Tempted by Trouble

chapter THREE


The reception inside the Cardover Hotel was nothing less than spectacular. There weren’t a hundred people. There were several hundred guests, along with several wedding planners on staff, directing guests to three open bars and a champagne fountain. Leave it up to Rob to downplay his wedding.

Matt entered the lobby and headed straight for the liquid intervention. A green cloud of bridesmaids drifted into the hotel and his gaze automatically targeted Carolina.

He turned away, a wry twist to his lips, and ordered. “Bourbon, neat.”

A clap on his back and he turned to face another college buddy. “Matt, what the hell are you up to these days?” Drake Finley said.

“Trouble,” he responded dourly. One word summarized his life. Trouble with his family, trouble with the ranch, and now trouble walked right past him in a green dress that hugged every curve swaying into his imagination. “What about you? You missed one hell of a bachelor party last night.” Matt traced a curved pattern across the surface of the bar.

“Couldn’t be helped.” Drake laced his fingers together over the bar.

“Heard you were expanding … going national.”

“More like international,” Drake said. He leaned against the bar ordering a Scotch with soda and a white wine. “Timing is good. That’s all. Besides, if not now, when? I can afford the risk, and I’d rather be traveling overseas before my marriage than afterwards.”

“You too? Must be something in the water down here.” Matt watched Carolina and loosened his bow tie. The woman roiled him to the point that his blood pulsed in torrid currents through his veins. He should have required that she come for a personal interview instead of relying upon Rob’s offhanded remark that she was a straight shooter and knew how to concentrate on business. Her resume and references were substantial and solid. None of her emails indicated her ultra-girly exterior.

He was the idiot to expect all large animal vets to look like the ones back home. Instead of sunbaked skin and weathered hands, she was a woman who should be featured in a mechanic’s garage, nailed to the wall; everyone’s favorite pin-up calendar. He imaged Carolina naked, leaning against a barn, cupping her large breasts and wearing an itty-bitty thong on those slim hips of hers.

He downed his drink. The burn of the alcohol didn’t do much to his mood except remind him that he hadn’t eaten since last night.

“When are you getting hitched?” Matt asked the question as he coughed and slammed his glass on the bar.

“December. Alma wants a winter wedding. We’re traveling to Colorado for our honeymoon.”

“Snowbound oasis. Sounds charming. You know we’ve got a couple of condos in Breckenridge if you’re interested.”

“Thanks, but Alma’s got the whole thing planned already. More like a hotel with a good spa. The wedding invitations are going out next month. I expect to see you there.” Drake swirled the liquid in his glass and took a sip.

Matt motioned to the bartender for a refill. “Man, I’ve been out of the loop. How long have you been engaged?”

“I proposed last New Year’s. Don’t worry about it. We all heard you’ve got your hands full. What in Hades is going on? Your brothers and cousins still as wild as ever?”

“Hell if I know. Can’t get my father to agree to bring in modern vet medicine … not after he allowed the University vet program to get involved. Once some of the vets spilled their research findings to the newspaper, they weren’t welcomed back on the property. We can’t take another hit this year, not after we sustained such a broad loss. Too many heads to keep this up without a game change. In ranching terms, if it repeats, our stock and name will be tainted, and close to a hundred years of ranching will be gone. You know my father; he’s hardheaded and proud. I’m not about to stand around and keep counting dead cattle.”

“Shit, Matt. I’m sorry. Anything I can do?”

“If you’ve got a crystal ball, give it up, man,” Matt lifted his glass to his lips.

Drake reached out to a young woman, pulling her close to his side. She was blonde, tan, and resembled a cheerleader in the spunky tilt to her head and lips. Yeah, his friend was sunk.

Matt sipped his second drink. He had no intention of a repeat performance of his parking lot fiasco.

“Matt, may I introduce my fiancée, Alma Fassio.”

“Miss Fassio, it’s my pleasure.” Matt put his drink down and from the corner of his eye noticed that Carolina had entered into the ballroom where dinner would be served. Instead of relaxing, his body tensed at the thought of her sitting next to one of Rob’s single friends; or worse, his single Bostonian family. Drake might be snared, but there was a mangy bunch of horny men who he’d spent the evening with. Most of those guys had way too many lap dances. If anything, those men were all hungry to get their rocks off as soon as possible. A pack of wolves were on the prowl inside the reception. He curled his fingers at the thought of any of them targeting Carolina. Hell, he wasn’t immune from Carolina either. Their brief encounter and then meeting her, knowing they’d spend a couple of weeks together, rode rough-shod over him. He massaged the back of his neck to unhook the cage of barbed wire wrapping around his chest.

