Pete looked at her. “The sun’s about to set, Miss Lowell.”
“It’s Julia and I know. That’s the plan. I want to see it just before sunset.”
Pete nodded and nudged his gelding into a slow trot. Julia’s mare followed.
More than an hour later, Julia returned with Pete from the ridge of the canyon. They dismounted in front of the stables and she handed him the reins. “Thanks, Pete. I enjoyed the ride. You’ve enlightened me with your knowledge of the area.”
Pete grinned. “It’s been a while since I’ve enlightened anyone, about anything, Miss Low—” he said, then caught himself. He’d called her Miss Lowell five times after she thought she’d convinced him to drop the formality. “Julia,” he said, finally.
Both laughed, thoroughly enjoying the moment until Trent walked out of the stable, his expression grim. He eyed Pete for a second, and then shifted his gaze to her.
Pete seemed undeterred by Trent’s presence, yet Julia’s nerves rattled and her smile faded. “Evening, Mr. Tyler,” Pete said, tipping his hat.
“Pete.” He headed straight toward them, his gaze now fastened on Julia. Only then did she notice his Jeep outside by the office. “Is this why you couldn’t have a dinner meeting with me?”
Julia wanted to roll her eyes, but she managed to keep them steady on Trent’s face. “Yes,” she admitted, revealing the truth. She’d arranged to have Pete take her up to Shadow Ridge this evening. Clearly, by the look Trent gave her, then Pete, he wasn’t happy with either of them. “I told you I had plans this evening.”
“We were just going inside to have us a drink after our ride,” Pete said, handing off the reins of both horses to one of the wranglers. He looked Trent in the eye. “Care to join us?”
Julia admired Pete’s nonchalance with his boss. He was a man who didn’t mince words or play deceptive games. She liked Pete and wondered if he knew that Kimberly had a serious thing for him.
“No, don’t think I will. I need to speak with Julia. I’ll take her back and make sure she gets a drink.”
Julia bristled. She wasn’t one to cause a scene, but this was the second time in so many days that Trent had tried her patience.
Pete looked to Julia. “If you need that drink, I’ll run inside and get it for you.”
Julia was tempted. She’d rather not give in to Trent’s demands. Even though Pete held his own she didn’t want to cause trouble between the two men.
“That’s okay, Pete. It’s getting late. I’ll ride back with Mr. Tyler.”
Trent turned on his heel and sauntered back to his Jeep. Julia did a mental count to ten, and then smiled at Pete. “Thanks for going out of your way for me tonight. I really did enjoy the ride.”
“Anytime.” He tipped his hat. “The boss is waitin’,” he said with a grin. “You don’t want to get on his bad side, being a new employee and all.”
Julia’s eyes widened. Pete saw too much with those clear blue eyes. “You’re not afraid of him, are you?”
“Of Trent? Hell, no. He knows I’m a damn good wrangler and I keep my nose clean. And I know he’s a fair employer and a decent man. We got mutual respect.”
He grinned again.
“Julia?” Trent called from the Jeep.
Mutual respect. She wished she had gotten her job the conventional way, by coming in for an interview and dazzling Trent with her ideas, rather than having him use deception to gain her employment. Then maybe they’d share mutual respect and she’d think of Trent as a decent man. As it stood now, she had nothing but contempt for him.
She thanked Pete again then climbed into the passenger side of the Jeep and slammed the door, facing straight ahead. As Trent drove off, he turned to her. “You don’t waste any time.”
She wouldn’t allow Trent to goad her into an argument, but his comment did manage to irk her. “I don’t. Not when I have a job to do.”
“You’re saying that sunset ride had something to do with work?”
“It had everything to do with work.” She rested her head back on the seat and closed her eyes. “Were you following me?”
“No, Julia. I wasn’t following you. I came out tonight to check on my own horses.”
She opened her eyes and turned to face him. “You have horses here?”
He nodded. “Two. Duke and Honey Girl. I come out to see them whenever I can. Ride them if I have time.”
