Her heart twisted for him, and his embarrassment. He always seemed so confident, so comfortable in his skin that she’d never considered posing shirtless might bother him. Guilt swirled through her. She’d been so condescending when they’d met. She’d assumed he understood what doing a national jeans campaign entailed. The thought that he might not realize there would be beefcake shots had never occurred to her.
“How did you plan to keep everyone at home from finding out, when this is a national campaign?”
“When you said that, I thought there’d be ads in magazines like GQ. My neighbors don’t read that kind of stuff.”
“Guess you hadn’t considered TV commercials and spots on national morning shows.”
“I didn’t think I’d be working half-naked, that’s for sure,” he said in a strained voice. “The news is probably all over town by now. The phone calls and text messages from friends and neighbors will start rolling in soon. I’m going to be a bigger joke than old man Jenkins when he got locked out in the middle of the night in his underwear and had to go to the neighbors to call his wife to let him back in.”
“If the interviews and photo shoots bother you so much, then why did you take this job?”
“It’s all about the money.” Pain flashed in his eyes before he turned away.
“Why do you need the money?” What could drive a proud man like Rory to go against his obviously private nature and accept a nationwide modeling campaign? Nothing but the most desperate of situations. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I’m fine.”
“I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could do. I suggested discussing the shoot location more, but Devlin wasn’t open to it.”
She didn’t dare push Devlin on the issue. In a couple of months it would be time to gear up for the women’s spring campaign. If she fumbled things on this one, Devlin wouldn’t renew the contract, and she’d be in the same spot she’d been in when she met Rory—facing company layoffs. Unfortunately, if she had to choose between pleasing Devlin and easing Rory’s embarrassment, she had to choose the first, but the decision left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“What about if I say I won’t do the shoot in Colorado?” he asked at last.
“You’ll be in breech of contract. Devlin could sue you, and if you need money, I’m guessing that’s not an option.”
“You’re right about that.”
Something dire had forced Rory to take this job. She considered asking him again what was wrong, but it was clear he wasn’t interested in confiding in her. So instead she focused on work. “We originally planned on shooting the commercial in a barn. I assume there’s one at the ranch.” When he nodded, she out pulled her iPhone. “What’s the owner’s name so I can contact him about shooting the commercial at Twin Creeks?”
“The owner is funny about letting other people use the land. It’s been in the family for generations. How about I contact her for you?”
Rory worked for a woman? Interesting, considering his reaction to having Elizabeth as a boss. She frowned. Maybe it was just her he had a problem working for.
“I’d prefer to contact her myself.”
“The fact that you’re a New York City woman will be a drawback where the owner’s concerned.”
“You think she’ll say no to me because of that?”
“She might, and I don’t think you want to risk it.”
“You’re right.”
“I work there. Tell me what you want to spend, and I’ll cut the deal for you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Trust me. I’ll get the job done.”
Rory had always been up front with her. If he was upset about something, he told her outright. She’d never pegged him as the kind of man who played games, so why did she have an odd feeling twisting her stomach into one big knot? “Okay, contact the owner for me.”
Please don’t let me down.
One issue dealt with, the tougher one still to tackle. Their kiss. The mind numbing, all-consuming kiss. “We need to talk about what happened between us after the interview.”
“When what happened?”
The cad. Mischief sparkled in his deep brown eyes. He knew exactly what she meant, but he wanted to hear her say the words.
“I want to discuss our kiss.”
“It was damn fine.”
Heat rushed through her from head to toe as if he’d kissed her again. Why did she have to start feeling something for a man now? And why this man, who was so wrong for her? Shutting off the emotions Rory aroused in her, she said, “I got carried away in the moment. I want to make it clear that there is nothing between us but a professional relationship.”
Rory grinned infuriatingly, as if he thought she’d just lied through her teeth. “Sounds to me like you’re trying to close the barn door after the horse is long gone.”
ELIZABETH HAD MANAGED TO pretty much avoid Rory since their kiss four days ago. The few times he’d caught her on the phone, she’d kept their conversations short and centered on business. She’d insisted she was busy finishing the details for the commercial shoot. Since she preferred to have a cameraman familiar with the West, she needed to hire one from Denver. That took more time than she’d anticipated. She contacted the Chamber of Commerce to get the names of caterers. She worked with the creative team to tweak the commercial copy. After finalizing the plans, she’d met with Devlin so he could approve everything and clear his calendar to join them in Colorado. When Rory asked if she was avoiding him, she hid behind her work.
What a lie. She’d been amazed God didn’t strike her down for that whopper.
Everything reminded her of Rory and how marvelous it felt to be in his arms. Now, as the Denver city sights gave way to small towns and farms, she wondered how she could turn off the emotions he’d dredged up in her. Since Devlin still held the remainder of his business over her head, she couldn’t let anything get in the way of her job.
“Make sure you drink lots of water and load up on carbs so altitude sickness doesn’t hit you,” Rory said.
“The joys of being in the mountains. I’d manage to put the unpleasantness of altitude sickness behind me.”
“You had trouble with it the last time you were here?”
