Hot Winter Nights

Lila looked up and twisted in her seat. “Where’d she go?”

A group who had to be movie people had just entered the bar. The short stocky guy leading the pack spotted Lila right away.

She acknowledged the hand he lifted, sighing as she turned back to face Clint. “I thought we’d have more time before the troops descended.”

“You want to leave?”

“No. Maybe they’ll play pool. But if they come over, then...”

“I won’t have any trouble getting rid of them,” Clint said, and she gave him a peculiar smile. “If that’s what you want.”

“Wait. Did Elaine take your money?”

“Look, I’ll be honest with you.” He leaned forward. “I had to pay the check. Because I’m going to brag like hell that I had a date with a bona fide movie star, and it wouldn’t be a date if I didn’t pay, now would it?”

Arching her brows, she laughed softly.

“I won’t use your name if you don’t want me to.”

“I can’t tell if you’re serious.”

“I am.” Clint looked into her pretty blue eyes and had an almost uncontrollable urge to lean closer and kiss her. He was likely to clear the whole damn table trying, but he might be willing...

“One problem.” She picked up her mug and took a tiny sip. “I’m not a movie star.”

“What do you mean? You’re an actress, right?”

“Yes and no.” Lila shrugged. “I’ve done shampoo commercials, and I’ve had tiny parts in a few TV movies. But I do have a good shot at a decent role coming up.”

Clint frowned. Something didn’t add up.

“Sorry to disappoint you.”

“I’m not...disappointed. Just confused.”

“I’m part of the crew, working as a hairstylist. And I do some makeup, too. It’s a small independent movie and we’re operating on a shoestring, so our jobs tend to overlap.”

“But acting isn’t one of yours?”

“Not for this project. But I’ve wanted to be an actress since I was a kid. I even went to UCLA drama school.” She smiled with that same wistfulness he’d heard in her voice earlier. “Along with fifty million other wannabes. It’s a tough business to break into.”

Clint opened his mouth, then realized he was about to say something totally stupid.

“What?”

He shook his head.

“Come on, you’ve got me curious.”

“I’ll just say that you look like a movie star. So you’ve already got that part down pat.”

Lila laughed. “Well, thank you,” she said with a slight nod. “I’ll let my parents know you approve.”

Clint ducked his head. He knew he should’ve kept his mouth shut.

“No, don’t.” Lila reached across the table and touched his hand. “I wasn’t being snotty or sarcastic. I promise. It’s just—”

He stared at her slim pale fingers resting on top of his big, rough ones, brown like leather from working in the hot sun. Her skin was soft, her touch so light it felt like a butterfly had landed on him. She withdrew her hand, and he looked up, wishing she hadn’t.

“It’s just...” she began again. “In this business it’s important to keep things in perspective. My looks don’t define me. I can’t let them or I’ll end up—” Lila blushed. “Oh, jeez. I can’t believe I’m telling you all this stuff.” She took a hasty sip of beer and made a face. Coughed a little. Muttered something about sticking to iced tea. And coughed again.

Clint hid a smile behind his mug, drinking his beer and giving her time to recover. She thought he was disappointed that she wasn’t a movie star. Not even close. It wasn’t that he thought he had a chance with her. He’d be a damn fool to think she’d go for a guy like him, some hick steeped in family tradition and the routine of ranch life. But he really admired her for not using her beauty as a crutch.

She stopped coughing, pushed the beer aside and looked at him while dabbing her watery eyes.

“I saw a sign for sarsaparillas. Only two bits,” he said. “Maybe we can order you one of those.”

“Very funny.” With a cute little smile, she leaned forward as if she had a secret to tell him. “I’ll admit I’m an umbrella drink kind of girl. And if the drink is pink or blue, that’s even better.”

“Elaine’s on her way back. Let’s see what we can do about that.”

“No. I can’t,” Lila said, laughing. “I have to get up early tomorrow.”

“Okay, then, when’s your day off?” He saw her smile slip and knew he’d overstepped.

This was just part of the job for her. Have a beer with him, convince him to be the silent cowboy standing around like a jackass. Yeah, no way that was going to happen.

He watched more people come through the front door—three men, and a woman with purple hair, all in their twenties, looking a lot like they needed to let off some steam. They sure weren’t locals.

