by Jane Jamison
Ham chuckled. “It’s rare, but it does happen. If that’s the case, then the rider gets to ride a different bull.”
“And what happens to the bull?” She frowned when neither man answered.
“That depends on who owns the bull.”
She didn’t miss the look Case gave Ham before he continued. “Which means what?”
“Well, some people think a bull’s pretty worthless if he doesn’t buck.” Ham rested his hands on the seat and leaned back. His arms flexed, making his muscles even bigger. “They could do most anything they want with him.”
She drew in a slow breath. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying? Would they put the poor animal down?”
A surly man seated behind them answered. “Darlin’, where do you think steaks come from? A steak tree?”
She scowled as the men around her, with the exception of Ham and Case, guffawed. “And what? You came from an a-hole tree?”
Oh, crap. Did I just say that?
Case and Ham were on their feet as the man leapt to his. She stood up, too, but she was surrounded by a mountain of male flesh with Case’s body blocking her from seeing anything other than his back.
“Sit back down, Harvey. You deserved what you got.” Ham put his hands on her shoulders then stood on her seat to tower even higher above her.
Was that a snarl? She tried to ease around Case to see if a dog was nearby, but he moved in front of her, shielding her from whatever the man was doing.
“Ease up, man. You don’t want to start anything with the Hunter brothers.” The man who’d spoken crossed his arms and glared at her. “Harvey didn’t mean anything, miss.”
Guilt swamped her. She’d never considered the chance that her off-handed remark might cause an actual fight. Although she still couldn’t see him, she called out anyway, “Harvey, I’m sorry I said that. I was upset thinking about the poor bull.”
A growl had her twisting around to find the dog. Where the hell was it? Yet, again, she couldn’t find it.
“Fine. I reckon I shouldn’t have said what I did,” answered an unseen Harvey.
Ham dropped off the seat. “Then we’ll call this a truce. Everyone get back in your seats. Jamie’s up.”
She let Ham help her sit down again and watched as Jamie lowered himself on top of the bull in the chute.
“Why isn’t he wearing a helmet?”
Ham bumped his shoulder against hers. “That’s not his style. But don’t worry. He’s known for his hard head.”
Jamie wrapped his hand around the rope, tugged his cowboy hat lower, then gave a curt nod to the men around him. The gate swung open and the bull charged out.
Jamie’s left arm was in the air as the bull spun around once, then twice again. It bucked, lifting up on its front legs, then kicked out with its hind legs. Jamie’s body surged back then forward as he hung on.
She held her breath as the seconds ticked by and Jamie held on. The bull, enraged and doing everything it could to get the man off its back, twisted and turned, bucked and kicked, then spun around, making several revolutions. And still Jamie held on. As the horn blared, signaling the end of the eight seconds, he jumped off the bull.
He cleared the animal, but he wasn’t fast enough getting away. As Jamie’s feet hit the ground, the bull roared and struck out again, connecting with Jamie’s neck.
Chapter Three
Maya gasped along with most of the spectators who saw the bull’s hoof connect with Jamie’s head. He pitched forward, face first, into the dirt. Within seconds, rodeo clowns and other cowboys hit the ground, dashing toward him, some of them veering off to distract the bull long enough for others to throw a rope over it and herd it out of the arena. Men knelt beside Jamie, blocking her view of him.
She was on her feet and running along with Case and Ham toward Jamie. They pushed on ahead of her, their long legs eating up the ground. She ran as fast as she could but couldn’t keep up. The announcer warned others to stay off the field and to let the medical crew make their way to the injured cowboy. Her throat burned from sucking in air even though a huge clog blocked her airway. Her heart pounded its pulse in her temples, but the only thing she could think of was getting to him as fast as possible. By the time she did, a crowd hovered around him, blocking her way.
“Please let me through.” She couldn’t have said why, but she felt that she needed to be by his side, that he would want her there. That she deserved to be there.
