Chapter 3

Grayson didn’t know what to expect when he decided on the spur of the moment to come directly here after his meeting with Levi. He didn’t have a formal invitation but wanted to do some digging of his own to make sure Jack Johnson’s land was worth pursuing. What he hadn’t counted on was finding a beautiful woman knee deep in the muck. Her riotous curls were tipped with mud and going in every which way.

He loved it.

He whipped off his sunglasses to get a better look. The woman had high, exotic cheekbones on a delicately carved face and a tempting mouth that looked like it was made to be kissed. Her skin was smooth and tawny and slightly burnished by the sun. From the looks of it, she couldn’t be more than in her late twenties, early thirties. He wouldn’t be robbing the cradle.

Was it the muddied white shirt, the curve-hugging jeans, or the big brown eyes staring up at him that instantly attracted Grayson? He answered his own question. All, he thought.

“Need a hand?” he asked, bending down so the distance between them wasn’t so great.

She glared at him. “Does it look as if I need one?”

He smiled. He liked her fire. “No, I wouldn’t say you do. You look quite at home down there in the mud.”

She laughed. The sound of it was so rich and melodious that Grayson’s groin tightened in response. Who is this creature?

“Are you going to just stand there watching me, or are you going to come down?” she asked.

Grayson looked down at his suit and expensive shoes. “I don’t think I’m quite dressed to assist you in your endeavor.”

“Ah, so you’re one of them, are you?” Bree deftly gave him the once-over, from the top of his head to the shoes on his feet. “Looking to purchase the Johnson land?”

His skin prickled instantly. She knew more than he would have guessed for a ranch hand.

“Don’t look so surprised,” she said flippantly. “Some of us women actually have brains.”

He watched in amazement as she climbed up the ditch. She had an athletic physique with B-cup sized breasts and a nice round behind. He swallowed, unable to turn away. He wanted to know more about her, maybe even ask her out on a date.

“Of course, I wouldn’t think otherwise,” he said.

She glared at him disbelievingly, tossed her knapsack over her shoulder, and strutted to the four-wheeler parked several feet away. Spellbound, he watched her generous behind sway with every step she took.

To his dismay, she swung her leg astride the vehicle and turned on the engine.

“Wait a sec.” He rushed toward her, but before he could say another word, she’d already taken off and was clear across the field before he could get out, “I didn’t get your name!”

As she turned off the engine in the garage, Bree released a long breath. She was used to riding four-wheelers on the ranch, so it wasn’t the ride that had made her breathless. It was him.

The man who’d stood above her in the ditch was drop-dead sexy. Tall with massive shoulders, he’d been clad in a gray suit that fit his beautifully proportioned body to a tee. In just a few seconds, she’d taken all of him in. It was clear that he took very good care of himself. The outlines of his shoulders had strained against the confines of his fabric. What’s more, there had been something about him.

Perhaps it had been his bald head? Or the sexy five o’clock shadow he’d been sporting or those bushy eyebrows? Or maybe it was that square jaw, which showed off his model-like features and warm-brown complexion? It had certainly given Bree pause, and she’d made no bones about staring at him. The man carried himself with an air of self-confidence. He certainly hadn’t minded questioning her and why she was there.

“Bree!” Caleb called, startling her out of her trance.

Guiltily, Bree turned around and was met with Caleb’s frown.

“Just what the hell did you think you were doing?”

Bree lifted her chin defiantly, undeterred by his tone. She was used to standing up for herself and now would be no different. “I was finding out if this place is worth our time and money.”

“And?”

“That’s yet to be determined,” Bree said.

“Do you have any idea how irritated Parker was when you just ran off like that? We saw you from the bay window in the living room. He thought he’d have to send a rescue team out for you.”

As if. “You know as well as I do that I’m quite capable of looking after myself.”

Caleb sighed and circled his arms around her shoulders. “C’mon, let’s tell our host that you’ve made it back safe and sound.”

