extricate himself
from this new challenge.
He stormed down the ring steps,
past California Chris, who played unconscious. Jason was champion? Yeah, a
champion of idiots. He was no champion, especially not a champion of anything
that mattered. Now, if he could nail the perp in the next seventy-two hours
that would be a champion move.
“Hang on Stripper! You forgot
something!” the ref called over the PA system.
Jason turned in time to catch
Gidget as she launched herself at him, wrapping herself around him from her
arms to her ankles.
“What the hell?” he muttered.
The crowd roared, distracting him
for a second. He started to pry her off when he spotted a boy in the front row,
whistling with his pinky fingers. This was big stuff for the fans, especially the
young men who believed in the fairy tale that if you fought hard enough you
could get the girl. Who was Jason to destroy this kid’s fantasy?
He mustered a smile and waved at
the fans, trying to act the part of champ and hero. Fine, he’d be a star for one
day, but just one. Then he’d set things straight with Cosmo. Jason couldn’t be
in the spotlight, not if he was going to do his job.
With one last wave, he walked up
the ramp and slipped past the curtain into the back. A group of guys were
waiting for him, laughing, applauding, and giving him the thumbs-up.
Then his gaze caught on Sandy, who
glared, her hands planted firmly on her hips.
“What?” he said.
“You’re a piece of work,” Sandy
snapped at The Stripper. She turned and headed for the first aid room.
So, Jason was like all the rest of
them, reveling in the glory and soaking up the female adoration. His shyness,
his supposed inexperience at stripping had been an act. She’d watched him out
there in the ring, completely uninhibited—and welcoming the embrace of Gidget
the tramp.
Yet in the bathroom she thought
she’d seen something raw and vulnerable in The Stripper’s eyes. Time to seriously
think about getting out of the business.
“What?” Jason grabbed her arm and
she turned to face him.
He looked ridiculous with Gidget
still wrapped around his torso. Sandy raised an eyebrow at his voluptuous cling
on.
“Hey, this wasn’t my idea,” he
said.
“I don’t see you complaining.”
“You’re jealous?”
“Hardly.”
“Great job!” Cosmo called,
shuffling up to them. “At ease, Gidget. Get off The Stripper and let him get
some massage time with Sandy. He worked hard tonight. He deserves it.”
Sandy seethed. Cosmo wouldn’t
really reward The Stripper with a one-on-one massage, would he?
“I’m working on Headbanger,” Sandy
said.
“He can wait. Stripper needs you.
Give his muscles a go before they tighten up on him.”
“I’ll do it, I’ll do it!” Gidget
offered.
“Great idea,” Sandy said.
“Not the kind of massage he
needs,” Cosmo said, pointing for Gidget to leave.
“Bye, Stripper.” Gidget stood on
tiptoe and kissed his cheek.
“Oh, brother,” Sandy said.
Cosmo’s cell phone rang. “Perini.
Yep. Nope. Horse feathers!” He hung up. “Cowboy Gil just pulled out of the
Silverdale Special next month. He and Cody Monroe were the only two who could ride
a horse and shoot the toupee off of Headbanger. Guess I’ll have to call Cody’s
agent and get him back here. Will probably cost me a fortune.”
Her heart sank. Cody was coming
back?
“I’ll do it,” Jason said, his eyes
locked onto Sandy.
“You know how to ride?” Cosmo
asked.
“I know how to shoot.”
“Outstanding! A cowboy stripper
who can shoot. Excellent. Well, go on, Stripper, Sandy will take care of you.”
She so didn’t want to, no
sir. She wanted to be as far away from this guy as possible, and not just because
he was a womanizer who pretended to be a gentleman. No, she wanted to keep her
distance because she thought she could read him, but in reality she hadn’t a
clue what he was about. He offered to ride and shoot in place of Cody Monroe.
Why?
Don’t read
from this new challenge.
He stormed down the ring steps,
past California Chris, who played unconscious. Jason was champion? Yeah, a
champion of idiots. He was no champion, especially not a champion of anything
that mattered. Now, if he could nail the perp in the next seventy-two hours
that would be a champion move.
“Hang on Stripper! You forgot
something!” the ref called over the PA system.
Jason turned in time to catch
Gidget as she launched herself at him, wrapping herself around him from her
arms to her ankles.
“What the hell?” he muttered.
The crowd roared, distracting him
for a second. He started to pry her off when he spotted a boy in the front row,
whistling with his pinky fingers. This was big stuff for the fans, especially the
young men who believed in the fairy tale that if you fought hard enough you
could get the girl. Who was Jason to destroy this kid’s fantasy?
He mustered a smile and waved at
the fans, trying to act the part of champ and hero. Fine, he’d be a star for one
day, but just one. Then he’d set things straight with Cosmo. Jason couldn’t be
in the spotlight, not if he was going to do his job.
With one last wave, he walked up
the ramp and slipped past the curtain into the back. A group of guys were
waiting for him, laughing, applauding, and giving him the thumbs-up.
Then his gaze caught on Sandy, who
glared, her hands planted firmly on her hips.
“What?” he said.
“You’re a piece of work,” Sandy
snapped at The Stripper. She turned and headed for the first aid room.
So, Jason was like all the rest of
them, reveling in the glory and soaking up the female adoration. His shyness,
his supposed inexperience at stripping had been an act. She’d watched him out
there in the ring, completely uninhibited—and welcoming the embrace of Gidget
the tramp.
Yet in the bathroom she thought
she’d seen something raw and vulnerable in The Stripper’s eyes. Time to seriously
think about getting out of the business.
“What?” Jason grabbed her arm and
she turned to face him.
He looked ridiculous with Gidget
still wrapped around his torso. Sandy raised an eyebrow at his voluptuous cling
on.
“Hey, this wasn’t my idea,” he
said.
“I don’t see you complaining.”
“You’re jealous?”
“Hardly.”
“Great job!” Cosmo called,
shuffling up to them. “At ease, Gidget. Get off The Stripper and let him get
some massage time with Sandy. He worked hard tonight. He deserves it.”
Sandy seethed. Cosmo wouldn’t
really reward The Stripper with a one-on-one massage, would he?
“I’m working on Headbanger,” Sandy
said.
“He can wait. Stripper needs you.
Give his muscles a go before they tighten up on him.”
“I’ll do it, I’ll do it!” Gidget
offered.
“Great idea,” Sandy said.
“Not the kind of massage he
needs,” Cosmo said, pointing for Gidget to leave.
“Bye, Stripper.” Gidget stood on
tiptoe and kissed his cheek.
“Oh, brother,” Sandy said.
Cosmo’s cell phone rang. “Perini.
Yep. Nope. Horse feathers!” He hung up. “Cowboy Gil just pulled out of the
Silverdale Special next month. He and Cody Monroe were the only two who could ride
a horse and shoot the toupee off of Headbanger. Guess I’ll have to call Cody’s
agent and get him back here. Will probably cost me a fortune.”
Her heart sank. Cody was coming
back?
“I’ll do it,” Jason said, his eyes
locked onto Sandy.
“You know how to ride?” Cosmo
asked.
“I know how to shoot.”
“Outstanding! A cowboy stripper
who can shoot. Excellent. Well, go on, Stripper, Sandy will take care of you.”
She so didn’t want to, no
sir. She wanted to be as far away from this guy as possible, and not just because
he was a womanizer who pretended to be a gentleman. No, she wanted to keep her
distance because she thought she could read him, but in reality she hadn’t a
clue what he was about. He offered to ride and shoot in place of Cody Monroe.
Why?
Don’t read
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