That Wild Cowboy

“Cowboys and shindigs just go hand in hand, don’t they?”

She nodded. “It seems that way, yes. That’s what our show is all about—highlighting the rich and the spoiled and the bigger-than-Texas attitude.”

“You know most working cowboys don’t have the luxury of a swimming pool or a party every night, though, right?”

“Yes, that’s why I put the emphasis on the rich part.”

Clint gave her a hard glance then pulled out that charming smile. “I’m not all that rich so I hope I don’t disappoint.”

Victoria knew better. The man wasn’t hurting, not one bit. She’d verified that with several reliable sources, but the rumors that he was losing everything only fueled the hard-to-put-out fire. And made Victoria want to figure him out even more.

“Are you ready for this?” she asked.

He got up, shook his jeans down over his boots. “Yes. Let’s get this show on the road. I’ve got real work to do later today.”

“What kind of real work do you do?”

He gave her an exaggerated frown. “Do you really believe all that hype about me going from bar to bar, making trouble and breaking hearts?”

Victoria thought of one heart long ago, but then she reminded herself she was so over that night. “Yes,” she said, more to herself than to him.

“Well, then, you’ll come with me and you’ll watch and learn. This is a working ranch—not just for show.”

Victoria’s radar went off. “We’ll tape that side of you, too, if you don’t mind. To show the contrast between the good-time Clint and the Clint who truly does do a day’s work.”

A disappointed look colored his eyes a dark gray like a quick-passing cloud. “Yeah, that’s me. Two different personalities in one broken, tired body.” Then he lifted an arm to show off his biceps. “Think I’m still in pretty good shape considering.”

“Not bad,” she said through a haze of awareness. “Not bad at all.” She turned away before he saw the flare of that awareness in her eyes. If Clint even saw a hint of interest, he’d swoop in and do what he did best—enjoy the hunt. When that was over, she’d be left for dead. “Okay, everyone, let’s get going,” she called out.

When she looked back at Clint, his eyes were back to that knowing, glowing silvery gray. Dangerous. This was going to be a very long day.

* * *

CLINT DECIDED TO give the cameras a good show. And since everyone in this so-called household was fuming at him right about now for agreeing to do this, he planned on making the most out of the situation. He had his reasons for signing up for this crazy show, but no one around here needed to hear those reasons. A man had to keep some things to himself.

His mother had been so conflicted she’d announced she was going back to the other side of the ranch to the old farmhouse and she did not want to see a camera anywhere near that house.

Denny was so mad that she’d taken Tater on an extended trip to the New Braunfels Schlitterbahn to meet up with some of their Louisiana friends. And Susie was piping mad because he refused to let her be a part of things—for now.

He didn’t mind Susie chiming in since she was single and looking for work, but he wanted to get the lay of the land and he didn’t need his baby sister hanging around and messing with his head when he did it. So now she was off on the other side of the house, lurking and pouting.

Add to that, he couldn’t stop thinking about the woman who’d convinced him to do this in the first place. Victoria Calhoun’s curvy little body and wild mane of sun-streaked hair were driving him nuts. But her lips were killing him softly.

He still wanted to kiss those lips. Why, he couldn’t understand. He’d kissed a lot of women in his life but for some reason he needed to verify what his mind was already telling him—that a kiss from Victoria would either cure him or kill him. And he didn’t care which right now.

She came hurrying toward him, her clipboard on her arm, her dark green cargo pants looking more feminine than outdoorsy. And her form-fitting white T-shirt made her look like she was on the prowl instead of on a busy set.

“Ready?” she asked, a long curl of bangs falling across her face. “This is it.”

Clint nodded, took a breath. He didn’t have a nervous bone in his body but she made him jumpy. “Yep. So I just look into the camera and welcome people into my home, right?”

“Right. We’ll give them a quick tour and explain you’re about to throw a party out by the pool. Fun in the sun with friends.”

“Got it.” He knew how to play things up, but he wasn’t so sure he could pretend to be having a great time with cameras all around. “I’ll give it the ol’ college try.”

“Give it your honest self,” she replied, her smile indulgent. “Just do what you did the morning I met you.”

Her expression told him she remembered every bit of that little scene.

“Right. I’ll need at least two cheerleaders and a model for that, darlin’.”

She shot him a look filled with both anticipation and distrust. “Well, bring ’em on then.”

“They should be arriving any minute now.”

Victoria glanced around, obviously not all that impressed that he could conjure up pretty women with the snap of his fingers. “Let’s get you going on the tour,” she said, her mind already racing ahead.

Clint braced himself and put on his game face. He knew the drill. Tease ’em, give ’em a good time, then move on.

A few hours and several takes later, he’d made it through what would be the intro to his time on the show and was now opening the doors to the patio. The party was already going on and the crew wanted to get in some segments before the hot Texas sun settled in the western sky.

