by K. C. Crowne
“Hell,” I said, glancing at Adam. “I’m game.”
“Yeah,” Adam agreed. “Let’s do it.”
Skye grinned, as if more than pleased to watch the two of us butt heads, even if we were doing it in a friendly sort of way. “Go ahead. I’m curious who can hang on the longest.”
There was a definite sexual suggestion in her words, and between how turned on I was and how ready I was to whup Adam’s butt, I felt like a damn caveman.
“Come on, bud,” I said, finishing my beer and giving Adam a slap on the back. “You’re gonna look bad, so might as well get it over with fast.”
“We’ll see,” he said, flashing a quick grin.
“I’ll be watching from the sidelines,” Skye called. “Give me a good show.”
“Don’t you worry about that,” I called. “You’ll have plenty to keep your eyes on.” I winked at her before heading off. If she’s goin’ there, I’m joinin’ the fun.
“Whiskey shots before we try not to break our necks,” Adam announced as we passed the bar.
“You losing your nerve?”
“Nah,” he said chuckling. “It’ll help you losin’ go down easier.”
I laughed as we stopped at the bar and ordered a couple of shots of Jack. We toasted and tossed them back before continuing to the bull. The line went quick – most of the people getting on it were damn near shitfaced and didn’t exactly possess the coordination they’d need to not look like jackasses up there.
Then it was my turn. I dusted my hands on my Levi’s and stepped up to the plate. Or the bull, as it were. The crowd cheered as I climbed on, and once I was in position, I gave the signal to the operator to start the thing.
The bull lurched forward, a big ‘ol grin forming on my lips when it got going. The crowd cheered me on, so I took my hat off my head and whipped it around as the bull bucked hard. I’d ridden a few of these contraptions in my day and had to admit I wasn’t bad at it. But this thing was no joke. It bucked like crazy, my body jerking back and forth as the thing pulled and kicked harder and harder with each passing second.
The crowd counted as I stayed on, the world around me a total blur as I bucked. When they hit ten, I couldn’t hang on any longer. My right hand slipped from the fake fur on the back, and one last buck sent me tumbling ass-over-teakettle into the pile of straw in front of me. I landed on my shoulder, the impact singing out like a whipcrack.
“Awws” sounded from the crowd as I rose to my feet. I wiped a sheen of sweat from my forehead and snatched my hat up from the ground where it had landed.
“Ten seconds!” the operator yelled. “New record!”
Cheers broke out, and I ironically bowed to the audience. It took me a few seconds to get my bearings, but when I finally did, I spotted Adam in the audience, his arms crossed over his big chest. Off in the distance was Skye, still seated at the table, a Mona Lisa smile on her soft lips.
“Not bad,” Adam commented.
“Better than not bad. Like to see you do better.”
He grinned. “Watch me.”
Adam
Nothing like a little competition. And it was clear as a damn church bell on a Sunday morning that the two of us were competing over more than just who could stay on the bull the longest.
Skye was something else. Gorgeous, confident, witty – a hell of a lot to like in a woman. Maybe I was seeing things that weren’t there, but she seemed to take quite a shine to me.
But that in and of itself confused me a little because she was throwing the same starry eyes at Travis that she’d been giving to me. Then again, the girl looked a few vodka cranberries deep by the time she’d sauntered over to our table. And she was young – maybe too young for a couple of thirty-something old bucks like Travis and me.
I pushed that all out of my head as I headed to the bull.
“Ten seconds!” Travis called, cupping his hand around his mouth to be heard. “Think you can hang on for that long?”
“Managed it with your mama last night,” I said with a grin.
Travis threw back his head and let out a laugh. “Get your ass on that bull and put your money where your mouth is, cowboy.”
I squared up to the bull, the crowd going wild behind me. They must’ve picked up on the little competition between us, feeling like they were in for a good show. I wasn’t much of the showboating type, but I was ready to give them one. Eleven seconds? Easy as a slice of Dutch apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
“You ready?” the operator asked as I put my hands on the bull and prepared to mount.
