Texas Gold (6 page)

She’d told him some nonsense about goofing off at the lake with a few other friends. Yes, there were boys, too. But no one was “having sex.”

Having sex for crying out loud. She’d said the words like they were no big deal.
 

Damn, he was lost when it came to stuff like this. Not that his ex would have done any better. She’d been too damn interested in California dreaming.
 

So here he was, alone with his baby girl listening about how no one at the lake had been having sex even though she and her friend Jen had stayed out there all night long.

The party wasn’t exactly innocent, though. Nina had also admitted that alcohol flowed freely all night. But she’d finished by saying she didn’t drink anything. She was the designated walker responsible for getting her and Jen back home in one piece.

She’d made it sound like it was his fault for them getting caught because he wouldn’t let her drive until she turned sixteen even though everyone else in town drove with their learner's permit.

He didn’t bother to explain that if she hadn’t been out all night, she wouldn’t have been caught.

Instead, he’d sent her to her room. She’d obliged easily enough, stomping up the stairs and slamming her door behind her.

God, he wasn’t a fool to think teenagers were any different today than they’d been when he was a kid, but he didn’t know what to do now that Nina was there.
 

When he looked at her, he wanted to see his angel girl swinging on a wooden swing set, her braided hair flying behind her. Or his little helper at the office bringing him coffee or paper clips. Talking about ISP’s and ethernet hookups back before they were common words.

He didn’t want to see the quasi-woman who lived in his house now. The girl who wore cropped tops and jean shorts and looked twenty-five instead of fifteen.
 

And he couldn’t remember when he’d been more afraid.

One wrong step here, and he could ruin his baby’s life. What was he going to do?

The doorbell stopped his thoughts. His development firm partner was due, and Brenton desperately needed to lose himself in business for a while.

He heard the housekeeper open the door with a welcome of “Hello, Mr. Lavoy. Mr. Alexander is in his office.”

A few seconds later he heard a knock and the typical “Hey, hey, hey” of his partner John Lavoy.
 

John was the one who had found this piece of paradise just waiting for their Midas touch. In fact, in the last three years, John had found two of their best locations.
 

In the business, they were known as the dynamic duo. Brenton put up the start up cash and John made the magic.

So far they hadn’t gone wrong.
 

Six suburban towns could thank them for their higher tax revenues, their state-of-the-art schools, and their wonderful little renaissance downtowns. Yes, they were all doing quite well in the tourism industry these days, and Serendipity fit the bill just right. Maybe even better than the others since it had a lake.

A lake his daughter had spent all night at.

He pushed the thought away, instead thinking of ways to convince his opponents that development made sense. The fact that Mallory Baber was his most outspoken opponent to date didn’t mean a thing. He always tried to avoid flat out fights when he had a chance.

If she refused to see reason, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d run rough shod over someone.

“So, I saw the survey crews out when I drove into town. Look mighty nice, boss man.”

He’d forgotten the surveyors would be out today starting Shepherd’s Glen. The place would be a draw for the perfect upper middle income group they wanted to bring in.

“How many contracts are we talking before start up?”

Sometimes they’d start developing without prospective buyers. In this case, buyers were standing in line to get a prime location.

“Six are signed and waiting. Two are thinking.”

“They better think fast or all of phase one will be full.”

John sat down and they started planning their next strategy. Brenton wanted to go at a nice, easy pace. Bring the natives over to their side slowly. John thought that was a waste of time. One of the larger restaurants wanted on board, and once they signed that contract, all hell would break loose. Banks, grocery stores, discount retailers.

The people of Serendipity wouldn’t know what hit them.

Usually he didn’t care.

But for some reason he was letting Mallory Baber affect his decision making, which was insane. Money was money. Success was success. He wasn’t going to jeopardize this deal by telling John to back off.

They’d moved on to plans for the next housing area when his doorbell rang again.

