Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Chance
“ I ’m serious, Wyatt, I’m not fucking doing it,” I growl as I take a sip of my beer.
“I think it’s a shit idea, too, Chance, but I don’t see how you can get out of it.” Wyatt Winters has been my best friend all my life, and my ranch manager for nearly a decade. He knows the business side of Whiskey Canyon Ranch almost as well as I do, as if it were his own family’s ranch. We grew up together on those grassy fields, running through the mud and horseback riding in the back forty. I couldn’t imagine running the ranch without him.
But if Wyatt makes me go through with this harebrained idea, he might just have to.
“Then why are you entertaining it?”
“Are you really going to make me say it?” Wyatt challenges me. I remain quiet, glaring at him, daring him to say what he’s thinking. He sighs, takes a shot of his whiskey, and continues. “You’ve been getting a lot of bad press lately, and it’s affecting the ranch. I don’t like this any more than you do, but it looks like you need to clean up your act or you’re going to lose sponsors for the rodeo. We can’t afford that.”
“I still don’t see what my personal life has to do with the rodeo,” I grumble into my beer.
“You can’t promote a family-friendly event when you’re being spread across the internet with a new woman every night, giving the ladies in town enough gossip for a lifetime.” Wyatt swears under his breath as he shakes his head. “I think it’s a bullshit excuse, but you run Whiskey Canyon Ranch now, and that means you’re in the spotlight. You don’t get a pass as the owner’s son anymore. You’re the owner.”
“Why do you have to be so fucking logical?”
“Why do you have to be so fucking stubborn?”
We stare at each other, unblinking. My chest heaves in agitation as I take in Wyatt’s words.
I’ve spent my whole life involved with the family ranch, but I’ve only been running it for less than a year. I’m sure my dad is rolling in his grave seeing how I’m still living my personal life, much like he would tell me to my face when he was alive. I’m always professional when it comes to the ranch, though. I take meetings, I return phone calls and emails. It’s not like I’m fucking the buckle bunnies in front of clients on a conference room table.
To me, those two parts of my life are separate, but I guess I need to put a hold on the revolving door of bunnies if I want my business to be successful.
“Okay, say I want to ‘clean up my act;’ I have to make it look like I’m dating the same woman for one extended period of time, and go to all the charity events with her?”
“Yes, just until the rodeo’s over. Find someone you can stand long enough, who would please the sponsors, and then break it off after the rodeo. Then we’ll spend the next year making sure we aren’t in this predicament again.”
I can’t hold back my huff. I know Wyatt’s right; it’s the best way to make the investors happy and protect the ranch, but I don’t care for it. There’s a reason I have a different woman on my arm every night. I don’t do relationships. I’m broken that way, and I don’t care to fix it.
“Fine, but I get a say in who this unlucky woman is. I’m not going to be spending my time with just anyone.”
“As if anyone could convince you otherwise,” Wyatt laughs, taking another sip of his drink.
I reach my arm out to grab my beer when a gentle hand grazes my arm.
“Laughlin, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend,” a soft voice behind me says.
Surely the voice doesn’t belong to the woman touching my arm. I’m never mistaken for anyone’s boyfriend, that’s for damn sure.
I turn on my stool, finding myself lost in a pair of breathtaking hazel eyes. There’s a pleading look to them that’s piqued my interest, along with her hand gripping my arm as if I were a life ring. I don’t know what she’s asking of me, but I know I want to play along.
“Chance Declan is your boyfriend?” A grating timber asks to my left.
Laughlin Chadwick. Fuck me.
I don’t know what this woman wants, but now she’s definitely getting it. She doesn’t fit the bill of my usual type with her long, dark hair, but she is incredibly attractive.
It’s those eyes that are holding me captive. Her intense look is all but begging for me to pretend to be her boyfriend.
And if there’s one thing I love, it’s a woman begging for me.
“There you are, babe. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” I lean in, giving her a kiss on her cheek as I whisper, “What’s your name, sweetheart?”
“Dakota,” she whispers with a smile as I pull back.
“There’s no way you’re dating this asshole,” Laughlin hisses.
Dakota’s eyes open wide in astonishment. “And why not? Why would it be so hard to believe I’m dating Chance?” she asks as she leans against the bar.
I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her in tight to me.
“Like you could land the town’s billionaire. Plus, everyone knows he only dates arm candy and you, Dakota, aren’t that.” Laughlin sneers as he runs his eyes up and down Dakota’s body.
I don’t know what this guy’s problem is, or Dakota’s history with him, but it’s ending right here.
“You’d better watch your fucking mouth, Chadwick.” I stand from my stool, getting in his face. “You won’t like what happens if you say one more word about my woman.”
“Your woman,” Laughlin scoffs. “If she were your woman, the papers wouldn’t be flashing your picture with some blonde bimbo from the other night. Or was it two? I can’t keep up with you. Doesn’t look too good on you to be cheating on ‘ your woman .’”
I’m moving before I can think about what I’m doing. With his shirt in both of my fists, I pull him close, leaving only a breath between us. “You listen here. I don’t give a shit what you saw or heard. Dakota is mine , and no one fucks with what’s mine. Do you understand?”
