by Dakota Black
But what if he took her somewhere nice? Groaning, she held her head high, searching for signs of dresses of any kind. More than surprised to find several racks, she selected a stunning emerald green frock, the kind that would travel easily. The body hugging item would also accentuate her curves. Why would she do that? She shoved the dress back on the rack and walked away.
Stopping short, she realized she’d be much more comfortable in a dress than jeans, no matter where they went to dinner. Taking two steps back, she eased her fingers around the hanger and grinned. Have credit card, will purchase.
On her way to the dressing room, she noticed the expansive boot collection. Looking down at her shoes, she twisted her foot and groaned. Yep. She was going to have to succumb.
Succumb. The word skittered in the back of her mind as she slithered into the skin-tight jeans, surveying her backside in the mirror. She’d hungered to find a hands-on man, one who would take control, for years. Even her ex, a self-proclaimed mogul of power, had been more of a pussycat in bed. The single frank conversation regarding rough sex, complete with ropes and a flogger, had been lost on the poor man. In fact, David had turned green at her suggestion.
Dani shoved away the memories of Mr. Tie Man, her favorite expression for her ex. David was never without a suit a tie, no matter the occasion. While the man was boring and predictable, she hadn’t planned on discovering his adventurous side with a hard slap in the face. Shuddering, she shoved away the memory. No need to dwell on the past. Maybe changing her entire appearance would be good for healing her heart. Maybe.
The shirts were a bit tight, but would do. She selected one of them, yanked the tags off of it, gathered the other items and proceeded to select a pair of boots. Mitchell certainly had no issue with her spending money. So, she would do just that.
After trying on several pairs of boots, she chose a snazzy looking pair of snakeskin boots. She admired the look in the mirror, tossing her hair over her shoulders and envisioned being on a tall steed with her long locks blowing in the wind. Oh, who was she kidding? She’d be thrown from a horse in a split second. Nevermind, she looked good enough to pass the muster.
After paying for the items, she wandered over to the lingerie store. Yes, she did need something to sleep in. She refused to be naked when a wayward cowboy might be hovering next door. Sexy body. A come-hither smile. Succulent lips. Her nipples scraped against her lace bra, creating a wave of heat between her breasts. Wet and hot, she fanned her face and searched for the perfect conservative nightgown.
There wasn’t such a thing in the entire store.
“Honey, can I help you?” The rich, southern twang was attached to a voluptuous woman, her flaming red hair matching her spitfire expression.
“Just trying to find something simple to sleep in,” Dani said under her breath.
“Simple. Does that mean you’re sleeping alone, sugar?” The woman placed one hand on her hip.
Dani noticed the woman’s nametag, Trixie, suited her well. “God, I hope so. At least tonight.”
“Ah, you’re trying to seduce a man who doesn’t see you as a vixen in heat?”
Coughing, she did everything to keep her composure. “He’s my boss and I find myself on an unexpected business trip.” Why was she admitting anything to a stranger?
“Even better. I have the perfect slinky teddy and robe, guaranteed to highlight your curves and long legs. He’ll be chomping at the bit to rip the silk right off you.” Trixie winked as she sashayed toward a rack near the back of the store.
Against her better judgment, Dani followed. Seduction wasn’t the objective. No. No way. Not in her lifetime.
Humming, Trixie flitted through the entire rack. “Here you go. I think you’re a medium and this is the one. Trust me. I’ve been doing this for a long time.”
The slip of material the woman was holding wouldn’t begin to cover her ass. Blushing, Dani tried to imagine sliding into the sexy frock, tiptoeing toward Mitchell after a wine and candlelight dinner. Stop! Get a freaking grip. She blinked and looked away.
“Please don’t tell me this is too much for you. Every once in a while, a girl has to take the reins, especially in cowboy town.” Trixie laughed until she didn’t get a reaction. “You’re from out of state. Aren’t you?”
