Last of the Red-Hot Cowboys (6 page)

“
My
house.”

“Not at the moment. Not while Judy pays rent.”

“Judy hasn't paid me a cent—yet.” He crossed his arms, checked out her T-shirt again. “What does it say?”

“It says, Get the hell out of my bed.”

“Very funny.” He tugged at it so he could read the silvery letters. “ ‘Where have all the cowboys gone?' ” he read, grinning. “You're looking in all the wrong places, gorgeous.”

She wasn't going to favor him with a reply, not while those dark brown eyes grinned at her, pleased with himself for putting one over on her in return for her stranding him at the pond.

“So you don't like to fish.”

“That obvious, huh? You
are
fast.”

He chuckled, slow and deep, and Ava's senses went on red alert. The man was too sexy for his own good, and he knew it, and that was a terrible combination.

Super-scoundrel
.

“I surrender. If I give you your keys, will you get out? Judy has us up early tomorrow to ride at the Horsemen's place.”

The smile disappeared, replaced by a scowl. “That's a really bad idea.”

“So you keep saying. But you don't offer a better solution, cowboy.”

He traced a finger along her bare arm. “As I told you before, Judy's been known to hatch a half-assed scheme. We tolerate it because we love her, but I hate to see you get caught up in it.”

She smacked his finger away. “You're not exactly fully baked in my opinion yourself. And honestly, I am so not interested in your small-town drama here. I need a job, so I applied for Judy's team. Nothing else interests me.”

“I'll train you,” he said, standing.

She stared at him, too sexy in a denim shirt and worn jeans, his collar-length dark hair seemingly never combed and always somehow contributing to his overall rascal persona. “To do what?”

“Ride.”

“I can ride, damn it.”

“I saw your riding. It's not bad. I won't train you to bullfight. But if you want a chance at a real working act, you girls ought to think about becoming the Hell Belle's riding team.”

“That's not what Judy has in mind. You'd have to talk to her.”

“A trick riding team,” he elaborated, and in spite of herself, her attention caught.

Not because she'd get to work with Trace. Not at all.

“There are many teams that can do amazing things. I think Judy wants something
bigger, something that Hell can brag about, own as a first-ever.”

“You'd be surprised what a well-trained horse and well-trained riders can do. If Judy's serious about setting up a rodeo here in town, we could advertise our own Hell Sweethearts as an innovative act. Maybe even barrel-racing acts, too.”

She looked at him, stunned that he seemed to have put a lot of thought into this plan. “I don't know what Judy would say. I'm just giving this gig a shot for a couple of weeks.” She tossed his keys at him from her nightstand drawer. “Nice truck, by the way. Great tunes on your iPod.”

He grinned, swept his eyes over her T-shirt again as she lay against the pillows. “Anytime you want to know where the red-hot cowboys are, sugar, you just come ask me. I'll be happy to show you.”

She tossed her pillow at him, hitting him square in the face. Laughing, he left, a jackass who thought way too much of himself.

Sexy jackass, damn him
.

She wasn't going to get a wink of sleep, and no doubt, that had been his intent.

* * *

“Ava,” Judy said the next day at practice at the Horsemen's riding ring, “Did I see a black truck outside your bungalow last night?”

It was six
A.M.
, far too early to fend off Judy's curiosity. “Yes, you did, Judy.”

The mayor smiled. “He is a sexy devil, isn't he?”

Ava cantered around the ring again before stopping in front of Judy, who for now was training the team herself until she got a proper offer—or so Judy said. “I don't know if ‘sexy' is the word I'd use.”

“It's one of many you would indeed use,” Judy said with a laugh. “Along with ‘arrogant' and ‘annoying.' ”

“I can't disagree with those.” Ava patted her horse's neck. “He had an idea he wanted to suggest.”

“If Trace had such a great idea, he would have come to me. No doubt his idea had nothing to do with ladies protecting rodeo cowboys. ‘Doing men's work,' as I believe he
called it.” Judy smiled. “I don't believe in men's work. I believe in work. It matters not who does it, and Trace knows I don't have any patience for his quibbling on that detail. Which is why he went to you to share his idea. He knew better than to suggest it to me.” Judy patted Ava's horse on the neck and stroked its nose. “Don't fall for those sexy brown bedroom eyes is my advice.”

