Bet on a Cowboy

by Julie Benson

  “What?” His question slipped through the passionate haze surrounding her. She gazed into his clear blue eyes. The fire shining there matched the one raging inside her. “I don’t understand.”

  “You have decidedly feminine curves under your ugly clothes. You’ve got a great waist.” His husky voice filled with surprise as his palms caressed her hips. “And here, you’re just right. Not too skinny, but with enough curves to hold on to.”

  Womanly pride she hadn’t known she possessed gushed through her at his compliment. He lowered his lips to hers again, and she wrapped her arms around him, fearing that if she let go, he’d leave and the dream would end.

  His large hands reached for her ponytail. “I like your hair loose.” He struggled with the covered elastic.

  After listening to a few choice curses, she brushed his hands aside. When her hair flowed free around her face and shoulders, he gazed at her. Even with her limited experience with men, she recognized the desire flaming in his eyes.

  “Much better.” His throaty voice swirled around her.

  With Griffin, she felt strong, feminine, beautiful. She slipped her fingers inside his shirt, reveling in his gruff moan when she caressed his muscled abs. Feeling bolder, she unbuttoned the garment and slid it off his broad shoulders. The soft glow from the video game on the big screen illuminated his skin. When she placed her hand on his exquisite chest, the rapid beat of his heart tickled her palm.

  She couldn’t get enough of him. Her hands itched as she caressed his shoulders and kissed his neck.

  “This has got to go.” With tenderness he slipped off her cardigan and tossed the garment aside. Her T-shirt met a similar fate. Then he bent down and kissed her skin above her leopard-print bra, his tongue occasionally slipping underneath the fabric, fueling her ardor. “Leopard. Nice. I knew there was fire in you.”

  “Pretty lingerie is my weakness.”

  They grew frantic to explore each other, their hands caressing, teasing. Desperate to feel Griffin, to please him, Maggie cupped him through his jeans. He sucked in his breath and released a moan, urging her on. Then, abruptly, his hand covered hers.

  “If you carry on with that, I’ll be done for.”

  “Then let’s hurry up.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He slid her pants down her legs, caressing and exploring as he went. He was driving her insane, making her feel more alive than she ever had before. He trailed a path downward until he reached her leopard-print panties. When his tongue teased along the edge of the material, she wondered why she didn’t burst into flames.

  “I need you.” Her body tight and straining, she grasped his zipper, shaking and fumbling until his hands brushed hers aside. Griffin stood, gazing down on her, as he slowly undressed.

  Her pulse escalated more with every inch of him revealed, until he stood above her, golden, proud and filled with passion for her. Heat radiated through her, not just because of his physical beauty.

  She admired Griffin for all he’d weathered—the car accident, losing his career, his dad’s death. He had come out a better man. One she wanted. One she loved.

  The realization slammed into her. She’d tried so hard not to, but when she’d seen his courage attending the rodeo, she’d fallen in love with him.

  “I want you. Now,” she told him.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.”

  He reached for his jeans, pulled out his wallet and retrieved a small packet.

  Griffin held Maggie’s gaze as he sank onto the couch beside her. His hand trailed up her thigh, seeking her heat, and her captivating eyes brimmed with passion, mesmerizing him. She had the most expressive face—clear, open and giving.

  He’d never understood the saying the eyes are the window to the soul until he’d met Maggie.

  When his finger slipped inside her, he found her warm and wet, and his pulse soared. She was unique in an intoxicating, baffling way, and he couldn’t resist her. As he caressed her, she writhed beneath him.

  He wanted to see her passion flare as he filled her. Griffin leaned back on the couch, pulling her on top of him, slowly sliding her down his heated flesh.

  “Please!”

  The desperate cry rushed out of her, and he couldn’t help responding. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he eased himself deeper inside her. She moved against him, and they fell into a rhythm.

  The tension within Griffin escalated. He’d never felt such passion, such a connection with a woman. Every nerve in his body stretched taut, reaching for her, wanting—no, needing—to please her.

