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“No, why do you ask?”
“There are several stops I need to make before we head back.” The truth of the matter was that he was in no hurry to get her back home.
“No problem. I’ll call and let China know I’m taking the rest of the day off. I need time off anyway. It’s been a while since I’ve taken any.”
Now that he knew that bit of information, he was going to make sure she enjoyed today with him.
Twelve
After leaving the television station they had lunch at Gravel, a bar and grill owned by a college friend of Nadia’s named Lilli. For years Lilli’s parents had run the place and had recently turned it over to Lilli when they retired.
Jaxon placed his hand in the center of her back while they walked into the restaurant. His touch had an effect on her. All sorts of feelings rippled through her, and she was totally conscious of him as a man. And from the feminine looks they got when they entered, quite a few other women were aware of him as well.
She could tell Jaxon liked Lilli when they were introduced. Most people did. She had that kind of personality. He also liked Aaron, Lilli’s husband. Since Aaron was originally from Norfolk, Virginia, the two had a lot to talk about, being from the same state.
Lilli had been Nadia’s friend long enough to detect something between her and Jaxon, although she’d introduced him as a business associate. Had Nadia’s interest in him been obvious? She discovered her answer when, after placing her order, she excused herself to go to the bathroom and deliberately cornered Lilli. “What gives, Lil?”
Lilli threw her head back and laughed. “You tell me, girlfriend. I can’t wait until I talk to Rissa. Business associate, my ass. The sexual chemistry between you and Jaxon Ravnel is so thick I can feel it.”
“It’s not,” Nadia scoffed.
“It is, too. I’m sure even Aaron felt it and he has a tendency to let stuff go over his head. Another thing I noticed is that Jaxon can’t keep his eyes off you, so the desire isn’t just coming from you, kiddo.”
She hoped not. Otherwise, she’d been reading the vibes all wrong. But then she didn’t have that much experience with men to read the signs Rissa had told her to look out for. She was well aware of the fire raging inside her whenever he glanced her way, gave her a smile or when he’d placed his hand at the center of her back. Returning to her table, she tried to stay composed but it was hard. Never had she been this taken with a man. Jaxon had the ability to short-circuit her senses.
She’d ordered a hamburger, fries and a strawberry milkshake. He had a brisket sandwich with sweet potato fries and a vanilla shake. Over lunch he told her how he’d recently gone into partnership with the Westmorelands’ horse-training business. She had heard that from Paige but enjoyed listening to him tell her about it. She sat there trying to convince herself her enjoyment had nothing to do with the deep, husky sound of his voice. Nor did it have anything to do with how sensuous his mouth looked whenever it moved.
“How did your parents meet?” she asked, curious about the two people who’d raised him. She’d heard from Paige, who’d met them, that his mother was gorgeous and the epitome of a defined and elegant woman. She probably had more sophistication in her pinkie finger than Nadia had in her entire body.
He smiled at her question, and she immediately felt a quivering in the pit of her stomach. “Mom and Dad were the two most unlikely people to get together. He needed more land to expand the institute and she was president of this group whose sole purpose was to protect lands and natural resources from excessive development. Needless to say, they butted heads.”
“I can imagine.”
“I don’t think you can. I still find it hard to believe at times. I understand back in the day Dad was a rather stern businessman who was used to having things his way. Mom was a tough cookie. At the time Dad was the most eligible bachelor in town and was known to dazzle most women.”
Probably like his son, she thought. “So how did they come to a compromise?”
“I don’t think they did. At the time she was a college professor at a community college in Dumfries. He thought she was the most temperamental, unmanageable, outspoken and sassy woman he’d ever met.”
Nadia laughed. “She sounds like a woman I can truly admire.”
“She was one he could admire, too. Dad says he fell in love with Mom the moment he walked into her office to give her hell. He was immediately taken with her because she was the first woman who didn’t treat him like he was a prize catch. Instead, she treated him like he was a nuisance she was forced to deal with.” He took a sip of his iced tea and then said, “Needless to say, less than a year after they met they got married.”
Nadia nodded. “What was the outcome of the land your father wanted but she didn’t want him to have?”
“Since the primary concern of her organization was the trees on the property that had been there for over one hundred years, Dad promised to build around them. Although that meant having the architectural plans redone, which was costly.”
A short while later, after they’d eaten, Jaxon told her how much he’d enjoyed his meal. To her surprise, when they were leaving, he told Lilli and Aaron he would be coming back.
When they left Gravel, he reminded Nadia of the errands he had to make in Jackson Hole. They went to several men’s shops looking for shirts and ties. He also purchased another Stetson. Last was a pair of boots. At first it felt odd going shopping with him but after a while it seemed like a natural act. He asked her opinion about several ties and bought the ones she told him she liked the best.
By the time they’d finished with all his shopping it was close to five o’clock and he suggested they grab dinner. They dined at a very elegant restaurant in Jackson Hole. The moment she walked into the Jagged Edge she recalled hearing about it from Cash Outlaw’s wife, Brianna. This was where Cash had brought her for their wedding dinner. It was just as beautiful as Brianna had said. The restaurant was massive as well as impressive with a set of triple stairs that led to other dining areas, high cathedral ceilings and beautiful chandeliers.
Dinner had been delicious and instead of discussing anything personal, she’d asked him about what he’d said during Sue Ellen Donovan’s interview. Specifically, those community projects he was adding to his agenda for next year. One conversation led to another and he shared with her his plans for his company. With the acquired land in Wyoming, he was finished expanding for now. His concentration would be on hiring the most qualified people to manage both the Forbes and Gamble expansions.
“I hadn’t meant to keep you away so long,” he said when they were headed back to Gamble. They had enjoyed conversing so much that neither of them had realized how late it had gotten. It was close to eight o’clock.
“That’s fine. I enjoyed taking a day off work.” And she truly meant it. What she hadn’t added was that she had enjoyed spending the time with him.
