Unbridled and Unbranded (6 page)

She asked him if he was looking to buy. They had struck up a conversation and she had then told him about a piece of property that bordered hers. The owners were good people, but needed to sell before the bank took it from them due to some medical bills they’d incurred above what their insurance had covered.

After a quick tour of the property, he’d known it was absolutely perfect.

Callie had introduced him to the owners. He’d found out what they owed in the ways he had about finding certain pieces of information and offered them a good price over and above what they owed. It had still been a good deal for the perfect piece of property.

He’d taken her out to lunch as a thank-you. She’d told him that it had been self-serving because she knew a man named Kincaid was sniffing after it, and he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to help her neighbors.

They’d been good friends since. He didn’t see her often, but they always stopped to chat as they had today outside of the bank.

Bo had wanted him to casually bring up their men’s club and gently explain the aspects of it to her if she asked. But she hadn’t. Clay figured he’d done enough matchmaking for one day. The three of them would have to do the rest.

Callie also had one other remarkable trait. She reminded him of his former wife. So much so that he’d done another private search on Callie’s history to determine if the two were somehow related to each other. They weren’t related, but he’d discovered a couple of interesting things about one Calista Warren. He’d found secret things. But he’d never reveal them.

She was his friend. She had helped him. And moreover she reminded him of someone special he’d once loved beyond reason.

If Kincaid gave Callie any trouble, Clay would be obliged to make the ass-wipe sorry.

Chapter Four

“That’s not enough, Rafe.” Callie’s beautiful but perturbed face sent shards of arousal through his system.

Rafe resisted the urge to sigh. “It’s plenty, Callie. Delbert works for me. I pay his salary. I, of all people,
know
what he makes.”

“If I’d hired an independent contractor, I’d have paid double what you’re telling me.”

“Delbert isn’t an independent contractor. Again, he works for me. I’m telling you”—he put his finger on the paper with his quote—“that this is the rate.”

Callie sat behind the massive desk in her den. The whole room screamed of masculine presence, so he surmised that this used to be her father’s office. She must have inherited it.

Rafe understood her pride, but he wasn’t going to overcharge her, either.

She crossed her arms. “What if this was for someone you didn’t like? Would you charge them more?”

“That’s a ridiculous question, Callie. Of course I’d charge them more. I’d charge them triple. But I promise, I’m only charging you what I pay Delbert. Because I like you best.”

“Very funny.” She released a long sigh and uncrossed her arms. Pity, as that action had pushed her lovely breasts up. “Fine. The truth is I can’t afford to pay you more anyway.”

“Good, then it’s a done deal.” Rafe smiled and moved closer. “Time for a celebration.” He skirted around the edge of her desk until he stood next to her chair. His next mission was contact.

“What are you doing?” she asked, but the amused tone of her voice suggested she already knew.

“Nothing.”

She lifted her gaze and smiled. “Yet,” she added. “You look like you just got away with something.”

“Not at all. I’m just getting ready to celebrate.” He grinned and fell to his knees. She swiveled her chair to face him. Rafe put his hands on her thighs and slid them toward her center. He watched her. She glanced at the closed door of her office. Was it locked?

Rafe hoped not. He loved the distinct possibility of being discovered.

“Shouldn’t we go out and help Delbert?”

“Trust me. He’s got it all under control. We’d only be in his way.”

“My office isn’t locked.”

Rafe grinned. “All the better.”

“You like the thrill of maybe getting caught, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

She stared off into space a few seconds and added, “Bo is the same way as I remember.”

“Yes. That’s also true.” Rafe was fairly certain Clay hadn’t mentioned anything about the DRMC the day before to Callie. She hadn’t mentioned it upon his arrival this morning. Bo had tasked
him
with the same mission today.

“Are you going to tell me what you and Bo want from me?”

“Sure. But first, will you let me see your breasts? I remember them being really spectacular, but it’s been awhile.”

Her mouth dropped open. He pushed his thumb into the vicinity of her clit. She jumped as if goosed.

She glanced at the door again. “I’ve got five hundred things to do and you want to stop and have sex?”

“Oh, yes I do.”

Rafe leaned forward and pushed his face into her chest. “Will you help me or do I have to undress you on my own?”

A knock came at the door. “Miss Callie,” came a female voice. Rafe assumed it was the housekeeper. He backed up, but didn’t move too far out of the way.

Callie shot to her feet. Rafe grabbed her hips and buried his face between her legs and inhaled her luscious scent.

“Rafe, stop,” she hissed. She sidled past him on a heading for the door.

The doorknob rattled. Rafe stood up slowly as the door opened and a young woman holding a dust rag entered. “Sorry to bother you, but there is a gentleman at the door asking for you.”

Rafe stepped behind Callie again, and whispered, “Another man?”

“Tell him I’m busy,” Callie said. Her voice wavered a bit. Rafe hoped like hell he’d had something to do with that.

