He’d been looking into members who had been outspoken about allowing women in the Texas Cattleman’s Club and compiling a list of people who’d been denied membership. Maybe someone had a grudge against members after being excluded. This list was damn long. He would have to farm out some of the names to employees in his firm. Once they found identifying markers, he could dig deeper into the cyberworld and with human intel here.
He leaned back in his chair, the floorboards creaking beneath.
When he closed his eyes, his thoughts went right back to his date with Natalie. Kissing her, the way she felt pressed up against him. How freely she’d given herself over to dancing. No matter how many showers he took, he could still smell the flowery scent of her hair.
A rap on the door forced his eyes open. His heart rate accelerated as he cleared his throat to answer.
He swiveled in his chair and faced the door. “Come in.”
Natalie in the flesh, not in his memory. Looking as sexy as ever. Maybe even sexier.
She held a plate with a slice of pecan pie à la mode. A loose cotton dress draped along her curves and brushed the tops of her bare feet. “I saw you were still burning the midnight oil and thought you might like a late-night snack.”
Oh, he was hungry all right. Looking at her sent a gnawing ache straight to his gut.
“That’s incredibly thoughtful of you.”
She stayed in the doorway, not walking in but not passing over the plate. He tried to get a read off her and what she wanted. She scrunched her toes, and he noticed her nails were painted green. Interesting. Not the conventional choice he would have expected.
And damn, he was in a sad shape if he was obsessing over her toes. He scratched his chest over his heavily thudding heart and realized he wasn’t wearing a shirt.
Max cleared his throat. “I’ll grab a T-shirt and we can go downstairs to get a second slice of pie for you to join me.”
Natalie looked over her shoulder at the empty hall and then took a step closer to him. “How about you leave the shirt off and we share this one in your room?”
Whoa.
Just holy hell, whoa.
That was not what he’d expected her to say.
As much as he wanted to haul her in without hesitation, he was starting to care about her. He wanted to be certain she wouldn’t regret this and boot him on his ass five seconds later. “Are the kids with Tom and Emily?”
She held up her phone, a low hum of music emanating. “I have a monitor going between their bedrooms. They’re next door. I’ll hear if they need me. I figured that out for keeping them safe and separate from boarders.”
“Of course. I should have realized you would have that figured out.” He didn’t know much—anything—about parenting. His mother sure hadn’t kept track of him at that age and his foster families were usually overwhelmed by the sheer number of kids around. Natalie was...incredible. Beautiful and giving. He should tell her to go. Should. But couldn’t. “Are you certain you want to share that pie?”
“Absolutely certain.” She met his eyes without hesitation, and with her free hand placed a condom in his palm.
Not much stunned him anymore.
Well, not until Natalie had walked into his life.
His hand closed around the condom. She couldn’t be any more obvious than that.
He stepped aside, clearing the way.
She looked back over her shoulder at him with a toss of her hair. “Aren’t you going to ask me why?”
“And give you a chance to talk yourself out of being here? I don’t think so.” He closed the door with a decisive click. All the doors locked automatically, like at a hotel, an upgrade to the place he appreciated right now.
She glanced at the desk and he nudged aside the computer, clearing a space for the plate. Natalie put down the pie, pulled two spoons from her pocket and held them up. “I’m hoping you’ll share?”
“My pleasure.” He plucked a spoon from her hand and clasped her wrist in his other hand. “One condition, though.”
She tipped her head to the side. “What would that be?”
“We get to feed each other,” he said, grinning as he sat and pulled her into his lap.