“Sure thing,” Bree said but stared out over the open horizon. Just who in the hell is that stranger?

Grayson made it back home later that afternoon. He was too distracted to go back to the office after his encounter with the sexy woman in the mud.

Sonya and Cameron were in the kitchen making an early dinner when he arrived. The aroma of Cuban spices wafted through the air, and his stomach growled.

“Hey, guys,” Grayson said, strolling into the kitchen.

“Grayson!” Cameron jumped off the barstool and rushed over to his brother’s side, squeezing his middle. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

“I told you I was coming back,” Grayson said, patting his shoulder.

Grayson had spent a good chunk of the morning with Cameron before making it into the office. His baby brother had been so excited to see him that he hadn’t wanted to let him out of his sight. Only after Grayson had assured Cameron he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon had his brother allowed him to go to work.

Now Cameron nodded. “I know you said you were coming back, but you’ve been gone a long time. We missed him, didn’t we, Sonya?”

“We sure did.” Sonya winked at him as she stirred something in the pot. “Are you hungry, Grayson? I’m almost done with my famous arroz con pollo.”

“I will be. Let me change, and I’ll come back down.” He headed toward the door but paused midstep. “And Mama? How’s she doing?”

“Hanging in there, Grayson.”

“Thanks, Sonya.”

Grayson made his way up the stairs to the master suite, which housed a large bedroom with a custom-built king-sized bed that suited his six-foot-three frame. Adjacent was a walk-in closet with built-in shelves for his clothes and hat collection, along with a master bath complete with a Jacuzzi, rainfall shower, and double vanities. He’d never been much into tubs, but suspected when the time was right he would make good use of his Jacuzzi with the right woman.

For now, he’d settle for a cold shower to relieve the ache in his loins that had arisen after meeting the sexy woman with the corkscrew curls who’d escaped his grasp today.

As he undressed, Grayson pondered the thought. Initially, he’d believed she was a ranch hand, but her quick wit and knowledge of the sale told him he was off the mark. So who is she? He was dying to know, but he would have to put that question aside for now. He had more pressing business.

Levi had given him a good lead, and though he’d gone to check out the land today, he was no more the wiser than he’d been before his visit. He needed a good geologist to tell him if the property was worth the price Parker Johnson was asking.

A geologist like Bree Hart, the woman Levi had told him about at their meeting earlier in the day.

Now that he was home and had a little time on his hands before dinner, he could do some digging and get a little more information about this esteemed geologist. After his shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and padded to a nearby chair to find his Surface tablet. Powering it on, he quickly entered the name “Bree Hart” in the web browser. His breath hissed when he saw her picture.

It can’t be.

Can it?

Bree Hart was the sexy woman in the ditch who’d given him an instant hard-on?

Pictures don’t lie. She may have been a little dirty from the mud, but as he browsed her images online, it was definitely her. Grayson continued reading. When he was done, he was impressed with the woman. Not only was she accomplished in her field as a highly sought after petroleum geologist giving speeches and lectures, but she also didn’t mind getting her hands dirty.

Today had proved that. She’d been in that ditch for the same reason: to see if the land held oil.

Grayson had to know the answer to that question, but Bree certainly wasn’t going to give up the information willingly. He had to find a way in. Hadn’t Levi said she wasn’t too keen on her father these days? And if he wasn’t mistaken, there had been a spark in Bree’s eyes when they’d met and she had given him a long perusal. He was certain of it. He hadn’t been the only one affected by their meeting. Now he just had to capitalize on that.

A few days later, Bree was excited to be at a petroleum symposium. She was not only a speaker at the conference, but it would also allow her to search out job prospects. She didn’t know when she planned to make her move, she just knew that the time had come for action. She refused to let her father take her for granted any longer. She was good at what she did, and it was just a matter of time before the right opportunity came along.

