Forever After (Montana Brides, Book 3) Read online

  “Thanks. I’ll meet you beside your truck.” Nicky walked toward the front desk, her blonde hair bouncing in the afternoon breeze. She’d be annoyed when she found out he’d already paid the bill. A smile hovered on his lips. The more time he spent with her, the more intrigued he became. He liked her sassy wit and easy way with people. Liked it too damn much.

  Sam frowned at the over friendly waiter. How long did it take someone to explain that the bill had already been paid?

  Nicky looked over her shoulder, her gaze pinning him to his seat. She wasn’t impressed.

  He raised his wineglass in reply.

  Jamming her sunglasses on her face, she walked away from the restaurant. The waiter continued to stare down the street at her. Sam glared at his back. Best of luck, buddy, he thought. Nicky had come to Montana for business, not pleasure. And fraternizing with the locals would definitely be out of the question.

  ***

  Nicky wore a skirt. A spurt of righteous indignation pumped through Sam’s body. Eight o’clock on a Monday morning was too damn early to deal with the large expanse of tanned leg on display.

  As if that wasn’t enough to irritate the hell out of him, she’d twisted her hair into a fancy bun on top of her head. A bun, for God’s sake. He’d never seen anyone except Mrs. Green from elementary school stick their hair into such a ridiculous ball of fluff. It belonged in the eighteenth century, not in an underground garage.

  “Good morning to you too, Sam.”

  Throwing his briefcase on the back seat, he grunted back a reply.

  Nicky smiled sweetly across the truck at him. “You obviously aren’t a morning person if that scowl is anything to go by. Did I wake you up?” Her laptop landed with a soft thud beside his briefcase.

  Little Miss Ray of Sunshine didn’t know how close she’d come to the truth. Her carefree smile would have disappeared in the blink of an eye if she knew how shamelessly she’d woken him from his dreams. And there hadn’t been a bun in sight. “I didn’t sleep well,” he grumbled. “What time did you get up?”

  “I walked to the clock tower at six and then followed a path around the whole complex. It was too early to go back to my apartment so I headed into town and had breakfast at a café.”

  “On your own?”

  Nicky gave him a hard stare. “Of course I was on my own.” Sliding into the truck, she reached for her seatbelt. “I’m a big girl now. I don’t need someone holding my hand. Besides, Tess’ café is pretty special.”

  “You know, Tess?” Sam folded himself into the driver’s seat. When she’d been standing outside the truck her above the knee skirt looked almost demure. Sitting down, the same skirt rode high on her thigh, leaving him drooling. He didn’t know where to look, but her legs were winning hands down over the other tantalizing parts of her body peeking out from pale peach cotton.

  “I didn’t know her before this morning, but she seems like a nice person. I love what she’s done to Angel Wings Café, and breakfast was amazing.” Nicky frowned. “Earth to Sam? Is anything going on in that head of yours?”

  It was just as well Nicky didn’t have a clue about where his mind had been wandering. She turned sideways, pulling her seatbelt around her body. Her skirt got a whole lot shorter.

  “You really should think about getting some morning exercise. It’s a great way to start the day.”

  His thoughts precisely. Hell, what was the matter with him? Before she’d come along he’d been perfectly content with his life. He dated - when he had time. He enjoyed light, flirtatious interludes that slotted into his life when it suited him. Serious commitment had always been an unnecessary state of mind, body, and soul, and didn’t apply to him. His career had always been his life.

  “Are you going to drive us to work or sit daydreaming?”

  The irritation in Nicky’s voice scratched along his nerves like gritty sandpaper. Clamping his lips tight, he reversed with more speed than finesse out of the garage. He’d be damned if she’d upset his perfectly ordered life.

  Merging with the traffic heading into town, he glanced across the truck. His gaze dropped down to Nicky’s legs. They’d end up wrapped around a street light if he didn’t keep his eyes on where they were going. “Did you get to see some of Bozeman last night?”

  “No. Dad came and picked Erin and I up and took us back to his house for dinner.”

