you’ll be good to go.”
Slipping out of his arms, she stood and rolled her eyes. “Men. Glamour doesn’t just happen. We have to work at it.”
He chuckled as she disappeared down the hall, but humor was the last thing on his mind when she returned exactly eighteen minutes later, looking like a million dollars.
“Holy hell.” He sucked in a breath.
Her face fell. “Too much? I asked Sophie what was approp
riate. Was she wrong?”
How could Vaughn answer that question? “No,” he said, his throat tight. “She wasn’t wrong.” On the other hand, Vaughn was not looking forward to other men seeing Brielle like this. She was stunning and sweet and drop-dead sexy.
The filmy white dress she wore was ethereal and sensual at the same time. Off the shoulder and fitted from breasts to knees, it almost made her appear to be naked. Because it was lined in a fabric that matched her skin tone, the whole effect was innocently suggestive. And sexy as hell.
Brie probably didn’t even realize.
She wore the simple pearl necklace and earrings he had seen before. Her long, wavy blond hair was caught up in some kind of complicated knot, but with a few wispy pieces left loose to frame her face.
Turquoise eyes accented with mascara and smoky eye shadow turned his no-nonsense veterinarian into a femme fatale. Add spiky silver sandals and toes painted blush pink, and a man would be hard-pressed to decide where to start feasting on her.
He put his hands on her shoulders and massaged her soft skin, because he couldn’t help himself. “You look beautiful, Brie. I’ll be the envy of every man there. Let me message the driver, and we’ll be on our way.”
She smiled up at him, her excitement contagious. “It’s been a very long time since I’ve had the opportunity to dress up and go out for an evening. An adult evening. Thanks for inviting me. I wasn’t sure about leaving Danika, but I suppose there has to be a first time.”
“My sister will spoil her rotten.”
Brie chuckled. “I’m sure she will.”
Vaughn found himself distracted during the brief drive to the TCC. Tonight was mostly about business, but that didn’t keep him from anticipating the later parts of the evening when he and Brie would be alone together at the hotel.
She was the one who had made the hotel reservation while he was dealing with airport red tape. Since Brie had only booked the one room, she clearly hadn’t changed her mind about them sleeping together. The realization made him hot and itchy.
His head still ached, but it would take far more discomfort than that for him to miss a chance to make love to this fascinating woman.
At the club, he was hailed as a conquering hero. Word about the forced landing had spread. People wanted to ask him about the experience.
Brie hung back as he fielded one conversation after another. She wasn’t particularly shy, but everyone waiting to talk to him was male, not female. The club had accepted women as full members for some time now, but in many ways, it was still a man’s world.
When there was a brief moment of privacy, Brie tugged on his arm. “What’s the schedule?” she whispered.
“McCready has reserved a conference room from five until six. He’s brought several of his board members.”
“And what about you?”
“My lawyer is coming. But it’s my company. I can negotiate on my own. Besides,” he said, grinning, “I have you. My secret weapon. You’ll dazzle and distract them, which will give me the edge.”
Brie’s lips twitched in amusement. “I’m sure I should be offended by that statement, but I’m feeling mellow, so I’ll let it pass.”
“Good.” He curled an arm around her waist, inhaling her light perfume. “The gala officially starts at six thirty. They’ll have heavy hors d’oeuvres and dancing. We can stay as long as we want...or we can head back to the hotel early.”
As he watched, Brielle’s face flushed dark pink. He loved that he could embarrass her so easily. She wasn’t blasé about life, or anything else, for that matter. Being with her was fun. He’d never thought about it in those terms, but it was true.
They made their way down the central hallway to the back of the club and into the formal conference room. The decor relied on lots of polished wood and a traditional chandelier overhead. Cal was already in residence. His eyes widened when Vaughn walked in with Brie on his arm.
“Well, this is a surprise, Blackwood.”
Vaughn lifted an eyebrow. “I’d like you to meet my good friend Brielle Gunderson. I thought she would enjoy the gala.”
McCready was only a year younger than Vaughn, but he seemed older, because of the sleaze factor. The man wore Prada suits with lizard-skin loafers, an expensive cowboy hat and a killer smile that was supposed to disguise his cutthroat personality.
Brie was polite, but she didn’t seem overly impressed. Vaughn relaxed inwardly. McCready wouldn’t be above using a weapon against Vaughn, even if it meant dragging Brie into the middle of their business negotiation.
McCready had brought a team of six with him. Four men. Two women. One of the female VPs offered Brie a seat at the long oval table. Vaughn and his lawyer, Trent Matthews—who arrived at the last moment—sat at the head with McCready.
