by Skylar Hill
“That’s one part of it,” he said. “You see, I own a lot of the undeveloped land to the east of the lodge as well. Almost a thousand acres. If I play my cards right and get the right investors to really improve the property, I can make River Run a vacation destination. And the lodge and cabins and guests will pay for what I really want to do.”
“And what’s that?”
“I’m not a hotelier, Natalie,” he said. “I just happened to have Grandpa who knew I liked the woods so he left me this. I didn’t ever expect to manage something of this scope. I went to school to be a vet. I specialize in wild animals. I studied wolves for several years. Those thousand undeveloped acres? I want to turn them into a wildlife sanctuary. Eventually open up an entire education and rehabilitation center. But I can’t do any of that without funding. Without creating this luxurious retreat for my guests. If the lodge can fund the wildlife sanctuary, I’d be the happiest damn man in the world.”
“That’s a very noble goal,” she said.
He shrugged. “I’ve always gotten along better with animals than with people.”
“Even the wild ones?” she asked.
He grinned. “Especially the wild ones.”
She blushed again and he was starting to think he might make it his calling in life to keep making her do that, it was so beguiling.
“Well, I think there are a few people who’d be very interested in investing in your venture,” she said. “Off the top of my head, Wyatt Jamison would be the perfect fit.”
“The billionaire real estate guy?” Rhett asked skeptically.
Nat nodded. “I know him through some mutual friends,” she said. “He’s flashy, I know. But he’s very into mountaineering and extreme winter sports, so something like this might interest him.”
“I don’t want to work with anyone I can’t respect,” he said.
She shot him an incredulous look. “If someone’s going to fork over a few million dollars to you, it shouldn’t matter.”
“But it does,” he said. “This property isn’t just an investment. It’s my family. Their blood, sweat and tears are in every inch of that land. All my grandfather’s work. I don’t take that lightly.”
She was quiet for a moment and he was half-afraid she might laugh. He knew if she did, all the heady attraction he was feeling would dissipate.
But instead, she nodded. “That’s…incredibly bad business,” she said. “But I understand.”
“You do?”
She bit her lower lip, causing his stomach to tighten unbearable, his focus drawn to that little spot. “You’re an idealist,” she said. “Noble. A straight-shooter.”
It had been a long time since he’d felt so fully understood so quickly by someone he’d just met. “I try to be.”
“Okay,” she said. “Then this is how I see this working: you keep being your noble self. And I’ll be the barracuda that keeps that bad investors away.”
Something warm was filling his chest, something like happiness and relief and a surety he’d never really touched until this moment, until this woman, who’d he known barely 30 minutes, offering to have his back, to be his sidekick, his partner in this little adventure, to get him what he needed.
“That sounds perfect,” he heard himself saying.
A smile crept across her face and in that moment, he had a flash of knowing that he tried to ignore.
But damn, this woman might be the end of him. In the best possible way.
Nat
When Rhett Oakes left her office, headed towards Carter’s penthouse where he was staying, Nat leaned against her chair, unable to stop herself from flapping her hand in front of her way-too-hot face.
“Oh. My. God.”
She looked up from her desk to see Leah in the doorway. “Who was that?” her assistant hissed, staring down the hall at Rhett. “Those jeans!”
Oh god, the jeans. Nat pressed her thighs tight together under her desk as she remembered. They were well worn. Oh-so-clingy in all the best places.
That man had the cutest butt she’d ever seen. And that impossible soft looking denim had done nothing to hide it. More like accentuate it. And the rest of him! Had she kept her cool? She had no idea. She had felt like someone had hit her with lightning when he’d walked into her office, looking like a cowboy and a lumberjack and an underwear model all at once. And then he’d opened his mouth and spoke, that smooth, dark rumble that twined through her body, sending shivers through her.
“Nat?”
