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Fortune's Prince Charming
Nancy Robards Thompson
Zoe Robinson had never known true love—until Joaquin Mendoza rode into Austin and stole her innocent heart. The new guy at work is brilliant and aloof, but Zoe's nursing a secret of her own: her dad might be connected to the famed Fortune clan!But the determined beauty has never backed down from a challenge - not when it comes to her family, and not when it comes to love.Joaquin believes he’s all wrong for the wealthiest gal in Texas—he’s got one too many family issues keeping him from surrendering his heart to lovely, innocent Zoe. Until shocking allegations surface about her family drama, and Joaquin realizes that he might be the ideal match for his Texas princess after all!



MEET THE FORTUNES
Fortune of the Month: Zoe (Fortune?) Robinson
Age: 25
Vital statistics: She is the beautiful, sheltered daughter of computer guru Gerald Robinson— who just might be Jerome Fortune.
Claim to Fame: Zoe handles marketing for Robinson Tech. She is also a pro at “handling” some challenging family members, including her dear old dad.
Romantic prospects: She’s the boss’s daughter, which some might find highly appealing. For Joaquin Mendoza, it means she’s wearing a big sign that says Keep Off.
“They say women of my generation don’t believe in fairy tales. We are not sitting around waiting to be rescued by a handsome prince—we take care of ourselves.
“That may be true, but I still believe in love at first sight. And in recognizing your One True Love when he comes along. For me, that’s Joaquin Mendoza. He’s gorgeous and sexy, but he’s so much more. I feel as if I can see straight into his soul. He wants me, too—I just know it—and I want him to be my first. My first, my last, my only. But my strong, silent hero is holding back. Joaquin has no idea how alike we really are …”
* * *
The Fortunes of Texas: All Fortune’s Children— Money. Family. Cowboys. Meet the Austin Fortunes!

Fortune’s Prince Charming
Nancy Robards Thompson

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
National bestselling author NANCY ROBARDS THOMPSON holds a degree in journalism. She worked as a newspaper reporter until she realized reporting “just the facts” bored her silly. Much more content to report to her muse, Nancy loves writing women’s fiction and romance full-time. Critics have deemed her work “funny, smart and observant.” She resides in Florida with her husband and daughter. You can reach her at www.nancyrobardsthompson.com (http://www.nancyrobardsthompson.com) and Facebook.com/nancyrobardsthompsonbooks (http://www.facebook.com/nancyrobardsthompsonbooks)
This book is dedicated to Jennifer.
Never forget you’re a princess. All my love, always.
Contents
Cover (#ue62e02b6-8f79-5b07-b8fa-a2ea49ff0a64)
Introduction (#u52281d05-dc7b-559b-ab80-c43c9bfd40ed)
Title Page (#u4e968e56-9b27-5786-86d6-cf5e0993e8b8)
About the Author (#ucc2575bf-3706-5d6f-b90b-2939d9bb022a)
Dedication (#u9d7f4794-0a14-5cd1-b6b1-bd3752e4177f)
Chapter One (#u2bdb4f8c-f20f-5a9f-941a-86bbb1b7efbd)
Chapter Two (#ud46ccf14-363a-5b77-9f9e-8fe007bae623)
Chapter Three (#u6eda5afc-fb1b-5e31-8718-b1ee96f44154)
Chapter Four (#u5ade5106-dd80-5884-8301-7eccc2d9db87)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#ulink_2bf52d02-d73e-58fb-9b34-4f18a4e62bc9)
“Zoe Robinson, you could have your choice of any man in this restaurant. Why must you fixate on the one guy you can’t have?”
Zoe pursed her lips and tested her friend Veronica’s theory, letting her gaze do a quick sweep of the people in the Gilded Pig’s dining room. The rustic joint was jam-packed with its usual lunchtime clientele. Strains of a heartfelt country tune set the backdrop for the scene—mostly businessmen of varying ages, shapes and sizes who pushed up their shirtsleeves and tucked paper napkins into their collars to protect their white button-downs from what was arguably Austin’s finest barbecue. Even though the room contained an appetizing smorgasbord of men, not a single one in the large barn-turned-restaurant piqued her interest. Each and every one of them probably had fine qualities and was certainly worthy of someone’s love, but not a single one did anything for Zoe. Not even the cute guy who was grinning at her over his pulled pork sandwich.
As the music—Tim McGraw maybe?—asserted something about being a real bad boy who at the same time was a real good man—she flashed a noncommittal smile at the guy and turned back to Ronnie.
“Why fixate on Joaquin Mendoza? Because I can’t get him out of my mind. That’s why.”
Ronnie scrunched up her face the way she always did before she stuck a big fat reality-check pin in Zoe’s balloon of possibility. “That would be very romantic, Zoe, if only he would ask you out. Or even better, if he would talk to you about something other than business.”
Okay. So, maybe Ronnie had a point.
Still, Joaquin Mendoza had swept her off her feet from the moment he’d first walked into Robinson Tech several months ago. Actually he’d captivated her the first time she’d met him when her sister Rachel married his brother Matteo, last year. They’d been paired as maid of honor and best man, but the focus of the weekend had been on the bride and groom and, at the time, Zoe had no idea her father would end up hiring him as a programmer at Robinson Tech to work on a special project.
It wasn’t simply that he was older and tall and good-looking—no, scratch that—the guy was gorgeous. There was something about the cool way he held himself, and he had the strangest ability to put all of her senses on high alert the minute he ventured within five yards of her. It was like his superpower. Zoe had been ruined for other men since Joaquin Mendoza had walked back into her life three months ago. It was too bad he seemed more interested in work than in getting to know her better.
He hadn’t messed with her equilibrium on purpose, of course. In fact, even after all this time, he didn’t seem to recognize she was a woman who was interested in a man.
A very specific man.
“Okay, if you’re going to be stubborn, maybe you need to take things into your own hands. Who says you have to wait for him to ask you out?” Ronnie continued, straining so that her voice was heard above the music. “I mean, if you like him, maybe you’re the one who needs to break the ice—make sure he knows you’re interested in him. In the past, you’ve never had a problem with making your intentions known.”
Zoe sucked in a long, calming breath, blew it out in a measured gust and took in the Gilded Pig’s decor. A decade ago the space had housed an antiques market. Keeping true to its roots, the Pig was decorated with vintage pieces such as the ornately carved church pews that served as seats for the booths, mirrors with light-reflecting mercury glass that seemed to double the already expansive space, and old wooden chests of drawers and sideboards that held napkins, silverware, condiments, steaming coffeemakers and sweating pitchers of iced tea.
“I don’t know, Ronnie. This feels different.”
“How so?” Ronnie asked.
Zoe thought about it for a moment, but she couldn’t really put it into words. She knew Ronnie thought it was because Joaquin hadn’t pursued her like the other guys. But putting that aside, he wasn’t like anyone else she’d ever known. This was different. Even if she couldn’t define it, she could feel it in her bones.
“Trust me. With him, I think the old-fashioned approach will work better than coming on like gangbusters. He’s a little older than I am and I get the vibe that he likes to be the pursuer. So that’s the new preamble to my Husband List. Let the guy be the hunter and stake his claim.”
“You have a new preamble to the list?” Ronnie asked flatly.
Zoe lifted her chin. “Yes.”
For as far back as Zoe could remember she’d had a list of deal-breaker qualities she wanted in a boyfriend. Over the years the Boyfriend List had morphed into the Husband List. It included things such as must love animals; must make me laugh; must be passionate about his work but must not let work come before me.
“Girl, you are no wallflower. You’ve never had any qualms about making the first move. I would so not sit at home and wait around for a man who can’t seem to catch a clue.”
“Who says I’m sitting around at home?”
“Didn’t you just say you’re waiting for Prince Charming to make the first move?”
“Just because I’m holding out for Prince Charming to ask me out doesn’t mean I’m sitting around.”
“All I’m saying is even Cinderella had to put herself out there to get what she wanted.”
Zoe smiled and sat a little straighter. “I do feel like Cinderella. Only in reverse. Because I’m the one searching for the perfect fit. I’m the new-millennium Cinderella.”
Yeah. She liked that.
Ronnie took a long sip of her sweet tea and then set it down and gave Zoe one of her looks.
