Page 22 of The Texan's Secrets

“It looks like it is. I haven’t checked in here for a while. Key lime lemonade or blueberry pomegranate. I assume there’s some wine in these things as well.”

“Is that even a choice?” she asked, turning to face him.

He lifted a brow in puzzlement.

She kept a straight face as she teased him. “I mean, isn’t it obvious?”

“Sure,” he answered without missing a beat. “Blueberry pomegranate it is.” He twisted off the cap and held the bottle her way.

“Gutsy,” she said.

“Was I right?”

She moved closer and took the bottle. “I’d have gone with either.”

“Me too.” He opened a key lime lemonade for himself and shut the fridge door.

“What are we working on?” she asked, feeling unexpectedly relaxed as she took a sip. The beverage was tart and flavorful.

“Second monitor from the left,” he said, making his way to the desk.

She took in a mocked-up screen design.

“Have a seat,” he offered, gesturing to the padded swivel chair.

She sat. “It looks very straightforward.”

“That’s exactly what I’m going for—a technical ranch management system for the nontechnical rancher. The cattle are each registered with a multifaceted number. I’m picturing a single drop-down menu expanding to health, feed, geography, history and finance.”

“For every cow?”

“There’ll be a chip in their ear tag, easy scanning with a handheld device. That’s not my original idea. It’s all over the place these days.”

A cute, animated calf appeared on the screen and plaintively mooed. Then a cow appeared and nuzzled the calf.

Emilia twisted her head to look back at Nick. “Seriously?

He was bent over the chair, his arm across the back. “Rafe’s mom is whimsical.”

“And you’re doing all of this for one ranch?” She was both amazed and impressed by his diligence.

“It might have some commercial value in the future, especially if it’s blockchain verified. But, for now, yes. It’s specifically for the Cortez-Williams family.”

His smile warmed his dark eyes, drawing her in, making her realize how very close he was and that his arms were all but hugging her. He’d kissed her when she first arrived, and that had been nice. But their passionate kisses at the ranch had been well beyond nice.

She wanted one of those now.

Nick seemed to read her mind.

He leaned slowly forward, giving her plenty of time to pull away.

She didn’t, and their lips met once again, hotter this time, moving instantly into a deep and passionate kiss.

Keeping the kiss going, he turned the chair until she faced him. She stood, and he drew her into his arms, wrapping her close, smoothing his hands along her back, while his kisses began to roam.

She tipped back her head as he kissed her neck. He pushed her sweater aside and kissed his way to the tip of her shoulder. She gripped his arms, hanging on tight as her legs turned wobbly.

He returned to her mouth and found the hem of her sweater, reaching underneath to the flimsy fabric of her T-shirt. His hands felt warm, strong and purposeful as they circled toward her breasts.

---