Lead Me On Read online

  But dreams could last only so long.

  She ate the maraschino cherry in her Midori Sour, yet it didn’t taste as good as it used to—not after the bad news she’d gotten last month about how her latest “single girl on the go” travel book had done.

  Or, more to the point, hadn’t done.

  As usual, Margot tried not to show how upset she was. She’d been keeping the news to herself that her publishing company hadn’t wanted to go to contract after she closed out this most recent book. Surely something else was bound to come along.

  Wouldn’t it?

  Dani was talking. “But...I still don’t know about raising money for my wedding.”

  Leigh said, “Don’t they have money dances at receptions? We’d just be doing the asking before the wedding.”

  “Besides, it’s not any old auction,” Margot was quick to add, dangling the cherry stem between her fingers. “This is something everyone will love. A basket auction, just like they used to do in the old days at picnics. You know, when the girls packed a lunch in a basket and tied a telltale ribbon around the handle so the boy she was crushing on would know it was hers and take her out?”

  “Days of innocence,” Leigh said in her ranch-girl drawl. Country-singer cool, she rested her free arm over the top of the booth. She seemed as down-to-earth as they came—if you didn’t know her very well. Leigh was the type to come off as earthy, even though she was a rising star at The Food Network with a new show that Margot could describe only as “sensuous farmhouse cooking”—like putting Faith Hill in Martha Stewart’s kitchen.

  For a second, Margot could almost see her friends as they used to be: Leigh, forty pounds heavier, laughing at the nickname—“Cushions”—that everyone had given her, even while inside, Margot knew, Leigh hadn’t found it so hilarious. And Dani, a home ec major like Leigh, known as the romantic “Hearts,” who used to love matchmaking at the dinner parties she put together.

  But Margot had them beat. She’d been an endangered species on their rural San Joaquin Valley campus—an English major among all the agricultural business majors and local cowboys and cowgirls. She’d never minded standing out, though. Leigh, who’d been her dorm roomie, and Dani, who’d lived down the hall, had talked Margot into joining Tau Epsilon Gamma, and she’d never regretted a day of it.

  Even if her parents hadn’t been quite as excited.

  Sororities are for girls who’ll never find a day of independence in their lives, her dad had said. Don’t you want to have a mind of your own?

  Of course she did, but joining the Taus hadn’t quashed the free spirit her hippy-minded parents had raised her to be as they’d moved from town to town, “experiencing all life has to offer.” They’d take temporary jobs and then one day jerk her out of school before she could find a best friend. Sometimes she’d wondered if they cared about how she fit into their whole “see the world!” philosophy...or if she’d just been one more item on their bucket lists.

  But she’d found a whole lot of friends all on her own, thank you very much.

  And that’s what mattered.

  Margot searched Dani’s gray-hued gaze. Was her friend about to come around to the idea of the auction? She and Leigh hadn’t meant to mortify her; when Dani had told them during their own private yearly get-together a few months ago that she and Riley couldn’t afford the wedding she’d been planning since she was a little girl, it’d looked as if her heart was about to break.

  Or was Dani going to tell them to go to hell?

  “Dani,” Margot said, reaching across the table to enclose her hand, which rested by her untouched wine spritzer. “We can call off the auction if you want. Really.”

  Leigh looked as if she was holding her breath, clearly just as torn about this. Since she’d lost weight last year, she’d made a pact with Margot to be more adventurous than ever. Hence, this basket thing. Even though she’d always seemed confident, she hadn’t been anywhere near it. Now, though, Leigh was different, and she was going to take her new attitude into the bedroom for the very first time in her life with this auction. She’d vowed to do things like making love with the lights on and playing all the bedroom games she’d never allowed herself to play.

  And Margot... Well, she was pretty much already one of those girls, never settling into a relationship, since there was so much to do out in the world, so much to see and experience. Putting together a sinful basket would be one more adventure for the adventuress—and it’d be a way to say “See? That damned YouTube video isn’t going to cow me” to whoever had posted it.

  Clint?

  Truthfully, there was a bonus in the basket auction. This weekend would also be a chance to reconnect with her old boyfriend, Brad, maybe relive some good old times....

  Margot stopped herself. These days, she wasn’t as confident as everyone thought. She felt like a real failure at the moment, with her less-than-bestselling books.

  Most Likely to Succeed?

  Not so much anymore. But she was damned if she was going to let anyone see the self-doubt. Nope—she had taken the lead in putting together this auction, and she wanted it to go off without a hitch, video or no. She would do it for Dani’s sake and...

  Well, to let everyone know that nothing was going to get her down.

  “Dani?” Leigh asked. “Do you want us to cancel the auction?”

  A second passed, and Margot maintained her poker face, even as her heart beat against her ribs.

  But then Dani smiled. “I’d hate to ruin anyone’s fun....”

  “I knew you’d be on board,” Leigh said, beaming.

  Margot raised her drink, even though she thought she still detected some reluctance in Dani. “To a hell of an auction, then?”

  “I’ll drink to that.” Leigh toasted, too. “Then again, I’ve got the feeling we’ll be drinking to a lot of thats this weekend.”