Judy had a salient point. Ava looked at her. “Judy, what goes on in Hell isn't really something I'm focused on. Either we have a bullfighting team, or we don't. Trace may have thought of a way to ease us into rodeo work.”

Cameron pulled alongside, her white-and-black horse perfectly trained to stand still. Harper joined them today on her chestnut horse, as well-trained as the rest. Judy nodded with satisfaction.

“Give Trace enough time and he'll figure something out, I'm sure. Never fall for a man's first idea. Trace likes the challenge of keeping his brain busy improving on the first,” Judy said. “Cool your horses down, and then let's go pay a visit to Hattie Hanover. She's the smartest woman in this town, and I always bounce ideas off of her.”

A black truck arrived, gleaming in the sunlight. Judy winked at her Belles, and Ava tried not to stare at Trace as he got out of his truck, ambling loose-hipped toward the ring.

“Ladies,” he said, tipping his hat. “Mayor.”

“So you pay calls to ladies in their bedrooms now, Trace?” Judy demanded. “Ava's so tired from your late-night visit that she can hardly ride today.”

It was far from true. She'd ridden well. But Ava didn't say anything, mainly because Trace's grin was just so shit-eating and pleased with himself thinking that he might have gotten into her head.

“Judy, you've had your fun,” Trace said. “Load up the horses and the Belles, and let's go.”

Judy smiled. “Why should we do that?”

“Yes,” Buck said, coming out of the barn and laying a saddle over a sawhorse. “Why should they?”

Trace looked at the Horsemen as they gathered around, his expression sour. “Because they can ride at my place.”

“They're fine here,” Fallon said. He glared at Trace. “No one's bothering them.”

“You didn't want Judy's team,” Jake pointed out.

“I've had a renaissance.” Trace shrugged. “Sue me.”

“You snooze, you lose,” Rebel said. “Tough luck, Trace.”

Trace looked at Ava. She stared back at him, not saying a word. If he wanted the team, he was going to have to work it out with Judy.

She hoped he did.

He smiled at her, devil-may-care to the max. “You don't want to be here, Judy. You've played your hand, and I'm folding.”

Judy smiled. “Thank you, Trace. I'm anxious to hear this proposal of yours that Ava tells me about.”

“They can train here for free,” Rebel said. “They're not bothering us. No need to take your team where you're not wanted, Judy.”

Ava felt Judy's hesitation. She glanced at Trace.

“You sure are going to a lot of trouble, Trace,” Buck said. “Have to wonder what's in it for you. You don't usually trouble yourself on other folks' behalf.”

Trace looked at Ava, and she felt a strange sizzle flash between them.

“I don't want to see you ruin a good thing, Buck,” Trace said. “And Judy's team has the potential to be a very good thing for Hell.”

“Let's go, girls,” Judy said. “Trace, you can come to my office later to discuss our possible partnership.”

“Judy,” Fallon said, and Judy turned back to face him. “Remember who gave you a place to train, and who was in it for himself. As usual.”

The Horsemen walked away in disgust. Ava felt tension radiating from Trace, but he let the comment slide. His gaze returned to her, and she felt the same hot sizzle she had a moment ago, realizing with a sinking heart that she was falling just a bit for a man whom people described as being pretty much out for himself.

Trace tipped his hat to them, went back to his truck. Ava and the other riders went to the barn to hose down the horses.

“Ava,” Fallon said, picking up a blade to sluice the water from her horse's back. “We're hoping you'll keep training here with us.”

“It's not up to me.”

Fallon took a hoof pick, began picking the packed dirt from her horse's hooves. “We can do more for the team than the Outlaws can.”

“I don't want to get caught in the middle, Fallon. I just ride.”

He sighed, turned to her. “In that case, can I ask you out to dinner?”

She stared at him. “Dinner?”

He nodded. “Someone should show you some of the hot spots Hell has to offer.”

Fallon was handsome, but she wasn't attracted to him.
No, I have to fall for the man with the attitude and the buns of steel
.

