Sweet Texas Fire (2 page)

You break the rules, you’re out.

His phone buzzed with the reminder that his meeting was going to take place in thirty minutes. He needed to get his head in the game. No way was he going to let Charlotte cause any more delays on his oil fields. And he was going to get back the land that was rightfully his.

No matter what it took.

Charlotte Wilkinson straightened the pile of files on the right-hand corner of her desk.
A tidy desk equaled a tidy mind
, her father’s edict floated through her subconscious. She needed to be focused for the upcoming meeting with Gage Cooper.

She’d developed a picture of him, the owner of a successful oil company, in her mind. He wore a white leisure suit with cowboy boots, a big cowboy hat covering his gray hair, and he had a cigar perched in the corner of his mouth. Gage Cooper no doubt looked a lot like Colonel Sanders.

And she’d have to control the urge to bust out laughing if he did look like the king of fried chicken. She had no idea why he’d called the meeting today. All their previous interactions had been through e-mail and heated phone calls. And on a couple of those phone calls she’d had to advise him that if he yelled at her one more time, she’d hang up. There was no way he was going to talk her into backing down from protecting the land around his oil fields.

A knock sounded on her door. “Yes,” she called out.

The company’s office assistant opened the door. “There’s a Mr. Gage Cooper here to see you.” Meredith’s eyebrows waggled when she said Gage’s name.

Charlotte rolled her eyes and smiled. “Show him in. Thanks, Meredith.”

“You can go right in now, Mr. Cooper,” Meredith all but simpered, and Charlotte couldn’t help but wonder what Gage thought of Meredith’s attempt at flirting. If he was like most males hitting their late fifties, he would lap up the attention.

Charlotte took a deep breath, the better to control any threat of laughter when she clapped eyes on Gage Cooper for the first time.

“Ms. Wilkinson, thank you for seeing me today,” he drawled in a Texan accent.

She looked up from the map she grabbed so she would look busy when Gage walked into her office. Her mouth dropped open. She couldn’t help it. Colonel Sanders would’ve been a much better option to deal with than the man standing in front of her.

Oh shit
.

Gage Cooper couldn’t be more than a couple of years older than her. How could a man who looked barely thirty be the owner of a successful oil company? Why, oh why, couldn’t he have a beer gut instead of a flat stomach, which, in all likelihood, sported a six-pack—and not of the beer variety. No receding hairline hidden underneath a cowboy hat, either. There was no cowboy hat in sight. He had a full head of dark brown hair that curled slightly over his ears. The five o’clock shadow on his face enhanced his high cheekbones, and his lips, full and no doubt tempting when he stretched them into a smile. At present they were pulled in a straight line, like he was annoyed at what he saw.

Indignation rose within her. She wasn’t going to be judged because she was following protocol on ensuring the environment was protected.

Taking the bull by the horns, she stood and walked around her desk, holding out her hand. “Good afternoon, Mr. Cooper. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Gage looked at her outstretched hand and then back at her face—dear God, he wouldn’t leave her hanging, like the loser kid who held her hand up to the star football player to get a high-five, only to be ignored, would he? A second later her hand was engulfed by his large, warm one. He gripped her hand tightly before releasing it quickly and giving his hand a jiggle before placing it in his pants pocket. If her own hand hadn’t been pulsating with pinpricking sensations, she’d take it as a personal slight.

“Please take a seat.” She indicated one of her guest chairs before rounding her desk and sitting in her own chair. “I have to say I was a little surprised at your request for a meeting, Mr. Cooper. Especially since our main interactions have been via the phone or e-mail.”

He leaned forward; she sat back a little in her chair.

“Gage, please. I think we’ve had enough discussions for you to call me by my first name. And I thought it was time we met face-to-face. It’s a much better way to discuss business, don’t you think? You have an intriguing accent, Charlotte. Is it British?”

“Australian. But you’re not the first person to mistake me for being British.”

“My apologies.”

