Surrender to Temptation (10 page)

Chase grinned. “I’m happy you approve. Did I mention how amazing you look tonight?”

His sexy voice washed over her, stroking her senses. “Your words were I was ‘worth the wait’. You don’t look bad yourself.”

He chuckled and stepped away from her chair, taking his warmth and intoxicating scent with him. Nikki watched him walk to the other side of the table, loving the way the tailored pants draped over his steely thighs and his butt. She warned her heart to behave.

“We have Col Solare cabaret sauvignon, 1995 vintage.” He removed the bottle from the ice, inserted the opener, and deftly removed the cork. “It is actually a blend of cabaret sauvignon, merlot, and syrah, but if you’d prefer something else, just say the word.”

Nikki smiled. “No, it’s perfect. It sounds rare.”

He cocked his brow. “It is. I received a few bottles from my godmother when I moved to the ranch, and I’ve been saving them for the right occasion.” He poured some in her glass and his.

Nikki lifted her glass. “To new beginnings.”

Chase touched his glass to hers. “To new beginnings.” He sipped his wine and studied her. “Beginning of what?”

“Our relationship.
Working
relationship,” she added when he cocked his eyebrows again. “I’m still trying to figure you out, Chase Fitzgerald. You inspire such loyalty in your workers, yet you’ve only been here for four months.”

His eyes narrowed. “You’ve been talking to Winston.”

“He did the talking. I just listened.” She sipped her wine. It tasted minty and earthy. “Mmm, this is good.” She licked her lips and almost purred in satisfaction when Chase’s gaze followed her tongue, an appreciative gleam in the depths of his eyes. Once again, it felt as though he’d touched her lips.

Grinning, he indicated the food. “Let’s eat. Then I can answer all your questions.”

Got him. “Okay.”

“As long as you answer mine,” he added.

Nikki frowned. This wasn’t part of her plan. What did he want from her? As they served themselves and dug in, conversation was reduced to comments about each dish and the ingredients. From the baby spinach with fresh raspberries, toasted pine nuts, and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese to venison fillet served with potato noodles, rosemary, and cranberry apple. Dessert was shots of pecan pie with vanilla mousse. Like last night, she couldn’t help sampling everything.

“What did Winston talk about during your drive?”

“Mainly about the ranch and you. What a generous and wonderful boss you are.”

He grinned. “True.”

“But you totally lack humility,” she added.

“Not true. I’m a very humble man.”

She let a snicker escape her. “Yeah, I can tell. You also mastered riding Thunder and learned how to move around the ranch while blind.”

He didn’t respond. Instead, he swirled the red drink in his wine glass and took a healthy swig. “What did my uncle tell you about me before you were hired?”

Nikki shook her head. “Not much. You were a recluse client that needed a website, and that was it.”

He frowned. “So I could have been an axe-murderer recluse for all you knew?”

“True, but with his firm’s reputation and the way your family grilled me like
I
was the axe-murderer, I concluded you were some old, feeble-minded eunuch that posed no threat to me, a single, unmarried, and defenseless woman. Until we met. Then a few not-so-flattering adjectives came to mind.”

“Defenseless? You?” He laughed.

She fluttered her eyelashes and gave him a radiant smile. “Absolutely.”

“You are about as defenseless as a piranha.”

She made a face. “I just added another adjective to your name.”

His brow shot up. “What?”

She gave him a slow smile. “So are you going to tell me about your eyes?”

His expression didn’t change. “What about my eyes?”

“Did you hurt them in some kind of accident?”

He picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and shot her an unreadable look. The silence stretched, and she began to worry she was losing her chance.

“I mean, there must be an explanation for why you wear sunglasses indoors.”

“Are you always this curious about things, or do you just want to know me better? Because I have other ways you could get to know me better without the inquisition.”

She could just imagine what those other ways were. “It was a simple question, Fitzgerald. A yes or no would have been enough.”

“Does that mean you’re not a tiny bit curious about what I just said?”

She decided to play his game. “Maybe. But right now I’m curious about your eyes.”

A totally male and smug smile touched his lips. “Yes, I hurt my eyes the night my restaurant burned down, but they are better now. Not a hundred percent, but definitely better.”

This was it. “What started the fire? How did you escape?”

His eyes narrowed. “You received a phone call just before lunch. Who was it from?”

