Three to Play (3 page)

“So you can willfully misunderstand me again?” She’d lost the battle about setting down ground rules, but she’d be damned before she waved a white flag. “I’d rather not.”

“So you’re a tease. I knew it.”

“I’m not a tease. Look at the clock.”

“Beth, I’ll always take time to
push boundaries
with you.”

She felt her cheeks heat up, partly from anger. The other part, she didn’t want to think about. His unabashed lust for her pulled at her own desires. And Clint didn’t affect her any less. How long had it been since she’d been with a man? Eight months, and only one time before that since the divorce five years ago.

“Dustin, we’ll have to pick this up tomorrow,” Clint interrupted.

Tomorrow?
How many tomorrows on the morning show did she have left with these two? Why was she letting hormones get to her when her job was on the line?

“Hmm. I just know Beth’s got a lot more to share with us.”

The way Dustin looked at her made her heart stutter. Her lust thickened, and she tried to fend it off. No luck.

Clint’s shuttered expression hid his heat…almost. Damn, with both of them in the room talking and exuding sex, she couldn’t think straight.

“I know she does, but we are out of time today. I’m Clint.”

“I’m Dustin.”

“And I’m Beth.”

Clint concluded, “Thanks for tuning in to ninety-four point seven FM, Talk Radio. We’ll be back tomorrow morning at six.”

Warm tingles slid down her spine with every word from Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Dangerous.
  

“Have a great day,” Beth added.

Dustin winked at her. “And a wicked night.”

Her stomach flipped somersaults. God, the cowboy got to her. They both did, but in different ways.
I’m acting like a fool.

The red light went dark. Instantly, the speakers blared the teaser for the midday show. The engineer in the control room killed the sound, and gave a thumbs up to all of them.

Dustin nodded back at the guy.

She stood up. “You’re an asshole, Mr. Lake.”

“I am?”

Was he trying to sound innocent? If so, he failed. In the past few hours since meeting him, she’d gotten a glimpse of how sinful he could be. If he ever turned the full force of his charm on her, how the hell could she resist?

She needed to control her anger and lust, or the first day with these pricks on
her
morning show would be her last. She swallowed her irritation and paused. What next? She must persuade them to accept her as a part of the team.

“Of course, you’re an asshole, but aren’t most men?” She turned to Clint. “At least the phone lines lit up like a Christmas tree.”

His eyes darkened. “That usually happens when we show up.”

“Not on the very first day. The audience loved it. The three of us burned up the airwaves.” Dustin laughed.

Clint didn’t respond, but fixed his hard stare on her. A cold chill spread through her. From nearly boiling to an ice cube in seconds. Not good. She needed to act fast.

Dustin she could win over, but how could she convince Clint to keep her on the show? Perhaps if she got Dustin on her side? After all, if he wanted her on the air with them, how could Clint refuse?

In the past three hours she’d learned their unique dynamic. Dustin’s talent on-air amazed her, like a live wire of energy and flirtatiousness contrasted with Clint’s controlled sensuality. Clint never faltered, hinting at something hidden and formidable underneath all his discipline. She understood why they’d been so successful. The juxtaposition of their diverse personalities produced something that magnetized any who listened. Being near them, she felt totally wowed—but also terrified. The morning had been intense and unnerving. She missed her safe routine, knowing what would come next.

Work your plan, Beth. Revise as necessary. Don’t get sidetracked.

“I enjoyed our first day together,” she lied.

Dustin stretched his arms above his head. “I’ve not had this much fun on a show in a very long time.”

Clint glared at her. Did Dustin’s statement piss him off?
Damn it.
If he perceived she was trying to put a wedge between them, she’d be off the show before she got a chance to win either of them over. She needed to tread lightly.

 
“Still, can we move the topic to something besides sex tomorrow?”

“Nope,” Dustin said flatly. “This worked today and it will work tomorrow. I think we might have something pretty amazing. Let’s keep exploring that and see where this takes us.”

Beth crossed her arms over her chest. Her wishes weren’t swaying them, so maybe logic would. “I don’t want to get on the FCC’s bad side.”

“Just keep it to innuendos, and we’ll be just fine. Besides, I haven’t heard of anyone being seriously fined since Stern.”

Beth didn’t like it, but he was right. The hotter the talk, the more the phones lit up. Maybe playing along
was
her best strategy.

Bright expectation flooded into her like warm Caribbean waters. If listeners loved the chemistry, Clint and Dustin might let her stay on mornings. Not that she wanted to be known for sexual banter, but times were desperate.
Could it be that easy?
Once they finished a couple of rating periods, they’d be off to their next job. If she could survive until then, maybe she’d get her show back. And she needed that. Her job made sense, the only thing in her life that did.

