14. Little Red Flags – Zoe
Chapter 14
Little Red Flags
PLAYLIST: “UNSTEADY” BY X AMBASSADORS
ZOE
“Come with me.” I pushed up off the couch and held my hand out to Roman.
He arched a brow at me, but took my hand, his expression as haggard and world-weary as I had ever seen it. He looked so much older than his 30 years in that moment, and my heart ached for him. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see. Just trust me, will ya?” I offered him a soft smile and tugged on his hand until he rose to his feet, letting me lead him by the hand.
Without bothering to explain myself, I led him upstairs to the master suite that my father had insisted we occupy in the big house, but I didn’t stop in the bedroom. Instead, I led him into the bathroom and toed the door shut behind us.
“Baby, what are you up to?” Roman murmured, eyebrows raised in question.
“Shh. Just let me do this for you, okay? You’ve had a long ass day, and I want to make our wedding night something good, something to remember.”
“Do what for me?”
“Let me take care of you, honey. Let me treat you like your wife should treat you after you’ve had a long, hard day and you need to wind down.” I tugged open the door to the big walk-in shower and turned on the water, turning it to hot and steamy. “Now why don’t you strip it down, cowboy, and take a long, hot shower with your bride?”
One corner of Roman’s mouth tugged up in a slow, sensual half-grin. “Yes, ma’am. You don’t have to tell me twice.”
I reached back and un-zipped my white eyelet dress, then slid the straps off my shoulders and let it pool in a heap at my feet, revealing the white lace bra and panty set I’d worn for our wedding day, knowing he’d see it tonight.
Roman straightened up from where he’d pulled off his boots and groaned at the sight of me, reaching out and tugging me to him, claiming my mouth in a fierce kiss.
“Even in white lace, you look like sin incarnate and I fucking love it, baby.” He growled the words against my lips and backed me up against the cool glass of the shower, forcing a startled gasp out of me.
I shivered and nipped his bottom lip. “I thought I asked you to strip and take a shower with me, so why are your boots the only things that have come off so far?”
Roman leaned down and nuzzled my neck. “The sight of you like this distracted me, baby.”
He kissed my pulse point, teeth grazing playfully against my jugular vein as he reached around behind me and unhooked my bra. I arched against him, pressing into the heat of his chest and doing my best to squirm away from the cold glass at my back.
I stroked a hand through his hair as he bent down, hooking his fingers in the waistband of my panties and stripping them off in one brutally efficient move.
“Tell me what you need, baby,” I murmured, gazing down at him through heavy-lidded eyes.
“Just you, honey, and your bare ass in that hot water with me.” Roman unbuttoned his shirt as he stood up and I tugged the shower door open, the steamy air stealing my breath as I stepped in and let the hot water cascade over me from head to toe.
I tipped my head back, letting the water soak my hair, then straightened up and wiped droplets of water off my face, crooking a finger at him, getting more impatient by the second as he stripped off his jeans and boxer briefs.
“Good things come to those who wait, baby. Just ask me. I waited ten years for you,” Roman called out, his eyes crinkling at the corners with mischievous humor as he joined me and closed the shower door, cocooning us in hot water and steam.
The second his hands were on my body, I backed him up against the shower wall and sank to my knees and licked him from base to tip, savoring the salty taste of his skin before I took him in my mouth.
“Holy fucking shit,” Roman groaned and his head fell back against the shower wall as he slid his fingers into my hair and guided my head as I bobbed up and down the length of his shaft. “I guess you weren’t kidding when you said you were going to take care of me.”
Roman panted, letting out a deep, throaty, broken groan, his hips bucking as I focused solely on pleasuring him. I wanted to make him forget anything except this moment and how good I was determined to make him feel tonight.
After several minutes, Roman fisted his hand in my hair and held my head still. “As good as this feels, baby, I don’t want to come in your mouth on our wedding night. Stand up.”
I did exactly as he asked with no hesitation, and he wrapped his arms around me, lifting me up so we were almost eye to eye.
“Wrap your legs around my waist, baby.”
