“No other relatives to hang out with?”
“Sure, a few cousins, not sure what their plans are. But I’m hoping a friend will invite me to Thanksgiving dinner or at least for a drink.”
Now she’d told him all this she was starting to feel down in the dumps. Gillian hoped she hadn’t come across as downright depressing because he was always so upbeat with a smile on his face.
“Jeez, if I didn’t have to look after this place I’d fly to Chicago and keep you company.”
“That’s very sweet of you.”
She heard a male’s voice calling to him.
“Hey Gillian, I have to get going because one of the horses is about to give birth.”
“Okay, and it was nice talking to you and I’ll keep in touch before my next sales call.”
“Look forward to seeing you. Now you take care, okay?”
“Will do and you too.”
She pressed the end call button. Her stomach did a flip. She didn’t usually get excited about sales calls but she was already looking forward to January rolling round.
* * * *
“You think we can handle this without calling the vet out here?”
Connor should have been paying attention but right now all he could think about was Gillian Matthews, prettiest sales rep…cutest woman he’d set his eyes upon and the fact that she was now available. Pretty blue eyes, dimples on each cheek, gorgeous blonde hair that hung around her shoulders like spun gold shining in the sunlight.
He pushed his hat back further on his head. Shit, if he didn’t make a move soon some guy would nab her and he’d be left out in the cold again. Could even be another rancher who would sneak in there before him when she made the rounds in January. He couldn’t have that because he’d had his heart set on romancing and, okay yes, he was an honest guy, getting her between the sheets too, since the first time he’d met her.
“I said do you think we should call a vet?”
A man’s voice jarred him out of his current train of thought. Shit, he hadn’t been paying attention.
He rubbed the horse’s belly. “How long has she been in labour?” asked Connor.
“A couple of hours, but she seemed fussy this time around. That’s why I thought I’d fetch you to look at her.”
“I think she’ll do just fine but keep your eye on her and call me again if there’s any sign of her or the foal being in trouble.”
He patted the horse’s nose then made his way out of the stables and back to the house.
One problem quickly taken care of. Next thing to deal with… How to get together with Gillian as soon as possible.
* * * *
Gillian closed her appointment book and looked out of her office window. It had started to snow while she’d been talking to Connor. The weatherman had predicted no precipitation until the weekend. She no longer trusted those guys and had thrown her boots into her tote bag when she’d left her apartment that morning.
She took off her dress shoes, threw them into the bag then slipped on the boots. Gillian glanced at the clock on her desk. If she got a move on she could reach her yoga class before the snow got too heavy.
Heading out of the office, she nodded to a couple of her co-workers then made her way to the elevator.
As Gillian stepped outside the building, she pulled up the hood on her jacket and headed down the road, slipping a few times on the now slick sidewalk. Falling snow hit her in the face as she turned the corner and approached the old brick building where her yoga class was taught every Thursday night. She put her hand on the knob to pull the glass door open when her cell phone rang. She rushed inside the lobby as the wind picked up, removed her gloves, dug into her bag and pulled out the phone.
“Gillian Matthews,” she said.
“You sound out of breath.” It was Connor…again. She smiled.
“I am. I’ve been hurrying to get to my yoga class because it’s started to snow here.”
“So this is a bad time for us to chat?”
Gillian slipped off her coat while balancing the phone between her ear and shoulder. “There’s never a bad time where my customers are concerned. Every call’s important to me.”
“Problem is I’m not calling you as a customer.”
You’re not? Her heart beat faster.
“I’m phoning you as just a regular guy who’d like to invite you to spend Thanksgiving at my ranch.”
Her heart raced now and, despite the chilly lobby with its concrete floors and walls, she felt a warm rush throughout her body.
Connor…Wyoming…Thanksgiving…has a very nice sound to it.
She’d been so busy thinking about him and the invitation that she hadn’t realised she hadn’t even responded to his suggestion until he spoke again.
“You still there, Gillian?”
“I’m sorry, the connection was hazy there for a minute or two.” She didn’t want him to think she was either ignoring him—or, for that matter, lost for words.
“So what do you think?” he asked.
“Are you sure you want me visiting during a holiday celebration? I mean, don’t you have family coming for Thanksgiving or anything?”
