Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys (10 page)

BOOK: Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys
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“Why, you, Miss Judy,” Trace said, in major suck-up mode, and all the men relinquished their offerings to her.

“My, you really did want a steak, didn't you?” Judy said, glancing at the flowers and then studying their swim trunks. “Or maybe you wanted something else.”

“Well,” Trace said, realizing his nervous buddies weren't going to work up more than a squeak and that the sheriff was practically hiding behind the hydrangea bush, “you do have all the girls over.”

“I meant, perhaps you've come for a beer,” Judy said, laughing. “Come on in, but be on your best behavior. No cannonballs. The girls don't want to get their hair wet yet.”

“No, ma'am. No cannonballs.” Trace hurried into the house and onto the patio, eagerly looking around for Ava.

The siren-red bikini was even hotter up close. No matter how nice a pair of binoculars Judy had given Steel, they didn't do the job. He gawked at the tight red spandex suit wrapped around Ava's body, a gold heart holding the fabric together between her breasts. He'd always known she had a beautiful body, but her legs were even better out of riding wear.

She was just plain gorgeous, and he had to keep his hand by his side so he didn't flop it over his hard-beating heart.

I want to sleep with that woman so bad it's like an alarm goes off in my head every time I get near her
.

“Hi, Trace,” Ava said, and all the other girls greeted his buddies, and Ava smiled at them, too, and Trace thought that though he might not be the world's smoothest operator, he'd damn sure gotten his crowd in the door, and now he was within inches of that red-hot bikini.

Life was good.

A sudden splash sloshed water over the poolside, eliciting squeals from the ladies as they tried to evade the fallout of water droplets.

“Steel!” Trace said. “Judy said no cannonballs!”

The sheriff grinned. “Sorry. I was standing too far back. I thought she said everybody had to do a cannonball for their steak. And I sure didn't want to miss out.”

“No,” Saint said, laughing. “She said if you cannonball, you don't get a steak.”

“Damn.” The sheriff looked at Judy like a lost puppy. “Sorry, Judy.”

Her eyes melted as she stared down at her soaked sheriff in the pool. “You'll get a steak, Steel. There's one with your name on it.”

“I wasn't invited. Are you sure you have enough food?”

“Actually, you lasted ten minutes longer than I thought you would.”

Steel grinned. “Judy, you're an angel.”

Trace would have given anything for Ava to look at him the way Judy looked at Steel. Trace glanced at her, noticing all of a sudden that the sheriff had done a really good job of soaking her red bikini. Her nipples were peaked, her brown legs shone with water drops, goose pimples had risen on her arms and across her belly, and Trace thought he was pretty much going to go up in flames.

There was nothing else he could do: He cannonballed.

* * *

“Judy, you're going to have to share,” Steel said, sneaking up on her and stealing a kiss.

“Share what, handsome?”

“What the plan is. Why you're trying to kill these boys.” He gestured toward the pool, where a rousing game of water volleyball had geared up. “You know these gentlemen can't survive for long in the face of all this temptation.”

She laughed and smacked his hand lightly with the spatula. “Change the propane tank, and maybe I'll tell you.”

The fun of having Steel around—besides the fact that she just plain adored him—was that he was such a gentleman. He was the last of an old breed of kind, courtly men, and he just flat owned her heart.

“Hell needed new blood, Steel.”

“If it was just that simple, darling, you would have settled for plain, old-fashioned matchmaking. There's something else you're cooking in that sexy little mind of yours, or you wouldn't have worked up such a complicated ruse.” He grabbed the new propane tank and began to switch it out.

“It's not a ruse. I really want my own team, Steel. I believe I have what it takes to take a team to a high level of national ability. Bullfighting is a sport that needs to be opened to women. This is my chance. Either way I go, I figure I have a real chance of putting Hell on the map.”

He sighed, kissed her hand. “What can I do to help you?”

“Nothing at all. I have to do this on my own, or people will say it's a man's team. But that big steak right there? The biggest one?” She kissed him. “That one has your name on it when you start grilling.”

