When Opposites Attract...

by Jules Bennett

  “He jumped when you started to step in,” Grant told her, taking a step back and raking a hand through his short, messy hair. “I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

  Still confused at his overreaction, but a little touched by his instant ride to the rescue, Tessa crossed her arms. “Hurt? I won’t get hurt tending to the horses, Grant. Oliver is always like this. That’s why I’m the only one who handles him.”

  Grant shrugged. “My apologies. I’m just not used to horses.”

  She tilted her head, still trying to get a feel for this newcomer into her world. “Are you going to be okay on this set?”

  “I’m fine.” He sent her another killer, knee-weakening smile. “I didn’t want you hurt, that’s all.”

  The way those dark eyes held hers, and the soft, yet firm tone of his voice washed over her like a warm, protective blanket. She didn’t want to feel anything for this man. But that protective streak, and an underlying secret vulnerability, made him even more attractive in her eyes.

  “I don’t think that’s all,” she commented, calling him out on whatever seemed to cripple him. “I don’t want to be rude, but you are working on a film about horses. Shouldn’t you know something about them?”

  That sexy smile spread wider across his face as Grant eased forward with a slow, easy stride any cowboy would envy. But this man was from L.A., the city of sin and silicone. If it weren’t for the newly purchased clothes, which were so fresh looking they might as well have the tags dangling, Tessa would swear he lived on a farm.

  But he was in the film industry. He probably always looked the part. Appearances were everything to shallow people.

  Grant stopped when the tips of their boots nearly touched, and she had to either stare at the way his dark gray flannel stretched across his firm pecs, or glance up and meet that dark gaze. Either body part would tempt a nun, and Tessa was finding it hard to remember what she was saying when he towered over her and looked straight down into her eyes as if he could see her deepest secrets.

  She’d been tempted before in her twenty-five years, but never this fast, this hard. Tessa feared she might be in over her head with Grant Carter because they’d been in each other’s presence for mere moments, which was barely a blip on the radar in the grand scheme of things.

  “Learning all about horses is why I have you. I’ve waited years to get a project of this caliber.” His eyes roamed over her face, from her eyes to her lips and back up. “And when I want something, I find a way to make it mine.”

  Why did those arrogant words hold such promise? And why did she delight in the way chills raced over her body?

  Had she not learned her lesson? Pretty words and attractive men were all around her in this industry. She’d been naive enough to fall for a smooth talker, had nearly taken his ring while dreaming about their future. She wouldn’t make that mistake twice.

  And she certainly had no room for overeager hormones. She had races to win and titles to collect. Nothing could come between her and her goal...not even if it was wrapped in chiseled muscle and a white-knight attitude.

  But she couldn’t deny the man tempted her more in these few moments than her ex had in the months they’d been together.

  Tessa was proud she still had her virginity. Some women might be embarrassed by the fact, but she felt that was just another layer of her strong will. And a promise to her late mother.

  But Grant did make her hyperaware of desires she’d never fully engaged in.

  Good grief, why did she have sex on the brain? She’d just met this man, but those broad shoulders and mesmerizing eyes, combined with his protective streak, made all her lonely girlie parts perk up and wonder exactly what she was missing out on.

  “I’m not interested in anything other than my racing and my horses,” she told him, damning her voice when it didn’t sound as strong as she’d wanted. “Don’t waste your fancy charms on me.”

  One corner of Grant’s mouth lifted in a mocking smile. “Oh, my fancy charms aren’t going to waste, Tessa. You’re just as attracted as I am. It’s natural to see a beautiful person and allow your mind to wander into fantasy. There’s no need to deny the facts.”

  Tessa laughed, took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest again. “If your ego is going to be the third wheel, we may have to adjust the spreadsheet to accommodate. But I’m afraid my time can’t be stretched so thin, so check it at the door, Slick.”

  Grant laughed and, damn him, she just knew if she was going to lie around him, she’d have to be more convincing. There was no way she could let her guard down, or she’d find herself falling directly into his seductive, high-class world.

  Two

  The wide, curved staircase leading up to the second-story balcony overlooking the entryway would be the perfect place to shoot the opening scene. Grant wanted to begin the movie with the early years of Damon and Rose Barrington, and since this home was the focal point for their family, this would be where they began.

  Taking mental notes as he walked through the main house at Stony Ridge Acres, Grant could already picture Max Ford, the lead in the film, leaning over the balcony, watching two little girls frolic in the open floor plan.

  Of course, Max was playing the younger version of Damon Barrington, when he had first started making a name for himself on the racing scene.

  Grant couldn’t help but smile at the image of a young Tessa running through the house, which had been handed down to Damon from his own father. Even as a child, Tessa probably had had the whole family on a tight schedule, from lunch breaks to riding times.

  “Grant.”

  Turning toward the wide side hallway, Grant smiled as he moved through the open foyer to greet Damon. The tall, thin man with silver hair had a presence about him that demanded attention and respect. Grant was more than happy to devote both, considering this film would take him to the next level of his career plan.

  Directing had always been a passion. Grant loved the up close and personal contact with the actors, loved the level of trust they built with each other.

