Trapped with the Tycoon (16 page)

His soft chuckle vibrated against her. “You wasted a lot of time and energy, because I’m about to take you back upstairs and make love to you.”

She eased back, swiped at her face and smiled. “Everything is still in the dryer.”

In a swift, unexpected move, Braden scooped her up into his arms and headed for the steps. “If I recall, our first time wasn’t in the bed anyway.”

Zara toyed with the ends of his hair. She didn’t care where he took her, she would go. They were starting fresh, and she knew in her heart this was meant to be. He was the man who would show her what love was, show her what loyalty and commitment were.

This was the man she’d spend the rest of her life with.

Epilogue

“C
alm down, Laney. What happened?”

Zara sat up, pulling the old quilt around her as she listened to the urgency in Braden's tone as he talked to his sister on the cell. The kitten snuggled against her side.

“Don't go anywhere. I'm sending Ryker. He's closer than I am.”

With a curse, he disconnected the call and punched in another number.

“Is she okay?” Zara asked.

“No.”

Braden reached around, tucking her against his side as he held the cell to his ear. The fact he was still seeking her during a family crisis only added to the promise he'd made only hours ago to keep her first in his life.

“Ryker.” Braden's bare torso tensed as he spoke. “Go to Laney's house. She needs you to help pack some things and get her back to my house safely. Carter cheated on her, and now he's trying to get her to open her door. I just hung up with her, and she's hysterical. You're closer than I am, which means you'll need to be nice. I'll be home shortly and meet you guys there.”

Once he disconnected the call, he turned into her arms. “I'm sorry.”

Zara smoothed her hand over his forehead, pushing away a strand of hair. “Don't be. The fact that you're helping your sister makes me love you more.”

Braden froze. “You love me?”

“I fell in love when you brought the kitten inside,” she confessed. “I didn't want to admit it then or when you told me. But I can't keep it inside. I know you had your reasons for lying. I don't like them, but I understand them. I know your family loyalty runs deep, and I know when you say you love someone, you mean it.”

He rested his forehead against hers. “You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that. To know that you believe I love you, and it has nothing to do with my family's history, this house, or those scrolls.”

“Is your sister okay? Maybe we should get some clothes on and head to your place.”

Braden kissed her before easing up. “Would you want to pack some things and stay with me for a while?”

Zara stared up at him, marveling at the way that body always had her complete focus. “Define a while.”

He shrugged. “We can start with one day and gradually ease you into forever.”

Zara smiled, jumping to her feet. “Forever. That word always scared me before.”

“And now?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her flush with his body.

She smacked his lips with her own. “And now I want to hold on to it, I want to hold on to you. Forever.”

* * * * *

If you liked TRAPPED WITH THE TYCOON, don't miss the next
MAFIA MOGULS
book from Jules Bennett: for this tight-knit mob family, going legitimate leads to love!

FROM FRIEND TO FAKE FIANCÉ

Available April 2016!

And pick up Jules Bennett's

BARRINGTON TRILOGY:
Hollywood comes to horse country—and the Barrington family's secrets are at the center of it all!

WHEN OPPOSITES ATTRACT...
SINGLE MAN MEETS SINGLE MOM
CARRYING THE LOST HEIR'S CHILD

Only from Harlequin Desire!

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THAT NIGHT WITH THE RICH RANCHER
by Sara Orwig.

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That Night with the Rich Rancher

by Sara Orwig

One

T
ony Milan felt ridiculous. Standing in the wings of the wide stage of the elegant Dallas country club ballroom, he promised himself that next time, he would be more careful making bets with his oldest brother. Losing at saddle bronc riding in a rodeo last April had put him backstage tonight at this gala charity event, which included a dinner dance as well as an auction. One that would auction
him
off. At least it was all for a good cause, he reminded himself. The funds raised would go to Parkinson's disease research.

As he'd made his way to the stage earlier, he had seen some of the attendees: beautiful women dressed in designer gowns accompanied by men in tailored tuxedos. The highest bidders would win a night with “Texas's most desirable bachelors,” according to the brochure that had been mailed to a select group wealthy enough to afford the event. He couldn't imagine any woman bidding much for an evening out with a guy she won in an auction, but after the opening bid, he realized he was wrong. The Texas ranchers who'd gone before him had stirred up high prices.

Looking out at the latest bachelor who now pranced offstage, Tony could not recall ever feeling more out of place. And then he heard his name called.

Taking a deep breath and forcing himself to smile broadly, he stepped forward, striding out of the darkened shadows into the blinding spotlights in front of a glittering audience. Applause was loud as he waved at the audience, most of which he could no longer clearly see because of the spotlights shining in his eyes.

After a spiel about his bachelor status, the master of ceremonies opened up the bidding. Tony was startled by the number of women who jumped into the bidding, but as the amount climbed, first one and then another dropped out until only three women were left.

Shocked yet pleased by the amount he was going to draw, he grinned and walked around the stage as the bidding climbed.

