“How’d the meeting go?”
“That’s the reason I wanted to talk to you. He’s hired me to do the interior design for a wing he’s built onto his ranch house. I’ll have to take a leave of absence.”
“I thought you gave up that career,” Bert said, frowning slightly.
“I thought so, too, but he gave me two payments—one for my work, and one as a donation to this agency. Here are the identical checks—each one for half a million.” She passed the checks to Bert, who shared them with Nan. Bert stared open-mouthed while Nan read the amounts again. Nan’s eyes were wide as she looked at Sierra.
“All that money to our agency,” she whispered.
“Saints above.” Bert shook his head, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “I knew the man was wealthy, but this—I never dreamed we’d get this kind of donation.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t faint,” Nan said. “You don’t even have to share that with your old design firm.”
“No, but I’ll share my personal check with Brigmore Charities. I’m also going to share with Dad and his church. Just think what good we can do with all this money.”
“I may faint,” Bert said. “No wonder you took the job. How could he want you that badly?”
“He thought I did a good job on his hotel. I turned him down at first, but I don’t think the man is accustomed to hearing no. And there’s more. If I do a good job, he will make an annual contribution of this amount to Brigmore Charities for the next three years.”
Bert shook his head as if in denial.
“Is he single?” Nan asked.
Sierra bit back a smile. “Very. When I worked for him before, I heard gossip that he doesn’t have serious relationships.”
“I think you ought to use a little of that money for a background check on him. He wants you too badly,” Bert said.
Sierra smiled and shook her head. “I don’t think a background check is necessary. Look him up on the internet and look up his business. He can afford this check without thinking about it. His father is a billionaire, and Blake Callahan is wealthy on his own. There are a lot of women in his life. He has no need of me, except as a decorator.”
“Want me to come with you?” Bert asked, a frown creasing his brow. Sierra held back another smile.
“Thanks, Bert. I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“If for any reason it becomes necessary, you call me and I’ll be right there.”
“I will,” she said, appreciating his offer, though it seemed ridiculous. “I won’t be alone. I’m hiring two people to help me. He’ll pay their salaries, and they’ll live on the ranch with me part of the time.”
“That’s good,” Bert said.
“If you need a secretary, don’t forget me,” Nan said, smiling.
For the next half hour they talked about depositing the check and presenting the donation to the Brigmore Charities’ board of directors.
Finally, Nan rose to go back to her desk. Bert came to his feet, he closed the door and returned.
“I want to talk to you.”
She sat behind her desk and waited.
“I don’t think you should take the job or accept the check.”
“You have got to be kidding,” she said, staring intently at him. “Why on earth not?”
“He’s up to something. That’s too much money.”
She held back a laugh. “I’ll repeat—Blake Callahan will never miss this money.”
“Why didn’t he go to the New York agency he hired when you first worked for him?”
“He should have, but he said I did the best job he’d ever seen. He’s accustomed to getting what he wants. He’s flying me there in his private jet. Stop worrying, and start thinking about the best use for this money.”
Bert shook his head and stood. “All right, but at the first sign of trouble, promise you’ll call me. Let me know where this ranch is.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said, smiling at him, knowing Bert had perpetual worries even when everything was rosy.
“If you’re okay...what a windfall for us. This is going to help a lot of people. Our buildings are old and need repair—the homeless shelter was the original charity and it needs a new roof, new plumbing—all sorts of things. We have a waiting list for the orphaned children and their building and grounds need work.”
“Plus the four-footed friends. Don’t forget our dog and cat shelter. This will buy a lot of chow, and we can run some great ads. Maybe we can get a bigger place because what we have is so tiny we can only take a few animals at a time.”
“True. I’ll get busy.”
“Good,” she said and watched him go, leaving her door open behind him.
She knew Bert’s worries were unnecessary, but there was only one threat from Blake Callahan.
That sizzling attraction that flared the first second they looked into each other’s eyes. Never again would she get involved with an employer—yet how well could she protect herself from Blake’s sexy appeal?
* * *
Late Friday afternoon Blake flew home to Dallas, where he had a small plane waiting to fly southwest to the tiny airstrip at Downly, Texas. At Downly he climbed into his waiting car and headed west to his ranch.
While he drove along a county road devoid of traffic, he thought about Sierra Benson. He hadn’t met her when she did the hotel job, so he had been startled when the air sparked with a chemistry that he suspected she felt as much as he did.
Some of the most beautiful women he’d dated had never caused that kind of reaction in him. When he had taken Sierra’s hand, the impersonal contact had had the impact of a blow to his middle, a tug on his senses that made him want to get to know her. His reaction to her had blown his intentions to hire her all out of proportion.
He had wanted her to handle the decor of his new wing because she was the best at interior design and decoration he had ever met. Add the intense physical appeal to her business skills, and he wasn’t about to let her disappear out of his life. He had overreacted by offering so much money, but when had a woman ever set his pulse pounding by merely saying hello? Or shaking hands with him?
Her stay at his ranch should be interesting. He knew he had acted impulsively, and in what was an uncustomary manner for him, but he didn’t want her to say no and disappear out of his life before he got to know her. He wanted to hold her, to kiss her. The thought set his heart racing.
Maybe their attraction was something that happened at first meeting and wouldn’t happen again. With the smoldering chemistry between them, he couldn’t keep from dreaming of
