Page 65 of The Undercover Cowboy

Dolly forced her eyes open, wrapping her legs around his waist. As they moved together, their passion cresting higher and higher, Nash lost himself in the torrent of sensation. He rocked into her faster, each thrust bringing them closer to the edge.

“More,” she whispered, her voice filled with delight and need.

He gave it to her, driving them both to the brink and beyond. With each deep thrust, Dolly’s past seemed to crumble away, leaving only the present, the intensity of their connection. She clung to him, nails digging into his back as wave after wave of pleasure cascaded over her.

Finally, as the last shudder of their climax subsided, they lay entwined, their breaths mingling. Nash brushed a stray tendril of hair from her cheek, his touch tender. He had a few momentsof peaceful bliss and then she turned on her side and asked him, “What is Miles Garrett investigating?”

“First of all, Dr. Victor Lance wrote up a statement that Jackson Blevins threatened to kill him if he didn’t dope up bulls. He said that Blevins was using enforcers to beat people up if they didn’t do what he wanted.”

“Is that enough?” Dolly asked, leaning up on her elbow.

“We’ll find out. Shelby called an emergency board meeting.”

“We got him,” she said, squealing and hugging him.

“It looks like it.”

“What if it’s not enough?” she said, pulling back and biting her lip nervously.

“That’s where Miles’s investigation comes in. Hector Ortiz is an undercover agent. They think the Jaripeo Ranch is smuggling drugs into the States using the rodeo as a cover.” Frustration simmered through him. “I should be on this case, not sitting on my thumbs waiting for scraps of intel. If I was still active…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “It’s difficult, you know? Losing control over the investigation to Miles. Not being an agent anymore.”

She rubbed his arm. “He’s a bit of a prick. I’m glad you reported him.”

Nash gave a half-laugh. “Didn’t seem to harm his career any.”

“Does he think Blevins knows about it?”

“It’s Blevins’s stock contractor. And Miles just told me that they found traces of cocaine in Blevins’s office. I think it’s a good bet that Blevins is done for. Financially, though, it’s still a mess. Even if Shelby becomes the sole CEO, the rodeo’s taken a huge loss in profit. It’ll be a long climb back for the rodeo to get solvent and out of debt.”

“So even if Blevins gets kicked out, the rodeo still could go under? That’s not fair. Not at all.”

“Yeah,” Nash said quietly.

“That sucks.” Dolly sat up, her sheet falling to her waist. “I can fix this. I can work on more promotions.”

Nash yanked her back to the pillows. “This doesn’t all fall on you. You’re brilliant and you’re a valued asset to the company. But you can’t fix this alone and no one expects you to.”

She was silent for a few more blissful moments and he considered starting up round two, but just as he was about to roll on top of her, she said, “What if we brought an investor on board? Someone with deep pockets who cares about keeping the rodeo alive?”

“Do you have someone in mind?” he asked, resigned to the fact that once Dolly got started, there wasn’t any stopping her.

“Maybe Jefferson Laker.”

Chapter Twenty

Dolly

Laredo, TX

Dolly stood nextto Nash near the Jaripeo Ranch’s enclosure, watching the Mexican fighting bulls snort and paw at the ground. Their broad backs rippled with muscle, each of the ten bulls a coiled spring of aggression. The wranglers had their hands full keeping them watered and fed until it was time to bring them to the chute.

“I thought the FBI was going to have Jaripeo Ranch’s trailer wrapped in crime scene tape by now,” Dolly muttered, eyeing the restless animals warily.

“Looks like they came up empty,” Nash said. “Miles hasn’t answered my texts either.”

“At least we don’t have to worry if Jackson Blevins will scoot out of this.”

Shelby got a unanimous vote of “no confidence” against Jackson Blevins. He was out of a job and out of luck. His things were being packed up and would be waiting for him at the reception area in the Dallas headquarters once he left the hospital.

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