But Hilda?
She had men vying for her attention all the time, and the billionaire clearly knew he couldn't just assume Hilda had an evening to spare. Fortunately for him, she did happen to be free tonight, and just as Hilda stepped forward to officially introduce herself as the woman of his dreams—-
"Uncle Olsen told me I should time my visit after dinner, once you're done cooking for your family."
Hilda froze, and whatever words of seduction she had planned to say died in her throat. Did the billionaire just sayUncle Olsen?
The old fuck that Daisy Rae was working for was Garion Ross'uncle?
"Hilda Stoltz, isn't it?" Garion Ross finally turned to look at her, and while the billionaire's tone was pleasant, the glint in his hazel eyes was coolly assessing. "I've heard a lot about you from Uncle Olsen."
Hilda could only manage an incoherent sound.No wonder the billionaire seemed to despise her on sight!That stupid, meddling old fuck had uttered the usual lies about her and her father, and her outrage grew when she saw the billionaire smile down at Daisy Rae.
Hilda cleared her throat loudly, but Garion didn't even glance her way.
"You are free to join me now, aren't you?"
Daisy Rae couldn't answer right away, with how Hilda was trying to catch her attention from behind the billionaire's back.Take me, too,her cousin mouthed while pointing to herself.
Garion cupped her elbow, and Daisy Rae forgot all about Hilda. She was usually so much more sensible than this, but his fingers were on her skin again, ergo, her brain was toast.
"You probably haven't figured this out yet..."
Daisy Rae's senses reeled at the huskiness that was suddenly coating his voice.
"But I was only being polite when I said I wasinvitingyou for a drink—-" Heat glittered in his eyes, and Daisy Rae's knees threatened to give out. "—-since I don't plan to take 'no' for an answer."
Oh.
My.
Goodness.
Garion wasted no time in taking advantage of Daisy Rae's dazed expression, and he only spared Hilda a nod before swiftly whisking his future wife to the backseat of his limo.
Hilda could feel herself starting to shake in a mixture of rage...and lust. Since Hilda religiously kept herself up to date with the latest gossip about San Antonio's crème de la crème, she knew for a fact that Garion hadn't any serious relationship since his wife's passing. He had never even beenpicturedwith a woman for years, so how the hell had a woman as drab as her cousin ended up getting invited for a drink by Texas' most eligible bachelor?
The fact completely pissed her off, and there was no way she was simply going to stand by and let fat stupid Daisy Rae have all the fun.
Hilda was about to scream her cousin's name like bloody murder when a hand covered her mouth shut.
"Is that Garion Ross?"
Hilda nodded furiously against her father's hand.
Nolan waited until the billionaire rancher had driven off with his niece before lifting his hand, and his daughter immediately spun around with a hiss. "Why did you do that?"
"Because you were about to start shrieking," Nolan answered in disgust. "No man finds a shrew a turn on, no matter how beautiful she is."
Hilda could only grit her teeth and slam the door shut behind her. "He calls Daisy Rae's bossUncle Olsen," she ranted, "and it was rather obvious the old fuck had fed Garion lies about us."
"Doesn't matter," Nolan dismissed.
"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" Hilda screeched.
"A man like Garion Ross isn't someone you can have wrapped around your fingers just because you wish it. You need to be more methodical," Nolan emphasized. "We need to find out what he's got to do with your cousin, and work things out from there."
The doorbell rang again, and without Daisy Rae to boss around, the two were left looking at each other.