by Joanne Rock
Brass lanterns hung at regular intervals on the heavy beams that lined a walkway leading from the foyer. Marcus found a staircase and climbed the steps to the second floor, where double steel doors bearing the ranch name stood half-open. Inside the reception area, Marcus could see the ranch manager in conversation with a leanly muscled younger man he recognized from his research on the property—Weston Rivera.
“I hope I haven’t kept you waiting.” Marcus strode into the room, his attention focused on Rivera as he extended a hand. “I’m Marcus Salazar.”
“Weston,” the other man said, shaking hands briefly. At well over six feet tall, he was built more like an athlete than a cowboy, with wide shoulders, narrow hips and long legs. He wore jeans and hiking boots, a pair of aviator shades propped in his dark blond hair. There was something more assessing than welcoming in the guy’s hazel eyes. “And thanks for being here. I know your father had hoped both you and your brother would coordinate to be here at the same time, but after six months of waiting for that to happen, I’m at the point where I need to turn over the papers and be done with it. My part-time commitment to search-and-rescue efforts on the mountain makes it tough for me to alter my schedule at the last minute.”
Marcus bristled. “In all fairness, we didn’t know about the papers until this week.”
Weston waved the other men toward another set of doors behind the reception desk, and Cooper Adler stepped forward to unlock them.
“Papers aside, your father took the trouble to secure a promise from you before he died.” Weston shot him a level gaze. “I made the mistake of thinking that would have gotten you up here long ago.”
Marcus restrained a retort, but only by reminding himself that the group of ranch owners had a relationship with Alonzo that Marcus didn’t really know anything about. Clearly, Weston held his father in high regard.
Still, who was he to judge?
“I’m here now,” he said between clenched teeth as he followed the other men into a large conference room with a desk and seating area at one end. “Don’t let me waste any more of your time.”
Coop flipped on the overhead lights but didn’t take a seat in any of the gray leather swivel chairs around the oak table. The ranch manager hovered by the steel doors, checking something on his phone and holding the screen at arm’s length, as if he had a tough time seeing it.
Weston was already across the room, digging something out from shelves behind the desk while Marcus glanced out the windows overlooking the paddock and show ring below.
“Here it is.” Weston straightened, a shallow metal lockbox in his hands. He put the box on the desk while Cooper strode over and set his phone down beside it. “And Cooper got the code from Gage.”
Weston punched in something on the fireproof safe’s digital access panel, then passed the ranch manager’s phone back to him. Without another word, Cooper left the room and closed the doors behind him.
Marcus tensed, wondering about all the secrecy and what the box would contain. How much better had the ranch owners known his father than he had himself?
Weston cleared his throat. “Please, have a seat. I’ll leave you alone to review things in a moment, but first let me just say I’m sorry Alonzo is gone. He had a huge impact on my life, and no matter what I said last night about having that debt paid, I’ll always owe him something.”
Surprised at the outpouring of heartfelt words, Marcus wasn’t sure how to respond. “He never said much about his life away from my family, so sometimes I’m surprised at how well other people knew him.”
Weston grinned as he slid the lockbox across the oak desk. “Your old man could keep a secret, that’s for damned sure. Take all the time you need. Coop will be out front to lock up the room when you’re done. And if Devon really does finally put in an appearance, I’ll corral at least a couple of my partners into a welcome reception at my house Friday night.”
Marcus felt relief steal through him that they might still salvage the business.
“Thank you.” Seized with new curiosity, Marcus wanted to dig into whatever his father left. Even though the papers in that box might be something unwelcome. Or some secret that his sons would now have to keep. Marcus had no desire to hide old skeletons in the closet.
“One more thing,” Weston said over his shoulder once he reached the door. “I hope you’ll clue your brother in when he arrives. According to the text I got, he’ll be here in an hour or less.”
“Thank you for the heads-up.” Marcus guessed his brother would be driving hell-for-leather to get here now. “I’ll speak to Devon as soon as he arrives.”
He might not want to share his business with Devon, but he didn’t begrudge him whatever their father had wanted them to know.
As soon as the door closed behind Weston, Marcus reached into the box and pulled out a stack of papers.
Twenty minutes later, he still couldn’t believe his eyes. His father’s secrets were unlike anything he would have ever imagined. His dad hadn’t been a secret agent. He’d been an author of pulpy fiction, set in Hollywood with tabloid-esque story lines.
Alonzo had been damned good at it, in fact, hitting bestseller lists under a fictional name that Marcus hadn’t recognized. What he couldn’t figure out was where all the money from those book sales had gone. There wasn’t anything about the literary estate in the files. But there was the name of a lawyer, and Marcus needed to get in touch with the woman pronto.
Because if Marcus was remembering the story line of the popular book correctly, he seemed to recall it had closely paralleled an incident based on real people—a Hollywood mogul and his former actress wife. There was even a clipping from a newspaper about the actress attempting to sue the author of the book, but the sources quoted in the story suggested the family had been discouraged from pursuing legal action since it was tough to win those kinds of cases.