“Not a bad case, but I was a little sick the entire time.”
“You should’ve told me. We could’ve spent the night in Denver to let you get acclimated before we went higher into the mountains.”
She shook her head. “We don’t have time. I’ve got to get the details for the commercial hammered out before everyone else arrives tomorrow.”
“How many people are we talking about?”
“The agency’s art director and copywriter will be there. Devlin will be at the shoot. I’ve got a cameraman and director from Denver who will be joining us. I think that’s about it.”
He whistled. “I never knew it took that many people to make a commercial.”
“Very few people realize how much time and manpower it takes to produce a one-minute spot. You thought the photo shoot took a long time. Shooting the commercial could take days.”
After about an hour, the road grew snakelike. How could she have forgotten how awful the drive up into the mountains was? Must be that she’d suppressed the bad memory.
The road consisted of one curve after another, and they weren’t big, slow curves. No, they were those tight, turn-on-a-dime ones that made her clench her teeth and sent her stomach into her throat. Why would anyone want to live up here?
She gulped another swig of water to clear her popping ears, and said a quick prayer that she’d avoid altitude sickness this trip. That is, if she survived the hairpin turns and actually arrived in Estes Park.
Think positive, Elizabeth. You’ll make it to the ranch. You’ll shoot the commercial, which will be brilliant, and then you’ll hightail it out of here, never to return.
Trees zoomed past her line of vision. Her stomach roiled.
“You’re looking a l
ittle green,” Rory commented as he took another sharp curve at what she felt was a ridiculously high speed. “You okay?”
“Could you slow down a bit? The curves and everything zooming past me is not agreeing with my stomach.”
“Focus on the horizon instead of what you see out your window. That should help.”
His suggestion calmed her stomach a little, but then claustrophobia kicked in. The mountains towered over them no matter where she looked. If she opened her window she swore she could touch the huge trees.
“And people say it’s scary to drive in New York? Obviously they’ve never driven on highways where a mistake could send them plunging off the road to a fiery car crash.”
“You’re safe with me.”
Safe was the last thing she was with him around.
Rory glanced at Lizzie. He’d spent the last four days trying to figure out how he felt about her, and yet he still didn’t have a clue. Things had been pretty simple until he’d kissed her. She was his boss and a fun diversion to break up the monotony and tension of the job from hell.
All he knew was things had changed between them when he’d kissed her. Not that little Lizzie would admit it.
That thought kicked him hard in the stomach like an angry mule. Lizzie wasn’t half-bad at all. She was pretty as a picture, and he had to admit he enjoyed their verbal sparing. A man had to stay on his toes with her around. He sure liked a woman who had a brain and made him use his.
Too bad she was a city woman who’d made her dislike of his neck of the woods quite clear. And she was his boss to boot.
The woman had created more havoc in his life than a winter blizzard, but she only topped off his current list of problems.
He was going home. Talk about a mess.
“Thanks for handling things with the ranch’s owner.”
Rory’s hands tightened around the steering wheel, his knuckles whitening. No way would he be able to keep his new job a secret. His stomach clenched as he thought about the ribbing his friends and neighbors would give him. Sure, he had a tough skin, but he guessed not thick enough to get through the next few days.
“She’s out of town.” Thankfully. Dealing with his mother wouldn’t be fun. She’d always been able to spot when he was lying. She would confront him about why he’d taken a job he hated, why he’d stepped into the spotlight when he’d spent his life avoiding it. But dealing with that would be easier than explaining Lizzie to his mother.
She’d wonder what was between them, and damned if he knew. Even if he explained he and Lizzie had primarily a professional relationship, that detail wouldn’t stop his mother from going into matchmaking mode. Since her cancer diagnosis, she’d started dropping hints about how she wanted to see him “happy and settled down,” as she put it.
“She doesn’t mind us being there when she’s not?”
“She knows I’ll watch out for the ranch’s interests.” Uncomfortable with the conversation, he asked, “What do you think about returning to Colorado?”
“It’s very beautiful.” Lizzie’s eyebrows knitted together. “But I’m not exactly Miss Outdoors.”
Yet another reason why he shouldn’t be thinking about her the way he had been lately.
With all the worries weighing on him, he wasn’t surprised that by the time he parked the Camry in the ranch’s driveway he swore he was developing an ulcer. He crawled out and inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the smells of home. Hay, evergreens and animals. Horses whinnied in the corral. Damn, it felt good to be home. Had he been gone only a few weeks? Felt as if it had been months. If only he was just coming home, and not filming a blasted commercial.
He walked around the car to the trunk, popped it open and hauled out his suitcase, then reached for Lizzie’s.
“Leave mine in the trunk. I’ve got a reservation at the Stanley Hotel.”
Maybe that was better. Ever since he’d kissed her, he couldn’t keep his mind off the other things they could do together, and worse than that, he wondered what a future would be like with her. He wondered if he could make her happy. He wondered if she cared for him, even though he knew there was no point in thinking those things, not considering where their lives were headed.
The front door squeaked open, cutting off his thoughts and reminding him he needed to oil those hinges.
