Page 64 of Wild As Her

My heart trips over itself, and my stomach does an unwelcome somersault. Oh, no. This isbad.

“Damn, Cami,” someone mutters.

“She’s so hot,” someone else murmurs.

Jack tilts his head, his eyes locked on mine. “You wear that for me, Wilder?”

I roll my eyes, determined to ignore the way his voice sends heat up my neck. “Yeah, Jack. The whole outfit was designed to impress the guy I can’t stand.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” he drawls, stepping a little closer. “You clean up real nice.”

I cross my arms, ignoring how his gaze dips briefly before meeting mine again. “And you’re still a pain in my ass.”

“Ah,” he nods, smirking. “You’re just mad ‘cause now I got something gorgeous to look at while I boss you around.”

I scoff. “Bossmearound? In what world?”

And did he just say “gorgeous”?

“In the world where you signed a contract to be my assistant,” he leans in slightly, voice full of mischief. “And now, you work for me, darlin’.”

My heart jumps slightly at how close he is to me.

Jack leans in close to me and whispers in my ear. “Although you’re an absolute smoke show, I still prefer you in dusty boots, Wranglers, and that damn braid.”

I open my mouth to argue but close it because I’m speechless and staring at him. Jenna claps her hands, interrupting us. “Alright, time to film. Try not to kill each other before we even begin.”

Jack chuckles as I turn away, grumbling under my breath. This is going to be hell. And worse? Some tiny, traitorous part of me is going to love every second secretly.

When the contestants showed up, my presence did not phase most. But for Juliette, if looks could kill, I’d be six feet under the barn before noon. And the town of Bridger Falls? My presence thrilled them. The other four smile and wave and Savannah asks me if we’re still on for dinner.

“Yeah, of course. Looking forward to it,” I say. And I am. This morning Savannah and Elena came into the trailer and sat with me while I worked, and we chatted it up. I feel like they’renot big fans of Juliette either. But I didn’t ask. I’m too employed for that nonsense and any drama there.

I swear, half the town turned up this morning, lounging in lawn chairs like they’re here for a fireworks show. Maggie even set up a little table with Old Man Wallace from the feed store, and they're collecting bets. I caught snippets of conversation as I stepped up next to Jack.

“Five bucks says the mean one tries to ‘accidentally’ trip Cami.”

Someone else snorted. “Nah, they wouldn’t do that to our Cami.”

Oh, fantastic.

Jack leaned over, his voice low and full of amusement. “You ready for this, Wilder?”

I huffed. “Depends. Do I get hazard pay?”

His grin widened. “That depends. You planning to fight back?”

Before I could answer, Jenna called everyone together. “Alright, contestants! Today, you’ll be working with Jack andhis assistant—” She shot me a quick, knowing glance, like she was fully aware she’d just dropped a live grenade into this situation. “—to complete a set of ranch challenges.”

Hannah, the perky brunette in an off-the-shoulder floral top and perfectly applied lipstick, smiled at me in a way that was teasing as if she was in on an inside joke. “So, Cami, how exactly did you become Jack’sassistant?”

I open my mouth, but Jack answers first. “She’s overqualified, really. Knows this ranch inside and out. No one better for the job.”

Juliette’s smile tightens. “Oh.Interesting.”

Jack, damn him, smirks. “She cleans up real nice, huh?”

All the contestants smiled, and some snorted, except Juliette. She glares at me.

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