His eyes softened as he gazed at her and he patted her hand. “Sounds like you traded up.”
True. She’d thought so. The Taylors had been so sweet and welcoming that it had made being Jess easier. As Catherine, she'd tossed and turned, wondering what she must have done for her father to throw her away.
She picked up some potatoes off her plate with her fork. “In some ways, you are right. It turns out that my natural mother had always wanted me. My brothers weren’t ripped from her arms, like I'd been. I feel like I’m two different people sometimes.”
He raised his eyebrow. “Two?”
Catherine Morgan, billionaire heiress, who'd grown up away from her natural family for most of her childhood but now pretended to fit in by attending charity galas, or grand openings of clubs that wanted her name on the clientele list as if she wasn’t more than some airhead in a pretty dress.
Jess Taylor had grown up wanted, but now took a backseat to Catherine’s life. Not that she could explain that because if she even tried, she’d reveal her identity as a Morgan. He knew too much already and soon the Brock story would break as she hadn’t heard anything. “One is simple, more salt of the earth Jess, and the other is the princess you see in me.”
He put his fork down without touching his steak and took both of her hands. Her heart shifted when he said, “I see both, Jess. It’s how you put me under your spell.”
Maverick was the best man she’d met in a long time and a smile grew on her face. “I weave a spell?”
His stomach rumbled and he winked at her. “Let’s eat this dinner and then get dressed for the party.”
If she touched her food, that would turn this evening into a memory rather than being in the present. With a sigh, she let his hands go so he could pick up his fork and knife while she asked, “So this episode of ours ends?”
“I want us to make an appearance downstairs and then come right back up here.”
Oh. Returning would be great. She picked up her own fork now. “You want more of me?”
“I want every moment I can get with you.” His intense stare let her know that he was thinking about her naked body and learning every inch of her.
Her skin heated in response. She gave him a saucy smile and said, “Then Maverick Appleton, I’m yours for the picking.”
They both concentrated on their meals in silence. Maverick devoured his steak and potatoes. She dipped her lamb into the mint jelly that made the meat sweet. As they finished and wiped their mouths with napkins, Maverick broke the quiet. “Jess, how did I get so lucky? What did this stupid ex of yours do?”
So this was the topic again. Fair enough. He wanted more details. She sighed and said, “He tried to extort my money.”
His lips pressed together with obvious disapproval. “I don’t need whatever money you have.”
Until she’d stepped through the front door of his farmhouse and saw the crystal chandelier, she’d have never guessed farmers were fancy. She hadn't bothered to wonder what was behind the fences surrounding the bigger orange groves. “I noticed. I thought farmers lived off the land, taking only what they needed and scraping by. The middle school trip to visit an orange grove that I went on showed a small house at the edge of the field. I never guessed there were folks who lived in mansions like yours.”
“The people you visited were probably half-city folks.” He folded his hands on the table and searched her face for a reaction as he said, “Most people hate the isolation of being on a farm.”
Huh? Her eyes widened and she patted his hand to reassure him that she was fine. “But we have cars. It only took us an hour and a half to get to Tampa.”
He shrugged and flipped his hand so that his palm cupped hers. “Still, most women I meet don’t want to spend the time away from a manicurist.”
Seriously? He'd clearly dated the wrong women as he'd mentioned previously. She played with his fingers as she said, “Well, I love your home...”
“Careful with the l word,” he reminded her.
“Don’t freak out. I love the color pink, but I don’t wear it every day.” A thrill raced through her and she laughed, then stood and tugged for him to follow her. “And you know what I mean, Maverick. I’m ready to get dressed for your cotillion.”
He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a fast kiss. Desire had never rushed through her like this and she never wanted this time to end. Jess and Maverick were awesome together.
Maverick sat on the edge of the bed amid their wrinkled sheets, fully dressed in a navy blue suit, ready for this party as he waited on Jess. He unbuttoned his suit jacket, sure of three things. Tonight he would be walking into the cotillion with the prettiest woman he’d ever met and her beauty wasn’t just physical. Second, he wanted to stay in his room and not go to the cotillion at all, if the alternative was Jess. And three, Jess deserved to be treated better by the men in her life.
Last time he hadn't worked the room when he'd been close to a deal and Colt Collins had disrupted the expected contracts. This time, though, Maverick would remind everyone he and his family had supported the community of farmers in Florida for over a century, and the Morgan flash wasn’t something to pass on to their children.
The bathroom door opened and he caught his breath when Jess came out in her body-hugging teal dress, her blonde hair now loosely cascading against her back, which somehow made her less of a goddess and more kissable. If only he didn’t have to shake those supporter's hands tonight, but his peaches deal for wholesale farmer's markets nationwide was too important for him to take a chance.
He stood and offered his hand. “You look magnetic.”
A slow smile grew on her face while she wrapped her arm through his. “I want to make you look good tonight.”
He fixed his tie and opened the hotel door to the hall. “Why is that important to you?”
She checked the hallway as if to make sure that they were alone before she said, “You gave me a place to stay--I save you from farmer's daughters. We made a deal, remember?”
