Wild Ride: BBW Western Romance (Under Open Skies Saga Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

Princess .” His deep, gravelly, voice drove her crazy, he had a way of flirting with her. Even when he was insulting her. It was enough to make her want to scream at him and pull him in for a kiss.
    A kiss that should n’ t happen. Could n’ t happen.
    He unbalanced her again, but that only made him smile, the quick smirk coming to his lips and then off again before she even had the chance to glare at him.
    “ You know what real work is ?” he asked, no sarcasm or snark in his tone.
    “I’ ve been working my whole life. I did n’ t get anything handed to me, Hunter. I think, if you knew my father, you would know that for certain . ”
    “ I t’ s true, one of the things I most valued about him. He was a good man. And he ran a good company . ”
    “ Why did n’ t you sign with him when he asked ? ”
    “ Because I thought I could do better, myself. For a long time. I thought more offers, better offers, would come to me. And they did n’ t, not at first. After a while, a few did, but their terms were n’ t fair. Your da d’ s was, but I still want to be my own person . ”
    “ And now ? ”
    “I’ ll be honest, Ms. Brooks. I’ m not sure how I feel about your operation .” Hunter pulled down the bill of his cap giving her a dark, challenging stare.  Any emotion was gone, she was n’ t Kat anymore, she was Ms. Brooks.
    But that was lost on her, what she heard was his insult, the one to her fathe r’ s legacy.
    He had no right.
    “ This company is flawless! My fathe r … ” The air left her lungs. This was not the beginning of the business relationship she had expected. Kat worked so hard to show that she was a business woman, she played the part just right, and he saw right through her.
    He saw a scared little girl. She was sure of it.
    “ Your father ran a great center. Men were lucky to have his coaching expertise, his support. Since you took over, folks are n’ t sure what to make of your company. You are n’ t decisive enough. You like to hand the reins over to Hank so that he can make the decisions for you. Let him choose your candidates. It lacks soul. Confidence .” A crooked smile appeared slowly as he stared at her.
    She could feel her blood pumping, her shoulders shaking. Her nostrils flaring. She wanted to scream at him. How dare he question her fathe r’ s company? Her intentions?
    But he was right.
    She stopped mid-argument and righted herself. She turned to leave but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
    What the hell? ! She fought the urge to punch him in his self-righteous face.
    “ If you, and I do mean you , decide to take a chance on me, I might just let you. But it ai n’ t gonna be so easy. You need to become involved in the everyday operation s‘ round here, Kat .” His eyes softened a little with his grip on her arm .“ I know you wanna snag me. Your dad did too, but I did n’ t make it easy on him, and I sure as hell ai n’ t gonna make it easy on you . ”
    He used her first name and it caught her off guard. Just a little.
    “ What do you propose ?” She asked, clearing her throat and trying not to notice that his touch was warm on her skin .“ What do you need me to do for my business ? ”
    Breathe. Just breathe.
    “ What I propose is that you come to your own training center. At dawn. Tomorrow. Work with the riders already under your control. Work with me. Get your hands dirty the way your father did . ”
    “ But I’ m not a rider, Hunter .” She was out of her depths and she knew it. She loved the rodeo, but her daddy kept her away from it. Kept her safe. She was just a young woman fresh out of college. She did n’ t know anything about this world . “
    “ No, but you probably know it just as well as any rider. Think about it. You have been knee deep in the rodeo since you were a kid. You know the ins and outs. You know the business . ”
    Hunter had a point. She was n’ t that little girl anymore, but she still knew the rodeo. It was her home