“Sunday,” Lila said. “I’m off on Sundays. Everyone is. You know, union rules and all.”

Clint had no idea how unions operated. He knew a whole lot about ranching and raising cattle. But that was it. So why had he thought about asking her to go out with him? He’d bore her to death.

“How are you two doing?” Elaine laid his change on the table. “Can I get you anything else?”

Lila smiled and shook her head.

“No, thanks, Elaine. This is it for me.”

“Well, good seeing you, Clint. You take care.” Elaine gave Lila a parting nod and a lingering inspection as she went to the next table.

Lila was staring at him with a furrowed brow. “I know Sundays are usually family days, so I’m guessing it won’t work for you.”

Clint’s heart lurched. He took another gulp of beer and discreetly wiped his mouth. Hell, he hoped he wasn’t misreading her. “Sunday is fine. So is Saturday night—”

“I knew it was you hiding in the corner.” A guy with tattoos on his neck came up behind Lila and tugged on her ponytail. “Can’t miss this hair.”

She swatted his hand away just as the rest of the group converged on them.

“Have you seen Rocco?” the woman with the purple hair asked as she strained to see into the back room.

“You know if they fixed the mechanical bull yet?” a younger guy muttered without looking up from his phone.

The fourth member of the party, a tall, clean-cut man stared at Clint.

Lila huffed with annoyance. “Everybody be quiet,” she said, briefly closing her eyes before glancing up at them. “Did any of you stop for one second to wonder if you might be interrupting something here?”

The three people—who weren’t sizing up Clint—looked at Lila and then looked at one another. “Nah,” they said at once and grinned.

“Well, you are. I’m on a date. So butt out.”

They all stared at her. Even Mr. Clean-cut dragged his gaze away from Clint to gape at Lila.

Clint just kept his mouth shut.

“No, you aren’t,” the tattooed guy said. “You never hook up. With anybody.”

“Ever.” The kid had lowered his phone.

“You don’t hook up, and you don’t cuss. Everyone knows that.”

“Goodbye, Randy,” Lila said to him with a shooing motion. “And Tony. Rhonda. Davis. Goodbye. See you all tomorrow.”

Rhonda gave Clint a considering look, smiled and strolled off toward the bar.

“I mean it, you guys.” Lila glared at the other three when they didn’t budge. “Leave.”

Clint reached across the table for her hand. The softness of her skin stunned him all over again. “How about we leave instead?”

“Yes. Even better.”

He didn’t want to let go of her hand, and she wasn’t trying to pull away. Her smile lit him up inside. All the way down to the deepest, darkest pit where he stuffed feelings he didn’t know what to do with.

Her fingers curled lightly around his. “Ready?”

Clearing his throat, he nodded and released her hand. He scraped back in his chair and noticed the guy who’d been staring at him hadn’t gone far. Lila had called him Davis. His glare had been replaced with an obnoxious smirk. Probably thinking, you poor dumb bastard.

Clint got that, and he could live with it. At least for tonight, and if he was really lucky, Saturday night too.

4

“SORRY ABOUT THAT,” Lila said once they were sitting in his truck. “Film crews should never be released into the general population. They have no manners. No sense of—”

Clint started the engine and glanced over at her, an amused expression on his face.

“Yes, I know I’m one of them,” she continued. “But I do have manners.”

“They didn’t bother me,” he said with a laugh. “But I can’t say I was sorry to get out of there, either.”

“And what I said about us being on a date... I hope that didn’t upset you.”

“Lila.” He let the truck idle and turned to look at her. “Do you honestly think I would care if anyone assumed we were on a date?”

“I don’t know. If you had a girlfriend, you would.” She paused, waiting for him to respond. “You don’t, right?”

“No, I don’t have a girlfriend. If you’re free Saturday night, would you like to have dinner with me?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He started to put the truck in gear but cut the engine instead. “One more thing,” he said, and leaned over the console.

His hand slipped behind her neck as he pressed his mouth against hers. Startled, her lips parted on a silent gasp. But he didn’t mistake her reaction for an invitation and rush in. He took his time, his mouth warm and firm as it moved over hers, his large hand cupping her nape. His fingers exerted a slight pressure, just enough to make her ache for more of his touch.

