Megans arms slipped around his waist.
I dont expect you to take on my problems. Youre my boss, not my fairy godmother.
Daniel chuckled. Yeah, Id look pretty silly in a dress carrying a fairy wand, and Im not such a great boss at that.
Why do you say that? She looked up at him through watery green eyes. Youre great.
Because a good boss doesnt go around kissing his employees. He stared down at her damp cheeks, his belly flipping. Right now, I want to be a very bad boss.
Her eyes flared with desire. How so?
I want to kiss you. Again.
She sucked in a breath and bit down on that lip before saying, I told you, I quit. That means youre not my boss.
He leaned his forehead against hers and sighed. God, he wanted to kiss her. Im not accepting your resignation.
You dont have a choice, she said, her lips so close.
* * *
Be sure to check out the next books in this series.
The Coltons of Oklahoma: Family secrets always find a way to resurface
Protecting the
Colton Bride
Elle James
Chapter 1Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Extract
Copyright
Chapter 1
Daniel Colton swept the brush over Riders black coat, comforted by the scent of animal hide, manure and fresh-cut Bermuda. With every swish of the horses full black tail, hay dust sparkled in the air, reflecting the afternoon sunlight streaming through the open door of the Lucky C breeding barn.
This was home and there was nowhere else Daniel would rather be.
Are you about done brushing Rider? Halos practically champing at the bit to get outside for her afternoon run.
Daniel lifted his head and stared over the black quarter horse studs back at the woman on the other side. She was brushing the beautiful palomino mare, one of Daniels many successes in his quarter-horse-breeding program at the Lucky C Ranch.
His chest tightened and his breath caught. It wasnt the horse he couldnt take his gaze off. It was the halo effect the sun gave Megan Talbots strawberry blond hair. The palominos registered name was Angels Golden Halo, but the woman deserved the moniker more than the animal. For the first time in the four months since Megan had come to work for him, shed worn her hair loose. Normally those long, curly locks were twisted into a braid, pulled back from a face sprinkled lightly with freckles. Some would call them flaws in her pale complexion, but Daniel found each freckle adorable and hard to resist.
A light breeze blew through the door, lifting Megans hair, making it dance in the sunshine. The horse shifted nervously and Megan patted her backside. Shh. Well leave soon. She turned and smiled at Daniel with her bright green eyes. Ready to saddle up? I dont know if Halo can wait any longer. Shes more hyper than usual.
Daniel jerked his attention back to his horse, reminding himself that he was the boss, Megan worked for him and he had no business staring at her hair or any other part of her perfectly shaped face or lithe, athletic body.
Lets saddle these two. He was ready to get out of the barn and gallop across the pastures of his fathers ranch. Working around the animals, training, feeding and riding, he was more at home than at the big house with the rest of the Coltons.
Big J Colton was the patriarch of the Oklahoma Coltons and the owner of the Lucky C Ranch. As his bastard child, Daniel had grown up with his half brothers and half sister, accepted by everyone except his stepmother, Abra Colton. Because of her antagonism toward him and the fact that Big J had taken in a child who wasnt hers, Daniel had never felt he quite fit in with the others.