Beauty and the Bull Rider
Hotel Rodeo #3
By: Victoria Vane
Releasing
March 15, 2016
Lyrical Shine
Lyrical Shine
Blurb
When
Beauty Wants A Baby
Championship
bull breeder and former Texas beauty queen Delaney McCall was having a heck of
a time finding a daddy for the baby she craved. A failed marriage left her with
no desire for another husband, but finding the right stud to satisfy her needs
presents a bigger problem that she could have imagined.
And
The Bullrider Wants Beauty
After
hanging up his spurs, bull rider Zac McDaniel wants nothing more than to
fulfill Delaney's dream of having a family. After all, his best friend's ex has
been his fantasy for years. Zac, however, has no desire to be seen as just a
means to an end. And when Zac insists on doing things the "old
fashioned" way, their passion explodes like a bull out of the chute…
Some
Bucking Is Bound To Happen
While
insisting it's all just a passing fancy, the more Delaney sees the softer side
of the rough and tumble cowboy, the harder it is to keep her emotions
corralled. Zac, meanwhile, is more determined than ever to prove he's what she
really needs, and will do whatever it takes to tear down the mile high fence
around her heart…
At
the end of the night, Alvaro finished with the championship, as expected, but
to everyone’s surprise, Zac McDaniel’s was the highpoint ride, even with his
hang-up.
After
the bull riding, Kade and Zac returned to the hotel in full celebration mode.
“The drinks are on me,” Zac called out to the bartender. “Ty saved my ass
tonight.”
“I
saw it all on the television,” Gabby said. “I can’t believe you did that, Ty.
That bull could have killed you.”
“It
didn’t,” Ty replied with a shrug. “I’ll have a beer.”
Zac
ordered a whiskey, downed it in a swallow, and then called for another round.
The
bar was quickly filling with fans from the bull riding. Within minutes, the
three cowboys found themselves surrounded by a half dozen buckle bunnies. As
the hero of the hour, Ty drew particular notice from a blonde name Josie, who
was flaunting her double Ds in a low-cut tee. Rather than enjoying the
attention, Ty looked about as edgy as a bull calf entering the chute for the
first time. It didn’t take long before he said something and gave a nod in
Monica’s direction. Josie replied with a toss of her blond head and moved on
down the bar to wrap her arms around Kade, who pulled her full onto his lap.
Zac
paid the women little heed, which, to his annoyance, only seemed to make them
try harder, but even a whispered proposal for a threesome failed to get him
excited anymore. He was too old for that kinda shit and had wearied of women
with more notches on their belts than he had. Where was the challenge?
Ty
had moved a few stools down to join Monica. He watched them exchange some
heated words, no doubt over Josie, but the showdown ended with Monica wrapping
her arms around Ty’s neck. He’d thought his buddy had won the round until
Monica got up and left the bar alone. Ty watched her leave like a hungry man
who’d just been served a prime aged T-bone only to have it swiped out from
under his nose.
Ty
was a ladies’ man from way back, but Zac recognized that his interest in Monica
was different. Had Ty finally found a woman who could hold him for the long
haul? It appeared so.
Zac
felt a fierce stab of envy. In fifteen years on the circuit, he’d never wanted
for female company, but in all those years there had only been one woman he’d
ever truly wanted—Ty’s ex, Delaney. He and Ty had both met her at the Houston
Livestock Show. He’d had his shot at her then but he’d blown it. Ty got the
girl and Zac had to live with the worm of envy that ate a hole in his heart
every time he saw them together. What made it all worse, Ty hadn’t made her
happy.
Grabbing
his glass, Zac straddled the stool beside his buddy, following Ty’s gaze with a
fateful shake of his head. “Never thought I’d see you with another one like
that.”
“What
do you mean?” Ty asked.
“Big
city. Big money. Didn’t exactly pan out for you the first time around.”
“That’s
where the similarity starts and ends,” Ty said. “Monica’s nothing like
Delaney.”
“If
you say so,” Zac replied with a smirk and raised his glass to his lips.
“I
mean it, Zac. There’s no comparison between ’em. Monica’s a successful
investment banker who needs nothing from me. Delaney was a beauty queen who
stole half my ranch.”
Zac
raised his hand with a glare. “Look, ol’ boy. That ain’t how it was, and you
know it.”
Ty
hadn’t been any more ready to settle down back then than a bull in a breeding
pasture, but he and Delaney had eloped anyway. Initially, Zac had thought maybe
it was Delaney’s money Ty was after, but he’d proven that wasn’t the case.
Instead of gaining from the marriage, Ty had lost half of everything. Zac still
didn’t understand how it had all gone down, but the nasty divorce had left Ty
embittered and disillusioned. But now, it was looking like Ty was considering
giving it another go with Monica Brandt.
Delaney,
however, seemed gun-shy as ever even eight years later. Their paths had crossed
a few times over the past years, but no matter how hard he tried, she always
turned a cold shoulder, as if her marriage break-up was somehow Zac’s fault. He
understood in part, but wished she’d give him a chance. So far that hadn’t
happened.
