Rancher Untamed Read online

  He glanced over at the woman who’d been shutting him down in town but tonight had made the highest bid to spend the evening with him. “You could have saved yourself some money if you’d said yes when I asked you out a few weeks ago.”

  “Oh, well, then the charity wouldn’t have made as much tonight. Somehow, I think that makes it all worth it,” she said.

  There was something different about her tonight. She was more confident. She’d always seemed to be a little bit on edge, her eyes frequently going to the door of the café where they’d met. It used to bother him when he’d first started running into her in town, but now he’d gotten used to it.

  “Was that what brought out your wallet? The charity?”

  She flushed again. “It is a very good cause. Children are so vulnerable and really at the mercy of the adults in their lives.”

  “Were you?” he asked. He couldn’t help but be curious about her past. And how could a nanny afford the generous bid she’d placed? Maybe it was because she didn’t really have any expenses living in her own house on the Rockin’ C ranch. And she’d told him at the coffee shop that her daily lattes were her only indulgence. But still. No one knew much about her. She never mentioned her last name, and he knew from Nathan—Kinley’s husband—that Pippa had met Kinley on a bus in Las Vegas, of all places.

  But she was a British woman with no apparent connection to her homeland. And Diego, who was proud of being American, didn’t understand that.

  “I had everything a child could wish for,” Pippa said. “The best toys, a first-class education and a stable with horses that even the legendary Diego Velasquez would envy.”

  “Legendary?” he asked, ignoring the sadness that underpinned her words. So she had been born with money, but when she’d come to the United States, she’d left that behind. He’d seen the way she lived. Frugal was one word for it. But it was deliberate.

  “Don’t let it go to your head, but you are sort of a superstar with horses. I mean, when I’ve brought Pippa out to your stables to ride, I’ve seen the way the rowdiest stallion settles down for you.”

  “I get horses,” Diego said.

  “But not people?”

  “Some people,” he admitted. Mo had warned him to not talk about his horses or breeding program around women and bore them when he was in his early twenties. Diego had seen his success with the ladies increase after his brother’s advice and still followed it now.

  The DJ had gotten set up, and as the drinks from the open bar flowed, more people were moving toward the dance floor. Pippa finished her margarita.

  “Do you want another drink?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “I’m not a huge fan of tequila.”

  “What would you prefer?” he asked.

  “Something sparkling. I want to celebrate.”

  He raised one eyebrow and took the margarita glass from her. “I’ll be right back.”

  He went to get them both some prosecco and then returned. “How’s that?”

  “Much better,” she said, lifting her glass toward his.

  “What are we celebrating?” he asked.

  “My birthday,” she said. “I’m twenty-five today.”

  “Happy birthday, Pippa.”

  Twenty-five. She was five years younger than him, but the way she said it made him realize there was a lot more to the story. She took a sip of her drink and he did the same, making small talk until they had finished. The band was playing “Despacito” and Pippa was swaying to the music.

  “So, Pippa, what are we going to do?”

  She tipped her head to the side. “I’m not sure what you mean. What are we going to do about what?”

  “This night,” he said. He put his hand on her waist and drew her closer to him.

  “I’m not sure,” she said softly.

  Her breath smelled sweet like the prosecco, and her face was so close that his lips tingled. He remembered how soft and succulent they had been beneath his earlier.

  “Well, I’m yours...for tonight,” he said out loud to remind himself that it was only for this night. “Tell me what it is you want me to do.”

  She tipped her head back and their eyes met. Her lips parted and he felt her hand come to rest on his shoulder. “Show me a good time, cowboy.”

  Two

  Once the auction was over and the winners collected their bachelors, it was as if all the tension left the room. Pippa felt freer than she’d felt since...well, ever. Her whole life she’d felt the burden of her inheritance and knew that she’d have to make the right choices when she became an adult. Her mother had coached her and told her to take her time. Not to marry young, as she had, because even though she loved her family she felt she’d missed out on so much of life.

  Her father was a different story. Having married into the House of Hamilton fortune, he had wanted to do everything to make his own mark on the legacy jewelry company. But instead he’d always come up short. She knew this from a frank discussion two of her cousins had had with her when she’d turned twenty-one. She had been at that odd age where she was both an adult and also not yet allowed to take over her inheritance, which she couldn’t do until she was twenty-five. Her father had full power over many things including voting her shares and her position on the board.

  “Another prosecco?” Diego asked, interrupting her thoughts.

  “Uh, that, or champagne will do. I’m a sucker for anything sparkling,” she said. Now that she’d won the man she’d been eyeing around town for the past two years she had to admit that she didn’t know what to do with him.

  Her life with Kinley and Penny had been quiet and sheltered. She knew all of Dora the Explorer’s little friends but really felt awkward with a man. That was sad. She aimed to fix that tonight.

  He snagged two champagne glasses from a passing waiter and handed one to her. “To a glittering night.”

