Hope Ignites

  They'd moved past several barns and stopped at one of the penned-in pastures where a herd of cattle roamed. The cattle moved lazily about, some eating, some standing around, and some huddled in the shade of several tall trees.

  Des climbed up on the fence and straddled it. She looked down at Logan.

  "What is your typical day like?" she asked.

  "There really isn't a typical day. It depends on the season. There are always calves to work, moving cattle from one part of the land to another, separating grown calves from their mamas and putting heifers in with the bulls to make sure they're impregnated. There are cattle to take for sale, getting them weighed in and sold off. In the winter months we have to supplement the feed and make sure the ponds aren't frozen so the cattle have access to water. We do inoculations, castrations, and assist with births if they're needed, though most of the cattle do just fine on their own, birthing-wise. Weather and cattle health may come into play."

  She stared at him. "I think that's the most you've ever said to me at one time. You really love what you do."

  And then he clammed up and stared out over the pasture.

  She hopped off the fence and they started walking again.

  "So is it me you don't like, or women in general?"

  He kept his gaze straight ahead. "I like women just fine."

  "Then it's me." She quickened her steps to stay up with him. "And why is that?"

  He stopped, turned to face her. "Shouldn't you be out riding with your boyfriend?"

  She studied him. "You think Colt and I are in a relationship?"

  "Sure seems that way."

  "Based on what, exactly? That we're starring in a movie together?"

  "I've just seen the way you interact."

  She laughed. "First, I'm an actress. If our chemistry comes across when we act together, I guess that means we're doing a damn good job. Second, Colt and I have been friends since we were eighteen years old."

  "Which was what? Two years ago?"

  Des rolled her eyes. "You're kind of a dick, Logan. I'm twenty-five."

  "Oh, all worldly and mature, aren't you?"

  "And you're still being a dick. Anyway, for the record, Colt and I are not now nor have we ever been involved with each other romantically."

  "So you're just sleeping with him."

  She rolled her eyes. "Oh, my God. Do you work for the tabloids or something?"

  "No."

  "Well, you sure have a way of twisting my words around. No, we are not having sex. We've never had sex. We're friends. We've been friends since we first started out in the business. I rely on him and he does the same with me. And in this business, it's hard to find people you can trust."

  "And you trust Colt."

  "With my life."

  His lips curved.

  He was so irritating. "What?"

  "You movie people are so dramatic."

  She turned and walked away from him. He caught up to her easily.

  "And here I thought you were tough."

  "I'm plenty tough. But you're an asshole."

  He didn't seem offended. "Not the first time I've heard that."

  She stopped and turned to face him. "Then tell me, Logan. Exactly what does it take to warm you up? Because I've been nice. I've been friendly. I've invited you to the set of the movie. And yet I'm getting all this hostility from you and I don't understand why."

  "Was I being hostile? I thought we were just bantering."

  "You call that bantering?"

  "I would. Obviously, you wouldn't. I guess I'm used to my brothers and the ranch crew. We regularly hurl insults at each other. If I offended you, I'm sorry."

  She wasn't buying it. "So you insult Martha?"

  "Martha's like a mother to me. I would never insult her. Besides, she might seem sweet on the outside, but she takes no guff. She might beat me over the head with a cast-iron skillet."

  Des could see that about Martha. "So you treat women differently, then."

  "Of course."

  "But not me. Or did you just not notice I was a woman."

  "Oh, I noticed, all right."

  "At least you're not blind. I was beginning to wonder about you, Logan."

  He'd walked off the gravel road, and they'd ended up under a shady group of trees near a lake. She headed toward the copse of trees. Her feet were tired so she grabbed a spot under one of them and sat down.

  He looked down at her. "Now what are you doing?"

  "Sitting." She patted the spot beside her. "You should try it."

  "I don't think so."

  "I don't bite. Honest." He might enjoy baiting her, but she really enjoyed his discomfort around her.

  "I'm fine standing."

  "Suit yourself." She pivoted around to look out over the lake. "Are there fish in there?"

