Chad’s name was Charles? Catie smiled. She never knew.

Not a beauty pageant? She scoffed. Right. What was the swimwear modeling for?

She read the letter—which had arrived via special messenger, due, no doubt to her late entry into the contest—again. She’d have to have Annie do a Coggins on Ladybird to make sure the horse was free of equine infectious anemia. She wasn’t sure she had record of the last one.

A three to five minute speech on her platform? She chuckled. She could talk all year about horses. Narrowing it down would be the difficulty.

Judy Williamson. The owner of the salon where Amber worked. Would that give Amber an in? She laughed out loud. No more than sleeping with Chad McCray would give her an in. In fact, she’d better keep that little tidbit quiet or she might be disqualified.

Not too much of a problem. She’d left his house Sunday morning. Here it was Tuesday, and he’d made no attempt to see her.

Catie put the letter aside and looked at the agenda. The party and fashion show was tomorrow night! And she had to call Judy with a description of her outfits. Help! And she’d need a photo of herself, too. Quickly!

Annie’d be busy all day, and Dusty wasn’t much of a fashion expert. But Catie’s big sister, Angie, was. She’d get Angie to take her shopping today. Maybe they’d drive to Denver, even.

Friday evening was the horsemanship event. Catie glanced at the patterns. Yes! She and Ladybird would have no difficulty. She giggled, wondering if Amber and her acrylic nails had ever been on a horse.

Saturday was the big day. The luncheon was at noon, during which Catie would make her speech. Afterward, each contestant would have a personal interview with the judges.

She froze.

A personal interview with Chad. How would she face him? Zach and Dallas would be there, too, but still…

She read on. She’d ride in the Grand Entry that evening, with introductions and crowning at 7:30 p.m., before the rodeo events started. On Sunday, there’d be a parade, and the new rodeo queen would lead it.

Okay. She could do this.

She scanned the rules and regulations quickly.

Yeah, yeah. The age limit, eighteen to twenty-two. The horse papers and Coggins test. No stallions. Conduct yourself properly. Jeans and a long sleeve western blouse for the horsemanship. No gloves or chaps.

Rule number ten stared out at her, as though mocking her.

She sighed. Not a problem. The only man she wanted to marry had no interest in marrying her. Done deal. She could be the rodeo queen.

---

Wednesday evening came before Catie felt ready. As she waited for her turn to model her western wear, she stared at the other contestants. They all looked more elegant than she did. What had she been thinking? Chad was right. She was just a kid. A kid trying to act like a grown-up. Didn’t matter that most of these contestants were younger than she was. They’d started preparing months ago.

“You’re up next, Caitlyn,” Amber said, rubbing her shoulder. “Then me. I’m so nervous.”

Amber looked beautiful in a black satin western shirt and white leather jeans. Catie felt infantile next to her, wearing the studded red shirt she’d chosen. She’d decided against the leather jeans and wore black denim. Angie had tried to talk her into leather, but Catie hated the way it felt against her skin. Sticky and stifling in the summer heat. But her red ostrich boots looked good, and her red-and-black studded belt.

“Caitlyn Bay!” Judy called.

“Go.” Amber nudged her. “And good luck.”

“Yeah, you too,” Catie said, trying not to hurl.

She walked out to the makeshift runway that had been set up in the arena.

The emcee’s deep voice began. “Next up is Bakersville’s own Caitlyn Bay.”

Catie wished she’d taken Annie’s advice about Vaseline on her teeth. Her lips stuck to her gums. “Caitlyn is twenty-one years old and recently returned to Bakersville after studying at the Sorbonne in Paris for four years. We’re glad to have her back. She’s the daughter of Wayne and Maria Bay of Cha Cha Ranch.

“Caitlyn is wearing a Nash western shirt of crimson silk accented with silver studs.”

Catie turned, sticking her hips out and her shoulders back, as Annie had taught her. Hoping like hell she didn’t look like a complete moron.

“Caitlyn’s studded leather belt is also by Nash, and her boot cut black denims are by Levi Strauss. She sports gold-tipped red ostrich boots by Anderson Bean. Thank you, Caitlyn.”

Catie smiled to the crowd, and then, as Annie had taught her, met each judge’s eyes. Her breath caught when Chad’s dark gaze converged with hers. His eyes burned into her. Zach and Dallas were busy writing, but Chad’s eyes never left her. She whipped her head around, but her ankle wobbled. She caught herself and walked off the stage.

“Next up is Amber Cross,” the emcee said.

