Cowboy Outlaw Read online

  Some men just couldn’t take a joke. “What I have to say can’t wait until next year. It’s about Gino. He’s very upset.”

  “He’s upset? I’m the one who’s been mutilated.”

  “Oh, come on. It can’t be that bad.” She gazed down at his foot. “I’ll bet if you took off all that gauze, it would hardly even be noticeable.”

  A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Fine. Take it off and see for yourself.”

  Surprised by his acquiescence, she leaned over the chair and began carefully unwinding the gauze. All three yards of it. While she worked, she couldn’t help but study Cade’s foot. There was something almost intimate about seeing the bare foot of a total stranger up close. His was long and lean, with a high arch. The nails were clean and cut short straight across. There were a couple of faded bruises on the top of his foot, possibly from the saw, but more likely from the hazards of working on a ranch.

  “Well, what do you think?”

  Chloe thought she was much too interested in this man’s foot. She forced her gaze to the big toe in question. A neat row of five tiny black stitches arched across the very tip. “I think you’ll make a full recovery. Of course, that’s just a layperson’s opinion.” She bit back a smile. “Have you thought about consulting a specialist?”

  Cade carefully set his bare foot on the floor, his handsome face set in a scowl. “Actually, I’m thinking about calling my attorney. Assault with a deadly weapon happens to be a felony.”

  She straightened, her amusement fading. “You can’t be serious.”

  “Obviously, you’re the one who can’t be serious, since you consider this all a big joke.”

  “It’s no joke,” she agreed. “In fact, I don’t find it the least bit funny that you fired Gino over something this”—she pointed to his toe—“inconsequential.”

  “I happen to like my big toe,” he said through clenched teeth. “And I’d like to keep it. Which means Gino had to go.”

  Chloe swallowed hard and willed the infamous Galetti temper to stay under control. The last thing she wanted was for Cade to kick her out of his ranch house. Not until she got what she came for. “Just give him one more chance.”

  “Why should I?”

  Because she was terrified her brother would do something crazy if he lost this opportunity. He’d been despondent ever since his fiancée broke up with him—frustrated with his lack of job skills and life in general. Gino wanted a challenge. Excitement. Riches. Lately, he’d even talked about following in their father’s footsteps. Gino might be a mediocre carpenter’s apprentice, but she knew for certain he’d make one hell of a lousy jewel thief. Which meant if she didn’t do something fast, another Galetti would end up behind bars.

  “Well?” Cade asked, breaking into her reverie. “Why should I give your brother a second chance to dismember me?”

  As she stared into his deep blue eyes, her stomach suddenly went all queasy on her. This cowboy was too self-absorbed, too stubborn, and much too sure of himself to understand how much this job meant to someone as sensitive and insecure as her brother. And she’d be damned if she was going to beg.

  “Why?” She tipped up her chin. “Because I can make it worth your while.”

  He settled back in his chair and gave her a slow, insolent once-over. “What exactly are you offering, Ms. Galetti?”

  “Myself.”

  ###

  Cade tipped so far back in his chair, he almost toppled over. He grabbed the edge of the dining room table and pulled himself to an upright position. This couldn’t be happening. One moment Kimberly announces she’s joining a convent, and the next moment a sexy woman sails into his home and offers herself to him.

  He must be dreaming. Or hallucinating. Perhaps the trauma of his accident was finally getting to him. Although, if a minor injury induced this kind of fantasy, he was almost willing to give Gino free access to all his power tools just to see what else might develop.

  Almost.

  Of course, this was no dream. Chloe Galetti was standing right in front of him. In the delectable flesh. His common sense told him he could never consent to such an agreement. He’d sworn off letting his impulses make bad decisions for him. Decisions that could hurt him—he let his gaze rove over her once again—or someone else.

  Cade cleared his throat. “That’s an intriguing proposition.”

  She sat down in the empty chair. “I call it good business. Tit for tat.”