“In my book, the new-millennium Cinderella doesn’t even need a prince. She’s her own woman and all she wants is a fun night out and a great outfit.”
The two girlfriends laughed. But Zoe found nothing funny about the way Joaquin looked right past her unless she spoke first. When she spoke, he was always charming and amiable. So at least he didn’t hate her. But there had to be a way to get through to him. Because these dead ends made her feel as though she was losing her mojo. She wasn’t about to toss in the towel without a good try. Well, a try that involved getting him to make the first move.
The server refilled their iced tea and set a mountain of red-velvet cake and ice cream between them. The dessert was so big it could’ve easily fed four hungry adults. But in anticipation of a treat, Zoe had kept lunch light, ordering a salad with grilled chicken. She fully intended to do her fair share of damage to the Pig’s signature dessert.
“Is there anything else I can get for you girls?” the server asked.
Yes, please. One surefire plan for how to get the guy?
“We’re fine, thanks,” said Zoe.
The server smiled. “Just holler if you need me.”
She left them and went to a table across the way where a man was flagging her down.
Zoe settled back into the red-checked cushion that lined the booth’s stark, hard wood.
“Okay, we are not leaving this restaurant until we come up with a foolproof plan to get Joaquin Mendoza to ask me out.”
Veronica sighed and propped her elbow on the table, resting her chin on her left hand and forking up a healthy bite of the cake with her other hand. “Why are you asking me? This is so not my department, Zoe. You’ve always been the one who gets the guys.”
“You’re only as good as your last victory,” Zoe said. “Joaquin is always working, rarely looks up from his computer.”
“Isn’t that why your dad hired him?”
Yes, but...wait a minute...
“I think you’re on to something, Ronnie.”
“I am? Okay.”
“I don’t know why I didn’t think of this myself.”
“Um. You lost me somewhere between the first bite and the bit about Joaquin’s computer obsession?”
“My dad. He mentioned that he loves Joaquin’s work ethic, but he also said he wished he would get more involved around the office.”
“Did he really say that?”
Zoe nodded.
“In so many words.” She shrugged. “Actually, it was more like he thought Joaquin was sharp and hoped he could find a permanent position for him after he finished the consulting job. So you could interpret that to mean he should get involved.”
Zoe shrugged again as she scooped up a forkful of cake. “Well, he should get involved. With me.” She nodded resolutely and put the bite into her mouth.
“I don’t know, Zoe. Don’t you think you should be careful?”
Zoe swallowed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, is this going to turn out like all the others?”
Zoe poked at the cake’s white icing with her fork, leaving tine marks that looked like tiny bird footprints on a snowy lawn.
“The others?”
“Come on, Zoe, don’t be coy. You know you love the thrill of the chase. Once you get the guy, you lose interest, you move on.”
That was partially true, but not simply because she had a short attention span. She believed in happily-ever-after. She knew exactly what she was looking for in a man and she didn’t intend to settle. What was the use of hanging on to a guy who was wrong for her? If she knew the relationship wasn’t going anywhere, wasn’t it better to not lead on a guy? So, when the relationship had run its course, it was time to move on. It wouldn’t do anyone any favors, prolonging the inevitable.
“It may seem that way, but it’s not what it seems like. I have my reasons.”
Ronnie arched an eyebrow over a knowing smile.
It wasn’t as everyone thought. She had her reasons for moving on. Reasons she didn’t care to discuss with anyone—not even Ronnie—because it was a little too personal.
Why did everyone have to be so judgmental, anyway? Especially when they didn’t know the full story. Even if she did like to flirt, she was young and free and she had high standards.
She wasn’t sorry about that.
How would she ever meet her prince if she didn’t do a little kissing? She was down with meeting her fair share of frogs to find Prince Charming.
And speaking of kissing— “I have a plan. I’m going to ask Joaquin to help me put together a new website for the launch of the new FX350 Tablet.”
Ronnie frowned. “Doesn’t Phil in design handle things like that?”
“Maybe, but not this time. Plus, Phil is swamped with other projects. He will probably welcome the help. Since Joaquin is such a computer geek, he has to know how to do a simple website. He can help out a damsel in distress.”
She batted her eyes and fanned herself with her napkin. “What gentleman doesn’t like coming to a lady’s rescue?”
* * *
The project meeting lasted much longer than Joaquin expected, and he was behind schedule with his report. That meant he’d have to burn the midnight oil. But what was new? Late nights in the office had become a way of life since he’d come to Austin. In the three months since he’d moved from Miami, he’d traded dinners at South Beach restaurants for microwaved frozen meals eaten at his desk.
The sound of a knock on his open office door jolted him from memories of the Miami club scene back to his office at Robinson Tech.
Joaquin looked up at the sound of a knock on his open office door.
Zoe Robinson stood there like a vision in black and pink. Damn, she was a stunning woman.
“Are you busy?” she asked.
“I’m always busy.” He minimized his computer screen, more out of habit than for privacy. “But come on in.”
He could’ve set his watch by her visit. She seemed to find her way by his office most afternoons around this time. He really didn’t mind, even if her reasons for stopping by were usually thinly veiled. He’d been around the block enough to know when a woman was flirting with him.
He had to admit he was flattered by her attention, but that was as far as it would go. She was a nice kid. And she was exceptionally easy on the eyes. Hell, she was innocently sexy with that long, honey-brown hair that hung midway down her back. Don’t even get him started on those big gold-flecked chocolate eyes of hers that seemed to change colors with her moods and tempted him to stare a little too long.
Nope. She was strictly off-limits because, hypnotic eyes and short, flirty skirts aside, she was way too young for him. When he’d been hired on at Robinson Tech back in February, the entire office had celebrated her twenty-fifth birthday. That meant he was nine years her senior.
If the age gap wasn’t enough reason to steer clear, all he had to do was remind himself that she was the boss’s daughter. He knew better than to go there. Been there, done that back when he’d lived in Miami. He’d learned his lesson and he certainly didn’t intend to make the same mistake again. Especially given that his brother was married to Zoe’s sister Rachel. That could get very messy.
“What can I do for you, Zoe?” he asked as she entered his office. Today she looked even cuter than usual. Her skirt did a great job showing off her toned legs. Not that he noticed, because he kept his gaze glued to her eyes so that it didn’t slip into forbidden territory.
“It’s your lucky day, Joaquin,” she said as she planted herself in the chair across from his desk. Her eyes sparkled and her broad smile was contagious.
“Is that so?” he asked. “Enlighten me.”
She sat forward on the chair and leaned in conspiratorially.
“Out of all the people in the office, I’ve chosen you to help me with a project.”
Her smile showcased perfect white teeth. She cocked a brow as though she was about to present him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
The phrase “he who speaks first loses” came to mind. So, Joaquin arched a brow right back at her, leaned back in his chair and waited for her to give him the lowdown.
“So, you know the FX350, that new tablet that my father talked about at the staff meeting last week?”
Joaquin nodded.
“We are pushing up the launch date and I need someone to build a brand-new website for it.”
He waited for her to laugh or at least crack a smile to indicate she was joking, but she didn’t.
Okay. Well. This was interesting. He certainly wasn’t above helping out with the project, but his pay grade didn’t make that a very good use of his time for the company. Not to mention, Robinson Tech had a design department and he didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes.
He was trying to think of a way to say that without sounding pompous, but before he could find the words another big smile slowly spread over Zoe’s face.
“Gotcha,” she said. “I’m just kidding. I wish you could’ve seen your expression, though. It was priceless. I know that’s not your department. Though you’re more than welcome to be part of the web-site design project, if you’d like.”
“You’re quite the practical joker, aren’t you?” he said.
Zoe shrugged. “As I said, you’re welcome to join us. If you do, then it wasn’t a joke at all. However, I did come to ask for your advice on something.”
She was adorable and outgoing and sometimes she flitted from subject to subject so fast, he almost got whiplash. Like right now. But he really didn’t mind.
“About what?”
Out in the hall the faint hum and purr of the copy machine provided the soundtrack to two coworkers discussing a sports match—sounded as if it might’ve been soccer, but Joaquin wasn’t familiar enough with the local team to be sure.
“Do you mind if I close the door?” Zoe asked.