Catie rushed to her makeshift dressing room and sat down, breathing heavily. She’d done everything Annie said. She’d made eye contact with the judges, and it had damn near taken her out of the competition.

How the hell was she going to do it in the freaking bikini she had to put on?

The bikini had been Angie’s idea. Catie had wanted to go for a maillot.

“You’ve got the bod, sweetie,” Angie had said. “Use it to your advantage.”

Yeah, she was really going to hurl.

Her hands shaking, she stripped out of her western outfit and dressed in the bikini. Had it been this tiny in the store yesterday?

Why did she want to do this again?

She tied the silky cover-up over her hips and waited for Judy to call her.

It happened what seemed like only seconds later.

“Catie Bay! You’re up.”

She took a deep breath and swallowed, hoping she wouldn’t trip in the black stilettos Angie had insisted upon. She spied Amber in a red thong bikini. God. Angie had wanted to go thong, but Catie had put her foot down. Angie had wanted to go red, too. No way. Wearing a red sundress to a family party was one thing, another thing altogether to strut around in a candy-apple-red bikini.

“Here’s Bakersville’s own Caitlyn Bay again, wearing a sea-green bikini by Lenny.”

Catie smiled as she walked outward. The crowd cheered. Had they cheered that loudly when she’d worn her western wear? She wasn’t sure.

“The bandeau top features a malachite adornment in the center and is fully lined. The American bottom—”

Catie inhaled and untied the cover up, flipping it behind her shoulder. Again she stuck out her hips.

“—features soft construction sides for a smooth and flattering fit.” He cleared his throat. “It provides moderate coverage in the back.” Catie turned around.

She walked down the platform and again made eye contact with Dallas, and then Zach. She swallowed, gulped in a quick breath, and turned up her lips in what she hoped was a dazzling smile. She met Chad’s gaze.

His mouth had dropped, and he looked like he’d been knocked into a cocked hat.

---

“Tough call,” Zach said, after all the contestants had finished modeling.

“Not too tough,” Dallas drawled. “I know who my pick is.”

“Me too,” Zach agreed. “How about you, Chad?”

Chad hadn’t breathed since Catie left the stage. He wasn’t sure who had come next, or how many. The image of her gorgeous breasts covered by that strip of sea-green silk burned into his mind. All he could think about was ripping the thing off her and clamping his mouth onto one of her sweet nipples. And that moderate covering bottom had done more for him than all the thongs he’d seen. Hell, he knew the precious treasure that silk covered. “Don’t know. They were all pretty.”

Zach grinned. “Didn’t you think there was one who stood out?”

“Like I said”—he cleared his throat—“I don’t know.”

“Well, you’d better make a decision,” Dallas said. “You have to rate them.”

Chad choked. The thought of his older brothers—of any other men, and there were plenty in the audience—seeing Catie in that sexy getup was more than his heart—and another stubborn part of his anatomy—could take. His jeans were so tight right now, he thought he might burst.

“This is stupid,” he said, and hurriedly scribbled random numbers next to each of the contestants’ names. When he got to Catie, he couldn’t help himself.

He gave her a twelve.

The top score was ten.

---

Catie put the cover-up back on for the party. Stupid tradition dictated that the competitors wear their swimwear to the outdoor festivities held poolside at the hotel. She’d tossed the stilettos and was wandering around in bare feet. The light pink toenail polish Angie had applied made her feel conspicuous, but Amber had fire-engine red on, so Catie decided she was being silly. She chatted with some of the other contestants and a few friends from town. The spread was fabulous, but she couldn’t eat. She was still fighting nausea from her nerves. She felt naked. Like she was having one of those naked dreams when she was a kid. Didn’t make sense. All the other girls were dressed just as she was, many more skimpily.

Still, goose bumps erupted on her flesh, despite the heat.

This wasn’t really her.

But she’d gotten into this, and she was determined to see it through.

When the McCray brothers arrived, the contestants flocked to them, offering to freshen their drinks, their plates, kiss their muscular asses… Well, not quite.

Catie thought she might hurl again.

Amber, of course, hung all over Chad. Was it possible he’d taken her to bed since they’d been together?

Catie’s heart fell at the thought. No. He wouldn’t do that, if for no other reason than it would be unethical to bed one of the contestants when he was a judge.

Of course, it hadn’t stopped him from bedding her, which meant he really hadn’t believed she’d enter. No one thought she’d go through with it.

