Read Online Lone Star Courtship by Mae Nunn - Free Book Online

friendly conversation? The latter was unlikely, given the purpose of his visit.
    She could almost hear her father’s soothing voice.
    Just shoot straight, kiddo. So she did.
    â€œAt first they were all heavily invested, but once we were in a position to go public, most decreased their holdings. But everyone still supports us, of course.” She nibbled at her oatmeal while he chewed a second link with gusto and no apparent reaction to the sausage laden with cracked red pepper.
    He wiped his fingers on a paper napkin and took a long swallow of ice water. She’d only had belly burners once since arriving in Texas and that experience had required antacids for a full twenty-four hours afterward.
    â€œHow about you, Barrett? You’re part of a family business, too.”
    â€œWell, I’m trying to be part of it anyway.”
    â€œTrying. That’s an interesting way to put it.”
    She scraped the burned corner from a triangle of toast and buttered it lightly, wondering if what he’d just said could be used to her advantage.
    â€œOur firm has been serving clients for nine generations and we’ve divisions that cover every conceivable facet of the law. Unfortunately, I’ve tried them all and none suits me. The study of the craft is more to my liking than the practice of it.”
    â€œYou’re still a young man. It’s not too late to follow your heart and go the academic route.”
    â€œMy family lives by the adage ‘Those that can, do. Those that can’t, teach.’”
    â€œSo your parents don’t approve?”
    â€œApprove?” He scrunched his forehead. “They don’t even know.”
    â€œThat’s incredible. With me it’s always been just the opposite. I put my parents and siblings on notice ten years ago that I’d be CEO of H & H one day. My father is sixty-seven and with my only brother settling down in Austin it looks like I’ll get my shot at the position before I’m thirty-five.”
    â€œWhat about your sisters?”
    She waved away the absurd thought as if batting at a pesky fly.
    â€œThey’re as much into their kids as I am my career.”
    â€œCould all that ambition be the reason for your heebie…”
    â€œJeebies.” She licked a drop of honey off the back of her spoon and shook her head. “That goes way back before it ever occurred to me to run a corporation that would generate billions in revenue.”
    Barrett nodded and dug into his eggs.
    â€œSo, power and control appeal to you.”
    â€œIt’s not about appeal. It’s about achieving the goals I set for myself during college, and seeing the fulfillment of my strategy for the company. I can’t be happy with anything less.”
    â€œWell, then. It seems you’re just the sort of executive my client hopes to engage.”
    And once again he gave her a smile that would charm any starstruck female. Her stomach clenched and sent a shockwave of shivers throughout her system. Was it the thought of making headway on her plan or the appeal of the man seated across from her? They were interchangeable now, and she was beginning to wonder which one she truly found most exciting.

Chapter Six
    L ater that day, Barrett parked in the shade behind the construction office. He made a pass around the American luxury sedan, admiring the sheer size of the automobile as he pulled items from the trunk.
    Though it was well after the lunch hour, there was only one vehicle out front and no activity at all across the way at the site. Maybe the crew made allowances for the humidity and took breaks out of the reach of the simmering rays. An appealing thought as he moved into the heat.
    When he turned the corner and started up the steps to the landing, he was pleased that no one was around to hear his stomach give a menacing rumble. He’d been a fool to eat even one of the evil breakfast sausages, and a glutton for eating four. A