His skin prickled. What he felt was so much more than two conspirators following through with a deal. He led her down the hall toward the elevator and pressed the button. “Is that what you meant, to make me look good?”
She glanced at the nearby restaurant where all the patrons were seated, giving them privacy. Her cheeks were red as she said, “Yes. And… and I’m wondering what life would be like on a farm, if I tossed all obligations away and just gave into temptation?”
He liked that she imagined herself on his farm. He enjoyed her fully, including her being beside him right now. His father had once said that a good woman would make his life sparkle like champagne and now he understood his father wasn’t just talking about chemistry. The elevator doors opened. “I tempt you?”
She cupped his cheek with a soft hand. “More than you should. I never thought I’d go to a cotillion.”
Right. They were from different worlds. She was fancy and not meant for an old-school farmhouse, but that wasn't what he had to offer. “You’re from Florida?”
She stepped back, lowering her hand. “Yes, but this wasn’t my world. Miami is all about the glitter, fast cars, life style, and you… track mud into the house.”
“I make sure it doesn’t get all over the floor.”
“True, but that sexy cowboy hat on your head isn’t part of the Miami hustle.”
He knew that. No matter the price tag, city and country life styles didn't mix well. As the elevator descended, he recited another observation from his father. “My father used to go to the neighbor’s farm to help whenever asked, even in the middle of the night, because that was being a part of your community. Some folks are farther removed from what's going on these days, but most of the people here tonight value being neighborly.”
She caressed his forearm, her expression caring. The elevator reached the main floor. “Are things changing, even out here?”
They stepped into the white lobby and he read a sign that sa
id Farmer’s Cotillion. This was the night he would remind everyone that the Appleton’s kept their word so Colt Collins and the Morgan banks wouldn't disrupt a possible second contract.
Neighbors but also colleagues. “Farming is big business and there is worldwide competition. In the US we compete with other countries that have lower costs, but we have good fertile land that provides better produce. Our Florida farms are big on supplying oranges, avocadoes, and tomatoes year round but I’m hoping to push for more peaches soon. I’ve got a contract pending, but I bought farms all over the world to stay competitive. My family’s history of farming goes back generations.”
Her eyes widened and she stepped in front of him in the middle of the lobby as she asked, “So you’re international?”
“Agri International is mine,” he said quickly, as it was unusual that he had to explain how he was the CEO. But how could Jess know? It wasn't something he talked about--it just was.
As they entered the ballroom, Bernice and Dodger Fletcher nodded at him from the table near the door and glanced at Jess, so he lowered his voice and kept her close as he said almost in a whisper, “I’m one of those multinationals that some in this community blame for all their financial troubles.”
Dodger and Bernice owned a trucking corporation that would offer a competitive price for his peaches in the deal.
Her face sparkled like he told her she’d won the lottery. Alicia had also looked at him in the same way when he'd explained who he was, and his net worth. “I get it.”
Perhaps he’d judged too early or maybe he'd hoped for more in Jess. His stomach tightened. He'd just admitted he had serious cash which was all Alicia had wanted. The only difference right now was that Jess had her own money or so it seemed. He squeezed her side gently to signal that they should head inside. “Being all around the world is needed to be competitive in today’s marketplace, but having you on my arm is the biggest win for tonight.”
“Competitive is good, but depending on demand isn’t. You need to have multiple avenues to supply your product or your production becomes obsolete and short lived.” She walked with him but tapped his stomach--his muscles flexed. “Business doesn’t matter though. Tonight I’ll make you proud. I have experience in wowing associates at business affairs.”
“Your ex-boyfriend used you to charm too?”
“Let’s not talk about him. I’m being extorted, remember?”
Right. She was nothing like Alicia and some fool was using her for money. They walked toward the ballroom door while his lips thinned. No one should hurt Jess. She deserved better. “He's an idiot. You have far more value than money could ever buy.”
She adjusted his tie and smiled at him with a sultry look that was like a shot to the heart. “How?”
Perhaps he was a fool, but if he could keep Jess in his life, he would. Forget temporary. “You’re warm, caring, smart, sweet, and you make me believe that not every woman is like Alicia.”
They made it to a long table where he signed in for them. He took the white sticker with his name printed out and a blank one, writing her name and then handed her the nametag. “Good, because we’re not.”
She put her nametag on and JESS stood out in bold black marker. He led her away from the check-in table and held her hand. “What was your ex’s name?”
The dated blue and gold carpets of the ballroom didn't quite match the cream colored walls. Wooden displays filled with cheeses, wines, and local fruits had been arranged all over the room, and guests milled around them. He and Jess stood in an empty corner. “My brothers are handling him. Let’s focus on why you’re here. Who are we to talk to?”
“David Fleur for one. I have a contract with him pending for shipping peaches with his fleet of freights.” He breathed in the same air Jess warmed. He wasn’t prying, but Jess was his for the night and maybe more. Maverick massaged her back as he said, “I just realized I didn’t know your ex’s name. If I ever meet him, I want to punch him out.”
Her lips quirked. “Brock.”
“Sounds like a fool’s name,” he mumbled, his mouth craving a taste of Jess's lower lip.
