Her Texas Renegade

Will she give in to temptation with her ex?

Mixing business and pleasure with a former flame,

she’s bound to get burned…

Wealthy widow and business owner Miranda Dupree needs a security expert, and her ex, bad-boy-hacker-turned-security-magnate, Kai Maddox, is perfect for the job. But can they keep their steamy, tumultuous romance in the past when the renegade billionaire is so darned tempting? Miranda can’t help herself, and soon an innocent business proposition leads to a replay of passion beyond their control…

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Joanne Rock

JOANNE ROCK credits her decision to write romance after a book she picked up during a light delay engrossed her so thoroughly that she didn’t mind at all when her light was delayed two more times. Giving her readers the chance to escape into another world has motivated her to write over eighty books for a variety of Mills & Boon series.

Also by Joanne Rock

The Rebel

The Rival

Rule Breaker

Heartbreaker

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Her Texas Renegade

Joanne Rock

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-0-008-90432-6

HER TEXAS RENEGADE

© 2020 Harlequin Books S.A.

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

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For Marcie Robinson,

whose books I can’t wait to read.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Dedication

Prologue

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Epilogue

About the Publisher

Prologue

Five months ago

Miranda Dupree Blackwood took deep breaths before the meeting with her ex-stepchildren where they would learn the contents of Buckley Blackwood’s last will and testament. Miranda had flown from her home in New York City to Royal, Texas, because of Buck’s highly unorthodox last wishes. Knowing what her wily ex-husband had planned for today made her ill, but she understood the role he wanted her to play, and she wasn’t going to turn her back on it.

“Are you sure you want to be there for this?” Kace LeBlanc, Buckley’s lawyer, asked her as the hour drew near for the meeting that she imagined would be like facing a firing squad. “You don’t have to attend in person.”

Miranda was upstairs in her former marital home, Blackwood Hollow, where she was trying to make herself comfortable again after a three-year absence. Kace had been kind to stop by early to check in with her. She’d received the attorney in the upstairs den, the space she’d used as her office during her marriage to the wealthy finance mogul. So much had changed since she’d left Royal after her divorce. One thing that remained the same, however, was the animosity of her adult stepchildren, who would soon hate her more than ever once they understood the terms of their father’s will.

“I’m committed,” she assured herself as much as Kace, knowing that behind Buckley’s unconventional strategy, his heart had been in the right place when he set up his terms. “I just wish he didn’t have to be so damned secretive about his motives.”

Kace shook his head, pacing in front of one of the windows overlooking the front gates of the sprawling ranch estate. “I urged him to make peace with his kids before his death, but he insisted this was the only way. You know how tough it was to argue with him.”

How well she remembered. Miranda hugged herself tighter, bracing for the role she would have to play over the next few months until Buck’s real motives made themselves apparent.

She’d had zero interaction with the Blackwood family since leaving Royal. Which, no doubt, was how of all three of Buck’s grown children preferred it. Their combined venom toward Miranda for marrying their wealthy father in the first place hadn’t subsided, not even when she left the marriage behind without taking anything of the Blackwood estate with her. She’d walked away with the same assets that she’d entered into the union, thanks to an ironclad prenup that they’d both wanted. Miranda did just fine for herself, and she preferred it that way.

“It’s going to be a rough few months,” she murmured, seeing a glint through the front window and guessing that the guests were already starting to arrive for the meeting. “I’ll do my best to support Buckley’s wishes, but you know there may be an uprising in the office once you tell them what the will says.”

“I’m aware,” Kace told her grimly, turning away from the window. “Just remember that Buckley believed in you. He saw what you were doing with Goddess and he was impressed. He knew you’d be a good steward for his estate until his kids are ready to take over.”

She nodded, taking some comfort from that, at least. If only the family knew that they would receive their inheritances eventually. That one day, Miranda would hand everything back to the Blackwoods once each of his children was more settled. From the bank to the house, none of it would remain hers, although Buckley had donated an incredibly generous sum to her charity, Girl to the Nth Power, for her time and trouble in overseeing the distribution of his estate. She was humbled by the trust he’d placed in her, even if she hated that he was being so secretive with his true heirs.

Buckley may not have been the best husband, but he’d always supported her efforts to build her own business and their split had been amicable. Without his encouragement, she might not have driven her Goddess line of health and lifestyle centers into the level of nationwide success they now experienced. She’d pushed her way onto the Forbes list last year.

