“So, tell me about your event. What do you envision? What are your goals?”
He leaned against the back of his chair, stretched his long legs in front of him and crossed his ankles. Dressed in comfortable jeans that had been faded over time and a chambray shirt that stretched across his muscular chest and shoulders, he looked at ease. But given his reputation, she knew his mind was sharp and that he wouldn’t miss a trick.
“Did you notice the cabins in the distance while you were driving in?”
“Yes. They’re lovely.”
“Those are guest cabins. I plan to turn a part of my ranch into a dude ranch. A top-of-the-line resort worthy of Bronco Heights and serving an exclusive clientele. I’ve been in business long enough to know that community buy-in is important to any business. Although there is a lot of land between me and my neighbors, I want them to feel comfortable with what I’m about to do with my property.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“That’s where you come in. I want to have a dinner for the leading families and community leaders in Bronco to inform them about the resort. I’ll distribute information packets as well as answer any questions they may have.”
Brittany nodded. She admired the way he planned to take the proverbial bull by the horn. As a newcomer to town, he would be subject to a lot of suspicion by the old-moneyed folk who at times could be a bit insular. He struck her as someone who wouldn’t be cowed and who’d soon earn everyone’s respect.
He glanced at her and his beautiful smile faded. “Why do you think you’re qualified for a job that other firms were incapable of handling?”
Brittany was momentarily stunned by the abrupt change from charming man to cold businessman, but she shifted gears, as well. Now that the pleasantries were over, it was down to business. “I can’t say why the others failed, because I’m not acquainted with them. What I can tell you is that I’m good at my job. Very good. You strike me as someone who knows what he’s doing, so I’m sure you’ve already asked about me.”
“I have.”
“Then you know I have an excellent reputation.”
“I’ve heard good things. But I also know that you’ve only been with Bronco Heights Elite Parties for a few months. Before that you worked at that ghost-hunting company.” He shook his head, making it obvious what he thought of that business. “All told, you don’t have very much experience.”
“I can see how you would believe that.”
“It’s not a belief. It’s a fact.”
She’d give him that. “The people you hired before had experience, right?”
“Yes.”
“How’d that work out for you?”
His eyes narrowed. Obviously, he didn’t like being challenged.
Smiling internally, she continued. “They weren’t able to deliver. Clearly, a long résumé doesn’t guarantee ability or a successful outcome. You should consider my natural assets.” He raised an eyebrow and she realized how suggestive that comment sounded. Rather than try to clean it up and thereby prolong the uncomfortable moment, she soldiered on. “I have skills that can’t be taught. I can arrange a dinner party that your guests will be buzzing about for months. And I guarantee they’ll be lining up for invitations to your next dinner party while those unfortunate enough to have been left off the guest list try to wrangle invitations to your next event. More than that, it’ll drum up interest and support for your resort.”
“You’re pretty sure of yourself.”
“I know what I can do.”
He nodded, as if impressed. “Do you have time to see the ranch? If you’re going to be organizing this function, it would be helpful for you to have a look around.”
“I have time.” She’d cleared the afternoon for the express purpose of getting to know him.
“Okay. There are a few places we can only reach by horseback, so I’ll have to settle with describing them to you.”
“Why? I can ride.”
One side of his lips lifted in a sexy half smile that had her toes curling in her boots. She forced them straight. She didn’t get involved with clients.
“Really? In that case, let’s take the horses.”
“Yes. Let’s.”
He stood and held out his hand to her. Pleasantly surprised by the gesture, she placed her hand in his and rose. He led her from his office and through the magnificent house. The rooms were spacious, airy and exquisitely decorated, if a little masculine for her taste. But then there wasn’t a Mrs. Dubois in the picture to soften the décor. Or the man.
They walked through a long hallway where gorgeous paintings hung from the dark-paneled wall. She would have liked to slow down to get a better look at the artwork, but he was on a mission. Nearly half a foot shorter, she couldn’t keep up with his long strides.
They exited through a door and stepped into the warm air. She inhaled the scent of wildflowers and freshly mowed grass. The view from here was even better than the one from his office, showing a property more expansive than she’d thought. A paved path led from the door into two directions. One led to a small pond. The other—the one they took—led to the stables.
A man approached them as they stepped inside, pulling his cowboy hat from his head when he saw her. “Good afternoon, Mr. Dubois. Ma’am.”
“Hi,” Brittany said.
“I’m going to take Ms. Brandt on a ride around the ranch, Jerry. Would you saddle Sugar Cookie for her?”
“Right away,” he said and then ambled away.
“Sugar Cookie?” Brittany asked. He didn’t strike her as the kind of man who’d give a horse such a fanciful name.
“I didn’t choose it,” he said quickly, as if his man card was in danger of being revoked. “The previous owner’s daughter named her that.”
“I think it’s sweet.”
He snorted and strode to a stall where a gorgeous stallion waited. In under a minute, he’d saddled the horse and led it to where Brittany waited. The groom returned with Sugar Cookie and stepped up beside Brittany to help her mount.