“That obvious?” Dani inched closer, allowing one finger to touch the beautiful frock.
“Afraid so, sugar. You’re tight around all the edges. A city girl. That won’t do here. Think of this as a new beginning for you. Texas isn’t like any other state. We like our men rough and tumble, our music loud and bawdy, and our drinks overflowing. As a woman, it’s our God given right to maintain a sexy appearance at all times.” Trixie licked her lips in an exaggerated fashion as she swung the ensemble back and forth.
Debating, Dani closed her eyes long enough to see Mitchell’s face the moment she appeared wearing the sexy teddy. He would be floored, summoning her to suck his cock. Reality kicked her out of her fantasy. That was never going to happen. Still, she could enjoy being a different woman. Trixie could be right. Change was good for the soul. “I’ll take it.”
“There you go. Proud of you. I’ll throw in a couple of my sexiest thongs for the trip. I’m certain you’re going to want to wear those under your brand-new jeans.” Laughing, she sauntered away.
She craned her neck to look at her backside. Yep. She could see panty lines. After rubbing her eyes, she milled through the store, selecting two bras, several pair of thong underwear and one package of thigh-highs, black in color. What the hell. The boss was paying. She bundled the lingerie and dumped everything onto the counter. “These too.”
Trixie raised a single eyebrow. “Excellent. By the way, you can use my dressing room to slide into your new underwear. Don’t forget to stop by the drugstore for a brush to calm that mane of yours. Texas wind is a bitch.”
Now thoroughly chastised for being a staunch city slicker, she followed Trixie’s advice, donning new panties and slinking into the small drugstore. When she left, she was equipped with everything she’d need, including makeup and the required hairbrush. She’d taken a few minutes to freshen up. Was she ready to face a bunch of roughnecks? Time would tell.
She struggled with her packages as she walked toward the coffee shop, envisioning Mitchell’s face.
Mitchell wasn’t interested in the now cold cup of coffee. Pushing the Styrofoam away, he concentrated on the number of emails from Camden. Stock was already slipping which meant word had leaked out about the problems at the Steele site. He had to stop the bloodshed today or the stock would crash within forty-eight hours. He contemplated Dani’s thoughts on sabotage. He had far too many enemies on the list to be able to select just one.
There were at least two companies vying for his position in the industry, a firm out of China of all places and a consortium of owners from Texas, determined to knock Rush Enterprises off their assumed pedestal. While he was ruthless in business, he refused to assuage the employees in any way. He would remain ethical.
He closed his eyes, imagining losing everything. Things he could do without, but he was lucky, having squirreled away money in various savings accounts. What about his employees who lived paycheck to paycheck? He had to do something. He prayed to God he’d made the right choice bringing Dani along.
“Is this any better?”
Mitchell smiled, hearing Dani’s voice, somehow softer, alluring in a manner he hadn’t anticipated. Opening his eyes, the woman standing in front of him wasn’t the same one who’d seemed determined to keep her conservative persona. Standing in jeans, boots and a shirt that was eye catching, his breath was taken away. He stood, gripping the table to keep from reaching out for her. “I’d say so. How do you feel?”
“If I can learn to walk in heels, I guess boots will be easy.” Dani smoothed her hand down the front of her jeans, her face flushing.
She was more beautiful than ever, natural and seductive. She also had no idea how dazzling she truly was. His
cock pushed against his jeans once again and he swallowed as his libido jumped off the scale. This woman could do him in. “You’ll do just fine. Get everything you need?”
“I think so. Are we ready?”
“We have a meeting in less than an hour. I’ve assembled the entire team. With any luck, we’ll have answers by the end of the day.”
“Then let’s get going. Time is of the essence.”
“Good enough.” As they walked out of the store, his cell phone rang. “Camden. We’ve arrived and are on our way to the site. What’s the latest?”
“You’re meeting with Nash Waters. He’s the man in charge of drilling and is aware of your arrival,” Camden said, his voice clipped.
