Spurred

by Cat Johnson

  “I don’t know.” There was nothing he could do, except hope the remainder of this weekend passed quickly and he could get away clean at the end of it.

  Mustang shook his head. “Dump her now, kid, before things get more serious.”

  Dump her so she could seek him out later and boil the family dog? Aaron knocked that insane notion out of his head. “I can’t dump her.”

  “Why not?” Slade asked.

  “She’s a tour sponsor and Tom Parsons assigned him to entertain her. Aaron’s on CeCe Cole duty for the duration of the event.” Garret answered for him, while Aaron started to fear that she could somehow hear every word.

  “Shh. You guys gotta all keep your voices down or else she’ll hear.”

  Mustang snorted. “If she planted a bug on you, she’s gonna hear no matter how quiet we talk.”

  “You think she did?” Aaron’s gaze whipped to Mustang to find him grinning from ear to ear. “You’re fucking with me.”

  “Me? Never.” Mustang feigned shock while next to him, Slade snickered.

  Talking to these two had only made things worse. Aaron let out a frustrated breath. All he had to do was get through today. He had to try to concentrate enough to ride, and then…

  He had no idea.

  He’d have to decide what to do about CeCe. He could suck it up and spend another night with her if he really had to, but damn, he didn’t want to.

  This was very possibly a first. He had a willing, attractive woman and he wanted nothing to do with her. That right there was concrete proof of how worried he was about this whole situation.

  Crap. If he got out of this weekend alive and still on the pro tour roster, he might seriously consider giving up women for good.

  Maybe not for good, but at least for a little while. No need to be too drastic.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Are you ready to go?” CeCe wrapped both hands around Aaron’s arm like a tourniquet.

  He was ready except for the fact he hadn’t figured out yet how to get out of it.

  “Aaron!” At the sound of his name, Aaron glanced down. He had to stifle a groan at what he saw. Tom Parsons standing with the tour photographer. “Smile.”

  Aaron was definitely in no mood to smile.

  In the presence of the camera, CeCe pulled Aaron closer and smiled wide. Not being a professional model or actor or camera hound, Aaron had to work a little harder. He attempted a smile that felt as forced as he was sure it looked.

  Tom was smiling plenty wide though. Apparently, he liked that CeCe had claimed Aaron as her beau for this weekend. He was probably seeing dollar signs.

  If Aaron had a brain in his head, he’d be doing the same. CeCe’s sponsorship for his career would be nice to have, but he knew it would cost him. She’d own him. No amount of money was worth a piece of his soul.

  He’d finish out this weekend because Tom expected it, but that was it. After this three-day event was over and CeCe flew away to wherever she came from, Aaron would have a talk with Tom. Maybe the man didn’t realize what CeCe was like. What she expected from him.

  Well, Aaron knew now, and Tom couldn’t expect Aaron to continue doing what he’d been doing. He wasn’t some gigolo, but he was in this now so he’d have to see it through.

  Given a choice between posing for more pictures and going back to CeCe’s hotel room, he chose the lesser of two evils. “Yeah. I’m ready. We can go.”

  She beamed with a smile. “Good.”

  What was wrong with him? A beautiful woman wanted nothing more than to have sex with him. He should be happy. Back a few years ago, before veteran riders like Slade and Mustang had gotten girlfriends, they would have given CeCe a run for her money. Hell, if the rumors were true, she could have had them two at a time.

  Yet all Aaron wanted to do was ditch CeCe and go for a cold one with the guys and Jill. He stifled a sigh. Time to man the hell up. He pressed a hand to the base of CeCe’s spine to hurry her along.

  “You taking the limo?”

  “Of course.” CeCe turned toward the stairs and there stood Jill, looking uncertain. “Oh, I forgot about you. You can find a taxi, can’t you?”

  Jill’s smile looked forced. “Of course. No problem.”

  Aaron knew it was indeed a problem, but he wasn’t about to contradict CeCe.

