Sweet Texas Fire

by Nicole Flockton

  He glanced to his right, into the bedroom he’d chosen, and imagined Charlotte lying on the bed, waiting for him to possess her. He couldn’t help it. He was a male having a dinner with an attractive female in a hotel room. Who wouldn’t think of taking her to bed?

  His body yelled at him to disregard the rest of the meal. He wanted to lift her from her chair and carry her over to the bed. But he wasn’t going to go all Neanderthal on her.

  “What are you thinking so hard about, Gage?”

  “I’m not sure I should tell you.”

  “Really? You do know the rules now.”

  “Rules? What are these rules?”

  “Being married, you have to tell me everything that goes on in your mind.”

  Gage leaned back in his chair and reached for his champagne again. “Is that so? I suppose if I have to tell you my every thought, then you have to do the same.”

  “Oh, no, that’s not how it works. Only you have to bare your secrets. I pick and choose which ones I want to let you in on.”

  “That hardly seems fair.”

  “It is what it is. You should look it up in the rule book.”

  “I’ll make sure I do that.”

  They finished the meal in silence, and once they were done he cleared away their dinner plates before replacing them with the dessert ones.

  “Here you go.” He lifted the lids to display matching bride and groom cupcakes. “It may not be fancy, but what is a wedding without wedding cake?”

  “Please don’t tell me you’re going to smash this in my face. I don’t get that tradition. It’s not something we’ve ever done in Australia.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it. Why ruin a perfectly good cake by doing that? I’d much rather eat it. Although”—he smiled wickedly at her—“I’m all up for sharing.”

  “Settle down, Cowboy. I don’t share my cake with anyone.”

  “Not even your brand-new husband?”

  “Nope, not even with him.”

  “Maybe I will smash my cake in your face then,” he mused.

  She quirked an eyebrow and a challenging look entered her eyes. “You do recall me saying I have three brothers, don’t you?”

  He held his hands up, cupcake and all, in surrender. “Fine, forget I said that.”

  “Good.” She was about to take a bite when he remembered something else.

  “Wait, don’t do anything yet.”

  Without waiting for a response, Gage strode into his bedroom, fished out his phone from the top drawer, and popped it into the holder in the top of the clock radio. A few seconds later music wafted through the room.

  “Perfect,” he murmured to himself as he walked back to the balcony and sat down. He picked up his cupcake and broke a bite off for Charlotte. “You want a taste?”

  Instead of taking it from his fingers like he thought she would, she scooted her chair around so they were sitting side by side. He bit back a groan as her leg brushed his, sending the sparks of desire that he thought he had under control firing through him again. The temptation to take possession of her increased when she took the piece of the cake from his fingers and moaned in appreciation.

  “This is good cake. Here, try mine.” She repeated his action and held it out. Gage wrapped his fingers around her wrist and directed her hand toward his mouth. He kept his eyes locked with hers, satisfied with the way they opened wider when he took the cake she held out and swirled his tongue around her fingers.

  Oh yes, perhaps Charlotte wasn’t as immune to him as she thought she was. Maybe he could entice her to reconsider the boundaries she’d set down.

  They continued to feed each other morsels of cake until a familiar tune played on his iPod. He grabbed a napkin, passed one to her, and wiped his hands.

  “How about we dance?” he suggested.

  Charlotte cocked her head and smiled at him when she recognized the tune. “This is Macy, isn’t it?”

  “Yep, and it’s the song we danced to at the Silver Spurs. Seems appropriate we tick off another wedding tradition.”

  He pulled her into his embrace and started swaying to the music. There wasn’t a lot of room on the balcony with the table set up there, but they made do. It was just nice to hold Charlotte in his arms again.

  “You know something?” she mumbled against his neck.

  “What?”

  “You keep doing things like this, and I could almost believe you’re a hopeless romantic.”

  “I’ll let you in on a secret, Red.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I was channel-surfing the other night, and came across the movie My Best Friend’s Wedding. I got my cues from there.”

  “Thank goodness for Julia Roberts, then.”

  “You know what else I discovered from watching that movie?”

  “I’m afraid to ask”

  “The bride and groom have to kiss on the dance floor.”

  He lowered his head and touched his lips to hers again. Her taste was sweet and tart from the cake and champagne. It was addictive and he wanted more. He trailed his hands down her back until they rested on the curve of her ass. He pulled her a little tighter in his arms, so there was not an inch of space between them as his mouth roved over hers. Her mouth opened beneath his. He swallowed her moan of pleasure as his hand moved from her ass up to the underside of her breast. He pushed his hips into her, blatantly announcing how much he wanted her.

  He broke their connection, his breath coming in harsh, rapid pants. “Can you feel how much I want you? It doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t know if it makes sense to you. Let me make love to you, Charlotte.”

  Gage knew he’d pushed too far the moment she pulled herself out of his embrace.

  “This is all happening a bit too fast for me. I can’t do it. I’m sorry.”

