by Sofia Hunt
Rodeo Riders 1
Riding the Circuit
Professional rodeo cowboys and Special Forces Reservists Riley Backstrom and Jonah Yates never figured on spending their spare time guarding a rodeo queen, especially not feisty, headstrong Mitzi Garrison.
Believing her stalker is harmless, even fictional, Mitzi resents her father hiring bodyguards. She doesn’t want the two cowboys underfoot, especially Riley, as they have a history. But history or not, Mitzi can’t resist either man and soon becomes involved with both hot cowboys at the same time.
Despite giving them her body, she refuses to give them her cooperation when it comes to guarding her—until one night the danger presented by her stalker becomes a reality.
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys
Length: 40,379 words
RIDING THE CIRCUIT
Rodeo Riders 1
Sofia Hunt
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
RIDING THE CIRCUIT
Copyright © 2011 by Sofia Hunt
E-book ISBN: 1-61034-593-2
First E-book Publication: July 2011
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
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Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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DEDICATION
For Mitzi, a former rodeo queen, a horsewoman extraordinaire, a best friend, a shoulder to cry on when times are bad, a patient listener when times are good, and a partner in crime when I need one. You’ve always been there for me, and I hope you feel I’m always there for you. Thanks for all the rodeo advice for this book. You said you wanted a hot cowboy, and I gave you two. Enjoy!
RIDING THE CIRCUIT
Rodeo Riders 1
SOFIA HUNT
Copyright © 2011
Chapter 1
“A rodeo queen? You want us to fucking babysit a rodeo queen?” Riley Backstrom shook his dark head in amazement. He rocked back on the worn heels of his cowboy boots and speared the man behind the desk with his patent intimidating glare.
“Just for a few months.” Lee Bristol ran a nervous hand along the edge of his scarred oak desk.
“No. Effing. Way. The US Army didn’t spend hundreds of thousands of dollars training us for this.” Riley crossed his arms over his chest. He ground his teeth together and braced himself for the hard sell to come.
“Her daddy is the North American Rodeo Association’s biggest sponsor. We can’t afford to lose his sponsorship money. It’s a favor, payback for all the bucks his family’s poured into the rodeo over the years.” Lee, the president of the association, looked to Riley’s buddy, Jonah Yates, for a little help. “Jonah, can’t you talk some sense into him? I need you two to guard Mitzi Garrison.”
Jonah had perfected his laid-back, country-boy charm. Yet, at the mention of a certain rodeo queen’s name, his laughing blue eyes turned to ice faster than a top roping horse charged out of the box.
“No can do. There’s no sense in what you’re askin’ us.” Jonah’s good-ol’-boy Oklahoma accent got stronger when he was on the verge of digging in his heels. He shoved a hand through his unruly brown hair, which was badly in need of a pair of scissors.
Riley vigorously nodded his agreement. “Damn straight. Garrison can afford to hire a professional bodyguard. Besides, we’re talking Mitzi Garrison. I don’t want a thing to do with that she-devil. I’ve been down that path.” No way in hell would he do this for anyone, and especially not for her. He glanced again at his buddy, who was regarding him with open curiosity. Riley turned away. He fisted his hands and braced his legs, preparing for battle, physical and emotional.
“She refuses to accept a professional bodyguard.”
“Not our problem.”
“Ah, but it is. Her father wants you two, and he’s used to getting what he wants.”
Riley couldn’t argue that point. Garrison’s tenacity and ruthlessness were as legendary as his devotion to his only daughter.
“Why us?” Jonah kept glancing at his buddy. Riley knew he’d aroused his suspicions.
“Your background in Special Forces, the fact that you already travel the circuit.”
“We’re reservists.” Jonah plucked a mint from the bowl on the desk and sucked noisily on it.
“You go through the same training as any Special Forces soldier.”
“Yeah, so?” Riley started backing toward the door. “Not interested.” He scowled and pinned the man with his best “go to hell” expression.
He had to give the NARA president credit. Lee wasn’t giving up. Not yet. The man held his ground. “She’s in danger, being stalked by an unstable admirer. If this nutcase causes an incident—”
“I don’t buy that. Have you met her? I pity any man who crosses that one. She’s headstrong and spoiled rotten. No way am I spending even a minute in her company.” Riley snorted his disdain. One second in that barracuda’s company would be one second too long.