“Sure I do. My brothers and their families, one of my cousins and his family, plus the guys who work on the ranch and their families will all be here for the big meal.”
“Connor, I don’t think you need me imposing on that.”
“Bullshit. I hold it in the barn, not the house, it’s just for a few hours and then they all leave and I’m on my lonesome. Now, you wouldn’t want to see me in that state, would you?”
She laughed. A lady from her yoga glass walked into the lobby, tapped the snow off her shoes and nodded to Gillian as she walked by and up the stairs to the yoga studio.
“Now, if you’re worried about being alone with a strange cowboy, I can get some people to vouch for me.”
Alone with a strange cowboy…a hunky cowboy…um, that has a nice sound to it too.
“No need for that. I’ve known you for two years,” she said.
“So you’re accepting my invitation?”
Gillian swallowed. Would this be okay with her company? She hadn’t read any rules where it said an employee couldn’t stay with a customer. Okay, she and Connor probably weren’t going to play Monopoly or cards while she was there. Shit, the thought of what they might and probably would get up to made her stomach quiver and her pussy pulsate.
“All right, yes, I accept.”
Gillian was sure her panties were already growing damp with just the thought of being all alone with Connor. And she was going to make it a mini vacation. After all, why go all that way just for a few days?
“And, Connor, if it’s okay with you, I have a few days’ vacation due me so I’ll arrive on the Tuesday evening and leave on Sunday, but if that seems too long to have me as a guest, you just tell me, okay?”
“Nope, that sounds perfect. Now, I did some checking on flights…”
Gillian smiled. She’d only got off the phone with him less than an hour ago and he’d obviously done his homework. Hopefully, he was just as eager as she was for the two of them to finally get together socially.
“If you can get to Minneapolis, a couple of airlines have direct flights from there to Casper.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem because I know most of the airlines fly from Chicago to the Twin Cities.”
“Then that’s all worked out. So just let me know what time you’ll be arriving and I’ll be at the airport to pick you up.”
“I don’t want to put you out in any way. I mean, I can rent a car like I always do. It’s not as if I don’t know how to get to your ranch from the airport.”
“Hell, no, you’re my guest this time around. So there’s to be no talking business, vaccines, animals. And I have to insist I’m at the airport to greet you too.”
She grinned. This guy made her smile a lot and now she was psyched about her trip to see him.
“Will do. And,
Connor, even though I’d love to stand here and talk some more I’ve got to go or I’ll be late for my yoga class.” Gillian looked at her watch. Already too late. It had started ten minutes ago. Never mind, she’d just creep in quietly and hope she didn’t disturb anyone.
“You do yoga?” asked Connor.
“Yep, been coming to this class for over a year now.”
“Just proves there’s so much I don’t know about you. Still, I’ll have lots of time to get caught up when you visit. Hell, maybe you can teach me yoga. I can start a whole new trend here—cowboy yoga.”
Gillian burst out laughing this time. He was such a character.
“I’ll call you tomorrow with the time of my flight,” she told him.
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Oh, and was it a boy or girl?”
“A what?” asked Connor.
“The horse that was in labour.”
“She had a boy about fifteen minutes ago.”
“I can’t wait to see him.”
“You’ll love him. He’s one hell of a fine-looking foal.”
* * * *
Connor pumped his fist in the air before realising one of his workers was standing directly behind him.
“Someone’s happy and I don’t think it’s just because we have a new horse in the family.”
“You ever have your heart set on a lady for so long that you thought she’d never be yours?” asked Connor.
“Nope, my wife and I were high school sweethearts so she’s always been mine.”
“Then you won’t understand when I tell you that the stars must be lined up right or something because someone I’ve wanted…hell, lusted after for so long is coming to stay with me over Thanksgiving.”
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About the Author
Bestselling author Vanessa Devereaux was born in London, England, but now resides in the US. She writes both erotica and erotic romances. Her previous titles include Who’s the Boss? The Man Next Door, Mistaken Identity, Caught in the Act, Double Her Pleasure, What the Lady Wants and One Night With You, which has been twice nominated as book of the week on two review sites. When she’s not writing, she’s a writing tutor for a UK school and also offers workshops through various chapters of the Romance Writers of America.
Email: [email protected]
Vanessa loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.total-e-bound.com
Also by Vanessa Devereaux
Then Came You
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