I looked up from my newspaper, when the door to my office slammed shut.

“What the hell is wrong with you, brother?” I asked.

“Don’t fucking call me that.” Caleb’s face was red.

“Why not? Aren’t we brothers?”

“No. Not today.” Caleb shook his head. “I can’t believe you sometimes.”

“What happened?”

“Did it ever occur to you that I should know if a writer from a travel magazine would be staying here?” Caleb growled, folding his arms and narrowing his eyes.

I tossed the paper on the coffee table. “Oh yeah,” I answered. “I meant to tell you about that.”

“Calbe, I swear—”

“It’s good publicity. That’s how business works, you know? Publicity inspires more business. And we certainly need it because—let’s face it—the financial situation on this ranch isn’t in the best shape. More publicity means more tourism. More tourism means more money. More money means we won’t be in trouble with the bank. It’s not a difficult concept to grasp.”

“I can grasp the concept,” Caleb seethed. “I also know reporters are nosey. What if people find out we’re going under? Damn it. This was a big risk.”

“Why? What happened?”

Caleb shoved his hands in his pockets.

“That reporter is going to start poking around where she doesn’t belong. You’ve put us at risk with this plan. Couldn’t you advertise in some other way?”

“This is free publicity. You get that, right? Free. I took the opportunity when I saw it. Why are you making such a fucking mess out of this?”

Caleb glared at me. “You didn’t by any chance tell the magazine that this was a spa, did you?”

I looked up to the ceiling. “Now why would I do something like that?”

“I wouldn’t put anything past you if you thought it was good for business.”

“I’m not stupid. I wouldn’t lie. We need a good review, we need good publicity, and we need more money. Otherwise, we’ll lose the ranch to the bank.”

“We’re not going to happen.” Caleb gritted his teeth together. “I won’t let that happen.”

“Then maybe you need to let me start running the business around here. Some little reporter isn’t going to expose our financial secrets. She’s going to turn things around for us with a full article. I don’t get why you’re so worked out.”

“Forget it.” Caleb threw his hands in the air. “I’m going to take a shower.”

“Where is she now?” I asked, before Caleb walked out of my office.

“I put her in cottage eleven,” he reported.

I nodded. “Your favorite cottage. Interesting.”

“I’m just trying to make her happy. That’s all.”

I rose from my chair. “How about I pay her a visit, brother? Make sure she’s settling in ok?”

“You have no idea what you’ve gotten us into.”

I strolled across the room. “I’ve got this. Stop worrying.” I patted him on the back. “I’ll check in with her and make sure the article is everything we need. Don’t worry.”

“That’s what you say before you fuck something up.”

I laughed. “Stop being an asshole and let me do what I do best.”

I followed Caleb out of the lodge. He took a left to his cabin and I followed the private trail to the secluded cabin he had given to the reporter.

It wasn’t the first time I had pulled a stunt like this and it wouldn’t be the last.

I stopped on the porch and looked around. Who wouldn’t love it out here? This was the best spot on the entire ranch. It was fucking gorgeous.

I knocked on the door.

“Oh thank God, there aren’t enough—”

“Hello.”

I took in the sexy curvy woman in front of me. Fuck me. My cock strained against my jeans. Caleb never mentioned she was a drop-dead siren.

“Sorry. I thought you were with the service staff. I need more towels.”

I smiled. “I think that can be arranged.”

She bit her lip in a way that had my hands twitch. I wanted to draw her to my lips and kiss her.

“I’m sorry. Who are you if you aren’t with the service staff?”

“Oh yeah. I’m Nash. Co-owner on the ranch.”

“Oh. You must be Caleb’s brother then.”

“Step-brother,” I corrected.

“Oh?”

I pressed my palm into the door frame. “Yeah. Brothers by marriage. Business partners by choice.”

I liked to think we had a partnership that worked. Some days it ran more smoothly than others.

“Sounds like an interesting story.”

I shrugged. “It’s just our story. I don’t know how interesting it is.” I paused, tracing her lips with my eyes. “Anyway, I wanted to check in on you. See how everything is in your cabin. I’ll make sure you get those towels right away. Anything else?”

She suddenly blushed. Fuck. Was she thinking what I was thinking? I could do a lot to accommodate this woman.

“I-I can let you know if something comes up.”

“The last thing I want to happen is that you don’t leave here completely satisfied.” I leaned a little closer toward her.

“I-I don’t think that will happen, Nash.” She smiled.

I winked. “Just holler if you need something.”

“Holler?”

I jumped off the back of the porch. “Yeah. It’s what we do around here. No phones.”

She grimaced. “Oh that.”

I jogged along the trail. “Nice meeting you, Claire.”

Suddenly I realized why Caleb was in such a damn hurry to take a shower. I ran my hand over the strain in my jeans. I was going to need an ice bath to cure the massive erection that woman had just given me.