by Tara Lain
Danny stretched like a lazy cat. “What makes you think I won’t make you fuck me all night? I could keep you in the closet as my sex slave.”
Laurie laughed. The sad part was, he probably wouldn’t even mind.
“YOU GOING?” Danny glanced at the clock, then leaned on his hand and watched Laurie walking gloriously nude around the nearly dark room.
“Yeah. I better get on the road.” In total they’d slept about four hours, and Danny had the sandpaper behind his eyes to prove it.
Danny swung to sitting. “Let me come out and check the tie-down on the desk.”
For a second Laurie frowned; then his expression smoothed. “Thank you. That would be great.”
They both pulled on their clothes, though Danny would be lying if he said he didn’t mostly watch Laurie. Man, what a surprise—of the best kind. After sleeping a little, they’d wakened to another round of fucking. Sure, they could have sucked or given hand jobs, but clearly neither of them got enough of their drug of choice—for Laurie, being a badass top and for Danny, being a happy bottom. Yes, it fed his addiction, but what the hell?
When they were both dressed and Danny’d managed to haul on his boots, they walked outside to where Laurie had parked his truck. Danny ran a hand over its bumper. “This is quite a vehicle.”
“Yeah. She’s my dad’s baby. He’s tinkered with her for years.”
“She looks cherry.”
Laurie laughed. “You’re such a guy.”
Danny cocked a grin. “And aren’t you glad?”
“I reckon so.” He said it with an exaggerated western twang.
“Feel free to take a detour round these parts any time, son.”
Laurie sobered. “It’s not likely. I don’t get out of the city much.”
Danny checked the ties on the desk and lashed them a little tighter. “I’ll be in Las Vegas this weekend if you want to take a ride on the wild side. Of course, I’ll have my très élégant camper as the only accommodations, so it won’t be much.”
“Why Vegas?” Laurie cocked his head with a slight crease between the brows.
“Bull ride.”
“Why are you going all that way? I thought you just did it for fun?”
Oops. Danny shrugged. “Remember the champion bull rider you saw, Maury Garcia?”
Laurie nodded.
“Well, he called me and said he thought I could make some good money riding the circuit. Some guys from the association are encouraging me.”
“Money? But I thought you said you didn’t need money for a while. That’s why you gave me—”
Shit! Danny held up a hand. “Not a big thing. It’s just one of those open doors that don’t happen all that often.”
Laurie’s breath came fast, and his deer eyes glowed in the pale light. “But it’s dangerous. I saw that. It’s awful. You could be hurt.”
“Laurie, I was a top bull rider for several years. I know what I’m doing.”
His head seemed to shake on its own, and his pale hair flowed around him. “No, no, you can’t know what you’re doing. No one knows what that animal will do.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“I saw it!” Laurie’s hands splayed out to the sides, and his eyes looked like they might pop from his face. “You’re doing this because I took your money. That’s why, isn’t it? If you die, it’s my fucking fault!” He leaped in the truck and slammed the door.
“Laurie!”
The old truck spun its wheel, raced out of the parking space, and careened down the long road from the ranch to the street.
Well, double shit.
LAURIE SAT in the truck about a block from his parents’ house and rocked back and forth. Stop being stupid. He shook his head.
He’d gotten home in the midmorning after a hellacious and horrific drive, where even the big rigs looked blurry through his tears, rounded up his building supervisor, Mr. Jersey, who in turn found a kid who helped him sometimes, and the three of them carried the desk up to his apartment. Mr. Jersey had glanced around after the desk was in place. “Looks real nice in here.”
“Uh, I’m planning on having some clients visit, so I want it to look professional. Is that okay?”
“Everybody works from home these days, Laurie. No skin off anyone’s nose. Be sure you get a business license from the city.”
“Oh, thanks for the reminder. I’ve been so busy, I haven’t done it yet.”
“Looks really good.”
“Thank you.”
