Hungry Cowboy

by Charlize Starr

  Olivia didn’t know how to respond to that. She’d hoped he would have a positive reaction to her, at least that he would believe her about Jared’s activities. She couldn’t have known he would forgive her so easily.

  All the same, she had to push her luck. She needed to know he wouldn’t lash out at Flynn. “I have to be honest with you about some personal details. I promise I have a good reason which will become clear when I’m finished.”

  He crossed his arms and leaned against the glass. “Please go on.”

  “When I left, my father’s friend took me to his cabin so I could get out of town. Then we got snowed in.” She swiped at her face. This was so hard. It felt like she was spitting out marbles. “In those days we were there, just the two of us, I fell in love with him. We… I can’t say we began a relationship because I’m afraid my feelings are all one-sided… but, we were intimate.”

  Her face felt about a thousand degrees, her cheeks burned so. “The reason I’m telling you all of these very personal details is because Jared found out and he confronted me this morning. Flynn Wilder is my… is the man who helped me. He’s the man I’ve fallen in love with. I know he has a potential contract pending with you for the big hotel you’re developing. Jared promised you wouldn’t give him that contract because of my feelings for him, just to try to ruin his business. I couldn’t allow that to happen without speaking to you first.”

  “Don’t stop now. What is it you’re trying to say?”

  “Please don’t ruin his hard-earned reputation or his company because of my choices or Jared’s choices. He’s a good man who was only trying to help his best friend’s daughter. It’s my fault he’s so caught up in all this. Not his.”

  Mr. King crossed to his office chair and sat down behind his desk. “I am giving the contract to Mr. Wilder. I’d planned to for the last four weeks or so. I’ve been waiting on some other details to work themselves out before I made the official offer. You should listen less to Jared.”

  He steepled his hands together on the desk and offered her a gentle smile. “Jared isn’t involved in the company because he won’t grow up. Him cheating on someone he intended to marry just proves that’s still the case. I wouldn’t let Jared influence any business decision I made.”

  “Thank you so much, Mr. King. I know Flynn will do great work for you.” She stood up on shaky legs, wishing she could run tell Flynn that his business was safe. But she couldn’t. That door between them was closed now.

  ***

  Flynn put on his jeans and a black button-down dress shirt. He’d had his secretary send it to the cleaners and get it pressed just for today. It had been two weeks since he and Olivia stopped talking and he missed her so badly, he ached inside.

  But, it would be all right—had to be all right. He’d make it right tonight. It was Sean’s birthday party and everyone in town should be there. Sean always rented out a local bar and restaurant and invited everyone he knew—which was the whole damn town.

  And, of course, Olivia would be there. Sean had told him the two had made amends and she’d promised to come. Flynn had a plan to show her, to show everyone, that she was the woman for him. He prayed it would work because he couldn’t go another day without her.

  Flynn drove to the restaurant in his Jeep and he’d never been this nervous in his life. Not when he was waiting to hear about a job, never.

  When he got the hotel contract, King called him personally and told him that Olivia had spoken to him. King had said he appreciated Flynn’s discretion and respected him as a businessman too much to let any personal details come between him and the best contractor he knew.

  But that professional victory obviously thanks to Olivia, meant nothing if he didn’t have Olivia in his life.

  He parked the Jeep and got out, running his hands down his shirt. He could do this. And… what if Olivia wanted nothing more to do with him? He couldn’t think about that. Refused to believe she didn’t want a future with him as well, not when she’d gone to so much trouble to fix things with King.

  She’d done everything she could to make things right for Flynn. Why would she have gone to so much personal sacrifice if she didn’t love him?

  Inside, people milled about everywhere. Flynn considered going up to the bar and getting a shot of liquid courage, but then he met Olivia’s gaze across the room. She sat in a corner, nursing a glass of wine, and no one even spoke to her.

  She’d been right—running off with him after her wedding had branded her the town slut. And no one would speak to her. Jared was conspicuously absent, as was Tara. Maybe no one knew what to say to her. He didn’t know, but he knew once he opened his mouth, everyone would look at her different. She’d be in the middle of another gossipfest. Hopefully, she’d appreciate the trouble he’d gone to.

  Soft music played from speakers tastefully hidden on the walls by plants and drapery. Never dropping her gaze, Flynn crossed the room straight to her. People had stopped to openly stare at them.

  When he approached her, she lifted her head to look up at him but didn’t speak. Flynn wanted to kiss her, needed to touch her. She was the single most beautiful woman he’d ever known. And her heart, her capacity for love was overwhelming.

  He held out a hand. “Dance with me.”

  “No one’s dancing.” A smile tugged at her lips then drifted away.

  “Since when do we care about what other people think?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t we?”

  “Not anymore. C’mon.” He took her hand and tugged her up. Walking backward, he tossed a look over his shoulder, then turned and led her straight to the middle of the room. “You look incredible.”

  She wore a gauzy red dress that hugged her breasts then floated down to her knees. Her lips were lined in the same shade of red and her green eyes were big and brilliant in the soft lights.

