Tap That

“That can’t be right.”

“Beck is telling you the truth.”

“I’m sure there’s a misunderstanding.”

“Damn right there is,” Beck said. “He plans to hold your feet to the fire. You signed the contract and he plans to put you to work.”

“I’ll go see him tomorrow.”

“So you definitely signed on the dotted line,” Seth muttered, processing.

“Yes, damn it, yes. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“You didn’t read it?”

“I read it.” She took a deep breath and shook her head in apparent disgust. “I skimmed over it.” She kept shaking her head. “I believed him when he said that he couldn’t exactly order aprons, T-shirts, slacks, and shoes for every Jane Doe that walked in the place looking for work. He claimed that he needed a way to protect himself.”

“You clearly didn’t believe him. You quit before you started,” Beck pointed out.

“It was a mix of bad vibes. I had a lot going on here and could earn more if I started boarding more horses and teaching more riding lessons. Then one of his girls told me that he planned to ‘make’ me dance.”

“I bet that went over well,” Seth said.

Beck agreed with Seth. He could almost picture Lindsey pitching an outright fit.

“What else?” Seth asked.

“There’s nothing else to tell. I heard that I would be expected to strip during training, but that he would still honor the job he offered me. According to the girls who work there, he may be an ass but he apparently honors his word. Still, he would’ve trained me in all areas of the business. That’s how he lures the girls into dancing. A lot of them don’t care to keep stripping after they’ve done it once.”

“That was his plan all along,” Beck said. Bonzo would’ve seen dollar signs from the moment Lindsey walked in his joint. A natural blonde, she had that girl-next-door look. She was petite, not exactly curvy, but she had a washboard stomach—he’d seen her in a swimsuit—thin, shapely legs, high tits, and an ass that a man couldn’t help but notice.

Seth said, “Hon, what did you tell Bonzo exactly?”

“After I discovered he wanted me to take my clothes off, I called him, just like I said.” She took a deep breath. “The truth is, I’d already given up. The only hope I had was Bob Callaway. When he didn’t reappear, I started to put two and two together. Since it was too late to work out another arrangement, I didn’t have a lot of choices left.”

“You could’ve come to us.”

“And what? Begged?” She shook her head. “Not my style, Beck. Plus, after Farmer’s Lending had a staff turnover, no one was willing to work with me. The handwriting was on the wall.”

“What was scribbled there exactly?” Beck asked, arching a brow.

“They wanted the farm. They’ve always wanted it. The way they kept extending money to Daddy even when the economy was bad strongly suggests that they had other ideas all along. Sad thing is, right after Daddy died, I should’ve been prepared. I’d watched our friends lose their places. I knew how this game was played.”

“Bonzo is on the Board of Directors at Farmer’s Lending,” Beck told her. “And like I said, he’s part of the investment group. You’ve heard of it, I’m sure—Farlow’s Real Estate Group.”

Lindsey gasped. “Isn’t that the company that bought the Brentwork farm down in Fayetown?”

“It is,” Beck said, hoping she was beginning to see the seriousness in the situation.

“They don’t waste a minute,” she said, true sorrow in her expression. “I may not have time to try and save the place then.”

“Actually, you do,” Beck said. “However, I’m not about to ruin this moment by talking business. I have other things in mind.”

Chapter Five

They took turns kissing, petting, and outright groping. Seth was gentle but Beck was a little rough. He wouldn’t treat the woman he wanted any different than the women he’d bedded in the past.

Lindsey’s clothes were discarded and Beck stood back admiring one hell of a pretty lady. Her dainty features and petite frame made him wonder, at least for a second, if she could handle two men, particularly the likes of them.