Back at the Ranch

by Em Ashcroft

  Silently, Blade got to his feet and went in the direction of the kitchen.

  She faced Renaud. “We’ve paid you. Please say you made a mistake.”

  Renaud shook his head. “I’ve checked every way I know how. I even checked our personal accounts and the ones for other parts of the business. There’s no sign of it.”

  Raking her hair back from her brow made her look achingly young. Too young to take on this kind of responsibility. “I did a direct transfer. Our bank to yours.”

  “Do you have a record of the payments?” Because yes, there could be a mistake. “It’s probably an administrative thing. Let’s get this sorted out.”

  She glared at him, her blue eyes intense. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”

  Renaud shrugged. “I thought the payments had gone through. You said they had in an email, so I took your word for it.”

  “Wait.” Shoving her hand in her pocket, she came out with her phone, tapping details into it as Blade returned with a couple of bottles of water and a glass. He poured it out for her. She took it with a word of thanks. Eventually she found what she was searching for. “There.”

  The details on the phone looked fine. “May I take this for a few minutes?” He had his laptop up here. He could check this quickly.

  Ten minutes, as it happened, while Blade sat brooding over his whiskey and Thea drank the water he’d brought her. When he glanced over, he saw a cat pining for his mate and a woman so tired she didn’t know where she was half the time.

  That had to change. If Blade wanted her, he should have her, and for more than a few days. He’d work on the problem, except that he had other things on his mind. Finances, to be exact, and this demanded concentration.

  He saw the problem straightaway, but he needed to check something first, something that would necessitate him taking a few—shortcuts. And that would take patience. “I need to do a bit of digging. Amuse yourselves for a while.”

  Yep, there it was.

  He backed up, did a little more checking, went at the path he’d discovered in a different way. He reached a block, one he’d have to work to overcome, but he knew most of it. Enough to be going along with.

  He hit Print and stood to collect the single sheet of paper rattling off the small printer in the corner. Snatching it out more viciously than he needed, Renaud went back to the pair. Thea was almost asleep. “This can wait, if you want,” he said softly. “There’s nothing here that can’t wait until after the wedding.” He wanted the wedding party from hell done, over, and away from his ranch. All except for the woman sitting next to him, that was.

  Rousing, she forced her eyes wide open. “No. I need to know what you’ve found. Shoot.”

  It wasn’t her he wanted to shoot. But hey, she’d have to know this. “The first thing that alerted me was the account number. We get money paid into that account then transfer it to an internal one. So I was surprised. I thought something had been going on with our accounts, but I checked, and they’re fine.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Everything is there that should be. But the number you’ve been transferring money to? It’s not one of our accounts. Not public or private.”

  “But I got the number from Blade in an email.” She exchanged a glance with an equally startled Blade.

  Renaud carried on, keeping his voice as level as he could, despite the anger simmering through his veins. Someone had used this woman, and before he was done, he’d know exactly who it was. Then he’d tear them apart with his bare claws.

  “I usually leave the finances to Renaud,” Blade said. “Did I send the bank details?”

  Renaud shook his head. “But somebody did. It’s easy to set up an email address that is almost the same as somebody else’s. This came from Blade T. Goldclaw.”

  Blade frowned. Renaud continued. He didn’t need Blade’s confirmation that it wasn’t his email. “We got the deposit for the wedding because you sent that the normal way. Then someone wrote to you and asked you to send the money to this bank number. You did.”

  “I verified it first,” she said.

  Renaud hated to tell her, but she had to know. “What you saw was a spoofed site. Exactly the same as our bank’s, so it looked like the one you sent the deposit to, but it wasn’t. Every payment after that went to the spoof site.”

  “Oh no!” She covered her blazing red cheeks. “You mean I was taken in by an internet scam?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry, Thea.”

  Getting to her feet, Thea headed for the door. “I have to get this sorted out.”