Would the Hollywood clan decide to mount a lawsuit against his estate if they knew Alonzo’s real identity? Would they come after Salazar Media?
Emptying the metal safe of all the papers, Marcus shoved them in a manila envelope and charged out of the conference room. He passed Coop in the reception area, then turned to head down the stairs.
Where he ran right into Lily Carrington, her feminine curves more delectable than ever.
Ten
“Oh!” Lily slammed into the very man she’d been searching for.
Marcus’s arms went around her, crushing her to him. Because he wanted to? Or to keep her from tumbling right back down the wide oak steps? Her fingers clutched his shoulders as she righted herself, catching her breath and a hint of his spicy aftershave with it. The feel of his strong body plastered against hers was a vivid reminder of everything that had transpired between them the evening before.
The bone-melting kisses. The toe-curling orgasms. In just that brief instant he held her, her temperature spiked from normal to red-hot, her breasts tingling in anticipation of his touch in spite of all her determination to keep her professional distance.
“Are you all right?” He released her slowly, his voice a warm graze of air against her earlobe.
Vaguely, she became aware of the crinkling paper pressed to her spine. A folder? No, an envelope, she realized as he pulled his hand away.
Her gaze darted from the thick manila envelope to his face, his brown eyes unreadable except for the flicker of heat in their depths.
Belatedly, she realized she still clung to him, and she scrambled away so quickly she had to grip the polished wooden banister to keep from teetering backward again. How was she ever going to return to a strictly professional relationship with someone who affected her this way?
“I’m fine,” she answered, more to convince herself than him. Then she heard movement on the floor above them, and her shoulders tensed. “Is someone still upstairs?”
The last thing they needed was
an audience.
“It’s just Coop,” he assured her before sliding his free arm around her waist, gently turning her in the opposite direction. “Let’s find somewhere else to talk.”
She couldn’t argue with that. She’d sought him out with the express purpose of having a private, sensible conversation about ending this affair, but she may have underestimated how difficult that would be—the sensible part, anyhow—after how dramatically things had changed between them last night. It would be simpler if she felt a true sense of regret about being with him. But right now, having his strong arm guiding her into an empty tack room that looked more for show than equipping horses, she couldn’t scavenge an ounce of remorse that he’d awakened her to a kind of romantic fulfillment that she’d been missing out on all her life.
He let go of her to partially close the tack room door, leaving it open enough that they could see if anyone entered or exited the building. When her gaze collided with his again, the burst of sparks over her skin sent her scrambling for a neutral topic.
“What is this place?” she asked, running her hands over what looked like a restored western saddle, the leather work showing a level of craftsmanship she’d rarely seen. “I mean, obviously it’s a tack room. But why does the whole building look like nothing’s ever been used?”
She cursed herself for getting sidetracked. She wanted to ask him about the meeting with Weston Rivera, but since he’d kept it secret from her, that didn’t seem wise. And she needed to speak to him about ending their affair and never telling an earthly soul about it, but that was tough, too, when all she wanted to do was kiss him again.
“I think it’s going to be the welcome center and a training area to greet new retreat guests. They’ll use the arena to teach basic horsemanship or conduct roping and rodeo demonstrations to entertain guests.” Lily followed Marcus’s every move with her hungry gaze as he set down the packet of papers on a wooden shelf full of clean grooming brushes. “I remember seeing the description of it in some literature on their website. I think they only just completed construction. But is that really why you’re here? To talk about the welcome center?”
She stared down at the cobblestone floor and told herself to get a grip.
“Of course not.” She tipped her chin up and met his gaze. “Devon’s on his way, and he asked me to be here when the two of you meet.”
“It’s kind of you to warn me,” Marcus remarked dryly. “I appreciate the reminder of where your real loyalties lie.”
His broad shoulders took up too much of the room, making her wish she could seek shelter against them instead of fencing with him all the time.
“Can we not do this, please?” She didn’t have much time to sort things out with him. To start cleaning up the mess she’d made.
“Devon must have told you about the meeting with Rivera.” He shook his head, his jaw flexing. “No wonder you knew right where to find me.”
“Your brother wanted to be here for it,” she reminded him, tamping down her curiosity about the papers. “I know he’ll be pulling into the driveway of the guest lodge any minute.” She needed to get on top of this situation with Marcus before then.
“And what mission did he give you until he arrives, Lily? Does he want you to sidetrack me? Make sure you have me right where he can find me as soon as he arrives?”
He wasn’t all that far from the truth, of course. The Salazar men might be business rivals, but they understood one another well enough.
“This isn’t about what Devon wants—it’s about what I want.”
Her words produced an immediate effect on Marcus. His restless body went still as his attention narrowed to her.
“And what is it you want?” His voice stirred her senses, the tone somehow plucking taut strings of awareness until she practically vibrated with sensual need.
