It took everything in me not to moan and dissolve into a puddle of goo at his feet. The change in his voice reminded me of the soft feel of leather. There was a darkness and heaviness to the tone, but it washed over me like a caress. It was the most erotic thing I ever experienced, and all he did was say two words.
“Are you okay?” he questioned, his voice returning to its normal tone.
Had I imagined it all? Was a memory of our one-night stand messing with the present?
“Yes,” I croaked. “I’m fine.” Needing to distract myself, I yanked my glasses off my head and tossed them on top of the laptop, then moved toward the small settee underneath the large picture window overlooking the backyard. It was my favorite place to sit and watch the sun setting behind the Smoky Mountains.
“So, Mr. Sullivan,” I began, tossing an arm over the back of the sofa and crossing my legs, “I’ll ask again. What do you plan to build here?”
“Well, a home, for starters. I want the perfect place to raise my girls, and I always felt Ashfield would be the perfect place.”
“That sounds nice.”
“I also need to build a workshop of sorts to work on a project for Sullivan, Inc.”
Now this is what I wanted to know. His real reason for coming here. The perfect little family bit didn’t fool me. Developers were trying left and right to snatch up a piece of land to develop their businesses here. First, it would be this workshop, and then, before we knew it, some big-box manufacturing plant would stroll in and buy up all the farmland. It happened to towns all around Ashfield and rural Tennessee.
“Tell me more,” I said sternly, uncrossing my legs and resting both elbows on my knees.
Nate took it upon himself to sit in the armchair across from me and mimic my stance, except he seemed far more confident than I felt.
“I’m a robotic engineer, specifically focusing on agriculture. I’m working to develop an AI-based device that can read soil, pH, ground temperature, and other variables to determine and assist in increasing crop growth. I have the technology in place, though my team is still working on the coding. Which is why I need the land for testing.”
Damn, his idea was intriguing, and I could clearly see the use of such a device.
“Interesting.”
“It is. I believe this is the next step in farming without removing the farmer all together. They know their land the best, but this will be a way to help them make the most of it.”
The way he spoke, I could feel his passion for this project coming off him in waves. His whole body grew more animated as he indulged me.
“You’re really passionate about this, aren’t you?”
“I am. Ever since I came to work on your father’s farm with Andrew all those years ago, I knew this was something I wanted to do. Creating the robot took years, and now the technology has caught up for the rest.”
“Explain to me the AI part.”
“It’s not sentient like you’re probably thinking. It’s more able to compile a bunch of data on various items, whichever the farmer deems necessary, and provide the proper feedback. It’s a tool that will still require human input to start.”
“What makes it different from some others that are popping up? I’m pretty sure Andrew was telling my dad about a few companies launching AI robotics.”
“You know the self-propelled vacuums and lawn tractors? It will work like that, able to scope a piece of land completely unassisted.”
“Hmm,” I replied.
Nate lifted one hand and rubbed his index finger across his bottom lip as he sat back in the chair. “I was hoping your dad might have some land I could purchase. I know he has the largest property in Ashfield.”
That comment had my spine straightening. It was common knowledge my parents owned the largest farm in town, but it wasn’t well-known that they owned the majority of the open land from the edge of town toward our home. It was their way of preserving the town that once belonged to my ancestors. There were plots my dad set aside for each of us in our names to claim when we were ready.
“You seem angry about that.” Nate’s too-good-looking face pinched.
“I just don’t like strangers trying to buy our land. My dad works hard to maintain all of it.”
“I know, but I’m also not a stranger. And I’d pay far more than what it’s worth.”
“What is it with you billionaires tossing around your stacks of money like it's nothing more than pocket change? First, Colton, and now you,” I said, my voice rising with each syllable. “You all want to come in here and change everything. Did you think that maybe we like things the way they are?”
I stood and began pacing in front of the sofa, wearing a line in the soft rug beneath my feet.
