Big City Cowboy (Harlequin American Romance)

by Benson, Julie

  “Don’t I wish.” Chloe sighed again. “But alas, his gaze followed you around the room.”

  That information should’ve made Elizabeth warm in all kinds of places, but instead the fact worried her. She couldn’t afford having Rory see her as anything but his boss. “He can’t be interested in me. Can he?”

  “Why’s that so unbelievable?”

  “We’re ill-suited.”

  “Opposites attract.”

  “You’re full of clichés today.”

  “You’re just ticked because I’m right, and don’t try to change the subject. It’s true. Opposites do attract.”

  “They may have instant chemistry, but those relationships don’t last. The ones that do are based on things like similar values and interests.” Needing something to busy her hands and control her nervousness, Elizabeth grabbed a pen and fiddled with it. “Pull up the shots of him shirtless.”

  “You’d give a guy up because you worked together? Even if you thought he was your soul mate?”

  “There’s no such thing. In a world of over six billion people, there has to be more than one man I could have a lasting relationship with.”

  Chloe shook her head. “If I thought a guy was the one, I wouldn’t let anything get in the way.”

  The last shots of Rory popped onto the screen. Chloe whistled through her teeth. “Be still my heart. These are the best yet. Look at those six-pack abs.”

  Elizabeth stared at the photo, speechless. Rory could make a nun think twice about her vow of chastity. Hell, think three times about it. “Make that one poster-size. I’ll put it on an easel. Put the rest in a portfolio. I’m off to make sure the mockups are ready for tomorrow.”

  Pointing at the picture displayed on the computer monitor, Chloe said, “That’s all you’ve got to say about this?”

  “I think it’s excellent. It should accomplish exactly what we need it to.”

  Her friend flopped back in her chair and threw her hands in the air. “And that’s why you don’t date much.”

  “Can we stick to the job here, and stay off the topic of my love life?”

  “What love life?”

  Elizabeth pointedly ignored her jibe, mainly because she lacked a good comeback. Tough to argue with the truth.

  Her dating had been a little sparse lately, but that was because she had standards. If she let her friends set her up she could have three dates a week, but what was the point of dating if the candidates fell below par? On top of that, her job’s long hours left little time for a social life. But more importantly, she had no intention of letting dating sidetrack her from what mattered—saving Devlin’s accounts and advancing her career. That required work and sacrifice. Everything worthwhile did.

  “How can looking at this gorgeous guy, one you’ll be working in close contact with, not make your body sing?”

  “I’m tone-deaf.”

  Listening to her body, being ruled by her hormones, led down a scary path. Going against common sense led to caring, wanting, expectations and possibly loving. All of those things, in her experience, led to heartbreak. No, thanks. Been there, done that. Gave away the T-shirt.

  “I don’t have time for anything except getting ready for tomorrow’s meeting.” Elizabeth glanced at her watch. Eight o’clock. The night was zooming by at warp speed. “I still have to come up with a slogan before the morning meeting.”

  “Got any ideas?”

  “I have a bunch written down, but now that we’ve got Rory’s pictures they don’t seem right.” She rubbed her throbbing temples. “I want something memorable, like the Calvin Klein ad with Brooke Shields. ‘Nothing gets between me and my Calvins.’”

  “Think about Rory’s qualities.”

  “He’s stubborn to the point of pigheadedness.”

  “His good qualities.”

  She thought for a minute. “He’s strong. He’s authentic.”

  “He sure is a real man, and very delectable.”

  Rory’s comment that no real man would wear designer jeans popped into Elizabeth’s head. She grabbed a Post-it note and scribbled out a line as adrenaline gushed through her system, invigorating her. “I’ve got the slogan, Chloe, and it’s perfect.”

  BY THE MORNING MEETING in the agency’s conference room, Elizabeth was running on stress and caffeine. The stuff that fueled corporate America. Once she presented a hopefully coherent campaign to Micah Devlin and answered his questions, which if past meetings were any indication would be many, she planned on collapsing and sleeping for two days straight.

