Bet on a Cowboy

by Julie Benson

  You don’t need to know. Your job is to earn the thirty grand and get out of here unscathed. You can’t afford to worry about anyone else.

  “I’m sorry. I lost my dad a little over two years ago. I miss that old man every day.”

  Maggie glanced at her notes, and when her gaze returned to him, her eyes lacked the emotion they’d revealed before. “We need to go over the group and individual dates. For next week’s group event, we’re setting up a casino in the bachelorette mansion.”

  He nodded, disappointed that the fun had disappeared.

  “You’ll choose one bachelorette to have dinner with at Restaurant Guy Savoy and then gamble in the Caesars Palace high stakes room.”

  Maggie rattled off the other dates. Going to a Penn and Teller magic show. The individual date consisted of the magicians helping Griffin and the bachelorette put on a mini magic act. They’d attend a Cirque du Soleil show and then have an opportunity to perform with the cast.

  “Are you listening?”

  He tapped his temple. “I’ve got it all up here. Casino, magic, Cirque du Soleil.”

  Maggie’s face lit up with excitement. “You’re going to love this next idea. Since the National Finals Rodeo is here in early December, we’re going to hold the group date that week at Stoney’s Rockin’ Country. There’s plenty of room for line dancing and they have a mechanical bull.”

  His stomach tightened. How could he have forgotten the finals were in Vegas?

  He forgot because he’d buried everything related to that part of his life.

  “For your individual date, you’ll have behind-the-scenes access to the rodeo. Isn’t that great?”

  He tried to brace for the blow, but her words threw him as hard as a mean bull. He should be in the finals, and damned if he’d go any other way. “The rodeo’s not my thing. How about we do something else?”

  “That next thing you’ll tell me is you don’t like horses or cowboy boots.”

  “I’m fine with those. Now, toss me another idea.” Anything. He’d even go see Cher or Celine Dion. Wasn’t one of them in Vegas?

  “You’re not kidding, are you?” Maggie leaned forward. Those eyes that saw everything too clearly looked right through him. “Why don’t you like the rodeo?”

  He couldn’t tell her the truth. After the accident, when people heard his injuries had forced him to quit rodeo, his neighbors and friends started looking at him with pity. No one had asked, but he’d seen the questions in their eyes. What’re you going to do with your life? Do you have any career plans to fall back on? He didn’t want Maggie looking at him like that.

  “I bet you’re a bundle of dynamite ideas,” he coaxed.

  “There you go, flattering me to get me to change my mind.”

  Manufactured shock crossed his face. “Would I do that?”

  “I’m assuming that’s a rhetorical question.”

  “If you don’t have an idea, I do,” Griffin said. “There’s a place here where people can drive a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, an Aston Martin or a Porsche. I’d love to get behind the wheel of a Lamborghini. How about we do that instead?”

  “We’ve scheduled that for the week after the rodeo. You don’t understand. These dates are arranged well before the season starts.”

  “There’s got to be something else we could do.”

  Maggie placed her delicate hand over his and their gazes locked. “Tell me why you don’t want to attend the rodeo.”

  Working to keep his emotions under control and his voice calm despite the shock of her touch, he said, “Would telling you make a difference?”

  “I can’t change the schedule. I wish I could, but maybe I can help in some other way.”

  He pulled his hand out from under hers and scooped up the cards littering the table.

  He’d gone the last four years avoiding the rodeo and learning to survive. How could he step into the arena, watch someone else compete, and force himself to be happy about it on national TV? When he sat in Rory’s office, he’d said he’d do anything for his mom. Apparently, Fate wanted proof.

  * * *

  GRIFFIN’S SIMPLE QUESTION yesterday reminded Maggie how empty her life was.

  What do your parents think of your job?

  Sure, she had her brothers, but they’d drifted apart since their mother’s death. They were busy building their careers, too. One was married and had children. How she envied him, but not for long. Hopefully, within a year or two at the most, she’d have a child. That is, if she was still sane by the end of the season. After yesterday with Griffin she had serious doubts.

