Redeeming the CEO Cowboy Read online

  Ten years ago = ancient history…right?

  So what if former rodeo champion turned construction mogul Casey Thomas is back…living right next door? Susanna Hart is busy running her Sweet Susie’s pastry business and raising her two-year-old cousin. Why pay any attention to the man who took her virginity ten years ago, then left town?

  Casey still feels guilty for taking advantage of his little sister’s best friend. A helping hand is just what her business—and his conscience—need. But guilt isn’t his only motivation. Casey’s got a sweet tooth for Susie. And the more she resists, the sweeter it gets!

  “Maybe your opinion of me matters.”

  His hand still on her wrist, he tugged her closer and rose from his seat. Their legs brushed and she lifted her gaze to his. Crickets chirped and tree branches rustled in the breeze, caressing the quiet night. “Casey?”

  A wayward strand of hair fell into her eyes. It was always doing that—giving the wholesome, sweet girl a sexy edge—another reminder that she was all woman now. Lifting his hand, he brushed the hair onto her cheek. His fingers lingered on the softest skin he’d ever felt. It would be so easy to kiss her again. “Maybe I want you to like me for purely selfish reasons.”

  Her head tilted to the side and her lids lowered as she eyed his mouth. The hungry look on her face nearly blinded him. “But that means… Are you going to kiss me again, Casey?”

  * * *

  Redeeming the CEO Cowboy is part of The Slades of Sunset Ranch. The sun never sets on love and redemption for these rich Nevada ranchers!

  * * *

  If you’re on Twitter, tell us what you think of Harlequin Desire!

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  Dear Reader,

  Thanks to your loyalty, The Slades of Sunset Ranch series was extremely well received and has been a fan favorite. Since Casey Thomas was introduced in Sunset Seduction (Luke and Audrey’s story), I’ve been getting requests and questions from readers asking if Casey would have a story of his own.

  The answer is yes!

  As I was writing Casey, I realized this hunky heartthrob secondary character needed a story of his own. He was just too delicious a hero not to find his own great love. He had a lot of good things going for him, and though he came on super strong protecting his sister in Sunset Seduction, the tables are now turned on Casey. In Redeeming the CEO Cowboy, his sister asks him to do her this one giant favor that involves Susanna Hart, her good friend and hometown neighbor, owner of Sweet Susie’s Pastries and More. It’s something Casey feels honor bound to do.

  But Audrey doesn’t know what she’s really asking of her big brother.… Casey and Susanna share a secret that neither of them want revealed. It’s difficult for Casey to help Susanna when she’s barely talking to him. But Casey is a good guy at heart, and Susie and her three-year-old charge, Ally, are a hard combination for this CEO Cowboy to dismiss. They say redemption is good for the soul, right? Casey Thomas gets a dose and then some.

  Warning: This story might make you crave cupcakes!

  That’s all I’m saying….

  Happy reading!

