Revenge of the Second Son

The next afternoon, as she drove over the arching causeway to Galveston and looked below at sparkling blue water, she asked herself the same question worrying her constantly since leaving his office. Would this weekend help save Holcomb Drilling?

Could she resist Nick’s sex appeal? She reminded herself that all she had to do was remember what he intended to do to her heritage and future.

She shook her shoulders as if she banished a problem. How easy it was to think his appeal diminished when she was miles away from him!

“Be polite, professional,” she reminded herself, glancing at the rearview mirror. She wanted something from him and there was no hope of getting it if she exposed her fury.

In minutes she parked at the Galveston Yacht Club. She slipped her backpack and her purse over her shoulder and picked up her briefcase. Taking a deep breath as if going into a battle, she circled the yacht club and strolled down to the wharf to look for the slip with his boat. She spotted him in cutoffs, a T-shirt and wraparound sunglasses. He and another man were in a motorboat. When Nick saw her, he sprang to the dock and came striding forward to meet her.

It was warm and she’d worn cutoffs, a cotton shirt, deck shoes and sunglasses and she suspected that behind his dark glasses, he was giving her a quick, thorough assessment. An appraisal that she gave him in return while her pulse thudded. His T-shirt molded sculpted muscles, the short sleeves stretched by thick biceps. His chest tapered to a narrow waist, flat stomach and well-muscled legs. The cutoffs were brief and tight. She should have guessed that beneath those elegant suits he wore, he had muscles.

The same mixture of attraction and dislike gripped her. She hated his intentions to destroy her family’s business but, as a woman, she responded eagerly to Nick.

“You really intend to work,” he said, taking her briefcase from her.

“Certainly. That’s the whole point of getting together this weekend.”

“I thought my personality enticed you.”

She had to laugh at him. “With the lifelong differences between us? I don’t think so.”

“When you weren’t here half an hour ago, I thought you’d changed your mind about sailing with me,” he said.

“No. Just a slight delay,” she said, startled that he guessed that she’d almost canceled the weekend. Duty urged her to do what she could and spend time with him, so she was going to follow her conscience.

“Great,” he said, taking her arm. He waved her briefcase slightly. “I’ll make a bargain with you. In the interest of getting acquainted and laying some groundwork for keeping things civil between us, no business discussions until twenty-four hours from now. That way, we’ll have a pleasant weekend, get acquainted and get down to the nuts and bolts maybe tomorrow this time. How’s that for a deal?”

“Fine with me,” she said, looking into his unfathomable brown eyes and wondering what was behind his suggestion. Was he laying the groundwork for seduction? The mere speculation thrilled her in a way she hated.

“Good,” Nick replied cheerfully. “Come meet my captain, Luis.”

Nick jumped into the motorboat, causing it to rock slightly. He set down her briefcase, took her backpack and purse. Then his hands closed around her waist and he swung her into the boat. He lifted her easily and they gazed into each other’s eyes while he held her. Her hands rested on his forearms, where she detected the flex of solid muscles. Each contact heightened her reaction to him. He held her a fraction longer than necessary and she stood with her hands on his forearms when she could have stepped away. As she looked into his brown eyes, she knew he wanted her. He released her and turned to a man standing in the boat.

“Julia, this is Luis Reyna. Luis, this is Miss Holcomb.”

She greeted the tall black-haired man and then she sat in the front of the boat. She watched Nick’s muscles ripple and flex as he unfastened the line and pushed away, and in seconds, they chugged slowly from the dock.

“So where are we headed? I know we’re not spending the weekend in this,” she said, looking at a number of yachts and sailboats at anchor.

“There’s my boat, For Ransome,” he said, pointing to the southwest.

She followed his gaze to see a large, sleek yacht. “Give or take a few feet,” she said, repeating what he had told her about his boat. “It has to be over forty feet long,” she said, eyeing the white yacht that had teak accents and a thin gold stripe on the hull. Nick smiled and shrugged.

When they were alongside, a man dropped a ladder over the side. Nick took her backpack and purse and scrambled up, turning to help her, leaning down to circle her waist with his arm and swing her to the deck.

This time, he released her immediately. “Julia, this is Dorian Landry. Dorian, meet my guest, Miss Holcomb.”

She greeted the man and then walked away while the two men talked. Nick’s luxurious yacht exceeded her family’s large, comfortable sailboat, reinforcing her awareness of Nick as a powerful, formidable opponent no matter how sexy and appealing he appeared.

“Let me show you your cabin,” he said, catching up with her. She followed him down a companionway to a spacious starboard cabin with a cream berth in beige and white decor.

“Want to come above while we head out? We’ll travel along the coast. I’ll give you the official tour of my boat later.”

“Sure,” she said, setting down her things, aware that in spite of the roominess, Nick dominated the cabin with his height and presence. When they went above, to her surprise, Nick took the wheel and she glanced around. “Where’s Luis? And Dorian?”

“They’re headed back,” Nick said with a jerk of his head.

Startled, she frowned at Nick. “We’re alone?”

“Yes. I thought that’s what we agreed,” he replied, looking at her and his eyes narrowing. “Changed your mind? I can take you back.”

“No,” she answered, questions tumbling in her mind. Could they be civil to each other through the entire weekend? Would she be able to resist his charm? Could she cope with him alone for hours on end?

“Of course not,” she replied, hoping her voice sounded cool and composed and far from giving away mild panic. “I was just surprised that you didn’t keep a crew on board.”

“No need,” he answered easily, gazing ahead as if his thoughts were more on navigating than on her. “I like handling the boat and I’m sure you don’t want every minute of my time,” he remarked dryly, turning to meet her gaze. Electricity sparked between them and she couldn’t look away. Silence stretched, crackling with tension.

His dark chocolate, thickly lashed bedroom eyes could nail her and she wondered how much he saw. He was fit, handsome and she had to admire his drive and energy, which she wished he had directed somewhere besides at her family.

Did he know how she truly felt toward him, that the weekend was a sham? She wanted something from him and she intended to get it.

She inhaled, but she still couldn’t look away. Then his cell phone rang, breaking the spell. To give him privacy, she started to leave, but Nick motioned her to remain while he listened to his call.

“No, we’re not losing that property, Tyler. Go as high as you need to, but you see that we’re the buyers,” Nick said and then was quiet again. “I don’t care. Just acquire the leases, whatever you have to pay.” Another moment of silence. Wind had tangled his curly hair, and unruly locks just added to his handsome looks.

“We’re losing the connection, Tyler. You’ve got your authority and instructions.” Nick turned off the phone and set it down.

As she listened to him, descriptions materialized in her thoughts—sexy, ruthless, driven, handsome, good, bad and irresistible. His hands moved lightly over the wheel and he glanced at her. “I don’t exactly see approval in your expression.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know enough to approve or not approve.”

“Oh, yes, you do. You know my company will outbid the others no matter what price. You don’t approve.”

“I don’t know the circumstances. I just know you like to win.”

“I’d guess we’re cut out of the same cloth there. I don’t think you like to lose, either,” he said dryly.

“I doubt if winning or losing is as all-important to me as much as it is you. There are other things that I give my efforts to.”

“Is that right? So how do you like to spend your time?” he asked. His voice transformed into a lower, huskier tone that gave his question a hint of sexual innuendo.

“Get your mind off sex,” she said lightly. “You know that wasn’t my reference.”

“I can always hope,” he replied, and she smiled.

“There, that would melt the hardest heart,” he said, touching the corner of her mouth. “What temptation!”

“Perhaps now you should concentrate on getting your yacht into open water.”