Read Online So Not a Cowgirl by Starla Kaye - Free Book Online Page B

rummaging through all the desk drawers.” He bristled, feeling half like a kid caught hiding something from his mom and half like a boss whose employee had gotten way out of line. He focused on the furious boss.
    But before he could rail into her, she rolled her eyes and blew out a breath that had to have come up clear from her pink-painted toes. He got knocked off kilter watching her breasts rising and falling. And that gave her time to snap, “You’ve had me wasting my time searching for stupid invoices and balancing accounts when I should have been working on this audit.”
    “ Don’t stomp your feet. That’s childish,” he said, ridiculously grabbing at that action to comment on. His head pounded and he really didn’t want to get into this or anything else right now. But he sure would later.
    Tanya stomped one foot and then the other just to spite him. “Stomping my feet isn’t half as childish as trying to hide this letter from me.”
    Okay, they were going to do this, no matter how bad he felt. “The matter is none of your business.”
    He reached up to rub his forehead, closing his eyes for a second’s worth or relief, which he didn’t get. “I’ll take care of it. You were never going to be here long enough to deal with it, so there was no point in getting you started on it.”
    Drew opened his eyes to find her staring at him in disbelief. There was also a distinctive hurt look in her expression. He hadn’t meant to hurt her, just keep this particular bit of business to himself.
    He glanced down in discomfort, only to take in the sight of her in that little skirt now fluttering in the breeze around those amazing legs. Another mistake on his part. Heat curled through him yet again, even more so with the added sparks from their confrontation.
    “ You need to leave the ranch. Today,” he managed to say as he forced his gaze higher.
    “ What?” she questioned. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Because I found this note? Because I’m trying to help you? You’re firing me?”
    “ No. Yes. No.” He watched the way her shoulders slumped, watched the fire leave her expression. “I’m not firing you. It’s just best that you leave.”
    “ Best?”
    “ Yes.”
    “ You’re right! I never should have come here.” Suddenly her fire was back, practically flaming off her. “I told Mandy this was a stupid idea. I told her you didn’t really want my help. I told her you didn’t even like me.”
    She drew up her shoulders and raised her chin. “I’ll go pack right now.”
    She slapped the IRS letter against his chest, making him jerk in awareness at the touch of her fingers. She froze for just a second, obviously very aware of him as well.
    That second gave him the time to blurt out without thinking, “I do like you, dammit. That’s the problem.”
    She blinked and slowly removed her hand from his shirt, taking the letter with her again. “You do?”
    He shrugged, wishing like hell he’d kept his damn mouth shut. Instead he added, “Kissed you the other day, didn’t I? Damn mistake that was, too.”
    “ It didn’t feel like a mistake at the time.” Then she smiled, gently. “There are moments when I like you too.”
    Her smile struck him stupid. Okay stupider. “Only moments?” He didn’t know why he was pursuing this subject. Teasing her in any manner was dangerous.
    She looked around to make sure no one else was nearby. “Truthfully, I think you’re pretty hot. Even for a cowboy. And I’m not usually into all this country stuff, including country men.”
    His headache was forgotten now. His brain was definitely stuck in the “stupid” zone. “Hot, huh. For a cowboy.” He stood straighter, giving her the full effect of his cowboyhood allure.
    “ I’ve even had a fantasy or two about you.”
    The woman sure knew how to stroke a man’s ego. Without meaning to, he admitted, “I’ve fantasized about you a time or two as well.”
    Before the conversation could really get out of