Laurie tipped the kid and tried to tip Mr. Jersey, but he shook his head. “Keep your money. Maybe one of these days I’ll hire you to give my house a makeover. Bet my wife would like your style.”
“I’d be honored.”
After they’d left, Laurie had called Viola and set an appointment for the next day for her and her friend; then he’d driven the truck and gotten just so far.
Danny’s going to ride bulls because of me. He rocked back and forth. My dad’s going to lose his business because of me. More rocking. My mama’s going to be humiliated because of me. He stopped rocking and looked in the rearview mirror. “Okay, drama queen, you’re not such a big damn deal that everything that happens is because of you.”
Danny rode bulls without his help, his father lost the business on his own, and his mother felt how she felt. Not my fault. He sighed and turned the key in the ignition. But what were the chances Danny Boone would have jumped at an opportunity to make money bull riding if Laurie hadn’t taken all the money he had? Shit. I’ve got to get it back. I’ve got to.
He drove up the street, pulled into his parents’ driveway, and left the truck in front of the shed so his dad could look it over before he parked it.
The back door to the house opened, and his dad leaned out. “Thought I heard you, Laurie. Come on in. Your mother’s gone to a meeting, and I could use the company.”
A rare opportunity to see his dad alone. He stepped into the warm kitchen, smelling coffee. “Yum. Can I have a cup?”
His dad poured coffee into a mug—much more casual than his mother’s favorite bone china. He added a touch of half-and-half—Laurie’s favorite. Just like Danny’s. His heart gave a solid thump against his ribs.
Laurie sat at the kitchen table. “How are you feeling?”
“Good.”
Laurie’s head snapped up, and he stared at his father. Right. His hair was combed, his face a bit rosier than normal.
His dad laughed. “Guess you haven’t heard that much, have you?”
“No, sir.”
“I’m sorry, and I’m going to try to do better.”
“Better? It’s not your fault you’re sick, Daddy.”
He stared at his coffee cup, then took a sip. “Yes, it is.”
Laurie caught his breath but said nothing.
His father looked up. “I make myself sick by living a life I hate. When you told your mother that you were leaving that hellhole you work in to start your own business, I realized I had a choice. I don’t like running the company. I’m not suited to it.”
“I know.”
He smiled sadly. “I know you know.” He inhaled. “That’s why I called David Anders and told him I wanted to sell the company to him.”
Laurie had to force his mouth closed. “I was going to call him to see if he could be reasoned with.”
“No need now. He wants the company. Paul did a great job of running the business to let me tinker and invent. I never wanted his job.”
Laurie smiled. “No. Mama wanted his job.”
“Yes. And she could do it too, if she was willing. But she’s not. She wants to pretend to be the subservient Southern lady and go to her committees and drink her tea.”
“You know that?”
“Of course. I married her, probably because she was so strong and capable and I knew she’d make me get out of my garage and accomplish something. But now it’s gone too far. I see her trying to turn you into her—without realizing she already has.”
“What?”
“You’re one of the most capable people I know, Laurie. You get that from her. But you’re not a grand Southern belle who has to have a man take care of you while you manipulate him from behind the scenes. I think you know that, so I’m not too late.”
Laurie gazed at him and blinked hard. “It was a near thing.”
“I’m truly sorry. I checked out for a while. A long while. I told myself you really loved Grove and wanted to be with him.”
“Maybe I thought I did.”
“What woke you up?”
Danny riding across the pasture at top speed to catch Laurie flashed in his mind. “Oddly, going on vacation. I guess seeing things differently helped me.”
“Thank God for dude ranches, then.”
Amen. “So you’re selling the company to your former partner’s son?”
“Yes. We’re meeting Friday to discuss terms.”
“What does Mama say?”
“She’s pretending like it’s not happening.”
“Will it be enough to live on?”
“If we’re frugal. Plus I plan to do some consulting. I might go back to tinkering in the garage.”
