Tagg the CFO was just as formidable as Tagg the rodeo champion and equally as cool and distant. Callie wondered if she could penetrate the walls he’d erected. She wondered if Tagg would ever let her get close enough to try. Before she had to tell him about the baby. Keeping her secret from such a man could prove dangerous, and she prayed every day she wasn’t making a colossal mistake.
She slid a glance his way and caught him looking at her legs. When their eyes met, he smiled then turned away to gaze out the window at the passing scenery: miles and miles of the same, pastures and cattle, horses and fences.
She hated that his smile alone could wilt her.
He’s your fantasy man, she reminded herself.
Hang in there, Callie.
Tagg didn’t like airports. He didn’t like flying. But he never let that stop him from getting where he needed to go. It wasn’t fear, but a deep-rooted loathing of anything related to planes. Heather’s crash came too easily to mind when he was near a small airstrip. After that fateful day, he’d stopped taking the Worth family jet and, shortly thereafter, his brothers had decided to close down that piece of land in his wife’s memory.
They boarded a commercial airliner at Sky Harbor International Airport. Tagg made sure they had secluded seating in first class. He didn’t want Callie to be cramped or uncomfortable. And he wanted her to have a good time, but he wouldn’t delve too deeply into why that mattered to him.
Once they were settled and the plane had taken off, Tagg unfastened his seat belt and turned to Callie. “I get how you know horses. You pretty much can’t not know about them growing up on a ranch. But I’m puzzled. How are you an expert with children?”
He watched as she tried to undo the seat belt, her slender fingers fumbling with the stubborn latch. “I, uh, oh, this is really impossible,” she said, her mouth creasing down.
Tagg grinned. “Here.” He leaned over and worked the clasp. Without the slightest resistance, he managed to free her. He was close, leaning in so that his shoulder brushed hers. The subtle female scent he’d resisted while on the drive over invaded his nostrils and he breathed her in fully. Was it her hair, her skin, her perfume that made her smell so damn good?
Tagg slid her a glance and looked into her soft dark eyes. They glistened like melting caramel as she met his gaze softly. “Thank you,” she said.
Tagg looked at her for another second before righting himself and leaning back in his seat. “No problem.”
She relaxed a little, the frustrated frown gone from her face now. “To answer your question, I went to Boston College. I earned my degree in psychology and I worked for some time for the Department of Social Services. It was dry, boring work, not what I really wanted to do. But then something happened to me. I got…mugged.”
Tagg blinked. That was a word foreign to small towns and big ranches. “You got mugged?” he repeated.
“Yeah, I did,” she said, and then her expression turned soft. Almost dreamlike. “It was sort of strange. I couldn’t believe it was happening.”
“Did he hurt you?” Tagg asked. He didn’t understand her wistful expression.
“Oh, no, nothing like that. And it wasn’t a he. It was a she. And she was all of eleven years old.”
“A little girl mugged you?”
“Yes. I could hardly believe it. One minute I’m walking down a crowded street in an upscale part of town, and the next, I feel my purse being yanked off my shoulder. She caught me so off guard that even as I watched her run away, I didn’t understand what had just happened. She was so young and obviously neglected. I could tell from her clothes and the way her hair spiked in ten different directions, like she hadn’t seen a bath in weeks.”
“Did you call the police?”
“No. I ran after her.”
Tagg narrowed his eyes. “You?”
“Of course me. Hey, I was raised chasing dogs and riding horses. I climbed fences with the best of them. And there was something so…I don’t know…so vulnerable and almost apologetic in that girl’s expression that I knew I had to find out more. I had to catch up to her and, well, I had to get my purse back.”
“And did you?”
Callie smiled quickly. “Yes. She led me on a wild goose chase for blocks and blocks. I ended up in a bad part of town. Rundown buildings and all. Finally, she stopped and turned to me and we stared at each other. Both of us were completely out of breath. She flung my handbag at me and told me to take my dumb stupid purse.
“When I thought she’d run away, she started sobbing big, uncontrollable tears.”
