Slade stood outside of Mandisa’s door puzzled by the events he’d just witnessed.

What the hell was that?

Mandisa claimed she was tired, but it wasn’t fatigue he’d seen in her eyes. Fear, anger, disappointment, distrust, colored every inch of her, and for the life of him he couldn’t understand why.

From the moment he’d met her, he’d gone out of his way to let her know nothing happened without her freely given consent. What on earth could make her distrustful of him after the wonderful time they’d had around the breakfast table that morning?

His body was tired from the back-and-forth travel over the past few days. However, his mind was still buzzing as it tried to lock in on the uneasiness he’d sensed pouring off Mandisa. Resigned to tabling it for later, Slade walked away from Mandisa’s door and down the stairs. He made a quick stop at the kitchen counter and grabbed a treat, then headed straight for the stables.

He needed to see his other lady, the one he neglected all too often to handle something Bull dropped in his lap. He walked straight to the back of the barn until he’d reached the last stall. A long, amber-colored face framed with blonde hair bobbed up and down when she acknowledged Slade’s presence.

“Hey, Queen-Sorrel. You miss me, girl?”

His red lady nodded and nuzzled into the gentle stroking Slade offered her. Time in Queen-Sorrel’s presence always calmed Slade. Damn if he didn’t need her. Slade pulled a sweet treat out of his pocket and held it just beneath the horse’s mouth. With quick precision, she snatched the apple out of his opened palm, and he knew all was right in their relationship.

The pride he felt for this horse bordered on unhealthy at times. But Slade couldn’t help it. She was perfectly made for him. He’d known it the moment he saw her ten years ago. She’d just called to him. She was big and brilliant, with as much grace as horses much smaller than her. She, like him, was blessed when it came to height and breadth. At seventeen hands, she stood taller than most American Quarters. Her solid build was a source of comfort for him. With her he could let go. He never had to worry about being careful how he handled her, or aware that he was bigger and stronger than everyone else around.

She’d been the reason he’d purchased this ranch and all the horse stock with it. Walking away from Queen-Sorrel just wasn’t something he’d been able to do, then or now.

She nudged him with her head, the signal that she wanted to go out and play a bit. As tired as Slade was, he knew it made more sense to rest and then take her for a ride. But like always, whenever his lady asked for something, he had to indulge her. He reached inside the stall and gave her long neck a smooth stroke. The sound of footsteps coming his way made him pause long enough to see Aaron entering the stables.

“It must be real nice knowing all you have to do to get out of the shithouse with your women is bring them a kiss, a sweet treat, or a shiny bauble.”

One corner of Slade’s mouth lifted as Aaron spoke. He leaned close to his horse and whispered soothing murmurs in her ear. He pushed away from Queen-Sorrel’s stall and faced his foreman and best friend. “Why? You jealous?”

“Hell yeah,” Aaron answered. “I’m here all the time with Mama Indy, and she treats me like I’m fertilizer on the bottom of her shoes most days.”

Slade waved a dismissive hand at his friend. Both Aaron and Mama played at fighting. But the truth was they each adored one another. It was just their way to fuss with each other all the time. It was the one reason Slade left Aaron in charge of his ranch. It wasn’t just because he was an excellent horseman. And he was, Slade had no doubt of that.

Aaron had been Slade’s best friend from the moment they’d met as boys. Each of them possessed an abiding love for animals and adventure that cemented their bond instantly. Before coming to Texas for law school, Aaron spent most of his life on a horse ranch much like Havenheart. There wasn’t a better man Slade would trust with his horses and his land. But Slade kept Aaron here, paid him handsomely to take care of what Slade loved most—Mama Indy.

Slade had lost two of three women he’d loved. His birth mother when he was a small child, and his grandmother when he was just shy of manhood.

His grandmother had taken him in when his mother died, spared him from the hell Bull no doubt had planned for him. She’d loved him and spoiled him as any good grandmother should. But Indira Price was the one that loved him, nurtured him, and tanned his lily-white hide when he had more piss and vinegar in him than sense. That old woman was the last living piece of his heart, and when he couldn’t be at the ranch like he wanted, there wasn’t a man he’d trust more than Aaron to look after her.

