DAKOTA'S DREAM
HEARTBREAK RIDGE
BOOK 3 OF 3
Dakota Sanders was finally free to live the life he’d given up at an early age to raise his brother and sister after the untimely death of their parents. He was too old and too levelheaded to go wild, but he certainly intended to enjoy his freedom. Having his brother and sister married and on their own meant his only obligation was to keep the Double Heart Ranch running smoothly. The arrival of his new cook just might upset all of his carefully laid plans…
Curvy personal chef, Jesse Kincaid, needed one year of service in order to take her exam to be certified. Having grown up in New York, Wyoming certainly hadn’t been her first choice. However, after meeting her sexy new boss, she’s determined to make the most of her year.
Was the attraction cooking between the two a flash in the pan, or would the ingredients come together to make something lasting?
“Why did you tell your brother that you wouldn’t choose me if you wanted female company?”
Good heavens, was she crazy? Had she lost her blooming mind? It was one thing to be forward with friends or strangers, but not her boss. Her brand new boss of only one week. The boss of a job she desperately needed…
Dakota’s hands fumbled before grasping the steering wheel tightly. She’d overheard his comment to Jericho. What could he say? Deciding to be just as straightforward in his answer as she’d been in her question, he said, “Because I’m not looking for anything permanent. I told you that.”
It was Jesse’s turn to frown. “So you think that if you and I…if we got together, that I’d expect it to last?” She giggled, earning a frown. “Sorry. Sorry.” She waved a hand at him. “It’s just that you’re not the only one who isn’t looking for a lifetime commitment. My life is in New York.”
Even though they were the words he wanted to hear, somehow they bothered Dakota. He put his edginess down to the fact that this was the bluntest conversation he’d ever had with someone of the opposite sex. He pulled into a parking space in front of the Pack & Carry and turned off the engine. “So we’re agreed? Things between us stay strictly professional?”
Boldly, daringly, Jesse removed her seatbelt and leaned across the seat until her face was only inches from his, her hand riding high on one rock-hard thigh. She could see the widening of his pupils and the small muscle that ticked at the side of his mobile mouth. Good, he was bothered. She licked her lips, her girlie parts doing a happy dance as his eyes helplessly followed the slow sweep of her tongue. “No, we agree that if anything happens between us, it isn’t permanent. But, since you’re a little shy, I’ll do my very best to keep my hands off you if that’s what you want. For now.” With a slow grin, and a sassy wink, she edged away, opening the door and jumping quickly to the asphalt parking lot. When he didn’t move, she peered through the open door. “Coming?”
Close, Dakota thought, real close. He willed his body back under control even as he groaned, his gaze following her as she headed toward the store’s entrance, her firm backside swaying with her movement.