The Millionaire Cowboy's Secret Read Online Free PDF Page A

for him he had no plans to sell even a single round. He only wanted the cartel—or specifically, several specific members of the cartel—to believe he did.
    Since José knew Matt wouldn’t even discuss doing anything else with the ammo, he sniffed again and continued talking about Skylar. “I wonder who in the ATF came up with the horse-magazine reporter as a cover idea.”
    Matt grinned. “I have to say, it’s brilliant.” He was known for his love of his Arabian horses, and he had a full-time team who worked on showing them around the country. He had a second full-time team who stayed here at the ranch. They took care of breeding and training and all the other things that came with having a successful horse ranch.
    Leaving Matt to focus on his overarching goal: vengeance. He let his grin slide off his face, replacing it with a frown.
    “When this is all over, you know it won’t bring them back,” José said for what had to be the hundredth time.
    “Are you taking up psychoanalysis?” Matt asked as he always did. “If so, stop.”
    José shook his head. “Fine. But what about the Fed? Are you letting her in the house for meals?”
    “Sure, why not?” Matt shrugged. “I don’t really have a problem with her. Plus, she’ll be easier to keep an eye on if I keep her close.”
    José’s knowing smile made Matt grimace. “And it doesn’t hurt that she’s easy on the eyes, does it?”
    Refusing to dignify that remark with a reply, Matt snatched up his hat and stalked off to check on his barn. He’d hired several new barn helpers and wanted to make sure they stuck to the established schedule. Nothing upset a horse worse than a deviation from its normal routine.
    It dawned on him that he’d become a lot like that, too.
    Shaking his head, he realized it might be time to mix things up. Since he was planning for a big showdown to occur soon, he’d damn well better be ready.
    * * *
    After photographing the barn horses and the surrounding area for future reference, Skylar strolled outside toward the pasture. Twenty or thirty head of horses grazed lush grass under the cloudless sky. She took several more photographs, knowing when this investigation was over she’d be able to use some of these for her growing portfolio. Photography as a hobby brought her more enjoyment with each passing day. It was the only other thing besides her job that she could lose herself in for hours at a time.
    She thought of Matt with his craggy features and easy-limbed grace. If possible, she’d like to sneak in a few shots of him, but only when he wasn’t aware. She’d bet he’d make an interesting subject.
    She snapped the pasture in all four directions, knowing she could enlarge the digital images later and study them for any anomalies.
    “Are you still out here?”
    Speak of the devil. Matt had come up behind her unnoticed. Either he was able to move with a lot of stealth, or she’d been way too involved with her camera.
    Glad she hadn’t jumped, she turned slowly. “I can’t get enough of your beautiful horses,” she said, meaning it.
    He wore a black cowboy hat, putting much of his face in shadow. She felt heat begin a slow burn somewhere in her stomach.
    The odd look he gave her told her he didn’t believe her, as though he’d seen her taking additional shots of the pasture, barn and outbuildings. Ignoring the uneasy feeling tickling her spine, she leaned on the fence and busied herself snapping a few more photos. This time she made sure they were only of the horses.
    “I’m surprised you didn’t go get your dog,” he said. “A dog like that would love running through the pasture, especially if you brought her a Frisbee.”
    Surprised, she glanced at him. “She does love her Frisbee.”
    He graced her with another one of his devastating smiles that sent her pulse into overdrive. “You did bring it, didn’t you?”
    Slowly, she shook her head. “No. I planned on taking her for a walk after dinner. On a leash,