Then she spotted Clint throwing the morning notes into the trashcan, apparently angry. “Dustin, let’s not veer from what works for us.”

Us?
The way he emphasized the word made it clear he meant he and Dustin—minus her. He slammed the lid on her hope.

“You’re the one who always says we need to keep the show fresh. Well, today topped every single one I’ve been a part of.”

Clint folded his arms across his chest. “Let the ratings tell us what is fresh and what works.”

So Dustin liked the idea of keeping her around. Beth wanted to smile, but didn’t. Perhaps later, he’d even break ranks. She needed to exit and let them continue their argument.

“Guys, I’ll see you two tomorrow.”

“Wait. How about grabbing a bite to eat with us?” Dustin made a gesture of spooning food into his mouth.
So playful and sexy.

Clint cocked an eyebrow. “We have a meeting with Candi, Dustin.”

“Fuck that. I’m starving.”

“Fine. I’ll take care of it. Do whatever you want.”

“Beth, you and me. Food. Sound good?”

Trying to stay on the show felt like walking a tightrope. If she made a single misstep, she’d fall to the ground and lose everything. Refusing Dustin now, when he might be her only ally, didn’t seem wise.

“Okay.”

“Clint, you sure you won’t go with us?” Dustin asked.

No answer. Instead, he turned and left.

Chapter Three

Candi leaned back in her chair. “Clint, I’ll work on it, but there’s an issue with Beth’s contract that the lawyers need to work out.”

Clint didn’t give a damn about lawyers or contracts. “Just get it done.”

“But the three of you sounded fantastic this morning. The calls even went into overflow. That has only happened when we gave a car away a couple of months ago.”

“Don’t you think that’s a result of the advertising campaign you launched before we came?” He wanted to believe that, but suspected otherwise. The show had been electric. He clenched his jaw.

“Maybe, but I think this combination works. It’s just your first day here. Try it for a few more days.”

Beth was proving a more worthy opponent than most. Instead of caving whenever he and Dustin threw her curve balls on the air, she knocked them out of the park. The more time Clint spent with Beth, the more he wanted her wet for his taking. The thought radiated heat to his cock.
Fuck.
He hated this lack of control. He wouldn’t allow it.

Obviously, she got to Dustin, too. If Dustin broke their rules, things would get complicated and fucked up—fast.

She must to go to another time slot.

“I don’t care how you do it, just make it happen. I’ll give you a week.”

“It’ll take a month.”

“Candi, I know you can get this done faster.”

She pursed her painted lips in a mulish expression. “I need a month.”

Clint wasn’t backing down. “Two weeks.”

“Impossible.”

“I have no doubt you can work miracles.”

She sighed. “I’ll try.”

“If you can’t make it happen, then per our contract, we walk.”

“Dustin wants her off the show, too?”

His buddy had no idea that Clint had acted already to cut Beth loose. The way Dustin tripped over his tongue whenever Beth was around, Clint didn’t want his buddy to ever know.

“I manage our careers. Dustin is okay with that, so repeating this conversation to him won’t do a bit of good. Nor will telling Beth. If you do, we’ll walk. The station will have no morning show with Moore and Lake.”

Candi glared at him. Maybe he’d pushed too hard, but he had to. He couldn’t spend another month with Beth. Hell, a week was pushing it.

“She’s a good employee and a popular announcer. I have no grounds to fire her.”

“I don’t want her fired, just moved to another time slot.”
Not ideal since she’d still be around the station. Still, she’d be easier to avoid if she were on another show.

“Okay, Clint. I’ll figure something out with the attorneys. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

He did: saving his duo with Dustin and his own sanity.

* * * *

Dustin listened to Clint deliver his closing line. “Thanks for tuning in to ninety-four point seven FM, Talk Radio. We’ll be back Monday.”

“Have a great day,” Beth added.

As Dustin had done since the very first show, he winked at her. “And a wicked night.”

Every one of his attempts to seduce Beth off-air fell like a ton of bricks.

The red light went off and the speakers quieted.

He turned to his co-announcers. “Can you believe we’ve only been on air together for two weeks?”

Neither Clint nor Beth answered. His buddy glared. She shuffled papers, refusing to look at him.

Damn.

Their time together burned up the airways. They knew it. He wanted to add Beth permanently to the mix professionally—and personally. But as the show’s ratings rocketed through the stratosphere, Clint’s mood grew more sullen. Beth had admitted to Dustin that, regardless of results, she didn’t believe management would keep her on the show much longer. Dustin would have to work harder at convincing Clint to expand their duo to a trio. Otherwise, Clint would do his dirty work and Beth would be gone.