  Dani brought her spritzer glass up as well, and they all clinked, then threw their drinks down the hatch.

  When they finished, Margot noticed that the room was filling up. Businessmen cluttered the mahogany bar, loosening their ties and glancing around.

  When the waitress stopped by to check on the three women, Leigh ordered another round of drinks. Then the server went to the next booth, the occupant obscured by the strip of stained glass edging the top of the seats.

  Obviously, someone had slipped in, unnoticed, during their conversation, because the waitress took that order, too. Couldn’t be anyone they knew, Margot thought, or they would’ve said hi.

  “So, Margot,” Leigh began, “how about that Around the Girl in Eighty Ways basket?”

  “What, are you going to steal ideas from me?” Margot asked playfully.

  “Like I’d need to.”

  They’d always tried to top each other in grades and at social events, and they’d made each other challenge themselves, too, Margot thought. Too bad she didn’t have Leigh around more these days.

  She brushed off the pessimism. There wasn’t room for it this weekend. “The title pretty much says it all, doesn’t it? I have little pieces of paper with different...scenarios...on them. Whoever bids the highest can enact one or more of them during our date.”

  “Whoa,” Leigh said. “Brassy. I thought I’d make mine a little vaguer, you know? Just in case it goes to someone who doesn’t really appeal.”

  “Oh, I’m going to make sure it goes to someone who appeals to me. But not to worry—the scenarios I’ve chosen can be interpreted in various ways. They can be as naughty as I want...or as nice.”

  “You devil,” Leigh said.

  “Or angel.” Margot winked and took another drink.

  “Just exactly what kind of scenarios are they?” Dani asked.

  Behind them, in the other booth, someone cleared his throat.

  Margot barel
y heard, because she was concentrating on Dani. She loved to see that her friend was warming to this basket idea. “Scenarios. You know me. My books were all about seeking fun for the well-traveled girl, so I’ve got several adventures already researched and tested.”

  She hesitated. Her books were all about seeking fun? Had she really just used the past tense?

  Leigh’s olive-colored eyes lit up. “I can see where this is going.”

  “Can you?”

  “Please, Marg,” Dani said. “Even a few months ago, you were talking about seeing Brad here at the reunion. I think we can figure out that you’re going to make sure he’s the one who bids the highest, so you can rekindle that flame you had in junior summer break.”

  “Did you tell him about your basket yet?” Leigh asked.

  Margot thought that she could finally taste a hint of the thick, decadent juice that had come with the maraschino cherry. “I had no idea that Brad was going to be here,” she said, all sweetness and cluelessness.

  “Right,” Dani said.

  “As if you didn’t know he got divorced recently,” Leigh added.

  He was the only guy Margot had connected with in a half-serious way. Okay, the relationship had lasted only about three months, during a summer when he’d taken off from Cal-U and interned on a local dairy near Chico, where she’d been staying with a cousin during break. But he’d lit her teenage fire on more than one occasion.

  What she’d give for a little of that fire now.

  She glanced around to see if any of her classmates had noticed she was here yet.

  Dani cleared her throat. “Riley told me he heard Brad’s going to break away from work this weekend. He’ll be here, all right.”

  Leigh waggled her eyebrows. “You plan to have a special mark on your basket so he can bid on it?”

  “A burst of gold and silver stars.” Margot smiled at the waitress as she brought the new round of drinks.

  Leigh murmured, “A burst of stars, just like he’ll see after Margot—”

  She cut Leigh off. “When did Riley say Brad was coming, Dan?”

  “I think he’s here already, playing golf with Riley and some of the guys before things really get started.”

  Everyone would be here by tomorrow for the homecoming football game, then a casual meal and the auction, followed on Sunday by a more formal dinner before they all headed off in their different directions again.

  Leigh leaned back in the booth, surveying Margot. “Honestly, I never really saw Brad’s appeal. He always reminded me of the type of guy who checks himself out in windows when he walks by them. He was kind of self-involved, if you ask me.”

  “He was not.” He was smart and ambitious, going places. Margot had related to that. Plus, he’d been in the area, and they’d gotten to know each other without all their Greek brothers and sisters around.

  Dani was leaning her elbows on the table, looking at Leigh. “I never thought Brad was that hot, either.”

  Hot?

  The word conjured up a maddening image of Clint Barrows. That damn video had shoved him into her mind and was making him stay there beyond a decent hello. God, she hoped he wouldn’t be at the reunion.

  Margot took another drink, as if she could wash him away.

  Dani started to slide out of the booth. “Don’t hate me, but I’m really bushed, you all. I catered a big fortieth birthday party last night. Can we meet up later?”

  When Margot started to protest, Leigh stood to leave, too. “Don’t hate me, but I’ve got a script to look over and approve tonight so we can hit the ground running at the studio on Monday.”

  “Lightweights,” Margot muttered. She wasn’t nearly ready to hole up in her room yet, even if her classmates would soon be here to tease her about the video.

  Bring them on.

  Leigh seemed impressed. “You’re actually staying here?”

