Hitching the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch 1)

“The Honky Tonk? That’s the actual name?” I ask, chuckling. “I can only imagine what the inside looks like.”

“Well, come with me tonight, sweetheart, and you’ll find out.”

“I’m in.”

“Good. Now, normally I’d walk you to your room and kiss you goodbye until I can pick you up later, but I’m certain half my family is in there waiting to hound us, so it might be best for you to sneak in through the back.”

“Ah, good idea.” I snicker.

He interlocks his fingers with mine and leads me to the steps of the back porch. “I’ll pick you up at eight.”

Then he cups my cheek and molds our lips together. My eyes close, inhaling his scent, and being this close to him causes my body to buzz.

He pulls away, and I frown. Riley notices and chuckles at my sad face. “I’ll be back. Eight o’clock.” He winks, then takes off.

When I walk in, I chuckle because Riley was right. A crowd is in the living room, and somehow, I’m able to sneak upstairs without any of them seeing me. Since I have a few hours before he picks me up, I decide to take a long, hot shower.

At five until eight, there’s a knock on my door, and heat coils low in my stomach at the anticipation of seeing him again. As soon as I open the door, my breath hitches at the sight of him. Dark jeans, boots, a plaid button-up, and he’s wearing a black cowboy hat.

My eyes linger a little too long because a moment later, he clears his throat, making my gaze shoot back to his.

“I brought you something,” he says, holding up a pair of women’s cowboy boots.

“For me?” I ask, moving to the side so he can come in.

“Well, my sister said you could borrow them. If you like them, we’ll go in to town and buy you a pair.” He sets them down, then turns to face me. His eyes wander down my body before he closes the gap between us. “Or perhaps we should just skip tonight altogether because I only have so much willpower…”

The way he eye fucks me causes my cheeks to heat again. Riley circles his arms around my waist and pulls us flush together. “You look really beautiful, Zoey. I missed you.”

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I tilt my head. “It’s only been a few hours,” I remind him with a cheeky smile.

“The past month,” he confirms, and when his eyes darken, it sends a shiver through me. “I tried to get you out of my head, telling myself I was crazy because we had only known each other less than two days. But my stupid heart wouldn’t listen, and anytime Diesel made me listen to his dumb chick playlist, it only made it worse because it’d remind me of dancing with you.”

I bite down on my lower lip, his confession taking me off guard. His words come out so smoothly and effortlessly, and I don’t know how to respond. “Diesel has a playlist with chick music?”

Riley growls, then slides a hand down to my ass and squeezes me through the denim. “That’s the part you’re focusing on, huh?”

I chuckle at how easy it is to get him worked up. “I thought about you too. A lot.”

“I know I’ve already said it, but I’m really glad you’re here and are giving us a real shot. I promise to take advantage of every day we have together.”

“I imagine you will.” This time, I pull his mouth to mine and kiss him, letting all my unspoken words tell him just how badly I missed him.

Riley’s touch and kisses are what strawberry Starbursts are made of—so damn addicting—and you know if you don’t stop, you’ll end up devouring the entire bag of candy.

“Fuck, Zoey…” We’re both panting as he rests his forehead against mine. “We better go before I rip off those things you call shorts.”

Chuckling, I nod in agreement. I dramatically push him away and grab the boots, trying them on. They’re a little loose, but they’ll work. In fact, they actually look really cute with my denim shorts and tank top.

“How do I look?” I stand in front of him, spinning around. “Like a true Texan?”

Riley shakes his head and laughs. “Not quite, sweetheart. Gotta get that accent down. A hat. And get you on a horse first.”

My eyes widen. “A horse?”

He takes my hand and leads me out of the room. I don’t bother grabbing my phone because tonight, all of my attention will be on my husband.

Considering how much I drank in Vegas with Riley, I decide to take it easy. An hour later, we’re at the bar and sticking to beer only. We both know what happens when too much liquor is involved.

The Honky Tonk is exactly what I imagined. People in cowboy boots, taking shots and being loud and obnoxious. Old license plates on the walls complement the rustic décor, and it smells like a barn. A clean one, at least.