“It’s always so damn easy for you,” Aaron chided.

Easy was relative as far as Slade was concerned. Yeah, he didn’t have a problem gaining the interest of a pretty woman. But what did that matter when he still came home to an empty house?

Slade gave himself a mental shake at that thought. He wasn’t ready to settle down with anyone. He liked his freedom too much. But lately, it was getting harder and harder to work himself into the ground when he didn’t have a reason for it.

Saving his grandmother’s company was his motivation now. But one day soon, Slade feared that reason was going to fall short. What would he do then? What would be his recourse?

“Stop calling my mama old, and she might not spit in your lemonade when you come ’round begging like you’re wont to do.”

“I wouldn’t put it past that she-devil to actually spit in my damn drink.” Aaron chuckled. “So, what’s the deal with the city-chick you brought back with you?”

“Bull sent me to New York to buy out a small chain of beauty stores. He just dropped the shit in my lap at the last minute. Threatened me with my grandmother’s company if I didn’t comply.”

Aaron shook his head. “Man, how long you gonna let this man yank you around for Logan Industries? Is it really worth being on Bull’s leash like you are?”

“Five more years and it’s mine.”

“Let’s hope you survive that long,” Aaron quipped.

Slade playfully pushed at Aaron’s shoulder and motioned for him to hand Slade Queen-Sorrel’s tack. Aaron moved the few paces to pick it up and handed it to Slade, and then moved over to prepare the gelding a few stalls away for a ride as well.

They rode to the western bank of the property where the serene flow of one of the many streams on the ranch greeted them. They tied the horses off and sat at the edge of the stream. Being out here never ceased to amaze Slade. Being here, living in concert with the land and nature, did wonders for his often-battered spirit. Coming here always gave him just enough strength to continue moving forward with whatever life was throwing at him that particular day.

“So, you gonna tell me about this Mandisa woman?” Aaron’s nudging pulled Slade out of the tranquil moment he was enjoying. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you never answered my question to begin with.”

Slade knew Aaron hadn’t forgotten and was only granting Slade a few moments to reconnect with his land before throwing him back into Bull’s chaos.

“She owns that small chain of beauty stores and is the creator of a proprietary formula that is revolutionizing the cosmetics world. Bull wants it. I’m tasked with getting it.”

“So you brought her here to seduce her out of her company? Bull can’t expect you to do that.”

Slade shook his head. If only it were that simple. If only Mandisa were some anonymous fuck that he could hit and quit. Unfortunately, her presence was somehow more meaningful than that. The truth was she was threatening to complicate his life in ways he couldn’t even verbalize at this moment.

“The seduction happened before I found out she was the person I was sent to New York to see. We met blindly in a lounge my first night in town and spent the next locked inside my hotel room. It wasn’t until the morning of the meeting that everything became clear about our true identities.”

Aaron let out a low whistle as he shook his head. “Damn, Slade. You just can’t do anything easy.”

“Tell me about it. I was sitting in a bar, pissed as hell at my evil-ass daddy, and in walks this irresistible creature that I’m determined to make my way to knowing. We hit it off. We both wanna have a little fun without any attachments. I mean, there wasn’t any of the usual song and dance. I tried it, but all she wanted was to spend time with me instead. I should’ve seen it was too perfect when the only thing she asked of me was a good time and burgers and fries in bed afterward.”

Slade picked up a few pebbles at the bank of the stream and tossed them one at a time in quick succession to vent his frustration. It didn’t help. The more he thought about the mess he’d found himself in, the more pissed he became.

He was furious. At exactly what he couldn’t say, but he knew he was mad. He was sure it had something to do with his father forcing him into this deal in the first place. But he knew there was more beyond that.

Those first two days with Mandisa, when neither of them knew anything beyond each other’s names, were perfection. They were filled with amusement and intrigue—two things he hadn’t associated with a woman he was attracted to in…well, never. There was this strange, or at least strange to him, innocence about their interactions.

