her burgeoning company was really all she was interested in these days. Chloe had worked really hard for a long time to break away from her parents’ expectations and plans for her life. She’d had other dreams that had dissolved under their scrutiny, but she was fighting for this one.
“I gave my word to hear you out. That’s why I’m here.”
The expression on his face told Chloe that he meant what he said, and that was good enough for her. He looked resigned, but she’d take it. If he was fair, then he would realize what a good idea she was proposing. And with his support, Sterling Perry would agree to give her the land she needed on his ranch to make this particular dream come true.
“That’s great.” She waved him to a chair, and he looked at it skeptically. It was a delicate, cane-backed chair with a small seat and narrow, hand-turned legs.
“Maybe I’ll stand,” he mused.
“The chairs are stronger than they look,” she assured him. Then, as if to prove it, she said, “When I was a kid, my friends and I used to stand on them to get out onto the roof so we could climb down the oak outside the house.”
Both eyebrows went up. Admiration? Disbelief? Who could tell?
“Yeah,” he said, shaking his head, “what were you, twelve? It’s not going to hold me, so I’ll stand.”
She shrugged, because really, what else could she do? Once her business started bringing in steady cash, she’d buy more furniture. Right now, that wasn’t high on her list of priorities. “Your choice. Now, what I wanted to talk to you about was—”
“A little girls’ camp set up on the Perry Ranch.”
Chloe stopped, tipped her head to one side and studied him briefly. “So Sterling told you about it.”
“Enough to know it’s a bad idea,” he said.
Chloe took a deep breath and bit back her first, instinctive response. She’d hoped that he would come into this with an open mind, but that hope was now crushed. Arguing with the man wouldn’t get her what she wanted. What she had to do was show him her plans and convince him that he was wrong. So she smiled, though it cost her.
“Not exactly prepared to give me a fair hearing, are you?”
He frowned. “I’m here. I’m listening. Convince me.”
His features were closed, his eyes shuttered, but he had a point. He was there, and she had this chance to show him what she could do. Chloe was used to having to fight for what she wanted, so today was no different. If she could stand up to her father and go against all of his many plans for her life, then she could certainly handle this.
“Okay, why don’t I show you my ideas, and then we can talk about it.”
He gave her a brief, almost regal, nod. “That’s why I’m here.”
But would he really listen? She’d have to take her chances and be damned convincing.
“Okay, that’s great.” She feigned bright confidence, then motioned for him to come around her desk. Once there, she opened up the file on her computer.
She got a quick thrill when she saw the title, the name of her soon-to-be-camp, Girls Can Do Anything. The man behind her snorted.
Chloe sent him a quick, hard look. Gorgeous or not, she didn’t like the attitude. “Do you disagree with my website design or the theme?”
If anything, his frown deepened. “I just think it’s crazy to have to tell a kid they can do anything.”
“Really? Even today, girls aren’t given the kind of opportunity that boys are.”
He snorted. “Please.”
Irritated, she snapped, “Are girls told they can be ranch hands? Raise and breed horses? Herd cattle?”
With a patient sigh, he asked, “Well...they’re not told they can’t, are they?”
“Some are,” she countered, remembering how her father had shattered her own dream of working a ranch, breeding horses. “And can I just say, you’re not exactly displaying to me how objective you’re going to be.”
He shrugged, but she could see she’d hit her target.
“Sorry.” He didn’t look sorry, but okay.
“Thank you.”
“Okay, show me what you’ve got.”
Chloe took a deep breath and probably shouldn’t have because he smelled really good. Not to mention that standing this close to him was making her body hum and her blood burn. Plus he was so tall. And broad shouldered. And—Keep your mind on business, she warned herself silently. But it wasn’t her mind that was veering out of orbit.
It was her body responding to the man, and there was no way to stop it. Chloe had never experienced anything like this. Attraction? Sure. Lust? Of course. But this bone-deep burning was something new, and she was finding it hard to breathe without shattering—or worse yet, climaxing—just thinking about him touching her. Oh, boy.
“Problem?” he asked, and his voice sounded like a whisper in the darkness.
She swallowed hard. Seriously, Chloe? “Nope. No problem.” She looked up at him and wondered if he’d moved even closer to her. How was she supposed to concentrate?
“Are you doing that on purpose?”
A knowing gleam shone briefly in his eyes. “Doing what?”
“Looming.”
“I don’t loom. I stand.”
“Really closely.”
“Worried?”
“No.”
“Then no problem, right?”
“Right.” All she had to do was get a grip on whatever was happening to her body. Nodding, Chloe turned back to the computer. “As you can see, I made up this website—it’s not live yet, but I wanted to be able to show you exactly what I have in mind and—”
“You did the website?”
She looked at him and clearly saw the surprise in his eyes. “Yes, why?”
Frowning, he shook his head. “Nothing.”
She knew exactly what he was thinking. How could Chloe Hemsworth have done something so complicated? Something that required talent, skills. This was not new. She was used to being dismissed. Her whole life had been spent convincing people that she was more than they thought her to be. Apparently, as gorgeous as he was, Liam Morrow was no different from anyone else she’d ever known.
“Oh, it’s okay,” Chloe said. “I’m used to being underestimated.”
“What?”