She parted her lips a little more. His tongue slipped inside, teasing, tasting, probing, then retreated too soon. Clint just stopped kissing her and leaned back. She didn’t understand what had just happened, then relaxed as a lazy smile curved his mouth.

“I could kiss you all night,” he whispered, brushing the back of his hand down her cheek.

“I didn’t stop you,” she said, hoping the semidarkness hid her blush.

“No, I have to keep myself in check before I—get carried away.” He toyed with her hair, letting a tendril curl around his finger. “I have manners, too.”

She loved the smell of him. His scent was warm and musky and very masculine in a way she couldn’t describe. There was a hint of soap, maybe leather, and a big helping of easygoing confidence.

“Why don’t you date?”

“I don’t meet many men outside the industry. And hooking up with coworkers rarely turns out well. I won’t do it. People gossip about nothing as it is. I refuse to feed them anything they can distort. I’m not thick-skinned enough.” She saw that he was really listening and maybe having trouble making sense of what she was telling him. “And yes, to be in this business I need to be tougher. I know that, and hopefully I’ll get there.”

Clint frowned, withdrawing his hand. “That would be a shame. From what I’ve seen, you’re already firm and assertive. You don’t let anyone bulldoze you. I think you’re plenty tough.”

“Oh, you don’t know this business,” she said, laughing.

“You’re right. I don’t know the first thing about it. What I do know is that I like you just the way you are.”

Lila searched his eyes. It could’ve been just a line, but it didn’t feel like that. “I mean, how often do you hear the word date anymore? Nowadays, if you even hear the word, it’s usually a euphemism for sex.”

“I seem to recall us both using it. That’s not what I meant.”

She couldn’t help grinning at his offended expression. “I didn’t think you did, not for a second. If I had, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“See?” The skin at the outside corner of his eyes crinkled with humor. “You can be tough.”

Lila had forgotten what a joy it was to be talking with a man she liked, who had no association with Hollywood. No hidden agendas. She had a feeling that with Clint, what you saw was exactly what you got. “By the way, I do cuss. A lot.” She moved her hand to rest on his. “But only in my head.” Clint laughed just as she was about to lean forward and show him how assertive she could be. “Hey,” she murmured, “that counts.”

“You’re right.” His voice had lowered, and his gaze dropped to her mouth. “We should go someplace.”

“Where?”

“Anywhere but here.” His flat tone prompted her to follow his gaze.

Two men were crossing Main Street, but she didn’t know them.

“Have you eaten?” Clint asked. “We can grab something quick at the diner, or if you have time, there’s a new steak house—”

“Sorry, I can’t.” She sat back. “I was teasing earlier. We do film at night, indoor scenes, especially when we’re this far behind schedule. They might need me later, but I won’t know until the last minute.”

“Ah, but you haven’t convinced me to be an extra. So your job here isn’t done yet.”

“That’s true.” She fastened her seat belt when he started the engine.

“Hey, who’s that Baxter character, anyway?”

Lila sighed. “A pain in everyone’s behind, but he has a rich uncle who’s written us a big fat check, and now everyone has to put up with him.”

“You mean the guy’s in charge?”

“Oh, God, no. Baxter’s just the director’s glorified errand boy. He’s supposed to be learning the business.”

“So he gets chewed out if I don’t want to be an extra? Not you. Is that right?”

“Oh, I have nothing to do with it. If you had agreed, then Baxter would owe me. That’s all.”

“I noticed a bunch of local cowboys standing around. I assume they’ve been hired. Why not use one of them?”

“If Jason, the director, sees something he wants in a particular shot, he won’t let it go. Whether it’s a person or a storefront or a mountain, he gets obsessed. He and Erin went to war over using Moonlight Mountain. Do you know it?”

“Sure. Who won?”

“Erin.” Lila grinned like a proud mama, which made Clint laugh.

She was guessing that the way he’d handled the runaway horse, shutting out everything around him, his focus laser sharp until it was just him and the stallion, was what had drawn Jason’s attention.

As they drove down Main Street, she studied Clint’s profile, seeing him just as the camera would see him.

With his strong stubbled jaw and intense gaze, he was the quintessential cowboy hero. On the other hand, she could just as easily picture him as an outlaw, his face on an old West wanted poster. Either way the camera would love him.

“You know what, it might be fun,” she said. “Something different.”