That probably wasn’t a good idea, but Zoe was already on her feet. The door clicked shut, blocking out the extraneous office noise, and they were alone.
They’d be fine for a few minutes.
He had a meeting with Zoe’s dad, Gerald, at three. No one was late to a meeting with the boss. He’d have to go soon, anyway. On his best days Gerald Robinson was gruff. Joaquin didn’t want to know what he’d be like if someone kept him waiting because he was flirting with his daughter.
So that meant he could give Zoe fifteen minutes max.
Ten actually. He’d need a few minutes to gather his thoughts and notes before he made his way to Gerald’s office.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked.
Zoe stared at her hands for a moment. Suddenly uncharacteristically somber.
“You’ve been here...what, three months now?”
“Something like that. I started in February.”
Last December he’d moved from Miami to Horseback Hollow, Texas, a quaint little town just outside Lubbock. All but one of his brothers and his sister had moved there to be close to their father, who had relocated to work at the Redman Flight School. His dad had been mourning the loss of his wife, Joaquin’s mother, and thought the change of scenery would be good for him. Horseback Hollow had agreed with his father so well that Joaquin had decided to leave Miami and give small-town living a try, as well.
Sometimes the grind of South Florida was just too much. Plus, he had accumulated too much excess baggage living there for so long. All he wanted to do was to lighten his load. But even though Horseback Hollow had been a good fit for his father and siblings—his dad was in love again, and his brothers and sister had met and married their future spouses there—the laid-back pace was way too slow for him.
He’d wanted to make a new start, but after being there only a couple of weeks he’d felt as if he was stuck in a different kind of rut in the small Texas town. When his brother Matteo’s wife, Rachel, offered to put in a good word for him at Robinson Tech, Joaquin had jumped at the chance to move to Austin when Gerald Robinson, the man himself, had offered to bring him on to consult on a temporary project.
“Since you’ve been here,” Zoe said, “you’ve worked pretty closely with my dad and you’ve had a chance to get to know him.” Her words trailed off.
“I haven’t worked directly with him that much. But your dad is a computer genius and I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to work for Robinson.”
Zoe raised a finger. “That’s precisely my point. He is so smart. Sometimes too smart for his own good. How can I put this delicately? Because I adore my father, I just want what’s best for him.”
“Right,” Joaquin said. “Everyone knows you and your father are close.”
“Joaquin, will you please help me help my father improve his image? He’s not exactly a diplomat or even a people person for that matter, and it’s really starting to take its toll.”
Oh, hell, no. That was a recipe for disaster if he’d ever heard one. He was a computer geek, for God’s sake. Gerald probably knew more about diplomacy than he did. Well, that was stretching it, but not by much.
“Just the other day,” Zoe continued, “I called a Robinson client who works with the South by Southwest Festival to see if I could interview him for that lifestyle blog I do for Robinson Tech. I was going to tie it into the calendar software program we have and, you know, have the event on the calendar. But you know what happened?”
Joaquin shook his head. “What happened?”
“The guy hung up on me. Before he did, he asked if this was Gerald Robinson’s company and when I said it was, he called my dad a bunch of names I won’t repeat and said he didn’t want anything to do with anything that Gerald Robinson was involved with and he would be taking his business elsewhere. The he hung up on me. I mean, my dad has even started offending clients. So someone needs to stage an intervention. And quick.”
“You want me to help you stage an intervention for your father?”
Gerald Robinson was a gruff, cranky old genius who certainly wouldn’t appreciate a temporarily contracted employee butting in where he didn’t belong. That was the quickest way to get him a first-class ticket out of there. Do not pass Go. Do not collect two hundred dollars.
Yet one look at Zoe’s earnest face and he knew this time she was not kidding. He’d have to find a way to let her down easily.
He smiled and shook his head. “You must have me confused with someone else, Zoe. I’m the guy who’s good with computers, not people. In fact, I could probably borrow some of those tips you’re trying to gather up for your father. This is a delicate issue. You, his daughter, might be able to go there, but the rest of us need to tread carefully. If I got involved, I guarantee you it wouldn’t be pretty.”
She didn’t say anything. Just stared at her hands in her lap. He hated disappointing her, but this was way out of his league.
“That website you were talking about a minute ago?” he said. “I’d rather do that. It’s more my speed than making over your father’s image.”
She looked up and blinked as if her mind was changing gears.
“Are you saying you’ll help me with the website?”
“Wait. What? No.”
“But you just said you’d rather do that, and I was only half joking when I brought up the new site a minute ago. Phil in design is swamped and I could really use some help. Otherwise, I’ll have to outsource the job. I can write the content, but all that technical HTML stuff is like a foreign language to me. Will you help me, Joaquin? Please?”
She wrinkled her nose and gave him a tentative smile that almost seemed as if she was holding her breath waiting for his answer.
The woman was a force of nature. He wasn’t quite sure what she’d just done there, and he obviously didn’t know what he was doing when he heard himself saying, “Sure, I’ll help you with the website. Why don’t we schedule a meeting?”
He thought he saw a flicker of surprise in Zoe’s eyes. “Oh, thank you. Does tomorrow at three o’clock work for you?”
He called up the calendar on his phone. “I can spare a half hour.”
“Well, we will just have to make the most of that time, then.”
She smiled at him as she stood and smoothed her skirt. Before he could stop himself, his gaze followed the path her hands were tracing. When he realized what he was doing, his gaze skidded back up to her face so fast, if there’d been a music to accompany the moment it would’ve sounded like a needle scratching across a vinyl record.
Had she just played him? The treacherous waters of possibly hosting an intervention to teach Gerald Robinson manners had certainly made the thought of designing a website for the FX350 seem like a child’s birthday party in comparison.
The victorious glint in her eyes tempted him to backpedal, but he didn’t. And when the unspoken window of opportunity to back out closed, he knew he’d need to be careful.
He had to admit he was attracted to her. He’d have to be dead or barely breathing not to be. She was a stunningly beautiful woman, but he was not going to cross that line. He could exercise some self-control for the duration of their thirty-minute meeting.
“So, your place or mine?” The flirtatious note was back in her voice.
But before he could answer, someone knocked and opened the door. “Sorry to bother you— Oh!” Steffi-Anne Bunting, the office manager, stuck her blond head in but stopped midsentence when she saw Zoe standing there.
Her eyes narrowed as she looked back and forth between Zoe and him.
“Do you need something, Steffi-Anne?” Joaquin asked.
“I was just, uh—” She pointed at a clipboard in her hand. “I just noticed that we don’t have your RSVP for the executive office trip to Cowboy Country. We leave this Thursday afternoon and we need a final head count. May I put you down as a yes?”
Steffi-Anne was another one who tended to pop into his office regularly. She could’ve emailed him about this. But since she was here now... “Actually, I sent my regrets last week. Didn’t you get it?”
“Yes,” Steffi-Anne said, “I got it, but—”
“You’re not going?” Zoe cried. “You have to go.”
Joaquin shook his head. “This is a team-building thing. I’m a temporary employee. I didn’t think it was appropriate.”
“It’s completely appropriate,” Steffi-Anne countered with a slightly condescending tone. “That’s why you were invited. That’s why I’m following up.”
The truth was he just wasn’t good at this rah-rah, team-building bull. It made him uncomfortable. No, uncomfortable wasn’t a strong enough word. It made him feel like a caged animal. And all he wanted to do when he felt backed into a corner was get the hell out.
He looked at the two attractive women standing in his office and knew that he should’ve loved the fact that they both seemed to take extra interest in him. There was a time not so long ago when he would’ve dated both of them. At the same time, as a matter of fact. He would’ve reveled in the game of juggling them both, along with various other women he might’ve kept up in the air right along with them.
Not anymore, though.
He’d learned the hard way that office romances usually led to disaster, and he knew damn good and well that toying with emotions was the fastest way to earn an express ticket to hell.
“I’m sure you’ll have a great time at Cowboy Country, but I have a lot of work to get done and a very short amount of time to accomplish it. So, thanks, but I’ll have to decline.”
“We’ll see about that.” Steffi-Anne’s smile was out of context with the edge in her voice.
“Stop pushing him,” Zoe said. “If he doesn’t want to go, he doesn’t have to.”
