The Return (BookShots Flames)
Page 10
Odd. Shrugging, Madeline turned back to the main attraction. She started to lift her beer for the last swig but suddenly froze, eyes wide. Where the hell had that guy come from?
He stepped into the corral, sauntering despite the uneven, cushioned surface. He was the embodiment of cowboy sexy—something she hadn’t known existed until that exact moment. Tall, bearded, sure-footed, broad-shouldered, flat-ab’d, and hot enough to singe those broken-in jeans he wore so well.
And she wasn’t the only one who noticed.
The atmosphere of the place seemed to change as he swung up onto the mechanical bull, a wry, self-deprecating grin tugging at one corner of his mouth. All at once, Ashley’s sudden departure made sense. He seemed to command everyone’s attention without even trying. The crowd pushed in as hoots and whistles drowned out whatever the guy with the microphone was saying. Not that Madeline gave a flip what he was saying. This cowboy was pure eye candy.
He pressed his hat more firmly over his brown hair, tucked his hand under the rope, and gave a single nod. The bull started slow, gently bucking and spinning in lazy circles. He shook his head and tossed a wicked grin toward the operator but never relaxed his stance.
Over the past hour, Madeline had seen many a half-drunk cowboy take his turn on the machine. No one possessed this man’s controlled, oddly graceful moves. As the bull gradually gained momentum, he moved back and forth, swinging one arm over his head while the other remained firmly clasping the rope. Below the rolled-up sleeves of his plaid shirt, she could see the muscles of his forearms flexing this way and that.
She bit her lip. Clearly this man was no stranger to the gym.
She leaned forward against the ropes, ignoring the cacophony of laughter, shouts, music, and voices all around her, letting it all slide into the background of noise she loved so much.
God, he was sexy. And skilled, if one considered the ability to stay glued to a bucking machine a necessary life skill. Tonight, she kind of did. No one else had come close to holding on the way he managed to as the bull bucked, whirred, and spun. The faster it went, the more he seemed to deliberately swing his body to swallow the momentum, almost like a jockey absorbing the energy of a thundering racehorse. It was mesmerizing. Impressive.
Before she knew it, the buzzer sounded and the crowd erupted in cheers as the bull shuddered to a stop. Had he just won? Did one win in mechanical bull riding? Well, the spectators did, of course. She, at least, felt like she won every round she got to watch.
She didn’t even try to pretend she wasn’t staring as the cowboy jumped down and straightened to his full height. She always did have a thing for tall guys. Especially when they looked like a more rugged version of Chris Evans. Just as she was watching him with a look usually reserved for white chocolate cheesecake, he tipped back his hat, looked right at her, and grinned.
Caught!
Every last ounce of air whooshed from her lungs. He was hot. She tightened her grip on her bottle, sucked in a steadying breath, and actually managed to smile back. Thank God for those two beers. She suspected that a completely sober Madeline would have bolted for the door.
Completely sober Madeline didn’t have near enough fun in life. Slightly tipsy Madeline planned to rectify that.
He held her gaze as he left the ring and walked toward her. His stride was confident but unhurried. He seemed to be savoring the anticipation. Madeline sure as hell was. Her heart was thundering, but she couldn’t have looked away if she wanted to. Lucky for her, she most definitely did not want to.
As he closed the distance between them, she could see that his eyes were the same aqua-blue as her favorite jewelry box, and his left eyebrow was bisected by a thin white scar that made her think of one word: rakish.
Giving her a slow, lazy grin, he tipped his hat and said, “Howdy.”
That word was not supposed to be sexy. It sure as hell had never been in the past. But now? Butterflies sprang to life in her belly as she looked up into his gorgeous eyes. Everything about him was sexy. She’d take a picture for her friends, but he had way too many clothes on…something she’d like to remedy. Her cheeks heated at the thought. No more beer for her tonight.
Pushing back her absurd urges, she smiled, trying to make it appear as if she hadn’t just been thinking about what he’d look like naked. “Hi.”
“Don’t reckon I’ve seen you here before.”
She’d never been a fan of Texan accents, but damn if his words weren’t practically a caress. His voice was deep and clear, and the way he spoke made her think of warm honey and hot summer nights.
“Don’t reckon you have,” she said, cheekier than she’d be in normal life.
Her response made him chuckle, and he held out a hand. “Dance with me.”
She’d promised herself she wouldn’t dance tonight, no matter how many drinks she had. The plan had been to come, soak up the energy, observe the townspeople in their natural habitat, and return to the dreaded motel room as anonymously as when she’d left it.
But then again, she’d also once promised herself never to leave New York. Sometimes plans called for a detour or two.
Taking a deep breath, she smiled, set down her beer bottle, and slipped her hand in his.
About the Author
Erin Knightley is the USA Today best-selling author of a dozen published works, including seven historical romance novels. Initially deciding to pursue a sensible career in science, she eventually came to her senses, leaving her practical side behind in order to write full-time. Together with her tall, dark, and handsome husband and their three spoiled mutts, she is living her own Happily Ever After in North Carolina.
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The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Copyright © 2016 by James Patterson
Excerpt from Learning to Ride copyright © 2016 by James Patterson
Cover design by Kapo Ng; photograph by TK
Cover copyright © 2016 Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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ISBN 978-0-316-50487-4
E3-20160920-NF-DA