Exquisite Acquisitions

by Charlene Sands

  Carter glanced at her profile, the stubborn slant of her delicate chin. Macy still ached from her father’s death. Maybe she was feeling guilty for not intervening with him. Or maybe she’d just wanted to make a point. But her situation was different. She’d been a young girl when her father died. Carter had put up with his father’s antics for his entire life. People got hurt and lives were damaged.

  “You don’t know the facts, Macy. And I’m not about to spill my guts to ease your guilt. Just drop it.”

  She whipped around to face him, a spark of defiance in her eyes. “I’m not trying to ease my guilt. I have no guilt. Just regret. And you’re being bullheaded!”

  Carter kept his gaze trained on her. He wasn’t going to let her get involved in this. His patience was shot to hell. He raised his voice. “I’m telling you how it’s going to be. It’s none of your business.”

  “So, you’re saying butt out?”

  “Bingo, you win the prize.” He winced at his harsh tone, but he wouldn’t back down.

  She stared at him for the longest time, then grabbed the mug from his hand, lifted hers from the post and then twirled around. Marching toward the house, she held her head high and mighty as if she was right and he was the fool who couldn’t see it.

  Damn it. They’d just had their first argument, and it was about his father. If that didn’t take the cake, he didn’t know what did.

  It sure wasn’t the way Carter wanted to start the morning.

  * * *

  Bill Fargo was a wise old goat, clean-cut and stately and just the type of man Carter would have liked to have for a father. It still plagued him why the man wanted to work at Wild River Ranch for a modest wage, when it was obvious he could be holding down a more lucrative job. But Carter wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Whatever the reasons, he was glad to have Bill.

  “I came in early to explain what happened last night,” Fargo said after Carter let him into his office.

  “We spoke on the phone last night. That’s enough for me.” Carter leaned against the edge of his desk, offering Fargo a seat, but the old guy decided to stand.

  Fargo rubbed the back of his neck. “I appreciate that, but I take pride in my work and I’d feel better you hearing it from me in person.”

  “Okay.” It was a fair plea.

  Fargo’s brows gathered as he recalled the incident. “I’d just checked on Macy about ten minutes before it started storming. I had driven clear across the other end of the property when the rain came down hard. Soon as it hit, I turned the truck around to get her and bring her back to the main house.”

  “Did you see the intruder trying to break in?”

  “No. When I got there, I noticed the broken window first, and that’s when you drove up. I think we spotted him at the same time. He took off running into the brush. You told me to go after him while you checked on Macy. I lost sight of him in the darkness, and by the time I got to the truck he was gone. I searched for an hour but couldn’t find him. I’d first thought it might be a youngster thinking the place was abandoned, wanting to get in out of the rain. But what I saw changed my mind. It wasn’t a boy but a man, and he wasn’t so much fast as he was cagey. He could have been close to my age. You said you thought you knew who it was.”

  Carter tensed. Every time he thought about his old man, his nerves jangled. He’d never make Father of the Year, but was staying on the right side of the law too much to ask? “Yeah, unfortunately I do. It was my father, Riley McCay. It’s an old song I won’t sing again, but he won’t be bothering Macy or coming onto the property again. I paid him a little visit today. Not that his word is any good, but my old man has managed to stay out of jail all these years. He knows that’ll change if he’s spotted on my property again. Next time, he’ll be hauled in by the law.”

  Confronting his father hadn’t been pleasant, but it had been necessary. Carter cursed himself silly for feeling sorry for the guy after he’d left his father’s place.

  Fargo’s eyes narrowed and his face slanted in a thoughtful expression. “You’ve had a tough childhood.”

  The spot-on assessment surprised him. “You think I’m bitter?”

  Fargo shook his head and spoke with sincerity. “Not at all. The truth is the truth, and it’s not always pretty. I’ve had my share of bad experiences, so let me say this, no one should judge you or what you do, because they don’t know what you’ve gone through in your life. And I bet you’ve been the adult in that relationship since you were a boy.”