Besides, the complaints were accurate, as Riley knew all too well. Mitzi Garrison had bigger balls than most men, an iron will, a wild streak a Texas mile long, and one hell of an opinion on anything and everything. The good lord had disguised it all behind a deceptively sweet face and a body lingerie models would kill for. She’d fooled more than one man on the circuit and left a trail of broken hearts trampled under her lethal red cowboy boots.
The association president lowered his voice and leaned forward. “There’s money in it for you. A lot.”
Jonah hesitated and took the bait. “Money? Since when does the NARA pay for bodyguards?”
“They don’t. Garrison is paying.”
Riley shot a quick look at Jonah. His buddy’s eyes narrowed as he calculated the monetary value of dogging that redheaded ballbuster. “How much?” Jonah stifled a yawn, but he didn’t fool Riley. Shit, Jonah was caving.
“Twenty-five thousand dollars and your expenses.” Lee leaned forward. “Including your entry fees.”
“No shit? Just to watch a rodeo queen? For how long?” Jonah ignored the warning glare Riley shot him.
“The next few months while she travels the rodeo circuit. I’ll give you a list so you make sure you compete in the same ones.”
“Sorry, not worth it.” Riley spoke for both of them and reached for the doorknob.
“Wait.” Jonah grabbed his arm. “Let’s discuss this first.” He nodded at Lee. “Give us a few minutes.”
The man stood. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be in the next room.”
Riley sighed. He’d meant what he said. He didn’t want anything to do with Mitzi “Wildfire” Garrison or her powerful father. Unfortunately, it looked like this wasn’t going to be his day, and the next several weren’t looking so hot either.
* * * *
Jonah waited until the door shut then lit into Riley. “Are you fucking crazy turning down money like that?” He stood toe-to-toe with his friend. Tension radiated from every pore in his body.
At six-foot-two, Riley boasted a three-inch height advantage. Yet, Jonah knew he could kick his buddy’s ass on any given day, not that he was interested in kicking ass today. He was way too sober to enjoy a good fight. Since duking it out wasn’t his preferred solution, he’d use a mutual concern of theirs to gain Riley’s cooperation—their empty bank accounts.
“Come on, Ry, you know we could use the money. It’d give us enough to bail your family’s ranch out of foreclosure. We’ve been wanting to start a cow horse training business, and your dad’s anxious to retire. This is perfect.”
“I’m not sure it’s worth it even under these circumstances.” Riley chewed on his lower lip, obviously torn.
“Garrison would be paying our way around the circuit. That’ll mean even more money in our pockets, and we can save all our winnings.”
“I still don’t like it. You know her reputation.”
“Who the hell doesn’t? She’s a gorgeous bitch, a major cocktease.”
“She might be a cocktease, but she delivers, too, sucks a guy dry, kicks him in the balls when he’s down, and struts off after she’s stripped him of his pride.”
Jonah stared at him. Really stared at him. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”
Riley squirmed and refused to meet Jonah’s eyes. Warning bells rang in Jonah’s brain. He’d survived more than one precarious situation by trusting his gut. Right now his gut insisted there was more to this story than met the eye.
“Spill it, buddy. What’s up with you and her?”
Riley ground his teeth together and picked up a stapler from the desk, turning it over in his hands. Tension reverberated off him in almost-visible waves. He blew out a deep breath. “She doesn’t like me much.”
“Yeah, so? You do that to a lot of people. You’re not the charmer I am.”
“It’s not that.” Riley lifted his gaze, dark eyes riddled with guilt.
“Awww, crap. You slept with her.” Jonah rubbed his temple. Suddenly, he had a headache. “I don’t fucking believe it. How come I never heard this before?”
“Just once. Afterward, she didn’t want a thing to do with me, which was just fine with me.”
“It was that bad?”
“Hell, no, it was that good.” Riley slammed the stapler down on the desk.
Jonah rolled his eyes. “Don’t go getting all romantic on me. So you fucked once, big deal, especially to a good-time girl like her. She probably doesn’t even remember you. We can’t pass up this money. Leave her to me. I’ll handle her.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Who gives a shit? We aren’t going to fuck her, just protect her. What could be that hard? Besides, do you believe for a second that she’s really in danger?”