He hadn’t contacted her at all. She sighed. He’d made it quite clear they had no future. And she had accepted it. At least she thought she had. At the time, it had seemed a small price to pay to be loved by him once.

How was she to know that once with Chad McCray would never be enough?

“Hey, you looked gorgeous.”

Catie turned and faced Annie’s pretty face. “Oh, thanks. I couldn’t have done it without your tips. Or Angie’s fashion advice.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I feel like a deer caught in headlights, Annie. How do those other girls walk around nearly naked without a constant blush on their faces? I don’t get it.”

“Yeah, I never liked the swimsuit part of pageantry either,” Annie agreed. “But you have to admit it tests your poise. It’s not easy strutting your stuff dressed in next to nothing.”

“No kidding. So, did I…”

“Did you what?”

“Did I look poised? I mean, I was fighting back puke the whole time, Annie, and I should have taken your advice about the Vaseline. My lips stuck to my teeth something awful.”

Annie laughed in her boisterous way. “You looked beautiful, hon. Just gorgeous. And I didn’t notice anything off about your smile. You did a great job of holding the contents of your belly in. Every man around me couldn’t take his eyes off you. The women either, for that matter.”

“I just never thought of myself as pageant material.”

“I know. Neither did I, but I did okay. And so can you.”

“You still can, Annie. Your exotic looks are timeless.”

“Hon, I’m an old married woman of thirty-four with two babies.”

“There are scads of pageants for older women.”

“Not for me.” She laughed. “But I appreciate the compliment. You, however, are young enough to make a go of this. You’ve got the height, the looks, the poise. You were absolutely amazing out there. You’re going to win this thing, Catie.”

“Well, if I win this one, it’ll be because of my horsemanship and equestrian knowledge. Not how good I look in a bikini,” she said flatly. “I can ride circles around these other girls.”

“I’ve no doubt of that,” Annie said. “With the McCray boys judging, they’ll put lots of stock in the horse part, much more than the bikini part.” She winked. “Except maybe for the youngest.”

Catie warmed under her friend’s violet gaze. “Yeah, he does love the ladies,” she said wistfully.

“That he does, hon,” Annie said. “But make no mistake about it, you’ve caught his eye.”

“He thinks I’m a kid.”

“I’d bet he doesn’t think that anymore. Anyone who saw you modeling that bikini tonight couldn’t possibly think you were a kid. You’re a grown woman, Catie. You’ve lived abroad. You’ve seen the world. You’ve still got a lot to learn, but no one can call you a kid anymore.”

“Chad can.”

“Chad’ll see the light of day. Don’t you worry.”

Catie rolled her eyes. “How can he see the light of day with Amber and her thong blocking his view?”

Annie laughed. “Haven’t you noticed?”

“Noticed what?”

“Amber and her thong may be hanging on his arm. And those other girls might be fetching his drinks, wiggling their boobs and their butts in his face, but his eyes haven’t left you since we got here.”

Catie’s heart lurched, and she looked behind her shoulder to Chad. Sure enough, she caught his gaze. He looked away.

“Maybe you ought to go offer to get him something.”

“And play those silly games? I’d rather be hung by my toenails from barbed wire.”

“Silly games they may be, but do you want some other woman to get her claws in your man?”

“My man?”

“Hell, yes, your man. Fight for him, hon. He wants you. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

Oh, he knows it, Catie thought. Physically, at least. Emotionally, though… That was the key. He needed to fall in love with her, as she had with him. And Annie did have a point. She was wasting a valuable opportunity to get close to him.

“All right, Annie. If you’ll excuse me.”

Catie turned and marched straight toward Chad McCray and his harem. So focused was her gaze, so focused her concentration, that she didn’t see the waiter wheeling a cart full of food perpendicular to her until it was too late. She lost her footing and landed in the hotel pool.

The scream lodged in her throat erupted just as the liquid covered her face, causing her to gulp in a mouthful of the chlorinated water. Instinctively, she breathed in through her nose, and though she had been a champion swimmer in high school, she found herself floundering in the five-feet-deep pool. What a clumsy idiot.

A strong hand steadied her. “You okay?” A deep voice said.

She coughed and looked into the handsome face of Joe Bradley, the town mechanic.

“Yeah, I think so,” she sputtered.

Joe’s gaze dropped to her chest. What? She looked down and gasped. Her bandeau bikini top was gone!

Why had she listened to Angie and gone strapless? Was it around her waist? No. A strip of sea green floated on the bottom of the pool, away from her.