“I don’t know him.”
“I hired him. Best in the business. Used to be a roughneck. Worked his way up with Steele. I lured him away. Look, tension is high at the Steele site so go in with kid gloves.”
Kid gloves. Perfect. Mitchell glanced at Dani, studying the way she walked carefully, and smiled. “Great. Not what we need. At least you had the forethought to hire Waters. By the way, the stocks are dropping way too fast. I need to know who leaked information. We can’t afford for this to get out.”
“Yeah, I noticed. Some of the other employees have as well. Questions are being asked. I’ll check, but that’s not our main concern.”
He heard the tension in Camden’s tone and stopped short. “What else?”
“The police are here looking for you.”
“Why?” Mitchell demanded.
Dani flanked his side, her face cull of concern. She mouthed ‘what’s wrong’.
He shook his head, a wretched feeling pooling in his gut.
“They refused to tell me any details, but I overheard one of the officers talking.” Camden hesitated. “Mitchell, there’s an accusation of misappropriation of funds. I think they were going to arrest you. Do you want me to call Zach for you?”
“No, he has his hands full right now. I have another attorney in mind.” This was unexpected. He rubbed his eyes as he thought about Zach’s words and the damn superstition. Everything was going to get messy as hell.
Chapter 5
Arrested? What the hell was going on? Dani had heard only a few words of the conversation, but the ones she heard were potentially catastrophic for the company as well as the man. Mitchell refused to talk about the details so the ride was virtually silent. What if she’d gotten involved with a disreputable company? No, Sasha was a bulldog and would have discovered any atrocities. She leaned her head against the passenger door and watched the world go by. Texas was expansive, the landscaping sparse and the terrain rugged. For a full minute, she allowed herself to think about whether she’d made the wrong decision.
No. Moving had been the only decision she could make, especially since David was undoubtedly happy with his new life, his beautiful young wife, and the house they were supposed to live in. She bit back a laugh. Karma would have its day.
They arrived at the site in less than an hour. The moment Mitchell drove past several steel gates, she leaned forward, gawking at the plant. “Holy fuck.”
Chuckling, Mitchell nodded. “One of the largest sites in the world. Had my eye on this for ten years before it went up for sale. Even my father wanted to purchase the oil fields a dozen years ago. Mr. Steele sold because he retired, although I’m beginning to wonder if that was the only reason.” He pulled the jeep into a parking spot in front of a two-story building and climbed out.
She eased a single foot onto the pavement and scanned the area. From every angle, she could see a rig, gyrating up and down. The sun biting, she covered her eyes and squinted. With the flat land and the powerful heat index, she’d swear she could see for miles in every direction. “Amazing.”
“We’re meeting first with Nash Waters. He’s an ex-employee from Steele, so he knows everything about the operation. He’s also an ex-rigger, so you should find him useful. Meet with him and get the lay of the land.”
“You’re not coming?” Horrified, Dani walked around the front of the car. He was going to leave her alone to deal with this?
Mitchell placed a hand on her arm, squeezing. “I have a short phone call to make then I’ll be right in. As you told me, you can handle yourself.”
The brush off clear, she sucked in her breath, grabbed her briefcase and huffed all the way to the front door. The moment she walked inside, she sagged in her boots. The interior was like an oversized store room and mechanics bay, boxes and various metal parts everywhere. She was so out of her element.
She gripped her briefcase with both hands and trudged forward, determined to find Mr. Waters. As she suspected, she didn’t see a single female as she walked into what had to be the main office. What she did find were several men pouring over computer files. She cleared her throat before she was noticed.
“May I help you, little lady?” His smile was genuine, his face aged from too much time in the sun.
“I’m looking for Nash Waters?” Dani asked as she surveyed the area. The state of the art computer system gave her comfort.
“Hey, Nash. There’s a girl here for you,” he yelled over his shoulder. “You the new girlfriend?”