  When she escorted Devlin, dressed in a pair of his own jeans and a pin-striped button-down shirt, into the conference room, he sat at the long mahogany table and pulled out his iPad.

  She smoothed the skirt of her charcoal-gray Ellen Tracy suit and glanced down at her red stiletto pumps. Chloe called them her ruby slippers, because Elizabeth felt invincible when she wore then.

  Ruby slippers, do your magic. “We believe Rory McAlister is the perfect person to represent Devlin Designs’ men’s jeans.”

  Elizabeth pulled the cover off the poster on the easel, revealing Rory—naked from the waist up, his arms crossed over his wide chest, his biceps bulging, his skin slick with sweat—wearing the company’s jeans and his cowboy hat. Below the picture ran the words Devlin men’s jeans. Strong enough to stand up to a real man.

  Her breath stuck in her throat as she waited for her client to respond. When she’d first met Micah Devlin she’d been attracted to him. In his mid to late thirties, he was approximately five or so years older than her, and she liked that. He had an MBA from Harvard Business School. Was the CEO of the family business—a Fortune 500 company, no less. He was tall, in shape without being overly muscular. His company contributed to numerous charities. He’d seemed like her dream man. At least on paper.

  Then she’d gotten to know him. His controlling personality and micromanaging had effectively incinerated her attraction.

  No worries about mixing business and pleasure there.

  “I like him,” Devlin said. “He’s strong and fit, but doesn’t look like he spends all day in the gym.”

  Relief burst through her, making her knees weak, but Elizabeth clamped down on the emotion. There would be time to celebrate later, once the contracts were signed, her agency’s with Devlin and his with Rory.

  “That’s exactly what we were trying to portray. His strength comes from working with his hands and his back, like so many Americans.”

  “Do you plan to weave that hardworking attitude into the campaign?”

  “Definitely.”

  Devlin jotted down notes on the iPad. “What’re the rest of your plans?”

  “I thought we’d start with the Times Square billboard, since Devlin Designs has it booked for the next three months. We’d pair that with ads in the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune and USA Today.”

  “I understand the newspapers’ appeal, but I’m not so certain about the billboard. Sure, it’ll be seen by millions of tourists, but other than that, how will it help us appeal to middle America?”

  His question momentarily threw her off stride. Her grandmother’s voice rang in her head. Is that really the decision you want to make? Have you thought this through thoroughly, Elizabeth?

  Shaking herself mentally, she tuned out her grandmother. Elizabeth refused to be intimidated, when she’d prepared for this meeting until three in the morning, and this was one of the questions she’d anticipated. “I think showcasing Rory on June’s billboard is the quickest way to create a buzz while we’re finalizing magazine ads and shooting the TV commercial. When people see Rory’s picture, they’ll want to know who he is. Women will hit your website en masse to find out more about him. We’ll add a new page to the site—meet Devlin Designs’ newest model. We’ll get him tweeting, to add to the buzz. That excitement should help me book spots for him on the morning show circuit.”

  Devlin tapped his pen on the table. “Plus the billboard should give us a boo
st to our East Coast sales.”

  Elizabeth nodded, the knot between her shoulder blades loosening. What was it about Devlin that cracked her self-confidence? “The average man is going to want to look like Rory. Women will think if their man wears your jeans he’ll look like Rory. The gay man is going to want to date him. No matter what, they’re going to check out Devlin jeans. I think we’ll get an excellent return on the investment. Even though we’re targeting a different market, everything fashionwise starts here in New York.”

  “Since we can’t use the ad we’d planned on for the May billboard because of that model’s scandal, let’s showcase the jeans and introduce Rory instead.”

  Elizabeth stared at Devlin, momentarily stunned. A billboard took a minimum of two weeks to put together, and today was April 16.

  What did this guy think? That she twitched her nose like Samantha on Bewitched, and billboards magically appeared?

  “If we go with this shot—” Elizabeth pointed to the easel and Rory’s gorgeous beefcake photo “—we might be able to pull it off.”