This could only happen to Catie Bay. The girl who tripped over her own two feet daily. The girl who was brilliant on horseback, but a calamity on her own legs.

She crushed her arms around her chest.

“Get away from her, Bradley!” came Chad’s voice. He stood at the edge of the pool and stripped off his western shirt. His golden chest gleamed in the setting sun. “Come on, Catie,” he said. “I’ve got you.”

“Chad, I can’t.”

“Sure you can. Just come over here to the ladder and step out. I’ll get you covered. Don’t worry.”

Snickers and catcalls cut through the haze of Catie’s thoughts. She was waterlogged. She couldn’t see, couldn’t think. She tightened her arms around her chest. Her breasts weren’t huge, but they were big enough that her arms wouldn’t cover them all the way. A bronze nipple peeked out, pebbled from the cold water.

“I think I know who’s gonna win that contest!” A voice shouted.

“Shut the fuck up!” Chad said. “Leave her alone.” He turned back to Catie. “Come on, I got you.”

In her haze, she walked to the ladder, still coughing from the pool water. As soon as her chest left the water, Chad had her covered with his shirt. “Come on, sugar. Let’s get you dried off.”

“Ch-Chad.” Her teeth chattered, and she wondered why. She wasn’t cold. Nerves. Had to be nerves. The laughter and jeering met her ears with force. All eyes were on her. She must be turning thirteen shades of crimson.

“What?”

“It was an accident.”

He chuckled, the warmth of his arm around her shoulders a comfort. “I know that.”

“I just didn’t want you to think—”

“That you’d orchestrate a stunt like that to get attention? To help win the contest?” He shook his head as they entered the hotel.

The air-conditioning hit Catie with a snap. Now she shivered even more.

“Some of those girls might try something like that, but not you. You’ve got too much class. Don’t think I didn’t notice how you tried your damnedest to stay away from Zach, Dallas, and me, while most of the other contestants were falling all over themselves to serve us. That doesn’t hold water with me. Or with Zach and Dallas. We’ll pick our winner based on merit. Fair and square.”

“Oh. Yeah, I know you will.” Her teeth chattered again. She’d grind them down to stubs if this kept up.

“Come on, let’s get you taken care of.” He headed toward the elevators, dragging her along.

“Where are we going?”

“My room.”

“You have a room here?”

“Yeah. I decided to stay in town tonight. In case I imbibed a little too much at the party.” He pushed the button. “Tenth floor.”

“But…I need my clothes.”

“Are they in your car? I’ll have the bellhop get them.”

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, that’d be fine.”

“I’ll make sure someone gets your bikini top, too.”

She scoffed. “Really, I couldn’t care less. I doubt I’ll ever wear the thing again.”

“Now sugar, for you not to wear that thing again would be a crime against nature. You sure looked pretty.”

Her body heated with his words.

“Course you look prettier without it.” The elevator doors closed, and Chad opened his shirt and burned his gaze onto her breasts. Heat blazed on her body, especially between her legs.

“You are so damn beautiful, Catie. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you when you were strutting on that stage. I wanted to punch both my brothers right there for looking at you.”

“They weren’t looking at me.”

“The hell they weren’t. They may be happily married, but they appreciate a beautiful woman as much as the next man does. In fact, I wanted to punch every man there. No man should get to see you like that.”

“It’s beachwear, Chad. Women wear it all the time.”

“Not my woman.”

Catie’s heart lurched. Had she heard correctly? He hadn’t just referred to her as “his woman,” had he? She thought about asking, but didn’t dare. He might take it back. She sighed. He probably didn’t even realize he’d said it.

Chad closed the shirt when the elevator reached its destination. The hall was vacant, thank God. She didn’t need anyone seeing her going into Chad’s room. That couldn’t possibly look good for the competition. Though not explicitly stated in the rules, fraternizing with a judge had to be against pageant regulations.

“Go on in the bathroom and dry off,” Chad said. “I’ll call downstairs and have your clothes brought up. What’s your car make and license number?”

“It’s a green Accord, with”—she hesitated—“Catie Bug vanity plates.” She warmed with embarrassment. “I need to get that changed.”

Chad chuckled as he picked up the hotel phone. Catie headed to the bathroom. Afraid to look in the mirror, she went straight to the shower. She hated chlorine on her skin. It made her itch like the dickens. A shower was her only option. She turned it on and the water left the showerhead with a whoosh. Once the room was good and steamy, she stepped inside.

