Surrender to Temptation by Ednah Walters

nurse.”
    “Sounds like you found the perfect solution. Is your mother happy with your choices?”
    Nikki smiled. Her mother wasn’t going to be happy until Nikki got married.
    “Yeah, Mom’s happy and I’m happy. But we really should be discussing what you want for the website, not me.”
    He dismissed her words with a wave of his hand. “There’s time for that. I want to know more about you.” He leaned closer, his eyes not shifting from her face. “When do you have time for fun or to meet your type of guy? Unless, of course, he’s the kind who does the same things you do. You know, take care of injured people during the day and work on computers afterhours. I heard that Skype dinners are the rage now.”
    Nikki laughed. Her last boyfriend had loved to Skype and Facetime. “Don’t mock virtual dinners, Fitzgerald. Many relationships have been saved because of Skype.” Or destroyed as was in her case.
    “Too impersonal.” A sexy smile curled his lips. “I like to be able to look into my date’s eyes when I talk to her.”
    “Uh, Skype does allow you to do that. In fact, you can get this close,” she put her hand in front of her nose, “without bumping noses.”
    “I love to bump noses. What’s the point of a date when you can’t touch or savor each other’s responses? Kiss or listen to each other’s heartbeat.”
    Oh my. The guy was a romantic. She ignored the pounding of her heart and pasted a nonchalant smile on her lips. “Are you flirting with me, cowboy?”
    The grin he gave her was full of sensual promise, but all he said was, “How long does it take to create a website?”
    “Five to seven days for a regular website. That includes consultation time and going over every detail in each page, as well as disclaimers and liability clauses with your lawyer. A dynamic website takes twice as long because they are more complex and they deal with large volumes of data. If you already have the files on your horses—”
    Mrs. B entered the room with a tray with two cups and a pot of coffee. Chase stood and took the tray from her hand. Nikki complimented her cooking, which brought a broad smile on the housekeeper’s face.
    “Thank you, dear. Take that to the den while I finish here,” she instructed Chase.
    “I can help clear the table.” Nikki lifted her plate and reached for her glass.
    “No, no, child,” Mrs. B said. “Go with him.”
    Nikki wasn’t used to being waited on, but she couldn’t insist. She followed Chase to the den. For the next hour, he showed her the files on his mares, which included their history, daily eating habits, behavior, ailments, their lineage, and history of stallions siring their foals. By the time he finished explaining, she was impressed. No, she was in awe. He was meticulous, knew exactly what he wanted and how to get it. She, on the other hand, couldn’t even come up with a simple plan to get information from him. Maybe she should ease in.
    “Did you always know you wanted to own a horse-breeding ranch?” Nikki asked.
    “No, but I love horses.” A tiny smile played on his lips as though he knew she was fishing for information. “It is a good change of pace.”
    “Did you know you wanted to be a cook?”
    He chuckled. “Oh yes. I love food.”
    She traced the edge of her coffee cup and studied his handsome face. Hmm, how far to push him for information? “I love food too, but you don’t see me opening a restaurant.”
    He leaned back and studied her with heavy-lidded eyes, the smile leaving his face. “That’s a long story.”
    “I’m a good listener,” she said softly.
    “Let it keep for another day.” His voice was flat. “I’m a horse breeder now.”
    She’d tried. It was going to take a lot for him to open up. Maybe she should seduce him. That she would even contemplate doing such a thing showed she might be in way over her head.
    She gave him her best smile. “Did you grow up around horses?”
    “In a way. I visited my aunt in