“Ready as hell!” I hollered.
There were more cheers from the crowd as I leapt onto the furry, hard back of the bull. I grabbed the fake hair, my gaze flicking over to Skye. She’d moved from the table and was now standing at Travis’s side among the crowd. The sight of them next to one another got my blood running hot as melted steel. Fucking hell, was I jealous? I’d barely just met the girl, and she had me feeling possessive as shit.
I wanted her like crazy. All I could think about was peeling those skin-tight jeans off her curvy legs, ripping her panties off, and burying my face in what was no doubt one of the finest pussies I’d ever laid eyes on. I bet she tasted sweet, too, the kind of delicious that you’d lick off your lips and go back for seconds. What I wouldn’t give to be on top of that little honey, watching her squirm underneath me as I gave her the pounding of a lifetime.
But I had bigger fish to fry – bigger bulls to ride. I nodded to the operator, and he hit the big red button that started the bull. Another explosion of cheers went up from the crowd as the bull groaned to life.
“Holy hell!” I yelled when the beast got to bucking. The shit was no joke – maybe one of the fiercest “bulls” I’d ever ridden on.
It bucked hard, my hands gripping the fake fur for dear life as I rode. The crowd was blurry around me, and my neck whipped back and forth. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the big red counter tick away.
Ten seconds. Gotta stay on this thing for ten damn seconds.
More bucking, more lurching, more white-knuckle gripping. Seconds passed like tar dripping on a cold day. I snapped my head around toward the counter, certain I’d hit the time.
Nope. Only five seconds. Then six.
I couldn’t hang on for much longer. The bull shot straight up, pulling back and snapping forward, shooting me off the thing like a rocket. I sailed forward and landed in the straw, rolling to my side as I came to a stop.
“Awwws” rose from the crowd, and through bleary eyes, I checked the time, the numbers a blurry mess of red in the distance.
“Nine seconds!” the operator called out.
Fucking hell. One damn second off. I rolled onto my back and prepared to heave my sorry ass up from the ground. But before I could, Travis appeared, looming over me and shot out his meaty palm.
“A hell of an effort, gotta say.”
I took his hand, and he hoisted me up to my feet. “Alright, alright.”
“I’m serious,” he said as I dusted myself off. “That fucker’s no joke. I honestly have no idea how I managed to stay on as long as I did.”
We walked out of the bull ring and wound through the crowd, a few of the people in the audience slapping our backs as we passed. I might not’ve beaten Travis, but the two of us had put on a better show than anyone else who’d tried.
The competition was a friendly one, but something about it left me feeling raw. Maybe the fact that Skye was watching, sizing the two of us up. It was a strange vibe, knowing what she was doing, what she likely had on her mind.
“But,” Travis continued, “I still whupped your butt by a whole second. Means drinks are on you for the rest of the night, bud.”
“Alright, alright. Go sit your ass down, and I’ll get the next round.”
“Hope I’m included in that.” Skye approached the two of us, that same sly smile on her face.
“Sorry, girlie,” I said. “Gotta play the g
ame if you want the fabulous cash and prizes.”
She stopped, casting a glance at the bull.
“Not a good idea,” I hurried to correct. “That thing would buck you off before you even knew what the hell was going on.”
She raised an eyebrow, not bothered in the slightest by what I’d said. “Maybe we’ll have to see about that. How about you get me a beer and a whiskey shot, and I’ll think it over?”
Skye didn’t wait for a response before taking off, strolling toward the table with an ass-wiggling walk that stole our attention like a damn hypnotist.
“That’s a hell of a woman,” I commented, lifting my hat and running my hands through my sandy-blond hair.
“No argument here. But you know, a hell of a woman means a hell of a lot of trouble.”
I clapped my hand on his shoulder. “But hey, you don’t need to worry about any of that, do you?” He cocked his head to the side, puzzled by my comment. “You’re her boss, bud. That means she’s off-limits. To you.”
