Space Wrangler by Kate Donovan

he could see she was wearing a tailored black suit, not the sexy dress of his fantasies.
    Perfect , he muttered to himself. A romantic reunion was bad enough. Now it’s turning into a shareholders meeting?
    Alexia in a suit, TJ in his black sweater vest and slacks, and Rick in faded jeans. Someone definitely didn’t fit in.
    â€œAnyway,” TJ said as though their conversation hadn’t been cut short, “back to me and Lexie. I went to her dorm room a few weeks after the incident, intending to make nice. But she was still pissed. I tried every few months. Then it all went to shit.” His voice cracked. “Nineteen seconds—that’s how long it took before I knew in my heart we had lost Trent in that goddamned sinkhole. It was almost a blessing when Alexia refused to accept the truth. Otherwise the grief would have destroyed her.”
    â€œSo?” Rick’s annoyance thawed. “You never really thought he was alive? Not even for the first few days?”
    â€œYou mean, while I was conning her out of five percent of the company?” TJ grimaced. “That was the old man, not me. Frankly, I would have forced her to accept the truth from the start. But he convinced me it was kinder to go along with her. To set up the dummy company and pretend to search for Trent. But after two years, we didn’t really have a choice. We had to declare him dead.” When Rick just stared, TJ explained. “We were procuring licenses from the US and the UN. Recruiting the next generation of brilliant scientists. Leveraging our financing with billionaires and banks. And they all had the same question: Was Trent Montoya gone or not?”
    Rick could see how that had put the company—and the Seatons—in a bind. Still, the idea of going to court seemed unnecessarily cruel.
    â€œI knew she’d be upset,” TJ admitted. “But we never could have predicted she’d follow in her mother’s traitorous footsteps and fuck everythingher father and brother had built.”
    â€œGeezus, what does her mothe r have to do with it?”
    â€œYou don’t know?” TJ shrugged. “She was a selfish, self-absorbed bitch who didn’t care about anyone, not even her own children. At least Lexie cares about someone besides herself—namely Trent. And hopefully me . Because I plan on reviving our aborted love affair, which is where you come in.”
    â€œPardon?”
    TJ grinned. “She wanted you here tonight, so fine. You impressed her with the macho rescue from my quote-unquote storm troopers, and now she feels safe when you’re around. But I think she made this trip to rekindle the flame, at least subconsciously, and that’s what I want too. It may take time, but if it happens tonight, just go away. Got it?”
    A knock at the door kept Rick from telling TJ where to stick his rekindled flame. Instead he said, “Wouldn’t it be better if I just left?”
    â€œI’m asking you to back me up. You don’t want her for yourself, do you?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œSo where’s the problem? I’m willing to love, honor and make money with her till death us do part.” Dropping the irreverent tone, he added quietly, “She’s all I want, Rick. The company, bio-metal, fame and fortune—none of it matters without Lexie to share it with. So do it for her , okay?”
    Without waiting for Rick’s response, he moved toward the entry door. “She can’t keep chasing ghosts forever. She deserves a full life, and I’m the guy who can give it to her.”
    Rick had prepared himself for disappointment but it proved unnecessary. The Alexia who stepped through the doorway wasn’t a business woman in a black suit, but rather, some sort of erotic confection. Sure, her jacket and skirt were traditional, but they faded into nothingness thanks to the filmy layers of foamy white fabric covering her perfect breasts.
    It