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  He cursed as he slammed the door to the penthouse suite behind him. Pausing in the corridor, he dragged in several deep breaths of air. It did little to soothe his temper. His belly churned with bubbling frustration and rage.

  He ordered himself to calm down. He hadn’t come to Reno to fight with Duel. He didn’t want to fight, damn it, but he was sorely aggravated with him. To make an appointment for him with a female horse trainer was stepping over an invisible boundary. He shook his head in disbelief. There wasn’t going to be an appointment, no way, no how. If Duel had a problem with that, then his brother should have thought before he jumped in to interfere in his life. Again.

  Glaring at the offending message he held in his hands, he knew it was a good thing Duel was out of his reach at the moment.

  He scanned the note written in Duel’s bold script.

  J.D.,

  ~I’ve taken the liberty of scheduling an appointment for you tonight at nine—with a lady by the name of Kaycee Spencer—a horse trainer for hire.

  ~Catch you later,

  Duel

  Why in Hades would his brother make an appointment for him?

  Jace had no doubt Duel had good intentions. Duel always meant well, but his brother knew damned well it would piss him off. No one made appointments for him for any reason, not even his brother.

  Swearing softly, he whipped around on his boot heel and charged down the wide corridor. He turned at the corner and headed straight toward the door at the end of the hall. From the frosted glass window the word, PRIVATE glared back at him in neat, gold letters.

  “Private, my ass.” He paused and kicked open the door with enough impetus to send it reverberating against the inside wall.

  * * * *

  Duel winced as his office door banged against the wall and vibrated on its hinges. His head whipped up, his attention snared by Jace standing in the doorway like a dark, vengeful death angel. A veil of complete silence stood between them—once the door stopped its song and dance routine.

  He released a long, slow breath, shuffled the papers on top of his desk, and braced for the storm he knew was going to erupt. The thunderous expression on Jace’s face told him he was a fool for tweaking the tail of a tiger.

  Carefully, he placed the papers to one side and leaned back in the supple leather chair. He narrowed his eyes and took a closer look at Jace. His brother looked exhausted.

  He sighed, weighed down by feelings of guilt. He should be doing more to take some of the burden of operating a multi-billion dollar empire without his help off Jace’s shoulders. He’d dumped the entire responsibility of the ranch on Jace, as well as their chain of hotels and restaurants.

  Silently, he made a mental note to check into acquiring more help for Jace. Though he yearned to, he simply couldn’t return to the ranch, not yet. Right now, he accepted the fact an ugly-ass storm was brewing between him and Jace and he’d be lucky to get out of this unscathed.

  Black fury lined his brother’s taut features as he jerked a scrap of pale blue paper from his shirt pocket, wadded it up, and threw it at him.

  “You know where you can stick it!”

  Without missing a beat, he snatched the paper ball in mid-air and dropped it in the trash container standing beside his desk. “I see you got my memo. It’s only an appointment, J.D., nothing to get all bent out of shape about. There was no call for you to charge in here like a wild Brahma bull.”

  “Stick your appointment in the same dark cavity as your memo.”

  “Ouch. Sounds painful. You’re getting just plain mean in your old age.”

  Jace glared at him. “Everything’s funny to you, life’s one big lark. One of these days you’re going to run into something that’s not quite so damned funny.”

  “I think I already have.” He rose to his feet, but kept the massive desk between them. He wasn’t a total fool. The tension in Jace’s shoulders and neck told him not to push his brother too far. He was smart enough to listen to the signs of a silent warning.

  Although he’d expected him to arrive snorting like a bull, he hadn’t anticipated he’d kick in his door. He could only be thankful that, for once, they were alone in his office.

  “Why don’t you just come in, seeing as how you’ve already opened the door?”

  “Not until we get one thing straight,” Jace shouted from the doorway. “I am not hiring a damn female to train my horses.”

  Having made his point, he stepped inside, paused long enough to slam the door behind him with enough force to create a mini-storm, then marched across the room in long-legged strides.