  “To face the lions when they arrive? You’d better believe it. I want to get this over with. Besides, if Brad’s already in town, he might drop in for a post-golf drink.”

  “Okay, Braveheart.” Leigh smiled. “How about dinner with us later?”

  “No doubt.”

  Dani just grinned again, swinging her small, patchwork purse over her shoulder. They both waved as they walked away, and it wasn’t four seconds later that Margot started rethinking this Braveheart stuff.

  Did she really want to suffer through the ribbing all alone?

  But it wasn’t in her nature to wimp out, so she took another drink.

  A deep voice behind her made her almost spray the Midori out of her mouth.

  “I’ve always wondered what’d be in your basket.”

  She knew that voice, even years later.

  Clint Freakin’ Barrows.

  2

  INEXPLICABLY, A DELICIOUS shiver danced up Margot’s back, just like fingers running over bare skin then stopping at her neck, stroking until the fine hairs stood on heated end. And that wasn’t the only part of her body that responded; she went tight nearly everywhere, from her sensitized nipples to the clenching of her belly.

  She also felt a sharp ache between her legs, but she chased it away.

  She blew out a breath, wishing her stomach wasn’t all scrambled. Then she turned around to find the one and only Clint Barrows leaning off the edge of the bench seat, his arms resting on his thighs, his cowboy hat tipped back on his head.

  A slow melt started inside her as she took in his grin. This wasn’t the college kid she remembered. Not exactly. The Clint Barrows who’d lured her to his room that one night had been cute—no doubts there—but now?

  Now he had shoulders this wide under his white T-shirt. And his thighs hadn’t been so muscular under faded jeans. And there was some age to him—smile lines around his light blue eyes and hair that seemed to be an even thicker golden mess under his hat.

  Like a fine bourbon, he’d aged well.

  Damn him for looking so good. Damn her for feeling a little dizzy just from standing near him.

  How...after all these years...?

  And, after what he’d done?

  “You’ve got some gall,” she said.

  He laughed. “Because I’m saying hi?”

  She just stared at him. Talk about thickheaded.

  “Darlin’,” he said, clearly knowing that she was talking about the video. “Don’t go accusing me of anything. First off, I don’t have the time to be digging through old videos and sharing them with the world. Second, I destroyed that tape.”

  “Well, then, I guess it magically came to life again and found itself a cozy home on YouTube. You’re in the clear, Stud.”

  He laughed once more, smooth and low, and her clit gave a vicious little twist.

  Oh, come on—she hadn’t gone without a man that long. Or maybe she had. Now that she thought about it, it’d been months. She’d been locked away, pounding out a draft of her most recent book, which had given her more trouble than most. The wildness and joy just didn’t come as easily as it used to. Maybe that’s why her book sale numbers were going down....

  She lifted a finger at him. “If you’re not here to rub that video in, then why did you show up? I didn’t think reunions would be your scene.”

  “Just call it a last-minute decision.”

  Cryptic, and so Clint Barrows. And with that grin of his, she wanted to solve whatever mystery he was putting out there.

  Or did she?

  “Come on,” he said. “Why don’t you just sit down and talk about this.”

  “Are you kidding? First, I don’t believe your story. Second, I think we’ll get along much better if I’m on one side of the room and you’re on the other.”

  He sighed. “Have it your way, then. For now.”

 
For now?

  Shaking her head, she grabbed her Fendi purse and got out the hand-worked leather wallet she’d bought in Florence once upon a time. Earlier, she’d told the girls she would be taking care of the bar tab, even though she wasn’t sure she could afford many flights of generosity like this in the future.

  “So about those baskets...” Clint said.

  Once a tease, always a tease.

  “Don’t even start.”

  “Start what? If you recall, there’re things I start that you have a problem ending.”

  “See? Rubbing it in. I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist.”

  “Give me a chance here, Shakespeare.”

  Her libido gave another hot jerk. She’d liked how he used to call her English author names the few times they’d actually talked during parties. He’d amused her—and she’d been turned on that a cowboy had known his literature, to tell the truth.

  But that was before she’d found out he’d only wanted to set her up for an adolescent joke.

  “You think this is all so funny,” she said.

  He sobered and, for a second, she thought he was actually being sincere.

  “I don’t think it’s a bit funny. But—”

  She slapped her cash on the table and left, even while every cell in her body was pulling her toward his booth, vibrating with the curiosity she hadn’t been able to fully appease on that long-ago night.

  But if there was one thing Margot would guard until the end, it was pride.

  Luckily, that’s when she heard her name being called from the other side of the bar.

  A group of fraternity brothers, including Dani’s fiancé, Riley, had just walked in, and she recognized her ex-boyfriend Brad among them.

  Or, at least, she thought she did.

  He looked like one of the businessmen at the bar—creased khakis and a crisp, long-sleeved shirt. His dark hair was neatly trimmed, unlike a certain cowboy’s that looked as if he turned tail and ran every time a barber came near.

  Brad lifted a hand in greeting to her, giving her a friendly smile. He didn’t seem to care about the video. None of them did, maybe because Riley had told them to back off during their golf game.