  As she waited for him to answer the door, she wondered why he was proving harder to work with than previous seasons’ bachelors. The reason didn’t matter. She had to work with him for the next ten weeks, and she would take charge of the situation.

  All hope of remaining in control flew out the window when Griffin answered the door. He stood before her in a terry-cloth bathrobe that reached midthigh, his feet bare and his hair rumpled. The V in the robe revealed his broad chest. Her mouth went dry. Fearing she’d make a fool of herself, she focused on his face. As if that view was less distracting.

  What an incredible way to start her day.

  Once she trusted herself to speak without drooling, she said, “I told you I’d be here at nine to pick you up for the shoot. It’s after that now. You look like you just crawled out of bed. You’re not even dressed.”

  “I thought I was hitting the snooze button, but I must’ve turned the alarm off.” He grinned and nodded toward his robe. “You’re lucky I put this on. I sleep nude.”

  Way too much information.

  The image of Griffin naked and tangled in his bedsheets popped into her mind, causing Maggie to break out in a cold sweat. She opened her mouth to say something—she had no idea what—but words failed her.

  The dreams this man inspired could wear a girl out.

  She stepped inside. When he reached for the paper bag in her hand, she pulled it away. “No breakfast until you’re ready to go to the studio.” Instead, she handed him the garment bag.

  He unzipped it, and peered inside at the Western style black shirt the wardrobe assistant had selected.

  “I’ll stick with my own clothes. I’m more of a T-shirt guy.”

  “What kind of cowboy are you?”

  He stepped toward her, his gaze holding hers as he advanced. She tried to tell herself the man knew his effect on women, reveled in his power and used it to his advantage. The heat radiating in his eyes meant nothing. The paper bag crackled in her sweaty hand as she clutched it tighter.

  “What kind would you like me to be?”

  She stared into his crystal-blue eyes and her heart rate accelerated. What kind of cowboy would she like him to be? The kind who saw past her plain Jane looks to the woman inside.

  As if that would ever happen. Maybe in an alternate universe, but not in one that placed such importance on beauty.

  What had they been talking about? Griffin had the most maddening ability to make her lose her train of thought. They’d been talking about his clothes. “Wardrobe picked out the shirt and jeans to play up the cowboy angle. You can wear your own hat and boots. What’s the big deal?”

  “I’ll wear the clothes if you feed me first. I need food, woman. Otherwise, I might get light-headed and fall in the shower.”

  “Poor baby. You should’ve gotten up on time.”

  “Poor baby? Now I feel obligated to prove my manhood.”

  “I—I wasn’t questioning your manhood,” Maggie stammered.

  What sane woman would?

  He dropped the garment bag and inched closer, his presence overwhelming her. She scrambled backward until she bumped into the wall. Her heart pounded as he closed the space between them, then rested his hands on either side of her. Though he’d boxed her in, she sensed she could escape if she wanted to. She should move away, put a safe distance between them. She should say something. She should quit looking into his
mesmerizing eyes.

  He leaned toward her. His lips covered hers, gently at first. Then he nibbled on her lower lip, and she couldn’t help but open up for him. When he broke the kiss a moment later, the only thing her befuddled brain could think was that Griffin McAlister sure knew how to kiss.

  His hand cupped her face. “For future reference, be careful about questioning my manhood, Maggie girl. I’d hate to have to repeat this lesson.”

  Chapter Six

  As Griffin and Maggie drove to the photo studio, he wondered what insanity had possessed him to kiss her. No, that wasn’t right. He knew why he’d kissed her—to teach her a lesson. But the situation had backfired. Instead of leaving him unmoved, the simple contact had lit him up like a Denver sunset over the Rocky Mountains. His reaction, so unexpected, left him more than a little shaken. Sure, he wanted her to be a distraction for him, but not in this way. He had a job to do, and a tricky one to pull off at that.