“That sounds perfect.” His chest felt warm.
“How’s your business coming along?” He got up and brought the coffeepot back to the table.
“I got the office set up in my apartment. My biggest client is coming by tomorrow with another possible customer.”
“That’s great. How’d you get the money? All we’ve been doing is taking it for the last year, which I feel very badly about, by the way.”
Laurie looked into his coffee cup and fought the heat behind his eyes. “I borrowed some from a friend.”
“Oh. Not Grove?”
Laurie shook his head and stared at his watch, blinking.
“What’s wrong? What did you have to do to get the money?” His dad’s voice sounded breathless.
Laurie looked up, startled, and wiped his cheeks. “Oh God, nothing like that.”
“Sorry. Of course. I just—sorry.”
“I borrowed it from a friend—someone I met on vacation. He’s poor. Got nothing, and he gave me all his savings.”
“Oh no. I’m so sorry.”
“Now he seems to need the money, and he’s going to do something, uh, not altogether safe to get it.” He wiped another tear. “And it’s my fault.”
“He must think very highly of you to give you his savings.”
“What? Oh, well, he’s a friend. I guess.” Jesus, he hadn’t exactly thought this through. So busy blaming himself.
“He didn’t ask for the money back when he needed it?”
“No.”
“Is he doing something, uh, illegal?”
“No. No. Good grief, Daddy, I don’t live quite as daring a life as you imagine. But he’s going to ride a bull.”
“What? Holy hell, Laurie, you can’t let him do that.”
“Wait. He’s a bull rider. A really good one, I gather. It’s just that he works as a ranch hand and hasn’t been riding bulls much lately, and now I guess he’s entering some big contest because he needs the money I took from him and—” He slapped a hand over his mouth.
“How much did you borrow?”
“Seventeen thousand.”
“I haven’t got it.”
“I know.”
“But I could soon. I’ll give it to you as soon as I get payment for the company, Laurie, and you can return it to your friend, okay? It’s the least I can do to try and pay you back for sustaining us all this time.”
“You can’t afford to do that, Daddy.”
“I can’t afford not to. I need to be as upstanding a man as my son.” He smiled and smoothed Laurie’s hair.
“I never should have taken the money from Danny.”
“Danny? He’s the bull rider? The guy who came here with you that day?”
Laurie nodded.
“Sounds like the man wanted to give it to you.”
“I took it because I was so desperate to get away from Grove.”
“I imagine Danny was kind of desperate too.”
Laurie cocked his head. “What do you mean?”
“To get you away from Grove.” He laughed, and it had an edge of lightheartedness—for the first time in over a year.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
DANNY WALKED into the Bellagio. That should have been the first line of a joke. He was by no means the only man in full cowboy style in the lobby, but he still qualified as a stranger in a strange land. The famous Venetian glass chandelier glowed in an array of colors, the muted sound of slots tinkled in from the casino, and the slightest breath of moist air wafted from the conservatory. That’s where he needed to be.
He walked through the crowds, getting an occasional tip of a Stetson or Resistol from other fellow travelers, and ambled into the conservatory. Fuck me. Like somebody transported paradise to a hotel lobby—flowers, huge trees, the sounds of running water. Just like Kai described Hawaii.
Too soon, he spied the sign for the café where he was supposed to meet Maury and the PBRA guys. He took a few steps toward it and stopped. Imagine being in a place like this with Laurie. Well, not a hotel in Vegas, but a tropical paradise with sand that was moist, and sun that didn’t dry you out like an old shoe, and flowers that smelled better’n mesquite and eucalyptus. Dream on, cowboy.
His cell rang. He glanced at it. Frank. Did he want to talk? Shit, for a minute. “Hi, Frank. Sorry, I’m just walking into a meeting.”
“Meeting?”
“Yeah, I’m in Vegas getting ready to ride for the PBRA.”