Clutching the clipboard to her chest, Steffi-Anne put her free hand on her thin hip. “Look, Mr. Robinson wants every employee in the executive office to go on this Cowboy Country retreat. If it makes you feel any better, Joaquin, it’s for work. It’s not for fun. Heaven forbid anyone ever force you to have fun. I think you’ll want to clear your schedule.”
His gaze snared Zoe’s. Despite the way she’d defended him, there seemed to be something hopeful in her eyes. She’d be there, of course. Suddenly, the thought of attending the retreat seemed a lot more palatable.
Chapter Two (#ulink_99ee4ab3-36cc-5915-a9e0-68084ddd29b1)
The next afternoon Zoe positioned two cappuccinos, red plastic stirrers and various packets of sugar and artificial sweetener on the corner of her desk. She turned the cups just so, then walked over to her office door and looked at them from the angle of someone just entering the room.
“That looks too posed,” she murmured under her breath as she walked back to her desk.
Well, of course it did. “It is posed. Just be cool and casual about it.”
She picked up one of the paper cups and took a sip, making sure to leave a bright red lipstick imprint before setting it closer to her computer keyboard. That way it would look less formal. Not as if she was waiting for Joaquin to drink her coffee.
For good measure she returned the other cup and the condiments to the beverage carrier on the credenza behind her desk.
What if he didn’t like cappuccino? What if it looked too presumptuous that she’d bought him a coffee? What if she drove herself crazy with all this second-guessing?
She placed her hand on her breastbone. Her heart was thudding. She took in a steadying deep breath—going in through her nose, releasing it through her mouth.
This wasn’t a date, and it wasn’t as if she was delivering a coffee to his office out of the blue. He was helping her with the website. It was a nice gesture. Of course it didn’t seem presumptuous.
If he didn’t like coffee, she would simply give it to someone else.
“What are you looking at?” The sound of Joaquin’s deep voice made her jump. He was standing behind her, following her gaze with his own.
She turned to him with a sudden feeling of clarity. “You want to know the truth?”
“Of course.”
“I got you a cappuccino when I went out to get myself one, and I just realized I have no idea if you even like coffee. Do you?”
“I love it,” he said. “And, actually, I could use a shot of caffeine right now.”
Zoe gestured toward the credenza. “Well, there you go. At your service.”
As Joaquin helped himself to the lone cup in the holder, Zoe made a mental note that he didn’t add any sweeteners to his coffee.
Good to know. For future reference.
“Thanks for this.”
Joaquin took a long sip of his drink, set it on her desk and then proceeded to move one of her office chairs around to the other side of the desk so the two of them would be sitting side by side. She couldn’t help but notice how his biceps flexed and bunched under the short sleeve of his white polo shirt. The light color showcased the deep, bronzy tan of his skin and she had a sudden mental picture of him on South Beach in Miami in a pair of board shorts and nothing else. She’d gone there for spring break when she was in college. Too bad she hadn’t known him then.
It made her wonder about his life before coming to Robinson Tech. Had he dated a lot of women or did he have someone special?
“Shall we get started?” Joaquin gestured for her to sit. After she slid into her seat, he settled in next to her. He was close enough that she could smell the soap he’d used and the subtle herbal scent of his aftershave. She propped her elbow on the chair’s armrest and leaned closer, breathing in a little deeper, savoring the scent of him as he pulled the wireless keyboard toward him.
Obviously he was oblivious because he was all business. With a few keystrokes he’d called up the page they needed and had signed in to a screen that looked utterly foreign to Zoe.
She centered herself in her chair, prepared to act like the consummate professional and not some lovesick puppy fawning all over him. That was the opposite of the tactics Steffi-Anne used. Zoe knew the woman had it bad for Joaquin. She and every other female in the office. But where Zoe tended to go all starry and wistful around him, Steffi-Anne became a dominatrix.
It was interesting how Joaquin didn’t seem to be partial to either of them.
Professionalism was Zoe’s safety net, her comfort zone. She’d gotten her job because of her ability and not simply because her father owned the company.
Steffi-Anne had made a few passive-aggressive digs about nepotism and, if Zoe were completely honest, it used to bother her, but she’d learned to let her job performance speak for itself.
That’s why she needed this website to be top-notch. That’s why she’d asked for Joaquin to lend his expertise.
She’d emailed him the specs and design ideas for the new site, as well as some images she’d procured for the project. Since she’d already turned in her homework and had no idea what all the numbers, letters and symbols he was keying in meant, she knew she would be no help right now.
What was the harm in making a little small talk?
“So, you like coffee,” Zoe said. “What else don’t I know about you?”
“What do you mean?” He kept his gaze trained on the computer monitor as his fingers tapped on the keyboard.
“I mean, I realized that we’ve been working together for three months and I barely know anything about you.”
“I’m a private person,” he said.
“So, does that mean that you won’t even share basics with me? You know, the niceties that people share when they’re getting to know each other? Even if it’s just to make conversation?”
“Is that what we’re doing? Getting to know each other? Or making conversation?”
“I’d like to get to know you.”
When he didn’t protest, she took it a step further.
“How about if I ask you one question and then you can ask me one after you answer mine?”
“Why do you get to go first?” he asked drily.
“If you feel strongly about it, you can go first. By all means. Please.”
His hands stopped typing and he slanted a glance in her direction. So, he was going to humor her, after all. For the first time since Joaquin had walked through the Robinson Tech doors Zoe felt a glimmer of hope where he was concerned.
Casually, she shifted her weight to her right elbow and discreetly inhaled another deep breath.
“Ladies first. By all means.”
“You’re such a gentleman.”
There were a million things she wanted to ask him, but she knew if she went right for the juicy, personal stuff, it might send him back into his shell.
So she opted for something that stayed on neutral territory to warm up the conversation.
“What did you decide about the Cowboy Country trip?” she asked. “Are you going?”
“Actually, I think I will.”
“Really? Are you just trying to get Steffi-Anne off your back? The woman doesn’t like to take no for an answer, does she? You’d think it was her own personal party.”
“I don’t know about that,” he said. “But I have family in Horseback Hollow and I figured it would be a good chance to visit. But instead of riding the bus with everyone and staying with the group on Thursday, I think I’ll drive down on my own and stay with my dad. I’ll miss the dinner Thursday evening, but I’ll catch up with everyone Friday.”
“That’s right. You lived in Horseback Hollow before you moved here, didn’t you?”
“I’m from Miami, originally. I only lived there for a few months to be with my family before I moved here. Horseback Hollow was a little too sleepy for me.”
He had a point. It probably was dull when compared to Miami. Even Austin had a different feel than South Florida. Granted, there was a lot more going on in Austin than in Horseback Hollow; Austin was edgy while Miami had more of a sultry, sexy feel.
Yes, sexy, sultry, like Joaquin Mendoza. With those brown bedroom eyes, he could’ve been the poster boy for everything that was exciting about Miami. She was certainly glad he’d brought that excitement into her world.
Her stomach fluttered.
Yes, she was very glad he was here now. Maybe if he continued to help with projects like this website, her father would find a permanent position for him after Joaquin had completed his temporary assignment. Then he could move here full-time.
“How do you like Austin?” she asked.
He shrugged, but just barely because his full concentration seemed to be focused on the computer screen.
“So far, so good.”
Okay, that was a little noncommittal. His expression and body language were a little aloof. And he’d given a closed answer.
Maybe she should move on to another topic?
Horseback Hollow was too sleepy for him. He’d gone there to be closer to his family. She liked that. Family was everything to her, even if her siblings could be a little overbearing sometimes.
Like the way her older brother Ben had been harping on the fact that several members of the illustrious Fortune family lived in Horseback Hollow. He was obsessed with the Fortunes and the absurd notion that their own father was related to them. Between Ben and her sister Rachel who lived in Horseback Hollow, they’d managed to get their sisters and brothers on the bandwagon, too. It was causing a lot of strain with their father, who insisted there wasn’t a drop of Fortune blood in his veins.
Even though Zoe was firmly on her father’s side and respected his word that he wasn’t related to the distinguished clan, she still thought it would be interesting to see what Joaquin had to say about them.
“So you know the Fortune family, don’t you?” Zoe asked. “I mean you have a connection to them, right?”
