Page 2 of Charm Me
“Oh, you told us.” Kate and Stephanie looked at each other and giggled. In unison, they sighed and in a mocking tone said, “He’s hotter than a sunburn.”
“Good night, sweeties.” I blew them a kiss and waved goodbye.
I must’ve been more tense the past few weeks than I thought if it was that obvious to Kate and Stephanie. But this was my one shot at proving to my boss that I knew what I was talking about. When he told me one of the wealthiest cattle ranchers in the west was searching for a new financial manager and that he wanted me to prepare this presentation, I’d jumped for joy. Literally.
My focus had been on smaller ranches and farms like my parents’ farm in upstate New York, but the same concepts applied to the bigger ranches all the same. Strong Valley Ranch was one of the largest black Angus cattle ranches with land holdings in Montana and Wyoming. With their plans to expand into the Dakotas, they’d become the largest cattle ranch in North America. This level of expansion wasn’t without risk and their CEO was looking to diversify their revenue stream to buffer the costs of the proposed acquisitions.
That’s where I came in. I needed to make sure I had a clear head in the morning, because I’ve never closed a multi-billion-dollar deal before.
I stepped outside and waved my arm in the air to hail a cab. Some evenings could be hit or miss on cab availability, but tonight one was right where I needed it and swooped in just as I waved my hand in the air.
I opened the door and hopped in, but instead of hitting the smooth vinyl seat, I landed on someone’s lap.
My body jerked on instinct, but before I could leap off the person I sat on, a thick, strong arm wrapped around me and held me tight.
The refreshing scent of pine and rugged man filled my lungs. When I looked up, I was inches away from the deepest green eyes I’d ever seen. I gasped at the seriousness of his expression. His lips were pressed into a thin line and his thick brows furrowed over the narrow slits of his eyes. His dark hair was a little long on top and a disheveled mess. My mind immediately went in the wrong direction and I imagined grabbing hold of his hair during a hot, passionate kiss. His thick beard brushed against my cheek and my eyes locked with his. Even in the dark shadows of the cab, his green eyes sparkled like polished emeralds.
“Talk about hotter than a sunburn.” I whispered. He raised his brows and his lips turned up a tick into a slight grin.
“Ma’am.” His low-pitched, burly voice hit me right between the legs. I knew I should pull myself out of his arms and off his lap, but I was frozen in the primal lure of his gaze.
The cab driver cleared his throat breaking this man’s spell on me. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t look before I hopped in.”
“I don’t mind.” He leaned in closer, his beard scratching my neck. I’d never been close to a man with a beard before and it was the most deliciously, erotic feeling. He breathed in deep. When he exhaled, his breath brushed across my skin and I shivered. The smell of whiskey and a pine forest after a good rain overwhelmed my senses. “Sweet as sugar and strawberries.”
Oh my God, I’ve died and gone to man heaven.It was faint, but the slight drawl in his sexy, rough voice told me he wasn’t from around here.
My body sank into his and I was ready to breathe him in when I snapped out of it. I straightened my back and pressed my hand against his chest. I needed to put some space between us before I did something really stupid. But as soon as my hand felt the hard curves of his chest I cursed.
“Do you always talk like that around strangers?” He ran his hand down my arm and clamped it around my waist in a protective hold, strengthening his grip on me. Under normal circumstances I would’ve been offended by a stranger putting his hand on me like this, but this man was very much out of the ordinary. It was the sexiest thing I’d ever felt.
“Yeah, saying the first thing that pops to mind has always been a problem of mine. I also have a habit of saying cheesy pick-up lines like, is it hot in here or is it just you.” This was where most men laughed. I’d say something inappropriate and funny—sometimes planned and sometimes not—and they’d laugh. But not this guy. His expression remained as serious as a heart attack. And if he kept looking at me like I was dessert, I was going to have a heart attack.
His gaze bore into me and I couldn’t tell if he was angry or hot for me. I really hoped it was the latter because this man was so fucking sexy, and I wanted to kiss his bearded face and ... and ... “Oh, fuck.”
I hid my face behind my hands and wriggled to break free, but his hold on me was too strong. My squirming only made him tighten his grip around my waist.
This couldn’t be happening to me. Of all the broody, sexy men to fall into tonight, I landed on the one man I needed to impress. The one man whose decision could change the direction of my career. I just cursed and embarrassed myself in front of Wyatt Strong, CEO of Strong Valley Ranch. The very man I’d spent the past two weeks preparing to meet.
“What’s the matter, puits d’amour?” His deep, gravelly voice vibrated through my body.
I sucked in a breath and dared to peek at him through my fingers. His emerald eyes darkened as they raked over my body, making me squirm even more.
This was bad, very bad. If he recognized me in the morning, I was seriously fucked. Between the things I said out loud and whatever sexy as hell name he just called me, there was no way I could face him without turning fifty shades of red during my presentation.
“I’ve gotta go.” I grab hold of his hand and pried it off my waist. That turned out to be a mistake just like everything else I’d done since I landed on his lap. His large hand engulfed mine and the heat from his touch brought my blood to a near boil. “I’ll just hop out and catch a different cab.”
“Nonsense. This is my stop.” He released my hand and reached behind me, picking up the black Stetson that had been sitting on the seat next to him. I’d been so engrossed in him I hadn’t noticed his hat. As soon as he slipped it on his head, I saw the man in his picture on his company website.
I was speechless. And that was something that didn’t happen often.
I stared at him, my eyes roaming every inch of his face trying to convince myself that I was wrong about his identity. This had to be some other sexy cowboy riding around Manhattan in a cab on the night before my presentation. Because what were the odds of running into billionaire rancher, Wyatt Strong?
He wrapped his hands around my waist, and I gasped at his strength as he lifted me off his lap like I weighed nothing and sat me in the seat next to him. My eyes roamed down his body, taking in his black leather boots, jeans, suit jacket and then landing on the family crest branded on his bolo tie. Yep, it’s definitely him.
He pulled a money clip out of his suit jacket and tossed a couple hundred-dollar bills to the cab driver before he turned his gaze back to me. I should’ve looked away, hidden my face behind my hands, but I couldn’t stop looking at him. He stared at me like he was committing every inch of me to memory. Still no smile or change in expression on his face. He was every bit as serious in real life as he was in his picture.
“Please take puits d’amour wherever she needs to go.” He tipped his hat to me and shut the door. I sank into the seat as I watch Wyatt Strong walk away with an easy, loose-limbed gait and wondered what I could do to change my appearance overnight so he wouldn’t recognize me in the morning.