“Thank you, but no,” Ava said, uncomfortable.

“All right.” Fallon nodded. “I still hope you and the team stay here.” He walked out of the barn, and Ava released her breath.

Trace hadn't asked her out for a date, not unless one counted trying to drag her fishing, or landing on top of her in the middle of the night just to make his point.

He was a big, tough alpha male. That was his point.

She doubted Trace ever let anyone forget it.

Trace walked into the barn, took her horse's bridle, led the animal from the barn. Without saying a word, he loaded it into the horse trailer hitched to his truck.

“Let's go,” Trace said.

Arrogant. Disagreeable. Pigheaded.

Everything I told myself I'd never fall for again
.

Damn it
.

* * *

“It doesn't matter,” Trace said, glancing over at Ava. “Don't let the Horsemen guilt you. They're working an angle, and it's always a crooked one.”

“That makes no sense.” Ava gave him a look of disgust, which he took with good humor. He was just happy to have her in his truck. Frankly, she'd come with him more easily than he'd thought she would. Especially after he'd overheard Fallon ask her out.

That alone had caused Trace to shift his gears. He hadn't really planned on
dragging Ava off. The plan had been to talk rationally to her, help her put her horse in the barn. Hell, he hadn't had a plan.

Until he'd heard Fallon make his boneheaded offer—and split-second, Trace had known that just couldn't stand.

“It makes sense to me. You don't want to hang out with them, Ava. Trust me.”

“I don't know if I trust you at all. You seem shadier than they do.”

He shook his head. “Just some friendly advice. You don't know the pitfalls of Hell. Friends help each other out.”

“Do they?”

He felt her glare and grinned. Such a sweet, sexy body, so much sass. “Last I checked, yes.”

“You need to sell your idea to Judy. Not me.”

“You let me handle Judy.”

“Fine.” She waved her hand dismissively.

“You don't really like me much, do you?”

Ava looked at him, her dark green eyes gazing at him curiously. “You're arrogant and short-tempered. You didn't want to give us a shot in the first place, and this is the second time you've put me in your truck to twist my arm. Did I miss what I'm supposed to like?”

“Now that you put it like that, I realize I haven't given you much to be impressed with. Let me fix this snag.”

“Go right ahead.”

He turned his truck toward his barns to put her horse away. “If I train you, you'll be a helluva rider.”

“I'm a helluva rider now.”

“Yeah, but when I get done with you, you'll be a badass helluva rider.”

“Why? Why are you suddenly so motivated?”

He laughed, parked the truck. “Maybe I hate to see a nice girl getting taken advantage of by the Horsemen.”

“I'm not being taken advantage of.”

“I meant Judy.” He grinned, enjoying himself.

“It doesn't matter. You're not that kind of guy.”

“Unselfish? Sure I am.” He went around to open her door.

She slid out of the truck. “
Considerate
. You're not considerate enough to try to help us out. Your ego may be involved because you're competitive. But not considerate or unselfish.”

He grabbed her hand, turned her to face him. She'd been sassing him with those pink lips for a few days now, and a man could only take so much.

He kissed her, long and slow and sweet, taking his time since she didn't protest. She felt better than he remembered, even in his wildest fantasies, which he'd had plenty of concerning her. He was dying to move his hands to her waist, circle it, palm her sexy fanny. Told himself it was too fast, and too fast never got a man anywhere.

Her lips moved under his, returning his kiss, surprising him. Had she just moved a fraction closer? She seemed to melt against him, surrendering, and Trace's world spun at all the magical wonder suddenly opening to him.

Somewhere a truck door slammed. Ava gasped, moved away from him. Stared at him, blinking, then silently went to unload her horse.

He followed, then helped her unlock the trailer. She unloaded Mack and walked him to the barn.

“Go away,” she told Trace.

That was it? He'd given her a kiss to melt the hardest heart, and she was telling him to drop dead? “Hey,” he said, “don't freak out.”

“Do I look freaked out?” She walked her horse inside the barn, checked that Mack had fresh, cool water and plenty of fresh hay. “This is the face of annoyed.”