She inclined her head to accept his apology and waited for him to continue. His own accent was smooth and sexy. It could easily make her forget that the man sitting in front of her had been rude and obnoxious, when she had only been doing her job. She understood the need to get the oil from the ground, but there was no need for him not to protect the surrounding environment. He told her on many occasions he liked to think he was doing things the correct way. To a certain extent he was, but she could make him do a better job.

The silence stretched between them. It almost looked like Gage was testing her. But she’d grown up with three brothers. She had plenty of patience and fortitude when dealing with the way a male mind worked. However, she didn’t intend to spend the rest of her day in a Mexican standoff with this man.

“How’d you do it?” he asked, as she was about to open her mouth and ask him exactly why he was in her office.

“How did I do what?”

“Did you sleep with him to get it?”

What the hell? Get what? And to suggest that she’d slept with somebody to achieve it was the most insulting thing Gage Cooper could say.

Anger bubbled inside, ready to burst out and fry the rude man standing in front of her.

Wait. Don’t fly off the handle. Even though he’s being a complete asshole, he’s a client.

“I really have no idea what you’re talking about. How about you explain to me what it is you think I’ve done? If it’s work-related, I’ll have you know that I’ve never slept with anyone to get anything. Any promotion or job opportunity I’ve achieved has been through hard work.”

Gage stood up to lean over the table, so she stood, as well. No way was she going to let him feel like he could threaten or intimidate her.

“What I’m talking about is the piece of land you inherited.”

Immediately, she sat down. She was still coming to terms with the fact that she owned a piece of Texas property. She had no idea what she planned to do about it and she had pushed it to the back of her mind to deal with at a later date. Looked like
a later date
was now.

“How do you know about the land?”

“I know because the land belonged to my father, Jack Cooper. And that land is rightfully mine.”

But Jack Cooper was a true gentleman, nothing like this man in her office. Could she even trust this was the truth?

Charlotte crossed her arms across her chest. “I think you’d better explain yourself.”

“I thought I already did.”

“No, you made a lot of insinuations without giving me any proof that what you say is true. Am I just to take your word that you’re Jack Cooper’s son?”

She waited while Gage pulled out his wallet. He opened it up and laid it on her desk.

“There’s all the proof you need.”

Keeping her eye on Gage, she reached out and picked up the item. The leather was soft under her touch and warm from residing in his pants pocket. She glanced down—yep, the proof was right there in her hands. In the small plastic pocket sat a picture of four men. In the middle stood Jack Cooper surrounded by, Charlotte assumed, his sons, with Gage standing at the far left of the group. Looking at Gage now and the Gage in the picture, it wasn’t taken that long ago. One brother was dressed in a suit and tie; Gage and his other brother wore jeans and western shirts. Even though he smiled, it didn’t reach his eyes. He appeared detached, almost uncomfortable to be in the picture.

Why?

Never in a million years would she connect Jack Cooper with Gage Cooper, the owner of one of Houston’s most successful oil companies. She recalled from her conversations with Jack that he owned a company that made guacamole. As far removed from oil as Texas was from her home country of Australia.

“Okay, so, yes, you’re Jack’s son. As to why he left me the land and not you, that’s a question I can’t answer.”

“Oh come on, I know Dad. He must have had a reason for changing his mind. He told me that the land was mine. He told my brother Grayson two weeks before he died that his will was in order. Everyone would be happy, Dad assured him. Well, I’m not happy. I want to know what you did for him to change his will. The same will that named you as the new owner of a piece of land near the town of Sweet Ridge.”

Charlotte didn’t know what to say. She had no idea why Jack Cooper decided to bequeath her the piece of land.

“Look, I was as surprised as you were when I heard from the lawyer that I now own a piece of Texas real estate.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, it is.”

A frustrated sigh reached her ears. “How did you meet my dad?”

“As you know, I’m not from around here.”

“Yes, I believe we established that earlier. You know, the British versus Australian thing.”