  "Yeah."

  "Do you go fishing?"

  "Sometimes."

  "I know how to fish."

  "Seriously."

  She tilted her head up to find him looking at her. "Yes. Seriously."

  "When have you gone fishing?"

  "Lots of times, though not in a long time. When I was a kid, my dad would take me fishing whenever we were stationed somewhere near a lake."

  "And you liked spending time with your dad, even if that meant learning to fish."

  "Exactly. And hey, I was an adventurous sort of kid. Fishing never bothered me."

  He crouched down and pulled up a piece of grass. God forbid he should actually sit. That might make him comfortable.

  "Anything else you can do in that lake?" she asked.

  He frowned at her. "Like what?"

  "I don't know. It's hot here. Maybe skinny-dipping?"

  "No."

  She laughed. "Why not? Are there alligators or eels in there?"

  "No."

  "Then you're missing out on another opportunity to get a woman naked."

  "I don't miss out on opportunities to get women naked. I just don't skinny-dip."

  "Today might be your lucky day, Logan."

  She stood, and so did he. When she began to unbutton her shirt, he grabbed her hands.

  "Stop."

  "Why? Afraid to see me naked?"

  "No. But unless you're an exhibitionist, you're going to be baring yourself to a half dozen of my hands."

  She turned and looked in the direction of his gaze. Sure enough, several ranch hands were working the fence line north of them. She hadn't even noticed.

  "Well, shit." She hurriedly buttoned up her shirt.

  Logan cracked a smile. "I'm sorry to have missed that show."

  "You might have mentioned those guys to me."

  He shrugged. "We had some fence come down and several of the guys are replacing it today."

  "Asshole." She turned and walked away, Logan's laugh ringing in her ears.

  She didn't say a word to him on the walk back to the house. Instead, she went inside and found Martha in the kitchen pouring a glass of iced tea.

  "How was your tour?"

  "Interesting," Des said, gratefully accepting a glass from Martha. "Thank you."

  Ignoring Logan, she visited with Martha for a while, asking her questions about her duties on the ranch. Martha was a great conversationalist, and talked pretty much nonstop about ranch life and her daily routine.

  She was obviously a hardworking woman, just like everyone who worked the ranch.

  Colt and Ben eventually showed up. "How was the ride?" she asked.

  Colt grinned. "It felt great to be on a horse again."

  "The kid's good," Ben said to Logan. "We can put him to work anytime."

  Colt laughed. "Thanks. It's nice to know I could potentially have a backup career in case this whole acting thing doesn't work out."

  Martha let out a snort. "Considering your box-office draw, young man, I don't think you have anything to worry about."

  Colt leaned over and kissed Martha on the cheek. "Thanks for that."

  "We should get going," Des s
aid, having had enough of Logan's attitude for the day. "We've taken up enough of everyone's day."

  "You did no such thing," Martha said. "I loved having you here. I don't get a lot of female company. You're welcome anytime."

  She hugged Martha and so did Colt.

  They walked outside and toward the vehicle they'd arrived in.

  "Do you want me to come to the set to pick you up tomorrow?" Logan asked.

  Des nodded. "That would be great, thanks. I appreciate you taking me with you."

  "No problem. I'll see you in the morning."

  She climbed into the car, wishing they hadn't been interrupted at the lake. She wondered what would have happened if there hadn't been a crew there when she'd unbuttoned her shirt.

  Would Logan have stopped her from undressing? Or would he have joined her?

  Now there was some fodder for her fantasies.

  They drove away from the house and back toward the set.

  "How was your alone time with the hot rancher?" Colt asked.

  "Fine. How was the ride?"

  "It was good. Makes me want to do a lot more riding. I hadn't realized how much I missed it."

  She shifted in her seat. "I'm sure they'd let you come over and ride. They'd probably put you to work."

  "And I'd probably enjoy it. So would Tony."

  "Are you going to try and sneak him out here for the Fourth of July?"

  "If I can. His movie finishes the end of June, so he'd be clear."