  Duel dived for the onion thin papers that skittered crab-like toward the edge of his no-nonsense desk. He suppressed an expletive as the papers sailed past his groping fingers and floated to the floor in a dozen different directions.

  “Fuck!” He shot his brother a glare and flung his hands up in defeat. “Those are my payroll sheets. They were in alphabetical order.”

  Jace arched both brows and shrugged. “It comes with the territory. When you butt into other people’s lives, things are bound to get messy.”

  Duel scowled. Hell, Jace was right. There was no one to blame but himself for this disaster. He knew better than provoke his brother. Still, he wasn’t about to back down. Not yet, anyway. “Christ, J.D., you ever heard of knocking or closing a door like a human being instead of a marauding bear? Just because you have the devil’s own temper when prodded doesn’t mean you have to make a wreck of my office.”

  Jace grinned, his lips curled into more of a snarl than an actual smile and certainly there was no humor in his deep set eyes. “Payback’s hell, isn’t it, little brother? You’re trying to wreck my life. I figure I owed you.”

  “I’m not trying to wreck your life. You overreact to things.”

  But no matter how short Jace’s temper, he knew his older brother would die before he physically harmed a single member of the family, so he wasn’t afraid of him. Much.

  Wary was a much better adjective. Or alert—as in stepping very carefully around a crouching mountain lion.

  Instead of worrying about Jace’s bristling temper, he turned his attention to the papers scattered across the floor like feathers from a torn pillow. He barely stifled a groan. What a muddle. He’d be hours getting the sheets back in order.

  He glanced up in time to see Jace tear off his Stetson and rake his fingers through his flattened hat-hair. He looked as tough and harsh as the stunning mountain terrain in their home state of Montana. When it was necessary, he could be just as tough and harsh as he appeared.

  Duel braced himself for what he knew was coming and cringed at his own daring. He must have had a moment of insanity when he forced his brother to fly to Reno. He might look calm standing there twirling the Stetson in his hands, but he knew Jace better than that.

  “No need you tryin’ to act innocent, Duel. I raised you. Remember?”

  “Hell, I thought I raised you.”

  He snorted. His dark eyes narrowed with lethal warning. “You know me well enough to know better than to make an appointment for me with someone I’ve never even heard of before. A female?”

  “It’s not a dirty word, J.D.” His lips twitched in spite of his effort to control it. “I even heard she’s had her rabies shot, so you’re safe.” He barely controlled a snort of laughter at the look of distaste on his face.

  “I don’t want to hear a single snicker from you. It would not be the prudent thing to do.”

  He mouthed the word, prudent, doing his level best to look suitably sober.

  Prudent?

  Where in hell did Jace come up with words like that?

  He mentally shrugged. Sometimes he worried about his brother. Lately, he’d spent a lot of time worrying about him. Jace was alone at the ranch, except for the hired hands and the occasional visit from the local sheriff, Danger Blackstone.

  Unable to control the laugh that escaped him, he coughed to cover it before he said,

  “So, if
snickering isn’t allowed, I’ll repeat my question. You ever heard of knocking?”

  “I’ve heard of it. You ever heard, return calls or mind your own business?”

  He folded his arms across his chest. “Sure. But not where you’re concerned. You know I’m only happy when I ignore your calls or meddle in your life.” He took one quick step back, keeping a close eye on him as Jace made a move toward him.

  “Where I’m concerned,” Jace snapped, shortening the distance between them another step. “Mind your own business.”

  Duel cocked a brow, but his gaze returned and lingered on the scattered papers across the floor and the desk. Yep, it was going to be a real bitch getting those time sheets unscrambled in time to meet payroll.

  He cast a glance at Jace’s furious expression. Damn, if it wasn’t worth every minute, just to see the lethal glint shimmering in his eyes. “Now J.D., you need to calm down. I’m only trying to do you a favor.” He smothered the urge to laugh. He was pleased to see the life sparkling in Jace’s dark eyes for a change.