  It was a simple kiss. People exchanged them all the time and they didn’t mean anything. He’d pretend it had never happened, and pray Maggie did, too. Even if her kiss blew every other one he’d experienced out of the water.

  When he and Maggie entered the studio, the photographer, a pretty blonde with knockout curves, dressed in a sleek pair of black pants and a form-fitting purple sweater, introduced herself. Lily was exactly the kind of woman he usually went for full force. An aura of sexuality surrounded her, and unlike Maggie, she knew how to accentuate her assets.

  Griffin smiled as Lily clasped his hand. No wedding ring. Not that he was surprised, considering the once-over she’d given him.

  “If you two come with me, we’ll get started.”

  He and Maggie followed Lily to a small stage area. He crossed his arms over his chest. His gaze drifted to Maggie. “What kind of look are we going for, ladies? Boyish charm, serious cowboy or smoldering lover?”

  “The strong silent cowboy type.” She frowned. “How about you let me and the photographer run the shoot?”

  “I’d welcome Griffin’s input,” Lily said.

  “Ah, a woman who appreciates my hidden talents.”

  While the photographer beamed, Maggie rolled her eyes. “If we’re done discussing your talents, can we start the photo session?” she asked, her voice tight.

  “Whatever you say.” He crossed his arms over his chest once again and smiled at her. “Were you serious about the strong silent type?”

  Maggie tilted her head, and stared straight back at him. “Give us that look you flash around whenever you want a woman to do something for you, like, say, change the shooting schedule. You know, the one that makes her think she’s the only person you see.”

  He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Maggie laughed, something she did a lot with him, especially when other women would have swooned.

  “Yes, you do, because you’re doing it right now.”

  Her comment caught him by surprise. What was he doing, looking at Maggie like that? He sure as hell hadn’t meant to. Sure, they had fun together, but he didn’t think of her as anything but a friend. He admired her spunk, her confidence and the way she went toe to toe with him, but as for thinking of her in a romantic way, forget it.

  Then why had her kiss burned him up like dry kindling?

  “That looks wonderful, Griffin,” Lily said as she flitted around him, her camera glued to her eye.

  “Uncross your arms and relax,” Maggie added.

  He leaned back on his heels and hooked his thumbs in his front pockets. Then he stared at Maggie. “How’s this?”

  She licked her lips, and heat blasted through him again as he remembered how those lips felt against his. He stared at her mouth for a moment before focusing on her eyes again. She blushed. Getting under Maggie’s skin could become his favorite pastime. For all her confidence on the job, put things on a man-woman level and she didn’t know what to do.

  “Quit fishing for compliments.”

  “You’re such a natural, Griffin,” Lily crooned, her voice filled with enough sugar to rival a five-year-old’s birthday party.

  Hands on her hips, Maggie said, “Don’t encourage him.”

  “I can’t believe you have to beg for compliments.” Lily stopped in front of him, her eyes glowing with interest. “I bet you’re a man who knows what he wants, and how to get it.”

  Lily had decided to go fishing. Normally, he’d bite, but today her blatant flirting left him bored.

  “Can we focus on the job?” Maggie snapped.

  Lily tossed Griffin one last hot look and started shooting again, she and Maggie offering advice.

  “I don’t understand why my brother complains about modeling. This is easy,” Griffin commented a while later.

  “You’d make a great model,” Lily said, as she popped up in front of him again. “If you’re interested, I’d be happy to help you create a portfolio.”

  “He’ll be a little busy for the next ten weeks trying to find a wife. That is if we get finished with this shoot.” Maggie frowned again. Another thing she did too much of. “Now I want some sexier shots. Unbutton your shirt.”

  “That’s a great idea.” Lily looked Griffin up and down as if she wanted to haul him into the back room and jump his bones.

  “Your wish is my command.”

  “That would be a first,” Maggie retorted.

  Earlier today Griffin had kissed her as if she was the only woman in the world, and now he stood flirting with the photographer. He had ten bachelorettes waiting to meet him, and yet that wasn’t enough. No, he had to captivate every woman within a ten-mile radius, leaving Maggie to play the bad guy and keep this business on track.