He should feel light on his feet after hooking up at the hotel lobby with … shit, he couldn’t even remember the woman’s name. He’d only offered her a ride when they both discovered they were wedding guests down at the bar. She’d come on to him and by the time they entered the church parking lot, he was ready to explode. He hadn’t engaged in front-seat-sex since high school, and for the last two months hadn’t gotten laid because of being eyeball-deep in dead cattle carcasses.

Lately, he ate, drank, and practically slept at the ranch barn office. Months had gone by since he’d contemplated hitting the sheets with a woman. He didn’t expect to see his parking lot partner tonight since she was meeting her date here. Holy cow. It was just one night, and then tomorrow afternoon he would be on a plane and back to a place that didn’t undermine his concentration.

Drake kissed Alma full on the lips. Matt looked away and noticed Dr. Rodriguez in her tight-fitting gown and gloves coming back through the doorway of ballroom, accompanied by several women, laughing and smiling. Most men in the room had stopped to watch this flotilla. Miami was too hot to handle.

The irony that Carolina caught his eye at the exact moment that thought materialized in his head no longer seemed surprising. Their gazes collided and she swerved, changing course, taking the long way around the fountain toward a bar in the corner of the lobby. Matt’s lips curved at the shock in her eyes. An electrical current tore a path through him and his cock twitched.

Jesus Christ, this ought to be good. No use denying his body was attuned to the good doctor even if his business sense punched him in the gut, reminding him one f*cked-up relationship was all a man should have to live through. He gripped his glass and knew his next move was regret in the making. The decision was made and he poured the rest of his drink down his throat.

“Drake and Alma, best wishes on your engagement. I’ll catch up with both of you inside.”

“Take care, Matt.”

Yeah, that’s what he intended to do if his cock had any say in the matter. Damn Dr. Carolina Rodriguez and her smart mouth.

He’d like to drag the woman, caveman-style, up to his room and fling her onto his bed. He imagined pushing up that gown and sliding past some flimsy material she undoubtedly wore. Girls like her were a pleasure to undress. He envisioned her sexy lingerie. At a minimum, she’d have a closetful, used to tempt and torment her lovers.

He narrowed his eyes. Jesus H. Christ, what if she had a boyfriend or was engaged? That would be so ironic. Falling for another woman who was taken. What the hell, he was doing a body slide, and might as well enjoy the ride. At least for tonight.

“It seems I can’t escape you,” he said, coming up next to her at the bar.

“You enjoy stalking is more like it Mr. McLemore,” she huffed.

“Look, I apologize for coming off so gruff before. I wasn’t prepared for you.”

“Prepared? What does that mean?”

“I expected a different type of woman, that’s all. Certainly not the type to make a man forget himself.”

“From what I’ve seen, you, Mr. McLemore, forget yourself all too readily.”

“Please, Dr. Rodriguez, I can’t continue to excuse my behavior. I’m sorry. But you’re the one who keeps bringing up my little fall from grace.” Her eyes were the color of a stormy sea and her mouth resembled a pink moist flower. Damn, he wanted to kiss her. “Could it be that you’re the one who is entranced?”

“Why do you keep pushing me? If is this what I can expect when I come to work for you, I rescind my agreement, sir,” she hissed, glaring up at him like an angry panther.

She sucked in a breath and turned to leave. He caught her wrist, feeling her delicate bones between his thumb and forefinger.

“Heck, woman, how do you manage a large animal without getting hurt?”

She tried to pull her arm away and he refused to let go. “I don’t rely on brute strength to get the job done.”

“I bet you could whistle the winds to comply with your every wish. I know I’m under some spell,” he murmured.

Somewhere between his shoulder blades a twinge stabbed him. He’d seen large burly men get kicked in the head, tossed about like a cork, and trampled when trying to manage an animal. This little lady could easily get broke in half if a bull got ornery.

“There is such a thing as sophistication and behavior management to approach a beast.” Her cheeks flamed and her eyes sparkled. She was a spitfire. His whole body tensed, readied, and he knew she’d be a woman who could take him on under the sheets.