  Carter stared at Fargo and then smiled. Yep, he was a wise old goat. “Can’t argue that point. You know the saying, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

  Fargo laid sympathetic eyes on him. “You got strong pretty fast, I’d say.”

  Carter sighed and leaned back, painfully admitting, “Not fast enough.”

  Fargo acknowledged him with an understanding nod.

  “Macy thinks I’m too hard on him,” Carter confessed. It felt pretty darn good releasing his frustration and the emotions he’d bottled up inside. Just being able to say these things aloud gave him some measure of relief. He felt he could trust Fargo with his thoughts. Man, was he looking for a father figure or what?

  “And Macy’s opinion is important to you?”

  Carter had to think about that a second. He wasn’t sure what Fargo was getting at, but he knew that after making love with her, the last thing he wanted was to hurt her. He still felt it wasn’t any of her business, yet it was hard for him to admit that he should have held his tongue. After all, she’d given him the best night of sex he’d had in a long while. Then he’d turned on her. He felt like a heel. “She’s told you about her father, right? He died as a result of his drinking.”

  “And you think she’s transferring that situation onto yours?”

  Carter lifted away from the desk and shrugged, his impatience getting the best of him. “Hell, I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “Seems to me that you might want to straighten things out with her.”

  Carter’s stubborn nature wouldn’t have allowed that before this conversation, but Fargo made him realize that he owed Macy an apology. Her opinion did matter. He cared what she thought about him.

  An hour later, Carter strode out of his office with a plan. The air was warm, the sun still bright as he walked with purpose to the inn on foot, trying to clear his head of Jocelyn’s duplicity, his father’s latest antics and his feelings for Macy.

  * * *

  Halfway there, Rocky joined him, coming from the direction of the inn, his tail wagging and his body twisting in jubilation. “Hey, boy.” Carter bent to give him a pat on the head. The dog lifted up, pawing at his thighs, begging for more attention. “I hear you there. Is Macy giving you the cold shoulder, too? Nah, she wouldn’t do that to you. I’m the only dog she’s mad at.”

  Rocky was rewarded with more attention, then fell in step with Carter as they approached the inn. It didn’t take him but a second to find Macy. She was standing in the center of the gazebo, rehearsing lines. He couldn’t hear what she was saying, but her gestures were fluid, sincere and emotional. Through her actions and expressions, Macy managed to convey a powerful story. Carter watched her and wondered why she’d never made it big as an actress. She had the looks and the talent. It was part of her DNA, he figured, being the child of two multitalented parents.

  He’d be a fool to ever think she belonged in his world of cattle auctions, small-town life and simple pleasures. Sure, Carter had wealth. He’d built an empire and had money to burn, but down deep inside, he was still a country boy. He liked rodeos, John Wayne Westerns and eating apple pie at the county fair.

  Before he lost sight of his mission and talked himself out of apologizing, Carter stepped up to the gazebo. Macy had been so deep in character, she hadn’t noticed him until Rocky gave three short, quick barks of greeting.

  She froze in place when she finally noticed him.

  Those violet eyes did a number on him. Som
ething powerful surged through his system.

  “You caught me in the act,” Macy said, trying damn hard to keep her voice haughty, but the glow in her eyes gave her away.

  “You’re good.”

  “I’m…fair.”

  “You had me fooled then.”

  “I wasn’t trying to fool anyone. I was trying to be convincing.”

  The conversation was going down fast. Carter climbed up the first step and produced one single, healthy stargazer lily he’d been holding behind his back. “For you.”

  She blinked then and the corners of her pretty mouth lifted. “It’s my favorite.”

  Mara had told him today and he’d made a quick trip into town to get her a bouquet, but his housekeeper had informed him that one single stem would have more meaning. He’d never figure out a woman’s mind, but he had taken Mara’s advice.

  Macy fingered the pink petal. “How did you know?”

  “I have my ways,” he said. “I’m here to apologize for barking at you this morning.”

  She remained quiet, her head down, gazing at the flower. “Okay.”

