Catch Me a Cowboy (Wattle Valley, #1)

by Jacquie Underdown

  ‘Then she fell over again outside the sty. So perfect, wish I had thought of it,’ said Becky.

  ‘Do you want Wil to think you’ve trouble standing?’ asked Angela.

  Emily hid her eye roll behind her cocktail as she took a sip. ‘Apparently,’ she mumbled against her straw.

  ‘So, did you fall over on purpose or not?’ asked Angela.

  ‘No, I did not fall over on purpose,’ Emily snapped.

  Becky shrugged a slender shoulder and swiped her long fringe away from her eyes. ‘You can understand why we would assume you did. After all, it’s a competition. Weren’t those your words?’

  Emily gulped until only ice was left in her glass. ‘Excuse me,’ she said and marched to the bar to order another drink. This felt worse than high school. She hung out at the bar for longer than necessary, before joining the other women. When she approached the cluster, silence fell upon them and remained until Emily had taken her seat again.

  ‘Um … we get to start our single dates tomorrow,’ stuttered Felicity, an obvious attempt to end the awkward silence.

  Then the others joined in, frenetically speculating about what would be organised. Their suggestions ranged from picnic dates on the property to hiking in the nearby forest. They imagined sitting with him on checked blankets, sipping champagne and kissing as the sun set.

  ‘Who will be the first to kiss him?’ asked Felicity.

  The girls shrugged, except for Emily whose stomach was wildly roiling. The thought of any of these girls kissing Wil made her hot—in an angry, anxious way. She sucked madly on her straw, hoping for the alcohol to wash away her sudden bad emotions. Conversations like this brought her back down to Earth. So easily, it seemed, that this competition was all about her and Wil, and the other girls were nothing but pretty backdrops. But they were as motivated to get to know him, touch him, and kiss him, as Emily was. If she was developing real emotions for this cowboy, it was a strong possibility these other girls were too, and they were more than willing to fight for him.

  ‘What about you, Emily? You planning on kissing Wil?’ asked Becky.

  ‘That’s none of your business,’ she snapped, then cringed to hear the bitterness in her tone. She lowered her eyes and bit her bottom lip to stop herself from saying anything else. This wasn’t her. She wasn’t nasty to other women, not under normal circumstances anyway. But these conditions were far from ordinary. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said.

  Becky arched one perfectly sculpted brow and let it fall neatly back into place. ‘That’s fair enough. You can be private if you like. No skin off my nose.’

  ‘I’m sorry if I came across as rude. I just don’t think that’s something I feel comfortable sharing at this stage.’

  Becky shrugged. ‘Your prerogative.’ Then turned to the other women. ‘What about you ladies?’

  Angela licked her lips and pushed her chest out. ‘I’ll be taking every available opportunity and I will not apologise for that.’

  ‘Me too,’ said Georgie, laughing.

  Damn the studio for choosing such a fantastic cowboy. Why couldn’t they have corralled some cocky bastard who basked in the attention of his harem? It would have made this much easier.

  Speak of the devil. All eyes shifted to the entryway of the barn. Wil was walking in, the camera trained on him. He donned his trademark white cowboy hat, but tonight he wore beige trousers, a crisp white long-sleeved shirt with a tie, and a beige vest. Oh, man. Sex on legs. His eyes shone under the artificial lighting and his smile was so sexy Emily wanted to lick it right off his face. She glanced at the other girls open-mouthed expressions—they were thinking exactly the same thing. She sighed because she was no different from any one of them. She was just the only one in the room who hadn’t yet accepted it.

  Wil nodded, finger and thumb to the brim of his hat as he did. Emily stood, not of her own volition, and elbowed through the other women until she stood before him. She held his shoulders and leant in to kiss his cheek. ‘Good evening,’ she said, her voice breathy.

  ‘Emily,’ he said leaning back and kissing her on her opposite cheek, lingering long enough that she breathed in his warmth and delicious scent. ‘How are you?’ he asked.

  ‘I’m really well. Now.’

  He smiled. ‘Good to hear it.’