Nikki shook her head. “I didn’t receive a call.”

“Then you made one. When I saw you downstairs, you were flushed, snarky, and upbeat. When I came upstairs to get you, you were pale, sad, and close to tears. Who did you talk to and why?”

For a moment, Nikki just stared at him. How could he have read her so well? “I don’t know what you are talking about, cowboy.”

“Now who’s hedging?”

“You know what? It’s okay. You don’t owe me an explanation. I mean, they are your eyes, and how you hurt them is really your story to tell. I have absolutely no right to push you for answers.”

“You’re running now.”

“No, I’m not. There are certain things that are happening in my life right now, but I can’t talk about them.”
Especially with you.

“Maybe I can help.”

Could he? Maybe she could find out if he planned to file charges against Dee. “Okay. I have a friend who’s lost everything. Her dream, her career, everything she’s worked so hard for—destroyed by someone else. She’s being forced to start over elsewhere, and she doesn’t know whether to file charges against the guy who destroyed her career.”

Chase’s blue eyes narrowed in thought. “Did this person break the law when he destroyed your friend’s dream?”

Nikki nodded, feeling terrible she had to resort to a hypothetical situation to know what he thought.

“Then she needs to file charges. The law is the law. You break it, you go to jail. One of my uncles is head of a crime division in L.A., and one thing he’s taught me is when people don’t learn their lesson, they become repeat offenders.”

Nikki’s heart sank.

“But the punishment must fit the crime. Too many people are rotting in jail for minor offenses because our judicial system is flawed. While some serious criminals are walking the streets because someone somewhere chose not to file charges.”

His voice rose and ebbed, but all she saw was her sister, a prisoner of her scarred body, facing another kind of prison. It wasn’t fair.

“Nikki.”

She stared at Chase with unseeing eyes then realized he was gripping her hand. Her gaze went to his hand then his face. His eyes were filled with concern.

“Did someone destroy your nursing career? Is that why you’re focusing on your web designs and need this job?”

She blinked. He thought she’d been talking about herself? “No. I wasn’t talking about me, Fitzgerald. This really concerns a friend, but I now know what she’ll be facing once, uh, once the charges are filed. I mean, once she files charges.”

He shook his head.

Nikki slid her hand from underneath his, missing the warmth and reassurance of his touch. “I know I’m not explaining this very well. It’s really my friend’s problem. I’m just trying to be there for her.” Her throat closed, and she cleared it before adding, “Can we talk about something else?”

Chase studied her intently as though he had questions. “Your friend is lucky to have you in her corner, Nikki.”

If only he knew. “There’s not much I can do to help her, which is so frustrating.”

He gripped her hand again and squeezed. “Don’t devalue what you’re doing. You’re helping her by being supportive. After my accident, I didn’t feel like being around people and was very vocal about it, but my brothers wouldn’t listen, especially Lex. He was there for me just as you’re being there for your friend. Too many people run when tragedies strike. The worst ones are those who claim to care and love you.”

Nikki studied his face. He sounded so sad. Was he talking about his family? “I guess it shows you who is genuine and who’s not.”

“It does.”

Nikki smiled. Behind Chase’s cocky exterior was a deep, sensitive man, the kind of man she wouldn’t mind knowing if Dee’s condition wasn’t standing smack in the middle of them. When his eyes shifted to her lips, Nikki realized only a few inches separated them. They were both moving toward each other. His hand was no longer on top of hers. It was moving toward her elbow, leaving a trail of heat in its wake.

Sanity bitch-slapped her into yesterday, and she moved back, forcing his hand to drop. She reached for the glass of pecan pie with vanilla mouse.

“I think I’d like to try this after all.” She hadn’t meant to eat the dessert, but she needed to focus on something else instead of thinking about kissing this cowboy. “Do you eat like this every day?”

Chase smiled as though he was aware of what she was doing. “Oh yes. Taste buds, like most senses, need to be stimulated, and food is one way of doing that. The other is a good choice of wine. And my favorite…”

She looked up. “What?”

“Kissing.”

He just had to go there. “That was smooth, cowboy. Really smooth.”

“I try.”

She laughed. “I’m going to pack on pounds if I eat like this, unless I find a way to exercise.”

His eyes twinkled. “Oh, exercise.”

“Don’t say it, Fitzgerald. No more cheap come-ons.”