Yes, they’d shared amazing sex, sex that had shattered his previous concepts of what good sex felt like. But the way they clicked—the way it felt natural to him to have her in his arms and at his side—there was no complexity to that. It was plain, simple, pure.

And in a matter of hours, his father’s nonsense had muddied that connection. All he’d done was mention visiting their Austin lab, and Mandisa had shut down.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” Aaron offered. “Why is she here on the ranch? I understand you needing to wine and dine her, but you could’ve done that at your loft downtown. Why bring her on your land where your family is?”

Slade didn’t turn away from the stream. He didn’t trust himself to keep the answers to Aaron’s questions out of his features. If he turned around, Aaron would know the secret thoughts Slade was having, thoughts he didn’t even want to admit to himself.

“Slade. We’ve been friends for a really long time. You’ve kept your circle small for a reason. Don’t let Mandisa make you forget that.”

Slade ground his jaws together as he turned to face his friend. There was something about Aaron’s tone that was grating on him. “You telling me not to get involved, Aaron? We both know it’s a little late for that.”

Aaron stepped closer, slapping a hand on Slade’s shoulder. “I’m just saying be careful. Make sure this is something worth the fallout that’s probably going to follow this hellified situation your daddy’s put you in.”

Slade relaxed a bit. He could see the sincerity in Aaron’s eyes. As much of a hard ass as Aaron could be, he didn’t do shit just to spite folks. He wasn’t built like that. His friend was attempting to help.

“Mandisa seems like a nice person.” Slade waited for the other half of Aaron’s declaration to arrive, his skepticism evidenced by his lifted eyebrow and crossed arms. “No matter how nice she is, my first loyalty will always be to you, Slade. I’m sure she’s as wonderful as you believe her to be. I’m just telling you not to mix business and pleasure. As fine as this woman seems, if you guys get together while you’re trying to do this deal, you’ll never know whether she’s with you for the deal or for you.”

Slade gave a brief nod of thanks to his friend. It felt good to have someone watching his back, even if Slade didn’t completely agree with everything Aaron said. His friend was right about one thing, though. If anything ever came of this connection he shared with Mandisa, it would always be tainted by this deal. He didn’t want to question Mandisa’s motives, and he certainly didn’t want her to feel the need to question his.

Whatever the hell Slade ended up doing, he needed to be very careful. He couldn’t lose this business deal, but he wasn’t sure he could lose Mandisa either.

If only I could figure out how to keep them both.

Excitement lit up Slade’s insides as that thought took root. Maybe he’d been looking at this thing all wrong. He’d brought her down here to convince her to sell him her company. But maybe the more effective solution wasn’t to focus so much on the business.

“Shit.” Slade’s biting comment rang in the air. Why hadn’t he seen this before now? They’d spent the morning laughing around the table, and then he barged right into her room, telling her he was taking her in to see his lab. The hot-to-cold switch probably threw her for a loop.

“Everything okay?” Aaron stepped closer to see if Slade was all right.

“Yeah. Talking to you just made me realize how I put my foot in my mouth with Mandisa before I came out to the stables.”

Slade turned toward their horses and untied Queen-Sorrel. By the time Aaron caught up to him, he was already in his saddle and turning his horse in the direction of his house.

“Where the hell you going, Hamilton?”

“Aaron, I think you’re right. Trying to focus on the business aspect of our relationship while we’re sexually involved may be problematic. I’m going to see if I can rectify that right now.”

“What are you going to do?” Aaron’s question rang out through the air, posed to a retreating picture of Slade mounted on his horse.

With a bright smile plastered across his mouth, Slade clicked his tongue and used his heels to gently alert Queen-Sorrel of Slade’s desire to move. As the horse moved forward, Slade turned his head slightly over his shoulder to capture Aaron’s confused gaze. “I’m on my way to see a woman about a horse.”

* * *

Mandisa walked to the stables after watching Slade bring his horse inside and was surprised when he nearly collided with her.

“Damn, cowboy. Where’re you off to in such a damn hurry?”

“Funny enough, I was coming to see you.”