Callie shifted in her seat and faced him. “Her name was Amber. And she had a little brother named Georgie. Her mother had been ill for a long time and they had very little money. Amber told me she’d never stolen before and I believed her.”
Callie went on to explain how she’d gotten Amber’s mother the medical help she needed. And how she’d begun working at a foundation for underprivileged children in her spare time. Amber and Georgie were the first of many children she’d counseled at the foundation. “From then on, I knew I wanted to work with children.”
“But, if you loved it so much, why did you come back?”
Callie smiled. “I never intended on living back East. I’m really a country girl and when my father had a scare with his heart, I knew it was time to come home.”
Her lips pulled down and she spoke with frustration, “But nothing I do seems to matter. He’s like a tornado. I can’t stop him or slow him down. And he thinks he knows what’s best for me. Even now.”
From her tone Tagg could tell it was a sore subject. He didn’t want to get into a conversation about Callie’s old man, so he let the subject drop.
The plane landed right on time and the taxi drive to the hotel took less than fifteen minutes.
Callie turned to him when the taxi pulled into a long driveway on the Las Vegas Strip. “The Bellagio? I assumed we’d stay with your friend at his ranch.”
Tagg shrugged. “We own a suite here. On the top floor. I like to stretch out when I’m in town.”
“Okay.” Her eyes flickered over the length of him but he couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
Stretching out was the very least he wanted to do tonight. And he’d finally admitted that to himself when he saw Jed drooling all over Callie today. He’d declined John’s invitation to stay at his house in North Las Vegas. He wanted Callie. Alone. If she was willing. He was through denying it.
“Do you come here often?”
“A few times a year. On business and for the rodeo finals.”
Tagg helped Callie out of the taxi and with a hand to her lower back he escorted her through the lobby. As they strode toward the elevator, Tagg gestured to the ceiling adorned by a chandelier sculpture made up of thousands of multicolored glass flower blossoms catching and reflecting light. “I always get a kick out of those petals up there. Feels like a scene out of a fairy tale,” he said.
Callie stopped and lifted her gaze. “They are sort of surreal. I’ve heard about them. Seeing them is something else.”
“So, you’ve never stayed here?”
She shook her head. “No, never. I’ve only been in Las Vegas for the rodeos, but not for years.”
They rode the elevator to the top floor and Tagg walked her to the Worth suite. It was an indulgence, something his brothers had wanted, and now he was glad they’d insisted upon it. He opened the wide door and let her enter first. She walked in slowly, glancing about. The square footage of the suite was bigger than some people’s homes. Roomy and elegant with richly appointed furniture. The view from the expansive window looked down onto the Strip.
“This is nice, Tagg. I see what you mean about stretching out.”
“The Worth men like space.”
Tagg showed the bellboy where to deposit the luggage, directing Callie’s bag to the master suite and his to the bedroom beside it. Then he glanced at his watch. “We have just enough time to get settled before dinner.”
>
Thirty minutes later, they arrived at a small hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant that only the locals knew about off the Las Vegas Strip. The second Tagg walked in, the rich scent of olive oil and garlic and freshly baked bread perked up his appetite. John had raved about the food and Tagg was grateful to get away from the crowd of tourists in hotel row.
He found the Cosgroves sitting in a corner booth lit with candles and decorated with a flower arrangement. Tagg made the introductions and helped Callie to her seat before taking his. John Cosgrove and his wife, Sadie, were in their early sixties but could keep up with anyone half their age. Tagg had always considered John not only a friend, but also a mentor back in his rodeo days.
They talked horses and rodeo and Penny’s Song. Callie and Sadie had both grown up on a cattle ranch, so they had a good deal in common.
“Not only is John a horse rancher, but he owns his own rodeo,” Tagg said to Callie.
“That’s how I met Tagg here,” John said. “He busted a few of my prize stallions in his day. He knows horses. And what about you? How did you get involved with this guy over here?”
Callie’s face colored. “Oh, uh…”
Sadie sent her husband a warning look. “John.”