“Seriously? I thought you didn’t want to get involved in bull riding again. That sounds damned involved.”
“It’s a long story.”
“When will you be back?”
“Sunday night. Gotta work Monday.”
“Want to have a drink Monday and you can tell me about it?”
Did he? After Laurie, would anyone ever do it for him again?
“I’m not hearing enthusiasm.”
“Sorry. Just promised to work really hard this week at the ranch—”
“Danny? Have you got somebody you care about?”
Now? Damn. “Uh, not exactly.”
“So what exactly?”
“I just have a, uh, thing for somebody, but it’s not a, you know, ‘somebody I care about’ exactly.”
“The pretty one with pink hair?”
“Laurie? Yeah.”
“That’s one serious league you’re playing in, son.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what I said.”
He chuckled. “But the truth is, if that gorgeous piece of fluff is what you want, I’m not sure what you were ever doing with me.”
“Hey, I loved every minute we hung out, you and me—”
“And I’m happy for you. You’re not an easy man to get inside of, and I’m impressed with anyone who succeeds.”
Danny made a soft sound in his throat. “He succeeded, I guess.”
“I enjoyed our time together.”
“Me too, Frank.”
“As much as you like to bottom, are you satisfied with being the batter?”
“Laurie’s a top.”
“Shee-it.”
“Yeah.”
“Good luck in Las Vegas. And if it doesn’t work, you know where to find me.”
“Thanks, Frank.”
He hung up and started walking again. You just called off the one solid fuck buddy you have in your life—for what? Unicorn dreams?
But here he was about to go do something Laurie hated, and that pretty much defined their whole relationship. They both had dreams—and those dreams lived over three hours and several worlds apart.
He shook himself out of his tropical stupor and walked into the café.
Maury waved from a table near the window, where he was sitting with two other guys. As Danny approached, Jules DeRhone looked up. Danny’s heart gave a tin
y leap of hero worship. One of the greatest bull riders in the world in his day—that was Jules. The other was a man he’d seen at the last rodeo he’d been to. The one where—he swallowed hard and suppressed the thought.
Maury half stood. “Danny, come sit.”
He did, adding his hat to the three already sitting on the table next to them. He nodded. “Danny Boone. Honored to sit at your table, Mr. DeRhone.” He looked at the other man. “Sir.”
Maury resettled and said, “Obviously you know Jules. This here is Harve Elkins. Both are with the PBRA.”
Danny cracked a half smile. “Happy to meet you both.”
Harve motioned to a waiter, who hurried over with a pot. During rodeo week, obviously cowboys ruled. “Want coffee?”
“Please. A little cream.”
The waiter poured. “Can I take your orders?”
Harve, Maury, and Jules all asked for steak and eggs. Danny figured they might be paying so he did the same. Protein was good, and he had time before the ride to digest.
“I saw you ride in Chico, Danny.” Jules stirred his coffee.
“Yes, sir.”
“Quite impressed, not only by the ride but by the fans’ reaction to you. We’re always looking for personalities as well as champion riders.”
Might as well plunge into the murky waters. “Not everyone likes me, sir.”
“Well, I heard about that.”
Jules nodded. “Things have changed some everywhere. That includes rodeo.”
Danny turned his mug on the table. “Some. But I gotta tell you, I don’t advertise, but I don’t hide. Somebody asks me, I’m gonna answer. I may use a different name, but you know someone’s going to find out, and it’ll be all over the fan sites.”
Harve’s eyebrows swooped down, and he glanced at Jules.
Jules nodded slowly. “I guess the best we can say is, we’ll have to see, but we’d like you to give it a try. New blood, especially when it’s in such a purty package, always makes the fans happy.” He grinned.
“I appreciate it.”
The waiter brought their breakfasts, and everyone dug in. Maury spoke for the first time since introductions. “You’re all registered. After we finish, we can go over and see which bull you drew for today. I can tell you a bit about the bulls if you haven’t kept up.”