by Jillian Neal
“My name is Dakota Alvarez. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything. I’m just such a huge fan of yours. I’ve watched all of your rides on YouTube a hundred times. You were the best barrel racer there ever was. I’m up from Oklahoma. I barrel race back home. I want to do it professionally. I’m riding in a teen event here tomorrow afternoon.”
Summer beamed at her. She recalled that innocent light shining in her own eyes many years ago, long before reality had broken her thoroughly. “It’s nice to meet you, Dakota. This is my boyfriend, Austin Camden.”
Dakota offered Austin a nervous smile. Her father stepped forward and shook Austin’s hand. “Saw you ride last night, son. That was something else. Impressive as hell.”
“Thank you, sir. I do what I can. Plus, I had my good luck charm with me.” He held Summer’s hand in the strength of his own. Dakota’s parents chuckled.
Dakota sat down next to Summer. Okay, so she was a little intrusive. Summer and Austin both understood admiring riders when you were a kid. They were like superstars that had accomplished exactly what you wanted to do. They shared a discreet grin, and Austin backed off to let Dakota have full access to Summer.
“How old are you, Dakota?”
“I’ll be sixteen in three weeks.”
Summer nodded. Three weeks to a license was a huge deal. She remembered that, as well.
“Do you have any tips for me? Anything that might help me get better? Like maybe your top ten tips for up and coming riders.” Dakota edged closer.
“Top ten, huh?” Summer considered that. Truthfully, she wanted Dakota to go back to her horse and leave Summer with Austin. She wanted the entire world to exist for only them that evening. “Uh, well, you need to ride every day, but don’t always do the barrel pattern. Your horse’ll get bored. Take good care of your horse. That’s the most important thing, and when you’re competing, keep your eyes on the pocket, not the barrel. Horse is gonna go where you’re lookin’. You stare at the barrel, they’ll ride into it. Other than that, control your speed when you’re rating. Trotting a barrel horse builds muscle better than flyin’ with ‘um sometimes. Change it up and figure out what works for you and your horse. Do it every day, but don’t get cocky. I never really started believing the buckles were gonna be mine until I rounded the heck outta the third barrel on my final ride of the night. Was that ten?”
“I keep telling her that the boys need to come after the buckles,” her father huffed.
Dakota rolled her eyes just out of her father’s line of sight. Austin chuckled quietly, and Summer nodded her understanding. “Don’t be too hard on her. You only get to be sixteen once. Just don’t let any boys become more important than the buckles if that’s what you really want.”
“It is. I swear. Thank you so much.” She threw her arms around Summer, startling her. She accepted the awkward hug, but before she knew what was happening Dakota snapped a photo of the two of them with her phone.
When her family was out of earshot, Austin laughed. “You know that picture’s gonna be all over Snap-Face-Twit-Tube or whatever the hell it is they’re all into now.”
Summer joined his laughter. “She was sweet.”
“You’re incredible, Summer. It kills me you haven’t been able to ride. Soon as I get you to the ranch, I’m putting you on a horse and watching you fly.”
“That sounds amazing. I miss it so much.”
There was something she wasn’t telling him. Austin could tell. Something she needed to say, something about moving to Camden Ranch with him. His gut roiled with the notion that she might decide not to go. He was pretty sure that wasn’t it, but there was definitely something worrying her.
“What’s going on in that head of yours, beautiful? Something’s nagging my girl.”
“I’m fine. I just kind of wish Cheyenne could go on forever. I love being here with you. I don’t want it ever to end.”
“Doesn’t have to end. We’ll just take it about two hundred miles due east of here.”
She nodded but dropped his gaze. Deciding to let it go for the moment since she definitely didn’t want to talk about whatever it was and he’d promised her a night off from all of the complications of their relationship, Austin stood. “Believe I promised you a teddy bear, Ms. Sanchez.”
She laughed again. Had he never heard those sweet gasps and moans she gave him when he had her under him in his bed, he would’ve thought that was the most heavenly sound he’d ever heard. “You don’t have to get me a teddy bear. I’ll still let you get to third base.”