  "That's dangerous talk for someone whose management team is all over him about staying in the closet."

  "You could invite him."

  "I could, couldn't I? I could invite several of our friends so it would look more like a group thing. I know Martha would enjoy that."

  "She probably would. I'm not sure Logan would, though."

  "I'm not sure I care what Logan likes or doesn't like."

  Colt grinned. "I think you're smitten in a big way."

  "And I think you're full of shit."

  Colt's laugh rang out in the car.

  "You're very irritating."

  "And you're very transparent, Des. Just jump him and get it over with. You know you want to."

  That was the problem. She was very attracted to Logan, but she wasn't sure it was because she wanted him, or because he kept trying so damn hard to push her away, while at the same time giving her the kind of looks a man gave a woman when he wanted to get her in bed.

  He was confusing. And irritating. And sexy as hell.

  Which meant she was determined to get to know him better.

  And unravel the mystery that was Logan McCormack.

  Chapter 4

  LOGAN GRABBED HIS phone and checked the time, tapping his boots on the dirt as he waited for Des.

  He should have known better than to agree to take her into town with him. Even though she'd promised she only had one scene this morning, she'd been in the middle of it when he'd arrived on the set, which meant she was still in full costume and makeup. Which was fine. He didn't mind waiting for her to finish up.

  Jessica had seen him and invited him to watch. It was an indoor scene today, taking place inside some dark, dusty, prison-like set they'd built. Colt and Des were chained together, the two of them in ragged, torn clothes.

  Des's character implored Colt's not to give himself up for her sake. It was very emotional, the two of them sharing a kiss at the end of the scene. A really long, passionate kiss that looked damn real to Logan.

  But then the director had claimed the scene wasn't quite right, and needed to be reshot, so they'd had to start over.

  More emotion. More kissing. By the time the director decided they'd gotten the scene just as he'd wanted it, Logan's irritation had reached the boiling point.

  After the kiss, Des and Colt broke apart. Colt smiled when he saw him.

  "Hey, Logan. How's it going?"

  "Fine," he said, trying to disengage his clenched jaw.

  "I'd love to stay and talk, but I've got to jump right into the next scene. Catch you later?"

  "Sure."

  Des came over, too. "I know, I'm so sorry I'm late. Come on with me to the trailer. It'll only take me a few minutes to get ready."

  And just like that, the passion he'd seen between Des and Colt had seemed to fizzle.

  Maybe it had just been acting. Sure didn't seem that way to him, though.

  He walked with her the short path through the set construction to the back lot where the trailers were housed. He stepped inside, wowed by the luxury of Des's trailer.

  She was toeing off her boots and pulling off her socks when she reached for her tank top.

  "I think I'll wait outside."

  She grinned. "I wasn't going to get naked in front of you, Logan," she said, revealing another tank underneath. She paused, looking at him. "Unless you'd like me to."

  He narrowed his gaze at her. "Don't push it too far, Des."

  She put her hands on her hips. "Or you'll what? Walk away?"

  He didn't say anything.

  She laughed. "That's what I thought. I'll be right back."

  She closed the door to the bedroom and shortly thereafter he heard the sound of water.

  Damn woman. She pushed all his buttons and he knew she did it deliberately. What was she after, anyway?

  Maybe she was an exhibitionist and she just liked getting naked in front of people. Then again, if she was, the appearance of his guys at the lake yesterday wouldn't have deterred her.

  So she obviously just wanted to get a rise out of him.

  It was working. He pushed back thoughts of what she was doing in the shower and wandered around her trailer. Her touch was all over the place, from books--she liked thrillers--to scripts, DVDs, and video games.

  He picked up a few movies--not her own. She liked action movies, comedies and horror, all of which were movies he'd choose. He was surprised by her choice of video games, mostly those bloody games of war and fantasy.

  "Those are for Colt," she said.