“Darling, I don’t doubt you could bewitch a beast,” he said. “I just don’t want you getting hurt before you finish your job. Have you ever been to a cattle ranch? I don’t suspect there’s much raising beef on the beaches down here.”

She smothered a laugh behind her wine glass and rolled her glimmering eyes. “Central Florida has plenty of ranches. You’re not my first cattle client. I sent you my resume. Didn’t you have time to read it?”

“Any luck with bovine diseases before?” He’d already read her resume and, apart from her education, the one reason he selected Carolina Rodriguez was her experience in diagnosing disease in breeding cattle using the latest in pathological analysis methodology. He’d checked her references and each client he’d spoken with reported her exceptional ability to treat dire cases.

“From what you’ve explained, I think with some blood sampling and DNA analysis, we’ll have an answer pretty quick. Just so you know, I don’t think it’ll be too hard to get to the bottom of your cattle problem.” Her piercing gaze lanced him. “Do you mind? I’d like my arm back.”

“Sit with me,” he said. “I’d like to hear about what you propose to do. No one else has talked about DNA before. We had some researchers who looked for disease strains of the virus that infected the cattle. They focused on the illness, not the cattle themselves.”

She stopped fighting. “I think the answer is in your breeding methods,” she said, turning a deeper shade of red. “What did you do with the carcasses?”

His whole body stiffened. “Disposed of each one off-site. Another cow was found this morning. Her calf most likely will expire by tomorrow morning. Each day, I pray our logs are free of suspected cattle. No such luck.”

He let his gaze follow the outline of her face and then lower, down her neck to a point that pulsed. A vein under her skin throbbed and held him. She was standing on the point of a pin. Here was a woman who without even stepping foot on his property presented a solution that no one else was willing to entertain. To speak of breeding, insinuate there was a flaw, you either had balls of steel or were very, very hard-nosed in the cattle business. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on breeding cattle that included stock lines traced not a hundred years, but since the time the west was forged. Caroline Rodriguez had no idea uttering these words could get her in serious trouble. His father would bust a gut if her proposition was shared.

“I need a tissue sample for DNA comparison required in pathological testing. I’m betting breeding samples are faulty.”

He leaned over to her, expecting her to pull away. She didn’t. “For all our sakes, don’t ever say that to anyone but me,” he whispered into her ear.

“Why would I? There’s confidentiality between a vet and their clients.”

His face brushed against her hair and he inhaled the perfume off her skin. It was all he could do to back away from her. Their eyes met and locked. Her lips trembled and she moved closer, infinitesimal but he noted her non-verbal message. If he didn’t move away, they’d both be heading toward an elevator. Shit, he didn’t think he could even wait to get to his room. As soon as he could get this woman alone — elevator, alcove, room, wherever — he’d take possession of her mouth until she whimpered.

“I’m not doubting your ethics. From where I come from, money talks and everything else walks. Too many people can be bought. I come from a long line of ranchers. Not one would want to hear their lines were less than strong. It’s a macho thing. Get my drift?”

“I think I understand,” she replied.

He inhaled, studying her briefly, knowing what he wanted to do and what he had to do were on completely different planes. A spark jumped. He grinned and almost laughed if he didn’t think she’d balk.

“Yes? You were saying?” Carolina’s brow arched in question.

“We’re going to need a plan. I can’t bring you in and tell everyone what you’re doing. Not if you suspect breeding. I’d already considered having you work at night and in the fields, miles away from the main house. I can see you’re going to need access to the ranch house and barns and stables.”

“All the files. Even your stock samples.” She stood close enough for him to notice the swell of her breasts bunched up against the bar.

“Those are in the offices,” he clamped his jaw together. “Do you want another drink?”

“No,” she said. “I’ve had enough. I want something far different.”

Their breaths warmed the air between them. This was impossible. He needed her insight and veterinary services. He wanted to take her into her arms and latch his mouth onto hers, tasting her tongue and skin.

She had two things he wanted very badly; her ability to save his family’s failing cattle ranch and a promise of a night he’d remember for years. Taking one would mean giving the other up, because he couldn’t have both. This wasn’t the type of woman a man could f*ck and then work with as if nothing had happened.

