“Esme?”
The young woman’s head jerked up at Carmen’s soft, slightly accented tones. The Hispanic woman was moving through the sea of plush consulting chairs with a couple in tow. Immediately, Esme stood reflexively to meet them. “Esme, this is Daniel Hartsford and his partner Alyssa Stamos.”
“Pleased to meet you.” The words left Esme’s lips automatically, before fading into silence as she completely and totally lost track of anything further that she might have said. Alyssa was a gorgeous woman – tall and buxom, with a tiny waist, tawny brown eyes and long, dark curls that spiraled past her waist. She was dressed impeccably; everything from her blouse to her shoes was designer –and every strand of hair was effortlessly in place.
But it was the man who really caught her attention.
Daniel Hartsford was a household name. He had single-handedly revolutionized the beef business over the past fifteen years and every five star restaurant in the country ordered from his ranch personally. Of course, his company doled out lesser piece of meat as well, but what the man was really known for was the way he pampered his cows; almost akin to the way Kobe cows were spoiled in Japan.
Esme had heard the man had brought in several Japanese zoologists who knew the secrets of the Kobe cows to implement them on his own steers, but she had no idea if the rumors were true. All she knew was that the few times she’d had the privilege of tasting the premium cuts of Hartsford beef, she thought she’d died and gone to heaven.
Esme didn’t think she’d ever really gotten a good look at the man. The few times she’d seen him on TV, she’d gotten the distinct impression that he was avoiding the spotlight.
The young woman had absolutely no idea why. The man had to be coming up on his fortieth birthday and he easily looked ten years younger. He cut an amazingly striking figure – at over six and a half feet tall, with skin tanned by hours spent in the sunlight. The man wore a blanket of dirty blonde stubble with aplomb, the prickly hairs framing his full mouth beneath a nose that looked as if it had been in its share of fights. Surprisingly, its slight bend only enhanced the masculinity of his features – large, piercing blue eyes and blonde-brown hair swept back from his brow and secured with an impeccable Stetson.
The man’s broad shoulders stretched at the seams of a dark blue chambray shirt tucked into khakis that accentuated slender hips and long legs. Of course, the man wore cowboy boots as well, but they didn’t look polished or expensive. Rather, they were quite beat up and dusty in comparison to the rest of his clean-cut outfit. A navy blazer – no doubt tailored to fit his long-armed form – finished the ensemble; and when put together, it was enough to make Esme’s mouth dry slightly.
She’d never been one for country boys.
Hailing from the West Coast, originally, she’d always been more interested in surfers and socialites – those who had stories to tell. But this country boy, she reminded herself, was one of the most successful businessmen in the world. No doubt he certainly had his fair share of stories to tell.
“Ahem.”
Esme was forced back to reality by Alyssa poignantly clearing her throat, gazing at the young woman with an expression that could only be described as toxic. Esme quickly dropped her eyes from the imposing cowboy’s before her, shaking his hand quickly and trying to ignore the electric shock of arousal that shot up her spine. He smelled like leather, spice and the outdoors; an altogether alluring scent she’d never encountered before.
She couldn’t, however, dwell on such things – and quickly moved to shake Alyssa’s hand as well. When the dark-eyed beauty grasped her hand with perfectly manicured fingers, Esme could have sworn she was trying to break it. She squeezed hard enough to cut off the circulation to Esme’s fingers, making the young woman wince. All the while, the saccharine sweet smile on her face warned Esme what would happen if she was caught staring at Daniel again. “So pleased to meet you.”
Alyssa’s sharp tone suggested she was anything but pleased.
“Let’s all have a seat” With a serene smile, Carmen gestured for them all to sit in a group of plush chairs. Once they were all settled, with the facilitator in the middle, Carmen continued. “So, Esme, Daniel and Alyssa have decided that they’re ready to become parents. They’ve been trying for some time…but have found themselves unable to conceive.”
“…well, perhaps not trying as much as we could have.” Daniel’s words were uttered in a baritone growl infused with the twang of one born and raised in the deep south. The timbre had a surprising effect on Esme, making her thighs clench in unexpected arousal. The man sounded bitter and a bit embarrassed at the same time to be present in a surrogate clinic.