“So what was so urgent that you needed to pull me away from my conversation with Pete?”
He wished he knew. He’d come out of the stables fully prepared to return to his office when he spotted Julia and Pete, looking as if they were enjoying each other’s company a little bit too much. “If you need time with me, it’ll have to be tonight. I’m leaving town in the morning. Have some meetings I’ve put off too long as it is.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“A few days.”
“Okay,” she said on a sigh.
Trent drove to his house on the property and pulled the Jeep into his personal garage. He pushed the remote and the door lowered behind them. Beside the Jeep sat his black Chevy Silverado and his silver-toned BMW.
“Where are we?” she asked, puzzled.
“My house,” he said on a shrug.
Julia’s eyes widened. “I thought you lived at the hotel.”
“I do, mostly. But I had this house built for those times when I need to be alone. It’s small and basic and has a pretty glorious view of the canyon.”
“Why’d you bring me here?” she asked pointedly. Julia looked like a caged animal ready to break through the bars.
“You need the names and phone numbers for the Tyler family, right? I keep my personal files here. Come on, Julia. I’m not the big bad wolf. You’ll get what you need and have a drink then I’ll take you back to the hotel.”
He got out of the Jeep and waited for her. Once she relented, he took her arm and guided her inside.
Trent had this house custom-built to suit his needs. With one huge master bedroom, a spacious kitchen and eating area and a great room that housed a large suede sofa facing the ceiling-to-floor stone fireplace, Trent wished he’d had more time to spend here. “This is it.”
Julia’s pinched expression softened. She glanced around, seeing all of the rooms except the bedroom from where she stood. “It’s nice, Trent. I can see why’d you like to come here to unwind.”
He’d love to do some unwinding with her right now. He’d never brought a woman to this house before and the fact that he’d done so without thinking made him glad he was leaving Tempest West for a few days.
The image of Julia laughing with Pete by the stables made him balk. Having sex with Julia was one thing, getting emotionally attached was another thing all together.
“Have a seat,” he said and gestured to a corner on the L-shaped sofa. “What’ll you have to drink—wine, champagne, something mixed?”
He walked over to the built-in bar next to the fireplace. “Just ice water, please.”
Trent looked at her and laughed. “You really do think I’m the big bad wolf, don’t you?”
“Let’s just say, your hood is off now. I know who I’m dealing with.”
“Ouch.” Trent looked at Julia sitting on the sofa, dressed in soft denim jeans, her legs crossed, her posture stiff. Even in leather boots and casual clothes, she looked elegant and classy and sweetly beautiful. Long dark wisps of hair had blown across her face from the Jeep ride and tendrils caressed her cheeks. Trent poured her a glass of ice water, and a tumbler with whiskey two fingers high for himself, then walked over to hand her the drink.
He sat down beside her. “Pete’s got a reputation with the ladies,” he said, sipping his whiskey.
“And you’d thought to warn me?” She looked at the glass she held. “That’s rich, Trent, considering what you’ve done to me.”
He leaned forward, bracing his arms on his legs, and turned to her. “You’re not letting this go, are you?”
She
shook her head, speaking softly but with conviction. “No, I’m not. And I’m not interested in Pete. My only interest at Tempest West is to do what I came here to do, then move on.”
Delicately, she sipped from her glass and Trent cast his gaze to her mouth. A drop of water remained on her lip. She licked it dry absently.
He lifted his gaze to hers and her expression faltered for a brief second, her pretty green eyes going soft before she set her chin rigidly. There was still chemistry between them, sizzling like steam in a hot shower.
“When would be a convenient time for Laney’s baby shower?” she asked, changing the conversation to business again.
“Whenever it suits you. I’ll have the company jet ready to pick up your guests. We’ll put them up for a night or two. Give them access to all the facilities.”
“I’d like to do it in a few weeks, before Laney gets suspicious. I’ll have to let Evan in on the plans to get Laney here. I thought, since it’s partly true, we’ll use the excuse that you’re having an open house for the family.”