  As the music stopped, Flynn pulled the blue velvet box out of his front pocket. He knelt before her, in front of everyone—her father, the townspeople. There was an audible gasp and lots of whispers. “I love you, Olivia. I’m done with running away from my feelings for you. I want you to be my wife.”

  Her mouth gaped and she stared at him. After a minute she looked around the room. “What are you doing? You don’t have to do this.”

  “I know I don’t have to. I want to, more than I’ve ever wanted anything. I want you as my wife.”

  She licked her lips and glanced around. When she looked back at him, her eyes shone. “I… I’m scared.”

  “I was scared, too. Scared you didn’t care about me the way I do you. Scared we wouldn’t be able to make a go of it.” He stood to take her in his arms. “Look at me—ignore everyone else. The way I see it, we’re taking a chance on each other. What it comes down to is, are we too scared to fight for love or not. I’m not. Not anymore. I’m going to fight for you, Liv.”

  A single tear streaked down her cheek and she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest. “Oh, Flynn. I love you, too.”

  Tucking a finger under her chin, he lifted her face and took her mouth in a passionate, soul-soothing kiss. She tasted like cinnamon and love. When they broke apart, he framed her cheeks in his hands. “I will never want another woman. You can trust me. Trust in that.”

  She closed her eyes and beamed up at him. Fresh tears sparkled in her eyes. “I do trust you, Flynn. I know you’d never hurt me. I will always love you.”

  Flynn pulled the biggest diamond he could find in their small town out of the box and slid it on her finger. Other people began to dance and move around them. Flynn had never believed any of this could happen to him, had never believed he deserved to be happy. Olivia made him believe.

  *****

  THE END

  Hungry Boss

  Description

  What do you do when the hottest, most annoying billionaire on the planet wants a fake marriage... with you?

  I’m a twenty-eight-year-old gal, saving myself for the one. />
  The perfect one. So definitely not for him.

  He’s one of the world’s most famous playboys and not interested in relationships.

  Did I mention he’s my boss? He is.

  But he’s in trouble.

  His old man has given him an ultimatum: he has to settle down in three months or he won’t be president of the family’s multi-billion company.

  One mistake, one night with too much liquor, and I wake up married to the guy in Vegas the next day.

  So we just get an annulment, right?

  Right. Until he makes me an offer I can’t refuse.

  He’ll give me the thing I want most if I continue with our legal but unconsummated marriage.

  What’s a girl to do?

  Chapter One

  Matt Cross made the trip to his father’s office feeling like he had as a small child when he’d been called into the old man’s study. Somehow, in some way, he had disappointed his father yet again. The elevator dinged and he got off on the old man’s floor.

  Bypassing his father’s assistant, who just waved at him with a smile, Matt knocked on the door and let himself in. His father, Richard, was on the telephone when Matt entered, so he made his way to the small bar and poured himself a bourbon. It was too early, but if he were going to get lectured, he needed the drink.

  He settled on the leather couch as his father finished up his phone call. Running a multi-billion dollar luxury hotel chain was hard work—and it was work that Matt looked forward to undertaking. His sister was a stay-at-home mom with four kids. She didn’t come anywhere near the business.

  Their parents were well into their late-thirties before they had married, and forty before Matt was born. Matt was thirty—young to take on such a role—but his father was seventy now and ready to retire.

  Matt had worked for the company since graduating college at twenty-one. He’d worked his way up to a vice-president position. It didn’t take a lot of thinking to conclude that he would become CEO and president when his father retired in just three months.

  Finally, his father hung up the conference call and gave Matt an assessing look. “It’s a little early for alcohol, isn’t it?”

  “I’m still on London time. It’s past five there.”

  Richard shrugged. “Well, thankfully, I’m not here to talk about your drinking. That’s one problem you don’t have.”

  Matt leaned forward on the couch. “Exactly what problem do I have?”

  “Flitting around the world, for starters.”

  “I don’t flit, father. I travel for work.”

  “Meh, there’s no point in it, son.” Richard waved a hand in dismissal and sat back in his buttery cream leather executive chair. He left one hand to rest on the steel and glass modern desk.

  “I fix the problems no one else can handle. Those hotels, every one, are either in crisis or running at a loss. Without my intervention, those locations would have been shut down within the year.”

  “You’re putting out fires. When you’re this high in the company, you don’t put out fires. You hire good managers who can do it for you.”

  Matt stood up to pace his father’s large office. “Why hire someone to do something I can do better?”

  “You’ve got to learn to look at the big picture. You’ll never become CEO at this rate.”

  Frozen, Matt stared at his father. His blood turned to ice water in his veins. “What the hell does that mean?”

  With a sigh, his father leaned his head back against the headrest on his seat. “It means that I’m considering making Gary interim CEO and president until you get your life together.”

  “My life is together. What is this about? And don’t tell me it’s just about how I do my job because I can tell that it’s not.”

