I blinked, surprised. I knew John Marshall. Total sleaze. I hadn’t expected Jed to work for him, but I hadn’t thought much about him besides how talented he was with his hands. How he smelled. How incredible he could kiss.

I should’ve looked into Jed, but I hadn’t. A stupid mistake on my part.

“And you thought you’d do that at the wake while I was bent over a desk?”

“Jesus, you’ve got issues. I went to the wake to pay my respects to the family. Maybe talk about the deal. But one look at you and that all changed. I might’ve kept my distance when you were a kid, but not any longer.”

My mouth fell open. He’d wanted me all those years ago.

“What?” I whispered.

“You heard me. I want you and I take what I want.”

I wasn’t sure if I should be insulted at the way he was talking about me or turned on. The way my panties were getting wet, it was definitely the latter.

“I… I can’t go over the Marshall deal with you. I don’t know the details since I haven’t caught up on my father’s work,” I admitted, as if that explained why my thoughts had gone the directions they had. Although I’d given away more than I wanted.

He pushed off the desk, stepped back. “That’s fine. We can meet another time to go over it, answer any questions you have about the contract. In the meantime, I have a deal of my own.” He picked up his hat, dropped into the chair. “Between you and me.”

His long legs crowded me so I went around my desk, sat across from him. Had this been his plan? “Land? Cattle? A loan?”

His gaze narrowed. “Holy fuck, princess. Everyone’s after you for something, aren’t they?”

“Aren’t you?” I countered, leaning back in my chair, wary and suddenly feeling fragile. I’d let him in the other day and I hadn’t thought through the why of it. Not then and not the time since. An error on my part.

He shifted forward, rested his forearms on his thighs, as if following me, not wanting to lose any space between us. “You forget who got off the other day? It sure as shit wasn’t me.”

I frowned. His dick hadn’t come out of his pants. He hadn’t asked for a handy or a BJ. Nothing.

I blinked. Lost. “I… I don’t understand.”

“Yeah, I can see that. Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to teach you to trust someone. To let those huge fucking walls down because that version of you I saw the other day, no thought in her head, no worries, only pleasure, was the prettiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.”