Trent nodded. “Sounds like that would work. I’ll play along. Anything else, darlin’?”
“Just those names and numbers please. I should be getting back now.”
They finalized plans and Trent drove Julia back to the hotel. He parked the Jeep and turned to her. “I’ll be back on Friday. Kimberly knows how to reach me, if you need anything.”
“I won’t.”
“You’ve made that clear, Julia. But I was speaking about business, darlin’.”
“Right.” She swallowed and nodded. “By the time you return, I’ll have finalized my new marketing strategy.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
He got out of the Jeep and walked around to open her door. She slipped out easily and he walked her inside the lobby to the elevator.
“I’ll see you on Fri—”
Trent leaned in and kissed her before she could finish her thought. He brushed his body to hers, holding her firmly on the waist, and parted her lips, driving inside to taste her again. “Needed that,” he whispered, stroking her hips up and down gently with the palms of his hands.
“Don’t,” she breathed out, a futile attempt to deny them both what they craved. “Trent, I’m never going to forgive you.”
“I know, but you’re not a fool, darlin’. Me and you, we’re great together.” Her slight tremble and the surrender of her body in that one moment would sustain him for the next few days. “And you’d only be lying to yourself if you thought you didn’t need that kiss the way I did.”
Five
T wo days later, Julia tried to think of anything but Trent.
When she wasn’t head-deep in her work, she’d think of her last encounter with Trent, his hot lusty kiss and the lingering look in his eyes. Whenever he touched her, every nerve in her body came alive. She wished it wasn’t so. She’d never reacted to a man the way she did to Trent.
He had it all—good looks, charm, undeniable sex appeal, intelligence and that darn Texas swagger that turned her body to Jell-O whenever she spotted him walking her way. Sometimes, especially when he worked his wiles on her, or kissed her unexpectedly, she forgot that he was as ruthless as he was handsome and as unyielding as he was charming.
She’d found a measure of relief in his leaving town for a few days. But she also hated to admit that she looked forward to seeing him when he returned.
Which was absolutely crazy.
He’d manipulated her and lied to her. Seduced her and made her feel a fool. Her head told her to forget he walked the earth, but her heart…that was another matter.
Well past the dinner hour, Julia sat at her desk, staring at her workup of the new ad campaign until her eyes blurred. She’d had an artist rendering of Crimson Canyon sketched on a poster and had struggled with the exact wording for the campaign. The image for Tempest West facing her, she felt the immediate pull and knew she was on the right track.
She sipped stale cold coffee and grimaced. “Awful,” she muttered, setting the cup down. She sat back in her chair and sighed, deciding she’d taxed her brain enough these past few days. Her stomach growled, reminding her of the late hour.
She rose and stretched her arms. Loosening her taut muscles, she closed her eyes and moved her head slowly, making tension-relieving circles.
“You look sexy when you do that.” Trent stood at her office threshold, leaning on the doorjamb, hands in the back pockets of his jeans.
“You’re back,” she stated, stunned to see him. Not only had he surprised her, but she also didn’t like the sudden heart surge he evoked.
His eyes flashed and he smiled. “Miss me?” He strolled into her office.
Like a rat invasion, she thought, but kept her comment to herself. “I was just leaving for the night.”
He ignored her and focused on the poster on her desk. “Is that it?” he asked, walking over to take a better look.
Julia hesitated. She liked her ideas and thought she’d nailed down the campaign, but she hadn’t yet prepared her presentation. She liked to have all of her ducks in a row, especially when it came to her profession. Yet, Trent always seemed to knock down a duck or two in her well-ordered life.
“Yes, that’s it. But I’m not through yet. I still plan on designing a special invitation for our grand reopening. Only I doubt we’ll call it that.”
Trent kept his gaze on the poster. “Live our legends,” he said, reciting the words, “or create one of your own.”
