“Alrighty. We’re just finishing up.” A muffled commotion filtered through the speaker. Ember’s panicked voice reverberated through the radio. “Shit! What time is it? Tell him not to leave! I’m on my way!”
“No problem, hon.”
A brittle coldness stabbed at his subconscious right before trampling ruthlessly through his pride. He could feel himself shutting down. “I should go. I’m sure she’ll be tired from the long day in the heat.”
Bee spared him the sympathetic pity glance, saving him from further embarrassment. She laid a small hand on his shoulder and gave it a couple of soft taps. The innocent gesture sparked a flood of memories from when he was a young boy.
“That girl has endured enough disappointment over the last few weeks to last a lifetime. I don’t think you want to add to that, do you?” Tone clipped with authority and protectiveness, Bee didn’t bother waiting for his reply. She’d made her point crystal clear. “Why don’t you drive on out and meet them at the barn? I’m sure that’s where they’re headed.”
Gathering his wits and tarnished ego, Nash tipped his head and sauntered toward his truck. He glanced over his shoulder, acknowledging, “I see you’ve taken quite a liking to her.”
“I don’t ‘spect that really surprises you, now does it?”
“Not one bit, Miss Bee. You always did like taking in strays.”
Fine lines surrounding her bright eyes deepened when she smiled. “Boy, you were never a stray.”
“I call it like I see it.”
“Nash.” Her left brow perked, and contentment flickered in her eyes. “It’s nice to see you coming around again.”
Sliding behind the wheel, he tossed her a wink and a wave. The engine started with a kick before easing into a low rumble as he cruised toward the barn. Nash pulled his truck beneath the shade of an ancient old ash tree, took a seat on the tailgate of his Chevy, and retrieved the vibrating phone from his pocket.
Randy – I’m not getting very far down here, Boss.
Nash – Throw a few Benjamins on the table. See if that puts a boot up their ass.
Randy – I’ll give it a whirl but don’t think I’ll get anywhere.
Nash – I don’t care if it takes ten grand. I want the results. Get it handled.
His eyes flicked upward spotting a trail of dust barreling down the dirt road in the distance.
Nash - Gotta go. We’ll talk tomorrow.
As the vehicle got closer, he saw two heads bobbing up and down every time a tire hit a rut in the road. Each tiny muscle of his face tensed, eyes narrowing behind the lenses of his sunglasses. Volatile heat zipped through his veins.
Nash pressed his palms to the hot steel beneath his hips, curling his fingers over the edge of the tailgate.
Catching a glint of Travis’s cocky mug through the windshield, a mere eighteen inches between him and Ember, set him on edge. As far as Nash was concerned, she could’ve been riding in the bed of the truck and it still would’ve been too close.
A cloud of dust lowered over him as the vehicle came to an abrupt stop.
Chapter 14
Ember
No one ever wins when the goal is to settle the score.
“Can’t this thing go any faster?” Ember asked, uncontrollable exhilaration grew in the pit of her stomach.
“You gotta hot date or something?” Travis piped, unaware Nash waited at the house.
There was no need for her to reply. Nash’s white and turquoise Chevy came into view as they crested the top of a small hill.
Travis tromped on the gas shooting a large rooster of dirt out from behind the tires. Her hand flew to the dash, searching for something to hang onto. Her entire upper body bounced wildly as the tires hit every rut in the road.
“Harris, huh?” Travis bit through gritted teeth.
Ember caught a glimpse of his harsh profile. Tension, strong and unrelenting, filled the small space between them. She didn’t owe Travis an explanation or an excuse. He was an employee. Whatever he was hoping for wasn’t going to happen.
Keeping her cool, she gave the only answer he warranted. “Yes.”
Irritation rolled off him in waves. He was drowning in it.
“Figures.”
Ember knew she should’ve let it go right there and then, but she didn’t stand a chance in hell of hiding her appalled reaction. “What is that supposed to mean?”
His lip tugged into a snide, arrogant snarl of sorts. Twisting his neck, Travis turned and glared at her, clipping, “Means nothing.”
“Bullshit.”
“It means—” He offered a small insignificant shrug. “There isn’t anything Nash Harris does that surprises me. He gets whatever he wants and he’s willing to do whatever or whoever it takes to get it.”
The sting of his arrogance and insinuation hit her full force. She wanted to tell him he was wrong, to fuck off, that he was jealous, but the surety in his words robbed her of any vigilance. Ember couldn’t squash the sick feeling starting to churn in her gut.
Shaking her head in disagreement, she whispered, “He wouldn’t.”
“I’m sure it was…special, but you have no idea what he’s capable of.” A haunted coldness arced in his voice. Travis hit the brakes, engulfing Nash in a cloud of dust and dirt before coming to a stop.
Nash didn’t budge.
Not an inch.
“That wasn’t cool, Travis,” she advised sternly, climbing out of the truck. “Don’t do it again.”
“Yes ma’am,” he countered, his tone equally as agitated.
The excitement she’d felt just moments before vanished, sucked dry by Travis’s words of warning. Suddenly, she felt exhausted as if a world of heaviness landed on her shoulders.
Until her eyes swung toward Nash.
A shaky, uneven breath bounced in her throat as her eyes inched up his body, analyzing his tall, muscular form. Agitation clung to him like the humid Texas air. His posture was guarded, legs crossed at the ankles and even though his eyes were hidden beneath a pair of dark lenses, she sensed the burn of his unyielding stare.
Flicking a wrist, he brushed the layer of dust from his blue button-down shirt.
He looked pissed.
Jealous.
Crossing the short distance between them, her heart fell into a rhythmic thunder. Hints of leather and bergamot floated across a soft breeze, filling her senses with carnal stimuli.
Every muscle running down the length of his arm flexed as he curled his fingers over the edge of the tailgate, pushing himself to a standing position. He drew a deep breath through his nose, expanding his broad chest even wider, signaling his size and status.
Confidence and power swallowed up the space around him, leaving zero room for any other male in a hundred-mile radius.
The man was all-consuming.
Clutching her by the hip, he captured her in a firm embrace. His grip, claiming in its force, startled her at first, but any concerns were quickly lost to the pleasant shockwave spindling through her limbs.
“Sorry, I’m late.” She released a quiet gasp feeling his fingers span the small of her back, drawing her even closer, until she slinked against his muscular frame. “Wait. I’m…I’m all dirty.”