  Oh, yeah. He’d definitely gotten his older brother’s attention.

  The question now was—Did he really want it?

  Chapter Three

  Deja Moo - The feeling that you’ve heard this bull before.

  ~Cowgirl Quotes

  Double Deuce Casino and Hotel

  Reno, Nevada

  Friday 8:20 p.m.

  Duel settled back in the black leather chair and studied his brother. He knew when Jace crammed the damnable Stetson back on his head with such force, it was showdown time. He held his breath and waited for the explosion.

  Jace’s dark eyes glinted like black onyx. He folded his arms across his chest and glared down his slender blade of a nose at him. Yep, he had a full head of steam building up. And there she blows!

  “I know damn good and well if I don’t halt you in your tracks, you’ll have me hog-tied and wed to this little she-trainer you’re so almighty fired up about. I know you. You have a devious mind. Sneakiness isn’t beyond you.”

  “Moi?” He clutched his heart dramatically. “Come on, J.D., when have I ever been underhanded or sneaky with you?”

  “Lately?” A sardonic twist ghosted his mouth.

  “Lately doesn’t count.”

  “It sure does.” He ground his teeth. “I’m warning you, this scheme you’ve developed to see me wed better stop. You’re not leading me like a gelded horse to be sacrificed at the altar of matrimony. You’re tampering with my right to run my life. Don’t think for a moment I don’t know what you’re up to. And don’t call me J.D., you know I hate it.”

  Duel choked back laughter and pushed aside a handful of the strewn papers fanned across his desk. Hell, payroll could wait, at least for the moment. He ignored Jace’s impatient shuffle. It was downright scary the way Jace seemed to know everything he planned before he even planned it.

  How in blazes did he guess his game plan?

  Not that he was going to confess his guilt.

  No way would he admit to harboring plans to see him wed to Kaycee Spencer. He wasn’t completely insane. Nor did he have a death wish.

  He glanced around the office in desperation. Dealing with Jace’s unpredictable temper was like wading in deep water. He was over his head and the waters crept higher. Duel sighed and stared at the floor to ceiling shelves. They were packed with state-of-the-art surveillance cameras and monitors. Multiple views of the casino flickered and changed on the screens in constant motion, but there was no rescue there.

  He cleared his throat, but his voice still sounded rough as gravel. “J.D, I don’t want to see this woman get hurt.”

  “Huh-uh. If this woman gets her heart broken, you’re the one to blame.”

  Not true. Oh, yeah, he knew exactly where to lay the blame for this fiasco.

  Dianna.

  Of course, he couldn’t deny he’d been anticipating Jace’s response to his proposal to meet Kaycee Spencer and hire her as a trainer at the Dancing Star. He wasn’t disappointed with his brother’s reaction to the note and the idea of meeting her. It was just his bad luck Jace was angrier than he’d foreseen.

  Jace rarely lost his composure. He’d forgotten just how explosive his brother’s temper could be when he was provoked. He frowned and tried to digest what was going on with Jace. Maybe he could come up with some sort of answer that would appease him.

  “You’ve never appreciated the fact that women are drawn to you like bees to a honey pot.”

  He snorted. “Where in hell do you come up with this crap?”

  “Probably from the same place you get words like prudent.” He felt his teeth snap together.

  “Prudent?” Jace blinked. “What are you jawing about? You bounce around from topic to topic like a grasshopper jumping from leaf to leaf. Most of the time, I can’t figure out what you’re gabbing about. Sometimes I wonder if you even know.”

  He slanted a hard gaze on Jace and sighed. “Forget it. But, damn it, J.D., you could be one hell of a lady-killer. You don’t realize your potential.”

  A hint of color stained his face. “Good God,” he breathed. “Will you stop it? What has gotten into you? I don’t even know you when you’re like this. You make me sound like a damned Lothario.”

