by Sara Orwig
“You can stay for dinner if you’d like. I’ll eat at the house, unless you want me to bring dinner here to the office.”
“Thank you, no. I’m going home and it’s a long drive,” she replied, glancing at her watch. “My word, I didn’t realize it was so late.” It was half-past seven, longer than she had intended to stay. “I’m accustomed to working until seven in the evening in Dallas. I can’t do that here and then drive home.”
“No, you can’t. If that drive gets old…”
Her hopes soared that he was going to offer to work in Dallas and she smiled at him in anticipation.
“You might think about moving into my ranch house during the week. I have lots of room. We don’t even have to see each other. It would save you the drive, the time, the gas, the wear on your car.”
“Thanks, but I’ll go home to Dallas,” she said, thinking she wouldn’t spend one night in the boonies. It was bad enough to spend her days here.
“Suit yourself,” he said. “Tomorrow our secretaries will arrive. They told me they’re getting a place in town to live. That’s another option. I didn’t make them the same offer I made you.”
She knew why because she had seen them talking to him. In the Dallas office both had flirted as much as they dared and acted as if they had lost their wits around him. To give him credit, he had been polite, without flirting in return. She hoped to heaven she never behaved that way around Jeff Brand. It was bad enough already, but at least she had never once flirted with the man. Her chilly manner may have made him feel she could stay at his place without incident.
By the time she was home that night, she canceled the dinner she’d planned with her neighbor, Alexa Gray, because she was too tired to go anywhere. She ate, planned the next day, worked for about an hour, caught up on the few e-mails she had received and went to bed only to have disturbing dreams of a long, lean cowboy.
Both secretaries moved to a nearby small town and Holly envied them the forty-five-minute drive to work, but she couldn’t stand living with little more than a few houses, a post office, a general store and a gas station with two mulberry trees in the entire windblown place.
Throughout the week she tried to maintain the same cool professional relationship on his ranch that she’d had at headquarters, but soon realized she was the only one of the four of them who was doing so. Jeff’s natural, easygoing manner seemed infectious.
If Jeff Brand noticed or cared about her aloof manner, he gave no indication. Every morning he offered her breakfast and each morning she turned it down even though the smells were tempting and the one brief glimpse she’d had of the spread in the kitchen was mouthwatering. She knew both secretaries ate breakfast when they arrived, but Jeff always went to his office leaving them alone.
There were isolated moments when that intense awareness of him flared and burned brightly. If they got too close to each other, bending over a paper or reaching for the same report and brushed hands, the air all but crackled between them. Any physical contact, however slight, was scalding and she could see awareness in his expression, too.
Thursday afternoon of her second week on the ranch she worked late on clients’ letters with Jeff. He finally pushed back and looked at her. “Quitting time. Why don’t you let me take you out to dinner tonight and just stay at my house? We’ll go eat at a great rib place. We can unwind and relax and you won’t have that damn drive. Best ribs west of Fort Worth. Besides, they’re predicting rain in Dallas.”
She hated the drive more each day and he’d been businesslike all week, except for the occasional gleam in his eyes, but that was all. She was torn between wanting to skip the drive and accept his invitation or turn him down and avoid all socializing.
“If you’ve got to think it over this long, you might as well stay,” he said, a smile lifting one corner of his mouth in an appealing look that made her forget work and the drive.
He was a disturbing presence; she suspected an evening with him would be anything but relaxing. “You’ve got yourself a deal, but I can’t promise I’ll be good company,” she said.
“You don’t have to be,” he said, flashing her a warm smile. “Let’s go up to the house. I need to wash up before dinner. The secretaries left two hours ago, so I’ll just lock up here.”
“Why do you even bother to secure the office? Everyone here works for you and you have fences and dogs and men around.”
He shrugged. “Just one more deterrent if anyone decided to snoop around. This is safer. I’d think you’d feel better about it.”
“I do. Just a little out of character for you to be cautious, isn’t it?”
He grinned. “What an opinion you have of me,” he said and she felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. “Close up your office. Meet me at the front,” he said and was gone.
She shut down her computer, wondering whether she would regret this night, but the thought of the drive back to Dallas grew more odious with each passing day. She hurried to the front to find him waiting. He stood watching her walk toward him. Beneath his gaze her insides fluttered, causing her to wish she had simply gone home. Turning on an alarm, he locked the door.
“Want to walk? It isn’t far and it’s hot outside. Your car is safe here if you prefer walking.”
“Sure. I’ve been sitting behind a desk all day. So have you, for that matter.”
“For once we agree on something. Will wonders never cease?” he teased and she smiled.
“I didn’t know we were that much in disagreement,” she said. “It feels good to walk. It’s a beautiful evening,” she added, trying to get back on impersonal footing.
“That it does. You keep up amazingly well.”
“Long legs,” she said before she thought about her answer. As they started down the winding dirt drive, a snake slithered away into the grass. Horrified, she gasped and grabbed his arm. “Jeff!”