Now that she would be staying in Royal for at least the next several months, she had told her producer she couldn’t be in New York when filming started for a new season of Secret Lives of NYC Ex-Wives, a reality show that had spurred the Goddess brand to huge new heights.

But Nigel had told her not to worry. She had a feeling he was making plans to film the show down here if he could talk her castmates into making the move. Which would bring a whole other level of chaos to an already complicated time in her life.

Still, she was going to forge ahead. First she just needed to get through today. Buckley Blackwood was about to deliver a devastating blow to his offspring, robbing them of everything he’d promised since they were children.

A cold sweat dotted Miranda’s head. Buckley’s children had called her the “step-witch” when she’d joined the family. What would they think of her today when they learned their father had left every shred of their inheritance to her?

One

Present Day

Miranda had hoped today’s brunch could be a girls-only affair for her friends from the Secret Lives of NYC Ex-Wives show, but producer Nigel Townshend had convinced her he needed some footage at a more intimate gathering. Since the show had started filming in Royal, Texas, thanks to Miranda being tied to the town, their schedule had been packed with big, glitzy parties.

Especially engagement parties. Romance seemed to be in the air in Royal. Her stepson Kellan was now married with a baby on the way. Kellan’s sister, Sophie, had married Miranda’s producer, Nigel, just a few weeks ago. Their brother Vaughn had just gotten engaged, as had two of Miranda’s castmates. And Darius Taylor-Pratt, her new business associate, had managed to find love, too—after he’d come to town to learn the stunning news that he was Buck’s illegitimate son. The discovery had been a shock, but the love he’d found—or rather, rediscovered—with his former sweetheart, Audra, had softened the blow.

Weddings were all anyone wanted to discuss anymore. Even now, Miranda’s castmate Lulu Shepard used the time as an opportunity to discuss plans for her nuptials to Kace LeBlanc, Buckley’s lawyer.

“Do you have a venue in mind for the wedding, Lu?” Miranda asked her newly engaged costar.

They were seated at a table under the extended eaves that shaded the outdoor entertaining area near the guesthouse pool at Blackwood Hollow. In the five months that Miranda had spent in Royal since the reading of the will, she’d come to feel even more at home here than she had during her marriage to Buckley. Now that she and Kace had told the siblings about how their father had actually chosen to divide up his estate, her work here was almost done. That was why she was staying in the guesthouse at the ranch—the property belonged to Kellan and his wife now. She’d been surprised and touched when he’d invited her to stay in the guesthouse for as long as she needed while she wrapped things up in Royal. Her real inheritance had been the opportunity to mend her relationships with the Blackwood heirs, something she’d genuinely enjoyed.

Even if it involved enough weddings and engagements to make the most reluctant romantic a little envious.

“You have to marry in New York,” Rafaela Marchesi announced, flipping dark, cascading waves over one shoulder to ensure her good side was visible to the camera. A five-time divorcee on the hunt for husband number six, Rafaela thrived on troublemaking and she played the diva for all it was worth. “Bring the party back where we belong.”

Henry the cameraman lingered on the resident diva while Sam swiveled his second camera for a reaction shot from Lulu.

“No.” Lulu tilted her champagne glass in Rafaela’s direction, pointing it at her and showing off her amazeballs new diamond at the same time. “We’re getting married in Royal, that much I know.”

“Good,” Miranda interjected, not wanting the brunch to turn into a snipe-fest. Audiences might love that kind of thing, but Miranda wouldn’t let popular demand turn Lulu’s wedding preparations into nonstop bickering. “It’s only fitting to celebrate here when it all began in Royal for you two lovebirds.”

Never let it be said Miranda didn’t have a soft side, even if romance hadn’t worked out well for her. She and Buckley had split on friendly enough terms, but the dissolution of her marriage still felt like a failure on her part. And lately, her thoughts were full of the man who’d held her heart before Buck.

Kai Maddox, the cybersecurity expert she needed to review the digital encryption measures at Blackwood Bank. No doubt that’s why her long-ago lover had taken up residence in her brain this week after years of doing her best to forget him. Well, that and the fact that they’d shared a searing kiss the first time she’d asked for his professional help—right before he’d refused her outright. She’d have to swallow her pride and try asking him again. He might have a sketchy past, but no one could argue the man excelled at his job. Besides, his new company, Madtec, was local, based in nearby Deer Springs, where he’d grown up.