The clock on his desk showed noon. They’d worked for three hours, and he’d only worried about his daughter a couple hundred times.
 

In the distance, he heard his housekeeper welcoming the unexpected guest. When he heard Mallory’s voice, all thoughts of business vanished. At least all thoughts of the business he was currently conducting.
 

Her deep voice had John’s attention. If Mallory ever lost her coaching job, she should look into a career in radio.

Down the hall, he could hear his housekeeper explaining that he was in a very important business meeting. And he really should let Mrs. Johnson send Mallory on her way. Introducing her to John was last on his list of top one thousand things to do this century. Plus, she’d cloud his judgment while he planned.

Still he couldn’t seem to stop himself from leaving the desk and walking down the hall toward her.

When she came into view, he wasn’t sorry.

Her red hair curled around her face, seeming to call for his touch. Her eyes met his head on, challenge and something else he recognized deep in their depths.

Oh good. She was ready to play. Again.

She was dressed for running. Her turquoise running shorts barely glancing mid-thigh, her black jog bra rimmed in the same blue. Enticing him to take a look at what he was missing. And damn, it looked good.

Maybe even better than last night.

Even her socks were sexy. He could imagine nibbling right where that tiny scar on her knee met a vein.

She hadn’t stopped by to chit-chat. And he’d bet half his millions that she hadn’t come by to check on Nina.
 

No-sirree. Dressed like that, Coach Baber was here on a mission.

And he couldn’t very well stop her.

Obviously she hadn’t learned her lesson about playing with fire last night. Or maybe she’d decided to take him up on his offer.

Telling Mrs. Johnson Mallory could always interrupt him, he turned and introduced her to his partner.

Judging by the way John was ogling every inch of her, he’d been right. He should have kept Mallory as far away from his business partner as possible.

But the urgency he’d felt to have her gone no longer seemed that important. Now that she was here, he wanted her to stay.
 

A few words to John, and the problem would fix itself.

Oh yes, Mallory could be very bad for his business indeed.

She turned back to him, throwing on her thousand watt, I-know-you-want-to-do-whatever-I-tell-you smile, the same one his daughter used when she asked for the credit card. “I just stopped by to talk for a minute. If you’re busy...”

She trailed off implying all sorts of fantasy moments.

John heard everyone of the them, too.
 

For a moment, Brenton considered asking his partner to go back to the office, but then Mallory ruined it by including him in their conversation.

“Or if you don’t mind, I could stay and listen. I’d just love to know what you all have in mind for the town.”

Oh, he just bet she would.

“Baber?” John said the name out loud, thinking at the same time. “We bought some land from Babers.”

“That would be my brothers. Tim and Jackson.” She stretched her arms out in front of her, hands together. To John it probably seemed perfectly natural. Brenton knew better. She was playing the same game she’d played last night at Charlie’s.

“That’s right.” John concentrated as if he were trying to place the lots. As if he’d forgotten. They’d spent part of the morning discussing how worthless the lots were if the rest of the Babers didn’t sell, too. Or at least a few more of them. The two lots they had were separated with no access unless they trespassed on one or more of the four they didn’t have.

“So what are you giants of industry planning for Serendipity today? A shopping mall?”

Brenton knew he didn’t have to warn John to keep their business plans quiet. If Mallory wanted to support the development of the town, she’d sell her land. When John had called months ago, she’d pretty much said “go to hell,” and hung up on them.

It didn’t matter. Brenton didn’t have the wherewithal to do battle just then. He’d been through too much with Nina already. He didn’t feel like adding Mallory, even an incredibly sexy Mallory, to the foray.

He moved to the door as he answered her question. “Today we’re planning liquor stores and gentlemen's clubs. But we really are busy.”

He could see John’s fascination with the scene unfolding. Could understand it since it was obvious Mallory was here with intentions of doing something, and so far, she’d asked a couple silly questions and that was about all.

She didn’t even seem perturbed by his ridiculous answer.