  However, a plan began to form in his mind. “I forgot to tell Garret something. You want to wait right here? Or can I meet you out by the limo?”

  CeCe looked unhappy to be put off, but she said, “I’ll meet you outside. Come, Jill. Walk me out. I want to talk to you about the schedule.”

  Her taking Jill with her put a kink in his plan, but that was okay. Aaron would just do as he’d said and employ Garret’s help.

  He ran for the rider room and found his brother-in-law inside. Tossing his gear bag on the bench, Aaron dug inside and finally came up with his keys. “Will you do me a favor?”

  “No, I cannot play stunt cock for your bunny boiler. I’m married to your sister.”

  “Ha, ha.” Aaron held out the keys to his truck. “Will you ask Jill if she’ll drive my truck to CeCe’s hotel? That way she’s not stuck without a ride.”

  “And you’re not stuck with CeCe without a means of escape.” Garret cocked a brow while reaching for the keys.

  “Yeah, that too.” Besides not liking the feeling of being trapped, Aaron had to get some sleep. The bulls were extra rank on Championship Sunday. “Thanks, man.”

  “No problem. Text me if she ties you to the bed and you need to be rescued.”

  Aaron choked on his own spit. How the hell did Garret know about that? He hadn’t told a soul. “What?”

  “You know, like in Misery. That Stephen King movie where the obsessed chick ties the guy to the bed then breaks both his legs so he can’t get away.”

  “Jesus Christ, you people watch some sick fucking movies.” Aaron shook his head, but the whole scenario hit a little too close to home for him.

  Garret shrugged. “Just saying.”

  “Yeah, well, keep it to yourself.” Aaron grabbed his bag. “I gotta go. Don’t forget about Jill and the keys.”

  “I won’t forget, lover boy. And Chase and I will keep the cot in our room for you. You know, just in case you manage to escape tonight and need a place to crash.”

  Aaron turned his back on Garret’s cocky grin and trotted to catch up to CeCe before she missed him and had a meltdown. Though now that Garret had mentioned it, his escaping free and clear tonight was a concern.

  When had sex become so complicated?

  Sadly, that answer was obvious. It was when he’d started having it with the owner of Cole Shock Absorbers.

  Aaron pushed through the arena’s front door and saw the limo parked along the curb. He tried to look nonchalant as he jogged over, since the same driver as yesterday stood next to the car waiting for him.

  As the driver reached out to open the door for him, Aaron braced himself for anything. For all he knew, CeCe could be stretched out naked on the backseat.

  He held his breath until he saw she was sitting, prim and proper and still clothed. He glanced at the driver before tossing his gear bag onto the floor and then sliding inside himself. “Thanks.”

  The driver nodded his acceptance of the gratitude, but Aaron couldn’t shake the feeling that the man was amused by the whole situation. He supposed he couldn’t blame him. He and CeCe hadn’t exactly been discreet yesterday. Or quiet.

  How did he get himself involved in these kinds of embarrassing, not to mention sticky situations? In future, Aaron would make sure to try his best to avoid them.

  For now, he had to make it through tonight and tomorrow. Then he and Garret would jump into his truck and head home to North Carolina for a two-week break. He sure as hell could use it.

  The driver slammed the doo
r and Aaron was confined and alone with CeCe. She moved closer and laid one hand on his chest.

  “Hey.” CeCe sounded super sexy as she greeted him.

  “Hey.” To not give her any ideas that he was more interested than he was, Aaron made sure he did not match her tone.

  “I’m excited about tonight.” She ran one finger up and down his chest. He supposed he should be grateful she hadn’t already unbuckled his pants. If she waited until they got to the hotel, today was definitely an improvement over yesterday.

  “Yeah?” He really didn’t want to ask her why. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t like the answer.

  “Mmm, hmm.” She didn’t elaborate and he didn’t prompt her to.

  CeCe rested her head on his chest and was quiet, and that was fine with Aaron. She didn’t want to have semi-public sex. She wasn’t making him keep up small talk.