“Nah, come on. I like it when you make me work for it.” He guided her to the milk bottle game, rather liking his odds.
“Austin, those things are almost always rigged. They put sand in the bottom bottles so they won’t fall over and break or something.”
“Uh huh, and that might concern me if I didn’t hang onto three-thousand-pound bulls for a living. Now hush up, and let me win you something. Makes me feel manly.” He winked at her as she giggled and shook her head at him. God, if he could just keep her doing that, everything would work out just fine. Every single time he made her laugh, he fell more and more in love with her.
He accepted the three ridiculously-soft softballs from the attendant and watched them stack the bottles. “Shatter all the bottles on the first try and win the little lady something pretty, mister.”
“That’s my plan.” He narrowed his eyes and studied the bottles. “Do me a favor and go slide the one on the right back in line with the one on the left. It’s about a half centimeter off, and cheating a cowboy’s bad luck.”
Irritation creased the lines in the man’s forehead, but he did as Austin asked. One on the bottom left was obviously heavier. Austin wound up and aimed. Name of the game, when it was rigged, was brute force. He had that in spades. He sailed the ball between the bottom bottles. Everyone one of them fell.
Summer gasped and threw her arms around him. “How did you do that? I’ve never seen anyone win before.”
“I’m good, baby. You know that.”
The attendant looked like Austin had just pissed in his Cheerios.
“Whatever the lady wants,” Austin demanded.
“Oh, uh, let’s get J.J. that big monkey. He’ll love it.”
Austin nodded for the man to follow her instructions. He handed off the monkey, and they headed back to the truck.
“Thank you for winning this. J.J. will be thrilled. He can crawl all over it.”
“My pleasure, and now for the next portion of our evening, I’m hoping you’re gonna crawl all over me.”
He popped his hand on her ass as she crawled up in the truck. Seating herself, she cocked her left eyebrow upward. “If I crawl all over you, do you promise to keep doing that?”
“Oh, hell yeah, darlin’ ‘til your sweet little ass is blistered pink all for me, then I’ll kiss it and lick it ‘til it feels better.”
As he drove them out of town away from the crowds, his little vixen got impatient. She snaked her hand over his crotch, palming him through his jeans, making him grunt eagerly.
A seductive catch in her breath said she felt his cock twitch out its approval. “You keep that up, honey, I’m real likely to run this truck off the road. Either that, or we’ll get arrested for indecent exposure when I pull over, tear your clothes off, and let you feel how hard you make me up close and personal.”
“Getting arrested might not be too good for the current PBR champ, so speed it up, cowboy. I’m horny.”
“Damn, I love a woman that knows what she wants.”
Fifteen minutes later, the truck bounced along a one-lane dirt road, largely hidden in the shade of massive trees and brush, that led to the banks of Crow Creek. He parked at a low creek bed, right on the shore.
“Do I want to know how you found this place?” She smirked.
“Drove around a little when we left Ekta’s, and I might’ve been out here a time or two in years past.”
“Figured that.”
>
“Here.” He popped the top on two of the cans of PBR. They both took a sip and cringed simultaneously.
“Can’t say I’ve missed that.” She wrinkled her adorable nose.
Setting both beers in the cup-holders, he hauled her into his lap. “Come here to me.”
Grinning at him, she shifted and straddled her legs over his, aligning their groins and bringing those luscious tits to his chin.
“Now, what should we do?” Her inquisition took on a breathy tenor when he traced his index fingers over her exposed collarbone and then over her nipples.
“I was thinking I ought to get you outta that little tanktop, so you can bounce them titties in my face.”
“You sure no one can see us out here?”
“We might give a few fish an eyeful, maybe an owl or two, but I sure as hell don’t share, honey. We can put on a show for those hawks on that cottonwood right there, but beyond that, you’re all mine. For my eyes only.”
“There are hawks over there?” She spun, brushing his clean-shaven cheek with her cleavage. He ordered himself not to strip her down, jerk his jeans down enough to get the job done, and slide her down his cock. Shaking himself, he nodded.