“Hm? What?” Nat could barely stop thinking about him. The glint in his curiously light golden eyes. They reminded her of a cat’s, sly, teasing, and a little knowing. What would it be like for those eyes to be looking up at her, right before he disappeared between her thighs? Would he be smiling then? Or would he be all sultry and focused, determined to make her scream his name?
Down, girl, she told herself. You’ve gotta be professional. He’s Carter’s best friend.
“Who was that?’ Leah asked again.
“Oh, just a friend of Carter’s,” Nat said. “I’m doing him a favor.”
“What kind of favor?” Leah asked with a wicked grin.
“Oh, you,” Nat said, shooting her a look. “Shush.”
“What? That guy is like, the hottest man I’ve ever seen. He looks like he could bench press me with one hand!”
He probably could. He was tall and broad and she bet all that muscle was from doing things like chasing wolves through the woods like a freaking wild man, instead of lifting weights at the gym. She entertained this whimsy for a moment, Rhett Oakes with his shirt off, in those criminally tight jeans, racing through the woods with a wolf pack, free and wild and streaked with dirt and oh so sexy…
Remember what I said about being professional?
She shook her head a little, trying to chase the dirty thoughts away. “Did you need something?” she asked Leah.
“Yes, you asked me to call Bergdorf’s about some ballgowns for tomorrow. I talked to Violet there, she has a selection of black and white gowns for you to try tomorrow at ten. She says there’s an Armani that would look beautiful on you.”
“Thanks,” Nat said. “Could you also call Bergdorf’s men’s department? Have a selection of tuxes ready at the same time?”
“Of course,” Leah said.
“You’re a peach,” Nat said.
“Let me know when you want me to call your car,” Leah said.
When Nat was alone, she pulled out her phone and tapped out a quick text to the number Carter had given her for Rhett:
I forgot to ask if you if you needed a tux for tomorrow. If you do, meet me at Bergdorf’s at ten.
A few minutes later her phone buzzed: I’ll be there.
She couldn’t stop the little leap her stomach made at the thought. She was just about to get to work when her phone began to ring.
“This is Natalie Banks,” she said.
“Natalie! It’s Petra Harrison, how are you, my dear?”
“Petra, lovely to hear from you,” Nat said as she tucked the phone under her chin and began to go through the myriad of emails she needed to get through before she left work this evening. “How’s the makeup business?”
“Booming!” Petra said. Petra Harrison was a beauty mogul and Nat admired the hell out of her. She’d started out in her her New York basement, mixing and pouring lipstick by hand and turned it into a billion dollar company in ten years. She was an inspiration and Nat counted herself lucky to know her and to learn from her. “Which is actually why I’m calling. I would like to offer you a job.”
Nat’s mouth went dry. “Oh, Petra,” she said. “I’m so flattered.”
“That’s usually what people say before they turn you down,” Petra said. “But I want you to take some time and actually think about it. Carter is a wonderful man and I’m sure he’s a very good boss. But unless he’s offering you VP, he can’t top my offer.”
Nat’s heart began to beat very fast. “You want me as VP?�
�� she asked, unable to quite believe it.
“Yes. I would like to take you on for the CEO track,” Petra said. “I have a three year plan for retirement. I would want you to take over as CEO at the end of those three years.”
She could barely breathe, the offer was so incredible. And she was so humbled Petra would even think of her.
“I’m going to send you over the details of the offer,” Petra said. “Like I said, I want you to take your time and think. But you would be an incredible asset to my company, Natalie. A young, fresh CEO to take us into a new era of beauty, of empowerment and of quality products. I’m ready to fight Carter for you.”
“Thank you so much for the offer,” Nat said. “I promise, I will seriously consider it.”
“That’s all I ask,” Petra said. “Now, are you going to this Black and White Ball?”
“I am,” Nat said. “It was kind of last minute for me, so I’m running around trying to find a dress.”
“Well, good luck with that. You’ll look gorgeous in whatever you get. Stop by our salon tomorrow, they’ll do that beautiful hair of yours for you.”