  “I’m talking about marriage and children. Things you’ll be—you are, the way you work—too busy for if I make you president. Without an heir, who will this company be passed down to?”

  Matt threw himself into a soft armchair in front of the desk and ran a hand through his perfectly trimmed hair. He’d tried marriage once already, when he was younger. He’d wed his college sweetheart. Matt had insisted they didn’t need a prenup because they were so in love. Months before he turned twenty-five and came into his trust fund worth billions, he caught her cheating on him. They’d divorced and she’d taken half of what he had at the time.

  Now, he knew women were only interested in him for his money. He dated the most beautiful actresses and models. He bought them jewelry, paid for expensive trips, took them shopping. It satisfied both their desires. He had no intention of ever marrying again. “Diane has four children, in case you’ve forgotten. Your legacy is already assured.”

  “She’s not raising them to be in the business. You knew how to balance a ledger at twelve. How to—”

  “Yes, yes. You did a good job, father. What’s your point, is what I’m wondering.” Matt picked up his forgotten bourbon and took a sip. It burned going down his throat, but it was a welcome heat.

  “I need to see some maturity from you, son. Prove your worth to this company, learn to see the big picture, and, damn it, date someone for more than a month. Settle down.”

  “You’re retiring in three months. You expect me to do all this before then?”

  “If you can somehow swing a miracle, that’d be nice. Otherwise, Gary will take your place, until you’re ready to head this company.”

  The unfairness of it all threatened to erupt from him, but his father would see that as no more than a petty, and childish tantrum. Matt did, indeed, need a miracle. He needed some way he could convince his father he was ready to take the company into the future, without becoming tied down with an unappreciative wife and a few kids he’d never have time for.

  ***

  Brooke Monroe was already late for work, but Matt would understand. He knew she had obligations to help her father care for himself. She’d made him breakfast and he was trying the new weighted fork she’d purchased from a website for people with Parkinson’s. Her dad had been diagnosed seven years ago, before her mother’s death. He’d went downhill quite a bit since becoming a widower.

  Brooke made her way through the small kitchen into the cluttered living room. She couldn’t find her keys anywhere. This place was wrecked. She tried to make strides on it when she actually got to be at home instead of traveling for work, but there was just too little room with her and her father’s things piled into the two-bedroom apartment. They’d had to sell the family home to cover her mother’s medical bills after she died.

  And that was her biggest problem now—her dad should be in an assisted living home, but his insurance refused to cover it. She picked up a box of old records and her keys fell to the floor. She assumed her father must’ve moved the box last night onto her keys without realizing.

  The CNA who came by twice a week would be in today to check on her father and make sure he took his medication and had a good lunch. On other days, Brooke had to lay everything out, labeled with post-it notes detailing which pills he should take and when, what container his lunch was in, and how long should he heat it.

  When she went out of town, her friend Carrie, a child psychologist, checked in on her dad and helped take care of him. She was utterly indebted to Carrie for the help, but Carrie herself always said she had no family of her own to care for, so she liked helping.

  “I’m leaving now, Daddy. Bye!”

  “This fork is great, Brooke. It’s helping a lot.”

  She paused, door open. Her dad tended to be impulsive now and focused on what entered his mind at the time. Sometimes, like when she was late for work, it was a struggle to be patient, but she tried so hard. “That’s great. I’m going now. Love you.”

  “Love you, too. Have a good day at work.”

  Brooke rushed out to her car and turned the key. It roared to life. She wished she’d had time to warm it up some. Mornings were still pretty chilly here in Chicago, but she’d just have to let her c
oat do its job and keep her warm.

  She mused to herself, making the drive to the business sector, how she could do more for her father. Without more money, she couldn’t. She made enough to support herself; his income paid for his medications, co-pays, and insurance. There just wasn’t any extra, even between the two of them, to pay for more care or the assisted living home she’d found. If only she’d win the lottery. Unfortunately, Brooke was far too practical to squander her money playing the lottery, so it seemed unlikely.

  She just felt so awful for her dad. Her parents had had the perfect marriage—this wasn’t the life they’d envisioned sharing together one day.

  And she didn’t know when—between traveling for work and taking care of her father—she’d ever get the chance to meet the perfect man for her. Besides all that, who would believe she wanted to wait until marriage before having sex when she traveled constantly with one of the world’s most famous playboys?

  Never mind that she was halfway in love with her boss—who would never settle down again in a million years. Matt was so generous and understanding. It was a shame he was so against loving again. Not like she had a chance with someone like him anyway. He dated supermodels and famous actresses.

  It was with a lot on her mind that Brooke finally pulled into her parking space at work, a perk Matt insisted she needed. She rushed upstairs and got off of one elevator just as Matt was getting off another.

  “Miss Monroe, you finally made it.”

  He called her Brooke most of the time. He only called her Miss Monroe because she had the same platinum blonde hair and clear blue eyes as Marilyn Monroe. The comparison ended there; where Marilyn was curvy, Brooke was thin and petite. Mostly, Matt knew it annoyed her.