“Not really.”
“So, we park our rig next to hers. Hang close to her. It’ll be easy money.”
“Nothing related to that woman could ever be easy. I was lucky to get out with my balls intact.”
“You’re blowing her reputation all out of proportion.”
“Yeah, right. Tell that to Larry. He quit the circuit last year after she led him around like a bull with a nose ring and then dumped his ass for a cowboy with better earnings.”
“Yeah, I remember. Larry still whines about missing her. It’s pathetic when a man lets a woman get to him like that.” Jonah grinned. “So whadaya say? Shall we take her on?”
Riley walked a few steps away and stared out the window. Jonah waited, not so patiently. They needed the money. Their dream of owning a ranch and raising quality Quarter Horses just might become a reality. They sure as hell weren’t getting rich on the rodeo circuit.
“So?” Jonah prodded him with a finger.
“Yeah.” Riley heaved a big sigh of resignation. “Yeah. It’s only a few months of hell out of our lives.”
“We’ve been in worse situations.”
“That’s what you think. I’d rather face down the entire Taliban than deal with this woman.”
“It’s not like you to be so uptight about a woman. She really got under your thick skin.”
“Yeah, like a tick.”
“Come on, man, take one for the team.”
“You’re not going to give me any peace unless I do.”
“Damn straight.” Jonah slapped Riley on the back. “I knew I could count on you, buddy. Let’s tell Lee.” He strode to the door Lee had disappeared behind, not giving Riley a chance to argue. His buddy followed and slouched against the open doorway.
“You’ve thought it over?” Lee almost smirked. He had the two cowboys by the short hairs, and he knew it.
“We’re suckers for a little lady in distress,” Jonah drawled lazily. Behind him, Riley choked.
Lee raised one eyebrow but chose not to dispute the bald-faced lie.
“Does she know about this?” Jonah questioned.
“Her daddy will let her know.”
“So who’s the stalker?” Riley pushed away from the door frame, all business.
“Hell if we know.”
“You don’t have any proof? And suspects?” Jonah snorted and shot Riley a knowing look.
“All I know is she’s received disturbing e-mails, phone calls, flowers, cards. He knows things about her, which indicates he’s been watching her.”
“So let’s see the proof.” Riley frowned.
“I don’t have it.”
“You don’t have it?” Jonah rolled his eyes.
“Nope. Sorry. But the threat is real.”
“Yeah, whatever.” His buddy didn’t seem to buy it much more than Jonah did. “Shouldn’t the police be called in?” Riley rested one butt cheek on the edge of the desk. He, too, leaned forward. Lee scooted his chair back a few feet and wiped his brow.
“They were. They can’t do a damn thing. She’s never seen
the guy. He’s never approached her. Essentially, their hands are tied until something happens.”
“And by then it could be too late.” Jonah rubbed his stubbled chin. The ladies loved the five o’clock shadow look.
“That’s right. Best-case scenario, the guy is obsessed but harmless. You’ll scare the shit out of him and earn a good chunk of change for a cushy babysitting job.”
“Cushy? You forget who we’re talking about here.” Riley shook his head. “Nothing about being around Mitzi could be considered the least bit cushy. Women like her suck the testosterone right out of a man.”
“She’s easy on the eyes,” Jonah noted, even as a sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.
“Yeah, like an enraged lioness is easy on the eyes.” Riley turned to leave the office, and Jonah followed.
“One more thing, guys.”
“Oh, crap. What?” Riley stopped in his tracks, and Jonah almost ran into him.
“There’s a ten-thousand-dollar bonus in it for you if you keep her out of trouble. The association and her father don’t want any negative press.”
“Mitzi? No negative press? That’s impossible. She’s a wild one.” Jonah groaned and rubbed his eyes, beginning to regret talking Riley into this.
With a deep sigh, Riley shook his head and clapped Jonah on the shoulder. “We’re screwed, buddy.”
* * * *
Mitzi Garrison led her palomino Quarter Horse gelding back to the barn, untacked him, and hosed him off. The cool water splashed on her face. She didn’t care. It felt refreshing in the unusually warm, early summer sun.