Pushing against people and edging between their bodies, she finally came to the inner ring and stopped. Jamie was sitting up and talking to the two medics, who kept telling him that he needed to go to the hospital. Case and Ham stood back, their arms extended to keep the crowd from getting too close. A trickle of blood slid down the back of his neck, but, other than that, he appeared unscathed by the animal’s attack.
She drew in a tortured breath then let it out slowly. As though he sensed her presence, he glanced up, saw her, and gave her a quick smile. Her knees threatened to buckle from the relief swamping her.
“Sir, I can’t stress this enough. You should have a doctor look at your injury. You could have a concussion or worse.”
“I’m fine. I told you. I never blacked out. It looked worse than it was.” Jamie brushed away the medic as he tried to check for injuries again. “The damn thing barely scratched me.”
“Still, I think it’s best that we take you to the medical center.” The second medic tried to take Jamie’s arm.
Jamie knocked it away then held up his hands. “Guys, I’m not going with you, so back off. I’ve got a rodeo to finish.”
“Listen to our brother. If he says he’s not going, then he’s not going.”
Case nodded at Ham. “The man’s got a hard head in more than one way. It’s too hard for any bull’s hoof to crack.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
Everyone turned to her, and she suddenly wished she hadn’t said it so loudly. But someone had to talk sense. “Your brothers called you an idiot and a prick earlier today. Right now, I’m thinking they were right.” She glared at Case and Ham. “And that maybe they’re not so bright, either.”
A few people chuckled, but their laughter died as Jamie waved her over. “Is that so? I might be an idiot and a prick, but what does that make you for caring about me?”
She took the hand he held out and helped him to his feet. He stood, not the least bit unsteady, and snagged her other hand. “I guess some might call me an even bigger idiot. But I’m definitely not a prick.”
His dark eyes gleamed with a mischievous glint. “Can women even be pricks? Don’t you have to have a prick to be one?”
“Maybe.” She laughed and looked for his wound. Or at least she looked where the blood was. She couldn’t really see any injury. Was the blood hiding it? “Why the hell didn’t you wear a helmet?”
“That’s not my style.”
Ham sent her an I told you so look.
“Sir, please come with us.”
The flash of anger in his eyes startled her, causing her to take her hands out of his. “For the last time, I’m fine, and I’ll sign anything you want me to if it’ll get you guys off my ass.”
An older man cleared his throat and waved to the announcer in the booth overlooking the arena. “Okay, folks. This show’s over. Let’s get back to the rodeo.” He motioned for the crowd to disperse and move off the field.
The first medic shook his head. “If that’s your final decision, then we’ll let it go. But we’re still going to put it on the record that you’re going against medical advice.”
“No problem. Tell me where to sign and I’ll do it.”
The two medics exchanged a pointed look then nodded and gathered their instruments. “We’ll get back to you soon.”
Grumbling under his breath, the second medic followed the first one toward the ambulance that was parked outside the arena.
“You sure know how to put on an exhibition, brother.” Case handed Jam
ie his cowboy hat. “And here I thought Ham was the spotlight hog.”
“Yeah, bro. What’s up with that?” Ham gave a slight wave to a couple of young girls who stood nearby, their interest in him all too apparent in their seductive expressions and flirty body language.
“Are you three really crazy, or are you playing some kind of stupid game?”
Jamie took her hand, and although she tried to tug it away, he held onto it and started moving toward the chute area. Once behind the gate, he spun around, faced her, then grabbed a nearby rag that was hanging on the fence and wiped his neck.
“There. Do you see anything that needs hospitalization?”
She studied his neck. His uninjured, smooth neck. Touching her finger to his skin, she couldn’t feel any damage either. “But how? I saw that bull kick you. And you went down, too.”
“What can I say? Like I told the medics, it looked worse than what it was. In fact, I dodged the kick.”
“But then where did the blood come from?”