“Yeah, two red-tails on that tree just out of the headlights. See.” He pointed high in the tree. “Red-tails mate for life. Their nest is probably nearby.”
“I didn’t know that.” She looked genuinely intrigued. He tried to redirect the blood flow back to his brain. Sorting through years of 4-H, Young Farmers, and Young Rodeo, he landed on another fact he could recall.
“Yeah, they mate for life, but even bonded pairs still flirt and court each year before they make babies. They’ll fly together, put on a show. It’s pretty cool to watch.”
“Yeah, that is cool.” Emotion chafed her tone.
His brow furrowed. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just made me think of how Ekta keeps saying you’re my hawk. I like that they mate for life. Makes me happy that there are animals that do that.”
“Look at me, Summer.”
She turned back and stared into the depths of his eyes.
“I’m in this for life. If you want to fly, I’ll fly right beside you. Forever.”
She blinked away what must’ve been liquid emotion. “Pretty sure you didn’t bring me out here to give me a bird lesson.”
“Something else you wanna talk about?”
Once again, she buried whatever was bothering her. She was mighty good at that. Once he got her settled in at home, he was gonna have to put a stop to it.
She ran her hands over his face, tracing his jawline. “Did you shave just for me?”
“Thought a guy should clean up a little since he was getting to take you out.”
“Mmm, I don’t know. I think I like you scruffy.” She lifted her shirt over her head, and he moaned from the sway of her full breasts that had him instantly mesmerized.
She pressed her hips forward, let her eyes close, and sank downward, sliding her pussy against the fierce bulge in his Wranglers. His growl covered the slight pop of her bra as he released it and dragged the straps down her arms.
Braiding the fingers of his right hand through her long, dirty-blonde hair, he guided her lips to his while he teased the underswell of her left breast with his other hand. The feeling of her silky, warm skin against his callused hands undid him every single time he had the pleasure of touching her.
“You like it when I leave whisker marks on you, don’t ‘cha, darlin’? My girl likes it when I mark her.” Using his chin, he separated her breasts, brushing tender kisses on each. He spun his tongue between them, tasting the salty tang of her, then marking the underswells on each side.
“Yes.” She thrust upwards again, burying his face between her tits, grinding hard against his cock over and over. Every move threatened to destroy him.
“Jesus Christ,” he grunted. “Lesser man would’a lost it right then and there.”
“Good thing you’re such a stud then. Bring me, Austin. Right here. I need it. Put your mouth on me and make me come.”
“And if I suck your beautiful titties ‘til you cream them panties, what’cha gon’ do for me, darlin’?”
She considered for one split second while he cupped her breasts, massaging and priming her for his mouth. “I’ll let you taste it off my fingers, then I’ll give you a surprise.”
His thundered groan filled the truck cab. “Oh, hell yeah, baby.” He drew her body upwards and lifted her breasts until he enclosed the bare tip of her right nipple in his mouth and suckled. Alternating between bathing his tongue over the puckered bud and sliding his teeth over her, he jutted his hips forward, aligning his painfully rigid cock in the center of her pussy as she continued to ride him.
Using his dexterity to his advantage, he popped the snap of her jeans, eliminating one layer of fabric between their groins.
“Yes. God, that feels good,” she gasped.
“Keep going, sugar. Hard as you like, but if you make me come in my jeans, you’re cleaning it up with that sassy mouth.”
A whimpered moan escaped her as he engulfed her left breast this time, suctioning his mouth to her forcefully, pulling until her nipple pulsated against his tongue and his cock throbbed against her mound.
“So close. Please, please don’t stop.” She shook.
Holy hell, he was gonna lose it all in his boxers just like a green kid. She was too much. He nuzzled his face between her breasts, feeling them bounce and nurture his face. Ordering himself to remain in control, he gave another few latched sucks and then tore his mouth from her left breast and returned to her right while he circled his thumb over her clit, pressing the damp cotton against her.