“I’ll do that,” Daniel said.
“Okay,” Jerry said and walked away.
Before Brittany could tell Daniel that she was perfectly capable of mounting the horse on her own, he was beside her. When he gently put his hands on her waist and, her voice abandoned her as he lifted her into the saddle. She inhaled and she was instantly surrounded by his masculine scent. Her heart beat a little faster and the blood raced through her veins. Then he adjusted her stirrups. When he turned his back and returned to his own horse she blew out a shaky breath and wiped her hand across her suddenly damp brow.
How many times did she have to remind herself that she didn’t get involved with clients? She’d never struggled this hard to keep business and personal separate. Hopefully, this was a temporary problem.
She twisted in her seat, getting comfortable in the saddle. If she’d known ahead of time that she’d be riding a horse, she would have worn jeans and a T-shirt instead of the high-waisted black pants and pink-and-white chiffon blouse. But since this was the opportunity to get to know Daniel better, she wouldn’t complain. Besides, her parents owned a large dry-cleaning business, so getting her clothes cleaned wouldn’t be a hassle.
Daniel swung up onto his stallion and led them out of the stable and into the pasture. Without the slightest hesitation, he started off across the large expanse of grass. He went slowly at first, as if not believing she could really ride. She’d grown up in Montana. Of course she could ride.
Apparently satisfied that she knew what she was doing, he sped up. She tried to keep her eyes on the beautiful scenery, but they kept drifting to Daniel’s muscular body. He looked so fine riding on his stallion that her mouth began to water.
She was in unchartered territory here. Normally she had laser focus on work. Now the dinner was the farthest thing on
her mind. The only thing she could concentrate on was the very sexy Daniel Dubois. If she didn’t get her wayward mind under control and tamp down on her attraction, she was going to be in deep trouble.
Chapter Two
Daniel glanced at Brittany. She was smiling broadly, her beautiful brown eyes gleaming with excitement, her cheeks glowing. What in the world had possessed him to invite her to go riding with him? It certainly hadn’t been part of the plan when he’d set up the meeting. If he had stuck to his agenda, she would be on her way back to her office and he would be repairing fences or one of the many other tasks he’d scheduled for today. Yet, here they were.
He had to admit that he’d enjoyed sparring with her. She wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion, something he admired. The last thing he wanted was to do business with someone who didn’t stand up to him. Weak people generally made bad employees and even worse partners. And if she was going to work with him on this party, they’d be partners, so it made sense to get to know each other better.
After they’d accomplished everything they’d needed to in his office, he’d been about to bring the meeting to a close. Then she’d crossed her legs and his mind had begun to wander to places that had nothing to do with business. Her sweet scent had wafted over to him, tying him up in knots, and his good sense had deserted him.
So instead of saying goodbye, he’d invited her for a tour. Now they were galloping across the ranch to one of his favorite spots. An argument could be made that it would help if she saw more of his land and got the complete picture of what he planned to do. But it wasn’t essential to her role as party planner. Besides, the waterfall wouldn’t be accessible to the resort guests, so there’d been no real reason to bring her here. But still, he’d wanted to share this spot with her. To see her reaction. If her quiet gasp was anything to go by, she was getting just as much pleasure from her surroundings as he always did.
Bringing his horse to a stop, he dismounted. He was about to help Brittany when she expertly got off her horse on her own. They looped the horses’ reins around a tree branch then stood side by side.
“This is beautiful. How many acres do you own?”
“Two hundred and sixty.”
“Wow.” She turned in a slow circle and, when her back was to him, his eyes strayed to her round bottom. He’d tried not to notice the way her pants fit, but he was still a man. Ignoring such an enticing sight was something he wasn’t equipped to do.
“That’s what I thought when I found this spread. I rode over every acre before deciding that this was the perfect place for my horse ranch. Then I had to find the right place to build my house. I wanted easy access to my home from the road, but I want privacy from the guests. It’s a balancing act.”
“One that you’ve handled very well.” She gave him the once-over, taking him in from boots to hat before her eyes met his. “So why did you bring me out here on this ride? You could have told me about your ranch just as easily while we were sitting in your office.”
The way her eyes held his was impressive. Most people avoided prolonged eye contact. And they certainly didn’t challenge him. “Seeing it for yourself is better than any description I could have given.”
“So you’re admitting to a weakness?”
“I wouldn’t exactly call it that. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.”
She grinned and the picture she presented would need more than a thousand words to describe. Or perhaps not. Maybe only one was necessary. Stunning.
Brittany Brandt was absolutely stunning. He frowned. Her appearance was the last thing he should be thinking about. His plate was already overflowing without adding a woman to the mix. Not that he was considering doing that. Admiring Brittany’s beauty and spunk was miles away from becoming romantically involved with her. But with that smile lighting her face and the joy radiating from her every pore, given the right motivation and opportunity, he would cross that distance in a heartbeat.
