Her best friend gave her a tiny smile. “I know you’re trying to put up a good front about Kane, but I can see the hurt in your eyes.”
Akayie loved that Danya cared about her so much, but she honestly didn’t have to worry about her so much. Everything was just as she wanted it. She wouldn’t change anything about her life right at this very moment.
“Hey, how about we forget about Kane and I’ll show you the rest of the property?” she suggested, wanting to move on from this conversation since there wasn’t anything else to bring up concerning her backstabbing ex-boyfriend.
Her assistant paused for a few seconds and just stared at her like she wanted to say more, but she let it go. “Sure. I would love to see more,” Danya answered. “Maybe I’ll get to meet this elusive Mr. Rowan Braden of yours and find out what all the fuss is about.”
“Mmmm, yeah sure,” Akayie answered. She hoped that Rowan Braden stayed as far away from them as possible. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with him a second time today. They had come to an understanding earlier. However, it was barely there so it was for the best if they tried to stay on their ends of the ranch.
“Is there something wrong?”
She shook her head. “No, nothing is wrong at all. Let’s get going. I want to show you some more of the guys I’ve picked out for the calendar.” Akayie noticed how Danya’s pretty face lit up like a kids on Christmas day. “Are these guys as good looking as Travis?” she asked, excitement very clear in her voice.
Laughing, Akayie grabbed Danya by the hand, pulling her in the direction of the corral. “Come on. I think two of the guys I want you to meet are down there.”
“Alright, introduce me to them, but we aren’t done with our conversation.”
“Yes, we are.”
She couldn’t move on with her future if she allowed herself to keep looking back. She wanted to her life back and she was going down the right track to make it happen. A bad decision in her past was no longer going to ruin her future.
Chapter Seven
Sitting on top of Alexander, his prized horse, Rowan’s eyes narrowed at the two women keeping his ranch hands entertained. He was doing his usual daily checkup with his men. Most of the time, they were working hard and taking extra care of his thoroughbreds. However, today they were standing around ogling Akayie and her pretty little assistant like they hadn’t seen two good-looking women in years.
Leaning over the saddle, he watched as Akayie did her flirting routine as she smiled and touched his newest employee, Bryon, on the arm. From the few times he had spoken with her, Akayie came across like a mature, smart woman. Not some young girl who would fall for Bryon’s well-practiced lines.
Rowan knew he shouldn’t care about how at ease she seemed around his men, but something about it rubbed him the wrong way. Earlier, when they were talking inside his office, she acted like she couldn’t wait to get out of the room and away from him. So, was Bryon the reason she couldn’t wait to get away?
Half the women in town were constantly scheming to find a way through the thick shell he’d built around his heart, and they’d given him his nickname, The Loner. Instead of deterring them, it seemed to make them pushier and more overbearing, wanting to gain a place in his bed.
Yet, Akayie just dealt with him long enough to find out what he wanted, and then hurried from the room like she was running from a burning building. He wasn’t used to a woman going in the opposite direction when it came to him…and it intrigued the hell out of him.
Akayie was as unique as her name in that regards, but he still wasn’t going to fall over backwards to impress her the way the men standing around her were doing. He was surprised that Morgan wasn’t down there grinning down at her with the rest of them.
He wouldn’t go back on his word, but he might just have to spend more time away from his office and outside to make sure his men didn’t forget the reason they worked for him. Hearing feminine laughter coming from his two guests, Rowan looked in their direction. His men had been talking to them for at least twenty minutes, which was too long in his opinion. He wasn’t paying them to flirt with each other. Maybe it was time for him to make his presence known since no one had sensed him watching them yet.
Nudging his horse forward, Rowan came down the hill towards the group of people in front of him. He noticed the second his men saw him. They started taking their work gloves out of their back pockets and quickly pulled them on.
“I didn’t realize it was break time already,” he said, glancing around at his employees.
Spinning around, Akayie and her assistant glanced at Rowan as he got off his horse and handed the reins to one of his men who rushed beside him. “Bryon, will you take Alexander to the stable for me? Unless you want to finish your conversation with Ms. Mathis and her employee. I noticed how much you were enjoying talking to them.”
“No, sir, I don’t need to finish with them. I was done. I’ll be more than happy to take care of him for you and then get right back to work.” Bryon took the horse from the other man and led Alexander in the opposite direction and didn’t take another look in the pretty photographer’s direction.
Rowan nodded at his foreman, but kept his eyes focused on the two women in front of him. He noticed how Akayie tried not to frown at him, but she barely made it in time. He wondered why Ms. Mathis didn’t want him around, especially after their newly formed truce.
Was she really interested in Bryon instead of Morgan? Not that he cared.
“Aren’t you happy to see me, Ms. Mathis?” he taunted, smiling at her. “Or am I bothering you and Ms.…”
“Holt,” Akayie’s assistant said, interrupting them. “I’m Danya Holt. You must be Rowan Braden. Akayie has told me a lot about you.”