  “I like it. An outdoor scene on a billboard will clutter up the message anyway. I don’t want anything distracting from the cowboy, the slogan and the company name.” Devlin clicked his pen as he thought. “Do what you have to, within reason, to get the job done. If you think the budget needs to be revised, let me know.”

  Elizabeth nodded. So much for sleeping for two days after this meeting.

  “What’s this cowboy’s voice like?” Devlin asked. “Can he do the commercial work or will we need to hire a voice-over actor?”

  “Rory has a pleasant voice with a slight Western drawl, which will work perfectly for the campaign.”

  “Pleasant? We need more than that for our spokesman.”

  “Forgive me. That was a poor choice of words. His voice is hardly average.” She couldn’t tell this Fortune 500 CEO that Rory’s voice sent ripples of excitement through her and made her lace panties damp. Or could she? “The women at the shoot commented that his voice was as good as his looks.”

  “I’ve got a lot riding on this. Before I sign this cowboy and the agency contract I want to know what he sounds like.”

  Warning bells clanged in Elizabeth’s head. Considering Rory’s unpredictable behavior at the photo shoot, the thought of him meeting Devlin sent dread snaking down her spine. She counted to ten.

  Never let a client see uncertainty. It’s the kiss of death.

  She smiled at Devlin. “Do you want to meet him in person or would a demo CD work?”

  Please say the latter.

  Devlin had been about to answer her when his cell phone played “I Could’ve Danced All Night.” He grabbed it out of his briefcase. “Excuse me. I have to take this.”

  Phone to his ear, he stepped outside the conference room.

  She couldn’t believe that Micah Devlin, who chastised her when she took a call from another client with an “emergency,” had answered his phone. Obviously, he subscribed to the do-as-I-say, not-as-I-do philosophy.

  “What’s up?” his surprisingly gentle voice floated in through the open door. “Can it wait? My day is full of meetings.”

  While Elizabeth longed to scoot her chair to where she could actually see him as he talked on the phone, she resisted the urge. Innocently overhearing a conversation and openly eavesdropping were two different things, and she had no desire to be caught doing the latter.

  “Don’t do that,” Devlin almost pleaded. “You know the doctor told you not to drive for three weeks. Please wait.” Frustration crept into his voice. “I’ll run by the pharmacy after this meeting. I’ll be there in a half an hour tops.” Again he paused. “I love you, too, Nana.”

  Elizabeth hoped she’d concealed her shock when he returned to the conference table, phone in hand, the softness she’d heard in his voice only seconds ago nowhere visible in his eyes. Who would’ve thought he actually had relatives, much less one he cared about?

  “Since Rory McAlister will be a company spokesperson, I want to talk to him face-to-face. I need to make sure he can have a coherent conversation.”

  Elizabeth swallowed hard. Sure she knew Rory’s voice sent a women’s happy hormones into overdrive, but how would he do when a reporter tossed questions at him? How could she have forgotten that when she’d developed the campaign? Details mattered, especially to Devlin.

  “I met Rory on a ranch in Colorado. He’s used to interacting with tourists. He was quite engaging with facts and local-color tidbits.” At least he’d appeared to be, from the bits and pieces of stories she’d heard, riding at the end of the line of horses.

  “He’d better be able to handle interviews.”

  “I assure you he will.” Elizabeth smiled. By his first interview she’d be certain he was prepared. She could make a fortune in Vegas playing high stakes poker with her bluffing skills.

  “Once I’ve talked with this cowboy and am convinced he’ll suit our needs, I’ll sign him to a contract. Then I’ll sign the jeans contract with your agency. Set up the meeting for tomorrow.”

  She noted he hadn’t mentioned renewing the other lines’ contracts. He probably still wanted that leverage to hold over her.

  Devlin pulled his iPhone out of his pocket and punched a couple of buttons. “Ten works for me. I don’t want to see his face everywhere, by the way. When the public sees him, I want them to think of Devlin Designs.”

  “I agree. I suggest you have your legal department add an exclusivity clause to the standard contract.”