“Me? Uh no. I’ve never met Mr. Waters. I’m here with Rush Enterprises.”
He narrowed his eyes, gave her a once over then rubbed his hand on the front of his jeans before offering. “I must say, Mr. Rush has excellent tastes in his administrative staff.”
While she gripped his hand, she longed to rip out his eyes. This was going to be a tough assignment.
“She’s no administrator, Bart. She’s the real deal. A fancy engineer brought to us straight from the mothership, Rush Enterprises,” Nash stated as he walked closer. The words were said with disdain.
Dani tipped her head, resisting retorting. Instead, she continued to shake Bart’s hand, her grip firm. “Yes, that’s correct. I’m a petroleum engineer to be exact, one of the best in the field. I’m here to determine how to handle the caustic situation before the land is tainted, wildlife is murdered and thousands of people lose their jobs. I would hope, no I expect your full cooperation.”
Nash narrowed his eyes, gave her a solid and very harsh onceover then held out his hand. “So good of you to come and so quickly.”
As she let go of Bart’s hand, she could see every eye in the room was on her. “Mr. Rush and I are on a tight timetable so why don’t we get started? I’ll need to talk with a few of the roughnecks as well as the management team. I’m certain you can arrange that for me. Can’t you?” Nash Waters might be the epitome of a true cowboy, given his flaxen, shoulder length hair and carved face, but she refused to take any shit.
“I’d listen to her, Nash. She’s tough,” Mitchell said as he grinned and held out his hand.
“Mr. Rush, good to have you here with us and I’ll keep that in mind,” Nash stated.
She noticed a glimmer of anger in Nash’s eyes. Then it was gone.
“Yes, shame this isn’t under better circumstances,” Mitchell said casually.
Nash glanced at Dani before answering. “I’ll arrange everything you need. Let’s go to the conference room.”
“Not yet. First, I want a tour of the rigs and a discussion with the roughnecks. We can go over details later or you can provide them via an email or dropbox.” Dani gave Mitchell a look, who responded with a single nod.
Nash kept his expression blank as he looked from Mitchell and back to Dani. “Very well. Be prepared for a hot and bumpy ride.”
“Be prepared for a hot and bumpy ride? Who was the jerkoff kidding?” Dani laughed as she reached for her wine. “I had the distinct feeling he was talking about a bucking horse or perhaps a lurid transaction.”
Mitchell smiled as he swirled his bourbon, enjoying the light conversation. They’d spent the entire remainder of the afternoon visiting four of the drill sites, meeting with members of the team and obtaining a firsthand look at the sludge in question. He’d spent tim
e with the management team while Dani continued to look around and could find nothing out of the ordinary. He’d been thoroughly impressed with her knowledge, even though she was green to the front lines. He only prayed to God the tests would come back with different information. “I’m sure you understand that the field isn’t overwhelmed with females, not even in today’s society.”
“Maybe so, but Neanderthal minds aren’t helpful in a crisis,” Dani countered.
“Is that what we’re facing? A crisis?” He’d only been able to talk with his attorney for two minutes before the woman walked into court. While he had confidence in Greta Dannon’s abilities, he had a sinking feeling the tip off to the cops was just a ruse to keep him occupied. But why?
“I won’t know until the tests come back.” She looked away, shaking her head.
“What is it?”
Dani looked around the room as if concerned someone could hear. “The meeting with the group of roughnecks. They were cautious.”
“They’re worried about their jobs.” Mitchell had seen their expressions of concern. They all had to be worried about losing their jobs.
“A man named Garcia Sanchez pulled me aside. He’s been with the crew for five years.” Her eyes flickered in the dim lighting.
“Let me guess. He had a different story to tell.”
She nodded and leaned in closer. “He said there are some aspects of the company that have been shoved under the rug. He alluded to going against OSHA safety practices and even mentioned a few of the workers had disappeared.”
“What? Did he explain?” This was news to Mitchell.