“Huh?”

Mandisa wasn’t sure she’d heard him right. In her current state of mixed emotions it was completely believable that she’d misheard or misinterpreted something he’d said. That was exactly what she’d done this morning. She’d completely overreacted. Her nap had given her time to think sensibly.

After she’d woken, she’d stood at the large patio windows and looked out over the horizon of his beautiful land. She’d been focused on a thick spread of lush, green trees when she’d seen him riding his horse back toward what she presumed were the stables.

Now, eager to apologize, Mandisa jogged quickly down the stairs and headed in the same direction she saw Slade riding in. Back at the house, alone in her room, saying I’m sorry seemed much easier. But standing here directly in front of him, she couldn’t find the words to express her regret.

“I was just coming to ask if you’d want to go riding with me sometime.” His words were a good deal slower than the hurried pace he’d just displayed.

When he steadied her, he stepped back and motioned for her to follow him out of the stables. He was silent as they walked back toward the house. His quietness intriguing to her, she followed his long gait with quicker steps to keep up with him.

“So what’s this about riding?”

“I’d like to make sure you get the full ranch experience. You can’t really do that on foot, or car,” he added. “The roads only give you a small amount of access out here. Some of the terrain can only be covered on horseback. If you want to start later this evening, there should be enough light after supper for us to take a slow ride for a couple of hours. We can take dessert with us and talk a little by the stream. Or we can start first thing tomorrow. Whenever you feel up to it. I’d just love to spend some alone time together showing you some of my land.”

She couldn’t help the smile broadening on her lips. Coming from a concrete kingdom such as Brooklyn, she didn’t have much frame of reference for exactly what this scenario entailed. But just the thought of him sharing something he obviously felt passionate about with her kept her cheeks lifted until her smirk turned into a full-on grin.

“I hope that smile means you’re interested.”

“It does.” The satisfactory way his face lit up told Mandisa Slade was happy with her answer. “What do I need to do?”

“First, we should probably go downtown and get you a few things. As much as I’m loving those denim shorts you’ve got on, walking around all day with that exquisite skin exposed can cause damage. You’ll need to change into your denims. Never go out during the day without some sunscreen on.” He stepped away from her and scanned his gaze from the top of her head to her sneaker-covered feet and shook his head. “You’ll need a hat, preferably one with a wide brim. You’ll need to get some boots, too.”

She shook her head. “What for? It’s hot as hell here?”

“The terrain here can be difficult. Tennis shoes aren’t really going to give you the traction you need to walk safely around the ranch. If cowboy boots aren’t your thing, we can get you a pair of construction boots instead. I’d just hate to see you sprain one of those lovely ankles, or worse.”

Mandisa shook her head as she sat down on the porch steps. “I’m a concrete princess from Brooklyn, Slade. Why the hell did you think it was a good idea to bring me here?”

His smile brightened, as if he’d been waiting for her to ask him that very question. He didn’t seem the least bit disturbed by her smart-assed comment. “Because I wanted you to get to know me.”

Slade motioned for her to move over. When she made space for him, he sat close to her, allowing their hips and legs to touch. He moved his arm around her shoulder and pulled her even closer to him.

“If concrete makes you more comfortable, I can take you to my downtown loft.” He lifted her chin with his finger again. It was a simple touch, but so much intimacy accompanied it. It forced her to look him in the eye, allowing him entrance into her soul. “But I brought you here to the ranch because my apartment is where I stay when I need to be near work. This ranch is my home. It’s the place I get to be me, amongst the people and creatures I love.”

“Slade—” She attempted to interrupt him, but he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, ensuring her silence.

“I’d hoped you’d see my actions and realize you’re being here wasn’t all about a potential business deal.”

She leaned in and kissed him, needing so desperately to connect with him at that moment. “I want to believe that. It’s just very hard to forget that you want my company. It makes me second-guess everything you do and say. It makes me feel guarded. I don’t like that feeling being associated with you.”