  Charlene

  REDEEMING THE CEO COWBOY

  Charlene Sands

  Books by Charlene Sands

  Harlequin Desire

  **Carrying the Rancher’s Heir #2088

  **The Cowboy’s Pride #2127

  Exquisite Acquisitions #2174

  **Worth the Risk #2190

  §Sunset Surrender #2205

  §Sunset Seduction #2233

  §The Secret Heir of Sunset Ranch #2263

  The Texas Renegade Returns #2288

  §Redeeming the CEO Cowboy #2320

  Silhouette Desire

  The Heart of a Cowboy #1488

  Expecting the Cowboy’s Baby #1522

  Like Lightning #1668

  Heiress Beware #1729

  Bunking Down with the Boss #1746

  Fortune’s Vengeful Groom #1783

  Between the CEO’s Sheets #1805

  The Corporate Raider’s Revenge #1848

  *Five-Star Cowboy #1889

  *Do Not Disturb Until Christmas #1906

  *Reserved for the Tycoon #1924

  Texan’s Wedding-Night Wager #1964

  ΔMillion-Dollar Marriage Merger #2016

  ΔSeduction on the CEO’s Terms #2027

  ΔThe Billionaire’s Baby Arrangement #2033

  *Suite Secrets

  ΔNapa Valley Vows

  §The Slades of Sunset Ranch

  Harlequin Historical

  Lily Gets Her Man #554

  Chase Wheeler’s Woman #610

  The Law and Kate Malone #646

  Winning Jenna’s Heart #662

  The Courting of Widow Shaw #710

  Renegade Wife #789

  Abducted at the Altar #816

  Bodine’s Bounty #872

  Taming the Texan #887 “Springville Wife”

  Western Weddings #895 “Wearing the Rancher’s Ring”

  Western Winter Wedding Bells #1011

  **A Cowboy Worth Claiming #1083

  **The Worths of Red Ridge

  Other titles by this author available in ebook format.

  CHARLENE SANDS

  is a USA TODAY bestselling author of thirty-five romance novels, writing sensual contemporary romances and stories of the Old West. Her books have been honored with a National Readers’ Choice Award, a CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, and she’s a double recipient of the Booksellers’ Best Award. She belongs to the Orange County chapter and the Los Angeles chapter of RWA.

  Charlene writes “hunky heroes with heart.” She knows a little something about true romance—she married her high school sweetheart! When not writing, Charlene enjoys sunny Pacific beaches, great coffee, reading books from her favorite authors and spending time with her family. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Charlene loves to hear from her readers! You can write her at P.O. Box 4883, West Hills, CA 91308, or sign up for her newsletter for fun blogs and ongoing contests at www.charlenesands.com.

  To Don, the sweet, wonderful man I married many, many moons ago.

  Happy Special Anniversary, Sweetheart!

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Excerpt

  One

  As soon as Susanna Hart spotted the chrome-rimmed Cadillac SUV turning the corner and barreling down the street, her heart fisted deep in her chest. She had known this day would come. Casey Thomas was back in town.

  She held her cousin Ally’s small hand and watched as the fairy-tale princess ball rolled to a stop at the front lawn of Casey’s childhood home. Why wasn’t she graced with good luck and timing the way some women were? She darted a glance at her front door thirty feet away. It was too late to make a mad dash. The roar of the engine mellowed. He wasn’t far now. Thorny blades of grass pinched her bare toes where she stood like an immovable statue under the afternoon sun. Her palms began to sweat. She wiped her free hand on her denim jeans. “Oh, no,” she muttered.

  Ally’s gaze immediately lifted to hers. Susanna fixed her lips into a pretend smile, scooped up the ball and handed it to the two-year-old. “Here you go, Muffin.”

  The worry on Ally’s face crumbled and she giggled. “I’m not a muffin.” S
he hugged the ball to her chest and announced, “I bakeded muffins, Auntie.”

  Susanna tapped a finger to the side of her mouth. “Oh, yeah, that’s right. I forgot. You’re my best helper.”

  Ally’s smile widened. Poor kid. Ever since Ally had come to live with her one month ago, she’d tried to find ways to put the child at ease and let her know she was wanted and loved. Little Ally had enough on her plate without worrying about her Aunt Susie’s sudden panic right now.

  Even if Susanna hadn’t recognized the blond-haired breaker of her heart, Casey Thomas, commandeering the wheel of the custom-painted glossy black SUV, she would’ve guessed it was him. Flashy cars such as his didn’t belong on Meadow Drive in the Reno suburbs. Neither did he, anymore.

  But as he drove his SUV into the driveway of his childhood home and cut the engine, there was no mistaking the man who’d taken her virginity nearly ten years ago.

  Susanna stood rooted to the spot spinning thoughts of nonchalance in her head. She’d seen Casey a few times in the last ten years. This shouldn’t be so darned hard. They could simply pretend the whole taking-her-virginity incident never happened, like they did when he’d come to pay his respects at her father’s funeral. Like they did when Casey broke his back riding rodeo and Susanna, being Audrey’s best friend, went with his sister to pay him a visit in the hospital. Like they did when they’d bumped into each other at Sunset Ranch after Audrey had her beautiful baby girl, Ava Kasey Slade.

