Book Excerpt:
Killer Cowboy Charm

Meg gazed at Clint. "I want to have sex with you."
He froze in the act of reaching for another piece of wood. Slowly he turned to stare at her. "Did you just say . . . ."
"Yes. I don't have time to be coy. I can tell from your expression that you want me, too."
"I want lots of things. That doesn't mean I allow myself to get stupid. And getting involved with you would be very stupid."
"Not if we both promise to keep our mouths shut."
He was breathing a little faster. "It's not me I'm worried about on that score."
"I realize that. You don't know me very well, yet. But I have as much to lose as you do. I can't afford to let anyone know I got it on with my host at the Circle W."
"I don't see what difference it would make. The tabloids are always printing stuff like that. It creates even more interest in the celebrity, doesn't it?"
God, he was gorgeous. Worth spilling her guts for. "In my case it would be the wrong kind of interest. I'm supposed to come across as the girl-next-door type. Mel's a very conservative guy, and he wouldn't want to co-host with a woman who had a reputation for being easy. A fling with you could backfire on me, big-time."
"But you're out here to find a hot cowboy!"
"Yep, and once he's chosen on the show, I could be seen dating him — briefly. I'm not interested in marriage at this stage in my career, and a torrid affair wouldn't be good for my image. A girl-next-door type doesn't have a lot of latitude, I'm discovering."
He nodded. "Okay, I didn't understand that before, but it makes sense. And the last thing you should consider is taking a chance while you're here."
That's why she felt so safe with him. He wasn't reckless. "It's not a big chance, because I know you wouldn't tell." She pointed to her plate. "This is the first fattening food I've had in well over a year. I don't drink beer and I don't eat candy. And I wouldn't dare indulge in a wild affair in Manhattan, so consequently, my sex life is dead, too."
A hint of a smile touched his mouth. "You must really want that career of yours."
"I do! I've sacrificed for years to get to this point! And even though I'm where I dreamed of being, the ratings are slipping, and now Mona the Vulture is sitting in my seat, so I could lose it all!" There. She'd revealed fears she'd only admitted to Jamie. Mona was no girl-next-door type, either, but she'd created that persona for herself and everyone on the show believed it, especially Mel.
"Sounds kind of scary."
"It is." She took a long swallow of her beer and set the glass back on the table. "Rumors are flying that I'm not right for the show. If the ratings are slipping, they have to blame someone, and they sure as heck won't blame Mel. He's untouchable."
"I can't believe you're in danger of losing your spot. The guys in the bunkhouse think you're h—" He coughed and didn't finish the
sentence.
"What?"
"They watch all your shows. Well, except when the reception is lousy. They think you're great."
"Well, sure they started watching when they found out I was coming to Arizona." In the past few days the ratings had spiked all over the West, which had pleased the producers. But Meg was afraid she might win the battle and lose the war to Mona.
"No, they watched before that. If they couldn't be around to see it live, they had Jose tape it."
"That's nice to know. But unfortunately, lots of people have been switching over to Breakfast with Jack and Jenna. The producers hope this Hottest Cowboy promotion will bring them back. That's why they sent me out here. Believe me, it wasn't my idea."
"I thought it was your idea," he said quietly.
"I was kidding when I came up with it. I admitted that I love cowboys, and Mel told me there was no such thing as a real cowboy anymore. I insisted there was, and that maybe I should go find him. It was a joke, but then people started calling in, wanting me to do it. So I had to do it."
"And you don't really want to be here."
She gazed up at him, enjoying the picture of his powerful body surrounded by the glow from the fire. "I didn't want to be here, at first. That was before I met you."
"Except I'm not a real cowboy."
"I'll tell you the truth. I'm a city girl in love with a fantasy. If I found a real cowboy, complete with all those manly rough edges, I probably wouldn't know what to do with him."
"But you think you know what to do with me?"
She looked him over, anticipation making her tremble. "Oh, yeah. I know exactly what to do with you."