  “Let go and feel.” He slipped his hand between their bodies as he caressed her, and she flung her head back, her hair wild around her. Their gazes locked, and he knew the moment she reached fulfillment. His own control shattered, and he thrust again. Pleasure blasted through him, his release astonishing and complete.

  For a moment he lay there, with Maggie collapsed on top of him, stunned at what had occurred between them. He caressed her back and kissed her neck. After what they’d shared, how would he pretend this hadn’t happened, come tomorrow? And that’s what he had to do. His contract, and his responsibility to his mom, wouldn’t allow him to do otherwise. What had he been thinking?

  “I must be getting heavy,” Maggie mumbled, and slid off him.

  The bubble protecting them from the outside world burst. He scooped up his clothes and looked down. Something wasn’t right.

  “Damn.” Griffin’s rough curse shattered the silence. “The condom broke.”

  This couldn’t be happening. He glanced at Maggie, but none of the panic he felt showed on her face. How could she look so composed, serene even, when his sperm could be racing at warp speed, trying to find and possibly fertilize her egg?

  “Once I’ve cleaned up we’ll talk,” he said.

  In the bathroom, Griffin stood at the sink splashing cold water on his face. He struggled to accept what had happened. Not only had he lost control, something he never did with a woman, but the condom had broken. Never in his adult life had he experienced such a disaster. Maggie affected him in a way he’d never known was possible.

  What had he been thinking?

  He hadn’t been using his brain, that was for sure. His hormones had taken charge. He’d kissed Maggie to make a point, but the minute he touched her, he’d lost contact with reality, seeing only her. She’d felt so perfect in his arms. He’d felt connected to her in a way he never had with anyone else.

  Good thing, because you might end up linked forever.

  Wait a minute. Slow down and quit putting the wagon before the horse. Odds were she wouldn’t get pregnant.

  What would he do if the worst-case scenario happened? He’d been raised to accept his responsibilities, but his mom’s life depended on him fulfilling his contract.

  Don’t worry until you know there’s something to worry about.

  Griffin straightened his shoulders and headed out of the bathroom, only to find Maggie gone.

  * * *

  THAT NEXT MORNING, as Maggie sat in her office preparing for the day’s shoot, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d acted like a coward, leaving while Griffin was in the bathroom. But she couldn’t face him.

  What if he told her they’d made a mistake? How would she handle hearing that, when she loved him? When she’d experienced the best night of her life? What if he gave her the don’t-make-too-much-of-this-speech? What if he thought less of her for making love to him when her job was to find him a wife?

  How could she have let herself get carried away and lose herself in his arms? Easy. When Griffin held her and looked at her as he had last night, she felt beautiful, and nothing else mattered.

  Despite those feelings, she wasn’t naive enough to believe she could have a relationship, temporary or otherwise, with him. Even if his contract and her job weren’t issues, she couldn’t hold his interest long.

  But what if she was pregnant?

  Of course, the odds of that were small. Tha
t’s one thing she’d learned from her in vitro fertilization research.

  You want a child. Wouldn’t having Griffin’s child be better than using an anonymous sperm donor?

  Even without marriage, she and Griffin would be connected forever through their child. She’d trap him just as her mother had her father. No. Her parents had felt forced to marry. Maggie planned on being a single parent, and had spent the last few years saving every penny for the procedure and support for her child. She possessed options her mother never had.

  But what about working with Griffin? She had to pretend nothing had happened between them. But how could she, when she’d fallen in love with him?

  Maggie glanced at her watch, then dropped her head to her desk. She hadn’t determined how she would deal with Griffin, but she was about to find out, because he was due at the mansion any minute for his next date.

  * * *

  WHEN GRIFFIN WALKED INTO the bachelorette mansion, he greeted his date and kissed her long and deeply, for the cameras’ benefit and his own. But he failed to get the reaction he’d expected. Barely a spark of interest flared inside him. Certainly not the wild, hot flames that consumed him last night when he’d kissed Maggie.