  He looked up to find her standing in the doorway in some kind of silk robe, no doubt naked underneath, though thoughts of her naked made his dick hard, so he should think of something else. The smell of something sweet--her shampoo or soap or something--wafted toward him, and he couldn't help but take a deep breath.

  Which didn't help the erection thing he had going on, because now he had thoughts of licking her neck.

  "You don't play the games?" he asked, figuring that was a safe, nonsexual subject.

  "Of course I do. And I watch the movies and read the books. On a movie set there's a lot of down time. It gets very boring. That's why I'm happy to have a chance to see your hometown today. With nothing on tap for me, I'd have spent the day in here reading or watching movies. I'll just be a few minutes."

  After she closed the door, he stood and adjusted the crotch of his jeans, deciding to grab a glass of cold water.

  This was a bad idea. He was a walking hard-on around Des, and being near her was bad for him--mentally as well as physically.

  When there was a knock at the door, he turned to the closed bedroom door. "Des?" he asked.

  "It's probably Colt," she yelled from the bedroom. "You can open it."

  He did, but it wasn't Colt. It was some older guy with a salt-and-pepper beard. He remembered seeing him on the set. The guy frowned and stepped into the trailer.

  "And who might you be?"

  "Logan McCormack. And you are?"

  "Theo Winfield. I'm the director."

  "Ah. Des is getting dressed."

  Theo sized Logan up, looking suspicious and maybe a little jealous and protective, like a boyfriend would. Hell, for all Logan knew, maybe he was.

  Des came out in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, her hair loose and flowing around her shoulders. She wore a pair of tennis shoes and very little makeup.

  She looked pretty. And she was frowning. Logan could tell instantly that Des wasn't happy about Theo being there. But then she covere
d it with a smile. "Oh, hi, Theo."

  "Desiree. I was unaware you were entertaining."

  "I'm not. Logan is the ranch owner. He came by the other day to watch a scene being filmed."

  "Oh, I see." Theo's tone instantly changed and he smiled at Logan. "It's a great location, perfect for the film."

  "I'm glad it's working out for you," Logan said.

  Theo turned to Des. "I have some free time while they're setting up the next scene. I was hoping we could have a chat about some upcoming scenes."

  "I'm afraid not, Theo. Since I don't have anything filming the rest of the day, Logan has graciously offered to take me into town with him."

  "Are you sure that's a good idea, Des? What about exposure?"

  Des grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder. With a shrug, she said, "Hope's a small town, Theo. I'll take my chances."

  "I still advise against it. The paparazzi have been stalking the gates of the property, hoping for pictures of you, especially after your breakup with James."

  She stepped out of the trailer. Logan and Theo followed.

  "Then I'll guess they'll get some. But I'm not going to hide."

  "Des--"

  "I've already made Logan late today, Theo. We need to run. I'll catch up to you later, okay?"

  "We need to talk, Des," Theo said, making it sound urgent.

  "Oh, I know. I'll for sure come find you when I get back."

  She grabbed Logan's arm and dragged him away.

  "He's kind of persistent," Logan said as they headed to the parking area.

  Des rolled her eyes. "You have no idea."

  "And overly protective. Like a father figure?"

  She snorted. "Ha. No. More like a pervy, married lech who'd like to get me alone so he can try and get in my pants."

  Logan stopped and turned to face her. "Seriously?"

  "Yes. He's an awful bastard and I hate being alone with him. Colt usually tries to have my back, but it's not always possible. So I have to do this little dance of avoidance around him."

  They reached the truck and Logan opened the door for her. She slid inside, and he came around and got in, then started it up. "So why do a movie where he's the director?"

  "One, because he's a great director, despite his proclivities for hitting on his leading ladies. And two, because I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself. I know how to say no, and I make sure I'm never alone with him."

  "He sounds like an asshole who needs to have the shit kicked out of him."

  Des smiled. "I'd like to see that day come. Unfortunately, no one does that to a big-time director. People like Theo get away with bad behavior because they carry a lot of weight in Hollywood."

  What a crock. "I'd be happy to knock him on his ass if you'd like me to."