He shrugged as Case and Ham pretended not to hear their conversation and, instead, watched another rider get ready for his turn. “I don’t know and I don’t care. Besides, what’s it matter?” He pulled her closer. “Are you disappointed that I didn’t get my head bashed in?”
Her head was already spinning, trying to figure out what had really happened, when his question threw her for another loop. That along with the heat searing from his body into hers took her brain on another track of thought that had nothing to do with his possible head injury and everything to do with the lower half of his body. “What? Of course not.”
“Then drop it, okay? Thanks for caring, but I’ve got to get ready for my next ride.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“You’re going to go again?”
He took a few paces away then turned back with a curious expression. “Of course. How else am I going to win?” He pointed at her. “And when I do, I expect you to celebrate with me.”
“I don’t—”
He zeroed in on her, cutting her off with both his words and the intensity of his look. “Yeah, you do.” Pivoting on his boot heel, he stalked toward the area where the riders gathered to get ready for their next attempt.
Ham slipped his arm around her. “Let’s head back to our seats.”
She ignored the sizzle his touch gave her. Or tried to. “No thanks. I don’t think I could stand to see him get kicked in the head again.”
“But—”
“And don’t even try to tell me that bull didn’t get him. I saw it.” The tension crawling up her spine wouldn’t go away, and when she saw their reaction, she was sure something else was up. They knew the bull had kicked him, but they’d go along with Jamie’s claim. Of course, she couldn’t prove she was right, and Jamie should know, but her gut and that tension wouldn’t let her suspicion go away.
“Fine. Then let’s grab a beer and head over to our pickup. We can wait for the results there.”
She didn’t have any other choice. Tatum wasn’t going to pick her up until later. She could call her, but did she really want to bother her friend and have her come get her so soon after dropping her off? Besides, a girl could do a lot worse than sharing a good brew with Ham and Case. A hell of a lot worse. Having made the decision, she headed toward the parking area where most of the participants had left their vehicles.
Ham hurried ahead to a new red Ford F-150 pickup and yanked the tailgate down. Dragging a cooler to the end, he tugged off the lid and pulled a bottle of beer out of the ice, then offered it to her with a bow. “Here you go, m’lady.”
Case punched his brother on the shoulder. “Can it with the theatrics, man. It’s only a beer.”
“You’re right.” Ham lifted her up to seat her on the end of the tailgate. “But Maya’s a special lady.”
“Agreed. So then, bow away.”
“Nice pickup.” In general, she liked pickups. In fact, she’d driven her father’s pickup until he’d sold it before moving to the city.
“Yeah, but it’s a rental. If I’d known we’d be entertaining, I would’ve rented something else. Something classier.”
Case helped himself to a beer at the same time Ham got one then leaned against the truck on the other side of her.
Maya took a swig of the ice-cold drink, but she doubted even the chilly liquid could quench the spark they’d lit inside her. Once again, she found herself cocooned between them and experiencing a rush of emotions, the strongest of which was lust.
What was it about these guys that made her feel so…much? Sensations flooded her, making her feel sexy, loved, cherished, timid, shy, and wanton all at once. It was like she’d been living with only half of her body really alive and they’d awakened that sleeping half. If she could’ve deciphered all she was feeling, she would’ve. But she might as well have tried to describe the complexities of the universe. Whatever was taking her for a wild ride was too immense for her to comprehend. But it didn’t matter. Experiencing it was enough.
“Is it true? What you said earlier?”
She took a swig, giving her time to think. Did he mean what she thought he meant? “That depends on what I said.”
Ham turned to face her then slid his hand along her shoulder and down her back. He stopped an inch above her buttocks and disappointment racked her. “You know. About wanting a man who’ll take you as his? An alpha kind of man?”
She struggled to breathe and concentrated on holding her bottle. “You promised you wouldn’t mention that again.”