The air was suddenly sweltering. Oppressive, even. It brought with it the realization that asking for all the things she intended—to end their affair, to never speak of it again, to hide what they’d felt for each other—would only make her a hypocrite and a liar.
Her fingers clenched with the effort not to touch him. Tension knotted up her back and clamped around her shoulders. Would it feel like this every time she saw him?
“The same thing you do,” she replied carefully, certain that Marcus didn’t want this affair to derail their working relationship, either. “That is—”
His arms were around her waist then, lifting her against him. The heat that had been building burst into a storm of passion, their hands exploring each other’s bodies as if they’d been separated for years instead of hours. His lips claimed hers in a hungry kiss, and she looped her arms around his neck, clutching him tight.
Desire licked over her in greedy, white-hot flames. She pressed herself closer to the source of all that blistering warmth, arching her back, her hips restless, her breasts aching, her pulse throbbing in the most sensitive places...
“Marcus?” The masculine voice from the building entrance poured ice over her.
Edging away from Marcus with a start, Lily glimpsed Devon Salazar framed in the half-open door—and saw her career going up in flames before her very eyes.
* * *
Marcus had plotted his brother’s demise before, but never with the degree of bloodthirsty enthusiasm he did at this moment.
For once, the instinct was totally selfless, since the tactless bastard had embarrassed Lily. Marcus took his time pulling away from her, doing his best to hide her burning cheeks until she had herself back under control. He saved plenty of anger for himself since he should have never put her in that position in the first place. But he’d never met a woman who could torch his self-control that way.
“What the hell is going on?” Devon glared at him like he would have gladly gutted him on sight. “Is this what the company travel budget pays for?”
Behind him, Marcus felt the tension radiating off Lily. Guilt stung that he’d exposed her to any possible censure from his brother. A fierce desire to protect her stirred from somewhere deep within him.
“I suggest you think carefully before you start casting stones at the people doing your job for you this week,” Marcus warned his brother, holding his gaze until he saw Devon’s shoulders ease a fraction. “Nice of you to show up. Too bad you still missed the meeting.”
He took in his Devon’s black T-shirt and jeans, an unusually dressed-down choice for the man who usually projected an executive vibe.
“You’re not getting off the hook that easily. We’ll talk about it later when we’re not in a place anyone can overhear.” Devon glanced behind him to peer at the empty stalls, far more aware of his surroundings than Marcus and Lily had been. “Is Rivera around?”
“He left.” Marcus kept his gaze on Devon, a man with green eyes and light brown hair who bore him little resemblance. “I got the impression that he’s had his fill of rearranging his search-and-rescue efforts to accommodate your schedule.”
Devon swore, but then his attention returned to Marcus, his eyes narrowing. “Do you presume to judge me? I’m not the one breaking up engagements.”
“Enough.” Lily stepped past Marcus to confront Devon. “If you care to address my broken engagement, I’ll thank you to speak to me about it directly.”
Marcus watched the two of them face off in silence after that, seeing for the first time that the wordless way they communicated was about more than just a long-standing work relationship. More than simple friendship. He spied a level of mutual respect that he hadn’t identified in the past. It was evident in the surprising way Devon backed down before Marcus could leap to Lily’s defense.
Devon gave her a brief nod. It wasn’t an apology. More like an acknowledgment of her point. Whatever it was seemed to satisfy them both, since Devon moved on. “Then let’s find a place where I can get up to speed on what’s happening at the ranch and what
I need to know from the meeting with Rivera.”
Marcus still grappled with a stab of envy for the easy relationship Lily shared with his brother. Or vice versa. Seeing that bond with new eyes only reminded him that if push came to shove at Salazar Media, Lily’s support would be for Devon.
“I realize you trust Lily, but Dad’s secrets aren’t a company matter,” Marcus cautioned, keeping his voice low as the sound of footsteps on the nearby stairs echoed through the floor. “I suggest you read the papers before we talk about them.”
“Fair enough. Who’s this?” Devon asked, his gaze on a pair of boots as they became visible on the staircase.
“That’s the ranch manager, Cooper Adler. He’s the owners’ eyes on the ground,” Lily intoned softly.
Once again, Devon seemed to comprehend the intended message immediately. “I’ll speak with him. Apologize for not being here sooner.” He spun back around to face Lily and Marcus. “But afterward, let’s talk.”
Marcus passed Devon the envelope containing the bombshell revelations about their father. “Take this for a little light reading. Bring yourself up to speed before we get ahead of ourselves with more meetings.”
For a moment, Devon stared at the packet like it was a poisonous reptile. Or was it that he hadn’t expected Marcus to share the information? Either way, he jammed it under his arm and strode in Coop’s direction, hailing the older man with the charm that Devon could slap on as easily as a new hat.
“Let’s get out of here,” Marcus said under his breath, tugging Lily toward the door on the other end of the tack room, leading her out into the Montana sunshine.