“Cheers to being a Texas bride, Lu.” Zooey Kostas, the youngest one of the ex-wives at thirty years old, lifted her glass to toast their friend, her diamond-encrusted bangles sliding down her slender wrist. Her honey-colored hair and green eyes gave her a fresh-faced appeal in spite of her hard-partying ways. “I want you to get married here anyway.”

The five women at the table, including Seraphina “Fee” Martinez, who was also due to marry a local, lifted their glasses automatically to toast the bride. Miranda sipped her mimosa, savoring the fresh-squeezed oranges even more than the champagne, while Rafaela rolled her eyes.

“Zooey, darling, you’ve lost your mind,” Rafaela declared, leaning in and piling on the drama for a good sound bite. “Why should we waste ourselves on cowboys in the Lone Star State when we can have our pick of Wall Street billionaires in Manhattan?”

Miranda slouched in her seat, so done with Rafaela Marchesi. Was this what her life had amounted to, trading barbs with frenemies over cocktails?

Lulu looked ready to fire off a comeback, but Zooey surprised them all with a wicked laugh that bordered on a cackle.

“Waste ourselves? You’re just jealous you haven’t bagged a rich Texan the way Lulu and Fee have.” Zooey tossed her napkin on the table and then stood, her cream-colored halter pantsuit draping beautifully as she moved. “Excuse me, ladies, but I’ve lost my appetite.”

The sudden diva-exit was so un-Zooey-like that Miranda and Lulu turned to one another at the same time, with Lulu looking as shocked as Miranda felt.

“Bitch,” Rafaela muttered, studying her manicure. “Clearly, she’s not getting laid enough if she’s acting like such a shrew.”

Miranda smothered a laugh while Lulu went back to brainstorming good places to exchange vows with Kace. No doubt the production team had filmed all the footage they needed for this week’s episode anyway. And since the show had plenty of juicy moments for viewers, maybe Miranda stood a chance of sneaking away from the camera crew and Blackwood Hollow for the afternoon.

She needed to meet with Kai Maddox sooner rather than later to convince him to take on Blackwood Bank as a client, even though thinking about another confrontation with her former flame tied her in knots. What had she been thinking to allow that damned kiss to happen in the first place? Kai was the only man to ever shred her restraint so thoroughly.

Now that Vaughn knew he’d inherited the bank, it was time to pass everything over to him officially—but first, she needed someone to check into the irregularities she’d noticed while going over the books. She owed it to Buckley’s family to pass over the reins of the company in good standing, especially now that she was only just starting to form real relationships with them. But she had no intention of letting her television audience see her fork up a bite of humble pie with her sexy-as-sin ex-lover to ask for his help.

Again.

He’d practically thrown her out on the street the last time she’d approached him. Right after the kiss that set her on fire every time she remembered it. Things were going to be complicated with Kai.

Assuming she even made it past the front door of Madtec.

This time, she’d simply have to make him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Kai Maddox strode across the rooftop terrace of Madtec’s recently built headquarters in Deer Springs, lingering near the half wall and glass partition that overlooked the parking area as his afternoon meeting broke up. A light breeze blew from the west, but it did little to cool the afternoon heat. Soon, the days would be too warm for terrace meetings, but Kai planned to take advantage of the outdoor spot for as long as he could, knowing the benefit of fresh air and green space. He’d learned to make his health and mental wellness a priority since his teen years when he’d all but fallen into his computer screen, spending every waking moment honing his skills as a coder, a developer and, yes—occasionally—as a hacker.

Nothing prepared a coder for building the best digital encryption quite as well as breaking down someone else’s.

Madtec had moved into its Deer Springs location shortly after the new year, as soon as work crews had finished the custom-designed, high-tech office building. With five floors and the rooftop terrace, it was more square footage than the Maddox brothers currently needed for their growing tech business, but the cost of real estate here was reasonable and Kai had faith that Madtec would only grow.

Even if he didn’t return Miranda Dupree’s phone calls. He was doing just fine without taking business from a woman who’d dumped him the moment someone richer came along.

“Did you need anything else, Kai?” his personal assistant called to him from the steel-beam pavilion in the middle of the rooftop as he packed up his notes and tablet. Amad was new to the job, but the guy was efficient and eager to learn.