When a woman in a front table bid, he glanced down and saw it was an ex-girlfriend. He hoped she didn't win. As far as he was concerned, he'd said a final goodbye to her when she'd started getting serious. No long-term relationships for Tony Milan. He liked to flirt, play the field, just have a good time with no strings attached. Thankfully, after a flurry of bidding, his ex-girlfriend dropped out and only two women were left.

Tony couldn't see either one of the women, hidden by the blinding lights, but he heard their competitive bids. They were calling outrageous sums of money—all for an evening with him. When one graciously dropped out, the MC brought down the gavel.

“We have a winner,” he said, not able to hide his outright glee at the final amount for the charity. “Would our lucky woman please come up onto the stage?”

Tony couldn't contain his curiosity. He scanned the audience for a glimpse at her, and then a spotlight found her at a table off to the right. His pulse jumped when a stunning blonde stood up. Her hair was piled atop her head with a few spiral curls falling about her face, and she wore a fiery red dress as she threaded her way to the stage. Even from a distance he could see the dress clung to a breathtaking figure. Jeweled straps glittered on her slender shoulders and her full breasts pillowed above the low-cut neckline.

One of the auction's ushers took her hand as she climbed the steps to the stage and Tony's gaze finally swept over her from head to toe, taking in her long, shapely legs revealed by a high slit in the skirt. Instantly Tony began to feel immensely better about the entire auction and the upcoming evening.

As the blonde crossed the stage, his gaze swept over her features. She wasn't a local resident, he thought, because he didn't recognize her. But then as she neared center stage to give the MC her name, he had a niggling feeling that he did indeed know her. He looked at her again. Something about her features seemed familiar. Perhaps... There was a faint resemblance to a local—his neighbor and lifetime enemy, Lindsay Calhoun.

He shrugged away that notion. The woman talking to the MC could not be Lindsay Calhoun. For one brief moment, a memory flashed through his mind of Lindsay dressed in skintight jeans and driving her muddy pickup, her long sandy braid bouncing beneath her floppy old hat. That was followed by another memory—Lindsay wagging her finger at him and accusing him of taking her ranch's water—something unethical he would never do to any neighbor, even Lindsay. She was mule stubborn, never took his advice and wouldn't agree with him if he said the sun set in the west.

Most of all, she was serious in every way, all business all the time. With their many confrontations, he had wondered if she'd ever had any fun in her life. So there was no way on earth that the vision who had won an evening with him was Lindsay.

Curiosity ran rampant as the MC took the mystery woman's hand and she turned to the audience, shooting a quick glance at Tony and then smiling at the audience while the MC held her hand high like a boxer at a heavyweight fight.

“Our winner—a beautiful Texan, Miss Lindsay Calhoun!”

Tony was stunned. His gaze raked over her again. Why had she done this? Their families had maintained a perpetual feud since the first generation of Milans and Calhouns had settled in Texas, and he and Lindsay kept that feud alive. Besides, she didn't even date. Nor would she spend a dime for an evening with him. She never even spoke to him unless she was accusing him of something.

He squeezed his eyes shut as if to clear them, and then looked at her again. Actually, he stared, transfixed. Not one inch of her looked like his neighbor.

She turned as another man in a black tux came forward to escort her toward Tony while the MC began to talk about the next bachelor.

“Lindsay?” Tony's voice came out a croak. The woman he faced was breathtaking. He wouldn't have guessed all the makeup in Texas could have made such a transformation.

Her huge blue eyes twinkled and she leaned close, giving him a whiff of an exotic perfume—another shock.

“Close your mouth, Tony,” she whispered so only he could hear. “And stop staring.”

The tuxedo-clad man stepped forward. “Lindsay, it seems you've already met your bachelor, Tony Milan. Tony, this is Lindsay Calhoun.”

“We know each other.” Tony hoped he said it out loud. His brain felt all jumbled and he couldn't force his gaze from Lindsay. He still couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had known her all his life. Not once had she even caused him to take a second glance. Nor had he ever seen her as anything except a colossal pest. Saying she wasn't his type was an understatement.

But was there another side to her? Why was Lindsay here? Why had she bid a small fortune to get the evening with him? No doubt she wanted something from him— and wanted it badly.

Would she go to this length to get water? He ruled that out instantly, remembering her fury and harsh words when she had accused him of buying bigger pumps for his wells to take more groundwater from the aquifer they shared. He had told her what she should do—dig her wells deeper. She had charged right back, saying she wouldn't have to go to the added expense if he wasn't depleting her water with bigger pumps. And there it went. Once again her usual stubborn self refused to take his advice or believe him.

Then she had started calling him devious, a snake and much worse. She pushed him to the edge and he knew he had to just walk away, which he did while she hurled more names at him.

That was the Lindsay Calhoun he knew. This Lindsay tonight had to be up to something, too. Surprisingly, though, he couldn't bring himself to care much. Thoughts of ranching and feuding fled from his mind. He was too busy enjoying looking at one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

How could she possibly look so good? They were being given the details of their evening, beginning with a limousine waiting at the country club entrance to take them to the airport where a private jet would fly them to Houston for dinner. He barely registered a word said to him; he couldn't focus on anything but the sight of her.

