19. Lincoln
lincoln
. . .
I’d never had a nemesis before, but I think I did now. I hated Josie’s little boyfriend with every fiber of my being. It wasn’t just because she was his girl. That was too obvious. This was more about the fact that I’d been out here for just over a week and hadn’t seen him once.
If she was mine, and she should be, there wasn’t a force in the world that could’ve kept us apart.
I didn’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t the mousy little man in front of me. Ellis— what a stupid fucking name —was barely six feet with dirty blond hair. It’d been slicked back as though he was going to work. To top off his city boy prep look, he wore a pale pink polo shirt tucked into khaki slacks.
He didn’t fit in around here with the dirt and grease and blood. Even if I hadn’t shown up ready to sweep Josie off her feet, there was no way their relationship would last. That wasn’t me thinking highly of myself. It was a fact.
Ellis stood in the doorway with a bouquet of dying grocery store wildflowers and a smile. It promptly died as he saw the two of us so close. I’d tried to step away, using the second to fix my dick so it wasn’t painfully obvious I’d been moments away from breaking whatever moral code I had left and fucking Josie the way she deserved.
The way her pupils had dilated as I’d drawn in close was the stuff of fantasies. At that moment, Josie had wanted me just as much as I’d wanted her. It was undeniable, the energy between us cracking like a whip.
I’d be fucking my hand in the shower tonight at the mental image, watching my cum go to waste as it disappeared down the drain when it should’ve painted her skin.
“Ellis, what’re you doing here?” Josie asked, shifting in her seat.
“I wanted to surprise you,” he said, rattling the sad flowers in his hand. We all watched as a couple of petals drifted to the floor. “But I didn’t know you’d have company.”
I smiled, stepping forward and extending my hand. “Name’s Lincoln. Doug hired me for the summer to help him with the clinic.”
Ellis stared at it for a beat too long before he met me halfway, clamping down with what was supposed to be a firm shake. “Ah, nice to meet you. I’m Ellis.” And then the fucker went a step further, trying like hell to piss all over the room. “Josephine’s boyfriend.”
“Josephine, huh? How romantic,” I said, chuckling as Ellis dropped my hand. Who the fuck called their girlfriend by their full name?
Josie rounded the corner and took the flowers from Ellis. Her smile faltered as she studied the bouquet. “These are… lovely. Thank you.”
Ellis smiled at Josie. “You’re welcome. I saw them as I walked out of the store this morning and said to myself, ‘ My girlfriend would love these.’”
Seriously, what did Josie see in this guy ?
“What were y’all doing before I got here?”
“I was just swinging by to drop off my timesheet when I found Josie in here, hard at work,” I said. “Decided I’d stay and give her a bit of company.”
“Lincoln used to run a bar in his hometown, and I was asking him questions about financial statements,” Josie said, bracing her hands over the desk. “Dad and I called the auditors on Friday, and I have to hand everything in by the end of the week.”
Ellis shifted his gaze between us. “If you needed help, you should’ve asked me. I understand this better than anyone and know exactly what they want. Besides, should you really be telling our business to a stranger?” he asked, turning to me with a fake smile. I’m sure he’d perfected it over the years. “No offense, of course. We just don’t know you.”
I couldn’t help but notice the way he said ‘our’ business when talking about the ranch. Fighting the urge to roll my eyes and send this self-important douche packing, I leaned against the corner of the desk. One little jab couldn’t hurt, after all.
“Actually, Josie does know me. Very well, in fact. We’re practically like this.” I crossed my middle and pointer fingers before showing them to him.
“Either way, I don’t see how the financial records of a bar could compare to the ranch’s. They’re totally different establishments.” His laugh was cutting, likely meant to be cruel. I’d seen his type many times before, how they loved to put men like me in our place where we belong: in the dirt and beneath their foot.
“Lincoln actually had a lot of great advice,” Josie cut in, eyes narrowing.
Her words were like a balm, soothing the anxious beast refusing to settle in my chest. How could she not see how wrong he was for her? And what drew her to him in the first place?
Ellis’ face showed a faint hint of annoyance, as though he couldn’t believe Josie dared to go against his lowly opinion of me. “I’m sure he does. Again, I meant no offense.”
I held my hands up. “None taken. I’m sure you see more money in a day than I will in my life.”
Ellis straightened at my words. “Yes, well, I have high-profile clients with net worths in the millions, including the Black Springs Ranch portfolio.”
“I thought your father handled that?” I asked, looking toward Josie.
“Charles did, but he’s retiring at the end of the year. Ellis will be taking over the firm, including his dad’s list of clients,” Josie explained. “I wanted to get more familiar with our finances. It’s one of the reasons I found the discrepancy.”
“I guess it’s a good thing you’re so nosy,” Ellis said with a condescending smile.
If I knew it wouldn’t utterly obliterate the shaky truce Josie and I have come to, I’d gladly lay his ass out. He was rude and disrespectful, contemptuous of everything around him. This prick wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for Josie and her family. And I’d bet Josie didn’t even see it.
“Guess it’s a good thing she looked so carefully,” I said, flattening my tone. “Or else your firm would’ve gotten away with making one hell of a mistake. I mean, a quarter of a million dollars is a lot of money. Surely, you can agree.”
I expected Josie to intervene and tell me I was overstepping, but she didn’t. She peered at Ellis, waiting for his answer.
“We would’ve found it eventually,” he said, crossing his arms.
“Oh, I’m sure you would’ve,” I agreed.
Ellis checked his watch. “Josephine, could I get a moment alone with you? I drove all this way to see you.” He spared me a glance before pushing forward. “I know things were tense on Friday. Let me help you find what you need. It’s the least I could do. ”
“Sure,” Josie said before turning toward me. “Thanks for everything, Lincoln. I’ll ensure we push your check through as soon as possible.” She was using her business tone, which meant she was done with our conversation.
I was just grateful my dick wasn’t straining against my jeans anymore as I pushed off the desk. “I’m not worried. Like I told you earlier, I have everything I need here on this ranch.”
Without so much as a goodbye to the man stewing in the doorway, I brushed past him and out of the barn.