  That might not be the case once they arrived at the hotel, but for now, it was all good.

  They did eventually get there. The trip seemed much longer this time since he wasn’t occupied as he had been yesterday.

  She smiled up at him and squeezed his hand in hers. “We’re home, and wait until you see what I have waiting for you.”

  “What’s waiting for me?” He was a little scared about what that could be.

  “You’ll see.”

  “I want to know now.”

  She sighed deeply. “Okay, spoil sport. I had the hotel send up dinner for us. Since you didn’t eat at the arena, I figured you’d be hungry.”

  He hadn’t eaten since breakfast. And since she had never taken her damn eyes off him except when he’d gone to the men’s room to take a piss, she knew that.

  “Oh, okay. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. Anything for you, sweetie.”

  This new attitude of CeCe’s had a creepy feel to it. Like she had put herself in the role of happy housewife, with him in the role of husband and the Mandarin was their house. The whole thing was strange.

  The driver took forever to open the door, and even then he did it slowly, as if he expected them to be naked. Aaron couldn’t say he blamed him. Luckily, they were both fully clothed.

  Aaron was more than ready to get out of the car and away from the overly observant driver. About as anxious as he was to get away from CeCe and her weird and sudden attachment to him when this weekend was finally over. He had a responsibility to fulfill, and he’d do it, but when it was done, he and Tom Parsons were going to have a little chat.

  They walked through the lobby, her hanging on his arm the entire way. Up in the suite, there were indeed two place settings laid out on the table.

  “Go shower. Dinner should be here by the time you get done.”

  “A’ight.” He certainly didn’t mind her kick-ass shower with the full body showerheads.

  He took an extra long, steamy shower, enjoying the killer water pressure, a luxury he didn’t always have at the hotels he stayed in. By the time he flipped off the water and stepped out of the stall, the room was thick with steam. He reached for a towel to dry off, glanced around the floor for his clothes…and found they weren’t there.

  Frowning, he cracked the door open. “CeCe, did you take my clothes?”

  “Yes.” She called her answer to him from the other room. “They were all dusty. You don’t want to put them back on after you got all clean from your shower. Put on the bathrobe.”

  His riding clothes were dusty, but he had clean socks, underwear, T-shirt and jeans in his gear bag, which he noticed was also not on the bathroom floor where he’d left it.

  Being single and living alone for the past few years, he was used to things being where he left them. Even traveling and rooming with a bunch of guys, his stuff might get shoved to the side or get buried under something else, but no one ever outright took it.

  Sighing, he reached for the robe and slipped his arms into the sleeves. He had to admit it was thick and fluffy. Pretty damn comfortable actually. Still, he’d rather she leave his shit alone.

  After running the towel over his head one more time to get most of the water out of his hair, he tossed it onto the hook and wandered out of the bathroom.

  Barefoot, he crossed the bedroom and felt the thickness of the plush carpeting beneath his soles. No doubt about it, there were some major differences between paying under a hundred bucks a night for a hotel room and upwards of five-hundred a night, maybe more considering this was a suite.

  And for the pleasure of enjoying it, all he had to do was anything and everything CeCe wanted, right down to wearing a bathrobe to dinner. It seemed eerily similar to that Julia Roberts and Richard Gere movie about the hooker and the millionaire. He pushed the thought out of his mind. That scenario hit a bit too close to home for his taste.

  Covered plates were set out on the table and Aaron realized how hungry he actually was. Smiling and looking disturbingly like a housewife, CeCe jumped up from her seat and lifted the covers off the plates. “I hope you like it.”

  “What is it?”

  “Salad made from Endive, Radicchio, pears and blue cheese. Halibut encrusted with parmesan and a side of roasted cauliflower.”

  “Oh.” He saw her react to his lack of enthusiasm. CeCe’s smile disappeared and her mood visibly fell. He scrambled to appease her. “That all sounds really good. Thank you.”

  He was more of a steak and mashed potato kind of guy. The only thing close to salad that he ate on a regular basis was if his hamburger came with a slice of lettuce and tomato, but that was best kept to himself.

  The oddest thing—besides that this was feeling like some sort of married persons’ date night—was that she hadn’t made a physical move on him yet. It was the opposite of yesterday when she’d started the moment they’d slammed the limo door.

  The whole weekend was strange. As if they were on some sort of accelerated timeline. They’d gone from strangers, to sex-starved lovers, to a boring couple all within the span of twenty-four hours. Good thing he was leaving tomorrow for home, or who knew what would happen next. He could end up picking out china patterns and making seating charts for the wedding if CeCe had her way.

  He tightened the belt on the robe to make sure nothing was hanging out that shouldn’t be and then sat. He stabbed the fork into the fish and found the flesh flaky and white. The flavor was amazing and he had to admit, though it wouldn’t have been his choice, CeCe had made a good selection. It made up for the fancy plate of bitter greens where a plain old lettuce salad would have done just fine.

  Dinner passed far too quickly. Partly because he really had been hungry and the food, except for that salad, was good. Partly because it was easier to keep his mouth busy chewing than feel like he had to make small talk with a woman he really didn’t know at all but had spent way too much time with the past two days.

  But finally, the plates were empty. The bottle of beer she’d ordered him was too. Then there was nothing to do except the obvious. Unless he could come up with an alternate plan.

  He glanced at the huge television and got an idea. “Anything good on the movie channels?”

  “Maybe.” CeCe’s voice dipped low as her eyes narrowed. She stood and swayed her way around to him. Squeezing herself in the narrow space, she straddled him in his chair. “We can check that out on the television in the bedroom.”

  He hadn’t been talking about those kinds of movies, but as she wiggled in his lap and pressed her tits into his face, he got the feeling she was.

  “I’m going to go get ready. You wait here until I call you.”

  “Okay.” What else could he say?

  Looking incredibly excited for whatever she had planned, CeCe scampered off to the bedroom.

  A couple of minutes later, she said, “I’m ready. You can come in.”

  A little afraid of what he’d find, Aaron pushed the door to the bedroom open.


  CeCe sat naked in the center of the bed. She crooked a finger at him. “Drop the robe and come here.”

  Seeing no way out, he did. Crawling naked onto the bed. He was hoping for a round of normal sex. He’d even snuggle afterward if it made her happy and meant she’d just go to sleep.

  When she pulled a long black strap from beneath the pillow, he knew his hope was in vain. “What’s that?”

  “A harness.”

  Panicked, he shook his head. “I don’t want my hands tied again.”

  That damn movie about the chick who broke the guy’s legs so he couldn’t get away flashed through Aaron’s mind. He silently cursed Garret for putting it in his head.

  “This isn’t for your hands.” She looped the padded strap around the back of his neck and then brought the two ends forward in front of him. “Lie back.”

  “What are you—”

  “You are full of questions today.” She gave him a little shove and he landed on his back. “Knees bent.”

  “What?”

  “Bring your knees up to your chest.”

  He did it even while saying, “CeCe, I’m not sure about this.”

  She fastened each end of the strap around his thigh and buckled it. He realized it kept his legs up and wide open, giving her total access to every part of him.

  “The straps are a little short.”

  “Just the way they’re supposed to be.” She smiled as she patted his bare buttocks with her open palm.

  He talked himself down from the panic overtaking him. His hands were free. If he had to, he could get out of the restraints. He wasn’t completely at her mercy.

  She leaned over to the bedside drawer and emerged with a tube of lubricant. Aaron’s pulse pounded in his ears as she moved to between his legs.

  Her finger, slick and cool, breached him, pushing past muscles hell bent on keeping her out. “You know I used to do this to Mr. Cole.”

  Now she wanted to talk? While she was lubing up his ass? “No. I didn’t know.”

  “He’d get on his hands and knees and he’d beg me for it. Asked me to fuck him in his ass, tell me to use the biggest dildo I had in my strap-on.”