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“The manager on the breeding side of my business is retiring,” he said. “Having someone with your credentials would be ideal.”
“You don’t even know my name,” I replied. I fidgeted with the end of my braid, twirling it around my finger to keep my hand occupied. “That’s insane.”
“The older guy out in the field said your name was Charlotte,” he smirked.
Gerry would pay for that. I could only hope that he hadn’t put two and two together as to who my father was.
“It’s only a small part of my business,” he continued, slapping another pile of manure into the wheelbarrow. Watching his muscles work was enough to make me drool in my bed at night, and I tried not to stare. “It could help you move on from being a stable hand to, well, wherever you want to be in the industry, I suppose.”
A snake-like grin spread across his cheeks as he dropped the last scoop on top of the others.
“It could take you farther in your career.”
Christ, this asshole was full of himself. I knew he wasn’t wrong, knew how big the Harris name was within the industry, but he was selling it to me like he knew I couldn’t say no.
He wasn’t wrong.
There wasn’t a world in which an opportunity like that just fell into my hands. This was something else, something wild and unpredictable and I wondered if I was dreaming. Five months was a long time to be away from home, away from Dad and my friends, and of course that itch had begun to burn whenever conversations turned toward life back in Boulder. As beautiful as Oahu was, I didn’t want to be here forever.
Such an opportunity would allow me to learn, to grow, and to get back on my feet, hopefully allowing me to set up my own gig someday.
“You can’t just hire me on the spot,” I breathed.
“Then we’ll have a proper interview,” he smirked. “I fly home two days from now. Have dinner with me tomorrow, and we can talk about it, get things squared away, and sort out your return.”
“You’re insane,” I chuckled, the words coming out more sarcastically than I intended. “You can’t be serious.”
He shoved the pitchfork back against the wall and took a step toward me. I could see the entirety of his barely covered chest, little flecks of manure splattered against his white t-shirt and jeans, clumps of it clinging to his boots. “You called me a beast last night. So you know who I am. And, if that's the case, then you'd know I'm not joking, Charlotte.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, just say yes,” Dana chimed in from across the stable with an aggravated huff. I should have known she could hear us.
Hunter’s arrogant grin only widened.
“Fine,” I sighed. “Where are we meeting?”
Chapter 3
Hunter
The sound of a door opening and closing along with a mumbled thank you had me sitting up straight at the table, suit flush to my skin. The wide open, floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse let in a soft but humid breeze, and I breathed it in, relishing the sheer amount of oxygen in the air.
Boulder was nearly a mile in the sky. The Oahu resort I was in was about twenty feet in elevation. Even though the humidity was beginning to get on my nerves, I had to admit, I felt like I could breathe better.
Charlotte came around the corner of the kitchen wearing a black satin dress that reached mid-thigh, black satin heels to match. Her face held a scowl, one that told me I was in serious trouble.
“I thought we were meeting at a restaurant,” she hissed.
“I never said that.” I motioned for her to sit across from me at the circular table, but she didn’t move an inch. “You honestly think I’d talk proper business in public? I’m not the kind of man that lays it all out there for anyone to overhear my affairs.”
She blinked at me a few times, the irritation wavering just a little. “Then what’s with the rose petals everywhere? That’s not exactly professional. Neither is the music.”
I snorted. I’d asked the resort to set up for a private meeting but considering I’d booked the honeymoon cottage, it appeared they took that in a different way. The music had been an unexpected addition. I wasn’t complaining, though. Hopefully it would soften her demeanor. “It was a miscommunication between me and the resort staff,” I explained, swatting the question away with my hand. “Please sit, Charlotte.”
The way her body moved instinctually toward the chair after I spoke was enough to make my cock twitch. I thanked the heavens that she couldn’t see it beneath the table. My gaze clung to her exposed arms and collarbone as she slowly sunk into the seat, suspicion dancing in her eyes.
“I want to hear more about your experience,” I said. In truth, I’d already decided she’d be fine for the role, and I wasn’t desperate to find someone perfect. I just wanted to hear her talk, wanted to see the way her mouth moved, forming words that didn’t drip with disdain. There was just something about her, whether it was her attitude or her beauty, that drew me to her. Made me want her. Made me salivate at the idea of her under me in my bed.
“I thought we were going to eat,” she said, barely keeping control of her irritation.