  If he let his disappointment show after that shoot-down, he’d look like he wanted her for only one thing. No guy was dumb enough to announce that, especially not when he needed his wife’s land. Gage pulled her back into his embrace and kissed the top of her head, like he didn’t mind in the least.

  “Perhaps I was getting caught up in the whole things-to-do-on-your-wedding-day list.”

  Charlotte laughed like he hoped she would.

  “It’s still early—do you want to check out the casino? I mean, it’s not like Vegas will be going to sleep at ten at night like some of the establishments in Sweet Ridge.”

  “You really want to get the whole Vegas experience while you’re here?”

  “I’m not sure when I’ll ever get back.”

  “Sure, why not.” He pointed to her dress. “Do you want to change?”

  “Yep. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  He nodded as Charlotte walked away, grateful he would have a few minutes to get his mind off taking her to bed. He wouldn’t give up, though.

  Twelve months was a long time to be celibate.

  CHAPTER 12

  She took a deep breath before raising her fist to knock on the door to Allen’s office. The light glinted off the stunning diamond rings adorning her finger. She still couldn’t believe the amount of money Gage had spent on her wedding rings.

  “Come in,” Allen called through the door.

  “Hi, Allen,” she said as she strode into the office. “I hope you had a good weekend.”

  “Good morning, Charlotte. How are you?”

  “I’m great, and I’ve got some news I hope will please you. May I sit?”

  “Certainly, take a seat.”

  She sat in one of the chairs on the other side of his desk. “I wanted to let you know that I got married over the weekend.”

  He sat forward, clearly shocked by her announcement. “Married? Well, congratulations, that’s wonderful. Who’s the lucky man?”

  This was where it got tricky. Gage was a client, and although there wasn’t a written rule about fraternization between staff and clients, she wanted to get everything on the table.

  “Gage Cooper.�
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  “That name rings a bell. Do I know him?”

  “In a roundabout sort of way. He’s the owner of Cooper Oil. We’ve had some dealings with him.”

  Allen tapped a finger against his lips. “Well, now, this could present a problem.”

  Crap, this was what she’d been concerned about. It was only on the flight back from Vegas that the thought hit her: there could be consequences from her marriage to Gage when it came to her employment. And those issues didn’t have anything to do with her now being able to get a green card.

  “I want to assure you, Allen, that just because Gage is my husband, he will in no way influence me when it comes to working on issues that come up in relation to his company.”

  “That may be true, but I’m still uneasy about this. Marriage to a client is something we’ve never come across before. It may not be an issue, though, with your contract finishing up soon. Although I’m disappointed we were unable to follow through with our idea of applying for a green card for you, with this latest news it’s probably best we aren’t proceeding with it.”

  A sinking feeling of dread filled Charlotte. The only reason she’d gotten married was so she could stay employed with Gold Star Eco. The way Allen was talking, however, even though she could now apply for a green card, they were still ready to let her go at the end of her contract—but for another reason: her marriage to Gage.

  “That’s another thing. Now that I’m married, I will be applying to stay in the US permanently. I’m hoping the suggestion you initially made about me taking up a permanent position with Gold Star is still open. I’d like to stay with the company, if possible.”

  Allen placed his hand on his table. “That is good news, and something I will have to bring up with the board. We have started to consider other alternatives, though. In the meantime, I think it might be best if we redirect you to other projects we’ve got in the pipeline.”

  While it wasn’t confirmation that her employment was safe, it was a small concession. She didn’t know what she’d do if she lost her job. “Thank you, Allen. And I understand your position with my new marital status. I’ll look forward to the new projects.”

  She made a hasty retreat and refrained from slapping the wall on the other side of Allen’s office. Why hadn’t she investigated all the angles to this harebrained plan of theirs? Now she could have a dismissal and a divorce on her record.

  But it was still possible she’d wind up with the job she loved and a man she didn’t.

  She made it to her office and fired up her laptop, going through her list of things to do. The first item was going back to the federal immigration website to download the forms needed for her green card application. The page concerning green card applications through marriage was just as Gage had said—get married, complete the forms. She had meant to go back and look further, but a minor accident at one of their client’s rigs had necessitated meeting after meeting to contain the oil spill and start the cleanup process. All those lost plants and animals covered in oil. This was why she was so passionate about implementing measures to protect the surrounding land, although she didn’t have all the answers to protecting the environment from accidents. She’d gotten home each night and collapsed, too exhausted to even watch television, let alone unravel the mysteries of the US immigration procedures.

  Her door burst open and Meredith stood in the doorway. “Is it true?”

  “Good morning, Meredith, and is what true?”

  Her assistant moved into her office and closed the door. “The news I’ve just heard. I was in Allen’s office and he told me to give you the Clarke folders and give Lester the Cooper files because you’re now married to Gage Cooper.”

  Charlotte had hoped the news wouldn’t spread so quickly, but there was no point in denying it.

  “It’s true. I married Gage in Vegas this weekend.”

  “Oh my goodness! I had no idea you were seeing him. I mean, he came to your office twice, but I thought they were work-related visits, not personal. If I didn’t like you so much, I’d be angry that you’ve managed to snag one of Houston’s most eligible bachelors.”

