2 Chapter 2
Lou was not about to admit the visit to the dude ranch played a bigger and more unsettling part in his thoughts than did the investment opportunities. True, Vetrano Enterprises had taken some losses in the recession, but things were not that bad. A few wise moves could recoup those dollars and add a good many more if all went as planned. But the idea of spending more time with a certain cowboy—now that seemed a risky venture at best, but an opportunity Lou could not resist or refuse.
What am I doing, mooning over a good looking young stud—one who smells like horses and probably has straw between his ears when it comes to high finance and all the things that have always mattered to me? If I wanted a boy toy, I could find plenty more amenable candidates right here at home.
Yeah, the sex was great and probably will be again, but that’s not enough to build anything real around. I’ve got to get a grip. He’s not much more than a prostitute—giving satisfaction and playing the game because it’s his job. Only thing is, he sure does a fucking good job!
Not until Lou’s plane finally lifted into the air the next morning did he manage to settle down. Once on the way, his worries seemed to fade into the hazy sky as the plane nosed up through the clouds. He settled back in his seat, flipped open his latest gadget, the newest smart phone-cum-computer, and set a few business projects into motion. After that, he glanced through the few fast photos he’d managed to capture of Josh “Spark” Diamond, the cowboy he was itching to see again.
He’d looked at them a hundred times, but it wasn’t enough. Yeah, the westerner looked good enough from every angle to devour like a rare steak, but until you could hear his husky drawl and lay a hand on his hard, hot body, it wasn’t nearly enough.
Soon…just hours now, not days or weeks.
* * * *
Spark dawdled around the ranch all morning, only getting into the big Dodge Ram crew cab pickup when he had barely time enough to get to the Las Cruces airport and meet the Chicagoan’s plane. He’d been so grumpy and nervous today even the ranch dogs, who usually seemed to consider him their favorite, stayed out of his way. Stace and Casa arranged not to cross his path. As he drove down the highway to Deming and then headed east on Interstate 10, he tried to think of anything except the next two weeks and what he and Louis Vetrano might do.
He pulled up beside the huge hangar on the general aviation or non-commercial side of the Las Cruces airport just as the sleek private jet taxied in and came to a stop. He swiped sweat-slick palms down the sides of his jeans as he stepped out, straightened his hat, and strode to meet the dapper man who sauntered down the ramp from the plane.
They were almost of a height, Lou about an inch shorter than Spark’s six-foot-three. But there any resemblance ended. Spark had blond hair lit with a few flashes of copper, while Louis had hair as black as a starless night. His eyes were the merest shade lighter, the darkest of dark brown. Spark figured they made a striking contrast. Lou wore pressed slacks and a sport coat, head bare and a pair of the finest Italian leather loafers on his feet. He looked like he’d stepped off the cover of GQ.Spark, of course, had on his regular uniform of jeans, boots, a plaid western-cut shirt and a Stetson, neat but definitely all cowboy, as fair as the other man was dark. He noticed several people paused a beat to look at them.
They both stopped, a long step apart, and studied one another for a few seconds.
“It’s good to be back,” Lou said. “You’re looking good enough to eat as usual.”
“Not bad yourself,” Spark managed. “Ready to head for the hills?”
Lou gave him a toothsome smile. “Plan to hold out that long?”
Spark drew a fast, hard breath. “Mr. Vetrano, I’ve got a job to do. That means getting you and your gear to the ranch in reasonable time and making sure you get checked in and settled for a good vacation.”
Lou arched one eyebrow as his smile faded. “Oh, I don’t doubt you’ll do every bit of that to perfection. I just thought we might find a place along the way…Remember my last night and the time we spent in the hot tub? That vision’s been nagging me for weeks.”
Stace gulped. Yeah, he remembered all right. He’d even been there with a few other guests in the meantime, but it sure hadn’t been the same. “I’ve already got dibs on the tub for this evening, after supper, late. Just had a hunch you might like to relax after your flight.”
Feeling a wash of heat flood his face at the other man’s intent stare, he turned away to heave Lou’s luggage into the bed of the truck. Before he finished and turned to open the passenger door, Lou had done it himself and climbed in. “Let’s go,” he said. “The sooner we leave here, the sooner we arrive there.”
Although Spark didn’t break the speed limit, he pushed it as he headed back to the ranch. He figured it was best to stay legal because the time it took for a cop to write a ticket would be more than the few minutes he’d lose by staying a hair under seventy-five. Anyway, Jason didn’t like any of his hands to so much as put one toe beyond the letter of the law. The three cowboys had learned this quickly when he hired them, and he took care to remind them if he felt there was need.