No, if he had her between the sheets, he’d want to do it over and over. There’d be no way he could bring her home as his f*ck-buddy and expect his father to take her advice. He needed a cover just in case things got out of hand. Some seemingly innocent reason for her to be at the ranch, but not as an employee. He scrubbed his hand over his face.

If a breeding solution was proven with black-and-white facts, not a suggestion, it wouldn’t matter if she was green, polka-dotted and in her birthday suit. Dale McLemore would accept her diagnosis without a qualm. It was getting from this point to that point that muddied his thoughts. He didn’t see any way past suppressing the longing to climb into bed with Carolina in his immediate future unless he put the burden on her to keep her distance.

“Look, what do you say if you came home with me and we pretended to be dating?”

She appeared to consider his suggestion. Her pouty lower lip held his attention and he wondered what it would be like to kiss her into submission.

“Are you crazy?” she asked.

“No. What you’re suggesting is dangerous. Stock lines once deemed faulty affect Wall Street prices. People do all sorts of insane things when stock lines become problematic. You’re suggesting we’ve got a breeding problem. It’s what I’ve thought. Not said. Can’t openly admit without solid proof.”

“Do you mean we have to do this in secret?”

“You don’t want someone fearing for their livelihood. We don’t have a bull on the ranch. We breed by stock lines from other ranches. That’s someone reputation we’d be casting doubt on.”

“Genome studies are common. This type of analysis I’ve done isn’t something out of a science fiction movie. I don’t understand why a ranch would go to pieces if we found a flaw in a breeding line.”

“Throw around a suggestion concerning a bad seed or poor seed. That’s how ranch fires occur. I won’t have my cattle set on fire inside our stables. You get my meaning? This isn’t going to be a bunch of sophisticated gentlemen we’ll be questioning. These are men who work to pay a note on their home, feed their family, and hope to God that there’ll be work next year. Those men who sit around in the Gentleman’s Cattle Club will turn in an insurance claim without blinking. Don’t think for an instant that this is the type of news that you can release and then take back.”

“I understand the serious nature of this. But why can’t you just say I’m your friend?”

He inhaled, gazing into her blue-grey eyes rimmed in green. “’Cause I ain’t got no female friends, darlin’.” He tilted his glass and drained the liquor. “And I sure as hell couldn’t pretend with you.”

Carolina didn’t look away. “So we’re just going to show up at your ranch, hook up, and hang out. That will take some real acting.”

He leaned in closer again. “Sweetheart, it’s not like we don’t want to do it. You could always pretend to be a decent woman who wants to wait. I hear there’s a couple such women left in the world.”

“You’re incorrigible. Really full of yourself. Wait a second, buster. Are you suggesting that I couldn’t hold back from your charms?”

She tilted her precious nose upward, defiance clearly dancing in her expression. It took every ounce of strength to say the words she’d find as enticing as if he’d dumped a pail of ice water on her lovely head. The next few seconds were going to be nothing but tense. If left up to him, he kiss her right then and there.

“Seems like it from where I stand. Don’t bother to lie about our mutual attraction. Baby, both us want to roll around in the sheets. I just can’t risk a whole ranch over a good time. You do understand what’s standing in our way.”

She sputtered as if drenched. “Care to make a wager, Mr. McLemore? Just to make it interesting, Let’s put our money where our mouths are. Say, my service contract versus what? What do you have that’s of equal value?”

“You’re calling me out? What, you think I’ve got no self-control?”

Her angled brows were enough.

“Hell, woman, you’re on. I’ll put up … double or nothing.”

“No, that’s just chump change from where you hail.” She smiled so sweetly he knew she had something up her sleeve. “Don’t men like you have a special horse? You know, the one who comes when you call?”

He snickered. “You’re good.”

“Well?”

“Suit yourself. What would you do with a horse?”

“You don’t know anything about me. Do you? Let me worry about the horse. Are you in or out, McLemore?”

His name on her lips caused his heart to hammer a rhythm he’d nearly forgotten. He was getting off easy if this is all she was going to take. Shit, no; he needed to up the ante.

“Fine. My damn horse and my damn car and my damn boat to prove it won’t be me coming after you. How’s that for being sure of myself, Carolina?”

Her name slipped over his tongue, easing between his skin, thundering inside his temples. Carolina, he repeated to himself.