I nodded, and then Roman pinned me between his body and the shower wall, and pressed inside me in one slow, smooth stroke that made me moan and press my face into the hollow where his neck met his shoulder. He’d never been this deep inside me before, never at this angle. My eyes rolled back in my head as the head of his cock pressed up against just the right spot, and I damn near saw stars. He gripped my hips, helping me ride him as he held me up between his hard body and the shower wall. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and bit back a scream of pleasure as he drove into me, harder and faster and deeper than ever before in my entire life.
Finally, I couldn’t hold myself together anymore, and I shattered around him.
“Fuck yes, Roman! I love you. I’ve always loved you.” I sobbed the words through clenched teeth, shaking and clinging to him with the force of the orgasm he’d just wrung from my body.
“I love you, too, Zoe, more than you’ll ever know.” Roman whispered the words. Quiet, determined, almost solemn, but his thrusts quickened, turning ragged. Finally, he stiffened and groaned, capturing my mouth in a hungry kiss as he did. “I love you, I love you, I love you. I never stopped loving you, not even for a second, and I never will, no matter what happens.”
* * *
With just three days left until my father came home from the hospital, I had a hell of a lot of work to do, and not much time to do it in. Roman had been hard at work for a couple of hours by the time I woke, and now it was my turn. I grabbed my cell phone, made coffee, and headed straight into my father’s office across the hall from the master bedroom to get down to business.
The moment I stepped inside, the room seemed to wrap around me with its familiar weight. I set my mug down on the edge of his old wooden desk, its surface scuffed and scratched in a way that told stories of long days and late nights. Lowering myself into his creaky leather chair, I let the seat cradle me as I took it all in: the scent of leather, cedar, and dust, the sturdy bookshelves lined with worn ranching manuals and ledgers, and the French doors framing the corrals and barn outbuildings below. I reached over to a notepad lying on the desk, tapping my pen against the paper as I gathered my thoughts.
I took a breath and dialed Kat’s number, glancing out at the wide-open Montana sky as the line rang. Kat picked up almost immediately.
“Zoe! Good to hear from you.”
“Kat, hey.” I kept my voice calm and even, letting the pen drum against the paper in a steady rhythm. “Before we get into anything, I need you to keep this conversation completely confidential.”
“Of course,” she said without a second’s hesitation. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not coming back to Miami,” I said, letting the words hang for a moment. “I’m staying here in Montana for good.”
A beat of silence passed before she replied, “Alright. What do you need me to do?”
I leaned back, adjusting in the chair, and let out a breath as I mentally ticked off each task. I stretched my neck for a second, sighing when it cracked and some tension released.
“I need you to take care of a few things at the apartment. Sell anything that doesn’t hold sentimental value, and as for my wardrobe—keep or donate most of it. I won’t be needing much of it out here.” I paused, thinking through the checklist. “Then terminate the lease and make sure we get the security deposit back. Also, get Alex’s vet records transferred to a Blackwell Clinic out here—not the one Miss Jackson runs. I don’t like her.”
“Got it,” Kat replied, her tone shifting into that no-nonsense efficiency I’d always trusted.
“One more thing.” I took a moment, picking up the pen again and twirling it between my fingers. “I’d like to offer you the same position you have now out here at Twisted Creek Ranch. There’s housing, too, but I understand if you’d rather not. I know things were getting serious between you and Thomas.”
A sigh drifted through the line. “Actually, I was looking for a way out. Things with Thomas… they’re not what I thought. He’s got a temper, Zoe. It’s been getting worse, and honestly, I’ll be glad to get the hell out of Miami as fast as I can.”
A knot I hadn’t known was there loosened in my chest. “Alright, then. Bring my car and Alex. Leave as soon as you can. Use the credit card I gave you for errands and stay at pet friendly hotels as needed on your way out so you’re not exhausted when you get here. I’ll be here waiting for you. I’ll send you the address.”
“Will do. I’ll take care of everything and be on the road out there in a couple of days.”