  Charlotte couldn’t help but laugh at Meredith’s enthusiasm. It was either that or cry from the stress of having to answer questions so soon. Here was her first test in convincing people the validity of her and Gage’s relationship. But she also didn’t know what to say to her assistant exactly. She couldn’t blurt out that she’d married Gage just so she could get a green card. She wanted to keep that as quiet as possible. Better to embellish the relationship a little, make it seem to her coworkers that it was a true love match. “It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing. You know how it is with whirlwind romances. One minute we were talking about my idea to introduce a regrowth plan at one of his drilling sites, and the next minute he proposed. I knew the first time I saw Gage that he was the one for me, so it really wasn’t a hard decision to accept his proposal.”

  “Oh, how romantic. Show me your ring,” Meredith demanded.

  Yep, she deserved an acting award. Charlotte held out her hand.

  “Holy cow, that set is beautiful. It suits you perfectly. Did you pick it out yourself?”

  “No, Gage did.”

  “Girl, he has good taste. You’d better hang on to that man,” she finished wistfully. “Anyway, I’d better get back to my work. When you’ve got all the files together, can you please let me know? I’ll come get them.”

  “Will do.”

  But she was talking to a closed door. She sat back in her chair and looked at the rings on her finger. It still amazed her that Gage had picked out something that suited her so well.

  Her phone buzzed with an incoming text. She picked it up and saw Gage’s name before the screen faded to black.

  Unlocking her phone, she pulled up the message.

  Hey Red,

  I hope you’re having a good morning. I thought I’d pick you up from work and then we can go to your place and collect your stuff. Let me know if that works.

  G

  The trip to her place wasn’t necessary. She’d not collected too many extra things beyond what she’d brought with her when she moved overseas. She’d packed up her things last night after Gage had dropped her off at her apartment, and she currently had three suitcases and two boxes of belongings sitting in her car.

  Kissing Gage on the balcony and almost falling under the spell he had created with all the special wedding day touches, meant she’d spent a sleepless wedding night knowing he was just a few feet away in a room by himself. Then their plane had been delayed out of Vegas, so she’d asked if she could spend the night at her place when they finally got home. She had expected Gage to put up a fight, but he’d agreed. Perhaps he needed a night to himself, as well.

  She knew he wouldn’t have objected if she walked into his room in the hotel suite and climbed into bed with him. But getting involved with Gage in a sexual way would only complicate their arrangement. Still, though, she did want him. She’d have to be made of ice not to appreciate his good looks. His toned, hard body. The way he kissed.

  And now she was moving into his condo.

  She quickly typed a message back to let him know that she would meet him at his place.

  Her phone buzzed again and a “K” showed up on the screen. A man of few words.

  She answered a couple of e-mails before opening a web browser and pulling up the federal immigration’s website. She’d searched for a FAQ page but found nothing. It looked like she could start the process immediately by clicking on the big red button. She moved the mouse so the little arrow hovered over the box. She hesitated on depressing the left button on the mouse to start the process.

  It seemed too easy.

  She wanted to find a step-by-step instruction page, like a flowchart. She opened up another tab and Googled “How to get a green card through marriage”. A ton of references came up on the screen, many of them from law firms. Perhaps that’s what they should do, get a lawyer to do mo
st of the hard work for them. She clicked on a random link and started to read.

  The more she read, the more a ball of dread grew inside her.

  Oh shit. No, this couldn’t be possible. But it was. Written right there in black and white, damning their decision with every word she read.

  What the hell was Gage going to say when she told him what she’d found out?

  What the hell were they going to do?

  What the hell had she been thinking, agreeing to this marriage?

  • • •

  “You’re quiet—is everything okay?”

  She and Gage were eating Chinese takeout at his kitchen table. All of her things were stored in a spare room. When Gage had opened the door to his penthouse condo, it hit Charlotte pretty quickly—just how wealthy her husband was. Oil had treated him well. The penthouse took up the whole floor of the building, more like a small house than an apartment. There were four bedrooms and five bathrooms, with each room decorated in tasteful colors and complementary accessories. Except it didn’t look lived in. It had no soul. There were three pictures on the mantle above the fireplace in the living room—high school graduation pictures, from the quick glance she’d given them when Gage showed her around.

  “Red?” Gage’s hand landed on hers. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, sorry, just thinking about work and other stuff.”

  “Is there a problem at work? I forgot to ask what they said when you told them you and I were married and now you could get a green card.”

  “Well, Allen congratulated me about the wedding, but he was concerned about the fact that the person I’d married is a client of ours.”

  “I don’t see how that would be a problem in our project dealings.”

  “Gage, you give me a hard time with just about everything I suggest your company does to protect the environment, to ensure that the land can be reused when you’re done ripping the oil out. You make my job crazy some days.”

  “Hey, I have my own business to run and employees to look out for. Their livelihood depends on me and the decisions I make. But how about this: I’ll consider your suggestions without being a bonehead about them from now on.”