the room, closed the door behind her, and thudded back against it for a moment, her heart thundering.
She’d had the chance to make love with Chad again, and she had blown it.
For a stupid pageant she really had no interest in winning.
Chapter Ten
T hat beautiful woman had walked away from him.
Chad switched the shower to lukewarm—he never could take a cold shower—and slid down the cold tile to sit on the floor. The water pelted his body.
He wasn’t going to just get over her. This was insanity, plain and simple.
He’d been worried his ultimate rejection would hurt her. Her and her schoolgirl crush.
He’d never dreamed she might reject him .
Was that a little bit of pain he felt in his heart? Nah, couldn’t be.
She was just another beautiful woman, right? Beautiful women were a dime a dozen, and right now there were at least a dozen down at the party waiting to fawn all over him. Might as well take advantage of it. Even if the one he wanted was bound and determined to do the ethical thing.
He respected her for that. Caitlyn Bay was all class. All elegance and inner, as well as outer, beauty. Part of him was glad she’d stopped him, because all heaven knew he couldn’t have stopped himself. He was a judge, after all, and she was a contestant.
Chad stood, rinsed off, and turned off the water. Time to get back to business.
He dressed and returned to the party, but Catie was gone. Amber hung onto him, and she sure was pretty. Her pert little bottom looked darn nice in that red thong.
“Sweetheart,” he said, “how’d you like to have a drink?”
“You’re crazy,” Amber said. “Now you want to be with me?”
“Sure.” He trailed his finger over her shoulder lightly. Funny, none of the sparks he felt when he touched Catie. Still, her skin was warm and soft, and imagining his lips sliding over it was a pleasant image indeed. “Come on, honey. This party’s dying down anyway. Let’s go. I’m not suggesting anything improper, just a drink.”
Amber swatted his hand away from her face. “Are you trying to get me disqualified?”
“Huh?”
“You think I can’t see where this is headed? You sleep with me, and I’m thrown out of the rodeo queen competition. You’re nuts. I’ve worked too hard for this.”
“Aw, hell, Amber, you only signed up last week, same as Catie.”
“Well, it means just as much to me as it does to Catie. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“Like what?”
“You’d like to sleep with me and have me disqualified, so your precious Catie can win.”
“My precious Catie? What the hell are you talkin’ about? I was suggesting you and I have a drink together. Nothing more.”
“You haven’t taken your eyes off her all night. The other girls and I, we’ve noticed.”
“Amber, I’m not the only judge.”
“Surely you have some influence over your brothers.”
Chad couldn’t help the boisterous guffaw that flew from his throat. “Honey, I have about as much control over those two as a fly has over a spider. I’m the baby of the family, and they never let me forget it.”
“Still, I’ll have to pass.”
“Fine. Fine.” Chad rolled his eyes. Amber didn’t stoke his fire anyway. He’d truly only wanted some company, not a fuck. There was only one woman he wanted to take to his bed.
He hadn’t yet had enough of Catie Bay.
What the hell he was going to do about that?
----
T wo days later , Catie and Ladybird waited their turn at the patterns. Amber had already competed, and Catie had been surprised to see that the other woman actually knew her way around a horse. She’d watched with fascination as Amber flawlessly ran the patterns. Amber hailed from San Antonio, so Catie shouldn’t have been surprised. Her horse was a beauty, too—a creamy white Appaloosa mare with brown spots.
But no horse could compare to Ladybird. Ladybird was pure chocolate all over, even her mane and tale. Catie had curried her to a fine shine and had her re-shod a
She’d had the chance to make love with Chad again, and she had blown it.
For a stupid pageant she really had no interest in winning.
Chapter Ten
T hat beautiful woman had walked away from him.
Chad switched the shower to lukewarm—he never could take a cold shower—and slid down the cold tile to sit on the floor. The water pelted his body.
He wasn’t going to just get over her. This was insanity, plain and simple.
He’d been worried his ultimate rejection would hurt her. Her and her schoolgirl crush.
He’d never dreamed she might reject him .
Was that a little bit of pain he felt in his heart? Nah, couldn’t be.
She was just another beautiful woman, right? Beautiful women were a dime a dozen, and right now there were at least a dozen down at the party waiting to fawn all over him. Might as well take advantage of it. Even if the one he wanted was bound and determined to do the ethical thing.
He respected her for that. Caitlyn Bay was all class. All elegance and inner, as well as outer, beauty. Part of him was glad she’d stopped him, because all heaven knew he couldn’t have stopped himself. He was a judge, after all, and she was a contestant.
Chad stood, rinsed off, and turned off the water. Time to get back to business.
He dressed and returned to the party, but Catie was gone. Amber hung onto him, and she sure was pretty. Her pert little bottom looked darn nice in that red thong.
“Sweetheart,” he said, “how’d you like to have a drink?”
“You’re crazy,” Amber said. “Now you want to be with me?”
“Sure.” He trailed his finger over her shoulder lightly. Funny, none of the sparks he felt when he touched Catie. Still, her skin was warm and soft, and imagining his lips sliding over it was a pleasant image indeed. “Come on, honey. This party’s dying down anyway. Let’s go. I’m not suggesting anything improper, just a drink.”
Amber swatted his hand away from her face. “Are you trying to get me disqualified?”
“Huh?”
“You think I can’t see where this is headed? You sleep with me, and I’m thrown out of the rodeo queen competition. You’re nuts. I’ve worked too hard for this.”
“Aw, hell, Amber, you only signed up last week, same as Catie.”
“Well, it means just as much to me as it does to Catie. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“Like what?”
“You’d like to sleep with me and have me disqualified, so your precious Catie can win.”
“My precious Catie? What the hell are you talkin’ about? I was suggesting you and I have a drink together. Nothing more.”
“You haven’t taken your eyes off her all night. The other girls and I, we’ve noticed.”
“Amber, I’m not the only judge.”
“Surely you have some influence over your brothers.”
Chad couldn’t help the boisterous guffaw that flew from his throat. “Honey, I have about as much control over those two as a fly has over a spider. I’m the baby of the family, and they never let me forget it.”
“Still, I’ll have to pass.”
“Fine. Fine.” Chad rolled his eyes. Amber didn’t stoke his fire anyway. He’d truly only wanted some company, not a fuck. There was only one woman he wanted to take to his bed.
He hadn’t yet had enough of Catie Bay.
What the hell he was going to do about that?
----
T wo days later , Catie and Ladybird waited their turn at the patterns. Amber had already competed, and Catie had been surprised to see that the other woman actually knew her way around a horse. She’d watched with fascination as Amber flawlessly ran the patterns. Amber hailed from San Antonio, so Catie shouldn’t have been surprised. Her horse was a beauty, too—a creamy white Appaloosa mare with brown spots.
But no horse could compare to Ladybird. Ladybird was pure chocolate all over, even her mane and tale. Catie had curried her to a fine shine and had her re-shod a
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