He looked at her for a moment as if he were trying to read her.
“It’s a huge clan, but I do know some of them since my brother Cisco is married to Delaney Fortune Jones, and my sister, Gabriella, is married to Jude Fortune Jones. But, honestly, I haven’t spent much time around them. Why do you ask?”
Her stomach clenched and she suddenly regretted bringing up the subject. Still, she had, so she felt as if she owed him some sort of explanation.
“The Fortune name has been bandied about quite a bit these days among my family.”
“Really? How come?”
Zoe sighed. “It’s a long, complicated story.”
Joaquin turned his attention back to the computer. “If you’d rather not say, that’s fine. I really don’t know them that well. If you think about it, my brother is married to your sister. So, really, there’s as much of a connection between us as there is between the Fortunes and me.”
She might have taken offense to that remark if he hadn’t raised his brows and smiled at her in a way that sent ribbons of awareness fluttering in her stomach.
Zoe remembered the first time she’d met Joaquin. It was last year at Rachel’s wedding. She’d been the maid of honor and Joaquin had been Matteo’s best man. She guessed the special honor had been bestowed upon him because he was the oldest of his siblings. She wondered how he felt being the eldest and having three of his four younger siblings married before him. She knew about his family because she’d pumped her own sister for information. Then again, the order in which siblings married didn’t seem to bother guys.
All she knew was that she was glad she was one of the youngest of her clan because there seemed to be something in the water in Austin, too. In addition to Rachel getting married last year, her brothers Ben and Wes had meet their soul mates this year and were living their very own happily-ever-afters.
At the rate she was going she might end up being the spinster sister, or at least the last one married. Her gaze swept over Joaquin’s perfect profile and her stomach performed that somersault that was becoming all too familiar when she saw him.
“Were there any Fortunes in Miami?”
He shook his head.
“Not to my knowledge. It seems like this is bothering you a bit more than you’re admitting. Sure you don’t want to talk about it?”
As she looked into his eyes all she could think of was how much she’d love to talk to him about anything. Shoot, she’d even be happy sitting there discussing the complicated gibberish on the computer screen. Then again, she’d do more listening than talking since she knew so little about it.
“Can you keep a secret?” she asked.
He looked at her warily. “If this is something you shouldn’t be telling me, then maybe you shouldn’t.”
“No, it’s not really a secret. I mean, not one that shouldn’t be told. If it was, I wouldn’t talk about it. I guess what I was trying to ask is that you keep it between you and me. Of course, it’s not as if you’d tell anyone here. You don’t seem the type to engage in office gossip.”
He chuckled. “No, gossip isn’t really my thing.”
He had turned his full attention on her now. As he sipped his coffee, watching her over the cup, her mouth went a little dry.
She followed suit and took a sip of her coffee before speaking. “All right. So, get this. My siblings have latched on to the absurd notion that my father is somehow related to the Fortunes.”
Joaquin squinted at her, looking as confused as Zoe had felt when she’d first heard the news.
“Is he?” Joaquin asked. “It’s a huge family. There are branches all over the place. It wouldn’t surprise me if there were Fortunes in Austin.”
“There aren’t. I mean, at least there aren’t any Fortune bloodlines tied to the Robinson family. My father has made that perfectly clear. I don’t completely understand where my brothers and sisters got this notion, but I think they should drop the issue since our father has asked them to.”
“But they keep pushing?”
“Right. My brother Ben went as far as tracking down a woman named Jacqueline Fortune. He’s convinced that she is our long-lost grandmother. But get this. She had one son named Jerome—Jerome, not Gerald, mind you—and when Ben asked her about him, she told him that her son, Jerome, was dead. She said he died decades ago. But do you think that stopped Ben from moving ahead with this weird crusade? No, he just keeps pushing and pushing and hitting dead end after dead end. He thinks Jacqueline Fortune is mistaken.”
Not only did Joaquin knit his gorgeous brows, he flinched at the notion.
“What?” he said. “Wouldn’t a mother know if her son died?”
“I know, right? Apparently, Ben located Jacqueline in a memory-care unit of a nursing home. I think she is suffering from some form of dementia.”
Joaquin was a good listener and Zoe appreciated it. He drew in a breath the way people do when they’re weighing whether or not to say something.
When he didn’t speak, Zoe asked, “What?”
“I can see that you are one hundred percent convinced that your father is telling the truth. But I still don’t understand why you are asking me about the Fortunes.”
“I’m not trying to dig up more evidence, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“No, of course not.”
Zoe shrugged. “I guess I’m just curious. But, you know, let’s just say even on the very far-flung chance my father was related to the Fortunes and for some reason he wanted to keep it from us... A—why would he hire you with your connection to that family? And, B—I mean, he’s clearly made a new life for himself and he’s asked his kids to drop it. I don’t see why they’re going against his wishes, continuing to doubt him and trying to dig up new evidence that proves he’s lying. If he says he’s not a Fortune, I think the family should respect that and leave the past in the past. What difference does it make who he used to be?”
As Joaquin sat back in his chair, his eyes darkened a shade.
“Are you asking my opinion or are those rhetorical questions?” he said.
“I’d love to hear your opinion,” Zoe said.
Joaquin took in a breath and let it out slowly, as if weighing his words. “Personally, I believe a family has a right to know their roots and where they came from, even if one person thinks he has a good reason for hiding the information. I think it’s better to get everything out into the open.”
Now there was a faraway look in Joaquin’s eyes. His expression and his words hinted that there might be something personal going on there.
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” she ventured.
“Me?” He shook his head. “We’re not talking about me. I’m just saying I believe it’s not right to withhold important information like that.”
For a moment he looked as if he was going to add something, but the moment came and went. Instead he said, “I also think it’s nice the way you look out for your father. Everything else aside, your dad must have done something very right to raise a daughter like you.”
Her heart did a strange little cha-cha-cha in her chest. Had Joaquin just complimented her? Maybe this thing she felt for him wasn’t hopeless, after all.
* * *
Friday morning Joaquin arrived at Cowboy Country USA, a Western-themed amusement park that had opened a year ago in Horseback Hollow, ready to meet his coworkers at the Sagebrush Pavilion inside the park.
He’d made the six-hour trip from Austin to Horseback Hollow after work yesterday evening. He’d arrived at his father, Orlando Mendoza’s, house around eleven o’clock, spent the night and had made it to the team-building retreat as everyone was finishing breakfast.
His coworkers had boarded a bus at the office just after noon the day before and had spent the night in Cowboy Country’s Cowboy Condos. Joaquin had been relieved when Steffi-Anne hadn’t hassled him about skipping the overnight portion of the trip. Sometimes the woman could be bossy and just this side of relentless, but at least she seemed to know when to back off and recognize that he was meeting her in the middle.
Inside the park’s gates, he made his way down Cowboy Country’s Main Street, past the old-fashioned restaurants and themed refreshment stands and gift shops. As he approached a rough-hewn wooden gate indicated on the map that Steffi-Anne had provided with the invitation, he heard gunshots and a loud round of whooping and hollering. About twenty yards down Main Street, a couple of cowboys, one dressed in white from his hat to his boots, the other clad in all black, tumbled out of the saloon, the doors swinging behind them.
“That’s the Main Street Shootout show,” said a park attendant who was dressed like a cowgirl and standing at the gates. “Right on schedule. Feel free to get closer if you’d like, but I must warn you, partner, they take innocent bystanders hostage from time to time.”
He wondered if everyone who worked here had to stay in character day in and day out.
“Actually, I’m here for the Robinson Tech event. According to this map, I’m supposed to meet someone here who will point me in the direction of the Sagebrush Pavilion. Am I in the right place? Are you the person?”
“You certainly are and I certainly am. May I see your invitation, please? And I will direct you the rest of the way.”
He scrolled up on his smartphone to the invite page and handed it to the woman. Finding it satisfactory, she handed him a map of the park that had his route sketched out with arrows. She opened the gate and ushered him through.
“Just follow the map and it will take you where you need to go. The Sagebrush Pavilion is right behind the executive office buildings. You can’t miss it.”
