Julie Benson - Bet on a Cowboy

“We’ve never had a bachelor unhappy with our choices before.”

“When I’ve studied the bios, if I don’t like what I see, I want veto power.”

She clasped her hands in front of her. “Veto power? Tell me you’re not a control freak.”

“Like I said, I’m pretty laid-back, but I’m not big on trusting someone I just met with something this important.”

Maggie bit her lip, and her leaf-green eyes focused on him. He froze. The intensity in her gaze surprised and intrigued him. Such fire. If it weren’t for her gorgeous eyes, he’d call her plain, but they changed everything.

A woman with that much heat flashing in her eyes, but dressed in pants two sizes too big and a baggy cardigan, made Griffin wonder what she wanted to hide and why.

“If we break the bachelorettes’ contracts we still have to pay them. That would cost the show money. But more importantly, recasting would take time we don’t have. We’re scheduled to start shooting in two weeks.”

“You could always find another bachelor. But if you do, it’s your loss.”

He shot her the smile he’d used with his high school teachers whenever he asked for an assignment extension. It hadn’t failed him yet.

“It seems unreasonable for you to have complete veto power.”

When faced with her resistance, he paused to calculate his next move. He wanted to be able to make changes in case there weren’t enough career-minded types. The last thing he wanted was ten women looking for a man to save them from whatever mess they’d made of their lives, financially or otherwise.

Still smiling, he stepped toward Maggie. Their gazes locked. He lowered his voice and whispered, “I’m not asking for much. Surely you can give me this.”

A smile spread across her face. Her eyes twinkled. He had her.

“Nice try turning on the charm, but this is a business deal, and that’s how I’m treating it.”

Now that was a curve he hadn’t expected. Where had he gone wrong? Women worked hard to please him, and rarely gave him grief.

“Then we’re at a standoff.”

“I’ll give you two vetoes,” Maggie countered.

“Six.”

“Out of ten women? Forget it. Three. That’s my final offer. Take it or leave it.”

He thought about countering with five, but the iron resolve on her face, the confidence in her eyes, along with her braced stance, told him she wouldn’t budge. “Deal. I want it added to the contract.”

He hadn’t won, but on the upside, he hadn’t lost, either.

“I have to run it by my boss and Legal, but I think they’ll go for it. Once they approve the change, I’ll have them email me a new contract. Is there anything else you need to know before you sign?”

How do I avoid proposing on the last show? No, he didn’t need advice. He’d ended enough relationships to have a stockpile of strategies.

“After the women are selected, do I start dating?”

“I’m guessing you don’t watch our show.”

Why would he? Dating and playing pool beat the hell outta watching some poor schmuck who couldn’t find a wife on his own date a bunch of women picked by someone else.

“Nope. The only reality shows I watch are Survivor and The Amazing Race. ”

“On our show, the early episodes are mixers,” Maggie explained. “You go to the mansion where the bachelorettes live. You circulate among the women, spending time getting to know them.”

And all of them would want to catch his attention and please him. Now that was his idea of a good time.

“I’ll know where the women are living. Will they know where I’m staying?”

“No. Both your contract and theirs state that your contact is limited to the dating situations. We have cameras positioned all over the bachelorette mansion, and they’re monitored and taping twenty-four/seven. That way we can obtain footage of the women interacting and talking about you. It also allows us to know if anyone leaves the house.”

Cameras? Everywhere? That little tidbit threw a kink into things. He wasn’t keen on being on TV, and even less thrilled about living in a fishbowl, especially considering the game he’d be playing. “Are there cameras where I’ll be staying?”

Maggie shook her head. “Since none of the dates will occur there, we didn’t go to the expense.”

Griffin relaxed, thankful for budget-conscious executives. “I’m staying in a house, with all the hotels in Las Vegas?”

“We like to maintain a low profile, to keep details like who you eliminate each week a secret until the episode airs. That would be difficult to do in a hotel, with other guests and staff around all the time.”

That made sense.

“When you’ve picked the two finalists, we do a getaway weekend,” Maggie continued. “The only segment that’s live is the finale. Taping allows us to edit each week’s footage for the most impact, and we air the show two weeks later. After a break for the Christmas holiday, we shoot the finale where you choose your Mrs. Right.”

Not if he could help it.

“When can you send the contract with the changes to me?” The sooner he signed, the sooner he started working and earning money.

“Legal should be able to deliver it tonight. I’ll bring the paperwork over as soon as it arrives.”

No way would he risk Maggie returning to the ranch and getting anywhere near his mom. The longer Griffin avoided telling his mother what he’d done, the better, because that task would take major planning. “How about you go to your hotel and contact Legal. I’ll finish my chores and clean up. When you have the contract ready, call me. By then I’ll have studied the bios. We can take care of business and go somewhere for dinner.”

She frowned again. The woman sure did that a lot. Life was too short and precarious to worry that much.

“I’m not certain that’s a good idea, since we’ll be working together.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”

She flinched. Damn. Now he’d hurt her feelings. She had the same look on her face that his sister, Avery, had had as a child when he and Rory said she couldn’t tag along with them.

“Come on, I’m fun to be around,” Griffin cajoled, trying to lighten the mood. “Ask any of my friends. You’re not the only one who can be persistent. You might as well give in.”

His words coaxed a smile out of her, easing his guilt over his carelessness.

“All right.” She sighed. “I have your cell number. I’ll call you when I’ve got the contract.”

AS GRIFFIN STOOD OUTSIDE Maggie’s hotel room door at seven-thirty that night, he wondered why he’d suggested they go to dinner. She’d offered to bring the contract to the ranch, and next thing he knew the invitation had jumped out of his mouth before he’d thought things through.

Didn’t matter. He could use tonight to find out more about what he was getting into. Plus, he’d need a friend when he got to Vegas, since he’d have to be on guard with the women he was dating. Saying the wrong thing or picking the wrong one could cost him money, and his mother couldn’t afford that.

Convinced he had valid reasons for seeing Maggie, and confident it wasn’t because she had the most beautiful eyes in the world, he knocked on her door.

A minute later she answered. The first thing he noticed was her hair. Unlike earlier, when she’d had it in a ponytail, long, glossy chestnut waves now flowed around her face, softening her sharp features, making her look almost pretty.

She pointed to the far side of the room. “The contract’s on the desk. You can go over it while I finish getting ready.”

Maggie headed into the bathroom and Griffin sat at the desk, knowing he’d have plenty of time to examine the document. No woman he’d ever met, other than his mother, was ready when she said she’d be.