  “Did he get the tractor fixed?” Glancing in the rear view mirror, Sam turned left, heading toward their office building.

  “Eventually. He’s sure Jordan’s tractor’s held together with twine and spit. But it’s still running, so I guess it doesn’t matter.”

  Sam nodded. “Your dad never seemed the type to retire to the golf course for the rest of his life.”

  “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”

  Nicky’s warm laugh melted some of the tension pressing on his shoulders.

  “According to Maureen, she’s become a golfing widow. They’ve planned a trip to Miami in a few weeks time. Dad’s going to spend all his time hitting golf balls and Maureen’s going to hit the stores.”

  Sam pulled into his parking space outside their office. “A match made in heaven, then.”

  Nicky’s hand hesitated over her seatbelt buckle. “I guess it is. They’re both happy and that’s the main thing.” She uncurled her legs, standing quietly beside the truck while he grabbed her laptop.

  Sam picked up his briefcase and locked the doors. “I’ve organized a quick meeting with the board of directors at eight thirty in my office. Does that work for you?”

  “I’ve got a meeting with your accountant at nine, so it should be fine.”

  They walked toward the front entrance, Nicky’s impossibly high heels clicking on the concrete beside him. He waved his security card in front of a metal panel and opened the door.

  The countdown to finding out who had stolen money from his company had finally begun.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “Do you ever wear shoes, Miss Scotson?”

  Nicky looked up from the floor of her office. Sam’s lopsided grin caught her off guard. She smiled back. “Do you ever knock, Mr. Delaney?”

  “I own the building. I don’t need to knock.”

  “Good point.” Nicky added another sheet of paper to the pile on her right, trying not to make a big deal of Sam’s sudden appearance. She stood up and a dozen sheets of paper fluttered to the floor.

  “Damn,” she muttered.

  “I’ll give you a hand.” Walking carefully through piles of paper, Sam bent down to collect some of the sheets that had floated across the room. “Invoices? Why are you looking at paper copies when we scan them electronically?”

  Taking a steadying breath, Nicky rescued another invoice and put it where it belonged. Sam had been gone three days, discussing the company’s next major contract with property developers in Wyoming. And for three days she’d kept listening for the sound of his heavy footsteps echoing down the corridor, or his voice drifting into her office. She felt like a lovesick schmuck.

  “These are copies of original invoices straight from your major suppliers. I’m matching them against the paper copies you have on file and the electronic copies someone scanned.”

  “Found anything interesting?”

  “Not yet. But you have over fifty preferred subcontractors invoicing you for work at any given time. It makes for a lot of matching.” Nicky soaked in every last inch of Sam Delaney’s body as his gaze darted around the room.

  “I’ll get you a table to make the job easier.”

  “There’s no point. Once I’ve sorted these invoices, I’ll be finished with this part of the job.” Looking at the organized chaos filling every inch of her office, Nicky tried to think of something else to say. “Amanda’s been great. She spoke to the subcontractors and helped me locate data from the main computer system.” And even though his assistant did have long legs and a full chest, she also had a great sense of humor and an intelligent brain.

 
Sam gave up looking around the room and concentrated on her instead. The look in his eyes made her feel drowsy and hot. Licking her bottom lip, she tried to get her mind off her hormones and back to the work in front of her.

  She’d been down this path before with Sam and it was depressing how quickly her body craved the sight and smell of him. He’d been gone a whole seventy-two hours, but it felt like a lifetime. She really needed to get some perspective on life. A sex-starved jellyfish had more self-control than she did.

  Loosening his tie, Sam slid the top button of his shirt open.

  Her mouth fell open, her gaze automatically dropping to button number two.

  His hand froze on his tie. “I, umm.” Clearing his throat, Sam caught her gaze and held it. “I wondered if you wanted to get together with me…”

  Heat rolled through Nicky’s body at the invitation dancing in his eyes.

  “…for dinner.”

  She blinked. Dinner. The part of her brain that hadn’t shut down screeched in panic.

  Sam ignored the phone ringing in his pocket. “Yes or no? You can tell me where you’re up to with the investigation.”