So today, much to her chagrin, she wore a sleeveless gray wraparound dress with a skinny belt and simple black blazer. Pumps adorned her feet along with a minimal amount of jewelry. She hated wearing heels, but she was determined to put her best foot forward.

She walked into the room full of confidence and was rewarded. Instantly, she was swarmed by several colleagues and industry leaders eager to speak with her. Bree had never understood why they made such a fuss about her abilities to predict oil. But she was in high demand for most of the morning, speaking with several business owners including a promising prospect who intrigued her with his request for alternative energy sources.

Finally, she was taking a break from lunch and heading to the dining room when someone caught her eye. His heated gaze across the corridor connected with hers, and heat prickled up Bree’s spine. She hung back and watched the man from afar. He was talking to another man in what appeared to be an animated conversation, but periodically his focus would return to Bree. He knew she was there, waiting and watching him. The look he gave her was so galvanizing that a tremor tore through her.

There was something about the height and build of the man that was oddly familiar. And that’s when it hit her. Earlier that week, she’d encountered that sexy stranger on Johnson’s property.

And this man was him.

It had to be because he evoked the same reaction from Bree that she’d had during their first encounter. Her heart was thudding loudly and was unable to return to its natural rhythm.

Why was she so aware of him? What was it about this man that had her stomach tied in knots? Bree didn’t care to find out. She spun around on her heel to make a beeline for the restaurant.

She was nearly to the hostess station when she felt someone behind her. When she turned around, he was there, but the hostess was already seating a couple in front of them.

“We meet again,” he whispered in her ear.

Bree casually glanced back and feigned ignorance. “Do I know you?”

He laughed deep, warm, and rich, and Bree felt her insides curl. “You clean up nice, but then again you’d have to after the ditch I found you in last time.”

Bree spun around, her light-brown skin turning red. “Well, I didn’t realize I’d have an audience.”

He grinned. “So you do remember me?”

She shrugged nonchalantly. She wasn’t about to give anything away. “Now that you mention the ditch, I suppose I do.”

The hostess returned. “How many?” She glanced back and forth between Bree and the handsome stranger.

“Two,” the man answered, and before Bree could respond, he lightly touched her back, ushering her inside the restaurant. Who does he think he is? It was awfully presumptuous of him to speak for her. She hadn’t agreed to dine with him.

The hostess seated them next to the floor-to-ceiling window with a view of downtown Dallas. The stranger came behind her, scooting Bree’s chair before taking the seat opposite her.

“I don’t recall agreeing to lunch,” Bree commented, shaking her napkin and placing it in her lap. “And furthermore, I don’t even know your name.”

“Then allow me to remedy both faux pas.” He offered her his hand from across the table. “Grayson Wells. And I would be honored if you’d agree to have lunch with me, Bree Hart.”

She frowned. “How do you know my name?”

The waiter came by and filled their water glasses before scuttling away.

“You’re a successful geologist in a city all about the oil business,” Grayson responded smoothly. “I’d think that would be obvious. Plus you’re on the agenda.” He inclined his head toward the flyer with her name and picture sprawled on it that was sitting atop her portfolio.

“And given your visit to the Johnson property, you’re in the oil business I presume?” Bree inquired.

“You would assume correctly. And I just so happen to be in the market for a geologist for my company.”

“Really?” Now that was a useful piece of information. Hadn’t she come to the symposium for this very purpose? “Tell me more.”

After the waiter came and took their lunch orders, Grayson expounded on Wells Oil. Bree ordered a salad with grilled salmon while Grayson opted to go full hog with a T-bone steak complete with potatoes and a side of broccoli.

“You’ve achieved a great deal in a short amount of time. What accounts for your success?” Bree asked.

“Drive. Ambition. A desire to succeed at all costs.”

“All qualities I can appreciate, but I’m not sure how I would fit in,” Bree said.

“We’re looking for someone with your valuable assets. Everyone in this town says you have the Midas touch.”

