The Reluctant Cowboy (3 page)

She had awoken once to use the restroom and thought about leaving then.  She started to look for her clothing, but then she glanced at the bed.  He was just too sexy and she was still feeling brazen, so she had climbed back under the covers and started lightly stroking him.  He had moaned and shifted so her back was against his chest.  He had reached for her breasts and started kneading them.  She pressed her butt against his now very erect member and he reached down and bent one of her legs up at the knee.  He then placed his hand on her pubic bone as he pushed himself inside her.  With the palm of his hand on her sex and his thrusts, he brought her to another exploding climax. 

She drifted off to sleep again to have him awaken her when she felt him nudging her from behind.  She had been asleep on her stomach when she felt him kissing her neck.  He was completely enveloping her with his body as again he reached beneath her waist to draw her up enough for him to enter her while his fingers worked their magic.  This time she actually screamed into her pillow as the orgasm rocked through her.  She heard his carnal cry into her neck as he too reached his climax.  

Now, it was time to go.  She didn’t want to wake him and she wanted to remember this night for what it was.  A fantasy.  She quietly gathered her things and made her way to the door.  She looked back to see all of the hair pins lying on the floor in front of the fire place.  She smiled as she quietly shut the door behind her.

Cole was pacing in the boardroom.  He had an important meeting coming up in thirty minutes and he was considering all of the options.  The past two years had been very tough on him, both financially and mentally.  His corporation, Alexandar International, and its subsidiaries were based primarily on real estate.  From commercial properties to rental properties around the world, the company was worth tens of millions. 

With the depreciation of the real estate market over the last few years, the company lost a lot.  Even with solid investment choices, it was still a hard hit.  He was positive that over time the company would thrive, once the upturn happened.  He knew it would take years before the business would again prosper and make money.  Until that time came he had to re-evaluate all of his expenses and try to find solutions where he could save money. 

He had a team of experts helping him and guiding him with their expertise, but ultimately, as the CEO, he was responsible.  He had worked extremely hard to step out from behind his father’s shadow in the business world and was successful until the markets failed.  He was determined to sustain in these difficult times. 

One of the things they looked closely at was insurance.  It wasn’t a pretty word, actually quite boring, but very important nonetheless.  He needed his team to look at everything they spent -- from corporate liability to risk management and even to health insurance for his employees.  He had over 500 employees worldwide and wanted to make sure they were protected without overspending.  He knew that without engaged employees who also cared for the company, he wouldn’t have anything to work for. 

His senior staff and trusted board members handled the day to day operations, but he enjoyed his work and was in the office every day. 

His executive assistant had been with him for ten years.  She was one of the best in the business world and he appreciated her every day.  She was loyal and dedicated to both him and to the company.  She was in her early fifties and one of the few women that he both admired and respected.  She wasn’t afraid to tell him the truth and remind him when he was being an ass.  They could argue and she didn’t have to be afraid of being fired because he needed her and she knew it. 

He was good to her with her salary being one of the best paid in the industry.  He also rewarded her hard work and dedication with trips for her and her family.  She was married for twenty plus years and had two grown sons.  Cole had helped set up the college funds for the two boys and one of them was interning with his company while going to school overseas.  She entered the board room while he was mid pace. 

“You know you are going to wear a hole in the carpet if you don’t stop that pacing.” 

She was walking around the table placing folders in front of all the chairs. 

“Did you review the packet they sent over?” he asked her as he continued to pace. 

She continued placing the folders as she answered,  “Of course I reviewed it.  I tried not to doze off after half of it, but all in all, it’s the best proposal to date.  This is the third bid, but in my opinion the best one yet.” 

“You know how important your opinion is, Denise, don’t make me flatter you.”

“But you used to be so good at it.”  She had finished with the folders and was now getting the water pitchers and glasses set about the table. 

“Where is this company based out of again?” 

“Umm, let me double check.”  She opened the file.  “Nations Insurance.  Home office is out of Columbus, Ohio.” 

