A Diamond In The Rough. Catherine Mann
eyes slid to the wood drafting table littered with new designs, most of them done by Amie, but a few of his own were scattered through the mix. He sketched late at night, after hours, to ease the tension of the corporate rat race, more so since his breakup with Johanna. His pieces incorporated a larger emphasis on metal work and carvings than Amie’s. He still included signature company jewels inlaid into the buckles, bolos and even a few larger necklaces. Each piece also carried the expected Western aura.
Amie was the true artist in the family, but his pieces usually landed well, too. Johanna had always encouraged him to design more....
He scratched his head and leaned back, desk chair squeaking in protest. What had he been thinking, climbing through her window last night like some out-of-control teenager? Except...he had been out of control, jealous over seeing her with his cousin. He hadn’t thought. He’d simply acted. That kiss had left him with a need for her that clawed like metal shards scraping his insides raw. Even hearing her voice on the phone forty-five minutes ago had increased the ache of wanting her in his bed again.
A quick buzz from the temp serving as a stand-in personal assistant gave him only a second’s warning before his door flung open to reveal Johanna, fire spitting from her eyes. “You missed your flight.”
God, she was sexy all riled up.
“I called you.” He creaked his chair back even further, taking in the sight of her in white jeans and layered yellow tank tops. “And it’s a private plane. My private plane, for that matter. There’s no way to miss a flight that’s waiting for me to give the go-ahead for takeoff.”
Speaking of taking off... What he wouldn’t give right now to peel away those tanks of hers, one at a time, with his teeth. He’d left her place last night to give himself space to regain control. Instead, their time apart had only taken his need to another level.
“Would have been nice to know you had other plans for your day before I reached the landing strip. I could have worked, too, or slept in. Or...” She held up her hand, four leashes in her fist. “I could have let the dogs play and run around in the yard longer.”
She dropped the leashes and the four-pup pack stampeded into his office. Stone barely had time to bark, “Heel, damn it!” before Gem launched into his lap, the full force of the yellow lab almost tipping his chair over. Stone regained his balance then knelt to greet the dogs. Ruby, Sterling and Pearl licked over his face with slobbery wet tongues. He liked animals—clearly, since he’d grown up on a ranch—but these guys in full force were a little much, even for him.
Barks and yips continued until Johanna dipped into sight again, regaining control of the pooches one at time until all four mutts sat in a perfect line. Which only proved she could have controlled them right away. She’d let them overrun him on purpose.
Wincing, he stood, swiping an arm across his face. He shrugged off his suit jacket. Thank goodness he hadn’t bothered with a tie today.
He draped his jacket over the back of his leather chair. “My apologies for inconveniencing you. Even if my grandmother questions my ability to run the company, I do still have obligations here that needed to be taken care of before I could leave.”
“Is that what this is about?” She crossed her arms, which threatened to draw his eyes to her chest just when he needed to keep his wits about him and focus on her words. “Showing your grandmother you’re indispensable?”
“That’s not a nice accusation.”
“Is it true?” she pressed.
Damn it, she always saw right through him. But that was only part of the picture. “My primary goal is to bring my grandmother peace. A crisis here at the office will only add to her stress level at a time when she can’t afford any additional drain.”
Silently, Johanna assessed him through narrowed eyes while the dogs panted, lazy tongues lolling.
“What?” he said. “You don’t believe me?”
“I’m skeptical,” she said slowly. “Are you still sulking because Alex brought me flowers?”
Did she have to read his every thought? “I don’t sulk. I’m charming. Everyone says so.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Yep, you’re sure charming the socks off me right now.”
Really? He recognized a challenge when he heard one. He flattened a palm to the heavy oak desk that mirrored the one in the ranch office. “If memory serves, I charmed off more than your socks right on this desk about ten months ago.”
Her jaw dropped, then clamped shut before she finally said, “Never mind. If you’re finished, let’s leave so we can get this trip over with sooner rather than later.”
All the more reason, in his mind, to prolong this little chat.
She leaned down to gather the leashes.
Kneeling, he clasped her wrist. “Wait, you started this. Let’s talk.”
“Let’s not.” She tugged her arm free.
“Fine. Not talking is okay with me, too.” Standing, he swept off his desk.
Her eyes went wide. “What are you doing?”
“You said you didn’t want to talk.” He fingered a button on his shirt. Sure he knew they weren’t really going to have sex on his desk, but he reveled in the regret in her eyes that she couldn’t hide in spite of her scowl.
She shook her head, blond hair loose and silky sliding along her shoulders. “You’re being outrageous.”
“Good.” He untucked his shirt.
“Stop. Now,” she said firmly.
Okay, he’d pushed her far enough for today, but he could see that while their love for each other might have burned out, their passion still had plenty of fire left.
He buttoned his shirt again and tucked in the tails. “Spoilsport.”
“Let’s clean up the floors first before we go.” She brushed papers into a stack. “The pilot’s waiting.”
“Damn waste of an empty desk.” He stacked a haphazard pile of Diamonds in the Rough promo flyers and placed them on the drafting table.
She glanced up at him through long lashes. “Are you trying to chase me off? Because if you don’t stop with these stunts, I am out of here. I will place the animals because it’s the right thing to do, but you, however, are on your own.”
For some reason, her words caught him off guard. He leaned back against the desk, a weary exhale bursting from him. “Honest to God, Johanna, I don’t know what I’m doing. Ever since my grandmother dropped her bombshell, I’ve just been reacting.”
Standing, she clutched a stack of files to her chest, the dog leashes still trailing from her grip. “That’s understandable.”
“So you’re not going to threaten to leave again?” he couldn’t stop himself from asking.
She chewed her lip for an instant before responding, “If you keep being honest with me, I will stay.”
“Deal.” He extended a hand.
She slid hers into his. “Deal.”
They stood there with their hands clasped for a few seconds longer than a handshake, seconds that crackled like static in the air just before a thunderstorm.
He enjoyed the hell out of a good drenching downpour, every bit as arousing as a blazing fire.
Her tongue slid along her lips as if to soothe where she’d chewed moments before. His body throbbed in response.
She tugged her hand from his self-consciously and rubbed her fingers along her white jeans. “Where’s the first stop on our journey?”
“You don’t know?” He would have expected his grandmother to tell