Protecting The Colton Bride. Elle James

Lucky C? “Under the circumstances, I don’t blame you, but I wish you’d reconsider.”

      She paced, shaking her head, her long French braid whipping side to side. “If there was any other way, I wouldn’t go, but I don’t see another option.”

      “Again, I don’t blame you. I blame myself.” He set the brush on a workbench and gathered Megan’s hands in his. “I wish there was something I could say or do to make it better. Please don’t go. I need you here.”

      She stared up into his eyes. “I don’t have a choice. If I don’t leave, he’ll sell them all.” Her eyes swam with tears.

      Daniel stared down at her. “What are you talking about?”

      “My horses.” She frowned. “What did you think I was talking about?”

      A wave of relief nearly made Daniel weak. “I thought you were mad about yesterday.”

      Her frown deepening, she stared into his eyes. “Yesterday?” Then her eyes widened and her mouth formed a kissable O. “Yesterday.” Twin flags of color flew high on her cheekbones. “The kiss.”

      “The kiss.” His hands slid up her arms and stopped before he pulled her close and kissed her again. “I thought you were going to leave because I crossed the line.”

      “You think I’d leave because of a kiss? I thought you knew me better than that.”

      “You had every right to quit. As your boss, I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

      “For your information, there were two people involved in that kiss. It was not one-sided. And that’s not the reason I’m leaving.”

      “Then what is?”

      “My father.” She pulled in a long breath and let it out. “He gave me an ultimatum. He’s going to sell my horses if I don’t come home to live.”

      Daniel’s fingers tightened on her arms. “I thought the horses at the Triple Diamond were quality stock. They are ranked right up there in standing with the Kennedys’ breeding program.”

      “Yeah, well my father doesn’t really give a damn about the horses. It was just a project he took on at my suggestion until I left.”

      “Can’t you buy them from him?” Daniel couldn’t wrap his mind around throwing away some of the best horseflesh in the nation.

      “If I had the money my grandmother left to me.” She shook her head. “But I won’t get that until I’m married. It’s a stipulation of her will. Even then, I’d have to purchase them through a third party. My father would never sell them to me. He wants me home, and this is his leverage.”

      “Didn’t you say he was sick?”

      “Yes, but I can never tell how sick he is. He always tries to manipulate me and make me live according to his standards. I don’t want to go back, but I don’t have another choice. I have to go home. I can’t let him sell those horses. They’re top breeders...and...my friends.”

      Daniel gathered her in his arms and stroked her head. “It’s okay. We’ll think of something.”

      She rested her cheek against his chest, her fingers curling into his shirt. “There’s nothing to think about. I have to go. The sooner the better.”

      He tipped her face up. “When is he selling?”

      “He gave me one week to get home or the horses go on the auction block.” Her eyes filled with tears.

      “Well, that gives us a week.”

      “One week isn’t enough.” She shook her head. “I don’t see any other way. If he sells them as breeding stock, they’ll go high. I won’t be able to buy them. I barely have enough money to pay next month’s rent. So you see, I have to go home.” She took a step back and stood in front of him, her shoulders slumped, the first tears sliding from the corners of her eyes. “I thought he was bluffing. But I can’t bet those horses on a bluff.”

      The anger he could handle. But as the tears slid down Megan’s cheeks, it felt like a large fist had clenched around his heart and squeezed. He pulled her against him again and held her close, resting his cheek against the top of her head. “I have a little money saved.”

      She laid her face against his chest. “I can’t take your money. This isn’t your problem. It’s mine.”

      “Well, don’t do anything today. Give us some time to come up with some solutions.”

      “I’m out of solutions,” she said, pressing her face into his shirt.

      “Just promise me you won’t leave right away. Can you do that?”

      “It’ll take time for me to organize my apartment, shut off my utilities and inform my landlord. But once I have all that done, I have to drive to California.”

      “Just hold on for a day or two. We’ll think of something.”

      Her arms slipped around his waist. “I don’t expect you to take on my problems. You’re my boss, not my fairy godmother.”

      He chuckled. “Yeah, I’d look pretty silly in a dress, carrying a fairy wand, and I’m not such a great boss at that.”

      “Why do you say that?” She looked up at him through watery green eyes. “You’re great.”

      “Because a good boss doesn’t go around kissing his employees.” He stared down at her damp cheeks, his belly flipping. “Right now, I want to be a very bad boss.”

      Her eyes flared with desire. “How so?”

      “I want to kiss you. Again.”

      She sucked in a breath and bit down on that lip before saying, “I told you, I quit. That means you’re not my boss.”

      He leaned his forehead against hers and sighed. How he wanted to kiss her. “I’m not accepting your resignation.”

      “You don’t have a choice,” she said, her lips so close.

      Daniel could almost feel how soft they were. He wanted to kiss her so badly his lips tingled. The warmth of her breath feathered across his mouth. His hands shook with the effort it took to resist.

      Then he pushed her to arm’s length. “I can’t screw this up. If we find a way to save your horses without you moving back to California, you’ll still be my employee. I don’t want to risk losing you as an assistant.”

      Megan sighed and dropped her arms. “Okay, boss, I’ll be here for another day, but I’ll only be able to work half a day tomorrow. I have a lot to do to get my stuff packed for the move.”

      “Don’t start packing yet. We’ll come up with a solution. In the meantime, I need you to call the vet lab and see if they came up with anything from the sample you took in yesterday.”

      “They won’t have had time to process it,” Megan argued.

      “Then research other breeding programs. The Kennedy deal might not happen.”

      “Why? You have a fine program here. You’re a rising star in quarter horse breeding.”

      Daniel snorted. “As far as the Kennedys are concerned, that isn’t enough.”

      “Why?”

      “I don’t want to go into it. Just do that research for me, will you?”

      She popped a salute and gave him a crooked smile. “Yes, boss.” Then she turned and marched into the barn office.

      Daniel let go of the breath he’d been holding since the urge to kiss Megan again had nearly pushed him past reason. He had to come up with a plan to help Megan get those horses or he’d lose her. After working with her for only four months, he knew she’d be impossible to replace. In more ways than he’d ever imagined.

      *