  “If that’s true, I have a few wishes I’d like to make,” Lily twittered. “Maybe when we’re done I can sit on your lap and tell you what I want for Christmas.”

  Oh, brother. Lily thought comparing Griffin to an overweight, white-haired man in a ridiculous red suit constituted a come on?

  “Did you just compare me to Santa Claus?”

  When Griffin voiced her thoughts, Maggie covered her smile with her hand.

  Lily gasped. “No. I wouldn’t. You’re not at all like—”

  “Don’t sweat it. I know you didn’t mean it.”

  Sure. If Maggie had compared him to the man in the red suit, he wouldn’t have let her off the hook that fast. But everyone cut a pretty woman slack.

  “With your body, if I was going to compare you to anyone it would be Matthew McConaughey.”

  Maggie shook her head at Lily’s shallow flattery. If she didn’t put a stop to this they’d be here all day. She walked over to Griffin, leaned forward and whispered low enough so only he heard. “Dial it back, Casanova. This wasn’t supposed to be a big project. Can we get to the shirtless shots now?”

  She turned and walked away, and the sounds of popping snaps filled the studio as Griffin opened his shirt.

  She knew better than to look at him. The wisest course would be to peruse Lily’s photos displayed around the studio, or think about who came up with the idea for pet rocks and why. Anything, as long as she kept her gaze off Griffin’s well-toned body. She couldn’t afford to blur the lines. She needed to treat him like every other bachelor on the show. Getting involved with Griffin could get her fired.

  No need to worry about that. Even if she was interested, he wouldn’t be.

  Didn’t that leave her free to look and dream? And what harm could one quick peek do?

  She peered at him through her lashes while trying not to seem obvious. Griffin, his shirttails tucked behind his arms, his thumbs hooked in his front pockets, leaned back on his heels and stared straight at her. Talk about rock-hard abs. Her great-grandmother could have washed her laundry on that washboard.

  Maggie’s pulse rate soared. Her mouth grew dry while other parts of her grew decidedly wet. Foolish dreams got her nowhere, nor would her fascination with Griffin.

 
“Does this work for you?”

  If it worked any better I’d be a pile of smoldering ashes.

  “You’re okay.” Maggie forced the words past her parched throat.

  His mischievous grin taunted her. He knew he was getting to her, and he enjoyed the fact.

  “You’re kidding, right?” Lily asked, her gaze glued to Griffin. “He’s wonderful.”

  Any more of her breathless compliments and they wouldn’t be able to get Griffin’s swelled head out the front door.

  “I think we can get what we need for the website from the shots you’ve taken,” Maggie said to Lily.

  The photographer heaved a disappointed sigh, flashed Griffin a look dripping with longing and sauntered across the room to her desk in the far corner of the studio. After setting down her camera, she located a business card and a pen and jotted something down.

  With a big grin on her face, she strolled toward Maggie and Griffin, her stiletto heels clicking on the wood floor. She held the card out to Griffin. “I’ve written my cell number on the back. Call me if things don’t work out on the show, or if you want to put together a portfolio.” Then she turned to Maggie. “I’ll email you the shots, and you can select what you like.”

  Once they were outside the studio, Maggie’s irritation boiled over. “I can’t believe she gave you her phone number. That’s so tacky. Every dating book I’ve read says women need to be careful not to be too aggressive. Men like the chase.”

  Griffin turned and stared at her as if she’d grown three heads. “You’ve read books on dating?”

  She’d never intended to share that tidbit with anyone, especially a gorgeous six-foot-two man who had women throwing themselves at him. “What’s wrong with that?”

  “How’s it worked for you?”

  Horribly. She scrambled to justify her purchase in a way that wouldn’t make her look desperate. “I didn’t buy the books for myself.”

  “I know. You bought them for a friend.”

  The stupid grin on his face made her want to slap him silly. “I bought the books to help me understand the dating process better for my job.”