“It’s gone. Besides, I’m unarmed. I don’t have any way to kill it right now. It’s a rattler and we have a lot of them. Don’t worry about it. That’s about as close as one will ever get.”
Revulsion swamped her. As far as she was concerned, this miserable place wasn’t fit for human occupation. It was a good thing Noah Brand was nowhere in the vicinity, or he would hear another tirade from her.
“Why do you like it here?” she blurted and Jeff smiled.
“I love the quiet, the open spaces, the friendly people, the life of a cowboy. I like my horses and riding. By the way, do you like to ride?”
“Not at all,” she replied quickly. “I was thrown from a horse when I was nine years old. I haven’t been on one since.”
Even though they went at a brisk pace, it was a long walk to his mansion and she couldn’t keep from constantly checking the road and surroundings for snakes.
“Next week bring a swimsuit to keep here and if you stay over we can swim before dinner. A quick swim works out the kinks.”
She couldn’t imagine getting into a pool with him, much less a pool with snakes living in the surrounding area.
“Sure,” she said, certain she would never do any such thing. She had intended to keep everything on an impersonal level. This dinner idea wasn’t a good one, but she had gotten herself into it tonight. One time shouldn’t be the end of the world. She’d had plenty of dinners with Noah and they were always filled with business.
When she crossed the wide patio to the main house, she realized the house was even larger than it had looked from the office. “This must go on for miles,” she said as he held open the door, followed her in and turned off his alarm system.
As she walked through a wide hallway, she passed a spacious kitchen with an adjoining eating area and a fruitwood table that would seat sixteen easily.
“Don’t you get lonely in this mansion all by yourself?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Until this job, I had lots of company staying here. During hunting season, I have friends here constantly. They come and go, but at present, I’m the only one home. Mos
t of the time I don’t use all of the house. No one person could, but I’ve gotten used to it. My staff maintains it. You’ll meet some of them in the morning—Marc LeBeouf, my cook, for one.”
She wondered how long she could live in such a place before she would take it for granted. “I have a room at the end of the hall,” he said, turning to veer off into a hallway lined with open doors. Before they reached the door at the end, he pointed to a room a couple of doors away from his. “How’s this?” he asked, stepping inside. She walked into an elegant bedroom suite with an adjoining sitting room.
“Amazing and lovely,” she answered and he grinned.
“Did you think I lived in a log cabin?” Without waiting for an answer, he continued, “Give me twenty minutes and I’ll meet you outside your door. Can I get anything for you?”
“No,” she answered. “I’ll be ready.”
She closed her door and went to the spacious bathroom, pausing to look at the sunken tub, the potted plants, a beach mural on one wall and full-length mirrors on another wall. Each room she had seen had been luxurious, indicating a decorator’s planning. Jeff Brand had surprising facets to his personality.
She took out her comb and unfastened her hair. She combed it, starting to let it fall free and then changed her mind. She still wanted a wall of reserve between them because the chemistry was volatile. She clipped her auburn hair at the back of her head, allowing a few tendrils to fall loosely around her face.
Smoothing her navy slacks and matching silk blouse, she wondered where they were going and if she would be the only one not wearing jeans. She didn’t care. Just get through the evening.
When she left the bedroom, he was waiting in the hall as promised. Her pulse jumped at the sight of him in a fresh white shirt tucked into tight, hip-hugging jeans that spanned a narrow waist.
A wide-brimmed hat was pushed to the back of his head. He was all male, appealing, yet all the things she didn’t like. Once again she wondered why she hadn’t just said no and driven back to Dallas.
“Think ribs,” he said with amusement. “You look as if you’re going to a disaster.”
“Sorry. It’s been a long day.”
“That it has. We’ll see what we can do to put a smile on your face.”
“Don’t make me a project. Just to sit and relax and have a good dinner will be enough.”
“Good deal,” he said.
He’d showered and his hair was still damp, the slight wave more noticeable. His aftershave was enticing and his shirt was crisp. She suspected he would have plenty of women tonight who would be happy to see him.
In minutes, he held open the door to a sleek black sports car where she nestled into the soft leather seat.
It was half an hour to a large log structure with a red roof. Inside, musicians played while couples circled the floor doing the two-step. As he led her to a booth, people constantly stopped him to say hi. At the booth he sat facing her and in seconds a waitress who knew him handed them both menus.
They ordered platters of ribs and as soon as they were alone, Jeff stood and reached for her hand. “Let’s dance.”
She had a vague memory of doing a two-step at a college dance.
“I’m rusty,” she said as she slid out of the booth. “If it’s too bad, we sit down and some of those women who stopped you on the way in will dance with you, I’m sure.”
“You’ll get it, it’s easy,” he said. He turned her beside him as he took her hands to step with others circling the floor. In minutes she was enjoying herself. She remembered the simple step. It was a relief to do something physical after an exhausting week driving and sitting behind a desk for hours at a stretch.
Locks of her hair fell out of the clip, but she ignored them. Jeff was light on his feet—no surprise. In all the time she had known Noah, she had never danced with him, but dancing wasn’t anything they would have done, either. Their relationship was strictly business.