“No, thank you. I’ve got a meeting with Dane soon, but first I’m going to review the data penetration tests again.” Kai and his brother, Dane, had new fraud-protection software almost ready to take to market, but first he’d asked his old hacking buddies to try to crack it.

So far, the issues in the software they’d uncovered had been minor, but he wanted to ask for one more opinion. He refused to rush the product to market without thorough testing.

“Sure thing, boss.” Amad jammed everything in a leather binder and headed for the door leading back into the building, but he paused to look down at his phone before opening it. “The main desk says you have someone here to see you. Miranda Dupree? She’s not on your schedule.”

He cursed silently.

Miranda had cornered him at his hotel in New York last month and things had spiraled out of control fast. How he’d ended up kissing her was still a mystery to him, but that’s just what had happened, even though he’d spent ten years hating her.

As much as he would have preferred to ignore her forever in light of their nasty breakup a decade ago, Kai suspected the knee-jerk reaction would be too damned self-indulgent. Bad enough that he’d been ignoring her calls. Now that she’d shown up in person, sending her away would be too visible, and might reflect badly on the company. She was a respected businesswoman. She’d made the Forbes list. He would at least do her the courtesy of a meeting before he refused whatever the hell she wanted from him.

“I’ll meet her in my office,” he said, deciding the quickest way to end this would be face-to-face—and one-on-one. He sure as hell didn’t want anyone else around to see the chemistry that still sparked between them. “You can send her up in five.”

“Will do.” Amad shoved his phone in his pocket before he left the rooftop.

Kai followed him down to the penthouse office a few moments later. He shared the top floor with Dane, the two copresident suites separated by an executive conference room. Both Maddox brothers had private terraces on opposite sides of the building. On a clear day, Kai could see the roof of the humble house where he’d grown up.

There were a lot of unhappy memories in Deer Springs, but some good ones, too—and the hope for more in the future. Madtec had brought hundreds of jobs to the community that had shaped him, and that gave him a lot of satisfaction. Far more than he was going to get from this meeting with Miranda.

By the time Kai arrived in his office through the private back entrance, Amad was just opening the double doors to admit his guest in the front.

And damn, but she still had a potent effect on him.

Her fiery-red hair was cut just above her shoulders, with her curls tamed so that her hair swooped over one eye. She was dressed in a fitted black suit that showed off her figure—although not quite as much as the strapless red dress he’d seen her in last time. That dress had been… Damn.

Fantasy worthy. He was grateful to today’s suit for covering more of her. She remained toned and athletic thanks to her lifelong commitment to yoga, and she had the lean limbs of a dancer. But her generous curves were more the pinup variety, giving her a silhouette that made men of all ages stop and stare. Including him, damn it.

He forced his gaze to her ice-blue eyes.

“Hello, Kai. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.” She smiled warmly at Amad before Kai’s assistant left the room.

“You didn’t leave me much choice,” he informed her shortly, gesturing to one of the two wingbacks in front of his desk. “Please, have a seat.”

She disregarded the offer, remaining on her feet as he did. Even in heels she was half a foot shorter than him, but her cool demeanor still commanded attention and exuded authority along with her smoking-hot sexiness.

She’d gained confidence along with over-the-top wealth from her marriage to Buckley Blackwood. Besides a national fitness empire and popular television series, he was certain that Miranda had access to a level of financial support that Kai had to wrestle and scrabble for from investors. The Blackwood name had unlocked a whole world for her. Kai’s courtship, on the other hand, had consisted mostly of diner dates and motorcycle rides whenever he’d had a free moment from the endless stream of work that had claimed most of his time.

“You could have ignored me, the way you’ve snubbed my phone messages.” She peered around the office.

He’d purposely kept it clutter-free and impersonal, a mostly soundproof haven for him to think. The walls were all gray stone except for the windows behind the desk. Lights ringed the tray ceiling, hidden in the molding to mimic the effect of daylight at any hour. His desk was glass-topped with steel underneath. Industrial and functional. He wondered briefly how it looked through her eyes.

If he was being honest, he wondered how he looked through her eyes, too. Ten years ago, he’d been knee-deep with the old hacker crowd, and skirting the law as he unraveled the most complex facets of data encryption. Miranda had been older than him, with a drive and ambition he admired and an ease with her sensuality that he’d found sexy as hell.