He grinned, and she thought she'd never seen such a handsome man. “Whatever you want, darling. You take such good care of me.”

She wrapped her arms around him. “None of those young fellows in the pool have anything on you, Steel.”

“That's right, beautiful. You just remember that.”

“I do. No one could ever—”

“Judy—”

“—cannonball like you do,” she said, and he laughed.

“Okay.” He kissed the top of her head. “I get the team thing. I support it. But what about all this bikini temptation you've laid out? You realize this town is going to get all stirred up?”

Judy grinned at the volleyball game, which was in full swing. “Yes, I do. And that's the second step of the plan.”

“You've set this up to where those girls are a hands-off proposition.”

Judy laughed. “A man likes a challenge, Steel. You know that. It's why you're here.”

“Not really.” He looked hopeful. “What if my fellows can't rise to the challenge? One of those ladies has got her eyes on a Horseman.”

Judy felt a momentary twinge of worry about her plan. She pushed it away. “I'd always put my money on an Outlaw. But if it doesn't work out, then maybe those fellows of yours just didn't have what it takes.”

But she hoped they did. She'd brought these three girls here with the best intentions, knowing very well that they were laying everything on the line, plus her
reputation. She wanted the team to work out. In time, she was hoping to bring on a second team. Make Hell a really lively place, with a balance between men and women. Right now, with women being in short supply, a lady could pretty much work anything she wanted. Judy used this to her advantage on occasion—and so did Ivy.

But once the women were more plentiful—hopefully family-minded women—there'd be a healthier balance.

And then she planned to put Ivy and her crew out of business, once and for all. If any woman deserved a kick in the pants from Judy's hot-pink boots, it was Ivy Peters.

And I've got just the team that's going to help me do it
.

* * *

“Can I drive you home, Ava?” Trace asked.

Ava wrapped her sarong around her swimsuit, thinking about the words Judy had spoken before the party.

Keep the Outlaws happy. They're our ticket to success. And by all means, don't fall for them. Men like that love a challenge. Steel would marry me in a heartbeat, but I know him better than he knows himself: Steel loves to sit over there in his rustic house and long for me. He thinks he wants marriage, but what he really wants is the chase. So six days a week I let him chase me—and one night a week, I let him win
.

If Trace drove her home, she was almost certain he'd try to kiss her. There was no way she could resist him forever—she didn't want to. Ava shivered, and Trace put a dry towel over her shoulders. “No. Thanks, though.”

He looked disappointed. Ava got a momentary twinge, wishing she could accept a ride in good conscience. But the waters were so deep in Hell that it was best to float on her raft a little while longer. No need to dive over the edge.

“So I'll see you tomorrow night for Cameron's big date,” Trace said.

“I don't know about her big date,” Ava said. “It worries me.”

“It should,” Trace said cheerfully. “You're either an Outlaw or a Horseman; there's no straddling the sides. This town's split by loyalties.” He ran a hand down her arm, tantalizing and slow. “You just stick with me, and you'll be happy.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“That you don't want to go thinking about taking a walk on the wild side.” He grinned, and her heart did a huge belly flop.

“You mean, don't date across the county line.”

“That's right,” Trace said cheerfully. “You'll see why when your friend is keeping you up with her crying at night.”

“You really think Jake's a bad person?”

He pulled her down beside him on a cushioned garden swing. “Look, beautiful. Did you ever date a man you wished you hadn't?”

“No.”

He blinked. “Why the hell not?”

“Because I was busy.” She frowned. “What's your point?”

He looked at her. “I thought every woman had a sad tale of a guy who broke her heart. We men usually hear about it endlessly, and it's a drag, but we know it's part of the dance. It's a test to see how supportive we are.”

“Well, I'd say that's totally chauvinistic of you, and no, my heart's never been broken.”

“Haven't you dated?”

“Of course I've dated. Are we playing Twenty Questions?”