“You have a dirty mind. I was going to say we could always go for a ride.”

Nikki gave him a dubious glance, her neck growing warm. “As in riding a horse?”

His chuckle was downright sinful, and a different kind of ride popped into her head. He pushed back his chair, walked around to her side of the table, and offered her his hand. “You are coming with me.”

“Let me guess. To meet the horses,” she said, not bothering to mask her misgivings.

“Yes. You’ll see that they’re not monsters. In fact, they are the gentlest creatures God ever created.”

“You mean after dogs, cats, and all domesticated birds.”

“What did a horse ever do to you?”

“One threw me, nearly breaking my bones, and another decided I tasted better than their food.” She wrinkled her nose when he laughed. “It wasn’t funny.”

“I promise to not let one nibble on you. And if you get thrown, I’ll kiss it better.”

Where was the nearest horse? She placed her hand in his and stood. “I’m placing a lot of trust in you, cowboy. Remember that.”

“Thank you. What eased your worries, the promise to protect you or the kiss?”

Definitely the kiss. “None of the above. I can protect myself, and I don’t know you well enough to let you kiss any part of my body.”

CHAPTER 7

A beautiful blush stained her cheeks, and her eyes darkened. Despite her words, he imagined kissing every inch of her body, imagined how she would look after a night of sex. Eyes languid with passion, hair mussed, and lips moist and swollen from his kisses.

His entire body burned, but all he did was raise her hand to his lips and press a kiss on her knuckles. She didn’t pull away this time.

“I think we know each other well enough,” he said, pleased with her behavior.

“I think you have an ego the size of the Grand Canyon and are a bit too cocky for me.”

He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless, but he didn’t want to scare her off. It took all his willpower to tuck her arm around his and lead her out of the dining room. “There’s a big difference between cockiness and confidence. When I want something, I go after it, obstacles or not.”

“And what do you want, cowboy? You know, other than to prove to me that your horses are special?”

He wanted her, but it wasn’t the right time to admit it. “They
are
special, and you can’t create a website for them without riding one.”

“Oh yes, I can.”

“That would be an insult to my horses. We have to get you back on the saddle as soon as possible before word gets around. Meeting them now will prepare you for tomorrow.”

She frowned. “What’s happening tomorrow?”

“You’re spending the day with me.”

She shook her head and sighed. “I’m finally coming to a very important conclusion, Fitzgerald.”

“What?”

She stopped in the middle of the foyer and studied him. “You are without a doubt the most arrogant, chauvinistic, and conceited man I’ve ever met.”

He wanted to touch her cheek to see if her creamy skin was as soft as it looked. “Arrogant and conceited mean the same thing.”

“I know. I didn’t want to say doubly arrogant. Didn’t your mama ever teach you to be polite and ask for things instead of issuing orders?”

“She did. So?”

“So, why don’t you ask me if I want to spend the day with you tomorrow, meet your horses, or have dinner with you? It’s not really hard. All you have to say is, ‘please, could you give me the pleasure of having dinner with me every night’ or ‘would you mind spending some time with me tomorrow while I work around the farm?’ It is very simple.”

Chase laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”

She raised an eyebrow. “No, I am not.”

“First, I won’t be the only one working; you will be, too. How can you see my vision without walking in my shoes? Second, does that really work with you—the politeness and the gentlemanly approach?”

Nikki rolled her eyes and stepped away from him.

“I’ve figured out certain things about you, too, Nikki Savoy. You like twisting people around your little finger, especially men. You’re a very vocal, direct, and no nonsense kind of woman. You boldly tread where other people dare not go.” That would make her very loyal and tenacious, an admirable trait. “And you love to twist men around your little finger.”

“You’re beginning to repeat yourself, cowboy.”

He winked. “I know. I’ve noticed that when you’re irritated with me, you call me ‘Fitzgerald’. When I become personal, you call me ‘cowboy’. The only time you use ‘Chase’ is when you feel safe. Do I bother you, Nikki?”

“Are we going to see your horses or not,
cowboy
?”

He laughed. “Yes, we are.”

“Then I’ll change into something suitable. And, Fitzgerald, while I’m gone think about this—you may think that you know me, but you don’t.”

Chase grinned as she glided across the room and upstairs. He was looking forward to peeling those layers until he knew everything there was to know about Nikki Savoy. What had caused panic to flash in her eyes last night? He also had a feeling she meant to say something else when they were discussing her tears. Frowning, he waited for her at the bottom step.

