Chapter 9
Nash
A jolt of sensual energy crashed into him nearly dropping him to his knees.
Nash’s heart pounded, gawking at her perfect ass and tiny waist as she marched toward the elevator. He couldn’t pin down what part of her he found more attractive, the grit she possessed, her playful banter, or the way her dark eyes ignited when she looked up at him.
After the dose of high-octane flirting, he had to restrain himself from going after her. He wanted to spread his fingers over the curve of her hips, to unfasten the zipper running down the length of her skirt, to expose the perfection hidden beneath.
He wanted to see her. He wanted to taste her. He wanted to fuck her until his name spilled from her gorgeous raspberry lips.
The thick rope of chestnut hair cascading between her shoulder blades swished with each step, practically calling out his name, begging to be tugged.
Just a little.
Or a lot.
Fuck, he’d give it to her however she wanted it.
When the elevator opened, she marched inside and spun to face him. Nash smoothed the rising hunger from the notch between his brows, showering her with a haughty grin.
Ember crossed her arms over her breasts, nailing him with a piercing stare and flipping him the bird right before the doors closed.
Laughter rolled up his throat.
Staring at the closed doors he was hit with a tremor of desire coiling through his gut like a rattler ready to strike. He drew in a deep breath. The soft, pretty scent of her traveled along every nerve ending he possessed leaving him feeling bereft.
Releasing the doorjamb from the solid grip of his fingers, Nash adjusted his hard on with the heel of his hand.
“What the hell are you doing?” he grumbled to himself, treading inside his apartment.
A brief mental tug-o-war ensued, an incessant round of pulling and tugging, pitting shrewdness and logic against the stiffness of his dick and the strange ache in his chest. Neither side of his conscience willing to budge an inch.
Stripping his jacket from his shoulders, he retrieved his cell phone from the inside pocket, and dialed Randy’s number.
“Are you still at the Tower Building?”
“Yeah. I’m getting ready to take off in about fifteen.”
“I need you to do me a favor.”
“Sure thing, boss. What do ya need?”
“I need you to go to the boardroom on the thirtieth floor.”
Chapter 10
Ember
A daughter is a mother’s treasure and a father’s pride and joy.
Ember tossed and turned all night. Morning still held onto the edges of darkness when she and Mr. Montgomery left the house. He assured her that she handled the meeting perfectly, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of defeat.
The round of verbal sparring with Nash left her with the heady feeling of inevitability that grew like an orgasm to a crescendo just before she reached the point of no return. The push and pull of their combative, yet spirited, chemistry felt like nonstop foreplay. Previously, she’d endured being left high-and-dry by her last boyfriend on far too many occasions and the stinging reminder left her agitated and moody.
“Are all of these statistics and data written down somewhere, so I can read over them and study the information?” she asked Mr. Montgomery. She’d been listening to the drone of his voice for nearly three hours, rattling off fact after fact about cattle, horses, and ranching as a whole. “I’m never going to retain everything you’re telling me.”
His frown dipped so low she could actually see his bottom lip protrude past his mustache.
“It’s not that I’m ignorant.” Frustration and grumpiness saturated her tone. “My brain simply doesn’t work like that. I retain information much better when I have a visual document to study from.”
He waved a hand at their surroundings. “I suggest you try and think of the lay of the land as your visual document. You want me to get you a topographical map?”
Ember merely shook her head. Feelings of inadequacy deflated the small strides of accomplishment she’d made previously. It was a growing battle she feared she’d never conquer.
After fifteen minutes of riding in silence, her mood settled into a sedated state of exhaustion. Moderate tree cover protected them from the day’s climbing heat as they road across the flat land, winding through oak and pine. They stopped along the riverbank allowing the horses to drink. Storm’s black mane shined like course silk in the bright sunshine, his beautiful steel gray coat an even mixture of white and dark hairs.
Gazing across the rushing water, she couldn’t help but think of Nash. She considered asking Mr. Montgomery about him, but he never questioned her about what happened when she stayed after the meeting or how she knew Nash, so she figured it’d be best to keep it to herself.
“If you had to name one thing, what would you consider the most difficult thing about ranching?” she questioned earnestly.
His response was instant and matter-of-fact. “The hardest part of the ranching business is Mother Nature. She’s either working for you or against you, and she seems to work against you more times than not.”
“I always think of Mother Nature as more of the divine goddess of fertility.”
“Well, that may work just fine when you work inside a warm, dry climate adjusted by the mere touch of a thermostat, but when you’re working outside under the harshest of elements, that woman can be a real bitch.”
Ember couldn’t help but laugh. Growing up in Austin, she’d met her fair share of unique individuals, hippies, hipsters, musicians, and actors, but none of them measured up to the man riding beside her. She wondered how much he was like her father, if they shared similarities in their views and personalities.
A sting of emotions tickled her nose. Tears welled behind her sunglasses. “Mr. Montgomery, do you think he…my father would’ve liked me?”
His body stiffened in the saddle and a deep frown furrowed between his brows. “Of course. He loved you.”
“No, I mean, do you think he would’ve liked me? You know, as a person?”
He rode up beside her and stared her in the eye. Warding off any oncoming emotions, he gave a grim twist of the mouth and a spat to the ground.
“I reckon he would’ve liked you. You’re a smart young woman with a lot of gusto and he would’ve accepted nothing less had he raised you himself. He was not an easy man. I’m certain he would’ve been a bit tough on you…when he wasn’t wrapped around your little finger.” A smile lifted behind his gray whiskers. “I’m sure he crowed in heaven yesterday when you left your DNA sample on the rim of that glass.”
“In a good way?”
“Yes, ma’am. You made him proud.” He pinched the brim of his hat between his finger and thumb, giving her a nod. “You would’ve been his sunshine and his stars.” His face reddened. “Now, that’s all I’ve got to say about that.”
Overwhelmed by the excessive amount of ranch-al-a-overload, Ember began to feel beaten and overpowered by the impossible task laid at her feet. It wasn’t as if she had one new job to conquer, she had dozens. And not one of them was easy or simple or remotely familiar.