“Oh, Petra, you don’t have to—“
“Consider it one of the many perks you would get if you worked for us,” Petra said. “Kisses, darling! I must go. I’ll see you tomorrow at the ball.”
“Goodbye, Petra. And thank you again, for the offer.”
After she hang up, Nat stared at her computer screen, trying to process.
Petra was an amazing woman, an amazing entrepreneur. Nat had learned a lot from her just by being friends with her. Navigating the business world as a woman was hard—it was even harder when you were creating products other men scorned. Cosmetics and sex toys were two of those products, so the two had always bonded over that. Petra’s mentorship had meant the world to her—and had made her the career woman she was.
But could she really leave Purely Pleasure? She loved working here. She loved that she was empowering women and men to have better sex lives, to open up to new things, to find new ways to love and enjoy each other. Some people might think it was silly, but it was something that was worthwhile to her. She knew women who had never had experienced an orgasm in their lives before trying one of the Purely Pleasure toys. The fact that she was a part of a company that created things that frankly, were all about joy and euphoria and good feelings, made her feel good. It empowered her. It had made her more in touch with her own body, with her own needs and desires and wants.
But she also wanted more. More power. More responsibility. More of a say in the company. And she knew Carter valued her, as a friend, as his CFO, but did he value her enough to make her VP?
Would she be throwing away her only chance, ever, to be a CEO, if she turned down Petra’s offer?
It was a lot to think about. Too much to think about.
She turned her attention back to the list of potential investors that might be good for Rhett.
Focus on tomorrow, she told herself. Then you can think about the rest of your life.
Rhett
The next morning, Rhett found himself standing outside of Bergdorf Goodman’s, trying to spot Nat. A red knit cap bobbed along the sea of pedestrians, and then a glimpse of those crazy curls as she came into view, pink-cheeked and smiling in the crisp winter air.
“You didn’t need to wait outside for me,” she said, smiling wider when he offered her one of the cups in his hand.
She look puzzled as she took a sip. “This is my drink,” she said.
“Vanilla Caramel Latte with a criminal amount of sugar. Your assistant is very helpful,” he said. “I looked for the coffee cake she said you liked, but they were out.”
Her mouth quirked up. “There’s that charm again,” she said.
He shrugged it off. “You’re doing me a big favor tonight. And I only brought a suit. So the text about the tux was helpful.”
“Well, when I’m done with you, you’ll be decked out in Gucci or Tom Ford. Though I’m not sure I can totally hide the mountain man within.”
Was she teasing him now? He wanted her to be maybe more than he was willing to admit. He had spent the night at Carter’s penthouse, unable to chase his thoughts away from her. He’d even did some light googling, finding articles about Purely Pleasure’s young CFO. She’d been one NYC’s Rising 25 under 25 a few years back which had led to quite a few articles about her position as Carter’s right hand woman.
By all accounts, Nat was stellar at her job and well-connected in New York Society, but he hadn’t found a word about her personal life online. And he’d looked. There’d been plenty of obvious blind items about Carter and some Page Six exploits, but nothing about Nat. Just photos of her at various charity events.
Rhett hadn’t been able to help himself wondering if she was single or attached. He’d seen no ring on her finger, but that just meant she wasn’t married or engaged. She could have a boyfriend. It seemed absurd if she didn’t. Unless she was holding out for a man worthy of her.
He was having a hard time picturing anyone who could be.
You could be, a traitorous growl inside him said. He ignored it.
He may be more turned on than he’d ever been in his life, just looking at her smile at him, but Nat had clearly left her country girl roots behind. She was a bonafide New Yorker now. A business woman on the rise. Someone whose insight and wheeling and dealing was valued, admired and would propel her even further in New York society.
The last thing either of them needed was a complication like each other. He belonged in Oregon. He belonged to the forest, to the mountains, to the animals he’d helped save. And she belonged in this concrete jungle, full of sleek windows and a lot of power.
