Chasin' Eight (Rough Riders #11)(106)

Ava sauntered over and straddled his thighs.
“What are you doin’?”

“Getting me some sugar,” she mimicked his husky drawl and swooped in for a kiss. The same type of soul kiss he’d bestowed in the truck that literally left her breathless. After she’d thoroughly scrambled his brain, she whispered kisses beneath his jaw. “The way I see it, we have two choices for tonight. We can lock the door and engage in wild, kinky, loud sex all night. Or we can go to the rodeo. Cheer Ryan on. Drink beer. Get rowdy. Do all the fun stuff as spectators that you don’t get to do behind the chutes. I’ve been to several rodeos with you, Chase, but we’ve never gone to a rodeo together.”

“True.”

“Besides, we’ve already paid for the room, so we might as well stay. And if you’re serious about no more PRCA events, you should hang out with Ryan one last time. He’d appreciate it. Especially after your dickish behavior.”

Chase rested his forehead against her chest. “Okay. You’ve convinced me.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she rubbed her chin across the stubbly hair on his head, loving their wordless connection.
“How soon do you need to be back in California?”

“Why?”

“After we leave here tomorrow, you wanna head to Yellowstone for a few days? No rodeo, just you’n me playing tourist?”

“That sounds like heaven.”

“Good.” He slapped her butt. “I’m gonna grab a soda out of the vending machine. Want one?”

“Sure.”

The phone call from Marnie deflated her good mood. She debated on answering, but she’d rather get it over with because she’d been expecting—dreading—this call for days. “Hey, Marnie.”

“Ava, dear, I have news. The Richfield casting agency has gotten you a reading for a new sitcom.”

At least Marnie never made small talk. “Is this for a pilot?” There was no guarantee a pilot would be picked up by any TV network and she considered auditioning a waste of time.
“It’s not a pilot. It’s already been approved and will air on the CW as a mid-season show. Granted, it has a limited episode run, but that works in our favor.”

Say no.
Say yes, you idiot. Haven’t you had enough time tooling around the countryside with Chase? You need to get back to your real life.
“Ava, sweetie, are you still there?”

“Yes. Sorry. Thanks, but I’ll pass on this one.” God. Was she making a mistake? How much would Marnie have to cajole her to get her to cave in?
A lot. She wasn’t ready to walk away from Chase yet.
“Well. I wasn’t expecting that. However, it’s your decision. I’ll figure out a way to decline the audition, although, you should know I really put myself out there for you, Ava.”

“Well, that is your job. Take care.” And she hung up as Chase entered the room.
“Who was on the phone?”

“Hannah.” Fibbing didn’t feel right, but Chase would insist she go back to LA. Even when he wasn’t the only reason she’d said no. Her gaze flicked to her laptop. She’d made progress on her project and hoped to have something tangible to show Chase in the next week, especially since he’d mentioned her secretiveness about it today.
“Is everything all right?”

“Yes. But save the soda for later. Right now I need a beer.”

At the rodeo grounds they scarfed down Indian tacos and drank beer. They chose seats at the top of the bleachers, away from the main crowd.
Chase watched her digging in her bag. “I’m surprised you brought your cameras.”