Chase was still thinking about her when she came downstairs.

“That is a peculiar expression you have on your face. What are you plotting?” Nikki asked.

Chase watched her as she took one step at a time, a teasing gleam in her eyes. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a blue and red sweater. The sweater molded her breasts and drew attention to their fullness. Heat soared through his body, and his stomach tightened.

“Just planning to show off my babies,” he mumbled distractedly.

Nikki stopped in front of him, put her hands on her hips, and peered into his face. “Your babies? You do know you have nothing to do with their pedigree.”

“Like hell I don’t. I carefully selected them. Lost sleep thinking about them. Separated them from mangy mixed breeds.”

“I stand corrected.”

“C’mon,” He took her elbow and led her across the foyer. They went past the door leading to the kitchen. The ranch hands were finishing their dinner while arguing about a game on T.V. The evening was cool, and the night sounds filled the air.

Nikki looked up and sighed.

“What is it?” Chase asked, studying her expression.

“You know one thing I like about this land of yours? Everything is the way it’s supposed to be. The sky is clear, and the stars are bright. In cities, it is hard to see the skyline let alone the stars. And then there are the night sounds—the birds, the crickets. It is a relief not to hear cars, loud music, and people yelling.”

“That’s surprising coming from someone who lives in a city,” Chase said.

She opened her mouth to tell him she was raised in the country, but then she remembered Dee. He might want to know where she came from and connect it to Dee. Although her sister never liked to admit she grew up in a small town, Nikki couldn’t take the chance.

 
“Sometimes where we live chooses us and not the other way around,” she said as she followed him into the night. “Or life throws you a curveball and you make adjustments.”

He opened the gate that led to the well-lit yard and turned to face her. Nikki looked at him warily. “Has life thrown you a curveball?”

“One too many. So how much farm work do you expect me to do around here? I’m here to create your website, not muck your stalls.”

Chase grinned. He could never predict what she was going to say. “Actually I was just joking about tomorrow, but I would still like you to see what we do around here.” He indicated the barn’s side door.

 
“We’ll see.” Nikki walked beside him, her head turning left and right as she took in her surroundings. “I want to know how a ranch is operated. Like you said earlier, it’s the only way to see your dream and get ideas for the website. You need a slogan that incorporates what you do here, which you can use in advertisements and promotional materials. I don’t know if you have pictures, but we’ll need some for the website. Most people are visual. A few pictures of you might help, too.”

“What kind of pictures of me?” he asked, suddenly wary. He valued his privacy too much.

“Riding or just grooming a horse.” She threw him a glance from the corner of her eyes. “A few shirtless ones might not be a bad idea. Just jeans and a cowboy hat.”

Chase stopped walking. Was she serious?

“Or holding a lasso,” she added, a chuckle escaping her when she turned to face him. “Or carrying a bridle or just lying on a bale of hay, chewing on a straw with your thumb hooked under the waistband of your jeans.” She was laughing by the time she finished. “Oh, Chase. You should see your face. I’m kidding.”

He reached for her, but she jumped out of the way, laughing so hard. Lucky for her the yard was well lit, so she evaded his hands again. Lucky for him, she didn’t know her way around his farm and didn’t go beyond the clearing before he caught her. The feel of her against his body sent a rush of need through him.

“You have a sick sense of humor, woman,” he said, loving her carefree laugh and wanting to capture her mouth with his.

“And you need to lighten up. I’m here to help sell your products, not you. But if you decide to make this a dude ranch and want a different kind of clientele,” she added and wiggled her eyebrows, “we’d definitely need those pictures.”

The woman was impossible and everything she did only made him want her more. He took her arm and started for the barn. “I refuse to take anything you say seriously. You’re just delaying the inevitable. The horses are waiting.”

He pushed opened the side door. “This is the grooming room.” He led her to the central isle of the barn. Nikki stared warily at the horses. Some of the horses were finishing their evening feed while others held their heads outside their stalls. There was nothing for her to fear.

“They can’t do anything to you when they’re in their stalls. Look at the stall doors—very sturdy with horse-proof bolts,” he said reassuringly.

She studied the nearest horse, Thunder. “Does that mean some can break their doors? Because this one is staring at me with a disdainful expression as if it can’t wait to get me alone.”