“What?”

“Being in the film. It’s not like learning a role. But I should point out that while you’d be considered an extra, you won’t be just a face in the crowd like the others. The director will want some close-ups and shots of you standing alone, apart from the action. A shadowy red herring.”

Clint looked at her as if she’d forgotten to brush her teeth.

Lila grinned. “There’s no speaking involved, and if you’re worried about looking stiff, I could coach you.”

He didn’t respond but turned off the highway onto a gravel road. She’d forgotten what a short ride it was between town and their camp. Out here among the bare trees, pines and thick underbrush, it seemed they were miles away from civilization. They’d been lucky to find a clearing large enough to accommodate the trailers and temporary corrals.

“Where to?” Clint asked, slowing the truck to a crawl to avoid crew members walking around in their own little worlds.

“Past the catering truck and generators.” Lila pointed to the row of trailers. “The second one. Home sweet home. God, I’m sick of that tin box.”

“Is that where you work or...?”

“It’s where I sleep and keep my clothes and stuff. And what’s even better? I share it with two other women, one of whom happens to be a total slob.”

“Why would you stay there—is the motel full?”

Lila laughed. “No. The Boarding House Inn and the motel are reserved for the director and cast, the screenwriter, what we commonly refer to as above-the-line personnel. We peons get to live like we’re still in college.”

“And you’ve been on the road for how long?”

“Three months.” That it seemed more like a year probably had more to do with her recent lack of enthusiasm. “Oh, and Baxter gets to stay at the motel, but his uncle pays for that. It doesn’t come out of our budget.”

“Should I park?” Clint asked, sounding uncertain. “Or am I just letting you off?”

Lila glanced at the dark trailer. “My roomies aren’t here. No telling what it looks like inside, but if you don’t mind risking exposure to nuclear waste, you’re welcome to come in.”

He stopped the truck. “Okay if I park here?”

Lila chuckled. “Sure.”

The slight jitter in her tummy was ridiculous. Nothing was going to happen in the stupid trailer, she thought as she climbed out of the truck. She could be called to the set at any time. Or Shannon or Diane could show up.

Lila jumped out and hurried to the door. If the place was beyond disgusting, she’d discourage Clint from coming in. “So, have I completely ruined your perception of Hollywood and all its glamour?” she asked over her shoulder.

“To be honest, I hadn’t given it much thought one way or another.”

Of course he hadn’t. The world didn’t revolve around Hollywood. Something most people in the business often forgot, including herself.

She pushed the creaky door open. It wasn’t horrible inside; she’d seen it in worse condition.

“I guess I am surprised that making a movie doesn’t take more people.” He stopped on the first step and shook the rickety railing. “This is dangerous. It needs to be tightened,” he said. “I have tools in my truck.”

Lila stood just inside the door, staring at him. She couldn’t quite find her voice, or breathe for that matter. It was such a kind, unexpected offer. A small gesture, and yet not really small at all considering he didn’t know her.

He looked up, met her eyes and smiled.

“That’s nice—but it’s only three steps. No one uses the railing.”

“Wouldn’t take me long.” He pushed up the brim of his hat, the warmth in his eyes turning them a golden brown. “And I’d feel better.”

She held in a sigh. “As much as I appreciate it, my roommates could show up at any moment...”

Clint nodded. “Okay.”

Lila turned and grabbed a pillow off the floor, then kicked Shannon’s boots out of the way. Great. Diane had left her vibrator out. Lila dropped the pillow on it and spun to face Clint.

“So...” She shrugged. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He eyed the two unmade beds heaped with a mix of dirty and clean clothes. Tubes of mascara, pencil liners and palettes of eye shadow and nail polish in every possible color were scattered among dirty dishes.

Oh, dear God.

Lila spotted a second vibrator too late. Really, Diane? Two of them? The hot pink one was a doozy, too. Very fancy and clearly meant to leave no nook or cranny untouched.

Huh. Weirdly interesting. Lila would have to get a better look at it later.

Of course Clint spotted it right off. He frowned, angling his head to the side, as if he was trying to figure out how it worked.

“It’s not mine,” Lila blurted and felt her cheeks burn.

“Okay.” Clint gave a slow nod. “That’s what I thought it was,” he muttered, ending with a short laugh.