  But now he was ready to take that next step, and coproducing this film would only add another monumental layer onto what he’d already attained.

  “I apologize for not being here when you arrived,” Damon said, slapping him on the back. “I trust you found Tessa in the stables?”

  Bent over, looking sexier than she had a right to.

  “I did,” Grant confirmed, keeping his carnal thoughts to himself. “I’m meeting her in a bit to go over a few preliminary questions. She has a schedule for me.”

  Damon’s robust laughter filled the foyer. “That girl. If she’s not on a horse, she’s at her computer with color-coded schedules.”

  That woman needed to relax, and Grant fantasized about making that happen during his month-long stay here on the estate before his team arrived. Of course, he had to maintain his professional manner because of that clause he was growing to hate more and more.

  Stupid “no fraternizing” section. He’d had one slipup a few years ago. Okay, so he and the makeup artist had drunk a bit too much and had made headlines, but that was in the past. Yet he was still paying for his sins.

  And he refused to get in deeper than lust. Tessa was sexy as hell, but her world and his did not and could not mesh.

  Besides, he wasn’t ready to settle down. In the future he wanted to have a family, but right now he didn’t have the time. No reason he couldn’t get Tessa to relax a little and enjoy herself, however. They would have weeks together, and he didn’t intend to spend them looking at his watch and checking some damn spreadsheet to see when he could take a bathroom break.

  Flirting while he was here would help him keep his mind off his real issues.

  “Apparently my allotted times are in green, but I’ve yet to see the schedule.”

&
nbsp; Damon sighed, raked a hand over his face. “She is her mother’s daughter. My late wife had labels on everything, each day scheduled to the minute. Used to drive me insane.”

  “I’m hoping when Lily arrives for the filming, the two of you can talk,” Grant said, referring to the A-list actress playing the role of Rose Barrington in the early years. “She’s been studying your wife’s biography and looking at the pictures you supplied, but I know it will help to have a firsthand account from you.”

  “I look forward to speaking with her.” Damon beamed. “I still can’t believe a movie is being made of my career and life.”

  “You’re a remarkable man, Damon, and you can’t deny you have an incredible dynasty here. Not only did you win the Triple Crown, you now have a famous daughter who is a jockey and another daughter who is a trainer. Everything in one perfect family. Some may say you’re the luckiest man in the industry.”

  “Luck has nothing to do with it,” Damon corrected with a slight grin. “Life is all skill and patience. Remember that and nothing can stop you.”

  Grant had a feeling there was so much more to this man than racing and owning a prestigious horse farm. While those elements were key, Grant got a true sense of family loyalty here. Besides the countless framed pictures hanging along the walls in each room, celebrating various family milestones, Grant had seen the pride in Damon’s eyes when discussing his girls, and that same pride and protection in Tessa’s eyes when she talked of her father.

  Being part of this film thrilled Grant more than he’d originally thought. Family meant everything to him...which was why he could never face his sister again after ruining her life.

  Shaking off the haunting memory, Grant focused on the film. When Anthony Price and Bronson Dane had first approached him, he couldn’t say yes fast enough. The big break he’d been working for, fighting for, was finally here, and he wouldn’t let anything stand in his way...even a beautiful, sexy jockey. She might be totally opposed to this film, but she really had no say over the matter.

  Of course, she could make these next several weeks difficult, but he’d find a way to crack her outer shell. She might be immune to his charm, but she was attracted. He’d seen the way her eyes widened, the pulse at the base of her throat sped up, and more than once he’d seen her gaze dip to his lips.

  Yeah, she was cracking already.

  “Listen, I’ve got to head out and meet a man I’m thinking of hiring on as a groom. But I shouldn’t be gone too long.” Damon checked his phone, then slid it back into his pocket. “Please, make this your home. Look anywhere you like, and Tessa can show you around the grounds. I assume you got your stuff into the guesthouse?”

  “I did,” Grant replied. “I appreciate the use of it. Though I’d be perfectly content in a hotel until the on-site trailers arrive.”

  Damon waved a hand. “Nonsense. We have two extra guesthouses, other than the one my oldest daughter, Cassie, and her baby live in. They’re a bit on the small side, but they’re better than any hotel or trailer.”

  On that Grant would agree.

  “I’ll be back later if you need me, but I imagine Tessa will have everything under control.”

  Laughing, he nodded. “I have no doubt.”

  When the elderly man walked out the front door, Grant continued his stroll around the house. He’d been through it before, but now he was looking at even finer things and really thinking of each scene, each facet of Damon’s life.

  Several scenes would be shot at various horse parks before and during the races, but he would mainly stay here, directing the shots from the estate. Bronson and Anthony would be more on location, traveling with their wives and kids.

  Bronson Dane and Anthony Price were half brothers and a force to be reckoned with in the film industry. And Grant was beyond thrilled they’d asked him to coproduce this movie about the Barrington dynasty.

  Glancing at his watch, he noted he had about five minutes until his scheduled time, so he headed out the front door and toward the stables. Wouldn’t want to be late and have to be rescheduled to—gasp—the yellow slot.

  Grant smiled as he walked across the lawn, calculating all the ways he could throw off Ms. Spreadsheet. How could he not want to have a little fun with this? People who were that uptight missed out on all the joy in life.