“She, and that’s not disdain. It’s interest. Horses want to be free and will attempt to take off if given a chance, so they do push against the stall doors and walls.”

“Not only are they huge and beautiful, they are smart too,” she muttered under her breath, her hand clinging to his. He liked the idea that she needed him for something, even if it was just for the courage to face his horses. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and drew her closer. The softness of her body complemented his hardness, making him wish she were clinging to him out of desire, not fear.

“Never let a horse know that you’re scared, Nikki. Horses, by nature, are herd animals and tend to follow a dominant stallion or mare, an alpha leader. You have to show them you are in charge. From time to time, they’ll test you.”

“How can I possibly show her I’m dominant when she’s so huge and overpowering?”

“You use gentle but firm hands. But let’s start with the basics, approaching a horse. You approach her steadily, as if you expect her to stand still and wait for you. Make sure that your movements are smooth and unhurried. Talk softly to reassure her that you’re friendly.” Chase led her to the horse as he spoke.

“I think it is laughing at us,” Nikki whispered.

“She,” he corrected again. “Thunder would never laugh at me. She’s mine. You see how close we are to her now? Hold out your hand, so she can smell you.” He shifted until he was behind her, one arm looping around her waist, the other sliding along her arm until he grabbed her wrist. He lifted her hand, and the sorrel licked it and nudged it with her muzzle. “You see that? She wants more attention.” He guided her hand. Chase gave the horse a final rub and led her back a few feet until they were near the grooming room doorway.

“Try it alone.”

Nikki slowly shook her head. “Oh no. I think I’ll wait until tomorrow. Things always seem possible in the daylight.”

He stared into her eyes and once again, felt a stirring of his senses. “Now, this is a side of you I haven’t seen. You, scared of something? I mean, I know you said you were, but I thought you’d face your fears once I explained. Now I see that I’ll have to take it easy with you. Maybe we’ll start with a foal and work our way—”

“Oh, shut up, Fitzgerald.”

She nudged him in the chest good-naturedly and robbed her words of their sting. Then she turned to look at Thunder. She started a staring contest with the mare and didn’t take notice of the way she leaned back against Chase, her temple rubbing against his jaw. Without heels, she was several inches shorter than he.

“You can make fun of me all you want, but you weren’t the one who was thrown from a horse’s back,” she added. “I had never been so scared in my life. I thought the damn horse would trample me to death.”

“Actually I was thrown a lot when I was little.”

Nikki looked at him. Then as if she noticed their intimate embrace, she stepped forward, forcing his hand to fall from her waist.

“How old were you when you were first thrown?” she asked, her eyes volleying between him and Thunder’s stall.

“Three. What are you doing?”

“Making sure you are close enough, so if the horse attacks, you’ll be able to rescue me. So this horse that threw you when you were three, was it a midget pony or perhaps a border collie? Sometimes, kids confuse childhood incidents. A dog may seem as big as a horse.”

He chuckled. She said the craziest things. “It was a pony. We all started riding as soon as we could walk. But maybe I was four when it happened. I can’t say for sure.”

 
She rubbed her hands, her eyes on Thunder. “Okay, I’m going in.” She started walking toward the stall. She spoke softly though loud enough for him to hear. “If the horse snaps my head off, I’ll haunt you through centuries, Fitzgerald. You’ll never go near a horse without seeing my mangled body.”

He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. He hadn’t really expected her to go for it, but once again, she’d surprised him.

“As for you, my beautiful mare,” she whispered, “you’d better be nice to me. My opinion of the entire equestrian world depends on you. Your eyes seem bigger and meaner the closer I get to you, but I refuse to be a coward. Yeah, you heard me. Don’t even think of intimidating me, Thunder. I have taken on people meaner than you and survived. So, Fitzgerald named you Thunder? That’s not very flattering. Such an unfitting name for such a beautiful lady.” She extended her hand when she was close enough, and the horse dropped her head and started sniffing. “You’re a pussy cat, and your muzzle is so smooth. Will you let me touch your coat? Oh, so soft and smooth,” Nikki whispered, rubbing the mare’s neck. “Reminds me of velvet. I would have named you Velvet.” She continued to stroke the sorrel, turned, and glanced at Chase, her eyes sparkling with triumph. “I came. I met. I conquered.”