“Chance, he’s not worth it.” Dakota’s voice is raised behind me, but I can’t pay attention to that now. All I care about is Laughlin’s fearful beady blue eyes.
“What are you doing?” Wyatt asks, putting his hand on my shoulder.
Breaking my gaze with the weasel, I look around to see we are drawing a crowd. Some have their phones out recording. Others are flashing pictures. I know it’ll be all over the internet and local gossip pages within the hour.
Dropping my hands, I let Laughlin go, causing him to stumble back into his date. With the blonde’s eyes wide in panic, she holds her arms out to stop Laughlin from crashing into her.
“Let’s go, babe.” I turn to Dakota, straightening my shirt. “I don’t like the company in here tonight.”
“Yeah, it’s shocking who they let in,” she says dazedly, glaring between me and the others. I don’t miss the way she stands straighter with her chin held high.
I turn my back on Chadwick, letting him know I’m done with him wasting more of my time. It’s then I notice the bartender with his hands on the bar, eyes narrowed at Dakota. I don’t know what it is with this woman, but she seems to draw trouble wherever she goes.
“I thought I said no more trouble from you, Dakota. What was that?”
“It wasn’t me this time, Mark.” Dakota smiles.
“Don’t blame this on her.” I point my finger at the man. “What do I owe you for all three of our tabs?”
“Nothing. It was about time someone put that jackass in his place.” The bartender smiles. “Just don’t make it a regular occurrence, okay? Last thing I need is the cops called over some dumbass shit.”
“Noted.” I throw a hundred-dollar bill on the counter. “Come on, babe. Let’s get out of here.” I hold my hand out to her. My heart rate kicks up as she places her hand in mine. I love she doesn’t hesitate to place her hand in mine, and I’m not sure why.
“Babe?” The bartender asks Dakota with a raised eyebrow.
“Don’t ask,” she responds with a shake of her head, grabbing her purse from the bar top and following me.
Wyatt grumbles something under his breath, which I’m sure is a curse at me, before he downs the rest of his drink and falls in behind us.
I lead Dakota over to my black lifted truck out front, opening the passenger door for her. I tilt my head as she stops walking, staring at me as she stands stock still in the middle of the parking lot. One of her hands clutches the strap of her bag, the other at her hip. Wyatt stands behind her, giving me the same questioning look over her shoulder.
Fuck me, they aren’t going to make this easy.
“What’s the problem, princess?” I find my temper simmering at the surface after my encounter with Laughlin. I don’t want to take it out on Dakota, but she’s the one that dragged me into this shit.
“You’re the owner of Whiskey Canyon Ranch,” she says with her eyes wide.
“The one and only.” I grip the door, letting the cool metal under my skin centre me.
“Like, the billionaire Chance Declan.”
“Yes, we’ve established this. I’m not sure what my bank account has to do with any of this, though.”
“Sorry.” She gives her head a shake as she walks toward me. “This just isn’t how I was expecting my night to go.”
“I think it’s safe to say the same goes for all of us.” I look into her whiskey-coloured eyes for a moment longer before nodding my head at the open door. “Are you get getting in, girlfriend ?”
“I have my car here.” She slips her hand into her purse, pulling out a key.
“Give the keys to Wyatt. He’ll follow behind us.”
Wyatt curses and kicks at the ground, but I don’t care. He’s the one that’s trying to push me to go with the dumbass idea of finding a fake girlfriend, so he’s in this just as much as I am.
“Look, I’m very grateful for what you did back there. I panicked when I saw Laughlin and his newest fling, but that’s it. We’re out of the bar now.”
I take two steps, closing the distance between us. Bringing my hand up, I grasp her dark, luscious curls, drawing her close. I don’t miss the shiver that wracks through her body at my touch. “It’s not over because the asshole is currently gawking at us through the window. It’s not over because half the bar got either video or photos of us together, and it’s certainly not over because I need you to return the favour.”
Dakota sucks in a gasp, but nods.
“Good girl,” I growl before lowering my lips to hers. I know I’m putting on a show for those that are still looking, but I don’t care. I’ve kissed women for less.
“Fucking hell,” Wyatt curses behind her, but I don’t care.
Dakota grasps my shirt, holding the fabric tight in her fists as she pulls me closer, deepening the kiss. I wasn’t prepared for my body’s intense reaction to her lips meeting mine. I need this kiss like I need to breathe. Like her exhale is what lets me take my next breath.
As soon as the thought crosses my mind, I pull back. I don’t long for women. I never feel anything other than lust—an itch to scratch.
But feelings? I don’t do feelings .
“Get in the truck, sweetheart, and give Wyatt your keys.” She looks back at me, stunned, brushing her fingers over her lips. I add a stern “ now, ” that gets her jumping into action.
As if remembering we aren’t alone, she passes her keys to a pissed off Wyatt with a smile, jumping into the waiting truck.
I close the door firmly and turn to him. “Follow us back to my place.” Wyatt’s grimace turns to a smirk, making me add, “Not a word,” before I stalk to the driver’s side and tear out of the parking lot.