“I understand. You always seem to be doing business.” She followed him to the door. “That’s why I was stopping by.” She stopped, looked at him pointedly and smiled a slow, sexy, come-and-get-me-if-you’re-man-enough-smile. “Business.”

She certainly had his full attention now.
 

And, oh boy, did she know it. Her fingers snaked along his hand, and he felt every touch through the entire length of his body. All thoughts of business with John evaporated. Didn’t matter. Not a bit.

And she wasn’t finished.

“You see, when we talked last, I was unclear. But it seems you made me an offer I can’t refuse. If it’s still out there, I’d be more than willing to accept. If not, well, I’ll live.”

The minute Mallory walked in his house, she knew two things. Brenton’s business partner was a slimier snake than any she’d met and Brenton himself was up to no good. He shouted guilt the same way Nina did. Head down, feet rocking. But the second she spoke the words, she knew her plan was in motion.

Any business he’d planned with John Lavoy was pushed to the back burner. Brenton thought she’d just offered herself on a silver platter much like the one she’d seen in his dining room last night. The one near that stupid sturdy table that had flitted through her dreams all night.

She didn’t have to tell him he was down 7-0 in the bottom of the seventh.

Somehow, she was going to make this work. She had to.

So far, she was definitely on the right track. Slimy John was off to the office after a few words from Brenton. Any time he spent away from that man would work in her favor, she was sure.

She wasn’t so sure about the way he was standing near her, invading all her space, making it difficult to breathe.
 

With little room to move, she backed against the door, and his arms trapped her there.
 

Her plan had been simple. Throw out the acceptance more or less and ruin his work day while maybe just maybe finding out something to help her cause.

She hadn’t anticipated the way he would look with his arms over her head on either side of her body. Or the way she would feel, a little overwhelmed and a lot excited.

For Pete’s sake, his daughter was in the house.

She was ready to remind him of that when he decided to say something.

“So you decided to take me up on my offer?”

Mallory was torn between the desire to tilt her head up and look him in the eyes and the desire to admit it was all a rouse.

She lifted her head. “I guess I did at that.”

She hated the way her voice sounded all breathless, hated the fact that he was the cause. Hated the thought that she really wasn’t taking him up on any offer at all, but it had seemed a safe time to pretend.

Safe and Brenton didn’t belong in the same thought. She filed that away for future reference.

“I can’t say I’m disappointed.” He moved even closer, pressing his body against hers.
 

Oh Lord, she’d just thought she was breathless before. The cotton fabric of his shirt scratched against her bare stomach and she fought the urge to wind her hands around his back.

Instead, she leaned her head against the door and waited for him to say more.

She wasn’t shocked when his head slowly lowered. Wasn’t worried when his lips found hers.

All coherent thought flew from her mind after that. They were all that existed, here, standing at his door.

Barely there, his lips taunted her with light little kisses. She’d planned passive resistance if this time ever came. Now that it was here, she couldn’t keep that promise. Her hands slipped around his neck, and she was the one to deepen the kiss.

Her moan sounded through the hall as his tongue darted into her mouth. She leaned further into him as his hands rubbed her bare arms.
 

She wanted more, wanted to feel all of him, wanted his lips on every part of her body.

Wanted to return the favor.

She moved her lips to his neck, reveling in his loss of control. She felt his hands shaking, heard their joint gasps for breath.

Heard a door upstairs slam.

He pulled away and ran his hands through his hair. “Damn.”

She didn’t care why he suddenly seemed out of sorts. She wanted those lips back on her, and she wanted it now.

Until he shook his head. “I think there’s a very good chance Nina just witnessed me groping her softball coach.”

Oh Lord. If she had, Mallory knew she was in trouble. Deep trouble. Nina would tell Jen who would tell Tim who would know something was up. Her entire family knew she despised Brenton Alexander.

She didn’t know what to say. But she had to try. “Let me go talk to her.”