  “I was harsh and I shouldn’t have been.”

  She lifted her lashes and spoke softly, “You’re right. It’s none of my business, but I wanted—”

  “To help. I know. You can’t, and I won’t change my mind. But I’m asking you to forgive me for taking you to task for it.”

  She tilted her head to the right and made a pretty picture, standing there in her white flowing blouse and blue jeans, her hair down in curls.

  “How can I not forgive you? You gave me my favorite lily.”

  She smiled then and Carter took her hand and pulled her into his arms. Her body felt perfect enveloped in his, and he could easily work up a reason to drag her off to bed. But his apology wasn’t over. “I have a peace offering,” he said.

  Her eyes fluttered and she peeked at his mouth from under her lashes. It was too much to resist. Carter lifted her chin with the pad of his thumb and lowered his head a fraction of an inch to her mouth. “This isn’t it,” he said, taking her in a kiss he’d been thinking about all day. As soon as their lips touched it was like floodgates opening. She was soft, sexy and eager when she returned his kiss, their bodies contouring and melding together in a natural fit.

  Her lips parted and he drove his tongue into her mouth. Her sweet, erotic taste traveled down to the pit of his stomach. Kissing her was like a potent drug. He wanted more. He cupped her head and kissed her again, raking his hands over her slender body, caressing her shoulders and running his palms along the swells of her breasts. She squirmed with desire and whimpered a plea. No one was more surprised than Carter when he backed away, breaking off the heady, sex-inducing contact. He wanted her, no doubt. But he had more to say.

  “I want to take you out tonight.”

  Macy gulped air. Her eyes lifted to his, heavy lidded and hazy. “Wh-what?”

  “I want to take you on a date.”

  Her chest rose and fell in deep breaths, and Carter found himself staring.

  With knitted brows, she repeated, “You want to take me on a date?”

  “That’s right. Tonight. I have reservations in Dallas at a first-class restaurant. I reserved a private room. It’s part of my apology, so take care when you give me your answer.”

  “But…why?”

  He shrugged and wouldn’t divulge the half a dozen reasons in his head. He didn’t want to admit them to himself, much less to her. “Why not?”

  Her expression changed from confusion to determination, and she put the biggest smile on her face. “I’d love to go. Yes.”

  He felt a ripple of anticipation zigzag through his body. Then, almost as soon as she accepted, a frown appeared on her face and her brows knitted together. “But, Dallas?” she asked on a worried sigh. “We could be seen.”

  Carter shook his head. “We won’t be.” He lifted a lock of her hair. The natural wave wisped around his finger. He liked Macy best this way, curly haired and natural, but when she became that sleek, straight-haired woman, she was equally as beautiful and almost unrecognizable. “We’ll stay overnight. In the morning, we’ll stop at some small towns on the way back and—” he winced at the notion “—we’ll shop for furniture for the inn.”

  Macy’s eyes blazed brilliant lavender-blue. She was a dead giveaway when she was pleased. “Really?”

  “I don’t do anything half-assed, Hollywood. My apology rocks,” he said, kissing her one last time. “Admit it.”

  Her chin went up ready to deny it, but then she had a change of heart. “You got me there, Carter. It’s the best apology I’ve ever received.”

  Satisfied, Carter spoke quietly, “Be ready at six with your best disguise.”

  Nine

  It was worth all the trouble she went through to see Carter’s eyes nearly pop out of his head when she entered the great room.

  She wore red.

  A sleek, bodice-clinging, low-cut crimson design that covered her thighs with only an inch to spare. She’d taken a good look at herself in the mirror, cringed at the daring dress and almost returned it to the closet. The Emilio Pucci had been a gift from her mother that Macy had brought with her to New York, as a keepsake to hold dear during the auction. But Macy had never tried it on. Until now.

  Macy smiled as Tina’s encouraging voice echoed in her ears. “Red’s your color, honey. Wear it and knock their eyes out.” Her mother had a knack for clothes and style and had never been outdone by her competition.