Travis processed what I was saying. No doubt there was some smartass comment in the works, one letting me know that if we were competing for her, it’d take more than a technicality like that for me to come out on top. So to speak.
But his expression was serious. “Fucking hell. You’re right about that. Get them drinks, would ya? I’m thirsty as shit.”
He headed to the table, and I went to the bar. Travis loved women surely as I did, but more than that, he loved the ranch. Skye was fine as hell, no doubt, but he had to be thinking that anything happening between the two of them wouldn’t make for a good situation at Rainbow Canyons.
I ordered a new pitcher and three shots of Jack, along with a glass for Skye. All that in hand, I returned to the table and sat down, my heart racing from the adrenaline-inducing bull ride. Part of me wanted to go for round two, let Travis see that I could whup his butt if given another shot.
The two of them were in the middle of a conversation as I dropped onto the stool, my lower back still smarting from being launched off the bull.
“So,” Travis said. “We didn’t get much of a chance to talk about what you’re all about during the interview today.”
I pushed one shot to Travis, the other toward Skye. She eyed the drink with hungry eyes before flicking her glance up and regarding me in the same way. Her narrowed, green eyes were enough to make my cock shift in my jeans, and my own glance moved to the front of her shirt, noting how her gorgeous, full tits strained the fabric of her cowboy shirt.
She picked up her shot and held it inches away from her red lips. “Well, cowboy, what do you wanna know?”
“Let’s drink, first,” I said. “This Jack’s callin’ my name.”
The three of us raised our shot glasses toward one another.
“And what’re we drinkin’ to?” Skye asked.
“Good question,” Travis said.
“New friends,” I said, not thinking before blurting the words out.
“I like that,” Skye nodded. “New friends.” She put a push of emphasis on the word friends. Made me think she had a certain kind of friendship in mind. Maybe the “with benefits” sort.
What kind of game was this girl playing? I began to wonder if she was the type to get some kind of thrill from playing two guys off one another. But that struck me as wrong as soon as it appeared in my mind. The impression I got from Skye wasn’t that she was some kind of maneater – there was an innocence to her that called out to me. She was a complicated damn woman, that was one thing I could say for sure.
We threw back our shots, the Jack burning just right on the way down. As soon as it was in my belly, I wanted another. Something about the night was bringing out the urge to get a little crazy.
“Woo!” Skye smacked her lips and tapped the glass on the table when she finished her shot.
Travis pushed the empty glasses to the side and leaned on the table. “Alright – what you’re all about.”
She shook her head. “That’s a hell of a question. Don’t even know where to start.”
“Well,” I said. “You’re workin’ at Rainbow Canyons as of today, and now you’re drinkin’ with the boss and his best friend.”
She laughed. “Doesn’t hurt to get to know the people I’m gonna be spendin’ time around a little better. What about you?” The question was directed at me. “You work at the ranch, too?”
“Nope,” I said. “Got my own construction business.”
“And I’ve been tryin’ to hire this son-of-a-bitch for as long as I can remember,” Travis said. “Got big plans for Rainbow Canyons – lookin’ to make some additions to the property.”
“Then you can cut me a check and pay me like the rest of my clients,” I said with a grin. “But we’re talkin’ about you, gorgeous.”
I was surprised to hear the word flow so easily out of my mouth. And the smile on Skye’s lips made it clear she was more than fine with the compliment.
“Horses,” she said. “My passion – like I said during the interview. And Rainbow Canyons is the place to be if I want hands-on experience. Not like I can afford a stable of my own, you know?”
“And that’s what you want?” Travis asked.
“Someday, Lord willin’,” she said as I poured the pitcher for the three of us. “And there’s a little more to it than that.”
“I’ll bite,” I said. “What’s the ‘more to it’?”
The playfulness vanished from her features, replaced by seriousness. Maybe even sadness. “I’ve worked around the area since I was a kid, spendin’ some time at ranches, gettin' to know the ins and outs of takin’ care of the animals. But not all of them have it as good as they do at Rainbow Canyons.”