Cole paused his pacing to look at the file.  He had read the materials, but momentarily forgot the home location.  The mention of Ohio made his jaw clench, but Denise caught it. 

“You have an issue with Ohio?” 

Cole looked at her. “No,” was his terse reply.  He continued to pace as Denise just raised a questioning brow towards him.  Cole rarely discussed his personal life with anyone, but sometimes he would confide in her.  She exhibited her motherly side on occasion, but only when Cole asked her to. 

He had never mentioned his “Ohio” trip or Sierra with her.  He wasn’t able to talk about it without feeling rejected.  After two years, he still had a hard time wrapping his head around what had happened.  He had spent many hours and sleepless nights going over everything that occurred that amazing night.  It hadn’t been a one night stand to him.  Even if she hadn’t been a virgin, he had felt what he thought was a true connection to her.  It was by far the best sexual encounter he ever had in his thirty-three years.  He could still to this day recall every vivid moment of their time together.  It was the only time a woman ever walked out on him.  He let his mind wander to the morning when he woke up alone.  Before he could continue with the torment, he shook his head and resumed his pacing.  This was not the time or place to think of
her
.  He had an important presentation to focus on.

Sierra was pacing in the long marble hallway.  Her high heels clicking as she did.  She and her co-workers were waiting for their chance to present a very important proposal to Alexandar International.  She had been working on this presentation for six long months.  This was a huge opportunity for her personally to be advanced in her young career.  She had worked her way up to the Corporate Risk Assessment Manager position and this was her first presentation on Risk Management to such a large corporation.  If they landed Alexandar International, it would be a huge boost to Nations Insurance as well as for herself. 

She and three other colleagues with their own expertise had worked long hours going over the presentation and their roles.  She would be going last and the more she paced, the more convinced she became that she wished her part was first.  She was getting more nervous by the minute. 

At the age of twenty-six, she was flourishing professionally.  She enjoyed her job and had been working there for six years now.  She was one of the youngest in her field.  She had worked full-time and took college courses online to receive her bachelor’s degree in business.  It took her a couple of extra years to earn her degree, but she didn’t have exorbitant debt because of it.  Her parents helped her with some of the tuition, but her independence and pride pushed her to excel. 

Nations Insurance was a good company to work for and she believed in their products.  They were one of the largest insurance companies in the world and she liked that the home office was in Columbus.  She didn’t have to travel often, so this was her first trip to New York.  It was late spring and she couldn’t help but compare this experience to what Cole had told her long ago.

It didn’t help matters that the name of the CEO just happened to be Cole.  Cole was a fairly common name, but when she briefly started to review his personal information she stopped short, not wanting to read about a millionaire playboy.  She was more focused on the company and what she could offer them.  She heard her co-workers say that he was a complex, but fair man.  They advised her not to focus on him, but the presentation to the Board. 

She would be doing a power point presentation with graphs and materials that had already been distributed.  She would answer any questions they might ask.  She had practiced in front of the mirror at home and knew she looked like the young professional she was becoming.  She had made a quick stop in the restroom to make sure there were no wrinkles in her slacks and to re-apply her lipstick and apply a light powder to her face.  With a quick smile to make sure there was no lipstick on her teeth, she emerged just as a woman came out of the conference room and signaled for them to come in.  She could do this.

The conference room was very spacious.  At least 20 people sat in modern styled chairs surrounding a very long conference table in the middle of the room.  It was made of thick glass and sleek accents.  The lighting wasn’t as bright nor as obnoxious as some offices she had been in.  The room was on the 40
th
floor with windows from floor to ceiling on one side.  The view was breathtaking as she took her seat with her colleagues near the head of the table. 

She couldn’t even see all of the people as they were spaced far apart along the length of the table.  Some were making small talk as the same woman who led them in now poured water into tall glasses in front of them.  Each space had a ready-made coaster built into the glass.  She had never seen that before.  She was grateful for the water and took a small sip to steady her nerves and compose herself. 

The materials they had provided were laid out in front of each attendee so she just grabbed a handful of business cards from her attaché and placed them beside the folder.  She saw a lot of people were looking over the materials, but not paying much attention to them. 