She shut the gate behind him and he was transported from the nineteenth-century cowboy town to the more modern backstage area. There, people not in costume went in and out of flat-roofed white buildings that looked like the portables that had served as extra classrooms when he was in elementary school.
In the distance he could still see the top of a huge roller coaster and hear the delighted screams of revelers as it turned a cart full of people upside down on a loop-de-loop.
Better them than me, he thought.
Then again, even though he hated roller coasters, maybe he would rather be upended on a theme-park ride than jump through the hoops of team-building exercises.
He hated rah-rah sessions like this. The forced proximity to coworkers with whom he had nothing in common had him grinding his teeth. Did retreats like this really work? Did people really grow closer after being strong-armed into mandatory fun and games?
Steffi-Anne had organized a full day of obligatory amusement for the Robinson Tech crew. She’d provided him with a schedule when he’d changed his RSVP to yes on the condition that he was released from the bus ride and overnight portion of the program. Actually, she’d thrown him a bonus when she’d told him he could arrive after breakfast because it was only provided to those who were staying in the Cowboy Condos. He certainly hadn’t argued.
His dad had been glad to see him, even if it had been late when Joaquin had rolled in. They’d chatted for a few minutes before making plans to meet for dinner tonight at the Coyote Steak House just outside the Cowboy Country main gates. By that time, his coworkers would be on the bus and headed for home.
Cowboy Country was probably a fun place, but it was quite a haul from Austin. He wondered why Gerald had chosen it for the retreat.
He thought about what Zoe had told him about her father’s possible Fortune connection. Since Horseback Hollow was full of Fortune family members, it really didn’t make sense that Gerald would agree to have the event here if he had anything to hide. Then again, the boss probably hadn’t coordinated the event, and if the Fortune connection bothered Gerald, he probably wouldn’t have hired him, either, given his own ties to the family. In addition to Cisco marrying into the family, his father was involved with Josephine Fortune Chesterfield. In fact, she would be joining them for dinner this evening. She was a wonderful woman and since his father seemed pretty serious about her, Joaquin was eager to get to know her.
However he also had some things he wanted to discuss with his father. Matters he had pushed under the rug for far too long. Funny, Zoe’s confiding in him had actually brought his own family issues to the forefront.
What was behind his father’s decades-long estrangement with his brother Esteban? Joaquin had a sneaking suspicion he knew. And it was high time everything was brought out into the open. Because if Joaquin was right, his father’s alienation from Uncle Esteban was an issue that stretched further than a simple disagreement between the two of them.
Joaquin passed a group of modern-looking buildings and took a left at the last one. As he headed to the secluded area where the theme park hosted large groups for private events, he caught a glimpse of Gerald Robinson walking alongside one of the white buildings. It was odd that a CEO would attend a function like this, but Zoe had mentioned that her dad had meetings with Cowboy Country executives. Joaquin quickened his pace in an effort to catch up with him. It wouldn’t hurt to say hello to the man who signed his paycheck and to let him see that he could be a team player.
Austin was growing on him. He liked how progressive the city was and he loved the creative freedom that Robinson Tech afforded him. If they had a permanent place for him, he wouldn’t mind considering one once he completed the temporary project.
Gerald was just far enough ahead of him that he ducked into a building with a sign that read Guest Kitchen before Joaquin could catch up with him.
Joaquin veered from his path to stick his head in the door for a quick “good morning.” It was a rare opportunity to get Gerald Robinson alone and probably in a good mood since he was away from the office at an amusement park, strengthening his team. Although Joaquin wanted to believe the boss hated events like this as much as he did.
That’s why it paid to be the boss. You didn’t necessarily have to practice what you preached. This might be a good time to ask him about specifics about the software he was writing for Robinson.
Joaquin pulled open the door and was hit by a blast of cool air. He blinked. First, to allow his eyes to adjust to the dimmer light, then out of surprise, because at the far end of the room he saw Gerald Robinson kissing a woman who was not his wife, Charlotte.
Chapter Three (#ulink_873081b4-e2dc-593b-b9a3-8fe5aed4d965)
Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Joaquin silently groused as he walked away. He didn’t get a good look at the petite redhead in Gerald’s arms because she was engulfed by his boss’s large body, and Joaquin certainly didn’t stay around long enough to see if he could identify her.
He quickly and quietly let himself out the same way he’d entered, hoping like hell that the sound of the door closing didn’t break the couple’s spell and alert them he’d witnessed their tryst.
Actually, scratch that. On second thought, part of him did hope Robinson had seen him so he would know he wasn’t as sly as he thought he was. Because who brought his mistress to a team-building retreat?
Joaquin shook his head as he retraced his steps and returned to the path toward the Sagebrush Pavilion, a path from which he should’ve never strayed. As he turned the corner, Zoe was the first person he saw. His gaze had automatically zeroed in on her shiny dark hair and picked her out of the crowd of one hundred or so Robinson Tech employees who had gathered to become a stronger team. At the sight of her, his disgust for what he had just witnessed gave way to compassion for her. She was such a naturally kind, happy person who seemed to think only the best of people and especially saw only the good in her father.
Based on the conversation he and Zoe had had in her office the other day, she thought her father could do no wrong. The prospect of telling her what he’d seen made Joaquin’s heart feel as if it would split in two.
Really, why would he tell her?
Zoe, I just saw your dad kissing a woman that wasn’t your mom.
Yeah. No.
Actually he wasn’t going to tell anyone. Because what good would it do? It certainly wouldn’t fix anything or teach Gerald a lesson in morality. He’d only met Charlotte Robinson once in passing. For all he knew Gerald and his wife had an open marriage. Though why a woman would want to tie herself to a cheater like that baffled him.
He simply didn’t get it. The whole point of marriage was to pledge your loyalty to one person. If that caused a hardship, stay single; play the field and be forthright about it. Just don’t be a damn cheater.
He knew how it felt to be cheated on and it wasn’t fun. He also knew playing the field was good in theory. Sometimes when you were open and honest about your intentions people still only heard what they wanted to hear.
He knew that from experience. He’d been on both sides of that relationship coin. It didn’t make him eager to be in either place again.
He didn’t see himself settling down and he didn’t want to get back in the rat race of juggling multiple women—or making false promises to one woman, for that matter.
An image of Zoe with her beautiful, trusting smile popped into his head. Sure, he could date her. But he knew that was not what she wanted. Women like Zoe didn’t take things casually.
There were too many odds stacked against them. Add in the fact that she was the boss’s daughter and the tidbit about his not wanting to get serious right now—hell, he didn’t even know where he’d be after this project wrapped up—and garnish it with the huge secret he knew about her father. A relationship with Zoe would never work.
He detested cheating and cheaters.
Not that he was such a do-gooder. Before he’d proposed to Selena, he’d done some things he wasn’t proud of. He knew the damage deception like that could cause, and he didn’t want to cause anyone that pain.
As he approached his colleagues, he shook his head to clear his thoughts. Because why was he even thinking about such ridiculous things as dating Zoe Robinson? Things like getting to know her better. Spending time with her. Kissing her—not to mention going to the places that kisses usually led.
She was the first person who saw him as he entered the pavilion. Her eyes flashed as she smiled and waved at him.
She looked adorable and bright and stylish in her pink shorts and orange top. Her dark hair was pulled back from her face with a pink-and-orange headband.
No matter the occasion, Zoe always looked as though she’d stepped out of a magazine. Not in a high-fashion sense, but in a fresh, cute, girl-next-door way.
He couldn’t help but smile back at her, but he stopped short of going over and standing with her.
Yep, the only thing telling her what he’d witnessed would accomplish was heartbreak. He looked away.
Forget dating; this was precisely why Joaquin hated getting involved with his colleagues on a personal level. Knowing things about them. Now, every time he looked at Zoe, he would remember he was keeping a secret from her.
“Good morning, Joaquin,” Steffi-Anne said. “Your timing is perfect. We are just getting ready to break into pairs and begin our first game. So, if you’ll join group B over there under the pavilion, we’ll get started.”
Steffi-Anne called everyone to order.
“We’re going to have a scavenger hunt,” she said. “Each person in group A will draw a name out of this bag.”
She held up a small brown bag with handles, the kind that you got when you purchased something in one of those fancy department stores.
