Free The Sticky Cowgirl (Lone Star Sweets, Book 2) by Lissa Matthews Page B

out that you know Samantha Dawson’s mother, that you had a falling out with her father, that there’s a personal history, and that she’s caught in the middle? It’ll look like a vendetta. It won’t look good for you, the company, or the new building project. What it looks like for me is of no consequence.” At least within the business community. What it looked like to Samantha would be a completely different thing.
    “My dealings with Jock and Marie Dawson are no one’s concern, but mine.” There was no give, no budge. There wasn’t even a hint of emotion in Brandt’s gaze. Samuel shook his head, resignation filling him from the gut up.
    “All right.”
    “Don’t stick your nose into this, Samuel. I’m warning you.”
    “Then fire me, Brandt. Fire me. Replace me. Do what you need to do.” Never mind that Brandt didn’t know all the facts about Samuel’s own involvement with The Sticky Cowgirl.
    You can do the right thing here and back off or at least reveal some information that will put you in front of the shit storm that’s possibly headed your way.”“What’s gotten into you? What’s this girl done that you’re hell bent on throwing away everything you’ve worked for on this project?”
    Samuel took a breath and kept his face as impassive as he could. “Let’s just say my eyes have been clouded for too long.”
    “Now who’s keeping things to himself? No one has to know there’s a personal side in this, inadvertent as it is.”
    “You think Jock Dawson won’t tell his daughter there’s more going on here?”
    “Nothing more is going on.”
    “But he doesn’t believe that and neither will she. I’ve talked to her enough to know that she doesn’t believe anything I say.” Until he said their sleeping together couldn’t mean anything. She’d believed that the second the words were out of his mouth. He’d seen the change in her face, the color drain, the hardness set in her eyes. He’d seen that same hardness in her father’s in this very office.
    He needed a change of scenery.
    “And me talking about my involvement with Marie Dawson so many years ago won’t change any of that. This discussion is over. You can stay or you can go. You can see this through or you can quit. Up to you, but don’t expect any favors from me.”
    “No, I learned long ago not to ask for anything from you.”
    Brandt nodded once. It was just a small movement, but Samuel had seen it a dozen times since being hired right out of high school. “We’re done here.”
    They were done. Samuel couldn’t have said it any better himself. He didn’t know when it happened, but at some point since taking on this project, he’d changed. He’d like to blame it on sleeping with Samantha though knew he couldn’t. The change started before they got to that.
    Was it her fight? Her conviction? Was it the fact that she was willing to stand up to him, to them no matter the cost?
    Or was it just…her. Her smile, her laugh, her love for her job? Was it her curves, the brightness of her personality, the cowboy boots?
    Truth be told, it was everything rolled into one big, sticky mess. He wanted her before they slept together and he wanted even more since. He couldn’t stop thinking about her and even though he’d told himself, told her that they couldn’t get involved, that they couldn’t go through with things on a personal level, he was involved and he wanted to stay involved.
    No matter the cost.

 
    Chapter Eight
     
     
    “You did what?” Samantha was mortified. “Daddy, how could you?” Or was she secretly pleased? Maybe pleased and mortified. What must Samuel think of her now?
    “What? I was trying to help you out. Thought that’s what you wanted.”
    “It is and I appreciate it, but why did you have to go see them?” After all they’d been through on their own, Samuel probably figured she was feeling the heat and had to send in the big guns. Her father.
    “Darlin’, me meeting with them is the