Cowboy Casanova - Lorelei James [38]
“No, you surely don’t, because I’ve been reliving them in my head every damn hour for the last day.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Were you gonna show up Friday night? Or stand me up?”
“I hadn’t decided. It was all so…surreal.” She rolled the pen between her palms. “But having you here in my office is surreal too.”
But damn fortunate in his opinion. “You can’t deny something clicked between us last weekend. How about if we talk about it tonight over dinner?”
She gave him a questioning stare. “Dinner? Where?”
“Without adding more fuel to the infamous McKay fire, we’d better stick to my place, because wherever we go in Sundance or Moorcroft, chances are high we’ll run into one of my family members. I’m not sure the new businesswoman in town wants to be associated with a McKay.” When more suspicion flared in her hazel eyes, he realized he’d have to take extra care with her, given how they’d met. “No one knows about my life at the Rawhide Club.”
“You sure?”
“I make sure. I promise. It’s only between us.” He leaned closer. “Have dinner with me tonight, Ainsley. It’ll just be us talkin’. That’s all.”
“None of that tying me up and spanking sex stuff?”
Was there disappointment in that snappy answer? “If that’s the way you want it.” Ben tried hard to reconcile this polished, professional woman with the submissive he’d had beneath his hands only two days ago.
“You can cook?”
“I’m a bachelor. Be pretty sad commentary on my life if I didn’t know my way around a kitchen.”
Ainsley smiled again. “Give me your address and I’ll be there after work.”
“It’s fourteen point eight miles south on Bridger Gap Road. Turn left at the cattle guard. It’s a log house. Can’t miss it.”
Three knocks and Ainsley said, “Come in.”
A tall brunette sashayed into the office. “Public relations from the main Denver branch called. I told them you’d call them back as soon as you finished with your client.”
“Thanks, Jenny.”
Ben bit back a groan. The brunette was none other than Jenny Timsdale. Town beauty queen, hardcore partier and the last-call bar hookup for his cousin Tell. Or his cousin Dalton. Or both, to hear Dalton brag.
She feigned surprise at seeing him. “Ben McKay. Where have you been hiding yourself? I haven’t seen you at the Golden Boot, Ziggy’s or the Twin Pines in forever.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Your cousin Tell hasn’t been too busy to come out and whoop it up with me once in a while.”
He muttered, “I don’t doubt that.”
Ainsley said, “Jenny, is there anything else you needed?”
“No.”
“Would you be so kind as to ask Bonnie to start the new account process? Mr. McKay will be right there, as he’s decided to open an account with us.”
“Sure thing, boss.” Jenny flitted out.
Ben couldn’t help but grin. Ainsley was no pushover. But she’d soon learn he wasn’t either.
“Thanks for the hard sell, Miz Hamilton. I look forward to you meeting my needs.”
“Your banking needs,” she corrected.
“That too,” he murmured. “See you later.”
His week was looking up.
About fifteen minutes after Bennett—Ben—moseyed out of the building after opening a new checking account, Ainsley called Jenny back into her office.
“You buzzed me?” she inquired with fake sweetness.
“Yes. Do you have that number for the PR department? There are four different extensions.”
“Sure. No problem. Be right back.” Jenny’s small, perfectly pear-shaped ass didn’t bounce in the skintight pink leopard print skirt.
Ainsley sighed and swore she’d eat like a bird tonight.
Jenny handed over a slip of paper. “Here you go. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything between you and Ben.”
“No, we were just finishing up. But as long as you asked, what can you tell me about him?”
“Besides he’s as hot as fire? Mama, those blue eyes of his just like…look right into you, know what I mean?”
Yes, she’d been on the receiving end of those soul-pondering looks.
“He’s pretty quiet compared to the rest of his family. But like the rest of them, he’s involved in the McKay ranching operation. He’s not much into the bar scene around here. He probably gets sick of