This was Bakersville’s finest hotel—which wasn’t saying much. The shampoo was cheap and runny, but she made do. After lathering her head twice, she rinsed it out and smoothed on the equally unimpressive conditioner. While she let it soak in, she lathered her body and got rid of the wretched chlorine.

Chad knocked on the door and then entered. “Damn, sugar, what’d you get in the shower for? You tryin’ to tempt me with candy?”

“I hate chlorine on my skin, Chad. Get out of here!”

“I had to go down and get your clothes myself. The bellhops were all busy. All two of them.” He laughed. But he didn’t leave the room.

“I said go on, now,” Catie said.

“Hmm. This is quite a dilemma, isn’t it? I’m thinking I might need a shower myself. I’ve been knee deep in this pageant bullshit since sunup. Got hands runnin’ the ranch.”

“Yeah. If you haven’t been ranching, you don’t need a shower. Get out!”

“I’ve already got my shirt off…” Chad pulled off his boots and socks and unbuckled his jeans. “Don’t know whether I can trust you alone in the shower, anyway. Never took you for such a klutz, falling into the pool in the middle of a party. Can’t imagine what might happen to you on a slippery shower floor.” All the while his lazy grin lit up his handsome face. “Seems like we have some unfinished business in a shower.”

“Chad…no. It’s unethical. I’m a contestant. You’re a judge.”

“You’ll just have to disqualify yourself.”

He pulled down his jeans and boxers, leaving them in a heap. His arousal sprang forward, and Catie widened her eyes. Still gorgeous. Still huge. Still all for her.

He opened the shower door and joined her, crushing her to his hard muscular body. “Damn, you feel good, sugar.”

“Chad…”

His mouth clamped onto hers, and she was lost. The kiss fired her blood like nothing had before. His tongue tangled with hers, tasting, devouring, until she had to rip her mouth away to breathe. Embers smoldered between her legs. Chad gripped her breasts as he sucked on her neck, her shoulders.

“I need you.”

Need? He needed her? He hadn’t said he wanted her. He said he needed her. That had to be a good thing, right?

He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his hips, meeting his mouth again. The head of his shaft teased her entrance. Then, “Damn.”

“What?”

“Forgot the condom.”

“Oh.”

For a moment, Catie remembered the torn condom in Chad’s bedroom. She’d been so busy readying for the pageant, she hadn’t thought about that in days.

They were absolutely not having sex without a condom. She removed her legs from his hips and slid down his body.

In fact, they weren’t having sex, period. It would be unethical, and they had already engaged in behavior unbefitting a contestant and a judge. She needed to get dressed and leave.

Now.

If she didn’t, she’d fall right into bed with him—God, how she wanted to fall into bed with him—but Catie Bay was a good girl. She followed the rules.

Well, sort of.

She needed to get into her clothes and get back down to the party before anyone realized how long she and Chad had been gone together.

She pushed him away and left the shower stall, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her dripping body.

“Sugar, I can pull out.”

“This isn’t happening, Chad. It’s unethical.”

“It’s not like we’ve never done this before.”

“Before I wasn’t an official contestant. I am now, and this is unethical.” She dried off quickly with a soft hotel towel and wrapped her hair in another, trying to ignore her racing pulse, the flutter between her legs. “I’m getting dressed, and I’m rejoining the party. I suggest you do the same.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry I put you in this position. I should know better.”

Chad left the stall and dried off, deliberately, or so it seemed to Catie, wiggling his gorgeously-formed ass in her face.

“I’ve already lost points for my clumsiness at falling into that damn pool, and I—”

“You haven’t lost any points. Zach and Dallas won’t hold that against you.”

“I was in the middle of a sentence, Chad.”

“Sorry,” he chuckled, “ma’am.”

“So they won’t hold it against me. What about you?” She stared straight into his long lashed eyes.

“Sugar, there are tons of things I’d love to hold against you.” He moved toward her, his body dripping, but she wriggled out of his reach. “Tripping into the pool ain’t one of them.”

Catie took a deep breath, trying not to stare at his powerful thighs, the dark hair matted down by water. “I need to borrow your hairbrush.” Without waiting for an answer, she rummaged through his shaving bag and pulled out a brush. She brushed her hair quickly and fluffed it with her fingers. It would have to air dry. She pinched her cheeks and then left the bathroom to put on her clothes.

A few minutes later, she was clad in her black denims, red shirt, and ostrich boots. Much better than the bikini. Chad hadn’t left the bathroom. She had left the bikini bottom in the bathroom. Well, no harm done. She’d rather not see the damn thing again, anyway.

She left 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.