  “You don’t think his agent will balk?”

  “He’s currently representing himself.”

  Devlin smiled openly for the first time. “Then there’s no need to pay him thirty grand over the course of this campaign. What do you think we can get him for?”

  Sleep deprivation had to be playing tricks with her hearing, or had rotted her brain cells, because they’d extensively discussed what to pay a spokesman, even an unknown, before she’d started her search. “I told Rory he’d make thirty thousand, as per our discussions.”

  Devlin picked a piece of lint off his spotless shirt. “When we talked, we discussed a lot of options, from models to rodeo cowboys. That amount seems a little steep for an unknown with no experience.”

  Elizabeth swas seated and folded her hands in front of her to keep from shaking the man silly. Glancing into his eyes, she realized the truth. He’d changed his mind about the money when he’d discovered Rory lacked an agent.

  “Offer him twenty thousand,” Devlin stated.

  “This puts me in an awkward position. Rory and I had a verbal agreement.”

  Devlin folded his arms across his chest. His sharp gaze bore through her. “I pay your agency to negotiate with models on my behalf.”

  What was it lately, with men drawing a line in the sand with her? “I’ll inform Rory of your wishes, and will do everything in my power to get him to agree to the new terms.”

  “Make sure you’ve dealt with the money issue by the time we meet tomorrow.”

  “I’d feel more comfortable taking a day or two to prepare before I discuss the subject with Rory.”

  “I want him signed to a contract so we can move forward with this campaign.” Devlin’s icy tone and granite gaze left no room for further discussion.

  “I’ll talk to him today.”

  Chapter Five

  Elizabeth walked down the hallway to Chloe’s office and suppressed the urge to bang her head against the wall.

  “Shoot me now and put me out of my misery. I’ve lost the will to live,” she said as she sank into the wooden chair in front of her friend’s desk. Now that the adrenaline and caffeine had worn off, exhaustion claimed her.

  Chloe paled. “Do I need to update my résumé for the next round of layoffs?”

  “No, but you might want to measure me for a straitjacket, because I’m going to lose my mind working with Devlin.”

  “What happened?”

  “I have two new problem
s. The first being Devlin wants to meet with Rory before he’ll sign the contract.”

  “Why is that a problem? Rory’s perfect.”

  “He’s a cowboy, and his mystical cowboy charm won’t work on Micah Devlin.”

  “Rory will do fine.”

  “I’m not so sure. When I first gave him the jeans for the shoot, he said no real man would be caught dead in them. Can you believe that?”

  “Since you’re still talking about Rory in the present tense, I assume you didn’t kill him. But what did you do after he said that?”

  She glared at her friend. “I’m not the Wicked Witch of the East, you know.”

  “I didn’t say you were. It’s just you get a little overzealous sometimes, especially when people make mistakes in their job.”

  “I very calmly and professionally pointed out the important points of being a company spokesperson.”

  “I bet that went over like a lead balloon. Guys love having a woman tell them they screwed up.”

  “I think he took it well, but after the jeans comment, you can see why I’m concerned about him talking with Devlin. All I need is for Rory to say something negative about the product.”

  “He won’t, since you set him straight.”

  “You’re just saying that because he’s good-looking. In an interview situation, he’ll have to think on his feet, and who knows what someone might ask him? What if he doesn’t stop to think before he answers, and blurts out the first thing that pops into his head?” Once Elizabeth started voicing her concerns, she couldn’t hold them back. “Sure, he’s photogenic, but I have no idea what kind of education Rory has, or whether he can hold an intelligent conversation. What if he can’t talk about anything but horses, mucking out a stall and fixing fences?”

  “Whoa. Can we slow down this runaway train? Rory doesn’t need to be a Rhodes scholar to do well on the morning show circuit. He’s got a great personality and charisma. Those two things can’t be taught, and will go a long way in an interview. Plus you’ll prep him.”

  When Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, Chloe held up her hand. “If you’re worried about anything else, talk to Rory. Find out about his education and background. Ask him how he feels about doing interviews.”