She moved to stand beside him. “Right there,” she said, pointing to the bottom band of the poster, “we’ll put the words Tempest West at Crimson Canyon.”
Trent slanted her a look. “I like the slogan.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. Then amid the silence of the room, her stomach grumbled again.
Trent grinned. “I’m starving, too. Came straight here from the airport. The chef is sending up dinner. Enough for two.”
Julia nodded. “I’m sure you can eat it all,” she said, opening the drawer and reaching for her purse.
“Glazed salmon rubbed with herbs over rice pilaf.”
It sounded like food heaven. She shook her head.
“Carrot soufflé.”
“Soufflé?” she questioned, her mouth watering. “Doesn’t sound like a cowboy’s meal.”
“My appetite knows no boundaries.”
She smiled weakly.
“Chef’s sending up seven-layer chocolate cake, too.”
“The house specialty,” she muttered.
“You can fill me in on the details of the campaign,” he said, “while we’re having the meal.”
Another soft rumble from her stomach made her shuffle her feet uneasily but if Trent heard, he made no mention of it. She’d planned on ordering a salad from the Canyon Café and getting to bed early tonight.
A gourmet meal sounded a thousand times better.
She just didn’t have enough willpower to refuse both the meal and Trent. “Is this an order from the boss?”
Trent looked deep into her eyes. “No, just a request.”
She let go a sharp sigh, denying that his earnest reply meant anything to her. “Okay, then. When do we eat?”
Trent glanced at his watch. “Should be up in a few minutes.”
Julia made herself busy, clearing her desk, setting the poster aside and filing away paperwork. Trent walked over to the window and looked out, apparently deep in thought. “I just made a deal to have a herd of wild mustangs brought to the canyon.”
“What?” Julia thought she heard wrong.
Trent turned from the window to face her. “They need a good home, Julia. They’re beat up and battered and hungry.”
“Trent, this isn’t a ranch. It’s an elite resort hotel—one that has a long way to go to make a profit. Why didn’t you discuss this with me before?”
He shrugged and shook his head. “My mind was made up. We’ll make it work, Julia. I’m setting them loose behind Shadow Ri
dge.”
“Loose?” Julia’s mind spun. “Tell me your kidding.”
“The herd won’t bother anyone out there. It’s unofficially off-limits to our guests.”
“If you’d waited for my presentation, you’d know I had very specific plans for Shadow Ridge. And those plans do not include wild horses.”
His jaw was set firm and his eyes showed his determination. There’d be no talking him out of this, she feared.
“What kind of plans?” he asked.
“Private guided tours up to the ridge on horseback. Art lectures. Given by professionals. The privacy, the peace and quiet and the gorgeous vistas of Crimson Canyon—I don’t know too many people who wouldn’t love finding a secluded area so breathtaking you can’t believe it’s real, to reflect. Some would paint or sketch. Some would ride. We’d be offering them something they can’t get anywhere else, remember?”
“Now they’ll have open-range views of wild horses,” Trent said.
“Can you contain them?”
“I won’t,” he said adamantly.
Julia had to admire his dedication and the compassion he had for the neglected animals. She envisioned those horses, well cared for and free to run. She knew Trent would see to their welfare. He was a man who took care of his own.
“But the safety of the guests—”
“The herd will have natural boundaries, Julia. They won’t stray too far. I plan on feeding them and making sure they have water. They’ll stay where we need them to stay. And they won’t bother anyone.”
“How can you promise that?”
“Trust me.”
She’d never place her trust in him again. But it was his hotel and his money to lose. “You can’t afford a lawsuit.”
Trent raised his brows. “You heard about that?”
“Not from you. But, yes, I did hear about it. Our first priority is to your paying guests, Trent. And they’ll be paying almost double for what I’m proposing. Please tell me you don’t have anything crazy planned for Destiny Lake? No Jet Ski stunt shows or anything?”
Trent’s mouth twisted. “Cute, Julia.”
“Well?”
“No. I don’t have plans for Destiny Lake.”
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