Her blond hair had an added vein of gold running through the strands, gold that he didn’t remember seeing when she was little. The pixie face that had grinned at him through braces and thick glasses had matured into a quiet beauty that stirred him in ways the overpainted groupies around the rodeo circuit had never managed. Her long, skinny arms and legs had filled out, giving her a graceful elegance that made him want to take her to his bed for a night of long, slow loving. The prim little business suit hugging her body only added to his longings.

He pushed his thoughts aside with difficulty, determined to get back to the business that had brought him back to Denver, a town he’d vowed never to return to. He didn’t want to be here, didn’t want to do this. But his options had suddenly become very limited. And he’d do anything for Mandy, do whatever it took to make her life good.

“Can you please explain why you’re working so late on a Sunday night? Shouldn’t you be home washing your hair or something?” It had been pure luck to find her working tonight. He’d come to the office out of a restless need and found Darci instead of whatever he had been looking for.

She pushed aside her half-eaten sandwich and twisted her coffee cup around in little circles. “The work has to be done, no matter what night of the week it is.”

“Don’t you have a staff to do that sort of thing?” He knew so little about the company, so little about her life. But he was about to change all that. One way or another, he’d get what he wanted. And he didn’t care what he had to do to achieve his goals.

For just a brief second, the tension and the exhaustion were reflected on her face. But her jaw tightened and the tiredness was washed away, making him wonder if he’d really seen it. He couldn’t feel sorry for her, couldn’t allow softer emotions to cloud his quest.

“My staff is very small, overworked and doesn’t need to know the financial state of the company down to the last penny.”

“Is it that bad?”

Her spine stiffened visibly. “No, it’s not. But I need to keep up with things, and we’re so busy during the day I can’t get it all done until everyone leaves and I have some peace and quiet.”