He moved his hand from her shoulder and laced his fingers with hers, and then used his other hand to span the horizon of his land. A sea of greens, browns, and golds spread out much farther than her eyes could see. The land was so vast. It was a bit overwhelming to think of how small they were in comparison to the huge patch of earth that made up Havenheart ranch.

“This land was the first thing I purchased that had any real value to me. I had to work for it. I had to save for it. The fight to get it forced me to put my heart and soul into it. If you get to know it, you’ll know me. It’s as simple as that. The only question that remains is do you want to spend time getting to know it and me?”

“You and these damn questions.” She purposely deepened her East New York accent as she spoke, and watched as he laughed. He always laughed when her Brooklyn surfaced. For some reason he appeared to find it endearing. Whatever. She hadn’t been joking. Slade was always throwing these contemplative questions at her that made her analyze everything she felt or thought. Not really caring to dig deeper into why it made her heart jump a beat or two whenever he suggested getting to know him better, she simply laid her head on his shoulder and smiled.

“Yeah, I think I’d like to get to know you both,” she whispered.

* * *

Slade was about to lean in for another kiss when a gentle buzz coming from the back pocket of his jeans halted his motion. He lifted a single finger up, begging Mandisa’s pardon as he lifted his phone to his ear.

“Hamilton.”

“I just saw Bull’s car coming up from the east road.” Aaron’s voice was low and stern, its timbre sounding an alarm without the slightest rise in volume. “Does he know about your guest?”

“Somewhat, but thanks for the info. Would you mind taking a trip downtown for me? Mandisa needs a few things.”

“Not a problem. I’ll get one of the hands to cool down my horse and meet her on the back porch in a few.”

Plans settled, Slade was about to pull the phone from his ear to end the call when he heard Aaron’s voice again.

“And, Slade.”

“Yeah?”

“Remember Bull tends to use what you care about against you. Might be wise to keep Mandisa away from him while he’s here.”

A cold chill spread through Slade. One glacial peak after another turning his insides to ice made Slade shiver. Aaron wasn’t wrong. Bull would use anything he could to control Slade. That was how he’d ended up in New York meeting Mandisa in the first place. He glanced over at her, the lovely smile she offered him thawing some of the frigid anxiety blooming inside him.

“Noted.” His response was short and exact, causing Mandisa to pull slightly away from him as he ended the call.

Damn if just the thought of Bull couldn’t spoil a perfectly good moment.

Slade grabbed Mandisa’s hand and brought it gently to his lips. “Darlin’, I’m afraid that was work. Something’s come up that I have to handle right now. Would you mind going inside and waiting for Aaron to take you shopping? He’ll send for you when he’s ready.”

Slade saw the fog of disappointment begin to cloud her eyes. He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers, continuing the kiss until she moaned, giving him leave to slip his tongue inside and taste her warmth.

Whatever the fuck Bull had come to say had better be important as hell. Missing out on any time with this woman was not something Slade was going to take lightly.

“I promise,” Slade spoke soothingly. “If there were any other way I’d take you myself.”

She nodded and kissed him again, running her fingers through the hair at his nape. “I know. I’ll go inside while I wait. See you at dinner.”

He leaned back on the porch and watched her get up and walk through the door. He heard the gush of breath leave him when the door closed behind her. She was away from Bull, far enough that he could protect her.

Slade sat for a few moments on his porch. Preparing himself, he took a deep breath, trying to hide the tension attempting to take root in his body. The few minutes of meditation he attempted to steal were interrupted the moment he saw Bull’s signature black limousine cresting the top of the hill that would bring the old man through Slade’s front gates.

When the car slowed and then stopped in front of Slade’s home, he stood and walked down the steps. It wasn’t a show of respect, a son eager to meet his father. No, this was an act of protection.

Slade wouldn’t allow Bull to set foot in his home. The furthest the man ever got was the front steps.

In Slade’s mind, he’d built this house to keep the things and people he loved near. It was his refuge, his place of peace. Bull didn’t get to infiltrate that no matter how hard he tried.

“Here we go,” Slade muttered to himself. He waited the few moments it took for Bull’s driver to exit his seat and walk around the car to open it for the old buzzard sitting inside.