  Just as quickly, Blade caught her, taking her shoulders and turning her around. “No, sweets, not now. You can’t do anything out there.” He exchanged a glance with Renaud. There’s more, isn’t there?

  Yes. I have IP addresses. Whoever did this didn’t really understand how to accomplish it seamlessly.

  Don’t tell her.

  Renaud couldn’t keep this from her.

  Not now, Blade went on. Let her get the wedding out of the way.

  He saw the sense in that. So instead of telling her what he suspected, Renaud said something else. “I need to do a bit more investigation and get our techies on to it. But what we have here is proof that you did pay us, or the people you thought we were.”

  “You don’t understand.” Her voice was choked with tears. “This cost us all our running capital. I can’t pay you again.”

  “Hey.” Blade drew her back into the shelter of his body. “You don’t have to worry about that. Not now.” Did he realize how telling the gesture was? Renaud guessed not, but that instinct to protect this woman gave him all kinds of ideas.

  “Let me get the guys to work, and then we’ll know if we can recover the money. And if we have the proof, we might be able to do something with the insurance.” Nothing at all, truth be told, but she needed a lifeline. The wedding had cost a staggering amount, and that didn’t include things like the dresses and flowers. “Get that video recorded, and you’ll have the asset you wanted.”

  “Yes.” Turning, she buried her face in Blade’s chest. “It’s my fault. I should have checked.”

  He curved his arms around her. “No it wasn’t. It happens all the time.”

  Not to the Goldclaws, though. They had the backup, the people who would check that kind of thing for them, the security, and double-checks that would make this kind of simple scam impossible. But Thea’s wedding business was running on a shoestring. They most likely didn’t have the resources to set up a proper system.

  Probably better he didn’t mention that.

  What a wretched thing to happen. Thea worked so hard. And if what he suspected turned out to be true, then the situation was only going to get worse. Didn’t Blade say the groom was Thea’s ex? Maybe that had something to do with what was happening now.

  He’d work some more before he turned in, try to close this out.

  And looking at her now, yes, Renaud wanted a relationship with her.

  He stretched his arms above his head. “We can’t do much more now. Get some sleep. Look beautiful tomorrow.”

  “She will,” Blade promised him. He kissed her forehead and tilted her face up to his. “Sleep here and I mean sleep. I promise to wake you early. What time?”

  “Five.”

  Both men winced. Their days started at seven. Sometimes they didn’t end until five, but getting up at five was for catching an early flight, nothing else.

  As Blade took Thea off to bed, Renaud headed downstairs to his office. He needed a bit more computer power than he had up here.

  * * * *

  Thea slept as if she’d just invented it. But when Blade woke her, the world had righted itself and optimism had returned. If they had to pay for the wedding twice, then so be it.

  It was only when she stood with him in the shower that she realized they hadn’t fucked. Spreading her hands over his chest, she leaned forward and kissed his pecs, feeling their wonderful, smooth texture under her tongue. His groan told her he wa
s ready. She didn’t have to look down to confirm it, but she did, and there he was, ready and waiting. Luscious, generous, full, and beautiful. And, for now at least, hers.

  She didn’t have to say anything. Hoisting her up, he held her until she wrapped her legs around his waist and waited for him. With a smile, his eyes brightening and warming, he kissed her, a sweet, loving caress. But passion simmered between them, unspoken and accepted.

  How would she manage without him? No vibrator could ever create that sense of being wanted, of belonging. She’d never felt like that in her life before, not ever.

  All the more reason to enjoy it now.

  “We don’t have a lot of time,” she reminded him after he’d held her for a full minute, just staring at her.

  “We have all the time we want.” That sounded far more…permanent than anything she’d imagined.

  She laughed it off. He couldn’t have meant what she was experiencing, a weird sense of certainty filling her heart. “No we don’t. I have to get half a dozen bridesmaids dressed, with makeup and hair done, then calm my sister and get her ready.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’ll manage. I don’t even know if Renata found something else for me to wear.”