He dragged his eyes away from Akayie over to Danya. “Yes, I’m Rowan Braden. I wish I could say the same about you, but Ms. Mathis and I don’t talk much unless it deals with her doing the job I’m paying her to do.”
“If you didn’t spend so much time in your office working, maybe you would know more about the people you’ve hired. It’s the sign of a good boss.”
Turning, he faced Akayie, fully noticing the challenge in her eyes. She was testing him to see what he was going to do, but if Akayie thought she was going to get the better of him she was in store for a surprise. He never allowed anyone to get the better of him in the past and it wouldn’t start with the feisty photographer who seemed like she enjoyed playing with fire. So, he was more than happy to do this game with her.
Taking a step closer to Akayie, he grinned down at her. “You’re right. I’ve been spending too much time in my office since you arrived. Starting tomorrow, I’m going to be around here walking the property and some days I might even take a walk with you.”
Her eyes widened in shock. He barely caught his smile in time. Did she actually think she could test him and get away with it?
“No, you don’t have to do that, Mr. Braden. I know you’re busy. I don’t want to take you away from your job,” Akayie said, watching him. “Morgan has already done a wonderful job of showing me everything and I’m good now."
Crossing his arms across his chest, Rowan continued watching Akayie. He wondered why she was fighting so hard not to be around him. He liked staying in his office buried in paperwork. However, something about the outspoken female in front of him made him want to see more of that spark in her rich, brown eyes. He liked how she tried to keep from speaking her mind with him, but she usually failed.
Akayie was like a new colt. She was full of passion and stubbornness. Not ready to give up on her wild streak to anyone, but he just might be the man to show her. She wasn’t the one always in control.
“Honestly, you won’t be taking me away from anything the next few days,” he insisted, trying not to smile at the frown Akayie shot him.
“I’m waiting on a new thoroughbred I bought at auction last week to arrive. So, until he comes I’m all yours, Ms. Mathis.”
“Well, I thi
nk it’s so nice of you to offer your help to us,” Danya cut in, drawing his attention from Akayie for a moment.
“Thank you, Ms. Holt.”
Danya smiled at him. “You’re welcome.”
“But, I don’t think your boss is as pleased as you are.” He watched how Akayie looked at him, but she didn’t say a word.
Danya moved closer and touched his arm. “Oh, don’t pay attention to Akayie. She gets in these moods every once in a while. It will pass, and she will be her old, friendly self again.”
“Danya, can you please not speak for me?” Akayie’s soft voice chimed in. “I can tell Mr. Braden what is exactly going on in my head.”
Grinning, Rowan faced his new challenge. He couldn’t wait to hear what came out of her mouth. He wondered if Akayie thought he was trying to push her into leaving like before, and if that was the reason he volunteered to help them more. He hoped not, but he couldn’t be sure. If it was, he had to make sure that she understood he wanted her to stay around.
“Alright, tell me what you’re thinking,” he taunted softly.
“I don’t believe you’re taking time away from your desk to chaperone us around out of the kindness of your heart, but I’m going to keep my judgments to myself and see how everything plays out.”
“One thing you should know about me, Akayie, is I don’t play games when it comes to getting things done. Well, I better go and let you ladies get back to work.”
Rowan took one final look at the two women before spinning on his heel and walking past them in the direction of his house. A tiny smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. He hadn’t felt this motivated about doing something in a very long time. He couldn’t wait to see how the next few days turned out being around Akayie.
* * * *
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Akayie demanded, staring at her best friend. “Why didn’t you tell Mr. Braden that we didn’t need his help? I’ve been doing fine without his help for the past few days. He has been such an asshole to me since I started working on this calendar for this family. I almost thought about leaving a few times, but I need this account to help my business get back on track,” she admitted.
Glancing away from her, Danya looked at Rowan’s retreating back as it got smaller in the distance. “Honestly, I don’t think he was that bad. I saw how the two of you played off of each other. I felt the underlying chemistry between the two of you. It’s going to beyond hot when the two of you get together. It will be explosive, like fireworks on the Fourth of July.”
Disbelief raced through Akayie’s body at Danya’s words. She wasn’t sexually attracted to Rowan Braden. She didn’t see him in any other way but as her employer. She was more than ready to get away from him. If Danya thought she saw anything it was all in her vivid imagination.
Why are you lying to yourself, her mind taunted before she could shove the thought away?
“Well, you’re wrong,” Akayie quickly denied, ignoring her inner thoughts. “I can barely be in the same room with him without getting into a disagreement. There is no hidden chemistry between us, so you are seeing something that isn’t there.”
“Okay, sorry,” Danya said, holding up her hands. “I thought maybe you could just─”
“No, nothing is going to happen. I’m not looking for anyone, and if I was, it wouldn’t be Mr. Know-it-all Rowan Braden,” Akayie said, wanting the conversation to be over.
“Don’t get upset with me. I was only trying to point out that you haven’t been out on a date since I can’t remember. Rowan is a very attractive man.”