  The driver’s door opened and a beagle-size mutt scurried over Casey’s lap and leapt onto the driveway. Ally’s arms fluttered excitedly. “Doggy!”

  The pup raced over to her, his peachy-blond tail wagging like crazy.

  “Charger!” Casey’s voice boomed.

  Susanna swept Ally off the ground and into her arms. It wasn’t the puppy’s enthusiasm so much as Casey’s tone that lodged a threat in her mind.

  “Sorry,” Casey said, lowering his voice. “He’s actually pretty harmless. Just too darn rambunctious.” He hinged his body out of the SUV, his movements fractionally slower than when he was younger, before he’d broken his back in the rodeo ring. As he straightened to his full six-foot-two height, his jaw tightened. Back in the day, he saved that look for his sister Audrey when she’d done something wrong. Susanna wondered what put that look on his face today. Was he annoyed at the dog? Or was it residual pain from his injury causing him to frown? “I didn’t want him to frighten the child. Come here, dog.”

  The puppy’s tail nosedived between his legs and he trotted toward Casey.

  The pup and Casey had two things in common: lush shaggy blond hair and mischievous eyes. Casey strode to where the grass met the driveway, treating it like a barrier between them. “Hello, Susanna.”

  Her toes curled deeper into the prickly grass. From what she could tell, Casey’s former life as a rodeo champion was gone now. Dressed in a russet brown shirt tucked into beige trousers, he was still ruggedly handsome if not a little more refined. Sunlight poured over his tanned face and charming white smile. “Hello.”

  He cocked his head to one side. “Guess we’re going to be neighbors again.”

  Temporarily. When she’d spoken to Audrey, she hadn’t been sure when Casey would arrive, but that he’d be staying a month, maybe two. On business. Secretly, Susanna had died inside hearing the news, but couldn’t let on to her best friend how much being neighbors again with her super successful, gorgeous brother distressed her.

  “I guess so.”

  He nodded, his stark gaze piercing through barriers with unspoken words. Words she didn’t want to hear. Words that were better off unsaid. “Uh, this is Ally. She lives with me now.” She hugged Ally close and brushed her lips to the top of her head. Soft blond wisps tickled her mouth. “Say hello to Casey, Ally.”

  Ally’s eyes shifted from the pup to the pup’s owner. “Hello.”

  Casey came closer, stepping over the grass barrier, and smiled wide. “Hi, Ally.” He took her hand and gave it a gentle shake. “Nice to meet you.”

  Ally turned back to Charger. “I like your doggy.”

  Charger rose up on his hind legs and pawed at Casey’s expensive dress pants, a mewling sound grounding from his little throat. “I think he likes you too.”

  “Can I petted him?”

  “That’s up to...” Casey turned to Susanna with a question on his lips.

  “Aunt Susie,” she confirmed with a nod. She wasn’t really Ally’s aunt, but now wasn’t the time for explanations. “I think it’d be all right.”

  Casey bent to pick up the puppy and Ally put her hand out ever so gently to stroke the puppy’s head. “He’s soft.”

  “He is,” Casey said.

  Lime and musk filled her nostrils. His scent reminded her of the last time they’d been this close. In the Thomas’s house, on the sofa, his arms strong and sure around her as she’d cried her eyes out. The images came through clearly as if they’d happened yesterday. Ten years later, and Casey still made her heart race.

  If only he wasn’t going to live directly next door to her. If only he wasn’t Audrey’s brother. If only pressing business didn’t bring him back to Reno. Susanna gave herself a mental slap. The if onlys had to go. Casey Thomas was here for a short time and she’d have to deal with it, just like she’d dealt with everything else in her life. On her own terms.

  “The street looks the same,” he said, glancing around.

