Page 40 of Texas Temptation

Leaning against the door, she rested her head on the wooden panels. He’d have his room, and she’d have hers, but they’d still be close. As close as they were in this house, but with no one else around who knew them.

Maybe she should make up an excuse and stay here.

But the thought of traveling with Cade, of seeing him in action, was too tantalizing. It wouldn’t be long now before Penny would be back. Then Jordan’s time in Texas would be up and she and Caleb would have to head back to Florida. Surely she could handle a few days in Los Angeles.

Cade stared at the closed door, feeling like an idiot. He didn’t have to explain why he’d booked a suite. Once there, she’d have seen the obvious advantages of working together. Not that he and Penny shared a suite when they traveled. But they had worked together for many years, so fell into a pattern.

Jordan was new to office work. She might have a question or something.

Yeah, right, he scoffed as he headed back downstairs and out to the office.

Truth be told, he didn’t really need Jordan to accompany him. He could have made do with the clerical staff in the LA office. But he wanted her to go. Wanted to, what, show her off?

He stopped inside the office, staring at her desk, struck by the idea. Show her off? To whom? People who worked for him? Friends?

And to what purpose? Penny would be back soon, and Jordan’s reason for being in Texas would vanish. How soon would she pack and leave?

Frowning at the mere idea, Cade continued into his office and reached for the messages piled up at his desk.

Jordan had never flown before, so she had nothing to compare with their flight to the coast. But the wide, comfortable seats were a delight. Of course, Cade only traveled first-class.

She felt woefully under dressed in her faded jeans and yellow top. Most of the passengers in first class were obviously businessmen and women wearing dress-for-success suits and carrying laptops and leather briefcases.

She should have refused to travel, she thought as she slid down in her seat, glad she was by the window. Gazing out the small opening, she tried to imagine herself somewhere else. She hoped no one was looking at her, wondering what she was doing on board.

“You’re not feeling sick, are you?” Cade asked.

She shook her head, her gaze fixed on the men loading baggage into the plane.

“Did you bring something to read?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“What did you expect to do on the flight?”

She looked at Cade.

“I don’t know. What do you usually do?”

“Work.”

“You work all the time.”

“It gets me through the day,” he said.

“So tell me what’s so important about the Los Angeles situation you have to go there in person,” she invited.

Cade hesitated only a moment, then, as if assured of her interest, explained the personnel and production crisis that he wanted to change. Soon he began explaining the entire operation to her.

Jordan was fascinated. She’d picked up bits and pieces as she’d worked for him, but to have him explain the connections and the relationship of the people she’d spoken with, it became clear he ran a complex business consortium, and ran it well.

“And the ranch, that’s such a small part of everything.”

“It’s been my family’s home for several generations, but I never wanted to be a full-time rancher. I enjoy participating in the branding, the roundup, and directing how we’re going to rotate fields, which bull to try next, but my heart isn’t in it completely. Not like my father’s.”

“That’s so sad.”

“What is?”

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