  ‘You?’ she asked.

  ‘Never better.’

  The other girls had practically formed a line behind her—a crude ordering of the hierarchy achieved to date. Becky was eager to hurry Emily along and move in for some cheek kissing action for herself. Emily set the precedence on that one—so she only had herself to blame. And anything Emily could do, the harem were quick to let her know they could do it better.

  Emily stepped back and finished her drink, before heading to the bar for another. It was pointless fighting for his attention with a group of eager women this size, and, besides, she wouldn’t want to be seen hogging him now, would she?

  Over the night, she lingered on the outskirts. There was no one here she could call a friend, and Wil was continually entertained by one or another of the ladies. But as she sat on the lounge, drinking yet another cocktail, Wil came to her. He sat beside her, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his thigh against her own.

  ‘Are you purposely avoiding me tonight?’ he asked with that cheeky grin of his as he placed his beer on the table in front of them. Though, she could see from his eyes, that his question held some seriousness.

  She shook her head. ‘No. And yes.’

  He grinned wider and narrowed his eyes. ‘Well, that answers my question completely.’

  She smiled. ‘I’m sorry. No, I’m not avoiding you. Not intentionally. It’s difficult to get you on your own.’

  ‘Not quite the right setting for that.’

  She nodded. He was right. She must remember that this was a show. ‘No. It’s not.’ After a sip of her drink, she asked, ‘But how amazing is this barn? Do you entertain a lot?’

  He shrugged. ‘Every now and then. Okay, maybe a little more than that. I’ve got a big extended family and some good friends who live locally. We catch up when we can.’

  ‘In style. City folk would kill to have a space like this.’

  ‘They only have to leave the city to find it,’ he said. A double entendre?

  ‘A big family, you say?’

  He nodded. ‘I only have one sister and brother, but plenty of aunts, uncles and cousins. What about you?’

  ‘An elder brother. He lives in the UK, though, so I don’t get to see him often. Does your brother and sister have a lot to do with the farm?’

  ‘My sister, yes, she lives on an adjoining property. My brother had always wanted to the leave the country behind for the city. He’s a stockbroker in Sydney.’

  ‘So your sister lives on one property. Your parents on another. Then you have all this land. How big is this farm?’

  ‘Decent,’ he said.

  ‘I think I’m beginning to see that. What does your family think about you being on a show like this?’

  He lowered his gaze as he reached for his beer. He took a long swallow. ‘They’re supportive. It was my brother who convinced me to do it. Or perhaps I should say, blindfolded me then pushed me over the cliff.’

  Emily laughed. ‘He sounds like my best friend. Similar situation.’

  Wil gazed at her, grinning. ‘You have the most incredible eyes I’ve ever seen. The colour of cognac.’

  Emily’s chest warmed and her heart fluttered at his honest compliment. ‘Thank you. But I bet you say that to all the girls.’

  He leant closer and shook his head. ‘No, I don’t.’

  Emily’s cheeks grew hotter as she gazed into his honest blue eyes. She could quite easily let this man charm the pants off her. Long since pleasured parts of her body sighed at that thought and she had to cross her legs, squeeze her thighs together.

  The director’s voice blasted through a hand-held microphone at that moment. ‘Ladies, we’ve organised
some entertainment for tonight. A band is setting up now, and as soon as they’re done, I expect you all to make your way to the designated dance floor. You too, Wil.’

  Emily’s eyes widened and Wil laughed. ‘Did you know about this?’

  He nodded.

  ‘And you’re okay with … dancing?’

  He chuckled again as he held out his hands. ‘I guess I have to be.’

  She gripped his hands and he helped her from her seat.

  Soon enough, the band was playing and the cameras were rolling again. The barn was a natural amphitheatre with its polished cement floor and high-pitched roof. The music sounded amazing. It pumped through Emily’s body and enlivened her. The songs had a fast paced blues feel and were all about utes, red dust, hard yakka and country loving. It was guitars and foot-stomping, and each lyric pronounced with an unabashed Australian twang.

