I shivered and tried to disentangle myself from his arms. “I’m serious,” I said, but I couldn’t stop giggling as he continued to come after me.
“I’m serious, too,” he said, capturing me again and lifting me into his arms, pinning me back against the wall. “Seriously horny. Come on, let’s have sex and then we can talk about whatever is on your mind.”
I mewled softly as he nibbled at my neck, his talented fingers playing along my sides, a promise of what was to come. But I couldn’t seem to turn my brain off. I splayed a palm against his chest, forcing him back so that I could look into his eyes. “Are you sure about this?” I asked quietly.
He raised his eyebrows at me. “Sure about having sex with you right here in the front hall?” he asked. “Absolutely. You have a problem with that idea? We could move to the couch. Or the bed, I guess.”
I laughed and shook my head. “No, I mean, are you sure about…all of this.” I gestured between us. Then, I blurted out the real question. “You’re not just doing the bull riding competition for me, are you? Because I can get the money some other way. I couldn’t live with myself if you got hurt because you were just trying to help me out.”
“Oh, darling,” Trethan sighed, kissing me gently. “I want this. I’ve always wanted to ride bulls. I’m good at it, and it’s exhilarating. The prize money is just a bonus.”
“Are you sure, though?”
“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life,” he said, looking suddenly serious.
I sighed and dropped my forehead onto his collarbone. “What happens if you win?” I asked. “Are you going to keep doing it?”
Trethan was quiet for a long moment. “I don’t know,” he finally said. “I owe a lot to your father, and I wouldn’t want to leave the Lazy J in a lurch. If I did leave, it wouldn’t be right away.”
I swallowed hard and forced myself to nod. “Okay,” I said. I ducked my head. “Whatever you do in the future, I want to be there with you. You know that, right?”
He stared at me. Then, a slow smile broke across his face. “Good,” he told me. Then, he spun us around and walked me down the hallway and into the bedroom, laying me gently back on the bed and dragging my dress off over my head. He kissed his way down my skin, moving carefully, as though I were made of spun glass and might shatter if he made the wrong move.
I clutched at him, dragging my fingertips down his back and guiding his hips into position between mine. Where normally he’d tease me more, he did a cursory check to make sure I was ready for him, and then he pushed inside me. He thrust deep and slow, pulling nearly all the way back out before pushing inside again.
His hand came up to cup my cheek, and he stared down into my eyes, his gaze searing. It felt like the promise of something more, and although those three words hadn’t been spoken, I could feel them hanging in the air between us, practically tangible. I love you, I love you, I love you.
With each thrust, my pleasure spiked higher, until I practically vibrated with it, with the need for him. I couldn’t stop little whimpers from falling from my mouth, but they only seemed to spur him on. He clutched my hips with a bruising grip and sped up his thrusts, rocking his hips upwards with each thrust, his head dragging at my walls, sliding through my slickness.
I gasped and clutched at his fingers, my eyes falling shut as it all became too much. I shuddered, feeling him coming in unison with me, a muffled cry on his lips.
I trembled as he pulled out of me, and he pressed a soft kiss to my temple. “You okay?” he asked softly, his voice gruff.
I nodded, curling into his arms. If I opened my mouth, I knew I was going to let those three words fall free, but I wasn’t ready for that just yet. Wait until after the competition, until we knew where we were going with this relationship. That was for the best.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Trethan
I looked carefully at the other competitors, bouncing a little on my toes. About thirty of us gathered there, all dressed in our best Western wear and ready to get this show on the road. There wasn’t really any sort of “type” to us. Some of the guys were young and muscular like me; other guys were older, and some of them had a stocky paunch to them that looked like it would fit better on a barstool than on the back of a bucking bull.
I tried to pick out which of the guys were going to be my biggest competition, but I had to admit that with the lack of experience I had, it was anyone’s guess.
“You nervous?” Vanessa asked from my side.
I smiled over at her, noting how pale and nervous she looked and knowing that I couldn’t let on exactly how worried I was. “Nah,” I lied. “I’ve been doing well in practice. Even Larry admits it. This is just like another practice. I just have to watch a bunch of other guys ride first. No big deal.”
“Yeah,” Vanessa said, but she still didn’t sound certain. “Are you sure you want to do this? What if you get hurt out there?”
“Then I guess I’ll need you to play sexy nursemaid to me,” I told her.
She laughed, but I could see that the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, which were still pinched with worry.
“I’ll be fine,” I promised. I pulled her into my arms and tipped her hat back so I could kiss her. “You look hot dressed all Western like that.” I slid my hands into the pockets of her jeans.
She wrinkled her nose. “Dresses are more comfortable,” she complained. “But I wanted to look the part today.” She suddenly grimaced and stepped hurriedly away. I followed her gaze and saw John approaching us. John, who still didn’t know that we were dating.
John just gave me a mild look, though. “There you are,” he said to his daughter. “I almost didn’t recognize you.” He reached out to tap the brim of her hat. “You look like a genuine cowgirl. Don’t tell me you’ve decided to start riding bulls, as well.”