Free Hard Impact: An Alpha Billionaire Romance Novel by Helen Grey Page A

have anything!” She stamped her foot in frustration. “No one told me… what am I supposed to do?”
    “Your magazine is the one that wanted this interview,” I said. “The fact that you’re not prepared isn’t my fault.”
    “But—”
    “You can always go back to San Francisco,” I casually commented, turning to walk toward one of the sofas in front of the cold fireplace.
    “And how am I supposed to do that?” She waved her hand. “Fly your helicopter by myself? Fat chance! We’re out in the middle of nowhere! You had to fly your helicopter in here for crying out loud!” She glanced around. “Can I call a taxi?”
    He shrugged. “Good luck with that, cell phone reception is sporadic. I’m thinking of doing something about that, but to be honest, most of my clients are trying to get away from the rat race, so other than emergency communications, cell phone service isn’t exactly at the top of my to-do list when it comes to this property.”
    She stared at me in dismay for several seconds, then reached into her satchel and retrieved her cell phone. “ One bar?” She shook her head. “I don’t believe this.”
    “What’s the big deal? You got a pet at home waiting to be fed? A husband? A dental appointment you just can’t miss? What?”
    She stared at me, obviously taken off guard. Why did she have to look so damned uncomfortable? People would be paying through their teeth to stay at this resort — and then I realized. “You’re worried about being alone here with me?” I shook my head in disbelief. “For one, you’re not my type, and for two, I would never take advantage of anyone, so you might as well get your mind out of the gutter right now because seducing you is the last thing on mine.”
    Her mouth dropped open. If possible, her expression darkened even more. “I didn’t — I wasn’t — well, you’re not my type either! But that’s not—”
    “Don’t be offended, Misty,” I said, growing frustrated and impatient. “I just want you to know that you don’t have to worry about being alone with me. That’s all I meant, okay? Now can you go upstairs and change? Unless you want to get your nice slacks and that dainty blouse all dirty.” Unbelievably, her frown deepened still more.
    “Why? Where are we going now? What are you going to do?”
    “I’m going to inspect the property,” I said, striving for patience. “Or do you expect me to walk all six hundred acres so you don’t get dusty?”
    She stared, blinked and then her eyes widened. “I don’t have to ride a horse, do I?”
    “Don’t you know how to ride?”
    She ignored the question and shook her head in what I could only surmise was disbelief. I wasn’t sure what to think. I didn’t want her here, didn’t want her tagging around, but my board had insisted. Depending on how this interview went, at least according to my board, the marketing potential and publicity for my company could either go up or down. I didn’t understand that. How could one interview spread in a relatively obscure magazine that was heavier on gossip than on business have an impact on my company? It wasn’t like she was from Time or Inc. for fuck’s sake. I was allowing myself to get sidetracked and brought my focus back to the present with a carefully muffled curse.
    “Did you see any horses outside?”
    “No, but you have a barn and corral out there,” she said in her own defense.
    “Actually, we do have horse stalls in the barn, and another stable about a quarter of a mile away, and yes, we have a corral or two, but I have no horses on the property just yet. We’ll take the four-wheeler.”
    She made a squeaking sound. I wasn’t sure if I was more aggravated than amused. I had a feeling that Misty Rankin had suddenly found herself a bit off her game. While she couldn’t really be blamed for that, as it was apparent that she hadn’t been fully informed, I didn’t have time to babysit either.
    “You can either come along or