“Right about that,” Travis agreed solemnly. “I’ve seen some of the bigger ranches around these parts. Damn shame the neglect some of the animals suffer.”
Skye nodded. “And the worst, not a doubt in my mind, the worst are the racin’ horses. Poor beasts get run hard, and when they lose even the slightest bit of their stride, their owners pitch ‘em away like trash.”
I said nothing, listening to her go on as I sipped my beer.
“I want to give those older animals a chance to live out the rest of their lives in comfort. I’m thinkin’ some kind of horse rescue, a place where they can go when the rest of the world’s decided that they’re useless.” She shook her head as if dismissing the idea. “But that’s a long, long time from now. I’m still young, and I got a lot to learn.” She shrugged. “So that’s where my mind’s at. One step at a time, you know?”
Complicated woman, just like I thought. And there was an undeniable passion when she spoke. As if there needed to be anything more attractive about the woman.
“Good to hear,” Travis said. “Thinkin’ you’ll make a fine addition to our little family.”
She shifted in her seat before turning her attention back to the mechanical bull just in time to watch another drunk cowboy get launched off after only a few seconds.
“You thinkin’ of takin’ a turn on that thing?” I asked. “Might be a little much for you.” I liked watching the defiance rise in her eyes when I challenged her.
“You kiddin’?” she asked, scoffing. “I’ve been ridin’ horses since before you had your first wet dream. Ever since I could walk. Done competitions, tamed unruly animals, and ridden with the best of ‘em.” She narrowed her eyes again, licking her lips slowly. “In fact,” she said. “I’m thinkin’ we make this more interesting.”
Travis sat back, crossing his arms over his shoulders. “What, you ride that thing and beat our record, and we’re payin’ for the rest of the drinks?”
She took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slowly. “Nah. I’m thinkin’ that if I stay on that thing for longer than ten seconds, I get to do a different sort of ridin’ later tonight.”
What she did next shocked the living hell out of me. She reached forward, placing one of her hands on mine, the other on Travis’s. He and I g
lanced at one another as if trying to figure out if she was really suggesting what we thought she was.
As quickly as her confidence appeared, a blush spread across her creamy-white cheeks. She snatched her hands away and took a fast pull of her beer.
“Um, anyway,” she said. “I’m gonna get in line. You boys watch what I can do.”
“Oh,” Travis said, “we’ll be watchin’.”
She shot out of her seat and scurried across the bar toward the mass of people in front of the bull. A strange silence descended over the table. After several moments, Travis broke it.
“Uh, I didn’t just imagine what that girl said, did I?”
“I don’t think you did. She just suggested the three of us, uh…” We sipped our beers. I scoffed, trying to ease our tension. “She has to be drunk. Only explanation.”
“I mean, no doubt about that. But I’ve been drunk before and said some stupid shit. Thing about it, though, is the stupid shit you say tends to be stuff that’s true.”
More sips of beer. We drained our glasses, and I poured fresh ones.
“Don’t get me wrong,” I said. “The things I’d do to that girl…”
“Man, same here,” Travis agreed.
“But you’re her boss. Little complication there.”
“No shit,” he grumbled as if irritated to have the subject brought up. “But, I mean, she’s still new. A little fun before she officially starts wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.”
“But she wants ‘a little fun’ with both of us.” I shifted uncomfortably. I’d never been in this situation. “Trav, what if she’s serious?”
He gave the matter some thought. “Man, I don’t know.”
“I mean, we’ve hooked up with girls in the same room back in the day,” he said. “Wouldn’t really be all that different.”
“Might even be kinda fun.”
More silence as we watched the crowd around the bull. Skye’s turn for the bull came up, and the operator helped her onto the back.
“Gotta see if she can actually break the record,” I decided. “Girl seems like she knows her stuff, but we gotta find out if she’s all talk.”