  She clinked her glass to his and then took a sip. She loved the bubbles in champagne and how they felt on her tongue. She closed her eyes and let the sip stay in her mouth awhile before she swallowed. When she opened her eyes, Diego was watching her and the look in his eyes made her feel...well, not awkward anymore.

  The DJ was playing a good mix of dance tunes and slower ballads, along with some standards that got the older generations up on the dance floor, but all Pippa could think about was that she was free. After staying hidden so long, and that being the focus of her every day. Hoping she wouldn’t be found before she could claim her inheritance...and now that fear was gone. She’d known her father had private detectives searching for her. And she’d been careful to keep the Hamilton-Hoff name hidden. Not that she couldn’t trust Kinley, but if she had to lie, that was her responsibility. Lying was her choice and not one she wanted to force her friends into. All she had to do was wait for her claim to be validated and then...her new life would begin.

  “So do you dance?” he asked. Diego’s voice was low and smooth. She’d spent way too much time thinking about the way he said her name. He lingered on the last vowel as if he liked the way her name sounded on his lips.

  “I do, but mostly with Penny, and that little imp pretty much just jumps around and strikes crazy poses. I’m sure you’re not going to want to see me do that,” she said.

  “I wouldn’t rule it out, but maybe not in this venue,” he said with a wink. “My nephew is a big fan of lying on the floor and spinning around when the music is on.”

  “Penny does that, too. I’m pretty sure that’s a classic toddler move,” she said.

  “Can’t recall it from my own past, but I hope I had a little more style,” he said as the music changed and Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” came on. “Want to give it a try? See if you can control the urge to jump around and pose?”

  She smiled and nodded. “This song is from the Trolls movie.”

  She groaned internally. She didn’t even have a kid and yet kid stuff was all she could talk about. She’d turned into an old lady without even realizing it was happening.

  “Please pretend you didn’t hear that,” she said. “Starting right now I’m going to be young and wild Pippa.”

  “No arguments here,” he said, taking her hand and leading her onto the dance floor.

  She’d expected him to let go of her hand, but he didn’t. Just held her as they swayed to the music. She didn’t have a hard time getting into it and remembered the last time she’d danced like this had been years ago when she’d gone to the winter formal at her boarding school before her mom had died and everything had changed.

  After a period of grief, the board of the House of Hamilton had informed her father that he was no longer an official partner and would only be voting Pippa’s shares until she came of age at twenty-five. Her relationship with her father changed after that. And when she turned eighteen, he had become obsessed with who she would marry and determined that she should choose a distant cousin of his who was his protégé.

  Unexpectedly she felt the sting of tears and she shook her head until she could shove the emotion back down. She twirled away from Diego, who looked as if he were going to ask a question, and continued dancing with her back to him until her emotions were under control.

  So much of her journey had been fed by her mom’s death, but she was cool now. She was in control and she knew exactly what she was going to do.

  The song ended.

  “We’ve had a lot of requests for this song and I think it’s about time I played it. ‘Save a Horse’ by Big & Rich, so, ladies, grab your cowboy and enjoy,” he said.

  She knew the song well as it was one of her favorites, but until tonight she hadn’t had a cowboy of her own. She did now. She took his hand. All around them on the dance floor, there was laughter that soon turned into close embraces and kisses. But Diego just smiled and kept his eyes on hers as she sang and danced with him.

  The crazy surge of emotion she’d had earlier changed into something else as she realized just how long it had been since she’d let her hair down and just danced.

  At the end of the song, Diego pulled her close and their eyes met moments before he lowered his head and kissed her. Unlike the embrace on stage earlier, this one didn’t feel like it was for show.

  * * *

  Diego and Pippa stayed on the dance floor for the next three hours. Some couples disappeared, then came back looking...well, like they’d enjoyed themselves. But Diego remained where he was. He drank champagne, which hadn’t escaped Mo’s notice. His brother gave him a look and Diego knew he was going to hear about it later. Alejandro was dancing with someone Diego didn’t know, but he was pretty damned sure she wasn’t his longtime girlfriend. According to the gossips at the coffeehouse, they’d had a fight about Alejandro’s inability to commit and she’d dumped him about six weeks ago.

  Pippa stuck close to his side and hadn’t mentioned the kiss he’d been unable to stop himself from giving her. He knew that it was a bachelor auction, and all in good fun, yet as he’d held her hand and danced her around the floor, he’d wanted to be hers. He’d wanted her to have really claimed him.

  “I don’t want this night to end,” she said as the DJ announced that there was time for only one more song.

  “It doesn’t have to,” he said. “Wait here.”

  He went to the bar for a bottle of champagne and two plastic flutes before leading Pippa away from the party to one of the patios that overlooked part of the golf course. It was quiet as they moved away from the party.

  “One of the things I really love about Texas is how big the sky is,” she said, putting her hands on the railing and looking up. There wasn’t that much light pollution out here, so the stars were visible.

