Page 113 of Dark Horse

“Well, here’s hoping we find answers soon. Before the clock runs out.” Rowan looks at me.

“Here’s hoping,” I echo.

We’ve bought ourselves some time, a truce, and I couldn’t ask for a better team to be on this. I have more hope now than I’ve ever had, but we still need luck on our side.

FORTY-NINE

DAKOTA

“What’s this?”I ask, puzzled. Grant’s brought me to one of the conference rooms in the resort before he takes me for dinner and drinks downstairs. He has me standing at a table in front of the window that overlooks the side lot of the resort. There’s a stack of portfolio pages laid out across it, and he nods to them.

“Open it.”

I give him a skeptical look, but I open the folder. Inside is what looks like a detailed architectural drawing, a massive one judging by the different rooms. I tilt my head to see some of the writing and measurements as my eyes trace over the page down to the bottom where my heart stops.

SEVEN SINS SALOON

“Plansto rebuild?” I practically squeal the words. We discussed rebuilding briefly while we were on the flight home, but with the stakes that are still on the line for him, my problems seemed small in comparison. “You did this for me?”

“They’re just some preliminary sketches from the architect I’ve worked with before. I thought it would give you a starting place to imagine what you could create.”

“This looks massive though. Will it fit in the same footprint? Do I have enough to afford it?”

“It won’t fit in the footprint downtown, no. But it’ll fit out there.” He nods to the massive lot below us.

“Here?” I raise a brow.

“Here.”

“Grant… I appreciate it, but I worry about how we’ll work together. I know we’re in the honeymoon phase of this right now, but… Eventually, things will go back to a new normal. It was bad enough when you were my landlord; can you imagine if you were my boss? I really love our sex life, and I don’t want to be sending you to sleep on the couch because you told me how to run my bar.”

A laugh rumbles out of his chest as he turns the page over for me.

“No way on this fucking earth do I want to risk the couch or be your boss for that matter. Outside our bed anyway.” He shoots me a charming little smirk. “This would be yours to run however you want. We don’t even have to connect it to the resort if it would make you more comfortable. I just thought if it was here, I could keep you safe. No long walks to a car or long drives across town to get home at night.”

“Right. Home. I still have to figure out where that’s going to be.”

“We’ll get to that in a minute. But… what do you think of the plans? This one has a few floors to it. This other one has a bigger footprint, more sprawl with room for a stage and a mechanical bull pit.”

“I have always wanted one of those.” I nibble on my lip. I’m overwhelmed by choices. I never expected to have so many.

“I figured you would.” He smiles at me. “This other one has a whisky bar built in.”

“That doesn’t sound like you had a hand in it at all,” I tease him.

“I want somewhere I can drink and watch you work. It’s one of my favorite things. You light up and your smile… fuck, it’s amazing. Just like this.” His fingers brush under my chin, and he presses a kiss to my lips. “Not to mention it’s going to be better these days to watch all those guys make asses of themselves trying to get your attention, knowing it’s my bed you’re in at night. Turns me on to see the way you manage them.”

“Okay. Maybe we keep the whisky bar then.” I’m still getting used to the open praise that flows from his lips now. It’s like he finally gave himself permission to say what’s on his mind, and I love every moment of it.

“What else do you want? Whatever you want, we’ll make it happen. And if you really don’t want it here, we can discuss that too. I’d just want you to have extra security.”

“I think I’ll have to figure out my living situation first. Unless maybe we could build another apartment over whichever floor plan we build?”

“If that’s what you want…” Something in his eyes dims at the suggestion. “We’d have to get it designated as a hybrid commercial-residential space. But the resort already has those if you wanted to build it here.”

“I like the idea. Can we keep it as an option for now?”

“Yes. Can I show you another option though?”

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