“All
right. I admit I brought that shit on myself,” Ty said. “But that doesn’t give
her the right to rub my nose in it for the rest of my life. You know that’s
what she’s trying to do with the bucking bulls, don’t you? She’s sending two to
the futurity this year and says she has a half a dozen more prospects for next
year. She has shit-tons of money to put into a breeding program. I didn’t. She
thinks I never wanted the ranch. That’s not true, but ranching takes money.
That’s part of the reason I stayed on the road as long as I did. I’d hoped to
win enough to keep the place going.”
“But
now it’s done,” Zac said. “You’re here and she’s there. What’s the problem?”
“The
problem is that she still wants something from me.”
Zac’s
gaze narrowed. “Oh yeah? Like what?”
“A
baby.”
Excerpt #4
Zac
choked on his drink. “What the fuck did you say?”
“You
heard me right.”
His
chest tightened. “Are you saying she wants to get back together?”
“Hell
no!” Ty laughed. “She wants a kid but doesn’t want another husband. It’s that
whole bio-clock thing that seems to have pushed her over the edge. She even
tried to bribe me with an interest-free loan in lieu of a stud fee.”
Was
she still carrying a torch for Ty? There was that worm again. Zac’s gut twisted
at the thought of Ty and Delaney together. “Why the hell would she do that?”
“’Cause
she’s out of her ever-lovin’ mind. Gotta be one of those hormonal things.”
“Why
you?” Zac asked.
Ty
shrugged. “Beats the hell outta me.”
“You
gonna oblige her?” Zac asked, keeping his voice slow and his gaze on his empty
glass.
“Shit
no! If I ever father a kid, I’m gonna be there to raise him up right.”
“There’s
gotta be plenty of other men who’d be happy to help her out. Hell, they’d
probably line up for miles.” And I’d be the first to buy a ticket.
Zac
signaled Gabby for another drink.
Ty
gave a dry laugh. “Delaney might be a lot of things, but easy ain’t one of
’em.’ ” He sat back, appraising Zac. “You did better than me in school. What’s
your IQ?”
“I
dunno. Hundred twenty-eight maybe.”
“Beats
mine by at least five.” He was still regarding Zac as if he were a bull on the
auction block.
“What
the hell are you looking at?” Zac snapped.
“You,
Zac. Just wondering what kinda breeder you’d be. She says she wants
above-average IQ, tall, and athletic. Seems to me you got that part in spades.
I’m just wondering if it’ll offset your lack of looks and nonexistent sense of
humor.”
“Fuck
you, Ty.” Zac snatched up the glass Gabby slid in front of him.
“I’m
serious. You need money. Maybe you should volunteer?”
Zac
met his gaze. “And what if I decided to do just that?”
“Hell,
Zac,” Ty laughed. “I’d consider it a personal favor. I’d even buy your damned
ticket to Oklahoma. Come to think on it . . . how’s that hand?”
Zac
set down his drink and held it up. His fingers were purple and sausage-like.
“Fucked up, but I don’t think anything’s broken. Why?”
“There’s
a good chance I’m going to need a new ranch foreman.”
“Wait
a minute,” Zac said. “Isn’t that Delaney’s domain now?”
“It’s
not Delaney’s place I’m talking about. It’s Tom’s. Or rather, mine now.”
“Yours?
So Tom left you the Circle B? What are you looking to do with the place?” Zac
asked, trying not to betray his intense interest. Ty had not only offered him a
new start doing what he knew best, he’d also given him a second chance with
Delaney.
“I
want to expand the operation and get back to where I started.”
“Contracting,
Ty? Thought you moved out here to get out of it.”
“I
did, initially,” Ty said, “but things have changed. My plans have changed. If
things work out for this hotel as I hope they do, I’m going to need bucking
stock. I figure some of ’em might as well be mine.”
“What
about ol’ Bart? Doesn’t he run the place?”
“He’s
’bout ready to retire. I’d be happy to leave him in charge of the beef
operation, but I need someone who knows how to handle a rank bull. If you’re
ready to hang up your bull spurs, the job’s yours.”
“I’d
like more than just a paycheck, Ty. I’m thinking about my future too, and right
now it ain’t lookin’ so bright. My place needs too much work. It’ll take every
cent I just won just to get it back in operational shape. If you’re looking to
contract again, I’d be willing to sell out and invest as your partner.”
“You
would?” Ty asked with surprise.
“Damn
straight. Bulls are what I love, Ty, but at this stage in the game, I’d be
content to flank instead of ride.”
“Hell,
Zac. I don’t know what to say. I’d be honored to take you on as a partner.”
Zac’s
eyes held Ty’s as he slowly drained his whiskey. Setting the shot glass down,
he offered his hand with a smile. “I think you just made me an offer I can’t
refuse.”
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/01/beauty-and-bull-rider-
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/152536-hotel-rodeo
Buy Links:
Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo
Author Info
Victoria Vane is an award winning author of smart and sexy romance. Her
collective works of fiction range from historical to contemporary settings and
include everything from wild comedic romps to emotionally compelling erotic
romance. Victoria is the founder of the Goodreads Romantic Historical Fiction
Lovers and the Romantic Historical Lovers book review blogs.
Rafflecopter Giveaway (Texas West
Wallet and Handbag Set)
2 comments:
Thank you for hosting BEAUTY AND THE BULL RIDER today!
Crystal, Tasty Book Tours
Thank you so very much for the book spotlight! XO Victoria
Post a Comment