  He totally understood the need to be serious, when the time called for such actions, but wasn’t life supposed to be fun and enjoyable? A spreadsheet for daily life? Who actually lived that way?

  Tessa stepped from a stall just as he came to the entrance. Sliding her hands into the pockets of her very slim, hip-hugging, mouthwatering riding pants, she headed toward him.

  “Punctual,” she said, closing the gap between them. “I think we’ll get along just fine.”

  Grant allowed his eyes to roam over her face. A fine mist of sweat covered her flushed skin, and damp tendrils of hair clung to her forehead where her riding helmet had rested.

  “Why don’t we go inside, get some water and talk?” he suggested.

  Tessa crossed her arms over her chest and offered a smile that flashed a dimple just to the right of her full lips. “City boy can’t handle the heat?”

  He laughed. “Actually, I thought you may need a break.”

  “I don’t take breaks,” she told him, tilting her chin in defiance. “And a little heat never bothers me.”

  Unable to stop himself, he stepped forward and slid a stray lock of hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger a bit at the side of her face. Tessa’s swift intake of breath pleased him. He had a feeling nothing much set her off her game.

  “Good to know you can handle activities that work up a sweat,” he murmured, mentally cursing himself for crossing into carnal-thought territory. Thoughts led to actions, and he didn’t have the time or the authority for such shenanigans.

  Tessa reached up, put her hand in his and smiled. “You’re going to have to do better than that, Slick. Clever innuendos won’t work on me.”

  Grant couldn’t help but grin. “Oh, I’m just getting warmed up, Country. Throwing you off your guard is my main goal here.”

  Keeping her eyes on his, Tessa tilted her head. “I thought producing and directing this movie was your main goal.”

  He leaned in, close enough to smell her musky scent, feel her warm breath on his face. “I’m an expert at multitasking.”

  She patted his cheek as if he were a little kid, and laughed. “It’s good to have goals, Slick. Now, what do you say about grabbing some lunch? Your two-hour time slot just narrowed down to an hour and fifty minutes.”

  She sauntered around him, while Grant stood there looking like a complete moron as he watched the sexy sway of her hips in those taut riding pants.

  But from the heat he’d seen pass through her eyes, and that frantic pulse at the base of her throat, he knew she wasn’t unaffected by him.

  This project had just got a whole lot more interesting.

  Three

  Tessa let herself in the back door of her father’s home and nearly wept at the refreshing, cool air that enveloped her.

  She’d gotten overheated outside, though her rising body temperature had nothing to do with the unseasonably warm spring day and everything to do with the hotshot city slicker who thought he could get under her skin. And if she didn’t get some distance, he just might.

  A whole month? She’d spent only a few minutes with the potent man and he’d pretty much touched every single female nerve she had. How on earth could she survive a month of Mr. Tall, Dark and Tempting?

  The last thing she wanted was to, well...want him. Wasn’t he technically the enemy? At least in her world. Sexy, fast with the seductive words and lingering glances...

  The thought of this movie, of being thrust into the media, made her stomach churn. And there was no
way she could be blindsided by another charmer, who was probably used to women trailing after him, hoping for a sliver of his affection.

  She dealt with enough media, being a female jockey and Damon Barrington’s daughter to boot. But a movie was a whole new level of limelight she really didn’t want to enter into.

  And she’d had enough types like her smarmy ex to last several lifetimes.

  As Tessa grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, the door behind her opened and closed. She straightened and turned to see Grant leaning against the counter, arms crossed over his wide chest, his eyes on her. Those eyes visually sampled her, and Tessa refused to enjoy the shudder rippling through her.

  “Water?” she asked, holding up the bottle.

  “No, thanks. What hours do you put into riding?”

  Horse talk. Much safer ground.

  Uncapping the bottle, she took a hefty drink. “Waking hours. But right now, I also tend each horse and clean stalls, until Dad hires a new groom. There’s always work to be done. I’m at the stables from morning till night. And on the nights I can’t sleep, I come over and ride to relax. I’ve been known to sleep in the barn.”

  “You live close, then?” he asked.

  Tessa nodded. “My property is the next one over, but it’s not near as big a spread as this. All of my horses are here.”

  “Your dad mentioned your sister lives in a guesthouse.”

  “Cassie and her baby live here.” Tessa rested her elbows on the granite island and squeezed her bottle. “She moved back onto the estate when her jerk husband left her, right after Emily was born.”

  A muscle in Grant’s jaw ticked. “Not much of a man, leaving his wife and baby.”

  Tessa warmed at his matter-of-fact statement. “On that we can agree. And since her ex was the previous groom, we obviously need a new one.”

  “A female trainer and jockey,” Grant murmured. He held her gaze and smiled. “Isn’t that very unusual?”

  This was a common question from people outside the racing world. “Yes, but we’re both good at what we do. There was a time not too long ago when women weren’t allowed to be trainers. My dad used to tell stories about how he’d sneak women into the stables early in the mornings, to help train his stock. He swore they were better for a horse’s demeanor, because men tend to be harsher, more competitive.”