  She knew how this was going to look on film, all these women and one lone cowboy, but the mixture of alcohol buzzing in her cells and the lively music rendered her carefree.

  Wil gripped her hand and swung her under his arm. She laughed and threw her head back as he did. He grabbed her waist and rocked his hips close to hers then drew her away and swung her again under the opposite arm. This was a different type of dancing to what she was used to at clubs; this was hands-on, hip swaying, body to body, in an old-school way. And if her wide grin and bursts of giggles were any indication, she was loving it.

  And for the next hour, the dance floor was the place to be, in between trips to the bar for more cocktails. One song after another, they all danced and laughed, the competition was forgotten and genuine, down-to-earth fun embraced.

  Wil had blown her mind with the way he could move around a dance floor with such ease and confidence. No, he didn’t dance like the men she was used to dancing with in clubs or bars, but he rocked it, his intimate grasp on her hips, the step of his feet, the tug at her hand as he spun her around the room. The smile on his face and his sexy lips singing had her knees melting. He was so tall and wide, and when she pressed her chest to his, it felt like home. Her body tingled and heated and she knew in his arms was where she should always be.

  He was gracious and attentive to all the women, and she didn’t mind as long as he made his way back to her in time and smiled at her that way only he could.

  Then as soon as it began, the music stopped and the band was packing away. The film crew were setting up at the end of the barn for the elimination ceremony. Anticipation needled under Emily’s flesh and hastened her heart. After a fun night, it was disheartening that it had to end with one of them going home.

  The beautiful host stood beside Wil while Emily lined up opposite with the other eight women. Her heart was thumping wildly. They had sufficient time with Wil to experience what a fantastic guy he was, and for anyone to leave now, including her, would be a massive blow.

  Wil looked equally nervous. His smiles were strained—he didn’t like this any more than she did. And the undercurrent of tension swirled throughout the barn.

  ‘I had a fun night tonight. You are all fantastic company. And the decision about who leaves becomes harder and harder the more I get to know you incredible ladies. But …’ He lowered his eyes and cleared his throat. ‘I’m not going to drag this out longer than need be. I’m sorry, but the lady leaving tonight is … Angela.’

  Some of the girls gasped.

  Angela shook her head and whispered, ‘That’s okay.’ She stepped forward to say goodbye to Wil.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he said gently.

  ‘It’s okay. Honestly, it’s fine. I knew it was going to be me. So I was prepared. Thank you for sharing your time with me.’

  He nodded.

  ‘Bye,’ she said and waved to the other girls before striding out of the barn with her head down.

  Emily drew in a deep breath and sighed with a mixture of relief and anguish. As much as these women got on her nerves, an elimination night was never pleasant.

  ‘We are down to only eight ladies. But, we have some exciting news. Tomorrow will be the start of individual dates. You all understand the importance of these dates because you will get to spend quality one-on-one time with Wil.’ Missy turned to the camera. ‘And will the individual dates set love into bloom? Stay tuned to find out tomorrow night.’

  Emily felt a spark of excitement surge through her veins and a smile spread across her face. She met Wil’s gaze for a brief moment, and she was certain she saw the same emotions reflected in those blue eyes.

  A little later on, Emily was making her way across the barn, excited to sneak a call to Xanthi, so she could tell her she had survived the next elimination round.

  ‘Em,’ came Wil’s voice from behind. She spun to find him striding towards her, his expression serious. ‘I need to speak to you for a moment,’ he said when he stood in front of her.

  ‘Oh, okay,’ she said.

  He grinned. ‘I wanted to thank you for a great night.’

  She smiled, but her brow was furrowed. She sensed he was not saying what he truly needed to say. ‘You’re welcome. I had a wonderful night too. You can really work a dance floor.’

  He chuckled. ‘I try my best. Anyway, thanks again. And you have a good night.’

  She nodded. ‘You have a good night too.’

  He reached for her hand and leant in closer to kiss her on the cheek. But when his hand touched hers, he pressed something into it. Emily forced her expression to remain the same though her heart was racing and her curiosity was peaking.