  “Me, too,” he admitted. “Where are you from? I mean, you’re obviously British.”

  “Caught that, did ya?” she asked as she turned and leaned back on the railing.

  “Yeah, I’m smart that way,” he retorted, pouring her a glass of champagne and handing it to her.

  He poured another one for himself as she took a sip.

  “I was born in Hampshire, but we mainly lived in London except when I was at boarding school,” she said.

  “I have to admit I have no idea where Hampshire is,” he said.

  “That’s okay. I had no idea where Cole’s Hill was until Kinley moved here,” Pippa admitted.

  “Why did you come with her? Las Vegas is way more exciting than this,” he said.

  “I had nothing holding me there. My job as Penny’s nanny is important to me,” she said, taking a sip of her drink. “I made Kinley a promise when Penny was born that I would stay as long as she needed me.”

  “You were there when Penny was born?” he asked. This was the most she’d told him about herself since they met, and he was curious.

  “Yeah. We were on a city bus when Kinley went into labor. I just stayed with her when she was taken to the hospital because she was scared and alone and we’d been chatting before her water broke... I think we both needed a friend in that moment,” Pippa said. There was a note in her voice that hinted there might be more to the story, but she shook her head and looked over at him. “We’ve been friends ever since. What about you? Who’s your oldest friend?”

  He took a sip of his champagne. It was never going to replace Jack Daniels as his favorite drink, but the taste was growing on him. “If I’m honest, my brothers. Maybe Mauricio, since he’s younger than his twin, Alejandro, by several minutes. Inigo is five years younger than me and closer to my sister, Bianca. He’s a Formula One driver like Bianca’s first husband was.”

  Why was he telling her all of this? But he knew. He didn’t want to make any moves that would send her running away from him again. Even though she’d bid on him tonight, every other time he’d tried to connect with her she’d shut him down. And he didn’t want to let this end.

  Not now.

  Not until... Well, not until he figured out the secrets behind those gray eyes. She always seemed so calm and controlled, but tonight there was a fire and passion in her gaze that he wasn’t going to walk away from until he uncovered its source.

  “You have such a big family...like the Carutherses. Is that a Texas thing?” she asked.

  He had to laugh. “Well, they do say everything is bigger here. The families in Cole’s Hill certainly are.”

  “I guess that’s true,” she said. “I do like this area of Texas. So lush and pretty with the green rolling hills. I mean, it’s a bit of a stretch, but it does remind me of our country houses in England.”

  “Country houses?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “You know, big old Georgian mansions that have been in one family forever.”

  “Then why are you here in Texas and not with your family?” he asked. “Sounds like legacy is important to you.”

  “It is and it isn’t,” she said. “This champagne is really good.”

  He knew she was changing the subject and he was tempted to let her do it. But the moon was full, and she’d claimed him for her own, at least for this night, and that meant he had nothing to lose.

  “It is good, but what did you mean about your family legacy?” he asked. “You don’t have to tell me, but I want to know everything there is about you, Pippa... I don’t even know your last name.”

  “Do you need to?” she asked.

  “If I’m going to kiss you again, I think I might want to know it,” he said. “It’s only fair. You know mine.”

  * * *

  She was nervous to let him know her last name. It was silly. She’d reached out to her cousins and the board of directors to let them know she was very much alive and ready to claim her seat on the board. Yet here in the moonlight standing so close to Diego, she knew that she didn’t want to tell him, because if he knew she was the House of Hamilton jewelry heiress it would change the dynamic.

  He thought she was a nanny—

  “Is it really that hard to trust me?” he asked.

  “Yes. I’ve been keeping my identity secret for so long that I... Sorry, it’s not you. It really is me,” she said.

  “Why are you hiding it?” he asked.

  His voice was silky smooth, wrapping around her senses and making it hard to concentrate. “My father has a plan for my future and I want to choose my own path.”

  “Fair enough,” he said. “So you are on the run?”

  “Yes.”

  He came to stand next to her, leaning against the railing so they were facing the river rock exterior of the Five Families Country Club. “Then just be Pippa for tonight. I promise you have nothing to fear from me.”

  She reached out without really thinking about it, put her hand on his thigh and squeezed. “I know.”

  But the electric tingle that ran up her arm made her wonder if she was close to getting in over her head. She wanted Diego. That wasn’t a surprise. She’d been dodging him in town and trying to limit their contact for that very reason. It was one thing to hook up for a night but something else entirely to start anything with him knowing she was leaving.

  And she was going to have to work really hard to prove herself once she was back in England. She wouldn’t have time for anything else.

  She groaned.

  He turned his head to face her and in those deep brown eyes she saw desire. He quirked one eyebrow at her and she felt the brush of his exhalation against her cheek. He smelled faintly of expensive cologne and the outdoors. She closed her eyes and took a deeper breath. He smelled like everything she wanted. And tonight he was hers.

  She had made a few missteps. Talking about herself and her past. She needed to keep those things quiet.