“I just don't understand how you can date and not experience a little heartache.”

He did seem totally confused, and he was just so sexy sitting next to her, trying to be friendly instead of an ass for a change, that she decided to relent. “I'm twenty-four. I was busy helping out my family and trying to get through school. Dating was something I weighed carefully. I've had two serious relationships, both of which ended with us remaining friendly after a time. Just normal relationships. Happy now, Mr. Nosy?”

He laughed. “Actually, I'm relieved. I thought maybe you were a closet nerd or something.”

“I do happen to consider myself a nerd, thanks, and there's nothing closet about it. I'm all in the open.”

He looked at her, so closely that she wondered if he would try to kiss her. The moon was high and full, the night warm and breezy, and for a moment, Ava wished Trace
would kiss her. His last kiss had been memorable enough to stay on her mind almost constantly.

She glanced around for Judy and her friends, realizing at once that she was being led out of her safe comfort zone of practical decisions.
Time to change the subject
. “If you think Cameron's making such a mistake, you should tell her.”

“Nope. Everybody's life is their own. I never give advice.” He put his hands behind his head, clasping his fingers, utterly relaxed, sinfully sexy. No shirt, no shoes, no worries, just straight-up sexy appeal.

“You may think that, but Fallon called and asked Harper out today.”

“That's very bad.” Trace looked concerned. “That's Declan's twin brother. Doesn't Harper have a son?”

“He's not here at the moment. Michael will arrive in a couple of weeks, once the team settles in, and if the team works out. Why?”

“She really doesn't want to do that,” Trace said. “Fallon, I mean.”

“Look, you keep saying my friends shouldn't go out with these guys, but you never say why. And none of you Outlaws seem inclined to ask anybody out, so don't you think the girls have a right to do as they please?”

He looked at her, his brows rising. “Are you going to go out with one of them?”

“You weren't listening,” Ava said. “I told you, easy-breezy dating isn't my style. I'm not judging my friends; I don't care what they do. I just take a lot longer to warm up to a situation.”

He muttered something that sounded like, “Tell me about it.”

“Anyway, I've got to go.” Ava stood, grabbing her purse and beach towel.

She so badly needed to resist him.

“So tomorrow night?” Trace asked, looking up at her.

He really was a handsome devil, and it was so hard not to say yes. His friends were all in the pool, playing. Saint was draped around a pool noodle, staring at Cameron, and Declan was drinking a beer and looked like he was undressing Harper with his eyes. Steel dragged Judy under the water just to hear her squeal, and Judy complied, coming up with a good loud one before leaping on Steel and taking him under.

“Yes. I'll see you tomorrow night.”

“You'll see me at six
A.M.
sharp for your lesson,” Trace said, “unless you've decided my training doesn't suit you.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

He shrugged. “I'm aware that my way of training is a bit rigorous. Not everyone comes back to train under me after about a week.”

“I'm fine. Thanks for the warning, though.”

She called goodnight to Judy and her friends, and left the party. Getting in her truck, she saw Trace walking toward her. He tapped on the window, and she rolled it down.

“You forgot to annoy me?” Ava asked, looking up at him. He was broad-shouldered, too-handsome, and irritating.

“I'm going to follow you home.”

“That's nice, but not necessary.”

“Yeah, it is. I'll sleep better if I know you got home safely.”

“Are you having trouble sleeping?”

“Yes, if you must know.” He looked distinctly put out with her lack of enthusiasm for his chivalry.

“I'll follow you to town. That way you'll know I made it that far. It'll be our experiment to see if you can follow instead of leading all the time.”

“At which point we'll probably have an issue.”

Ava laughed. “You might want to work on that. I'm not used to all this alpha-male attitude outside the arena.”

She put the window up, noting the hint of a curve trying to steal onto his lips. Pulling down the drive, she didn't bother to look back to see if he was following her or not.

All she wanted to do was train. Best the lines stay well drawn between them.

BOOK: Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys
6.94Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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