  Not good.

  How could this beautiful woman fail to stir more than a sliver of interest in him, while simply thinking about Maggie left him more than ready to go?

  “I need to speak with Maggie before we leave. I’ll just be a minute.” I need to talk to her about our lovemaking last night and the fact that she might be pregnant with my child.

  Without waiting for his date to respond, and not caring that the cameras watched because the editor could cut this out later, he walked through the house to Maggie’s office. He needed to reassure her. She was a good girl and was probably scared by the possibility that she might be pregnant.

  Griffin had never considered having children, mainly because he couldn’t see himself finding a woman he wanted to be with for three months, much less a lifetime. But sometimes he wondered what it would be like to have a relationship with a child of his own, like the one he’d had with his dad.

  You might find out nine months from now.

  He hoped Maggie didn’t fancy herself in love with him. That would make their work situation awkward, which neither of them could afford. He still had a job to do, and he couldn’t risk being considered in breach of contract. He’d lose all the money he’d made, and risk being sued. If Maggie held any illusions, he’d have to be sensible, the realist who preserved their jobs and broke her heart.

  He found her in her office, seated behind her desk. The image of his child in her arms flashed in his mind. Would their kids have her beautiful eyes?

  Focus on putting things back into perspective between you two.

  When he entered, she looked up from the computer monitor, and he said, “You left pretty quick last night. Was something wrong?”

  Other than the broken condom.

  Her face flushed with embarrassment. “I decided to save us the awkward scene.”

  What? He’d never expected that response from Maggie. Before he could continue, she motioned to the chair in front of her desk and said, “I’m glad you’re here. We need to talk. Have a seat.”

  He felt control of the situation slipping from his grasp. He wouldn’t let her get the upper hand. Stick to the plan. Don’t get sidetracked.

  Maggie folded her hands on the desktop. “While I don’t regret what we shared, it can’t happen again.”

  What was going on? This wasn’t how women acted the first time they saw a man after they’d slept together. At least none of his previous lovers had. They’d been all doe-eyed and clingy. And why the hell didn’t Maggie want a relationship with him? Wasn’t he a good enough prospect?

  Forget about that. Be thankful she’s not hanging all over you, asking if you love her, because you’re bound by your contract.

  “You could be pregnant.”

  Maggie waved her hand in the air. “There’s no need for you to worry. I’ve always wanted children. In fact, I’ve been checking into adoption and in vitro fertilization. If I’m pregnant, you’ve saved me a trip to the sperm bank.”

  His hands gripped his knees so hard he’d have bruises in the morning. “Sperm donor? You’ve got the nerve to compare me to a man who drops off his semen and never gives a thought to the resulting children?”

  She flinched. “That sounded better in my head. What I meant was, since I’d planned on being a single parent, I wouldn’t expect any more of you than I would a sperm donor.”

  She thought that would make him feel better? What was he supposed to say? Thank you? “Why in the hell would you think I’d agree to that?”

  She scooted her chair away from her desk, the wheels squeaking with the movement. “I don’t want you to feel obligated, when I’m capable of providing for my child.”

  He leaned forward. “Your child? You’ve got it wrong. It would be ours. Believe it or not, this is the first time I’ve faced this issue, and I have no intention of walking away from my kid.”

  Maggie paled. “It’s pointless to talk about this now.”

  “It just takes one time.”

  “The odds of getting pregnant with artificial insemination and fertility drugs are only twenty percent, so in our situation the chance has to be minuscule.”

  He struggled to process her words. She’d changed shows on him, and they were filming an episode of Punk’d. That was the only way to explain Maggie’s weird detachment, and her cavalier attitude.