  He closed his eyes, wishing she hadn’t used that particular phrase. When he opened them again, she was still there, sitting with one long, slender leg crossed over the other, her dress barely reaching mid-thigh. He’d never seen legs like hers before. They were true works of art. And he was a devoted connoisseur. He tore his gaze from her legs. “Are you sure you’re an interior designer?”

  “Positive. And a darn good one, too. That’s the reason Cowboy Confidential hired me to decorate that café you’re renovating.” She hesitated, then one corner of her mouth tipped up in a slow smile. “Or at least, one of the reasons.”

  “So, I was right!” he exclaimed, confirming his worst fear. “My grandmother did send you here.” He’d been after Grandma Hattie for weeks to hire an interior designer for the café. Only she’d chosen a beautiful woman to work with him. And even worse, a Galetti.

  The fact that she was a Galetti did give him pause. Surely, even Grandma Hattie wouldn’t want him marrying into that crime family and undoing a lot of the progress he’d made since his wild youth. Maybe she’d given up trying to play matchmaker for him. Or more likely, she was getting desperate.

  Chloe nodded and opened that sensual mouth, but he interrupted her before she had a chance to elaborate.

  “Wait a minute,” he said, as the rest of her words finally sank in. “What do you mean, one of the reasons?”

  She arched one delicate brow. “You don’t know?” Chloe leaned toward him, her pink tongue darting out to moisten her lips. “No idea at all?”

  He shook his head, his throat dry. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was purposely tormenting him. But Chloe could have no idea of the effect she was having on him. Cade had learned to keep his strong emotions to himself. Perhaps Kimberly had resigned herself to life in a convent because he’d become too good at hiding his feelings.

  “Interesting.” She settled back in her chair. “Because the rumor is that Hattie Holden is quite the matchmaker.” Her brown eyes flicked over him. “For some inexplicable reason, she thinks we’d be a perfect couple.”

  He stared at her. “She actually said that?”

  Chloe nodded, then tucked an errant tawny curl behind her ear. “She didn’t want to tell me at first, because apparently she believes romance should take its natural course. But then...” Her voice trailed off.

  He looked at her. “But then... what?”

  “But then she saw how upset I was when I learned you’d fired Gino. I believe I might have even called you a few unsavory names in the heat of the moment.”

  “Such as?”

  She blinked innocently at him. “I’m sure I don’t remember.”

  He was sure she did, but he let her continue the story.

  “I was going to quit on the spot, but Hattie convinced me to give you another chance.” Chloe smiled. “She’s a very determined woman.”

  Determined was an understatement. She might not literally be able to move mountains, but his grandmother had definitely caused a few avalanches in her time. If she was set on bringing Cade and this Galetti woman together...

  He suppressed a shiver, although he knew that same wily determination had saved his butt more than a few times. And one time in particular. If it hadn’t been for Grandma Hattie, Cade might not even be sitting here right now, ready to turn down Chloe’s incredibly tempting offer.

  She seemed nice enough, for a Galetti. And at one point in his life, he would have fit right in with her outlaw kin. But he didn’t dare risk such an incendiary connection now—no matter how much
he was tempted.

  Besides, it was appallingly obvious that she was completely wrong for him. He frowned up at her, mentally listing all her flaws. A sassy mouth. A killer body. A classically beautiful face. A quick temper too, judging by the sparks he’d seen in her big brown eyes. And worst of all, a brother named Gino.

  He sat back in his chair with a sigh. No, Chloe didn’t fulfill any of the requirements on his list for the perfect wife. But despite her obvious flaws, he found it more difficult to turn her down than he’d expected. “I’m flattered, Ms. Galetti.”

  “Call me Chloe,” she reminded him.

  “Chloe,” he echoed. “I’m flattered by your very generous offer. I admire your loyalty to your brother and the lengths you’re willing to go to help him. But I’m afraid I can’t...”

  “I’d do anything for Gino,” she said, interrupting him once again. “Family loyalty is very important to me.”