After that, it was game on.
McCready leaned back in his chair. “I’ve got a big fish on the hook. He trusts me. I’m ready to move on this, but we need plenty of capital to seal the deal.”
“Money is not a problem,” Vaughn said calmly. “But I want to see everything in black-and-white before I make a decision.”
McCready smirked. “You don’t trust me, Blackwood?”
“I don’t trust anyone,” Vaughn said lightly, smiling deliberately to let everyone know he was kidding. Sort of... “When it comes to this many zeroes, it doesn’t pay to take unsubstantiated chances.”
Cal waved a hand at his VP of acquisitions. “Show Blackwood all your fancy charts and graphs.”
For the next half hour, conversation ebbed and flowed across the table. Vaughn didn’t entirely trust McCready, but in this instance, it did seem as if the time was ripe to snap up an unprecedented amount of land. The drilling rights alone were incredibly valuable.
No matter how impressed he was with the bottom line, Brie’s concerns rang in his ears. Was this a dirty deal? Or at the very least immoral?
Brie seemed content to watch and listen. At one point, though, he saw her ask a question of the woman sitting beside her. What was she thinking about all this?
Finally, Vaughn was satisfied he’d gotten all the information the others were willing to share. “You’ve given me plenty to consider, Cal. I won’t stall. I’ll have an answer for you in a week or so.”
The workday was over, and the room emptied quickly except for the two men with the most to gain or lose. And Brie. She read the situation quickly. “If you’ll excuse me, Vaughn,” she said, “I need to make a phone call.”
He knew she wanted to check on Danika. “Of course. Just come back here when you’re done.”
When the door closed behind Brie, Cal turned off the charm. “Fraternizing with the help again, I see. Isn’t Gunderson the same little cookie who used to be your father’s ranch hand? I always was envious of that revolving door to your bedroom.”
Vaughn’s temper boiled, but he kept his cool. “Shut up, McCready. We’re here to talk business.”
McCready shrugged. “Romantic entanglements can be bad for business. I’m not sure I like you bringing your lady friend to a private meeting.”
The urge to punch the guy in the face was strong, but Vaughn reined in his fury. He would bide his time. There were other ways to get even with a snake. “Brie is my fiancée.”
“I don’t see a ring on her finger.”
Cal’s sneer was meant to enrage Vaughn, perhaps throw him off his game in the negotiations. And it almost worked. But with an effort, Vaughn tamped down his ire and kept his voice calm and even. “My personal life is not your concern, McCready. To be honest, you’re one of the last people I’m interested in doing business with. But you seem to have something to offer, so I’m willing to play this out. For the moment.”
“And that sweet piece of as—?”
Vaughn chopped the air with his hand. “Watch yourself, Cal.”
Thirteen
&
nbsp; Brie put a hand to her mouth, her stomach churning. As soon as she walked out of the room, she had remembered that her phone was in the pocket of her shrug sweater. But when she turned to go back in, she heard Cal McCready mention her name, so she froze and stayed just outside the partially open door.
They say eavesdroppers never hear good of themselves. That was certainly true today. She could understand McCready’s crass statements. He was the kind of scumbag lowlife who somehow managed to stay just inside the fringes of polite society.
What was less understandable or pleasant was the fact that Vaughn hadn’t exactly defended her honor.
He’d called her his fiancée, that was true, but he hadn’t denied Cal’s assessment of their past.
Should he have? Or did he believe that Cal McCready was not worth the effort?
The longer she stood there, the harder it was to contemplate going back into the room. She felt small and hurt inside. As if everything was different now. She had been so sure Vaughn was changing. Seeing him interact with Danika had made Brie believe money and success were no longer the driving forces in his life.
Maybe she was kidding herself.
Before she could summon the courage to walk into the conference room, the two men exited. Vaughn’s smile warmed some of the cold edges of her soul. He handed over her shrug and phone. “There you are,” he said. “I was about ready to send out a search party.”
Cal’s lecherous assessment of her face and figure made her feel unclean. Vaughn appeared not to notice.
“I think the gala has started,” she said. “I hear music.”
Vaughn turned his back on the other man. “I’ll be in touch soon.”
Brie sensed that Vaughn’s careless dismissal made McCready furious, but rather than retorting, the other man spun on his heel and walked in the opposite direction. She was glad to see him go, though no less unsettled by the words that had been spoken. Vaughn’s inner thoughts remained a mystery, unfortunately.
Too Texan To Tame (Texas Cattleman's Club: Inheritance Book 5) Page 10