A man stepped into the office behind the housekeeper. “Tell him yourself,” the vaguely familiar guy said.

Callie went as stiff as a dead body planted in ice.

“What the hell are you doing here, Kincaid?”

* * * *

After dinner the night before, Clay got home and promptly spent way too much time thinking about Drew Kincaid. What was he up to with regard to Callie? He’d kept his mouth shut during dinner with Bo and Rafe. He didn’t want to rile them up when he didn’t have any facts to back up his suspicions.

Instead of heading to his house, he turned his vehicle towards his security building. Perhaps he’d do a bit of snooping around tonight. Just a neighborly effort to ensure Callie was safe from Kincaid. Or at least to assess what problems she might be having from him.

Once ensconced in his security labyrinth at the DRMC property, Clay settled in at his computer and queried several databases for any and all information on Drew Kincaid, Calista Warren, and the two individual properties they owned. Then he dug deeper into more difficult to assess databases to get nonpublic information.

He read though the resulting reports that were created and stopped on the very interesting stipulations in Callie’s grandmother’s will. He’d glanced at the information before, but took the time to read it in more detail this time. He then tucked the information away. He’d never reveal it. And he was certain Callie would appreciate no one knowing about it.

The only other significant information he found had to do with some recent purchases by Kincaid’s ranch. Drew had spent quite a large amount of money on some equipment. He didn’t recognize the various component parts of what Kincaid had purchased. He also couldn’t fathom what they’d create once put together, but made a note to himself to do more research and find out.

Clay didn’t trust Kincaid, however he was more concerned with his actions and not his ranch purchases. He understood that Callie didn’t like him. He’d known it from the first time they’d met when he bought the land for the Double Rider Men’s Club.

Callie’s friendship alone made Drew Kincaid his sworn enemy.

And if Kincaid ever did anything to make her upset, Clay vowed to make him pay for it.

* * * *

A combination of anger and fear warred in Callie’s mind the moment Drew Kincaid stepped into view inside her father’s old office. She couldn’t have been more stunned. To her knowledge he’d never even been on the property before. Not even when her father had been alive.

Drew plastered a fake smile on his admittedly handsome face. “I’ve come to help you out, baby.”

Behind her, she felt Rafe stiffen. He put a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m not your baby, Drew.”

“Well now, that’s only because you’ve never given me a chance, honey.” He flashed a thousand-watt grin. His smile annoyed her. The cost of his overly white teeth was likely more than she’d spent on clothing last year.

“I’m not your honey, either. What do you want?” She was off-balance with him here. She wanted him gone and off of her land. Then she was going to throw herself into Rafe’s arms and fuck him because she was so grateful he was here.

“Besides you, I want to merge our two pieces of land. But that’s for later on. Today, I’ve come to offer to help get your cows inseminated.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I just found out that one of my recent hires, Emmett, used to be your cow inseminator. I thought we could work out a deal.” Drew sent his gaze behind her. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”

“No. And I also don’t need help inseminating my herd. I’ve taken care of it. You can see yourself out, right, Drew?”

Rafe slid his hand down her back with lazy calm. He then secured an arm around her waist in a totally brazen, possessive show of testosterone. In this one instance, Callie didn’t mind. It would be good for Drew to learn she had friends now.

Lindsey, her housekeeper, looked very uncomfortable, but she turned around to face Drew. “I’ll show you out, sir.”

“Well, I guess I can come back later on so we can talk when you’re not so busy.”

“Don’t bother. We don’t have anything to talk about.”

“Now don’t be like that, ba—” Thankfully, Drew cut himself off before calling her “baby.” Callie stiffened and Rafe’s arm tightened around her.

Callie lifted her arm and pointed. “Out. And don’t bother coming back. You aren’t welcome.” Drew frowned, finally nodded once, and left the room. Lindsey followed and closed the door as they exited the office.

Callie turned around and hugged Rafe tight. “I’m so glad you were here.”

“Me, too. What’s he up to?”

“I have no idea, but it can’t be good.” Callie squeezed tighter. She didn’t usually become so emotional, but seeing Drew in her house sent tendrils of fear winding tightly through her body. She felt violated. Up to now, his threats had come through the mail or his lawyer. Then things had stepped up a little bit more when the majority of her ranch hands quit to go work for Kincaid, but she hadn’t had to speak to her nemesis directly.

The personal visit worried her. Drew had never been so brazen. Was he worried that he hadn’t been able to break her with the defection of her ranch crew? Is that why he came here uninvited?

The only other change in her life lately was her new association with the Double R Ranch. Had she finally found the cure for her woes in the arms of two men who seriously made her mind go numb with sexual thoughts?

Rafe held her close. After several minutes he kissed her forehead. Then he trailed kisses down her cheek. Soon he grazed the corner of her mouth. Each kiss tingled, but the one on the corner of her mouth sent a bolt of lust to her pussy.