Cowboy Casanova (Rough Riders #12)(127)

anyway. He could ask Chase for a loan because Chase had plenty of extra cash, but that

crossed a line and quite frankly, made Ben feel like a loser, a broke bum needing a

handout from his younger brother. Asking for an advance on his wages from the McKay

Ranch fund from their accountant before the cattle went to market would alert his

family, which he, Dalton and Tell were trying to avoid. Getting a loan from Settler’s

First would pose the same problem.



So he chewed on it for a day and came up with a solution. Not ideal, but workable.

Okay, it sucked ass, and it crossed another line, but he had no choice.


Late Tuesday morning Ben ironed his plain white shirt, slipped on a bolo tie

embellished with the McKay brand and donned his tan suit coat. He added a western belt,

centering it between his jean-clad hips. He settled the black Stetson on his head,

grabbed his duster and headed to town.


He hadn’t set up an appointment with Ainsley at the bank, too many snoopy people would

report back to his that family Ben McKay had applied for a loan. So he was planning to

take her to lunch and spring his loan request over a good steak.


Ben strode into National West Bank. He tipped his hat to the teller and made tracks

straight for Ainsley’s office—only to get intercepted by Jenny.


“Ben McKay. Fancy seeing you here again. Is there something I can help you with?”


“Yes. I need to speak with Miz Hamilton.”


Jenny sauntered to her desk and tapped her fingers on a large day planner. “She’s a

busy woman. She’s on a conference call right now. She’s scheduled a meeting after

lunch, followed by a staff meeting, so if you could come back tomorrow—”


“Nah. I’ll wait until she’s off the phone since we’re having lunch today.”


Jenny squinted at him skeptically. “It’s not on her calendar.”


“Huh. I swore we set the lunch date when she was at my brother Chase’s event. Guess I

’ll hang out until her call is done to make sure we didn’t get our wires crossed.”

He leaned against pillar so he could watch Ainsley in action. Something about seeing

that smart, sexy woman in her element got his juices going.


“We have a sitting area—”


“I’m good. I’m sure she won’t be long.”


Jenny harrumphed at his dismissal.


He waited for that moment when Ainsley realized he was there.


Bingo. There it was. Her spine straightened and she swiveled in his direction. Their

eyes met though the glass and Ben felt that hard punch of lust. Which increased tenfold

when she offered him a sexy smirk and ended her phone call.


The woman had a pull on him like he’d never experienced. He was just as fascinated

with who she was out of the sub role, as he was when she trusted him with full control.


Ben about choked on his tongue when Ainsley sashayed out of her office, wearing a

form-fitting black pinstriped skirt and a matching suit jacket that skimmed her hips.

The lacy red camisole peeking above the jacket’s lapels kept the outfit from looking

too mannish—as if that were possible with her abundance of curves. When he noticed the

red stilettos, his mind zipped to the fantasy of the sharp points of those heels