She didn’t have to worry about anyone or anything seeing them. They’d steamed the windows of his truck up with the blaze of pure heat they created whenever they were together. Sliding his teeth along her right nipple, he applied the pressure she required and nipped. She came in a storm of shuddered gasps and wild cries of his name, clawing at his arms and t-shirt, strands of her hair clinging to her passion-flushed cheeks. Damn, but watching her give it up was prettier than any natural wonder of world he’d ever seen a picture of.
She collapsed against him, panting for breath. He wrapped his arms around her, cradling her on his shoulder while he chased his breath as well. He cracked the windows of the truck, providing them a little fresh air. Nuzzling his neck, she tucked closer to him still. Yep, perfection. He’d searched his whole life and all over the freaking country for this feeling, that moment when she buried herself in the safety of his embrace, when she cuddled closer to him in her sleep and sighed contentedly, when she gave herself over to him without inhibition, that light in her eyes when he’d been gone and returned to her, or J.J.’s sweet grin when Austin played with him or rescued him from his crib. That was what he’d been looking for forever.
‘Told you it was never about that buckle, man.’ Swallowing down shock, Austin continued to try and steady his racing heart.
‘Dude, talking to me while I’m getting it on, not cool.’ So, now he was mentally arguing with his dead best friend. Yeah, that wasn’t weird at all.
Summer sat back a full-minute later. “You do amazing things with that mouth, cowboy.”
He smirked. “Believe you promised me a taste and then a surprise.”
With a sly grin, she arched upward on her knees and stuck her fingers down her panties. A rumbled growl reverberated through his lungs as he lowered them as far as he could and stared unabashedly. She swirled her fingers between her slit and his body bucked without his permission.
She brought her fingers to his lips and he licked and suckled her offering.
“More,” he commanded. The moonlit reflection of his eyes, dark and greedy, met him in the rearview mirror.
She repeated the gathering of her own spicy nectar and fed him again.
“I need more, Summer. God, I need it all. I’m taking you home and burying myself inside of you.�
�
“We’re not going home yet. I still have to give you your surprise.”
Trying to quell his frustration, he grunted, “I figured I was getting a blow job. I’d rather soak down the walls of your pussy in our bed.”
“I’ll give you a blow job after we go skinny dipping,” she chanted as she popped open the truck door.
“Uh, sugar, you don’t wanna …”
“What? Is my big bad cowboy afraid of going skinny dippin’? Thought you didn’t do scared.” She slid off his lap, landing on the soggy ground on the banks of the creek.
“Oh, I ain’t afraid, darlin’. I just don’t think you …”
“Just come on.” She tugged on his arm.
Before he could climb out of the truck, she had her boots, jeans, and panties off. He caught the pile when she tossed them towards him. Sighing, he set them in the truck. She was headed straight for the moving creek off of the South Platte River, and judging from the wild look in her eyes there was no stopping her. He went ahead and dug behind the backseat for his quilt-lined Carhartt jacket and an old blanket he kept back there for winter emergencies.
“Summer, baby, don’t …” She was on the edge of the water now.
“Get nekkid and catch me, cowboy,” she dared.
“Dammit, Summer, do not get in that water.” He grimaced as she leapt in without a care in the world. Biting his lips together to keep from either shouting at her or laughing at her outright, he shoved his jeans down in his boots, and headed to the water. She bobbed back up, gulping and screaming like a banshee.
“Oh my God! It’s freezing!”
“Uh huh.” He shook his head and waded out to the tops of his boots. Reaching out, he lifted her shaking body up into his arms. Her teeth chattered so hard he was worried she might chip them, and she was blue from head to toe. “I tried to tell you.”
She shivered with more vigor, whimpering constantly now.
“Here.” He settled her on the bed of the truck, and wrapped the blanket around her. “This ain’t New Mexico, darlin’. This is Wyoming. You can’t leap in a moving creek off of a river even in July and not freeze your tits off. Same goes for Nebraska. You’d do well to remember that. We’re in the mountains.”