  With the briefest of hesitations, she said, “Yes, but no food.”

  Pulling the phone out of his jacket, he glanced at the caller display. “It’s not considered dinner without food.”

  “No food, just a meeting.” Why did the man have to be so thick? Food led to conversation. Conversation that didn’t involve spreadsheets, corruption, and missing paperwork. It led to a lot of other things. A lot of other things could get her into serious trouble. And she wasn’t getting into any trouble with Sam.

  He stared straight at her, answering his phone with a grim voice. “I’m on my way, Trevor.”

  His glance slid down Nicky’s body, stopping at the hem of her dress. Her toes curled, anchoring her feet to the ground as her body leaned toward his.

  Clicking the phone shut, he took a step backward. Straight into a pile of invoices. A frown crossed his face as he sorted through the paper.

  “It’s okay. I can do it.” Moving across the room, Nicky stepped over more paper on the floor.

  Sam’s gaze locked on her legs. He licked his lips and a wave of heat spiraled through her body. “Where are your shoes?”

  Staring down at her pink painted toenails, Nicky cursed every last inch of her heels, tucked away under her desk. “I took my shoes off when the amount of paper on the floor outnumbered the space left for walking.”

  Sam stepped away. “Well…okay then. Dinner without food it is. I’ll pick you up at six-thirty from your place.”

  He disappeared into the corridor before Nicky had a chance to ask him where they were going. She tried to work out what had just happened. Had Sam asked her out on a date? Her hands shook as she sorted more paper. No. He wasn’t interested in her. He couldn’t be interested in her. He’d invited her to a business meeting, that’s all.

  “Here’s the last set of invoices from the kitchen company.” Amanda stood in front of her, leaving more paper in a box just inside the office. “Are you all right? You look a bit flushed.”

  Nicky pressed her hands to her cheeks. She could have lit a fire with the heat radiating from her face. “I’m fine. I guess I’m not used to the heat wave we’re having.”

  “Use the air conditioner. It’s the only way we survive when the temperature gets this high. I’m going home in twenty minutes, so let me know if there’s anything else you need.”

  “Thanks, Amanda. You’ve been a great help.”

  Breathing a sigh of relief, Nicky stared at the last of the invoices and regretted agreeing to meet her boss for a foodless dinner.

  ***

  “You’re cooking?” Nicky stared at the steaming wok sitting in the middle of the stove, with two loaves of garlic bread cooling on the counter.

  “Why not?” Sam asked.

  “This isn’t supposed to be a food dinner. It’s supposed to be a business meeting.” Her gaze locked on the dinner table. There were flowers and candles. Oh man. The jeans and baggy sweater hanging in her closet would have been a safer bet than the sea blue dress she’d grabbed at the last minute. After thirty minutes of trying on clothes and soundly rejecting all of them, this had been the one dress that didn’t scream ‘I’m on a date’.

  The crossover bodice wasn’t too revealing and the full skirt fell halfway to the floor. It had looked just right in her bathroom mirror for a business meeting, but it wasn’t right for dinner in Sam’s apartment. Full body armor with metal studs would have been a safer bet.

  Except if he was into kinky sex; then she would have been in even bigger trouble. But they weren’t going to have sex. Not even a kiss. Never again. Nicky bit her lip. “We were supposed to be going out, not staying at your place.”

  “I don’t recall mentioning where I’d be taking you. Anyway, I’m hungry. There’s no way I’m going to wait another hour for something to eat.” Sam threw snow peas and mushrooms into the wok, keeping his back to her as he flicked the food around. “I’m about two minutes away from being ready. If you want something to eat, help yourself to a plate from the pantry.”

  Her nose twitched at the delicious smells wafting through his apartment. “What happened to the kitchen phobic executive?”

  A grin spread across Sam’s face. “I got sick of eating out. Unless I wanted to live on toast for the rest of my life, I needed to learn how to cook. So I did.”

  “Cook?”

  “Yep.” He puffed out his chest. “And if I say so myself, I’m pretty darn good.”