He inched closer but then he smelled wine and roses behind his back, just as his father’s friend, David, and his wife Callie, came beside them. Callie always wore rose water. David smacked him exuberantly on the shoulder. “Maverick, you’re looking besotted tonight. Who's your lovely date?”
Jess offered to shake first David’s, then Callie’s, hands. Callie wore bright yellow swirled with blue and purple--a tribute to her hippy days. Jess said, “Jess Taylor. Nice to meet you.”
Her voice trailed off and he held her next to him. “Jess, this is David Fleur and his wife, Callie. David was a friend of my father’s.”
David took off his black cowboy hat and showed off his salt and pepper fringe surrounding a central bald spot. “I was best man at his parents' wedding and godfather to Maverick here. I miss seeing your parents every time I say yes to come to one of these functions. They both died too soon.”
Jess stayed close to him, saying, “I’m glad Maverick has people like you watching out for him. Being alone is never fun.”
David glanced from Jess to Maverick. “I hope Maverick and I continue to deal just as I dealt with his father before him. I’m happy to see you here, Jess.”
“The contract is as competitive as you’ll get,” Maverick reminded him, since he'd alluded to the deal.
David nodded, put his hat back on and led his wife away without another word.
Maverick and Jess stood watching them go and he motioned toward the bar as Jess said, “He was nice, though I think there is something in the works he wasn't mentioning.”
“Why?”
“Nods are not the same thing as words. I’d ensure you have a backup plan for your freight shipping.”
His lips tingled for Jess’s kiss, not alcohol, though they waited at the bar. He wrapped his arm around her while he said, “He’s a good guy." But had there been something? Maverick had sensed a reluctance but he’d always been like family, yet Jess had just confirmed his own sense. Right now she mattered and he had to steal at least one kiss. "Come on.”
Her gaze narrowed as he pulled her in the opposite direction of the bar. “Where? I thought you wanted to talk to everyone here?”
“In a minute.” He needed to get her alone, now.
Leaving their penthouse suite at all had been a mistake. He led her out into the lobby and pressed her into a dark corner. She had to feel how hard he was for her while her hands held him close and she said, “Okay… whoa.”
Maverick drank in her sweet kiss like he was lost in a desert and she was the only water around.
For who knows how long he continued to kiss her, until a shrill laugh from the ballroom pierced through his skull, reminding him that the corner wasn’t totally private.
She sighed and just stared at him. He cupped her backside briefly and said, “Jess, I want us to circle twice, shake hands and get out of here.”
She nodded but she asked as they left the corner to return to the ballroom, “No dancing?”
Granted, he wasn’t being polite. If she wanted the cotillion, he’d give her time, so he crossed the threshold as he pursed his lips. “Not unless you want. I already met who I needed to see the most.”
She kissed his cheeks like she wanted to laugh and said, “We can dance later, in our room, or on your porch again tomorrow.”
That dance on his front porch had done him in. He was probably a fool, but it didn’t matter. Tonight Jess was his and he’d taste every morsel as many times as possible. He simply nodded. “Good.”
Without another word between them, he led her around the ballroom, shaking hands. They said, “Hi, hi, hi,” to multiple people, with a few, “Nice to meet you,” responses. The faces blurred though he truly didn’t care. He answered comments with, “Yes, you too." Or, "You look lovely.” Jess stayed beside him and he answered the same question, “Who's this?” over and over with, �
��Jess Taylor, my better half.”
Finally they finished shaking hands. Country music started from the makeshift stage. They neared the door as guests headed to the dance floor for a square dance. Jess, slightly out of breath, said, “That was fast.”
He pressed his hand on her lower back. “Let’s go.”
“Did you decide on your vote?” she asked as they strolled toward the door.
Tonight was done here, now and for the rest of the evening he’d just have Jess. But he only said, “I don’t really care about the vote. I was here to remind everyone I am part of the community and don’t need the Morgan banks to work with them. I want people on my team that feel the same way.”
She inhaled sharply, but then pointed toward the dance floor. “Next time we go to a cotillion, will you dance with me?”
Wait. Had she wanted to dance inside? He slowed and said, “Absolutely.”
She bounced on her feet with that smile of hers that said without words she was happy. “Perfect. I’ve never done a square dance.”
He froze, confused. Did she want to go upstairs, or dance? If she wanted, they’d go back. “Wait. What?”
She squeezed his hand and tugged him out the door while she said, “You can teach me… later.”
This was another reason they didn’t make sense, at least on paper, though in the sheets and alone, that was completely different. If he ever fell for any woman, it might be Jess. He sighed and asked, “How have you never done a square dance?”
She shrugged like the answer was obvious. “In Miami, there isn’t much country playing in the clubs.”
He'd never been to a Miami club. The truth was, they were from different universes, but he said as they returned to the lobby, “Stick with me and we’ll do the simple things together.”
She strode confidently at his side like she was his dream girl come to life. Perhaps she was. No one else made his world sparkle like Jess Taylor.
Maybe Maverick and Jess made sense together, as a couple, she thought with a snuggle against him as they lay in bed.
Secret Cowboy Page 8