“So, there you have it. You’ve seen my home and now it’s time to see how I live in this home. I’m Clint Griffin and I’d like to welcome you to Cowboys, Cadillacs and Cattle Drives.”

He swung the doors open and did a sweep of the pool and yard, his hands lifting into the air as he turned to smile into the camera. “Let’s go have some fun.”

Then he winked at the women waiting for him then stripped off his shirt and headed straight for the deep end of the pool.

But when he came up out of the cool depths of the sparkling water, a fourth woman was sauntering out in front of the cameras, a provocative smile centered on her pretty face.

His little sister Susie was on the set. And the cameras were taking it all in.

* * *

“GET HER OUT of here,” Clint hissed as he rose out of the water and headed toward his sister.

Victoria followed him, motioning for the cameras to get all of this on tape. They wouldn’t be able to use it without a release from Susie, but she couldn’t miss recording this little bit of drama.

Clint took Susie—who was clad in a black bikini, her long brown hair falling around her shoulders in soft curls—and pulled her to the side. Quickly wrapping a towel around her, he said, “You weren’t supposed to come down right now and you know it.”

Susie shrugged, dropped the towel and smiled into the camera. “My big brother neglected to mention that I live here, too, and I like to take a dip in the pool myself.” She gave Clint a daring glance. “I don’t mind the whole world watching. Just little me, taking a late-afternoon swim.” With a swish of her slender hips, she waved to the other women frolicking in the pool and headed for a lounge chair.

“Susie!”

The cameras swung to follow Susie while Clint stalked toward Victoria. Victoria nodded to the cameras to keep rolling. This was the kind of stuff she needed. If Susie wanted to become a reality star, then who was she to judge the woman.

“Victoria!”

“Yes?”

“Do something! I don’t want to have all of America ogling my baby sister.”

“She’s a grown woman,” Victoria replied, wondering why he didn’t get the double standard here. “As long as she signs a release, I’m cool with it. And she’s beautiful.”

“Yes, she is beautiful,” he said on a growl. “But no, I’m not so cool with every man alive seeing too much of her.”

Victoria automatically went into damage-control mode. “Look, Clint, we can delete the footage with Susie. If you don’t like it, it won’t go in.”

“I won’t like it,” he said. “I won’t.”

“Go and play,” she cautioned, her calm only a front. “We’ll keep the cameras on you and the girls but we’ll let Susie think she’s being filmed.”

He settled down at that. “Why did I think this would be a good idea?”

“It is a good idea,” Victoria replied, lying through her teeth. “And it’s only the first day. You’ll get used to the cameras.”

“I doubt that,” he replied. “But I do need a drink and some sweet talk. I’ll just have to pretend my baby sister isn’t watching.”

He headed back to the pool and started earning his pay in such a big way that Susie got up, put her hands on her little hips and announced, “Next time, I’m inviting my friends, not yours.” Then she stomped past Victoria with a glare and a parting shot. “This isn’t reality. It’s ridiculous.”

* * *

VICTORIA LET OUT a yawn. It had been a long day. Nestled safely in the spacious pool house, she wondered at the wisdom of staying so near that big stone house across from the pool. But Samuel liked the crew to stay on sight as much as possible to capture any and all incidents. And boy, had they had incidents today.

Susie showing up at the pool.

Denny calling Clint in the middle of the B-roll. His mother coming over and holding a hand over her face as she marched through the house to give him an important package that had been mistakenly delivered to her side of the ranch.

They had most of it on tape and they’d have to delete most of that. It would be tricky, taping around his unyielding family. But Victoria hoped she could keep the segments with Susie. Clint’s sister couldn’t be much younger than Victoria, but she had the spoiled Dallas socialite routine down pat. And that would make for great television. Well, great reality television anyway. She’d have to do a good job of editing, so Clint could see that the tension between Susie and him was undeniable. As long as she kept it light, however, she thought she could make it work without getting too deeply into family dynamite best left on the cutting-room floor.

And just how far are you willing to go?

This was always the dilemma for her. How long could she keep up this pace? How long could she push to get into people’s heads and lives just to keep the ratings up and the sponsors happy?

As Samuel would say, “As long as it takes, sweetheart.”

So she gritted her teeth and went back over the raw footage for today’s taping. If she liked what she saw, she’d send it electronically to Samuel with editing suggestions. Then back at the studio, they’d work through the rough cuts to create what would become the footage for the first show highlighting Clint Griffin. He’d lived up to his promise to put on a show. He’d flirted, whispered sweet nothings, had a few drinks and played a few tunes on his acoustic guitar.

Victoria had tried very hard to ignore how smoothly he moved from woman to woman. Now if she could only ignore the beating drums of her heart and how that tune had changed today each time he kissed one of those bikini-clad women.

Because Victoria knew how good that man’s kisses could be.

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