  It had taken Macy a long time to straighten out her barrel curls, but she’d actually won the fight with the hair blower, and now it fell in a shimmering sheet down her back. Next, she’d dazzled her mouth with ruby-red lipstick and accented her cheekbones with bronzer. Her eyes she couldn’t do much about. She didn’t have colored contacts; she’d always thought they looked strange on people and drew attention rather than detracted from it.

  Carter had been holding a large manila envelope in his hands, looking it over carefully, but the second he’d spotted her, he’d tossed it onto the sofa and approached her. “Wow,” he said, mimicking her, a case of imitation being the best form of flattery. “Beautiful,” he murmured with a gleam in his eyes.

  “Thank you.”

  Yes, definitely worth all the trouble she went through.

  It was like the pot calling the kettle black though. Carter, in a black Western suit coat and a white silk shirt, minus the tie earned him “wow” status, as well. “You’re not looking too shabby tonight, either, McCay.”

  Carter puffed out his chest and winked. “I aim to please, ma’am.” His hand to the small of her back, he asked, “Are you ready for a drive to the city?”

  His touch curled her toes. “I am.”

  Carter had ushered her a few steps toward the door then stopped abruptly. “Wait.” He turned and strode over to the legal-size envelope he’d tossed on the sofa. “I almost forgot. This came for you today.”

  “For me?”

  He handed it over, and Macy stared at it.

  “It’s the first piece of mail that’s come for you. Who knows you’re here?”

  “Just my friend Avery and my attorney. This is from him. Barton Lowenthal.”

  “Is it important?”

  Macy was standing next to a dreamy man, ready to go out on the town. Nothing was more important than that right now. “No, it’s just probably more legal documents about my mother’s estate.”

  Macy set the envelope on the end table by the entry. “I can look at it later.”

  She turned her attention back to Carter, Stetson in hand, waiting for her by the door. Her life here at Wild River was so far removed from Hollywood that it was laughable. She understood that she was Carter’s rebound woman—someone to make him forget about his almost-fiancée’s rejection. They would have no real future together. Macy shouldn’t forget that, but for tonight at least, she could pretend that all away.

  On the drive to Dallas, Carter made
small talk and tried his best to make up for the way he’d treated her this morning. She’d been hurt and properly put in her place, but she wasn’t giving up on his relationship with his dad. She could be stubborn, too, when she had to be.

  Carter kept taking his eyes off the road to look at her. She, too, was pulled by his magnetism, glancing at him in quiet moments, marveling at his good looks and confidence. Finally, halfway into the drive, he reached over and laid his hand on her leg, just above the knee. His touch sent spiraling tremors clear down to her belly. She forgot all about being stubborn. He made her forget everything but the desire pulsing like wildfire in her veins. His capable fingers applied pressure, and she broke out in goose bumps. She sucked in oxygen when he slid a hot hungry look her way. “I might not make it through dinner.”

  She gulped, and images of him covering her body flashed in her mind. She relived the heady sensations from last night and wanted more. She wanted Carter. “We could shoot straight for dessert.”

  A wicked smile graced his face. “I like the way you think, Hollywood. But I owe you a nice dinner.” He sighed from deep in his chest and removed his hand from her leg.

  She missed his touch already and wondered how she’d make it through dinner, too.

  As promised, Carter had arranged for them to be ushered into a trendy new restaurant on the top floor of the Majestic Hotel by way of an employee elevator. The secrecy made the evening only more exciting. Soft music played as dinner was served in a cozy room with a private bar and dance floor.

  After ordering filet mignon and spinach soufflé, they were served shrimp scampi appetizers and champagne salad. Macy picked at her food. Her appetite waned. Not even steaming-hot loaves of French bread whet her taste buds. She sipped red wine and focused on the man sitting across from her, looking dazzling and sexy.

  Between courses, Carter asked her to dance, making every effort to make this date memorable. Macy curved her body to his as they moved in step with a romantic tune.

  “How am I doing with my apology?” He tightened his arms around her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder.