by Kim Loraine
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Now, you need another drink before the band gets started.”
Three more whiskey sours later, Erin was next up to ride the bull, and I was feeling no pain. Quinn who? That was my new motto. I leaned against the post to my left while watching my sister climb up on that mechanical bull like it was second nature.
She rode it with ease, and I wondered just how many times she’d been here.
“You gonna give it a go, darlin’?” A sexy, low rumble warmed my blood and sent tingles over my skin. I turned to find the blond-haired cowboy from earlier standing nearby. Standing wasn’t the best word for what he was doing. Smoldering was more fitting.
“Oh, I don’t think so. It’s not my kind of thing.”
He smiled, and my heart fluttered in response. “I don’t know, I think you’d look mighty fine up there.”
“Nah, she looks fine. I’d fall on my face.”
“You ever ridden a bull before?” He tipped his beer to his lips and took a long swig. The way his throat moved, Adam’s apple bobbing, drew my gaze.
“Yep.”
He nearly choked on his beer. His eyes widened, and a grin twisted his lips. “Bullshit.”
“No, I’m serious. My Grandad had a small ranch in the Rockies. I spent summers there, well, we spent summers there. I rode horses, bulls, cows, tractors.”
“You might just be my dream woman.”
I laughed. “I’m sure you have no trouble finding women. Look at you. You’re a dreamboat.”
God, these drinks were making me lose my inhibitions.
“Dreamboat, huh?” The way his eyes lit with mischief spoke of all the naughty things he might do in the dark. Things I was ready to let him do…to me.
“I said what I said.”
His chuckle was low and sexy. “Yeah, you did. Can I get you another drink, darlin’?”
A cheer rang out from the crowd as the band took the stage. Erin had found herself a sexy cowboy to snuggle up to after the bull ride, and it didn’t look like we were going anywhere anytime soon. “Why not?”
“Whiskey sour?”
I smirked. “You were paying attention.”
“It’s hard not to pay attention to someone like you. I’m Tristan, by the way.” He took off his hat and held out his other hand.
“Hazel.” I shook his offered palm, fighting the shiver of desire at his touch.
“Pleased to meet ya, Hazel.” He placed his hat back on his head and winked. “Be right back with that drink.”
I caught Erin’s eye across the bar, and she gave me a very not subtle thumbs up. Tristan’s laugh rumbled from behind me, and I swear, I blushed to the roots of my hair.
“She seems to approve.”
“My sister? Yeah, she’s on a mission to get me laid.” Oh. My. God. I really just said that out loud. Covering my mouth with my fingers, I stared at him in horror.
His expression changed from shock to pure confidence. “I don’t think she’s gonna have any trouble there. Every guy in this place was looking at you the minute you walked through the door.”
I took another drink, and something in my chest eased. He didn’t proposition me then and there even though I’d basically said I was a sure thing. “Yeah? Even you?”
“Definitely, darlin’. You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”
“Oh, you’re smooth.”
He shrugged. “I gotta be. I’m the youngest of four boys. It’s the only way to ever get any attention.”
I laughed. “Am I supposed to feel bad for you?”
He took my drink and set it on the table behind me, leaning close enough I could smell his spicy, woodsy cologne. God, I could breathe that in forever and never get enough. “Dance with me?”
Nodding, I stared into his eyes, memorizing the beautiful blue and knowing I’d never forget those irises.
He slid his palm down my arm until his fingers linked with mine. Then he tugged me with him onto the dance floor and spun me into his arms as the music changed to a sexy two-step. Tristan pushed me around the floor, his hand tight on my waist, his eyes not leaving mine.
I didn’t look away from him. I couldn’t. He was everything I needed right now. Tristan was freedom from the shackles Quinn had put me under. Tristan could be the man who helped me remember I was more than Quinn’s wife…ex-wife.
“What’s going on in your head, darlin’? Your frown is gonna make people think I’m pissing you off.”
“Do you live around here?” I blurted the question, but that was going to have to be my determining factor. If I was going to have one night with a hot as fuck cowboy, I needed to never run into him again.
“No. I live—“
“Don’t tell me. As long as this isn’t your hometown, we’re good.”
He grinned again. “I don’t live here. Not even close.”
“Do you have a room nearby?”
“I do.”
I bit my lower lip and flicked my gaze to Erin. She winked and nodded, clearly giving me her seal of approval.
“I never do this,” I whispered.
He spun me away from him before pulling me tight against his tall form. I felt every single ridge of his chest under my palm. And then, there was the thick bulge of his hard cock pressing to my belly.
“So, are you gonna proposition me, or do I need to do the asking?”
My eyes widened. “I…” Could I proposition him?
His low laugh flowed over me. “Come back to my room. Spend the night with me, Hazel.”
“One night. That’s all this is. Don’t go falling in love with me.”
He gripped my chin and stared into my eyes. “Whatever you want, darlin’. It’s yours.”
Tristan
Hazel’s skin smelled sweet and felt like silk under my fingers as I played them across the inside of her wrist. How the fuck could a woman’s wrist be sexy? We walked into the elevator, the connection between us crackling like a live wire. The two people inside grinned at us as they exited and passed us. Obviously, we weren’t hiding our intentions very well. I hadn’t even kissed her yet, but my need for her was apparent.
“What floor is your room on?” she asked.
I pushed the button for floor eight without answering, and as soon as the doors closed, I turned on her, pressing her against the wall and taking her mouth. Her lips tasted like sugar, but her moan was the thing that did me in. My cock ached behind my fly, desperate for attention from her. When she spread her thighs just enough to let me fit my knee between her legs, I got a little of the friction I needed, but it wasn’t enough.
“Fuck, darlin’, I want you.” I was breathing heavy, already so worked up I couldn’t stand it.
“Same. You’re exactly the kind of guy I need right now.”
“Oh, yeah? And what kind of guy is that?”
“Hotter than hell, charming, and ready to give me exactly what I need.”
I smirked. “Seems like you got me all figured out.”
The doors opened and she pushed me off her, but not before she slid her hand down the front of my jeans and cupped my hard-on through the denim. Shit. I was gonna come in my pants just from the anticipation of getting inside her. That hadn’t happened since I was in high school.
My lips found hers again as we walked clumsily down the hall, and when we reached my door, I picked her up and pressed her against it, encouraged by her legs wrapping around my waist. Fumbling with the key card, I cursed against her mouth, and she responded by taking my lower lip between her teeth and gently biting down. Goddamn, this woman was made for me.
We burst through the door as soon as I got it to unlock, and in just a few strides, I had her under me on the bed. Her hair fanned out on the mattress, a beautiful spread of blond that I wanted to feel brushing my chest as she rode me.
“How does this work?” she asked, big blue eyes taking me in as I stood over her.
“Well, I spend all night making you scream my name. That’s usually how I d
o it.”
She took a shaky breath and nodded. “Sounds about right.”
Unbuttoning my shirt, I watched her watch me, lust hitting me hard when she pressed her thighs together, those thigh-high boots of hers looking sexy as sin. I let my shirt fall to the floor and then pulled off each of her boots slowly, catching a glimpse of white lacy panties under her dress. Shit. White lace. I loved lace on a woman.
I ran my lips over her knee, pressing the slightest kiss to the place where her dress was rucked up. “I want to taste your pussy, darlin’. Then I want to fuck it.”
Her answering moan had my dick jerking in my pants. I slid my palms up her thighs and over her hips before grabbing the scrap of fabric covering her and tugging it down and off her body.
“You might want to hold on to something,” I growled before sinking one finger inside her tight, slick heat. Her hips bucked, and I smiled while shoving her dress farther up to her waist.
“Tristan,” she sighed.
That was one. She’d say my name so much more tonight if I had anything to do with it. I leaned in, kissing the soft skin of her lower belly, the scent of her begging for more. Then I added a second finger and curled them in a come hither motion before spreading her open and taking her clit into my mouth. I worked her until she was a writhing, panting mess, her fingers tangled in my hair and tugging to get me to stop when it became too much.
“Condom.” It was a harsh pant from her, but she was right. I reached into my back pocket and pulled out a condom as she worked my belt buckle open and unbuttoned my pants.
“Take off your dress,” I ordered. “I want to see all of you.”
She scooted back and pulled the fabric over her head as I unzipped my jeans and pulled out my throbbing cock. I still had my fucking boots on, so my jeans got shoved to my knees, and I rolled the condom over my length. “Ready?” I asked.
“Yes, please. I want you.”
Kissing her hard, I pressed her down into the mattress and positioned myself at her entrance. The moment I sank inside her, I knew one time wasn’t going to be enough. Not nearly enough. Lucky for me, I had her all night long.
“Fuck, what the hell did I do last night?” I blinked as the light streamed in through the crack between the curtains in my hotel room.
Flashes of full tits bouncing, thick gorgeous thighs wrapped around me, soft skin, and tight wet heat all hit me at once. Was she still here? My girl from last night. The one who rocked my world three damn times.
“Hazel?” I called, sitting up and immediately lying right back down as pain split my head. I shouldn’t have had that last whiskey. The drive back to Sunrise was gonna be misery.
The bed smelled like her, sweet and clean, and part of me really wanted to see her again. Carefully, I sat up and gritted my teeth against the pain in my head. A little coffee and a gallon of water, and I’d be right as rain. I got to my feet and padded toward the bathroom, but there was no sign of the beautiful woman who’d chosen to spend the night with me. All I saw was the three condom wrappers we’d tossed on the floor, my discarded clothes, and the lamp we’d managed to break as I fucked her on top of the desk.
I grinned at that memory. Her fingernails had dug so hard into my back I was sure she left marks. Good. I wanted something to remember her by.
Sure enough, she was gone. I didn’t know why I was surprised. We’d been clear. One night. No strings. No last names. We were just giving each other what we needed. But I could have used a little more time with her before I had to head home. One night sure could’ve bled into coffee in the morning and sex in the shower.
My phone rang from the nightstand, making me jump like a snake had just bit me.
Clint. My oldest brother. And he was probably calling to tell me all about something I fucked up.
“What, Clint?”
“Where the hell are you, Tristan? Mama’s about lost her mind.”
Shit. I hadn’t told them I was comin’ to see Sam because I didn’t want Mama to know. Sure, I was an asshole for doin’ that. But it would have hurt her more to know that he hadn’t invited her. I didn’t know what was happening, what was keeping Sam away from home, but I’d needed this escape from the cameras and the girls just tryin’ to get a roll in the hay with a Ryker.
“I met up with Sam. We had some drinks. I’ll be home in about six hours.”
“Fuck, Tristan, you can’t just run off like that. We were all worried.”
I ran a hand over the back of my neck as heat bloomed in my cheeks. “I’m not a kid. If I want to go to fucking California and hang with Travis, I will, and if I want to drive six hours to visit Sam, I don’t need your permission.”
“I didn’t say you had to get permission. We just needed you to let us know. You can’t blame us for being worried. You didn’t answer your phone. We’d feel the same about anyone else.”
Guilt hit me square between the eyes. He was right. I’d been a selfish asshole. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to get away. For at least a little while. The show is making me crazy.”
“I get it. I do. We’ll figure somethin’ out. Maybe Ever can talk to the network execs, get them to drop the storyline they want for you.”
“You’d do that?”
“Course I would.”
I sat on the edge of the bed and heaved a sigh. “Thanks, man. I know I asked for it, but the shit they want me to do is beyond what I’m prepared for. I don’t do relationships. I thought they’d just want a little flirting.”
“Always read the fine print, little brother. Always.”
Rolling my eyes, I laughed. “I’ll hit the shower and then get on the road. Sam won, by the way.”
“What else is new? Sam always wins.”
“True.”
After we hung up. I took a quick shower, though I was hesitant to wash the scent of Hazel off me. A small pang in my chest had me wishing once again for her to still be in my bed. But I pushed that thought away. She was just a one night stand. A girl who used me to get off, and I’d been fine with it—just like all the other times.
Sam was already gone by the time I was dressed and heading toward my truck. Just like him to leave without sayin’ goodbye. I started the engine and gave one final look at the hotel, somehow still hoping Hazel would walk through the doors so I could see her one more time. Then I pulled out of the parking lot so I could make my way back to the ranch.
Tristan
Present day
* * *
“Get your ass up and get movin’ right now,” my brother Clint’s voice pulled me from the sleep I sorely needed.
“Shit,” I grumbled, rolling off the couch and stumbling over a pair of pink boots strewn across the floor of the living room in the house I used to share with my brother Buck. Not anymore. He was settled down with a woman he loved more than anything, and even though the house got lonely, I told myself I was glad to have it all to myself.
“What the hell are you doing in here? Whose boots are those?”
I shook my head, taking in the state of my place. There wasn’t just one pair of boots. There were three. Half-drunk beer bottles lined the mantle, an open pizza box sat on the table, and my bedroom door was wide open, exposing the three women I ended up bringing home with me after a night at The Silver Spur.
“I didn’t get their names.”
Clint snorted. “Yeah? Well, it looks like you didn’t get much of anything.”
“We were just…”
“Blowin’ off some steam? Yeah, I get it. I did the same thing when I was your age. But then I figured out that there was more to life than partying.”
Annoyance rushed through my veins, causing me to clench my teeth. “You’re not my dad, Clint. Stop tryin’ to be.”
My brother swallowed hard and took off his hat, placing it on the small table before locking eyes with me. “No, but I am your brother. It’s been hard around here since Dad died, I get that, but you’ve been dangling off the edge for a while, and none of us are gonna sit back an
d let you fall.”
“I’m fine. What’s the big deal?”
“Wait, are these women guests here?”
I shrugged, trying to play it off as nothing to worry about, but I knew I’d crossed the line. I never let the guests come home with me. It was rule one. Don’t shit where you eat. “One of them might’ve stumbled into a ditch or worse, into a ranch hand’s bed, and then we’d have a real problem on our hands. I’d rather they sleep it off somewhere safe.” I dragged a hand through my hair and sighed.
Clint stood up straighter, eyes narrowing. “You think the hands aren’t safe?”
“I think they’re only human. I know how hard it can be to say no to a pretty pair of…”
He stopped me with a cocked brow. “Get them out of here before someone sees them. ”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll take care of it.”
“If Mama catches you...”
“She’ll never let me hear the end of it, I know.”
Both palms pressed to the counter, he sighed. “She just wants you to grow up to be a good man. To be happy.”
I scoffed. “I’m a grown-ass man.”
A light chuckle was his first response, and it killed me to know he thought I was ridiculous. I worked my ass off all damn day; there was nothing wrong with playing a little. “You sure are, Tristan. But are you proud of the man you’ve grown up to be?”
He grabbed his hat and settled it back on his head, giving me a slight nod. “Just…think about it, okay? This,” he said, gesturing to the open bedroom door. “This ain’t somethin’ to be proud of. One of these days, it’s gonna come back to bite you in the ass.”
I couldn’t meet his gaze. I was too angry. Too annoyed. Too… God, I was too fuckin’ hurt by his opinion of the man I’d become. He left without even looking back, and I leaned against the kitchen counter, staring at the coffee maker with a bitter taste in my mouth.
Who the hell was he to judge my choices? Just because I wasn’t the marrying kind, that didn’t mean I wasn’t pulling my weight around the ranch. After taking a leak and brushing my teeth, I stood in the doorway to my bedroom and flipped on the light. The three women blinked at the intrusion, and one held her hands over her eyes.