Rolling her eyes, Akayie turned away. “I’m done with you. I need to finish these last shots before it gets too late in the day.” She walked away from Danya, hoping she could catch another one of the workers in the barn before they left. She wanted to get one of Rowan’s horses for a specific shot.
Danya better get herself together or I’ll have to send her back home to the studio. She was too busy to have Danya trying to fix her love life. Right at this moment, she was completely content being single. She wasn’t interested in mixing business with any sort of romantic relationship involving Rowan. It was totally out of the question, and it would be for the best if Danya got it out of her mind.
Continuing towards her destination, Akayie ignored her name being called behind her. She couldn’t stop and listen to any more of Danya’s nonsense. She loved her dearly, but she didn’t need any unwanted sisterly advice about men…not while they were working on such an important job.
“Hey, wait up,” Danya said, wrapping her hand around Akayie’s arm. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to make you rush away from me. Can we forget it happened and just go on with the rest of our day?”
Moving her arm away from Danya, Akayie noticed the hope in her assistant’s eyes and all of her anger melted away. How could she stay mad at her best friend? Danya was such a forever after kind of girl. She wanted everyone to be happy and in love. Deep down, she truly knew that her girlfriend hadn’t meant any harm about Rowan.
“Alright, I guess I can forgive you,” she said. “As long as you don’t do it again. I can’t have Mr. Braden thinking I’m trying to put the moves on him. He is already arrogant enough as it is.”
A grin broke out across Danya’s face. “I promise that I won’t give my two cents again. I’ll just keep my head down and work.”
Laughing, Akayie linked her arm through Danya’s. “Don’t you dare change. I love you just the way you are. No one else can make me laugh the way you do. Come on, let’s not waste the rest of the day. We have a lot of work to get done,” she said, leading Danya in the direction she wanted to go.
Hopefully, the remainder of the day would go smoothly, and they could get out of here on time without running into the Rowan again. Akayie told Danya she wasn’t attracted to the handsome rancher, but that was a lie. She liked him in a way she wasn’t sure she could handle if she let herself go and admitted he wasn’t as bad as she made him out to be.
Chapter Eight
Twenty minutes after his conversation with Akayie, Rowan walked into his office and glared at the man sitting behind his oak wood desk. “Do you want to tell me what you are doing here?” he questioned.
Lucas’ long, tanned fingers pushed the brim of the black Stetson back off his eyes. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Is that anyway to greet your younger brother?” his slightly Texas-accented voice teased. “I haven’t been to see you since we last talked in the kitchen. I thought you would be thrilled to see me. I guess I was wrong.”
Rowan continued further into the room. Coming up to his brother, he knocked Lucas’ polished black boots off the top of his desk. “You’ve been out of town a case. That’s why you haven’t been around the ranch. Don’t act like I’m the one to blame for why you haven’t been around to see me since then.”
Grinning at him, Lucas placed his boots back on the desk. “Big brother, I’ve been waiting for you close to half an hour, but you were too busy doing other things outside to notice my car in the driveway,” he told him.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Rowan denied. “I wasn’t doing anything. Why are you acting like I was?”
Lucas arched an eyebrow at him. “Oh, I didn’t see you outside flirting with those two very attractive females? Ms. Mathis was one of them. Who was the other one with her?”
“How do you even know who I was talking to?”
Lucas swung his feet off the desk and stood up. He had a few inches on his brother and Rowan noticed he appeared quite fit. So, it made his baby brother seem bigger than him. Something he hadn’t liked for years, but he’d learned to deal with it.
“I was watching you from the window,” Lucas told him. “I couldn’t believe you weren’t in here with your head buried in a stack of paperwork, and as I turned to leave I noticed you. At least you haven’t been single for so long that you lost your ability to recognize a good-looking woman. It seems like you took my advice regarding Ms. Mathis.”<
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Moving around the other side of the desk, Rowan pulled the chair away from Lucas and sat behind his desk. “Whatever you have to tell me must not be that important,” he said, glancing at his brother. “Or you would have told me by now.”
Lucas sighed. Moving away from him, he took a seat in front of him. Something was wrong because Lucas never sat down just to talk, so what did his brother actually want from him? He had already wasted close to an hour. He couldn’t afford to lose any more time today.
Why didn’t everyone understand he was a busy man? His time was precious, which meant he didn’t have time to play guessing games.
“God, Rowan. You need to learn to have more patience. One day you’re going to wish that you didn’t want everything to go by so fast. You’re going to let something every important slip through your fingers.”
“If you’re going to lecture me, you can leave,” he said. “The choice is yours.”
Shaking his head, Lucas leaned back in his seat. “With the bad mood that you’re in, I’m not sure if I should even bring it up. I don’t want to hear any complaining from you because I know you aren’t going to like it.”
Rowan leaned forward, linked his fingers together, and tried to control his temper. He and Lucas hadn’t had the best relationship as brothers because of the family drama in their lives. But, things had gotten better in the last year and he didn’t want to lose that fragile connection by jumping to conclusions without having all of the facts.
“I apologize. What is going on that you need to talk to me about?” he asked.
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