“Excuse me a moment. I'll be right back,” their host said, leaving them alone momentarily.

“You've got to give me a moment to come out of my shock,” Tony said with a shake of his head.

“You take all the time you want. I've been waiting for this,” she drawled. “If necessary, I would have paid a lot more to get this night with you.”

“If you'd come over to the ranch dressed the way you are now and just knocked on the door, you could have had my full attention for an evening without paying a nickel, but this is for a good cause.”

“It's for two good causes,” she said in a sultry voice, and his heartbeat quickened. He still couldn't quite believe what was happening. Before tonight, he would have bet the ranch he could never be dazzled or even take a second look, let alone willingly go out with his stubborn neighbor.

“Lindsay, I've never fainted in my life, but I might in the next thirty seconds, except I don't want to stop looking at you for anything.”

“When you saw I had won, I was afraid you'd turn down this evening.”

“I wouldn't turn down tonight if I had to pay twice what you did,” he said without thinking, and her smile widened, a dazzling smile he had never seen in his life.

“If you two will follow me, I can show you to the front entrance,” their host said, returning to join them. “First, Miss Calhoun, you need to step to the desk to make arrangements about payment.”

“Certainly,” she answered. “See you in a few minutes, Tony,” she added in a soft, breathless voice.

Where had that sexy tone come from? He recalled times when he had heard her shout instructions to hands on her ranch. She had a voice that could be heard a long stretch away and an authoritative note that got what she wanted done. As he watched her, she turned to look at him. She smiled at him, another dazzling, knee-weakening smile, and he couldn't breathe again.

Holy saints, where had Lindsay gotten that enticing smile? It muddled his thoughts, sent his temperature soaring and made him want to please her enough to get another big smile.

He had seen her stomping around horses, yelling instructions and swearing like one of the men, the sandy braid flopping with her steps. He had faced her when she had yelled furious accusations at him about dumping fertilizer. How could that be the breathtaking woman walking away from him? His gaze ran down her bare back to her tiny waist, down over her flared hips that shifted slightly in a provocative walk.

With the tight dress clinging to her every curve, he caught a flash of long legs when she turned and the slit in her skirt parted. That's when he noticed the stiletto heels. He would have sworn she had never worn heels in her life, yet she moved as gracefully as a dancer. He wiped his heated brow. This was rapidly turning into the most impossible night of his life.

Befuddled, totally dazzled by her, he tried to remind himself she was Lindsay, and he should pull his wits together. That might not be so easy. He would never again view her in the same manner.

Why hadn't he ever really looked at her before? He knew full well the answer to his question. He had been blinded by their fights over every little thing, from her tree falling on his truck to his fence on her property line. Not to mention her usual raggedy appearance when she worked.

If she had gone to such lengths tonight to wring something she wanted out of him, he had better get a grip, because it was going to be all but impossible to say no to the fantastic woman in red standing only yards away and writing a check for thousands of dollars for an evening with him. Not even a night— just a dinner date and maybe some dancing.

But Lindsay Calhoun wasn't interested in dinner dates and ballroom dancing, boot scooting or even barn dances. He eyed her skeptically. To what lengths was she prepared to go tonight to get what she wanted?

He gave up trying to figure her out.

Still, he couldn't take his eyes off her. The skintight red dress left little to the imagination. Why had she hidden her gorgeous figure all these years? Why had she always pulled her hair back in a braid or ponytail? He looked at the beautiful silky blond hair arranged on her head, some strands falling loosely in back. He had never seen her hair falling freely around her face—would he before this night was over?

She looked seductive, like pure temptation, and he knew he should be on his guard, but there was no way he could be defensive with the woman standing only yards away. He wanted her in his arms. He wanted to kiss her. And, if he was truthful with himself, he wanted to make love to her.

When she finished writing and handing over her check, their host led them to a garden, where they had pictures taken together. As he slipped his arm around her tiny waist while they posed for the camera, the physical contact sizzled. He was so heated he thought he would go up in flames.

He made a mental note to get a picture. His brother-in-law and sister were in the audience, so they had seen her tonight. So was his oldest brother, Wyatt. He was certain Jake Calhoun had seen his sister look this way before, but Wyatt was probably as shocked as he had been.

Talking constantly, their host escorted Lindsay and Tony through the wide front doors of the country club, where a long white limousine waited.

As soon as the door closed on the limo, they were alone, except for the driver on the other side of a partition.

“Maybe you've been using the wrong approach,” Tony remarked.

She smiled another full smile that revealed even, white teeth that made him inclined to agree with whatever she said.

“That's what I decided. So we'll see how it helps letting my hair down, getting out of my jeans and into a dress, smiling and being friendly. So far, it seems to be working rather well, don't you think?”

“Absolutely. I don't know why you waited this long. I keep reminding myself not to give you the deed to my ranch tonight.”