Michelle Celmer - The Millionaire's Club - Connor, Tom & Gavin - Round-the-Clock Temptation / Highly Compromised Position / A Most Shocking Revelation

“Malcolm is even sleazier than she is,” Connor said.

“What’d she want?” Jimmy called to them. He was loading tools into the back of the pickup.

“Came to see how we’re doing,” Nita told him, walking over to the truck. “Wants to help out if she can.”

Jimmy shook his head. “That one gives me a serious case of the creeps.”

“You off to fix those fences?”

He tossed a bundle of precut wood boards in the bed. “Yep. It should take most of the afternoon.”

“I’ll be in the office for the rest of the day,” Nita said. “Why don’t you take Connor with you?”

“Actually, I think I’ll hang back,” Connor said. He didn’t like the idea of Nita in the house all by herself. On the off-chance that someone would risk harming her in the middle of the afternoon, he was going to be there to intervene.

“There’s nothing for you to do in the house and Jimmy could use the help.”

He could see this was going to be a problem, and looked to Jimmy for a little help. The old man picked up on his silent plea.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle on my own,” Jimmy told Nita.

“I know it isn’t, but it’ll go a lot faster with another man helping, and Connor wanted to learn all about raising horses. That means everything.” She pinned her eyes on Connor. “Even the things you don’t think are much fun.”

“This is not about the entertainment value of the work. And I’m going to regretfully decline.”

“Regretfully decline?” She propped her hands on her hips and her eyes turned stormy. “According to our arrangement, you work for me now. That means taking orders.”

He held his ground, but he didn’t see this ending well. She’d dug her heels in and it looked as if she wasn’t going to budge. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”

Her anger level went from zero to sixty in about half a second. “You’re here to keep an eye on the farm, aren’t you? So go keep an eye on it!”

He was going to have to tell her the truth about what his real orders were. And she wasn’t going to like it. “I’m not here to protect the farm,” he said.

Now she just looked confused. “Then what the heck are you here for?”

“I’m here to protect you.”

“The hell you say?”

“We think that with your father out of commission, you could be the next target. I’ve been sent here to make sure you remain safe,” Connor explained.

“Well, I’m touched by your concern,” she said, even though she wasn’t, even though she wanted to tell him to take a hike. “But I can take care of myself. What I need is someone to watch the farm.”

“I’ve been given orders and have every intention of following them.”

“Oh, now you admit that you’ve been given orders? Well, here’s an order for you pal, get out there and fix that fence or pack your bags.” She turned and stomped toward the house, anger burning a hole in her gut. Who the hell did these Cattleman’s Club guys think they were? She was perfectly capable of defending herself. She didn’t need a keeper.

“You don’t want to do that,” Connor said, following her.

She flung the back door open and hurled herself through it. “And why is that?”

“Because when I go, the Cattleman’s Club will pull out completely and you may never know who’s behind the disturbances. This situation will continue to get worse until you lose everything. Do you want to be responsible for driving your family business into the ground?”

She spun around, found him standing in the doorway looking smug as hell. “Then I’ll go to the police.”

“Are you forgetting who the sheriff is?”

Another Cattleman’s Club member. Swell. She was beginning to wonder if seeking their help had been such a hot idea after all. “What is this, a conspiracy?”

He walked toward her, his voice low and patient. “If you calm down for a minute, and think of this logically, you’ll see that we’re only trying to help. And it would be in your best interest to let us do that.”

She took a long deep breath, felt the initial spark of anger begin to subside. Logically she understood their reasoning, and she did need their help. She may be hotheaded but she wasn’t stupid. She just didn’t like losing control, having her freedom determined by someone else. Her every move monitored.

She didn’t seem to have a whole lot of choice, though.

“Let me keep you safe, Nita.”

Something in the way he looked at her, the sincerity in his eyes, made her feel warm all over. It was almost as if he cared about her, and didn’t just want to get into her pants. In fact, he didn’t act that way at all.

“I’ll go along with this,” she finally said, then added for good measure, “But I’m not going to like it.”

“Doesn’t matter if you like it, as long as you’re safe.”

She supposed, if she had to be stuck with a man twenty-four/seven, she’d be hard-pressed to find a better-looking one. Not only that, but he was nice. A little on the reserved side maybe, but he definitely had potential. Being in such close quarters would give her a chance to pick that brain of his, to see what made him tick.

It also gave them time for some good old-fashioned horizontal fun.

Nita had just finished paying the monthly bills when she heard a car pull up the driveway. Jane was back with Will.

Nita stuffed the checkbook in the drawer and closed her laptop computer. When she opened the office door she found Connor right where she’d left him, sitting on the bench in the foyer, reading, of all things, one of Jane’s romance novels.

“Good book?” she asked.

He gazed up at her with an aren’t-you-funny look. “I was bored and it was all I could find.”

“You should have asked. Daddy has a slew of books in his room. Espionage novels mostly.”

“I’ll remember that next time.” He set the book down next to him. “Someone is here.”

“I know. It’s probably Daddy and Jane.”

He unfolded himself from the bench and rose to his feet. “I should give them a hand.”

Nita opened the front door and Connor followed her out. Jane was standing at the open truck, grabbing the bags, and Will was trying to boost himself from the front seat while negotiating a pair of crutches, his cast stuck out awkwardly in front of him.

“I’ll help you, Daddy,” Nita called to him and told Jane, “I’m so glad you’re back. We missed you around here.”

“Well,” Jane said, shooting Will a lethal look, her voice tight. “It’s good to know someone around here appreciates me.”

“I’ll get those bags,” Connor told her.

Jane thrust them at him then stalked into the house.

Whoa.

She definitely had a temper, but she also had a long fuse. It took an awful lot to get her that riled up.

“What’s the matter with her?” Nita asked Will as she helped him to his feet.

“She’s got herself in a dither over something,” he said, leaning on his crutches. “As long as I live I’ll never understand women.”

“Let’s get you settled in then I’ll go talk to her.”

She helped him inside, got him seated comfortably on the couch in front of the big-screen television, then brought him painkillers and a glass of water.

“Can I get you anything else?”

“I don’t think so,” he said, patting her arm. “It’s just good to be home. I hate hospitals.”

“I’m leaving.”

Everyone turned to see Jane standing in the doorway, a suitcase in her hand. Her face was devoid of emotion, but Nita could see barely contained anger not so far under the surface and her voice was as high and tight as an overstretched guitar string.