Stealing the Cowboy's Heart

Chapter 4: She's Back

*******Rowland

I rubbed the back of my neck and groaned as I rode up the elevator to the suit that Mr. Kingsley currently was staying at. Kingsley and my father were very close, they had many business transactions over the years and I wanted to continue that. There was only one problem- Jenna Kingsley. Damn that woman was relentless and wanted to have me chained down. I didn't dislike the idea of marriage, now at my 31 years of age I welcomed it actually- just not with her. Jenna was attractive, if you liked the dyed blonde hair and snarky attitude. I did, unfortunately and it was painful to admit, think at one point she was attractive. That is until she barely missed hitting a five year old for spilling juice on her expensive skirt the last time we were out together. But now there was only one woman that I couldn't get out of my head- freaking little Annika Simone Sharp. Geez, she was the only woman I could think about right now and every time it plagued me and left me hard as fuck. The elevator dinged and the metal doors slid open. I walked out only to almost trip into Jenna, what the hell is she doing here. "Hi, Rowland, miss me?"

"Hi, Jenna," I didn't answer her question but she didn't seem to care as her fake smile never wavered. "Where's your father?"

"Oh, daddy's running late from a previous meeting." She looped arms with me and I looked to the floor, trying not to be rude but really didn't like her touching me. "He asked me to meet you here and make you feel welcome until he got back."

"That's real nice, Jenna, but I'll be fine on my own." I unhooked my arms from hers as I pulled the white stetson off my head. I ran a hand through my hair and for some damn reason I felt guilty as shit. Why did I feel guilty that another woman was flirting with me? Because of Annika, you dumb ass. I rolled my eyes at myself but deep down I knew it was true.

"Oh no, I can't just leave you." She sat on a sofa, making sure her tight, black skirt rose up to show way too much skin and I thought her top was gonna burst from the strain her fake boobs had on the buttons. "Come, sit, relax. You seem tense." The way she emphasized the word made me feel like this wasn't just her father being late.

"Jenna," I shook my head and I could feel her eyes on me as I sat in the chair next to the sofa. Her foot, that was once in a black heel, now ran up my jean clad leg. I grasped her ankle and she looked at me with shock. "Look, you seem nice," not really. "But I got a girlfriend."

"She doesn't have to know," Jenna shrugged and I stood, releasing her ankle.

"The answer is no, Jenna." I stood firm and she pouted with her lip out like a child. "Is your father even coming?"

"Ugh," she sighed as she stood. "Yes, he'll be back in two hours." She stepped towards me and tried grasping the front of my brown, leather jacket.

"Then I'll be back in two hours," I spun on my heel and exited the suit then into the the elevator. I cursed low as the doors slid closed and the elevator went down. I put on my stetson, pulled out my phone, and clicked on Kaden's number.

"Sup, bro?" Kaden asked and I rolled my eyes at how he answered the phone. "How'd the meeting go?"

"It didn't, Jenna was there and Kingsley won't be back for another two hours." I rubbed my eyes too tired to think straight. "How's everyone back home?"

"Momma's doing good, glad the Duke is back. Duke is up to his old tricks and even asked for help." I could hear the frustration in my brother's voice. "Annika is helping him. I swear it pisses me off that she helps him and not me." I felt my fist clench but I quickly pushed down the jealousy that started to form in my stomach. Duke wouldn't do anything and Annika never liked him anyway, so then why did it hurt so damn much? "Anyway, that's pretty much it. Oh, Annika found out about Dad."

"Of course she did." I sighed as the elevator opened to the bottom floor. "Damn, Duke."

"Yea, she isn't doing anything sappy like everyone else. She understands that we don't want to talk about it and she hasn't brought it up." He sounded sad but hopeful. "She's just being Annika, no one else. She's not trying to step around the issue or walk on eggshells."

"She's good at being herself," I sighed, smiling about how well Annika knew us.

"She asked about you." Kaden said trying to set bait that I unfortunately took.

"What she ask?" I walked to my truck as I got in, my heart pounding in my chest.

"She wanted to know if you're okay." I felt my heart constrict, did she really have to ask that? "And she wanted to know when you were coming home."

"What'd you tell her?" I pulled out of the hotel parking lot.

"I said that you were fine, no matter how much of a lie that was, which she caught by the way and rolled her eyes at it." I chuckled picturing her doing just that. "And said you'd be home tomorrow. She wants to talk to you more than likely, even though she didn't directly say so."

"Of course she didn't directly say it." I sighed, what did she need to talk to me about?

"Oh, one more thing, and you can't get mad." That didn't sound good. "Uh, Duke may, or may not, have invited Annika to the derby with... Him." I clutched the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white.

"Why would I be mad at that?" I half growled and knew he could tell I was pissed. Before he could comment I said, "I got to go. Bye, Kaden." I hung up the phone and threw it down onto the passenger seat.