“No. He’s broken a lot of hearts, including some of my model friends.” Riley smiled timidly. “I warned them all beforehand, but Reid has this bizarre effect on women. They love him.”

“It’s his charisma,” I said. “He oozes it. Plus he’s devastatingly good-looking, but so are your other two brothers.”

“They are. Our family got blessed with good-looking genes, I guess.”

“Are you kidding? All of you are beautiful. Even your father, at his age, was a very handsome man.”

Riley’s cheeks reddened a little. “He was.”

“And your mother is still a beautiful woman.”

“She is.”

More silence. Family talk seemed to be over.

The waiter came to take our order. I chose a ten-ounce strip, rare—couldn’t help thinking of Rock—with broccolini and rosemary polenta. Riley ordered a tilapia filet broiled without oil or butter with brown rice and carrots. Clearly a model’s meal.

Still silence.

Until my phone buzzed in my purse. Normally I wouldn’t check it during a dinner meeting, but we weren’t talking. “Would you excuse me?” I fished my phone out of my purse.

A text from a number I didn’t recognize. A number with a Montana area code.

19

Rock

I’m exhausted after my first day. Can I buy you a drink?

I texted those words to Lacey. I didn’t tell her who I was, but I figured she’d know.

I waited.

And waited.

Then—

Are you kidding me?

I leaned back in my supple leather executive chair and couldn’t help a laugh.

I started to text her back, when another from her came in.

I’m at a dinner meeting.

Where?

None of your business.

Is it a dinner meeting? Or a dinner date?

Again. None of your business.

She had a date. Damn her.

Not that I wanted any kind of exclusivity. We’d just met. But all I’d been able to think about all day was getting her back in my bed.

I typed into the phone. Meet me later.

No, thank you.

Playing hard to get, huh? That wouldn’t fly with me. I had better things to do than chase women.

I texted back. Have it your way.

A few minutes passed.

I will. Have a good evening.

I sighed. A full wet bar lined one wall of my office—a spacious room that was nearly as big as my entire cabin in Montana. I could have a drink to relax, and then I’d make my way back to my empty hotel suite.

I fixed myself a bourbon on the rocks and sat back down behind my desk. I was actually more exhausted now than I’d ever been after a day of good old-fashioned manual labor. Crazy.

As fatigued as I was, I’d have no problem fucking Lacey Ward until the wee hours of the morning.

Aw, hell. I had to try again.