“Our ribs are probably getting cold,” Jeff said between dances. “Want to go eat?”
“Sure,” she said. “Dancing was fun—a break from this week’s routine.” Just before she sat in their booth, he caught her arm and turned her to face him.
“We can improve on the evening,” he said and she looked up at him with curiosity. Her pulse already raced from his hand on her arm, but it jumped again as he reached behind her head and unfastened the clip holding her hair, which spilled over her shoulders.
“Jeff!” she said, annoyed, yet aware of him standing close.
“That’s a lot better. Let’s eat,” he said, taking off his hat and dropping the clip in it beside him on the seat.
In consternation she shook her head, feeling her long hair swirl across her shoulders. She didn’t like him taking charge, didn’t want her hair down with him. Her hair falling loose made things just a degree more informal between them. It was bad enough that she was eating and dancing with him.
Trying to keep that invisible barrier between them, she ate in silence, feeling doomed if she didn’t because he was a charmer. She had learned that much the first hour she met him.
“What do you need? I’ll get our waitress.”
She looked at the platter of steaming ribs with sauce spilling over them, golden corn bread, pale green coleslaw. She shook her head. “This is fine. I don’t need anything.”
“This is the best way to end the day,” he said.
As she ate the tender, juicy meat, she realized he was correct in raving about how good the ribs would be. When she told him, he paused.
“Trust me on ribs. I’m a rib connoisseur.”
“I’ll remember,” she said. “Great dancer, good judge of ribs.”
“Ahh, thank you. An area where I have your approval.”
“You have my approval,” she said, embarrassed now.
He gave her a doubting look. “I don’t think so.”
“We’re out of the office. This is different. I have ideas about how things should be done at the office. Don’t you think you would get more accomplished if you worked at headquarters?”
“I don’t know,” he replied after a moment. “Maybe, maybe not, but I can’t bear the thought of the corporate world. If Noah needs my help, I’m happy to give it, but we do it my way.”
Her disapproval of him returned. So much more could be accomplished if he stayed in Dallas. She loved the bustle of the office and the city.
They were quiet for a time and then he asked about her family.
“Dad’s a banker in Houston, Mom is a dermatologist. I have two brothers. Chuck is an attorney in Washington and Pierce is a doctor in New York.”
“Impressive family. That’s where you get your drive,” he said.
She shrugged. “I suppose. We just were expected to do well. Your family isn’t very different. Look at your dad and your brother. Yourself for that matter. You excelled in your own field.”
“I’ll admit you’re right. I guess you and I are more alike then you thought.”
“In the force, perhaps,” she said with disdain, thinking she wasn’t one degree like Jeff Brand, nor would she ever be.
“Are those brothers of yours married?”
“Both married, no children,” she said, sipping her water. “That was a delicious dinner.”
“One place where we get along—out there on the dance floor. Ready again or want to just sit?”
“I’ll dance. I told you, it feels good to move,” she said, thinking a two-step was about the most neutral dance she could do with him. So far there had been no variation, no slow dancing, so she felt comfortable returning to the dance floor.
Since her breakup she had been off men. She was thankful he hadn’t asked one question about her love life. Noah must have filled him in. Before tonight, she wouldn’t have thought she’d go out with any man for any reason, but this had been impersonal and she suspected Jeff was no more thrilled to be with her than she was with him. Even as that thought went through her mind, there was a naggi
ng reminder about their mutual attraction and she knew she needed to keep up her guard around him. Physically, Jeff Brand was a charming, sexy, appealing man.
It was just the rest of the package that she couldn’t handle.
She stopped thinking about anything—just enjoying the dance and moving, not caring what he was thinking.
Finally, she tugged on his hand. “That’s about all the fun I can stand for one night. I’d like to go back to the ranch.” The words sounded hollow to her ears. She hoped there would be no awkward moments at his house.
As they returned to their booth, he held her arm lightly. They were quiet on the ride back to the ranch. Switching off the alarm at his house, he turned. “Want a drink? I have all sorts of stuff—pop, tea, coffee, milk, wine—whatever you’d like.”
“Thanks, but I’m finished for today. I can get an early start tomorrow since I won’t have the drive here.”
Digging in his pocket, he held out her hair clip. “You might want this back. I like your hair the way it is now,” he said and his voice had lowered a notch. He moved a step closer as he handed her the clip and she took it from him.
“Thanks.” She looked up and was then ensnared in his gray eyes that had darkened with desire.
“Jeff,” she said, meaning to end the evening and go, but his name came out breathlessly and she stood riveted. Her heart thudded and her temperature climbed. Her gaze drifted down to his mouth and then back to meet his eyes. It was impossible to breathe.
“Why not?” he whispered and leaned forward, covering her mouth with his.
Her heart slammed against her ribs. Heat flooded her. Desire kindled and the kiss sizzled as he stepped closer to slip his arm around her waist. His mouth pressed more firmly, his tongue sliding deep inside her mouth. She stopped kissing him and he leaned away a fraction.