The place really was a disaster, and yet a minute ago Lila had decided it wasn’t so awful. When had she grown accustomed to living in a pig sty? When had her standards fallen so low?

“That’s my bed back there,” she said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. “I make it every morning.”

He gave her a sympathetic smile, and she buried her face in her hands.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let you come in here,” she moaned, her voice muffled.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m not all that neat myself.” He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed lightly. “And I have two brothers, remember? Everything was always a mess at the house. You can talk to my mom. She’ll confirm it.”

Lila smiled a little, even though he’d just lied. His truck was spotless. She uncovered her face, but she kept her chin lowered and her gaze on his chest. “This movie is important. We’ve got a real chance to get a deal with a distributor and after having begged, borrowed and bartered, we’re still operating on fumes. That’s why we have limited crew. Those of us who’ve invested in the project are working twice as hard, doubling up and overlapping jobs. Doing anything and everything to make sure the film succeeds. I’ve put in every last penny I’d saved and then some. Erin did, too. This has been our dream since we were in the third grade.”

He kept massaging her shoulders and whispering that everything would be okay in that low velvety tone that was beginning to hypnotize her into believing him.

“I’m not complaining.”

“I didn’t think you were.”

“Oh, Lord. Why am I even telling you all this? You’re a stranger.”

“Sometimes it’s easier,” Clint said, and rubbed a knot in back of her left shoulder.

“Well, fine, feel free to unload. Whatever you want to get off your chest, go for it.”

“If I think of something, I will.”

“Oh, so your life is perfect? That makes me feel so much better.”

He laughed, the sound a low quiet rumble that wrapped her in his warmth. “It’s not perfect,” he said. “More like...predictable.”

Lila couldn’t tell if he thought that was good or bad. She lifted her chin and was rewarded with a smile that reached his eyes. “Want to hear something really sad?”

“What’s that?”

“As horrifying as this pit is, I don’t care half as much as I do about not having a tub. We have a shower. A tiny stupid shower. I would kill for a tub. Any plain generic one would do.”

“I’m surprised you’re not sharing a trailer with Erin.”

“Ah.” Lila nodded. “Normally we would have. But she met someone. He lives here, actually. Spencer Hunt. He owns Moonlight Mountain. So she’s been staying with him at his ranch.”

Clint’s hands stilled and his brows rose. He looked shocked, confused, curious. All appropriate reactions, but only for someone who knew Erin. Lila had no idea what was going through Clint’s head.

“Do you know Spencer?” she asked.

“No. I’ve heard of him, though. He’s been volunteering at a local animal sanctuary.”

“They’ve invited me to stay with them,” she said. “But Shadow Creek is too far.”

“What is it, about thirty minutes?”

“I don’t have my own car, and I never know when I’m needed on the set.” She skipped the part about feeling like a third wheel. And the odd feeling she’d been having just recently that something was bothering Erin. Lila hoped it had nothing to do with Spencer. But, she was sure Erin would fill her in soon. “Anyway, predictable doesn’t describe my life, that’s for sure.”

“You have anything pressing to do right now?” His eyes were beginning to darken, a clear hint that he had something in mind for her, something she was going to like.

“Nothing at all.”

He put his hands on her waist and pulled her toward him. “How badly do you think Baxter needs me to agree?”

Unprepared for the switch in gears, she laughed. “I’d say he’s pretty desperate if he asked me to help. I know he’s zero for three with Jason.”

Clint wrapped his arms around her. “Tell Baxter to put you up in the motel in town, and I’ll do whatever he wants.”

Lila stared at him. “Huh?”

“With his own money.” Clint paused. “Or his uncle’s, I don’t care which.”

“But—I—” She laughed. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” He brushed a kiss across her mouth. “Would you rather I call him?”

“No.” She couldn’t think. Not when her body was flush against his and she could feel him getting hard. “I don’t know.”

“Whatever you want, Lila,” he whispered, his lips searing a path to her throat.

She swayed in his arms. His strong, muscled arms. How weird was it that she didn’t feel nervous with Clint? She’d never kissed a man five minutes after meeting him. Okay, it had been longer but not all that much. She was always careful about not playing into the Hollywood stereotype. She didn’t play fast or loose. Actually, it just wasn’t her style.