  Her shocked gaze studied him from head to foot. “Is this the same man who refused to buy anything that didn’t come in a cereal box? I thought you’d be allergic to saucepans for life.”

  “What can I say? Evolution is a splendid thing.” Sam turned back to the stove. “Last chance. I’m dishing up now.” Tipping the wok on its side, he slid a pile of fresh veggies onto a plate. Two more plates appeared out of the oven. Juicy strips of chicken and fluffy rice joined the vegetables. “I won’t think any less of you if you change your mind.” He smiled.

  Nicky looked at the food and then at Sam. Any woman with half a brain would run a mile from the warm brown eyes laughing at her. Candles, flowers, and a man holding a wok full of delicious food did not constitute a business meeting.

  She sniffed the air again. “I may live to regret this, but go ahead. Food it is.”

  He didn’t say a word, but the smile hovering on his lips set her nerves on edge. Sam Delaney was trouble and she’d just stepped straight into the path of a level five tornado.

  Balancing a bowl of hot rice in her hands, Nicky moved across to the dining table. “How was your trip to Wyoming?”

  “Hot but useful. We start construction on a large retirement village in a couple of months and there were a few issues I had to sort out.” He followed with the rest of their meal, returning to the kitchen for a bottle of wine.

  Nicky’s head shot up when most of the lights in the apartment flicked off, leaving the soft glow of candles and two table lamps to light the room.

  “You’re glaring at me.” Sam grinned.

  “No kidding.” He stood beside her chair, filling her glass with cold white wine and her body with warm tingly thoughts that had no place cavorting inside her head.

  Even if his manners were impeccable, his romance radar needed a major overhaul. A romantic dinner for two this wasn’t. The sooner he remembered that, the better off both of them would be. “Don’t think I can’t see past your ulterior motives, Samuel Delaney. I’ll eat your food and talk business, but I’m not taking anything else you might be offering.”

  Nicky hoped he didn’t pay too much attention to the throbbing pulse bouncing around like a gymnast in her throat. Looking like a mature woman of the world rather than a hormonal hussy fighting to be set free took a great deal of effort.

  More effort than giving in to the not so innocent thoughts jamming her brain.

  The amus
ed gleam in his eye told her Sam wasn’t fooled. Not for one minute.

  With more speed than grace, she leaped out of her chair, heading toward a panel of switches on the kitchen wall. With a flick of her wrist she turned on every light in the room until the ceiling glowed like an airport runway. Sam hadn’t moved from beside her chair.

  Nicky walked back toward him, concentrating on the food sitting on the table instead of the smile plastered across his face.

  “I’m not offering anything else.” Sam’s finger lightly tapped the end of her nose.

  As if she really believed that. She knew exactly what he was offering, and the not so professional brush of his hand across her cheek definitely went beyond the realm of a business dinner.

  Giving him another glare she side-stepped around all six-foot-three of him, sinking down into her chair. She scooped rice onto her plate, trying to keep her hands from shaking. As long as she ignored the curious stare aimed at her, she could handle dinner and Sam Delaney.

  “Chicken?”

  “Pardon?”

  “Chicken,” Sam asked. “Do you want some?”

  Heat flushed Nicky’s face. She saw the grin on his face and her temperature soared. The vegetable bowl she’d picked up clattered to the table. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the vegetables closer. “Just a few pieces, please.”

  “Has Maureen managed to find you yet?” Sam’s hands were steady. Not one piece of chicken landed on the tablecloth.

  Maureen was the least of Nicky’s worries. In one short week, most of her family had tracked her down and tried to reorganize her life. Emily had been determined to hook her up with one of her fashion designer buddies and her dad wanted her to think about staying in Montana after her contract finished.

  Even her grandfather had joined in, constantly calling her to see what was happening with the investigation. Cody had been the only person that had left her to herself. And that was only because he had his hands full with a new lady love.

  “Maureen booked a spa treatment for us next week,” she groaned. “Legs, hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows. And she’s been hinting at taking me to the Country Club.”