Bree reached for her glass and took a liberal sip of water before setting it down. “They’re mistaken.”

“Have you or have you not successfully predicted oil for Hart Enterprises’s last several fields?”

“I have, but—”

“No buts. Can’t you take a compliment, woman?”

Bree couldn’t resist smiling. She wasn’t used to being spoken to in that way. “I can, but not if it’s a load of hogwash.”

“So you think I’m pulling your leg?” Grayson paused, then said, “We would love to hire you.”

“You’re not the first company to try to steal me away from my father,” Bree quickly responded.

“But I’m the first man who has made you want to consider it.”

Bree stared at Grayson. She suspected they were no longer talking about business, and that wouldn’t do. She had a genuine interest in Wells Oil and could appreciate they needed someone to head up their geology division. They’d been around for seven years, but in this town they might as well be considered a start-up company. They needed someone like her at the helm.

Was she seriously considering this? Leaving her father?

Duke would have a cow if he knew she was even thinking of deserting him. He expected loyalty from everyone working for him.

“Bree, we should talk about this further,” Grayson continued, “over dinner tonight.”

“Dinner?”

“Yes. You could come over to my place. I promise you our family caretaker and friend makes a mean paella.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not? It’s just a business discussion after all. We could talk more about the position, and you could share your goals and desires without an audience.”

Bree glanced around, and they did indeed have several curious pairs of eyes staring at them. No doubt these patrons were wondering what Bree Hart was doing talking to the competition. But that wasn’t why she didn’t want to go to Grayson’s. It was because her desires might go beyond the company to the man himself.

That signaled big trouble.

Bree was on edge for the rest of the day even after she’d given her lecture, which was well-received, and even now that she had returned home. As much as she’d enjoyed it, her mind kept wandering to Grayson’s request to join him for dinner tonight. It all sounded innocent enough. They’d discuss his job offer over a meal without scrutiny, but Bree didn’t think it was a wise move, not when she felt so heated around the man.

She thought she’d nearly combust if she stared too long into his dark eyes. Eyes that seemed to watch her as if capturing every movement.

She hadn’t been this attracted to a man, since—well since Jacob Taylor. Jacob had been the only man Bree had ever truly loved. They’d met when he’d worked at the Hart ranch the spring of her junior year in high school. She’d been immediately enamored not just by his rugged looks, but how he cared for and treated the animals. At first, she came around the stables offering to help, then she was helping him muck out stalls. Then they were laughing and talking over a root beer since she was too young to drink. The next thing Bree knew, they were kissing. And kissing led to Bree’s first sexual encounter. It had been amazing, and Jacob had stolen her heart.

They continued seeing each other in secret through the summer and into her senior year. That’s until they got caught by the ranch foreman, who’d immediately gone to Duke. Bree would never forget the disappointment in her father’s eyes. The way he’d looked at her with such scorn had nearly broken her heart. But she loved Jacob and wasn’t about to give him up, no matter what Duke said.

But Duke had laid down the law. She wasn’t going to end up some ranch hand’s wife, laden with a bunch of babies and living hand to mouth. He fired Jacob and threatened that if he came within a hundred yards of Bree, he’d have him arrested for statutory rape. It had been a terrible time. Bree hated her father for taking away her first love. But Duke didn’t care. He had big dreams for her while Bree would have much preferred to stay on the ranch with Duke, learning from the ground up. “I want better for you,” Duke had shouted, “which is why you’re going to college.”

Bree had never been into school; that was her older sister London’s thing. But Duke was immoveable on the topic and had forced her to get a higher education. She’d resented him for it, but surprisingly had found she had an understanding not only of the land but what it was made up of. So she’d stumbled into her career as a petroleum geologist.