“Rory, where have you been, and who is that pretty young lady with you?”
His chin dropped to his chest as he realized luck had deserted him. “Mom, I didn’t know you were back.”
Chapter Ten
Elizabeth stared at the pale, somewhat heavyset woman dressed in jeans, a white blouse and chunky turquoise jewelry standing on the front porch. Rory had her cheekbones and eyes, though her gaze held a weariness Rory’s lacked.
“This is your mother?”
He nodded.
The contradictions she’d sensed in him suddenly made sense. He wasn’t a simple cowboy. Of course he knew about equity values, negotiations and all kinds of other business dealings. The man continually surprised her. Too bad she didn’t like surprises. “You own the ranch?”
“Mom owns the place. I manage the business.”
“When I called you a ranch hand, why didn’t you correct me?”
“I figured it didn’t matter.”
“You lied to me.” The thought stung.
“No, I didn’t. Mom hired me to manage the ranch, and like everyone else around the place, I lend a hand wherever it’s needed.”
“That’s a matter of semantics, and we both know it.”
Mrs. McAlister started down the steps toward them. “You stay there, Mom.” Rory picked up the suitcases and turned to Elizabeth. “You’ll have to stay, now that she’s seen you.”
“Will you two hurry up? I’m not getting any younger.”
Unwilling to offend Rory’s mom, Elizabeth headed up the walkway to the sprawling, reddish-brown ranch house. The huge place would house at least four families in Manhattan.
When she reached the porch, she shook hands with Rory’s mother. “Hello, Mrs. McAlister, I’m Elizabeth Harrington-Smyth. I’m a management supervisor at the advertising agency Rory’s working for.”
Beside her, Rory grew very interested in his boots.
Mrs. McAlister’s hands went to her hips, and she flashed him a glance similar to one Elizabeth’s grandmother gave her when she was particularly annoyed. Not that Rory noticed, with his current boot fascination. “Rory Alan McAlister, what have you been up to? I expect an explanation.” Then she turned around and walked into the house.
“You didn’t tell your mother about your job with Devlin Designs?”
“Must’ve slipped my mind.”
“Sure, this from the guy who remembered every part of our initial phone conversation.”
He shrugged, but said nothing.
“Why didn’t you tell your mother?”
He glanced at her feet and her Coach stiletto pumps, which had clumps of dirt stuck to the heels. “I hope you have some sensible shoes.”
“I brought flats.”
“Are they cute little dainty women’s shoes?”
“I wouldn’t call them—”
“If they’re not work boots or sturdy tennis shoes, they’ll be ruined after five minutes of walking in the dirt and grass, and manure if you’re not careful.”
“I’ll be working here, but I won’t be working here. I’ll be fine.” After all, how different could this commercial shoot be from the ones she’d done in rural, upstate New York?
“Tell me you brought something other than skirts like you’ve got on now. It’s pretty on you, and sure shows off your great legs, but it’ll be damned hard to work in around here.”
He thought she had great legs? Feminine vanity had her blushing and going warm all the way to her toes.
“I’ve got slacks.”
“You should’ve brought jeans.”
That comment erased her glow from his compliment, leaving her irritated at his scolding.
She’d packed for this shoot like she would any other, with what she considered practical but fashionable shoes, slacks and blouses. Maybe she wasn’t thinking straight, but that didn’t mean he had to point out the fact.
She started to fire off an explanation, but then realized how effortlessly Rory had sidetracked her. Again.
The man continually turned her world upside down with steamy looks that got her so hot she thought she’d melt her shoes, or he made her head spin with his word games. Whatever the method, he pulled a fast one when he wanted to change the subject.
Inside the house, a large winding staircase stood to her left. The openness and the sheer size of the space amazed Elizabeth. Glancing right, she spotted an office the size of her living room in New York. She followed Rory into the living room, where his mother sat in a big leather chair beside an equally supersize leather couch. A large picture window filled the one wall with a breathtaking view of the mountains.
While enormous, the home wasn’t elaborate. Western, rustic and warm: that’s how she would describe it. Thankfully, the place wasn’t rustic enough to have dead animal heads tacked up on the walls.
While Elizabeth sank onto the couch, Rory crossed the room, bent down and kissed his mother on the cheek. His large, tanned hand rested on her forearm. “How are you, Momma? You doing okay?”
The tenderness in his voice surprised Elizabeth. He truly loved his mother. Not like she loved her parents because they were her parents. He loved his mother because he admired her and respected her, and something in his strained features and voice told Elizabeth he was worried about his mom.
“I’m hanging in there.” Mrs. McAlister’s right hand caressed Rory’s stubbled cheek.
The apparent love between them filled the room. Affection so tangible between mother and son that Elizabeth could almost touch it. She looked away.
When she’d last seen her parents, over a year ago, they’d met at a restaurant. There hadn’t been any hugs or kisses, merely a mutual exchange of information. Once they’d finished eating, her parents had left for Cairo and she’d gone back to her town house.
Big City Cowboy (Harlequin American Romance) Page 12