  Griffin vaulted out of his seat and braced his hands on her desk, because if he didn’t, he’d haul her to her feet and shake some sense into her. With his face inches from hers, he said, “Just so we’re clear, if you’re pregnant, I will be involved in my child’s life. I know the importance of family. No way in hell will a kid of mine grow up without a father.”

  “As I said, I think this discussion is premature.” Maggie picked up a pile of papers from her desk. “Now, unless there’s something else we need to discuss, your date is waiting.”

  She was dismissing him? She’d gone too far. “How can you be so detached? Did last night mean nothing to you?” Those were words women had thrown at him more than once.

  “Of course it did. It was nice.”

  He’d never felt so close to a woman, so satisfied after making love, and she described the experience as “nice.” Ouch.

  “Maybe I need to try harder,” he murmured.

  The prettiest shade of pink colored her cheeks, and he smiled.

  What was he doing? He’d come here to talk about the possibility of her being pregnant. How come, just once, a conversation with Maggie couldn’t go as planned?

  When he reached into his jacket pocket, the cardboard box felt cool against his sweaty palm. Griffin withdrew the pregnancy test and placed it on Maggie’s desk. “Over the years, I’ve had more than my share of good luck. Hopefully, the streak will hold. This says you can test six days before your expected period. Let me know the results.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Filming the exotic racing date at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway had been painful for Maggie. Griffin, in major devil-may-care mode, tore around the track in a Lamborghini as the bachelorettes raced to keep up with him. Then he’d flirted and kissed more women than she could keep track of. Worse yet, he barely glanced her way, while she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

  To survive his individual date at Mesa Grill, Maggie went numb inside. She couldn’t remember what Griffin and his date said or did, and she didn’t care.

  Now, ten days after she and Griffin had made love, Maggie sat on her bathroom floor staring at the two lines on the pregnancy test stick.

  She was pregnant with Griffin’s child.

  Her dream to have a baby, the one she’d worked, saved and planned for, had come true, but not at all the way she’d expected. The news that she would be a mom, and have a permanent piece of Griffin, filled her with an odd sense of contentm
ent.

  She should be upset. Griffin would be. If she told him.

  That one simple thought sent others spiraling through her head. Her excitement ebbing, she concentrated on the ramifications of her situation. News of her pregnancy couldn’t become public. She’d crossed a line with Griffin, and would lose her job if anyone found out. But what she would suffer paled compared with what would happen to Griffin. When they’d talked about the possibility of a pregnancy, he had insisted he’d be involved in his child’s life. If he knew of her pregnancy, would that change how he acted in the remaining episodes? He had no choice but to propose at the finale. As he’d once said, his contract gave the show the right to sue him for almost anything by saying he hadn’t been forthright. He could lose not only the money he’d earned thus far, but everything he owned. He could lose his share of Twin Creeks.

  Oh, Lord. What had she done?

  Maggie was a rule follower. For goodness’ sake, she stopped at stop signs on deserted roads in the middle of the night. She wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment, toss-caution-to-the-wind gal, or she hadn’t been until that night with Griffin.

  Keeping the news from him protected both of them. If she didn’t tell him about the baby, no one would know about her pregnancy. Later, after the season ended and she started to show, she’d tell everyone she’d gone to a sperm bank as planned. No one would get hurt.

  No one but Griffin and their child, who’d never know each other.

  And that was the one reason to tell him, balanced against so many reasons not to.

  Then another thought occurred to her. Not all pregnancies survived the first trimester, and she had weeks before reaching that milestone. Why tell Griffin and turn their lives upside down when she might miscarry?

  She placed her hand over her stomach. Please don’t let me lose his baby.

  * * *

  MAGGIE FLINCHED AS she glanced at the bachelorettes, all dressed in elaborate, show-stopping gowns looking as if they belonged on the cover of Vogue, as they wavered between girlish excitement and mild panic. Since the rodeo date, website hits and tweets had doubled, and the ratings rose two points. Viewers loved hearing about Griffin’s past, and as predicted, they admired him for what he’d survived.