“What’chu want, Bull?” Slade made certain his tone was laced with as much disrespect and loathing as he could muster. Bull knew Slade’s rule. If he wanted to pester Slade at the office, he could do that all day. But here, on Slade’s land, he didn’t turn up without an invitation. As far as Slade was concerned, there would never be cause for an invitation to be extended to Bull. Bull knew this, and he usually complied with it. His presence here could only be for one reason—Mandisa.

“You need to learn some respect, boy, when you’re speaking to your daddy.”

“I’m a grown man on my own land. I’ll speak how I want to uninvited guests that show up on my doorstep. Again, what do you want, Bull?”

“I assume she’s here.” Bull took a moment to scan the front of the house, as if he could see through the walls.

“Bull, what do you want?”

The man took an exasperated breath as he realized there was no getting around Slade’s question.

“I want to sit down and talk to her. I don’t trust you to not fuck this up.”

“Not gonna happen. You told me to take care of it, and I am. She’s not dealing with anyone else except me.”

Bull laughed, the shrill sound making the inside of Slade’s teeth itch. The old man removed his broad cowboy hat and wiped his sweaty brow with a pressed handkerchief he pulled from his lapel pocket.

“Now, son, I think you know me well enough to understand that when I want something, I get it.”

Slade straightened to his full height. It was the one thing his daddy had blessed him with. It also meant Slade was able to shut down Bull’s condescending bullshit by making the older man look up to him. Three inches didn’t seem like a lot. But when it allowed you to put someone like Bull in his place without saying a word, it made all the difference.

“Bull, I’m certain you also remember who I am. You know when I’m pushed, I will do anything I can to stop you.”

Slade could tell the old man was thinking back over some of their more famous battles. As much as Slade hated everything about the way his father did business, he’d learned some things from him too.

For instance, Slade never walked into a meeting not knowing his opponent’s kill switch. And although he’d held out on using it, he had the very thing he needed to destroy Bull. Years of watching, waiting, and listening had yielded Slade undeniable proof that would topple Bull’s empire and bring the man to his knees. Unfortunately, ending Bull would also destroy Slade’s family’s legacy.

Revealing Bull’s insider trading deal with StarTech.It would be a last resort. Landing Logan Industries in the middle of a media and legal shitstorm wasn’t something Slade was willing to do yet. But he’d use it to protect those he cared about, Mandisa included. If he needed to pull the trigger, he’d let that particular bullet fly.

“Just remember, I am the head of Logan Industries,” Bull warned. Slade didn’t need a reminder. It was a fact that ate away at the lining of his stomach more than Slade cared to admit.

Slade moved off the porch and stepped closer to Bull until he was standing directly in front of his father.

“You are the temporary CEO of my company. In a handful of years, I’m going to take the reins of my company, and I’ll have a decision to make. I can let bygones be bygones and find a prominent place for you at L.I., or I can throw you out on your ass. So, you can keep pressing this issue and pissing me off, or you can make the best of this situation and just let me handle it my way. Decision’s yours.”

Bull swallowed as his eyes narrowed into tiny slits. He wasn’t happy, that was obvious to Slade. But the truth was, Slade wasn’t all that concerned about Bull’s happiness. Especially since Bull had never cared one iota about Slade’s.

Bull nodded and stepped back toward his car. “Five years is a long time, Slade. A lot could change by then. You’d take care not to push me too far. You know what I’m capable of when I’m pushed.”

Slade watched Bull slither back to his limousine. He watched Slade until the driver closed his door. Slade didn’t move from the spot he was standing on until he saw Bull’s car pass through the large wrought iron gates that sat at the edge of his property. When his father was gone, the tension in Slade’s muscles began to relax a little. Slade was very aware of Bull’s track record. The man left a bleak path of destruction wherever he traveled.

“Not this time,” Slade muttered. He pulled his phone from his pocket and typed a quick text to Aaron.

Need info. Bull seems hungry for this deal. More than usual. Find out why.

Two seconds later Aaron’s reply flashed across Slade’s screen.

Will do.