  “It is, for the most part.” She lived in a middle, middle class neighborhood, the homes groomed and tidy, but missing the fancy renovations upper middle income could provide. “Mrs. Martinez moved out. She’s living in a retirement home now. Peter Albertson got married right out of high school, but his mom and dad are still living here.”

  “That so? I’ll have to stop over and say hello to Randy and Linda.”

  Susanna smiled. “They’d like that. I think they miss Peter a lot.”

  Casey glanced at his own house. No one had lived in it since Audrey moved out a year ago. Susanna watched over the property and made sure the gardener came twice a month to keep the lawn groomed.

  “You still have a spare key?” Casey asked.

  Susanna blinked. The question came out of left field. “Yes, do you want it back?”

  Casey took in her sharp reaction and smiled slightly. “No, ma’am. I need to borrow it.” He set the pup down on the grass. “I left my place in Tahoe this morning without my key. Didn’t realize it until about twenty minutes ago.”

  Whoops. Her shrewish answer had come out of left field. She’d barked at him as if she was the canine on the property. “Oh, of course. I’ll go get it for you. Come on, Ally.”

  Ally pushed against Susanna’s chest and threw her body weight toward the dog, pointing her index finger. “Charger. Charger.”

  “We’ll come right back, sweetie.”

  “I’ll watch her,” Casey said. He squatted down and ruffled the pup’s ears, then gazed at her, his blue eyes full of reassurance. “If that’s okay with you?”

  No, it wasn’t okay with her. It wasn’t that she couldn’t trust Casey with Ally. He’d raised Audrey from a young age and knew the ropes. If anything, he’d been overprotective of his little sister. It wasn’t that. She didn’t want to get too chummy with her new old next-door neighbor. And she certainly didn’t want Ally getting close to him, either.

  Ally reached up and put her palms on Susie’s cheeks, looking into her eyes. “Pleeeeeze.”

  The kid knew how to get to her; her plea zigzagged to her heart. She shouldn’t deny Ally a small measure of happiness because of pride. Ally had suffered enough sadness for someone so young.

  With a shake of her head aimed at Casey, she lowered Ally to the ground. “Okay. You mind what Casey says, sweetie and stay close.”

  The puppy immediately raced to Ally’s
feet, his tail circling like a windmill on a breezy day.

  They were becoming fast friends.

  That wasn’t good.

  Sighing, Susanna walked to her door, climbed up the steps and swiveled her head. She spotted Ally laughing as the bushy-haired pup did impressive belly rolls on the grass. Casey glanced over and their eyes met. A second ticked by, and then another. Having him here was impossible. She didn’t want him watching her. The corners of her lips pulled down and she snapped out of his momentary hold on her. Reaching for the screen door, she turned the handle and stepped inside her home.

  Escaping.

  * * *

  Casey leaned against his SUV with his arms folded over his chest, keeping an eye on Ally. The dog was pooped out from one too many belly rolls and Ally sat beside him on the grass, talking up a storm. Casey didn’t know two-year-olds could babble so much, yet Charger listened to the blonde girl with ears perked and tongue hanging as if he understood every word she said. Casey knew a little bit about Ally from what Audrey had told him. Mainly that she’d lost her mom, Rhonda Lee, to drug addiction. Rhonda Lee and Susanna were first cousins. Since the child’s father was out of the picture, Susanna had been the child’s only option and she’d stepped in to raise the little girl.

  Susanna’s screen door squeaked open and he spotted her stepping off the porch. As she walked toward him, she was ramrod stiff, her shoulders tight, her pretty sculpted chin held high. She hadn’t forgiven him. That much was clear.

  Ten years seemed like eons ago, but Casey hadn’t forgotten the night they’d made love either. He was totally to blame for the awkward situation between them and it made his mission here that much harder. Somehow, he had to gain Susanna’s trust so he could help her. He owed the Hart family that much. Without Eleanor and George Hart, he would’ve never been able to raise Audrey on his own. For years, they’d been her second family when Casey was on the road with the rodeo.