She led him through the maze of a store, heading towards the escalators. A redheaded woman in a neat gray pencil skirt and silk blouse was standing at the top of the escalator.
“Ms. Banks, it’s always a delight to see you,” she said.
“Violet, thank you for arranging this,” Nat said.
“Anything for you,” Violet said.
“This is Rhett,” Nat said. “He’ll be attending the ball with me. His luggage didn’t arrive in time, so he’ll need a new tux. I’m thinking Tom Ford.”
Warm approval filled the older woman’s eyes as she looked Rhett up and down. “Oh yes,” she said. “I think that will do nicely for him. It’s lovely to meet you, sir.”
“Ma’m,” Rhett said, and it caused the woman to go pink. Nat ducked her head, hiding her smile.
“I’ve curated a selection of gowns in black and white for you,” Violet said as she led them through the upper floor, towards the private dressing rooms that were reserved for the personal shoppers. While he tended to avoid this type of luxury, Rhett wasn’t some hayseed unused to it. His family was a prominent one, even if they had made their money country-style.
He hadn’t realized Nat was going to need to buy a new dress for this. He felt bad, because what woman was going to re-use a black or white ballgown?
“The lady’s purchases should go on my card,” he said as he followed behind the two women.
“The lady’s purchases will go on the company credit card,” Nat said breezily, shooting him a look. “Quite the white knight, aren’t you?”
“Just being polite,” Rhett drawled.
“Let’s make Carter pay for all of it,” Nat said with a saucy wink.
“He does owe me for all those beer runs I did in college,” Rhett said.
Nat snorted and he grinned, loving every time he got her to laugh.
“Here we are,” Violet said, opening one of the doors and leading them into a plush little room with chairs and pedestals and a lot of mirrors. There was a rack of dresses in the corner and a screen for them to change behind. “I’ll go fetch Andrew, who will be tailoring the tux for you.”
“Thanks, Violet,” Nat called, crossing the room to the rack of dresses and beginning to sort through them. Rhett watched her push two lace monstrosities t
o the side with a frown, before pausing at a simple strapless dress, her fingers lingering over the black velvet.
“You walk into my place in that,” he said, nodding towards the dress. “And you’d be covered in fur in five seconds.”
She looked up at him, her eyes twinkling. “Lots of dogs?”
“Three mutts,” he said. “All strays I picked up along the way. And a handful of cats.”
“How many is a handful, exactly?”
“Four or five, give or take.” He had a small colony of feral cats on the property that he cared for, along with the four he’d tamed who lived in the cabin.
“If you were a woman, they’d call you a crazy cat lady.”
“Instead, I’m dead sexy because I’m a man loves animals and isn’t afraid to show it,” Rhett said. “Gender stereotypes are pretty damn stupid and restraining. Even when they make me seem more charming to beautiful women.”
She shook her head, clearly trying not to smile. “You are not what I pictured when Carter told me about you,” she said.
“Did you expect some grizzly neanderthal with a beard down to here?” he asked, gesturing to his stomach.
Her eyes lingered for a second, like she couldn’t help but glance down. He tried not to grin—or tilt his hips a little, to really give her something to look at.
Was it the bossy thing? Is that why she made him just want to joke and tease until she pressed closed and put him in his place? He wanted to see her eyes flare again—with annoyance, with joy, with passion.
“I don’t know what I expected,” she said. “Just…not you.”
“I hope that’s a good thing,” he said, and he was half-teasing, thinking he’d get a teasing answer back. But instead, her eyes raised to meet his and that teasing spark? Snapped into something different. Something that caught him in her gaze, unable to look away, wanting to close the space between them, to reach out and touch her.
“It is,” she said and he knew she was feeling it too, this anticipation, this what-might-be. If he just stepped forward…
“Alright, here we are!” A cheerful voice broke them from their reverie. Violet was back, accompanied by a short man with graying hair. Rhett looked down, clearing his throat and Nat’s eyes flew back to the rack of dresses.