  “Me, too,” he muttered. Family loyalty rated very high on Cade’s list of wifely requirements. But one positive didn’t make up for all the glaring negatives that still tipped the scales against her.

  “How important?”

  He blinked. “What?”

  “Exactly how important is your family to you?”

  “What does that have to do with your offer to sleep with me?”

  She stared at him. Then the corners of her mouth quivered until she couldn’t contain herself any longer and burst out laughing. “Sleep with you?”

  He scowled, wondering what was so darn funny. “Yes. In exchange for me hiring back your brother.”

  “This is too much,” she said, her laughter abruptly subsiding. She took a deep breath to compose herself. “Just what kind of woman do you think I am?”

  “I... I...”

  “And what kind of man,” she continued, anger flashing in her eyes, “would even consider using a woman that way?”

  This had gone far enough. “I think you misunderstood me. I had no intention...”

  “You know,” she interjected, “I’ve met some thickheaded cowboys in my time, but I didn’t realize men like you still existed.”

  “If you would just allow me to get a word in edgewise,” he said between clenched teeth, “you’d find out I had absolutely no intention of taking you up on your offer.”

  But instead of mollifying her, his words seemed to offend her. Sparks lit her eyes. “So not only did you believe I was willing to offer my body to you, but you also have the nerve to sit there and tell me you’re not the least bit interested.”

  “I never said that,” Cade growled. “I’m very interested. I’m so interested I can barely sit up straight. In fact, if you’d like me to prove it to you, I’ll be more than happy to oblige.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” she said primly. “Because I’m definitely not interested. Not now, not ever. So can we please return to the subject at hand?”

  He was both disappointed and confused. “What subject?”

  She settled back in her chair, still bristling, and scowled at him.

  As much as he hated to admit it, she was just as appealing to him in the heat of anger. Maybe even more so. A rosy blush stained her creamy cheeks. Her brown eyes sparkled. His own blood raced in anticipation of what she might say or do next.

  “Family loyalty,” she said at last. “Gino is the only reason I showed up here tonight.”

  He rubbed one hand over his face. Gino. Why did she have to remind him? Although perhaps it was a good thing she had, considering the directions his thoughts had taken just a scant moment ago. She was a Galetti. Which meant she was off-limits.

  She tilted her head to one side as she studied him. “The way I see it, we need each other—professionally speaking. Pine City has a shortage of good interior designers and I’m trying to build my resumé. So, are you interested in my proposition?”

  “Maybe you’d better explain exactly what you mean by proposition.”

  “Fine. I’ll talk slowly this time, so you understand.” She leaned forward. “If you will hire my brother back, I’ll offer Cowboy Confidential my interior designer services for free on a future project.”

  “Be still my heart,” he said dryly. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

  She arched a brow. “I thought you said family loyalty is important to you. Are you really willing to disappoint your grandmother? She was very worried I was going to quit when she heard my tirade against you.”

  “Tirade? I thought you just called me a couple of names.”

  “Among other things.” She cleared her throat. “The point is, she has her heart set on the two of us working together. Are you willing to break it?”

  Chloe couldn’t have hit her mark better if she’d drawn a bull’s-eye on his chest. The last thing Cade wanted to do was disappoint Grandma Hattie. He owed her. Big-time. Still, he’d sworn to himself not to get matched up with a woman through Cowboy Confidential. And until Chloe walked through his front door, he’d thought he’d succeeded.

  “I don’t know,” he said slowly, studying her face. “Are you sure you’re not in this to find a fella?”

  “Of course not.” She suppressed a shiver. “And your grandmother will eventually realize that we’re completely wrong for each other.”

  “You can say that again.”

  “We’re completely wrong for each other.”

  He frowned at her. “That was just a figure of speech.”

  “I know. I just wanted to repeat it in case you once again fall under the delusion that I have any interest in sleeping with you.”