“Thank you, Kat.” I felt a surge of relief, the kind that came from knowing someone truly had your back. I made a note on the pad, underlining her name. “See you soon.”
The second I hung up, I rose from the chair and began pacing in front of the desk, dialing Greg’s number. My second-in-command answered on the second ring.
“Greg, it’s Zoe. I’ve got a proposition for you.”
“I’m all ears.”
“I’m supposed to get a six-million-dollar bonus for closing the Seven Palms deal. If you can wrap it up for me by the end of the week, I’ll split the bonus with you fifty-fifty.”
There was a stunned pause. “Zoe, are you serious? You trust me to handle this?”
“I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t.” Leaning my hand against the edge of the desk, I tapped my fingers absently as I spoke. “I have things I need to prioritize here, so if you can get it done, it’s yours to close.”
“You got it. I’ll make sure it’s finished by Friday,” Greg said, his voice threaded with respect.
I hung up with a small smile, scrolling down to Stanley’s number. This call would be harder.
Settling back into the leather chair, I let Stanley’s familiar voice come through. “Zoe! How’s Montana treating you?”
“Stan,” I said, swallowing hard. “I’m not coming back. My father… he has lung cancer, and he needs me here. I love my job, but family comes first. I’m giving my two weeks’ notice.”
There was a beat of silence, and then Stanley’s voice softened. “Zoe, I’ll be sorry to lose you. You’ve been one of my best. But I understand. Family is everything. If you’re able, would you be willing to work those two weeks remotely?”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “I can do that. I’ll be handling things from the ranch.”
“Thank you, Zoe. Take care of yourself—and your father.”
“Thanks, Stan. I appreciate you and everything you’ve done for me through the years, truly. You take care, too, and don’t let anybody besides Greg move into my position. I’ve put him through hell, and he’s earned it in blood, sweat, and tears working with me through the years.”
Stanley chuckled. “That boy has certainly earned his stripes, and you’ve trained him well. I wouldn’t dream of giving anyone else the position you’re vacating. Working under you was his trial by fire and he’s done well. Bye, Zoe.”
I took a steadying breath, and then jotted down a note for him in my scrawling script before calling my financial advisor, Bob.
“Bob, it’s Zoe. I need to pull out all my assets—including my retirement.”
“Zoe, are you absolutely sure?” Bob’s voice had that cautionary tone I knew all too well.
“This is my family’s legacy,” I replied, the words solid, unwavering. I tapped the pen on the pad. “I’m sure. I need to do whatever it takes to save the ranch.”
He sighed. “Understood. I’ll start the process.”
Once we hung up, I rose, stretching my legs, and scrolled down to the last number on my list: Jamison Stone, a fellow board member on the board for community development back in Miami. The line barely rang before Jamison picked up.
“Zoe! Great to hear from you.”
I paced back and forth in front of the French doors, looking out at the porch that overlooked the barn and corrals. “Hi, Jamison. I need to resign from the board. I’m staying here in Montana to care for my father.”
There was a sympathetic pause before he said, “I’m sorry to hear that, Zoe. You were a real asset to the board.”
“Thank you, Jamison. Say hi to that girl of yours for me.”
“I will. She’s going to miss you. We both will.”
“Believe me, I’m going to miss y’all, too. You’ve been incredibly kind, and I won’t forget it. If you’re ever out this way and you need anything from me, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“The same goes for you, Zoe. I hope we see each other again.”
“Thanks again, Jami. Bye.”
We said our goodbyes, and I finally set the phone down, letting the silence settle around me. I took a moment to glance around Dad’s office, letting my fingers trace the worn edge of his desk, the branding irons hanging along one wall, the mountain lion’s head staring down from above the stone fireplace. Sinking into the chair again, I pulled the stack of financial reports toward me.
I began scanning the numbers, shifting in my seat as the lines and columns blurred as I read them over and over, trying to convince myself I wasn’t seeing little red flags hidden in the ledgers. But I was. My father was meticulous—he’d never miss something like this unless he was a lot sicker than I’d realized. The more I went through, the tighter my chest became.
Someone was stealing from my father’s ranch.