A gentlemen a few seats down from her stood up to introduce himself.  He was the Chief Operating Officer and welcomed them on behalf of the company.  He gave a synopsis of why they were here and what the company was looking for.   Sierra listened intently and was feeling more confident that they were the right match for them.  As he took his seat, he motioned for them to begin the presentation. 

While her first coworker started his presentation, Sierra knew he got their attention.  He was very good as the lead man going over Nations Insurance and the history of the company.  Most people had set their folders down and listened while he spoke. He had been with Nations for over 25 years and told them about some of his personal experiences with the company.

She took a moment to glance around the room, but still couldn’t see all of the people.  She noticed several women in the room and was glad to see that.  It showed that the company was recognizing women as valuable assets in the work place. 

The next presenter, who was also her friend, was a middle aged woman named Amy.  Amy went over all of the IT development and presented the technical support that would come with the offer.  Each one of the presenters was allocated twenty minutes, barring any questions.  It was a set time period and they all knew not to go over. 

The next male coworker explained the health insurance side of the offer and how it would apply to the employees.  He was using a power point presentation, so a large screen dropped down from the ceiling, as he clicked through his slides. 

She was up soon.  She took another sip of water and a deep breath.  When her co-worker finished, the COO stood to introduce her.  He had made all of the introductions up to this point, giving a small summary of what each presenter’s role was at Nations.  “The next presenter for Nations Insurance is Sierra Morgan.  Sierra has been with Nations for six years and will be providing us with information on the Risk Management assessment for all of our holdings.” 

He smiled at her as she took her place at the front of the room.  She thanked him for the introduction and with her clicker in hand began her presentation.  She was confident in the information she was giving and even to her own ears, she felt it was presented well.  She tried to make eye contact with many people in the room, while concentrating on the information she was providing them.  From where she was standing, she still could not see all the way to the end of the table.  She was busy clicking through the slides and focusing on what she was saying to them.  She tried not to make too many hand gestures as she spoke and her voice was clear and concise.  When she finished her presentation, she asked if there were any questions. 

“I have a couple of questions, Miss Morgan.” 

Sierra looked towards the back of the long table.  She still couldn’t see the man who was speaking, so she walked to the head of the table to look down its length.  The man stood and Sierra’s mind went blank.  She could feel the blood drain from her face.

“Are you a Buckeye?  Do you bleed scarlet and grey?” 

The last thing she remembered was mouthing “Surprise,” as she crumpled to the floor.

It was a low blow and Cole knew it.  To say he had been stunned was an understatement.  He hadn’t paid any attention when they entered the room, as he was flipping through the paperwork in the folder.  He was making notes for himself as each person gave their presentation.  They were doing well and he was impressed with each person and what they were saying.  He had nodded to his COO a couple of times during the pitch to discuss with him later. 

He was mid note-taking when he heard her name.  His pen stopped and he looked up to see the woman who had often haunted his mind and dreams.  It was definitely her.  He was immediately drawn to her eyes.  They seemed even lighter and brighter.  He noticed it was due to her now cropped hair.  It was still the deep chestnut he remembered, just shorter and framing her beautiful face.  She was taller than he remembered and confident. 

She was wearing dark grey, tailored slacks that showed off her long legs.  She had on a crisp V-neck, white, collared long-sleeved shirt with a deep V-neck, scarlet pullover sweater vest.  She was definitely representing Ohio State.  

Her voice was confident, as well as her stance, as she went through her presentation.  He was as hypnotized now, as he was when he first met her.  He couldn’t take his eyes off her.  He didn’t recall anything she was saying, but he was intently watching her every movement and having flashbacks of their night together. 

He could tell she hadn’t seen him yet and vaguely wondered if she knew he was the CEO.  Two things quickly crossed his mind: Either she did know and she was using it to her advantage by avoiding looking at him or she didn’t know and he wondered how in her research she could miss that important detail.  He had tried to will her to look at him and caught her looking half way down the table, but not reaching him.