After the Sunset Read Free Page B

Abraham Cantwell, my best friend’s new father-in-law, to restructure his financial office. Unfortunately, with the changing economy, my new job was short-lived. Mr. Cantwell had to let all but two of his staff go and eventually closed his business, retiring later that year. In looking for new gainful employment, I had been faced with the decision to either look for a job in an even larger city than Lubbock or stay there and take a position at a much lower salary than what I was used to. I could either commute, and keep an apartment in Dallas or Houston and visit on the weekends, or I could stay in Lubbock and go home every night to Rand. It was time to make a decision about my future, and since I had dived into the deep end two years earlier, I chose my cowboy and life on the ranch, even though the idea of losing myself there terrified me. When I fell back on my minor and took a position at the community college teaching Intro to World History, Rand had been beside himself.
    “I have no idea why you’re so happy,” I had told him as I set up my small—tiny—cubicle of an office in late August in preparation for the fall semester.
    “You chose us, Stef,” he had said simply, his smile out of control as he looked around the broom closet that was posing as my new work space. “I don’t think you know what you really did here.”
    But I did. I had trusted him and believed in him, put faith in the life we shared, and had chosen to lean on him instead of standing alone. I had been halfway in and halfway out for two years and had finally, completely, committed.
    “Stef.”
    I looked over my shoulder at him and realized how big he seemed in the tiny office.
    “You know I just signed that three-year agreement with Grillmaster to be the beef supplier for their entire restaurant chain.”
    He had spoken so casually, but I knew it was a big deal. I had helped him get ready and coached him on the contract. His lawyer had appreciated my help, and now, apparently, it was all signed, sealed, and delivered. I was thrilled for him and his ranch and so rushed across the five feet and launched myself into his arms.
    I was surprised when he caught me and put me down on my new desk, wedged himself between my legs, his hands on my face, in my hair, as he looked down at me from his towering height.
    “This is the biggest thing that’s ever happened to the ranch, Stef.”
    It was a huge account, and one that I knew Rand and his lawyers—there were four now—had been working on for a while. “Why didn’t you tell me before?” I asked excitedly. “We have to go out and celebrate
and—”
    “You know why I wanted that deal so bad?” He cut me off, stilling me.
    “Yeah, so you could be that much closer to financial—”
    “It was for you, Stef,” he told me, pushing my hair back from my face, tracing my eyebrows with his thumbs, my cheekbones, to my chin. “That account is yours to take care of and grow and work. It was your idea to begin with. I wasn’t even gonna bid on that contract, but you convinced me to try. Without you being my champion, I would have never thought that I could do something like that.”
    I smiled up at him, sliding forward on the desk, my hands on his hips, inhaling him, the smell of the summer sun on his clothes and sweat and the musky scent that was just Rand. “I’m happy to be the voice of reason in your head.” I teased him.
    His thumb stroked over my bottom lip, and as he looked at me, his eyes narrowed to slits of electric blue. My stomach flipped over.
    Slowly, he bent toward me, and when I felt his fingers on my jaw, I tilted my head back as he wanted and received the claiming kiss. His mouth slanted down over mine possessively, his tongue parting my lips, rubbing over mine. I moaned deeply, and his hands were on my thighs, lifting, wanting my legs wrapped around his hips.
    “Why are you wearing that shirt?” he asked me, the words spoken against my throat, his hot, wet breath on my