“This will match you with your partner in group B. Zoe, how about if you start us off by drawing the first name?” Steffi-Anne smiled at Zoe, but the sentiment didn’t seem to make it all the way to her eyes.
Joaquin had the sinking feeling she was up to something. The woman always had an agenda.
* * *
As Zoe reached into the bag to pull out a name, her gaze drifted over to Joaquin. He looked so darn good in those jeans and that white T-shirt. The color of the shirt showed off his tan, and the jeans weren’t tight, but they hugged his butt in the most perfect way. It made her want to squeeze his buns to see if they really were as firm as they looked.
The naughty thought made her smile. How wonderful it would be if she pulled his name. Since she was the first to draw, she had a chance of being paired with him. However, since there were so many names to choose from, the odds were stacked against her.
She reached in and let her hand sift through the dozens of names handwritten on small slips of paper, willing her fingers to pull the golden ticket that read Joaquin Mendoza.
When Joaquin’s gorgeous brown gaze connected with hers, it was like a lightning strike and she grabbed a piece of paper, sure it was the right choice.
She held her breath as she pulled it into the daylight and read, “Sissy Hanson.”
Ugh. Sissy from accounting? No! Couldn’t she have a do-over? No disrespect to Sissy. She was nice enough, but she wasn’t Joaquin.
As Sissy came over to stand with her, Zoe did her best not to act disappointed. It would be fine. As long as Steffi-Anne didn’t end up with him.
It took about five minutes before everyone had chosen a partner. Each time Joaquin’s name wasn’t called, putting him one step closer to Steffi-Anne, the tension in Zoe’s chest wound a notch tighter.
Joaquin still hadn’t been paired up by the time there were just two people left: Steffi-Anne and Jill Winski, who was the second-to-last person to draw.
After Jill drew a name, she knit her brows and looked into the bag. “I think we may be short a name. It felt like I pulled the last slip of paper.”
“We should be fine,” Steffi-Anne said a bit too fast.
The only people left standing in Group B were Homer Martin from IT and Joaquin.
Of course.
Zoe was willing to wager that the paper caught between Jill’s forefinger and thumb read Homer Martin.
A slow burn began to simmer in Zoe’s stomach.
Jill started to turn the bag upside down, but Steffi-Anne reached out and snatched it away from her before she could, poking her pointed nose into the sack.
“No, no. Look. Right here. Here it is. There’s still one slip of paper left.”
A vaguely victorious smile curled her lips. “Joaquin, you and I are partners for the scavenger hunt.”
Oh. Well, will you look at that? What a surprise.
Before anyone could challenge the outcome, Steffi-Anne was barking orders about how they would execute the scavenger hunt, how it was important to work as a team and that there would be a nice prize for the team that won: lunch at the Copper Kettle.
As the scavenger hunt played out, Zoe noticed that the vast majority of her female coworkers were playing hard to win.
When Jill and Homer were the first to cross the finish line with their list completed, Zoe’s partner, Sissy, quipped, “You know Jill didn’t work that hard to have lunch with Homer. She did it to keep Steffi-Anne from winning the lunch with Joaquin.”
Keep-away. Was that how this retreat had digressed? It had become one big game of keep-away. Well, in the name of team-building, Zoe intended to do her part.
Pretending not to be a sore loser, Steffi-Anne herded the group right into the next activity: the three-legged race. It would be cozy to have a legit reason to stand that close to Joaquin, arms around each other, their bodies becoming one as they reached climax—er—the finish line.
The finish line.
Good grief! Where had that come from?
Okay, she knew what had inspired the inappropriate thought, but she needed to get her head under control. It said a lot about the state of her love life when a three-legged race inspired thoughts of dancing the horizontal tango.
She risked a glance at Joaquin.
Then again, who wouldn’t be inspired by him?
Heat began at the base of her neck and worked its way up to the tips of her ears. She took a deep breath to cool herself down before anyone noticed.
Yes, she had it bad for Joaquin Mendoza. So was she just going to stand around blushing over the predicament or was she going to do something about it?
“Zoe, would you please start us off again by pulling the name of your partner for the race?”
“You know what, Steffi-Anne? Since Jill and Homer won the last round, it’s only fair that we let her draw first. Since they’re such a power team, we need to make sure they don’t get paired up again. Right?”
Steffi-Anne clapped her hands. “May I please have everyone’s attention? We have just a few more teamwork exercises before we break for lunch and then we will have some free time in the park. Since it takes so long to draw names, why don’t we make this round of pairings permanent partners for the duration of our drills? That will make things easier and give us more free time in the park.”
As the bag made its way clockwise around the circle, Zoe drifted over to a picnic table a few paces behind the action. Keeping her back to the group and her ears open for the names each person announced as they drew, she took a pen out of her wristlet and retrieved the scrap of paper she’d drawn from the previous scavenger hunt round. Since she hadn’t been near a trash can, she’d tucked it into the pocket of her shorts. Now, she was happy she’d done that.
Quickly and discreetly, she folded the paper, creased it and tore off the part with Sissy’s name. She wrote Joaquin Mendoza on the small scrap.
If perchance he was called by one of the last few remaining people, Zoe would admit to herself that she’d been barking up the wrong tree and draw a new name from the bag. But her gut instinct told her this was rigged. She intended to draw right before Steffi-Anne and if her hunch was right, there would only be one slip of paper in that bag—and it wouldn’t have Joaquin’s name on it.
So she stayed back at the picnic table until the bag had made it all the way around the circle—and, oh, how interesting, no one had called Joaquin’s name yet.
Zoe knew she was taking a chance by calling Steffi-Anne’s bluff. But what were the odds that out of fifty names his name was among the last two twice in a row?
Nah, something was definitely rotten in Cowboy Country.
Zoe held the brown bag with her left hand and, careful to hold the doctored slip of paper tight with her thumb against the palm of her right hand, she reached in and pretended to pull a name.
“Joaquin Mendoza,” she said, reading the paper she’d forged. “Come on down.”
“What?” Steffi-Anne pierced her with the look of death, confirming Zoe’s hunch. She hadn’t included Joaquin’s name with the others. Since she’d gone last, she had pretended to pull his name. Did she really believe that no one would think it was odd that she drew Joaquin as a partner every single time? Worse yet, did she not think Joaquin might find it a little creepy that she’d rigged the pairings to throw them together?
It didn’t matter now because Zoe would be the one getting up close and personal with Joaquin in the three-legged race and the remaining team-building exercises.
Now, he was walking toward her.
As Zoe turned to meet him halfway, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Well played, Zoe.” Steffi-Anne’s voice was low and venomous, completely at odds with that sickening smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Well played.”
“What do you mean?” Zoe asked, all sugar with just enough spice mixed in to warn Steffi-Anne that she wasn’t playing.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. I know what you did.”
“Oh, are you talking about how the pairings were rigged?”
Before she could answer, Joaquin walked up to them.
“Is everything all right?”
He looked back and forth between them, obviously sensing that something was off. But Steffi-Anne sprang into action.
“Everything is great. Are you having fun, Joaquin?” She reached out and touched his arm. “Aren’t you glad you came?”
Zoe could tell by his expression that he wasn’t buying her nicey-nicey act.
“Yeah. Sure. It’s nice to spend a day outside. I don’t get to do that often enough.”
“Right. You know I was just telling Zoe that Cowboy Country’s Main Street Shootouts are so realistic.” She locked eyes with Zoe. “Almost makes you want to watch your back.”
She laughed. “And, Joaquin, be sure to save me a ride on the roller coaster, okay?”
“Roller coasters?” He shook his head. “Sorry, I’m not a fan.” He smiled at Zoe. “But I am looking forward to the three-legged race.”
Chapter Four (#ulink_17aa2743-4b84-5105-b091-a850265cd676)
“What was that about?” Joaquin asked Zoe as soon as Steffi-Anne was out of earshot.
Zoe looked as if she wanted to say something but instead opted for the high road.
“Nothing. She was just telling me about Cowboy Country. This is the first time I’ve been here. How about you? Did you spend any time here when you lived in Horseback Hollow?”
“No. It’s my first time, too.”
Zoe arched a brow. “Well, I’m glad we can share each other’s first time. You know, make it special.”
Phew! Did she realize the double entendre she was bandying about?