  “Hardly that, but you could be. You don’t appreciate your good luck. Instead, you freeze away every woman who gets in your way. And Wild—Christ, he’s almost as bad as you. All he wants to do is stay hidden in a damn cabin in the mountains and pretend the world doesn’t exist.”

  “You can hardly blame him for that. The world hasn’t exactly been kind to him. If you’re trying to change the subject, forget it.”

  He shrugged. “I’m merely stating the obvious. Women like you. Heck, they love you. Since the day you turned fourteen, women have chased you, but you could care less.” He paused, noted the look of startled embarrassment on his brother’s face and ignored it. “I’m telling you, J.D., it’s time you settled down. You need a wife,” he finished bluntly.

  Inwardly, he cringed and waited for Jace’s reaction.

  “Oh?” He quirked a brow. “Suddenly this is your decision to make for me? I don’t need a wife, thank you very much. And what’s more, I don’t want a wife.”

  “Don’t you think I know that? I’ve witnessed you in action enough times over the years. You never allow a woman to believe you’ll marry her.”

  “And this is your business, because—?”

  “Uh—hmm, well, when you choose to reveal it, you have a ruthless streak that is damned intimidating. You never allow a woman close enough to get to know you. You’re so cold toward her, it’s a wonder she doesn’t turn into a friggin’ Popsicle.”

  “She? Are we talking about anyone in particular?”

  He returned Jace’s stubborn glare with equal ferocity. “There have been several women in your life, but none you cared enough about to make a commitment. Do you deny this?”

  “What, am I on trial here?”

  “Yes. No.” He raked fingers through his hair. It felt like he was butting heads with a ram. It was taking much too long to convince him to meet Kaycee. “Of course, not.” He heard the impatience in his voice. “It’s just that—if you see a woman you desire, you go after her with ruthless determination. You never fail to acquire what you want, but once you have her, you’re through. You never consider how she feels.”

  Jace snorted. “There you go with that ‘she’ again. I’d like to meet this mysterious woman I’ve devastated by withholding my love.” He shook his head. “Why are we having this discussion? Is this your way of telling me I’m a cold-hearted bastard? Uncaring?”

  Before he could reply, Jace continued, “One night stands are enough for me. It’s all I have time for.”

  “It’s all you want time for.”

  “I don’t know why you’ve got this burr up your ass all of a sudden about me and marriage, but get over it. It’s not happening.” He paused, drew in a deep breath and slowly relea
sed it, then continued. “The women I sleep with all know the score. I don’t touch innocents. I don’t make promises I have no intention of keeping. One night is about all I can tolerate with a scheming female looking to hook me with her claws. I sure don’t see a wife in the foreseeable future.”

  “Maybe you aren’t looking close enough. Every woman isn’t conniving. You aren’t getting any younger, you know.”

  “Christ almighty! I’m thirty-six years old. I’m hardly ancient. Especially since it only makes me two years older than you. If you’re so interested in marriage, get married yourself, but don’t try to put me in the mouse trap with you.”

  He ignored his brother’s anger and asked, “Don’t you want babies?”

  “Jesus!” He sounded like a man at the end of a rope. “Do you? I don’t need a wife to make babies, you know.”

  “It would sure help!”

  Jace’s lips twitched. “I can enjoy the playground and play safely while I’m at it.”

  “Screw protection. You’re missing the point.”

  “What is your point?”

  “Damned, if I know.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I just want you to be happy. I hate the fact you’re alone. You need a family of your own.”

  “I-am-happy,” Jace enunciated through clenched teeth. “Last time I looked, the four of us are alone. It doesn’t mean we’re no longer a family.”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  “It’s true, Duel. None of us have life-partners. We’re all alone, but we’re still family.”

  “I didn’t mean that. Damn it, J.D., you’re deliberately misconstruing my words. It doesn’t change the fact you need a wife, kids of your own.”

  “Why the sudden interest in my bachelorhood?” Suspicion rang in his voice.

  “You rarely date. I told you, I’m worried about you.”

  “I get all the sex I need, so stop worrying.”