The Cowboy and His Billionaire

Brice

She said yes to having dinner with my parents. That's a big deal for me because if there’s any chance of something more between us, it’s important she gets along with them. I wonder if meeting the parents is a big thing for her in Dallas, too. I'm sure she meets so many people she can breeze through dinner without an ounce of nerves.

That's what I tell myself, until she steps into the living room and her anxiety is all over her face. She looks beautiful, like the girl next door, every man's fantasy in a casual dress and her cowboy boots.

"You look stunning and perfect." I pull her into my arms and hold her tight. She relaxes slightly, which helps me calm down. I like that she trusts me.

"But why don’t you go put on a pair of jeans? I want to take you horseback riding and show you some of the land while we’re on that side of the ranch."

She nods and goes to her room to change. Last night, she had all sorts of questions about my parents. I explained that my house and land is part of the ranch Dad bought, though they live on the other side of it. While we made a road for us to go to and from each other's houses, normally you'd have to go down several roads and it could take twenty minutes from my driveway to my parents with how it's set up. She found that really amusing.

When she walks back out in jeans that hug her curves perfectly, I groan.

"What? Not a good outfit?" She looks down at her clothes.

My next words slip out without thinking. "No, I love what you’re wearing. Just sayin’, your ass looks amazing in those jeans." To prove my point, I grab an ass cheek in each hand and pull her toward me so she can feel how hard I am. "Though, I’ll miss the easy access of the dress you had on."

We haven't gone any further than kissing and cuddling, but boy, do I want to. I figure I should at least let her know my intentions.

My head is at war with my heart. My head says enjoy it while she's here, it could be the best sex of your life and it has been a long time. While my heart says it would be so much more than sex, and I shouldn't even think about it unless I'm going to make this work when she goes back to Dallas.

I've been ignoring them both and trying not to think about it. She's here and I want to enjoy our time. I guess we’ll figure the rest out later. Now that her headaches have stopped, she’s been doing some work on her laptop. The doctor in me knows there’s no reason for her to be here anymore, but neither of us has brought it up.

"Let’s get going or we’ll be late." I let go of her and take her hand, heading out to my truck.

I navigate the dirt road to my parents slowly. I'm used to the bumps, but don't want to hurt Kayla.

The moment we open the truck doors, we can smell my mom’s dinner cooking. My guess is she's been cooking all day knowing Kayla was coming over. It's what she does.

"Whatever she’s cooking, it smells amazing,” Kayla says as we step up on the front porch.

I grin. "Make sure you tell her that."

I don't bother knocking. Mom and Dad would just yell at me.

"We're here!" I call once we’re inside.

Mom and Dad greet us in the entryway, hugging us both.

"Now, take off your boots. You know the rules." Mom wags her finger at me before going back to the kitchen.

Following Dad to the living room, I sit on the couch. Kayla tries to sit on the other side of the couch, but I pull her to me. I don't want that much space between us. My dad chuckles but says nothing.

Mom enters the room with a tray of drinks, and some cheese and crackers.

"You didn't start without me, did you?" Mom asks.

"I haven't said a word." Dad holds his hand up in the air as mom pours us all some sweet tea and passes out the glasses.

"So, Kayla, have you always lived in Dallas?"

Before we came, I’d warned Kayla that talking to Mom would be like a job interview, and not to tell her anything she doesn't want the town to know. Mom can keep secrets about family, but Kayla is the hottest gossip in town. Since Mom is having dinner with Kayla, it makes Mom gossip royalty for the foreseeable future.

"Yes. My parents met there, and my dad started the company right before I was born."

"Ever live anywhere else?"

"Yes, Boston for school, but I wasn't a fan. The change of scenery was nice, and it was good to have some distance from my parents, but it wasn't Texas."