“Another reason I brought you out here,” he continued, pulling his mind back to business, “is so you can get the feel of the land. Smell the fresh air. Soak in the atmosphere.”
She stared at him for a long moment and he wondered if he’d waxed too poetic. He frowned. Since when did he doubt himself? Brittany’s presence was definitely affecting him—and not in a good way. She had managed to knock him off-kilter. He didn’t like the feeling.
“I’ll be able to use this experience to bring the party to life.”
“Then I succeeded.”
“Trust me, this party is going to achieve each of your goals.”
He blew out a breath. “I hope so. I’m new to Bronco. I’ve only been here a year and people have been slow to warm up to me. Not that it was entirely unexpected. I bought one of the biggest ranches in the area. This is prime real estate that no doubt one of the old-timers wanted for one of his kids. That I own a horse ranch in the middle of cattle country didn’t help. I don’t want to be enemies with my neighbors. I would like to have cordial relationships with all of them if possible.”
Brittany smirked. “Quiet as it’s kept, not all of your neighbors get along with each other. There’s a new money versus old money dynamic in Bronco Heights. Then there’s the wealthy Bronco Heights versus the middle-class Bronco Valley divide. City council meetings are boisterous, to say the least. I predict that one day the fights won’t stop with words.”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“My point is twofold. First, getting along with all of your neighbors might be a pipe dream. Honestly, I’m not sure it’s wise to have some of them in a room at the same time. Second, you’re not the only one on the receiving end of the cold shoulder.”
“I don’t know if that’s better or worse,” he said with a laugh.
She laughed with him. “Of course, with an expert like me on your side, someone local who knows all the players, the impossible will be made possible.”
“Is that right?” Daniel took a step closer to her and, although her eyes widened, she didn’t back away. He wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad. Did she feel the attraction between them? Did she share the same yearning to close the distance separating them? To touch? She nibbled on her full bottom lip, mesmerizing him.
Suddenly a bird squawked overhead, breaking the spell, and Daniel’s senses returned.
What was wrong with him? This was a business meeting, not a date. He pointed to several boulders shaded by a large oak tree, where they could sit and talk.
She walked beside him. After they sat, she turned to him. “Just tell me what you envision. I know what you want. You want the support of the community. Tell me what you see. What do you visualize this dinner looking like? Paint a picture for me.”
Art was never his strong suit. In fact, he didn’t have a gift for any of the softer subjects like music, literature or the like. Math. Science. That’s where he’d excelled. After earning a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from MIT, he and his best friend, who’d gotten an MBA from Harvard, had started a bioengineering company that was a leader in genetic testing. They’d taken the company public six years ago and made more money than either of them had ever dared to dream. Two years ago, Daniel had resigned as CEO. He still owned stock in the company and was on the board of directors, but he was no longer involved in day-to-day operations. Last year, he’d moved from Texas to Montana to live his dream of ranching and owning an exclusive dude ranch. His background in genetics came in handy when it came to breeding horses and he was becoming successful and making a name for himself in the industry.
Stephanos Dimitry, his former partner, hadn’t understood why Daniel had wanted to leave, but as a good friend, had wished him well. He’d also promised to be Daniel’s first guest once the resort was up and running.
“Well?” she prompted when he just sat there like a bump on a log.
“I want my dinner guests
to see the good in what I’m doing. I want them to see the positive impact the resort will have on the entire community. I want them to feel invested in the success of the business.”
“I can do all of that for you. And more. Believe me when I tell you that I’m not simply the best person for the job. I’m the only person.”
His phone rang before he could comment. He glanced at the screen then answered the call. “Mr. Dubois?” The woman’s voice trembled, striking fear in Daniel’s heart.
“Yes? Is everything okay?” Worry made his voice sharp. Brittany raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
“No. I have to leave. I have a family emergency.”
“Leave? When?” He jumped to his feet.
“Now.”
He ran across the grass. Brittany, as if sensing something was wrong, was right behind him. “I’m on my way back to the house. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. I expect to see you when I get there.”
“I—” She sputtered as he ended the call. He didn’t want to waste time having a phone conversation; they needed to speak in person.
He grabbed Lightning’s reins and hopped on his back. “I need to get home.”
“Of course.” Brittany mounted Sugar Cookie in an easy motion and galloped beside him as he sped toward the mansion.
When they reached the stables, he jumped from Lightning’s back and then looked over his shoulder at Brittany. She slid from Sugar Cookie’s saddle then rubbed the mare’s neck. Jerry jogged over and took the horses. Daniel knew his groom would take care of cooling them down, so he didn’t bother issuing the order. He had a more important matter to attend to.
He strode down the path, over the brick patio and into the house, not stopping until he reached the living room where Emma was pacing. A large red-plaid suitcase leaned against the sofa. When Emma heard his footsteps on the hardwood floor, she turned to look at him. Even through his worry and anger, he recognized the grief in her eyes.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded. “We have a contract. Remember? One that I fully intend to enforce.”
The Maverick's Baby Arrangement Page 2