Case tugged on her jean’s belt loop, pulling her away from Ham. “No, we didn’t. We said we wouldn’t tell anyone, not that we wouldn’t talk about it with you.”
“You know what I meant.” She shifted from one foot to the other. “And what about Jamie? Are you going to tell him?”
Case’s dark eyes glittered with strange bits of amber. “Sorry, but yeah. We don’t keep secrets from each other.”
“I kind of figured that.” They moved closer, making her even more nervous. But it was a good kind of nervous. The kind of nervousness she hadn’t felt in a long time, if ever.
Case took her drink from her, but she didn’t protest. He put both their beers down then cupped her cheek. “We want to be those wild men. We want you, and we’re going to have you.”
She parted her lips and saw his gaze drop to them. In answer, she peeked her tongue out, playing temptress. Ham made a low noise in his throat and let his hand fall to her butt cheek. He squeezed, and, instead of moving away, she pushed into his hand. The movement also thrust out her chest, and Case was quick to take her breast.
Case brushed his mouth over hers then drew back. She took hold of his shirt and tugged him to her. He kissed her, at first gently then adding pressure until she moaned as he thrust his tongue into her mouth. Ham fondled her ass and put his hand on her other breast.
She should’ve cared that they were standing in a public parking lot, should’ve worried about someone seeing them, but she wasn’t. Instead, her mind went blank except for one thought.
I have to have them. For once, I’m going to let go.
But she wouldn’t take charge. She wanted them to do that.
Case answered her unspoken need by lifting her up and carrying her to the passenger side. Ham opened the door for them as his brother laid her on top of the seat. Case yanked the hem of her T-shirt out of her jeans and pushed the material over her head. His gaze seared her flesh as he skimmed his palm over the swell of her breasts.
“Damn, you take my breath away, woman.”
She figured that was only fair since they’d already done the same to her. Craning her head up, she watched as Ham entered the pickup from the driver’s side. He paused, taking her in, then climbed onto the seat as he undid the huge silver belt buckle and his jeans.
Maya drew in the unmistakable scent of male arousal and licked her lips. She turned back to Case to find him shirtless and unbuckling his belt.
Was she ready to
let them take her right there, right then? She wanted to, but common sense had to prevail. She started to sit up. “I’m not sure we should do this.”
Case pushed her back down. “We’re doing this, Maya. Isn’t that what you wanted? Men who would take what they need? Would take what they lust for?”
Her pussy answered for her, clenching with need. “Are you those men?”
Case hooked his hands in her bra and tore it off her. She yelped, surprised, but she couldn’t hide the pleasure it had given her. Grabbing her leg, he tugged off first one boot then the other. He unbuttoned her jeans then slid them and her thong over her hips and down her legs in one swift move.
She lay on her back, her arms at her side, the rise and fall of her chest the only movement she could make. Without a doubt, they were the dominating men she’d longed for.
“Holy shit, but she’s hot as hell.”
Ham rested his palm on the dashboard and took his long, dark cock in his hand. She’d never seen a black man’s dick before. Fascinated, she took in the colors of it, from the black curly hair around the base to the hairless balls. He was at least eight inches of man, and she had to resist a giggle as she wished she had a ruler to measure him. His cock was blacker than his skin with the texture calling attention to the veins running the length of it to the bulbous cap that was, surprisingly, light colored. Pre-cum oozed from the tip as he stroked himself.
Suddenly, her body was yanked the other way as Case pulled her closer. She lifted her head to see his impressive manhood as he held it and rubbed it against her pussy. Her juices glistened on the flesh of his cock, and he took both her breasts in his large hands.
The familiar anguish of embarrassment over the size of her breasts struck her, and she turned her gaze away from his. Would he think them too small? If so, would he mind?
“Maya, look at me.”
She did as Case told her and saw the understanding in his eyes. “You’re perfect the way you are.”
She’d never have believed that a simple statement could affect her so much. Tears welled in her eyes as she relaxed.