“Callie is a neighbor. She’s Hawk Sullivan’s daughter,” Tagg announced.
John grinned. “Is that so?” He darted a glance at both of them.
Callie nodded. “Yes, that’s right,” she said, then turned to glare at Tagg.
He returned her look with a simple smile. He liked honesty. He wasn’t into pussyfooting around an issue.
Callie cleared her throat. “I’ve just returned home from going to school and working in Boston. I found out about Penny’s Song and knew I wanted to be a part of it. Tagg and I, we are…are working together on the project.”
“I’ve had some dealings with your father,” John said, catching Tagg’s eye before focusing on Callie. “He’s a smart negotiator.”
Callie blew out a breath. She was uncomfortable talking about her father. “Thank you for that. I know you’re being kind.”
Sadie steered the conversation back to a more amiable subject. “Tagg, did you know that Blue Yonder sired a stallion? I hear he’s a beauty, too.”
“Is that so? I bet he’s spoken for already.” Tagg inhaled deep. He’d wanted to buy that Arabian for the past three years, but the owner wasn’t selling. The stallion had pure bloodlines and ancestry that could be traced back to Spain. “The Kents refused to even talk to me. Can’t say as I blame them. If I had that horse, I wouldn’t let another horseman get within a hundred yards of him.”
“There’s a list a mile long and an acre wide bidding on the foal.”
“What’d they name him?”
“Wild Blue,” John said.
Tagg pursed his lips. “Great name. I guess that ship has sailed. I’d bet my last dollar they keep him themselves.”
Sadie shook her head. “You never know.”
Tagg shrugged it off. He didn’t think so, but he wouldn’t argue with her.
The food was delivered to the table—pasta with scallops and shrimp and about a dozen other things in a lemon wine sauce. There was no shortage of garlic, either. Tagg couldn’t remember eating a better meal.
He glanced at Callie. She’d ordered an antipasto salad that overflowed the plate. He was glad to see she’d eaten more than half of it already. She wasn’t shy when it came to eating, but she did tend to eat lighter fare. And she’d refused the red wine that flowed into everyone else’s glasses.
He watched her sip a glass of water carefully, then say something to Sadie. Callie looked elegant tonight. Dressed in black, her creamy skin glistened under candlelight and the play of light skin against dark hair and eyes made him stir with desire. He remembered how she looked minus the dress. It was a memory never far from his mind—a memory he’d like to duplicate.
After dinner the Cosgroves drove them back to the hotel and bid them both good-night. They made arrangements to see the horses after breakfast the next morning.
He entered the penthouse suite after Callie and walked straight to the bar. “Are you tired?” he asked.
“Not really.” She set her purse down on the sofa and looked out the window to the bright lights below.
He remembered Callie had been drinking rum during that time in Reno, so he poured her a rum and cola and spilled two fingers of whiskey in a tumbler for himself. He brought the drink over to her. “You should be. It’s been a long day.”
She turned from the window and stared at the tumbler in his hand. “Oh, no. No, thanks. I’m not…thirsty.” Her shoulders stiffened.
Tagg raised his brows. She seemed pensive and nervous for some reason. “Okay.” He set the drink down on the cocktail table behind him and when he turned back to Callie, she was staring out the window again. “Everything all right?”
She nodded.
He edged up beside her and glanced out the window, sipping his drink. “You’re not drinking tonight. Is that because you don’t want a repeat of Reno?”
She turned to him, her gaze warm and soft. “I didn’t sleep with you because I’d been drinking. If that’s what you think.”
He furrowed his brows. “Seems I wasn’t doing much thinking that night at all.”
A low self-deprecating laugh escaped her throat. “So I’ve been told.” She turned back to the window, her arms folded around her middle. “You’ve made that very clear,” she said quietly.
Tagg grinned. “That wasn’t an insult, Callie.”
“Was hardly a glowing review, either.”
He set his glass down and walked in front of her, blocking her view from anything but him. He lifted her chin with his thumb and gazed into her beautiful eyes. She flinched, not in fear but with surprise, then lowered her arms to her sides. The anticipation on her face gave him pause. She blinked and inhaled a sharp breath.