“There’s no need to be sarcastic. Anyway, while I’m here I’ve been taking weekend trips to see some of Texas. I came across Sweet Ridge as I was driving to the Gulf and decided to stop for some lunch. I was sitting by myself when your father came up and sat with me.” Her mouth stretched into a soft smile. Jack Cooper was an outrageous flirt who reminded her of her favorite uncle, who had died when she was a teenager. Jack made her laugh, and she found that she’d made another couple of trips down just to visit with him. She’d have gone to his funeral, too, if she’d known about his death.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Gage. Until I got the letter from the lawyer, I didn’t even know your father had died. I liked Jack and will miss him. The time we shared together will always be a wonderful memory of my time in Texas.”

“Well, ain’t that sweet,” Gage drawled.

It was Charlotte’s turn to blow out a frustrated breath. “I really don’t like your tone. Your question about my friendship with your father has turned something wonderful, something that meant a lot to me, into something tawdry. You have no right to do that, and if that’s the only reason you came to see me, I suggest you leave.”

“I’m not leaving yet, Red.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes at the reference to her hair color. “Original nickname there,
Cowboy
. But I’m serious—if all you’ve come here to do is suggest that I have the morals of a whore and seduced Jack into leaving me the land, then I have nothing more to say to you.” She tilted her head to the left. “The door is there. I’d appreciate it if you don’t slam it on the way out.”

“You still haven’t given me a definitive answer to my question about why Dad left that piece of land to you,” Gage responded as he crossed his arms over his chest, stretching his shirt across his tightly muscled torso.

Damn, he was good-looking. Pity he was such an asshole.

If she’d encountered Gage any other time in a bar or at a party, and the conversation between them didn’t suggest she was a whore, she might play with the idea of pursuing a fling with him. However, her tenure in Texas was ending soon, and it would be impractical to pursue anything resembling a relationship.

“I don’t know what else to say. I told you I don’t know why Jack left me the land. I haven’t even gone to see it yet.”

“Why not? From what you said earlier, you like Sweet Ridge.”

It was true; she liked visiting the small town. But she couldn’t bring herself to see what Jack had left her. She knew she would fall in love with it, and it would be the worst thing she could do. When she’d taken on this role, she never thought she’d fall in love with living in Texas.

“Yes, I like Sweet Ridge. I’ve just been busy so I haven’t been able to go.”

Gage closed the distance between them, and Charlotte stood up again. “Somehow I think there’s more to this story than you’re letting on.”

“And your suspicious mind is getting tiring, Gage. I don’t know how many times I have to say this, but your dad and I were friends. Nothing more. We shared a few lunches together. I told him all about this pain-in-the-ass oilman I had to deal with. And if you need clarification, that pain-in-the-ass oilman is you.”

Gage laughed and it changed his whole persona. His eyes lit up, and fine laugh lines appeared around his eyes and mouth, making him even more attractive than when he scowled at her.

“I’m sure Dad would’ve loved hearing me referred to that way.” His eyes dimmed and his mouth firmed. “It pretty much sums up what he thought of me.”

“He mentioned to me he had three sons. But he didn’t elaborate on what you all did. And I never mentioned your name when we talked. He did tell me that first lunch about how proud he was of all that his sons had achieved in their lives. I’m guessing your other brothers work at the guacamole company?”

If her comment about Jack surprised Gage, he gave nothing away. “No, only Grayson works for the company, and that is another story, too. Gavin is a vet in Sweet Ridge.”

“Right.” An awkwardness that hadn’t been in the room before fell between them. For a first meeting between two business colleagues, the conversation had veered into personal territory.

Gage was within touching distance. The look in his eyes suggested he was aware of the close proximity between them. Mesmerized, she watched as his hand reached out and touched her cheek.

“So tell me, Red, what did you and Dad talk about over lunch if it wasn’t his three sons?”

Her cheek burned under the simple touch of his finger. Her ability to speak was lost. She should slap his hand away. She needed to slap his hand away.

“Will you stop touching me?” she whispered. Any control of the situation she might have achieved was lost in the space of five words.

“I don’t know if I want to,” Gage murmured as his hand spread to cup her cheek. “What is it about you that enamored my father so much?”

Her breath caught when his fingers slipped into her hair, pulling at the strands. “Was it your beautiful red hair? Or maybe it was your mouth. Did you kiss him, Charlotte? Or did you do something else with your mouth that pleased him?”