  ‘Good night,’ she managed against his ear.

  He released his hand and she casually squeezed the contents in her fist, gave him a final smile, and strode out of the barn.

  Chapter 19

  The note Wil had slipped into Emily’s hand had two words scrawled across it:

  Tree. 11 pm.

  He couldn’t let her walk away after a night like that without seeing her in private—no cameras, no microphones, just the two of them. And now he was late for the appointment he had organised. The directors kept going on and on with question after question about each little glance and comment made by every contestant and what he thought about it. When all he wanted to do was tell them that it was only Emily he was interested in. But he was one hundred per cent certain that was not what they wanted to hear.

  Eventually, after he grew agitated, they presumed him to be exhausted so agreed to continue filming the next morning. When the production crew left for the nearby hotel they were staying in, he jogged out the back door and rushed across the fields towards the contestants’ quarters. He kept glancing at his watch every few minutes. It was already past eleven and it was cold outside. He couldn’t expect Emily to have waited around for him in this weather, but he hoped she had. His muscles tightened, his fists clenching as he marched ahead.

  Damn it. She was going to think he had changed his mind.

  The grass was noisy under his feet against the backdrop of silence. He looked up into the night sky. The moon was big and bright, lighting his path. After a few minutes, the tree came into view, but the shadows cast by the branches hindered his vision. He moved faster, hoping she’d be there. Then he saw Emily, pulling a cardigan tighter around her as she walked back to the contestants’ quarters. He had to get her attention or he was going to miss her.

  ‘Em,’ he called, a whisper, but with strength to reach her. ‘Em,’ he called again, louder when she didn’t respond.

  Emily stopped, spun to face him and made her way back to the tree. He strode to meet her until it felt like he wasn’t moving quick enough and jogged instead.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ he said. ‘They wanted to do some filming. Ended up asking me a billion and one questions and I couldn’t get away.’

  Emily smiled. ‘I was getting cold—’ she pointed with her thumb towards the cottage, ‘—and I wasn’t sure if you were going to come.’

  ‘Thanks for waiting.’

  She shrugged. ‘That’s okay.’r />
  She was still wearing the dress she wore to the cocktail party and those boots that made him think hot, wicked thoughts. Looking at her, illuminated by the moonlight, her hair falling softly around her shoulders and those full kissable lips, he was certain she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

  ‘I wasn’t sure if my plan was going to work. When I pressed that note into your hand, I was worried you may not realise what I was doing. But I had to take the chance.’

  She blinked. ‘Why?’

  He breathed in deeply and pawed a hand through his hair. ‘When I saw you tonight—’ he dropped his gaze to her dress, down to her boots, then back to her face, ‘—you looked so damn sexy. That dress. Those boots. I thought I’d lose my mind.’

  Emily’s eyes widened.

  He grinned cheekily. ‘And then I couldn’t talk to you properly … all those cameras and the other women. I wasn’t spending another night alone in bed thinking about how much I want to kiss you.’

  Emily’s lips parted and she slowly shook her head, as though not believing what she was hearing. ‘Are you serious?’ Her question was a breathless whisper.

  Wil took a step closer, loving how her heat wrapped around his body. He reached for her and gently framed her face with his hands. ‘I know you feel that between us, Em. Tell me you do.’

  She nodded.

  That’s all he needed to know—that she felt the same way too. His shoulders relaxed and he moved closer until his chest was pressed against hers. He wanted to groan, feeling her breasts pushed against him. He bent down, nearing his face to hers. And still his hands held her so she couldn’t turn away. ‘Then dancing with you and feeling your body under my hands and not being able to touch you, how I was—am—aching to touch you …’

  ‘You … want to …’ she whispered, her lips nearing his.

  ‘I want to do more than touch you, Em.’ His deep, rumbling voice echoed his need, it surprised him to hear it. He closed the distance between them and pressed his lips against hers. A hand fell to her waist drawing her flush to his body, the other gripped the hair at her nape, holding her head just right. He opened her mouth with his and moaned as he tasted her tongue. Warm and lush.