But she’d never forgotten Jacob. She’d loved him, had given her virginity to him, and had always wondered what might have been if Duke hadn’t interfered. Because he had though, Bree had shut down where relationships were concerned. She’d been afraid of getting hurt or having Duke run off the person she loved. So she’d focused on her studies, returning to Dallas from college in Austin to start at Hart Enterprises.

Since then, there had been no time for love and romance, much less sex. Bree couldn’t recall the last time she’d been intimate with a man. Has it really been that long?

She was wondering what she was going to do when her baby sister, Jada, rang. Bree picked up her cellphone from her dresser and answered it.

“Bree.”

“Hey, sis, what’s up?”

“Well, we haven’t talked in a spell.” If Bree recalled, their last conversation was three days ago. “And I thought we could catch up. You know, fill me in on everything.”

“Nothing much to tell, other than Caleb is really trying to make me feel included.”

“That’s good, isn’t it? I know how upset you were, I mean, been, since Daddy announced Caleb’s going to be the president.”

“You’re right. I am still hurt by his actions, but not at Caleb, and I have to remember that. In the meantime, I’m considering my options.”

“What does that mean?” Jada sounded intrigued.

Bree shrugged even though Jada couldn’t see her. “Hart Enterprises isn’t the only game in town.”

“You would leave HE?” Jada inquired incredulously. “To go where? And with whom?”

“It’s too soon to tell, but I’ve been invited to dinner tonight to discuss the possibilities.”

Jada paused for several beats before asking, “Dinner? And would the invitation happen to have been extended by a man?”

“And if it were?”

“I would caution you to be careful about mixing business with pleasure,” Jada warned. “Sounds like a recipe for disaster.”

“I hear what you’re saying, Jada, but this is a legitimate offer of employment and one I should give due credence to.”

“You don’t have to convince me, but perhaps you’re trying to convince yourself. I mean, what’s the deal, Bree?”

“He’s charming, attractive, sexy, and smart.” Bree stopped naming adjectives. She knew she was giving Jada too much ammunition to convince her to stay at Hart Enterprises.

“Wow, those are a lot of great attributes. I can see why you’re apprehensive. A sexy, good-looking intelligent man wants to take you to dinner, and of course you want to turn him down.”

“Well, we’re actually not going out,” Bree answered. “He invited me to dinner at his place.”

“Oooh, the plot thickens,” Jada murmured. “What else are you holding out on me?”

“Nothing. That’s the God’s honest truth.”

“Dinner out is one thing, but dinner at his place is quite another. How do you know you can trust him? How do you know he won’t make a move on you or isn’t a serial killer or rapist?”

Bree instinctively knew she could trust Grayson despite having only seen him two times in her life. Something just told her that he was on the up and up with the job offer. After her lecture, she’d looked him up online on her cellphone and found he was indeed the president and CEO of Wells Oil. There hadn’t been much else about him other than he’d been acquiring his wealth at a rapid pace and occasionally made time for the ladies. He’d only been linked with less than a handful of women over the years.

As for trusting him not to make a move? On that point, she wasn’t so sure. Bree suspected that he’d felt the chemistry between them during lunch as much as she had. Does that mean he’ll try to make a play for me tonight?

“Bree, are you listening to me?”

“Of course I am.”

“And are you going to take my advice.”

Probably not. “Sure I am.”

“I don’t believe you,” Jada responded. “But please do me one favor.”

“And what’s that?”

“At least put some condoms in your purse.”

“Jada Hart!”

Jada laughed heartily. “What? I’m just keeping it real with you.”

“Yeah, well, keeping it real can go wrong sometimes.” Bree chuckled. “But I will take it under advisement.”

“You do that, and I can’t wait to hear all the juicy details because I know you’re going to do the exact opposite of what I advised.”

Seconds later, Jada was hanging up, making Bree feel terrible since she hadn’t asked Jada how her news anchor job was going in San Francisco. Next time, she told herself. Meanwhile, she would need to shower and figure out what she was going to wear to dinner. Because Jada was right. She was definitely going.