Of course she did. She could be a first-class flirt sometimes. When she was, it caught him off guard. He didn’t quite know what to say. He didn’t want to encourage her. But on the other hand, encouraging her—adding fuel to the fire—was exactly what he wanted to do.
And that latter won out handily.
“Please be gentle with me,” he quipped. “I don’t ride roller coasters. I’m not that kind of guy.”
She locked gazes with him, her eyes sparkling.
“So, you don’t like it rough and fast, huh?”
Damn, how far was she going to take this? She was killing him.
“No, I’m more of a smooth and easy kind of a guy.”
“Really? Do tell.”
A rush of awareness coursed through him.
Her smile was nothing short of wicked. Obviously she knew she was getting to him, but that seemed only to fuel her fire. And his, for that matter. For a moment he fought the urge to close the distance between them and show her exactly how easy things between them could be, but somewhere in the fog of his lust-hazy brain, he knew that would only muddy the waters between them.
Especially since he was already keeping a secret from her. If things became intimate between them—and God knew it was taking every ounce of restraint he could muster to not cross that line—he would have to tell her about what he’d witnessed as he’d arrived.
Or would he?
Hell, his brain was so fried with want right now, he didn’t even know. The only way around it was to get out now.
He took a symbolic step back from her.
“I have a feeling Steffi-Anne is not going to go very easy on us if we hold up her race,” he said. “She seems to have us on a tight schedule. Why don’t we get over there now?”
Just as he’d predicted, Steffi-Anne was in a mood and she looked disheveled and frazzled, as if she was just about at her wit’s end. She’d pulled her straight blond hair back into a haphazard ponytail and her yellow blouse had a dirty smudge on it. From this angle, the harsh daylight and the scowl on her face aged her about ten years.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
Zoe moved closer to him and pressed her pretty, tanned leg flush against his so that they were hip to hip. Well, they were in a sense. She was so petite that her hip hit his body in the upper thigh region. He loved how utterly un-self-conscious she was about invading his personal space. But the other good thing that came out of it was that he now knew for a fact that she seemed to fit perfectly under his arm. Just as if she belonged there.
And what her nicely tanned legs lacked in length they more than made up for in supple shapeliness. They looked strong and quite lovely, he thought as he bound the two of them together.
Being this close to her brought back the rush of awareness he’d felt earlier. He could smell her shampoo, something light and floral, and he could smell her soap—or maybe it was her perfume? Whatever it was, it was intoxicating and he wanted to lean down and bury his face in that sweet, delicate spot where her neck curved into her shoulder.
Being here with her like this, feeling how well she fit in his arms, was an unexpected surprise. Suddenly this team-building nonsense seemed a little more palatable.
Even though he knew getting involved with the boss’s daughter was not a wise idea, it didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy every single thing about being all tied up with Zoe Robinson. Win or lose.
* * *
It had been said the way a person danced revealed a lot about what kind of lover they would be. Zoe couldn’t help but wonder if the same rule applied to the way a couple’s bodies moved together and adapted to tests like the three-legged race and the water balloon toss. Because, if so, she and Joaquin were destined for greatness between the sheets.
They’d been beasts at the challenges that required them working together physically. Of course, it didn’t hurt at all that they had permission—no, they were required—to get into each other’s personal spaces and violate boundaries that were usually off-limits.
Could they please do team-building exercises every day?
Then again, if they did, Steffi-Anne would surely find some way to ensure she ended up paired with Joaquin.
Now that they were breaking for the barbecue lunch Cowboy Country was providing, Steffi-Anne was already weaseling her way back in to Joaquin’s company.
It had only been natural for Zoe and Joaquin to fall into the buffet line together since they’d been partners. After they got their food—pulled chicken and barbecued brisket with baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad and ice-cold glasses of sweet tea—they’d found two spots at a table.
Steffi-Anne filled her plate and brought her lunch over to the full table where Joaquin and Zoe were sitting with six other coworkers. Zoe was sitting next to Joaquin, who was on the end.
“Scooch, please,” she said, gently nudging Tracy from accounts receivable, on the opposite side of the table.
“There are plenty of places at the other tables,” said Tracy.
“Yes, but this is the only table in the shade.” Steffi-Anne had given the entire table the big, poor-me eyes and it had worked. Well, it had sent Tracy grumbling to another table where she could have more elbow room.
After Tracy left, Steffi-Anne zeroed in on Joaquin like a homing device.
“Aren’t you glad you came today?” Steffi-Anne said.
Joaquin smiled at Zoe. “Actually, I am. I’m having a lot of fun.”
The way he looked at her made Zoe’s heart perform a quickstep.
“I’ve been dying to go ride the Twin Rattlers Roller Coaster,” Steffi-Anne said. “I’ve been waiting for that all day.”
“I’ve been looking forward to the funnel cakes,” Zoe said. “I love them so much.”
Steffi-Anne looked at her as if she’d just said she was going to go eat a bucket of fish heads.
“God, Zoe, funnel cakes are pure fat. Fat, carbs and sugar,” she said. “You’re young now, sweetheart, but if you keep eating things like that, you’ll regret it sooner than you think.”
Since when had eating a funnel cake become a capital offense?
“I enjoy the occasional one,” she said. “One every five years won’t hurt anything.”
“Suit yourself.” Steffi-Anne shrugged, her gaze scanning the picnic area. “Oh, Zoe, look. There’s Ron Lowell. Didn’t the two of you used to date? He’s kind of cute in a bookish sort of way.”
“We went out a couple of times,” Zoe said, thrown by the non sequitur. “He’s a nice guy, but it was nothing serious.”
“Who are you dating now?” Steffi-Anne pressed.
“No one.”
“I thought you had a boyfriend,” she said.
“No, I’m completely free.”
The way Steffi-Anne was moving the food around on her plate instead of eating it made Zoe think of a witch at her cauldron. At any moment she might pull out a poison apple and lob it at her because it was much healthier than a funnel cake.
“I’m surprised you don’t have someone special by now,” she continued. “You’ve dated a lot of really nice guys. Like Jake over there and George Simpson from marketing.”
She pointed with her fork.
“And why didn’t things work out with Frank? I thought you two looked especially cute together.” Steffi-Anne turned her attention back to Joaquin. “I’m not saying this girl gets around. She’s just very popular in the office. Joaquin, if you’re interested, you’d better take a number.”
Okay, so that was her game. Zoe had always known that Steffi-Anne was the queen of the backhanded compliments, but she’d never pegged her as a mean girl. Then again, she’d never gone head-to-head with her over a man.
“That’s what dating is for,” Zoe said, “trying out potential relationships, seeing how they fit. If they don’t, there’s no use in prolonging them.”
Since the day Zoe had started working for her father at Robinson Tech, she’d made a point of not playing the daddy’s-girl card. She realized, by virtue of birth, she’d been born with some privileges. She was deeply grateful for her blessings, and she didn’t want to get the reputation that the only reason she’d gotten ahead at work was because she was the founder’s daughter. It was important that she got her jobs and any promotions on the merit of her knowledge and expertise, because she was the best person for the job. Not through nepotism. She never wanted to come across as entitled. That’s why she worked hard and went out of her way to be extra nice to people.
But sometimes when people like Steffi-Anne knew she wouldn’t fight back, they tended to push her more than they would someone who would put them in their place.
Today, Steffi-Anne was hitting extra hard and low. Zoe wasn’t about to get into a catfight with her, and she seemed to be spoiling for exactly that. Zoe really thought the woman was more professional than that. But she was dishing it out, and the others at the table looked eager to feast on a huge helping of juicy drama.
Zoe hadn’t finished her lunch, but she’d lost her appetite. Maybe the best thing she could do would be to go get that funnel cake and enjoy every fat-laden bite. Part of her hated to leave Joaquin in Steffi-Anne’s clutches, but if he sat back and allowed himself to be clutched, then maybe he wasn’t the guy for her, after all. Better to find out now. Her heart sank at the thought.
Zoe tossed her napkin on her plate, stood and gathered the rest of her garbage. “I think I’m going to go get that funnel cake now.”
To her surprise Joaquin stood, too. “I’m not surprised Zoe’s popular. She’s got a lot going for her. A guy would be lucky to get a date with her.”

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