“It was a compliment.”
She searched his eyes. “How so?”
“You made me forget things I’m damned determined not to forget.” He glanced at her mouth and saw her tremble. “Why are you so nervous?”
“I’m not,” she blurted, lifting her chin up and taking a step back. “I have nothing to be nervous about.” She turned then and reached for her purse sitting on the sofa. “You know, I think I am tired. I’m going to bed.”
Tagg reached his arm out and snaked it around her waist, pulling her close. Her intoxicating scent destroyed his patience.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“Are you really tired, Callie?”
She shook her head no. Then gazed deep into his eyes.
He set both hands on her waist, enjoying the lush feel of her hips in his outspread palms. Silence filled the room. Fading dusky beams of starlight filtered through the window to cast them in shadows.
He angled his head and moved closer. His legs met with her thighs. An ache of need began growing. He gave in to the sensation and brought his mouth down on hers. She froze, her lips refusing to respond for a second, and Tagg was ready to back off, lest he seduce an unwilling woman. But then she moved closer, wrapping her arms around his neck, crushing her breasts to his chest. She gave into the kiss then with effort and passion, the way he remembered her. The way they’d kissed before.
She was sweetly alluring, tentative yet fiery. Tagg relished having her in his arms.
They came up for air a full minute later, both breathing hard. Callie reached her arm around to move her hair to her right side, the locks falling freely on one nearly bare shoulder. It was a reflective move, one to give her time to think, he surmised. Their lips still close, she softly spoke. “I didn’t think you wanted this. You said it would never happen again.”
Tagg closed his eyes briefly. He had said that. And he’d meant it at the time. “I guess I was fooling myself.”
She shook her head slightly, her eyes questioning. “What changed?” she asked.
You, he wanted to a
nswer. Or rather my perception of you. He’d gotten to know her, and liked what he saw. She loved horses. She loved Arizona and small-town life. She even begrudgingly loved her miserable father. Her story about Amber and Georgie tugged at something primal and protective in him. But he wouldn’t tell her that. He wouldn’t tell her that she’d gotten to him. That maybe meeting up with her in Reno had been the best thing that could have happened to him.
There’d be no purpose in that. He had no place in his heart for another woman. He’d closed himself off emotionally. There was no going back. So he told her a half truth and one she would understand. “Jed.”
Her eyes snapped up. “Jed?”
“He was panting after you, plain as day.” He lifted a curl that rested on her chest, watching it fall from his fingertips. “I came to the rescue.”
“And you stepped in to save me?”
Tagg looked away before peering into her eyes. “Yeah, something like that.”
She seemed a little baffled. “Were you jealous?”
“No,” he lied. He’d seen more green than his pasture after heavy rains.
She narrowed her eyes, a skeptical look on her face. Then with determination, she moved closer to him and brushed an air kiss to his mouth. His groin tightened. “Not even a little?”
He shook his head, keeping his eyes trained on her mouth.
She came even closer, until their mouths were almost touching again, then licked at his lips with her very skilled tongue. “Are you sure?”
Tagg smiled. This was the bold, sexy woman he remembered from Reno. They’d done wild things together. “Callie,” he warned and then didn’t give her a chance to protect herself.
He hauled her hips into his, making his point with one flush move against his straining erection. His hands went into her hair and he planted his mouth on hers in a rough, desperate kiss that brought a soft moan of pleasure up from her throat. Their openmouthed frenzy sped his heart rate, and when Callie whimpered again, it was all he could do not to rip her dress off. They fought with each other’s clothes, unfastening, unbuttoning, unzipping, hands clumsy but efficient until she was naked in his arms and he was almost there. He picked her up, carried her to the master bedroom and set her down on the oversize bed. He took a minute to look at her, beautifully bare, her hair spreading out like a glorious fan around her upper body. Her breasts round and full enticed him with two inviting upturned peaks.
Carrying the Rancher's Heir Page 6