  He gave her another kiss. “If she promised, then she will. Trust me on that.”

  That was the trouble. She was trusting him far too much.

  But she had no more time for coherent thought because he lowered her enough to kiss her cunt with his cock. He slid home with no more guidance than that. She was getting addicted to fucking bareback. Their bodies connected at every level. Especially when he entered her mind together with her body, driving sure and hard, hitting her sweet spot on the way to the deepest recesses of her body.

  He filled her so well, his cock fitting inside her as if she was made for him or he was made for her. Or they were made for each other.

  With one hand around her waist and another cupping the back of her head, using the tiled wall behind them for support, he thrust, withdrew, and thrust again, fucking her with that perfect rhythm guaranteed to drive her up and over the edge.

  Thrills built in her body, climbed her spine, and flowed through her mind, taking her into their own special place. She trusted him absolutely, so she could fall into his hands, knowing he wouldn’t drop her or betray her. How she knew that beat her understanding.

  Because I won’t. Ever.

  Ever is a long time.

  Yes it is. He didn’t seem fazed. No, she couldn’t think about that now, even in the soft, warm aftermath of their loving. Fucking, she meant fucking, of course she did.

  And she could communicate with him so easily now. He’d soothed her to sleep, and now he woke her up in the best possible way. Without effort, he lifted her off and away, settling her down on her still shaky feet. With an arm around her shoulders, he reached for the shower gel. “We’re going to be fine. After today, you’re mine.”

  She didn’t think he meant forever. “Until Tuesday.”

  Chapter Six

  Two hours later, Thea had woken, corralled, and gotten the bridesmaids lined up for their hair styling. One worked as a hairdresser, which had been quite a saving, and she was busy combing and spraying, rolling and smoothing. With a head full of curlers, Thea was seeing to the dresses. Renata had provided a corset in a gorgeous shade of pink, which magically transformed Thea’s hideous gown into something else. And the corset would fit. She almost looked forward to wearing it, even more that, by noon, the ceremony would be well underway. The space in the room was cramped, but they’d manage.

  She should call her sister, make sure she’d arrived at her appointment at the spa. But as she was thinking that, her phone rang. She disconnected it from the charger and answered it, putting on her brightest, most cheerful voice. Ladonna wasn’t a morning person. “Hi, bride! How are you doing?”

  Holding up her hand to quell the racket going on around her, she tried to listen to her sister.

  Was that a sob? Her heart sinking, she accepted she’d have to go to her sister’s room and get her calmed down. Ladonna was probably having second thoughts or panicking about her gown or the appointment. She’d need leading through the next few hours. Would she have the same response on her wedding day, a prospect that was more unlikely than ever?

  No, she was pretty sure she wouldn’t. But then, she wouldn’t have this circus going on around her. Creating big weddings had put Thea off having one for herself for life.

  “He’s gone!” Ladonna sobbed. “Chester, he’s gone!”

  Thea was already dressed, her hair done, prepping first so she could help everybody else. She picked up her fluffy pink skirts—all of them—and ran.

  Ladonna sat in the middle of chaos, on the floor sobbing her heart out. Her eyes were red and puffy, her face blotchy, her hair a tangled mess of natural and extensions that would take scissors to fix.

  Unable to believe what she was hearing, Thea held her sister close and tried to calm her down enough to get a coherent story. She needed help.

  She didn’t think twice about who to call. This was Blade’s ranch. He could do something.

  Blade arrived in ten minutes, pushing open the door to enter. His eyes met Thea’s. “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know. She just keeps saying ‘he’s gone’!”

  “Okay.” Squatting, he nodded to her. “Give her to me.”

  Reluctantly, Thea released her sister. After clutching for her again, Ladonna went for Blade, who couldn’t step out of reach. Reluctantly, he let her sob all over his designer suit. At least, with Ladonna’s head buried in his shirt, he could talk to Thea or, rather, yell at her. “We could be here all day if I don’t go into her mind. I’ll calm her down.”

