The Cowboy Next Door. Marin Thomas
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a national title. Both her brothers and her father had won rodeo titles and she was determined to win one, too.
If only she hadn’t fallen victim to C.J.’s charm when they’d first hit the road together, but she’d been no match for the womanizing cowboy and had stupidly believed he’d remain faithful to her after they made love. She’d learned her lesson the hard way when the very next day C.J. flirted with a rodeo groupie right in front of her. Whatever romantic feelings she once carried for him had died a quick death, which made acting like a lovesick couple all the more difficult.
She really didn’t care if he slept with other women, as long as he kept his liaisons private. If fans believed their romance was a big lie, ticket sales might plummet, then Dynasty Boots would pull their sponsorship—and there went her shot at the title.
“You here alone?”
Shannon felt the whisper of a breath near her ear. She spun and came face-to-face with Johnny Cash. “I’ll buy you a beer,” he said.
“I could use one, thanks.”
“Comin’ right up.”
Shannon watched Johnny saunter over to the bar, admiring the snug fit of his jeans. When he came back with their drinks, he motioned to a table on the other side of the dance floor. Once they were seated, she had trouble keeping her eyes off his face. Why had she never noticed how sexy his chiseled jaw was before now? “How’s Dixie?”
“She and Gavin are trying for another baby.”
Poor Dixie. She’d suffered a miscarriage last fall and although the pregnancy hadn’t been planned, she’d been devastated. “I hope everything goes well this time.”
A stilted silence grew between them and Shannon squirmed in her chair. Since when had she ever had trouble talking to Johnny? “I’m sorry you had to witness the spat between C.J. and me.” She picked at the label on the beer bottle and made a pile of confetti on the table. When she chanced a glance at Johnny, he was grinning. “What?”
“Like I said before, Rodriguez is a fool.” He saluted her with his beer, then took a swig.
Shannon fought a smile. Johnny had always made her feel better when she’d been down in the dumps. “Speaking of relationships, are you still with Sherry...Cheryl—”
“Charlene. We broke up.”
“I’m sorry. Dixie never said anything.”
“She doesn’t know yet.”
“So your breakup with Charlene is fairly recent?”
“You could say that, but we’ve been growing apart for a while.” He nodded to the crowded floor. “Care to dance?”
“Sure.” Shannon wasn’t in any hurry to go to the motel room and sleep, only to be jarred awake in the middle of the night from the headboard banging against the wall in the room next to hers as C.J. and his latest buckle bunny went at it.
Johnny held out his hand and she threaded her fingers through his, finding his callused grip comforting. He pulled her close and they swayed to the music, his six-foot-one frame towering over her five feet six inches. For as long as she’d known Johnny he’d made her feel safe.
“Where does Mack’s band play?” she asked.
“What?” Johnny bent his head, moving his ear close to her mouth.
She caught a whiff of cologne and breathed deeply. “I asked where Mack and his band performed.” Someone nudged Shannon from behind and her mouth bumped Johnny’s cheek. A tingling sensation spread through her lips.
He swung her away from the exuberant dance couple. “The Cowboy Rebels play the bars in Stagecoach.”
Before Shannon replied, a voice from behind her spoke. “Thanks for leaving me stranded at the rodeo.”
Her feet stopped moving and Johnny’s fingers tightened against her back as he swung her to face C.J.
“I assumed one of your bunnies would give you a ride into Yuma,” she said.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve complaining about me being with other women when you’re chasing after your own cowboys.” C.J. glared at Johnny.
She pulled her hand free from Johnny’s and said, “Can you give us a minute?”
After Johnny left the dance floor, C.J. twirled her between the other couples. “I want you to stop flirting with women at the rodeos,” she said.
“Jealous?”
“Hardly.” She snorted. “You’re not going to ruin my chances at a national title because you can’t stick to the script and pretend we’re a couple.”
“You really think you can beat me in Tucson?”
“Damn straight.” Her answer made him laugh.
“If you don’t keep your love interests out of the public eye, the fans will catch on that our romance is made-up and neither of us will win anything because Dynasty Boots will break our contract.”
C.J.’s expression sobered. “Okay, I’ll tell the ladies they have to sit in the bleachers with all the other fans.”
“And make sure you don’t leave the arena with any of your bunnies. Meet up with them somewhere else.”
“Same goes for you and the ‘Boy Named Sue.’” He nodded to Johnny.
C.J. could be a real ass sometimes, but she let his sarcasm slide. If not for the night he’d gotten drunk when they’d first hit the road together and spilled his guts about his traumatic childhood, she might never have fallen for him. Like her, he’d been raised by a single father until he was nine and his father was sent to prison for killing C.J.’s mother. C.J. spent the next several years shuffling between foster homes until he ran away at the age of fifteen. Rodeo was C.J.’s family and like most families there were some siblings you got along with and others you didn’t. For whatever reason, the Cash clan rubbed C.J. the wrong way.
“Johnny’s like a big brother to me. Nothing’s going to happen between us.”
“He didn’t act like a big brother earlier today.”
“Do we have a deal then?” She didn’t want to discuss Johnny.
“I’ll try my best.” He offered a cocky bow, then sauntered out of the bar.
“Ready for another beer?” Johnny asked a moment later.
Why not? It had been a long time since she’d let her hair down and enjoyed a few dances with a handsome cowboy—even if the cowboy happened to be her best friend’s brother.
Chapter Two
“One more dance,” Shannon whispered in Johnny’s ear.
Once Rodriguez had left the bar, Shannon had insisted on dancing up a storm—so much for mourning his breakup with Charlene. The band had left an hour ago and now oldies but goodies played on the jukebox. “How many beers have you had tonight?” he asked.
“Three.” She wiggled closer, her hips rubbing the front of his jeans with just enough friction to start a riot behind the zipper.
He’d done an admirable job pretending she didn’t arouse him, but each song they danced to, he found it more difficult to remember that Shannon was his sister’s best friend and the boss’s daughter. Time to end the torment. He took her hand and guided her toward the exit.
“Well, damn.” The curse floated from Shannon’s mouth as soon as they stepped outside the Whiskey River Saloon.
Johnny surveyed the dark parking lot. “What’s the matter?”
“He took off with the truck.”
“Who?”
“C.J.