Cowboy Casanova - Lorelei James [37]
“Checking out Carter’s latest piece of art.” Now go the fuck away.
“So you’re not shopping for a new bank?”
“Maybe.” Ben kept his focus on the woman he hadn’t been able to get out of his head.
Bill kept yapping. “I reckon Steve Talbot would take issue with that, since the McKays have always banked with Settler’s First. Although this bank president is much prettier than Steve.”
“You’re president of this bank?” Ben said with total shock.
Her eyes turned frosty.
“Look, Bill, how’s about you don’t mention to Steve you saw me in here and I won’t mention to him I saw you?”
“Deal. See ya around, McKay.”
Ben moved close enough Angel had to look up at him. “We need to talk, Madame President.”
“I’m very busy—”
“I don’t wanna make a scene, but I will.”
The pink on her cheeks deepened.
Ben’s gaze wandered over her tousled golden-brown hair, streaked with amber, that fell past her shoulders. “Don’t ever wear that ugly-ass wig again. Jesus, woman, I like the look of you. So real. So pretty and soft.”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what? Pay you a compliment?”
“Don’t come into my place of business and act like you control me here.”
Stung, he bit off, “Then I would appreciate ten minutes of your time in private.”
“No.”
“Really? You’re gonna turn away business? Because I want to open an account.”
“Fine. Bonnie can help you with that—”
“Nope. I want you to help me. Only you. So we doin’ this or what?”
Her eyes still held a warning. “Five minutes.”
As they headed toward her office, a voice called out, “Ben?”
He faced a miserable-looking Rielle. “You done already?”
“Yes.”
“Give me ten minutes.” He extracted his keys from his pocket and handed them over. “You can wait in the truck.”
Rielle’s gaze moved between them. “Okay.”
Inside a glass-fronted office, she skirted the desk, offering a curt, “Shut the door and have a seat,” and slid into an oversized chair.
“I’ll stand, thanks.”
“I’d think you were a gentleman, saving the chair for your wife or girlfriend, if I didn’t just see you order her to sit alone in the truck.”
Any veneer of calmness fled. Ben cut across the room and placed his hands on her desk, looming over her. “First off, I wouldn’t have been in the Rawhide Club screwing around with other women if I was married or seeing someone.” Breathe, man. His gaze dropped to the nameplate. Whoa. Her name wasn’t Angel? “Maybe I oughta be questioning you and your motives, since you, oh, lied about your damn name and wore that ridiculous wig.”
“Given my occupation, I’m sure you understand why I disguised myself. Plus, I had no idea what to expect from an establishment like the Rawhide Club since it was my first foray into such a place. Better to be safe than sorry.”
“Fine. I guess I can buy that.”
She fiddled with a pen. “Can you please sit down?”
“Am I makin’ you nervous?”
“We already established last weekend that you make me very nervous, Bennett.”
“Call me Ben,” he corrected, perching on the edge of the floral-covered wingback chair. “I only use Bennett at the club. Or my mom uses my full name when she’s pissed off at me about something. Which you can imagine is all the damn time.”
Ainsley smiled.
“I like it so much better when you’re smiling at me, angel. The name fits you, although that’s not your name.” His gaze tracked over the engraved nameplate. “So, Ainsley Hamilton, you’re a bank president.”
“So it would appear. You surprised?”
“No. I knew you were sharp, and I figured you had a job where you were used to bein’ in charge. You haven’t been in Sundance long.”
“How do you know?”
“I’ve lived in this area my whole life. People talk when a hot single lady moves into town. I’ve haven’t been in town in recent weeks… Shame on me for not introducing myself earlier.”
“You’re part of the infamous McKay family.”
“Infamous is an exaggeration.”
“Not from what I’ve heard. Anyway, I haven’t been out and about Sundance. There’s a lot to micromanage when opening a new branch. I spent the first weekend unpacking and last weekend—” Her blush seemed to annoy her. She squared her shoulders. “I don’t need to give