  Her words pricked him more than he wanted to admit. He’d never had two women so thoroughly reject him in one night before. “Not a problem.”

  “So do we have a deal?”

  His common sense told him to turn her down and turn her out of his ranch house. But his love for his grandmother overrode his better judgment. “Deal.”

  “Good,” she said with a sigh of satisfaction. “I’ll tell Gino that he can show up for work first thing in the morning.” She rose to her feet and held out her hand. “Shall we shake on it?”

  Cade complied, enveloping her smaller, softer hand in his large grasp. The warmth of her skin sent an odd shiver through him, and he was surprised by the strength of her grip. “Give me a chance to call my insurance agent first. I want to increase my accidental death-and-dismemberment policy to the max.”

  “Very funny,” she mused, turning toward the front door.

  Cade stood up to follow her, momentarily forgetting about his sore toe. “Wait a minute. How exactly will this work?”

  She turned around. “What do you mean?”

  “How will we convince Grandma Hattie that we’re not meant for each other?”

  “I think that will soon become obvious to everyone.” Then she nibbled her lower lip. “Although, we’ll have to pretend to get along at the very least, or your grandmother might replace me. And I have some great design ideas for the café, so I’d rather stay on the job.”

  “Okay then, we’ll need to compare notes. The sooner we get this place ready to go, the sooner we can part ways.”

  “Perfect. Are you free tomorrow night?” Chloe asked him. “I’ve got everything set up in my office and I’d rather not haul my designs down to the café while there’s still sawdust in the air.”

  Cade hesitated, not wanting to misunderstand this invitation too. “You’re inviting me to your office on a Friday night?”

  “Yes, say around eight? I can show you a few of the design plans I’ve drawn up. And you can bring some takeout for us. We’ll go over your blueprints during dinner and brainstorm some ideas.”

  “Okay, sure.” He limped toward her. “No problem.”

  She smiled up at him. “See, we’re working well together already.” Pulling a business card out of her purse, Chloe handed it to him. “Here’s my home address and cell phone number.”

  “Home address?” he echoed, taking the card from her. “I thought we were meeting at your o
ffice.”

  “I’m temporarily working out of my house,” she clarified. “Setting up a new business takes time and money, so I haven’t had a chance to rent office space yet.”

  He nodded, a feeling of uneasiness stirring deep inside him. She was inviting him to her home. On a Friday night. And asking him to bring dinner. “Okay, got it. What kind of takeout would you like?”

  “How about Thai?”

  “I don’t like Thai food.”

  She shrugged. “Okay, how about Indian. I love a good curry.”

  He winced. “Sorry, I’m not a big fan.”

  “All right,” she said with a slight shake of her head. “What would you like to eat?”

  “I know a great barbecue place. How do smoked ribs with cornbread and coleslaw sound?”

  She smiled. “My favorite combination.”

  “Mine, too. Seems we have something in common, after all.”

  “Scary, isn’t it?” she quipped, then sailed out the front door.

  Cade leaned against the open doorframe and watched her walk toward her car, a sporty red two-door coupe that looked out of place next to his mud-splattered pickup truck. The night air was crisp and cool, making her quicken her steps as she crossed the yard. The way her dress molded to her swaying hips made his mouth go dry. Then realization sank in. He’d be spending every day of the next two to three weeks working with her.

  Scary was certainly the word for it.

  ###

  By Friday, Cade was more than scared; he was downright suspicious. The night before he’d tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep, and replayed Chloe’s unexpected visit in his mind. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced she had orchestrated every aspect of their encounter—right down to the alluring shade of lipstick she wore. How else could he explain the fact that he’d agreed to work with Chloe Galetti after vowing to his grandmother that he’d never fall into one of her matchmaking traps?

  Then another thought hit him, chilling him to the very marrow. Maybe Grandma Hattie had planned it this way all along. Asking him to hire Gino, the power-saw incident, Chloe’s visit to his ranch and their unusual deal.