  The effect was almost magical. After five minutes, Ladonna’s screaming hysterics had subsided to whimpers and tears. Relieved, Thea took herself to the bathroom and wrung out the washrags in cold water. Returning, she laid them over the back of her sister’s neck and her wrists. Not her face, not until she said what was going on. The wedding dress hung from a hanger slotted into the picture rail, silent and accusing.

  “I got a letter pushed under my door,” Ladonna said with hiccups and sniffs. Helpfully, Thea handed her a small towel. Ladonna blew her nose in it. “Chester said we should spend the night before our wedding apart, for, you know, romantic reasons. So he went to the motel, where his friends are staying. Or I thought he did.” She blew her nose again and mopped at her face. “But he never got there. He shoved a note under the door. ‘I’m sorry, I can’t do it,’ he said.”

  “Where is it, this note?” Blade asked gently.

  “I—I tore it up and flushed it. I didn’t want anything of his touching my hands or any part of me ever again.” She raised a tear-ravaged face to Blade’s. “I hate the bastard. If I saw him now, I’d kill him. This is my perfect wedding! How dare he ruin it?”

  So this love match, the reason Chester had left Thea, was nothing but an arrangement? “You always wanted everything I had, didn’t you?” She hated her sister right now. Except that this could be her wedding day, and Thea could have been the one humiliated.

  You won’t be.

  Shit, I didn’t think you were listening. Startled, she glanced at Blade.

  Unperturbed, he answered her the same way. Unless you shut me out, or we’re a thousand miles apart, I’m always with you.

  So that was her choice. To let him in or shut him out? Why wasn’t she more disturbed by this? The answer came immediately. Because he wasn’t deep in her head. She knew he could do that, penetrate down to her soul, but he didn’t. He kept on the outer part, so their telepathy was more like communication. Except when they were fucking, and that was a whole ’nother level.

  Right now she needed him, especially with Ladonna going into meltdown. “All the guests are here. We’ve got to do something.”

  “Oh, I know what we’re doing.” Surprising her, Ladonna got to her feet, nearly knocking Thea o
ver with the force of her rising. “I might not be getting married, but we’re having the biggest damned party this ranch has ever seen. I’m not going to let him see me beaten. The bastard can suck it.”

  That was typical of her sister, to rally after a setdown. But her words were one thing, her actions another.

  So Chester had vamoosed. Gone. “We need to tell people.”

  Ladonna spun around, her loose robe revealing most of her body before she carelessly pulled it closed. Being Ladonna, she spared a glance for Blade, to see how he was taking the flash.

  Blade remained unperturbed. Ladonna’s action had only been that of a woman used to having men staring at her, admiring her. That was all, nothing else. “He can’t have gone far,” he said. “Do you want me to try to get him back?”

  “No,” Ladonna said firmly. “He doesn’t get two bites at the cherry. No, if he’s gone, then that’s it.” She made a chopping motion with her hand. “I don’t care where he goes or what he does. He’s out of my life. I wouldn’t take him back if he crawled to me on his bare knees over broken glass.”

  Bravado, that was all. Ladonna hated people to see her at a disadvantage. That was why she wanted to go ahead with the reception, calling it a party. Thea couldn’t imagine anything more gruesome.

  “I’ll go see people. Let them know everything’s canceled.” Now that Ladonna had recovered somewhat, Thea needed to get moving. All those careful arrangements she’d made were in the dust.

  Planning something this big had taught her a few lessons, so not everything had gone to waste. She needed an assistant, that was for sure, before she undertook anything this big again. She’d worn herself out and barely kept holding all the strings in her hands. Another time she might let one go, and then disaster would follow.

  The spoofing of the wedding site had been a blow, too, but now that she’d calmed down she saw the way forward. The payments would make a massive hole in their finances. All that money they’d made from their first weddings, the successful ones, that had all gone.