“I told you about him a couple of weeks ago, the guy reminds me of- well, just you watch.” The way Thomas pointed was all she needed to know. She watched the young rider, mesmerized as he adjusted himself in the gate. He had good form, his placement high up on the bull, he gripped the rope just right. He looked solid before he even came out on the bull.
She was different than the casual observer. Most of these people didn’t care about who was riding. They just wanted the experience. Tired families came for a night out, maybe a couple was on a date, or a little boy wanted to see the men ride the bulls. Those who did know what they were watching were either retired or they were family or friends of a rider. She had been there once. Sitting with her mom, waiting for her father to come out of the gate. Holding her breath when she finally caught sight of him.
Jayda didn’t just watch. She was right there with the rider. She knew the techniques and the skills drilled into them. Her father taught her everything he could in the short time they had together before he died. Now, she knew a good rider when she saw one, all because of him.
Every time she got the chance to come out to see her dad ride, she felt alive, present. Even though her father had lost his battle to cancer, a part of him was still there, getting ready to ride that bull.
Her dad told her to think of him every time she went to a rodeo, but he didn’t have to say it. She would have anyways.
The loudspeaker announced the first rider. Luke came out strong, his stance perfect, his arm raised just right, a good grip, and a slight hug from his right knee. A little dangerous for balance, but he seemed to know what he was doing. He went through the paces with the bull, Rusty Bucker, his hips and shoulders turning with the bull’s, if not a hair before them. Reading every move the bull made a fraction of a second before he made it.
Just like her father.
A lot of riders have certain tells, certain ways, that they ride. She could see it better than most because of her position and because of the large screen that projected the up close view of the rider. Not something that would have been so easily seen without modern technology. This rider was different, Her father had been unlike any other man on the back of a bull. His ride was distinctive, and no matter how many men he had trained, none of them had that natural confidence.
None expect this one.
Luke Daniels.
She felt that familiar lump in her throat, the one that came every time she watched the rodeo as a child. The excitement that she thought was gone forever was suddenly back as she watched this man run through the most breathtaking eight seconds of her life. When he had shown that Rusty Bucker was indeed rusty and dismounted, she realized she had held her breath. She released it in a smooth sigh.
“Bit old, ain’t he?” She asked affecting a bit of a drawl. She didn’t have one, but that didn't mean she couldn’t use it to play around with.
Act uncommitted. There was no way she was going to let her mannerisms betray her. Being strong was the only thing she knew to do. Don’t let anyone know your own mind until you do. That was what her daddy always said.
“He might be getting towards the last half of his career, but he isn’t that old. Has a good head on his shoulders. Stubborn son of a bitch, though,” Thomas admitted, a grim smile on his lips.
He knew it sealed the deal.
“I think I want to meet that one, Thomas. What do you say?” It had been a while since Jayda had seen a man caught her eye like Luke did, and she was in the mood to get back in the saddle. Boy, he had potential.
Besides, it was her father’s business she needed to focus on now, not his memory. Procuring riders for sponsorship was the goal, creating a pool of talent that would elevate their training facilities. It was why she was at the rodeo.
“I think I can arrange that.”
She nodded and resumed watching the bull-riding program. But no one else earned her admiration that night.
Those eight seconds settled it. Jayda had to meet the man who stole her father’s technique and made it his own.
***
Jayda searched for the handsome cowboy, but he disappeared until they awarded the placing. Luke owned the center of the stage and accepted his prize with grace, tipping his hat to the crowd and walking off with all the stoicism of a real rodeo man. Luke wasn’t like most of the kids she saw come up on the stage, he didn’t posture or bellow his name. He acted like someone who took pride in what he did, and was humble. It had been a long time since she met a man who wasn’t full of himself. She bit her lip and tried not to let her thoughts run away with her. She didn’t even know this handsome rider.
It shocked her that she thought of him as handsome. Sure, she was just as likely to date a white guy as she was a Black guy, but she usually stuck to a more sophisticated pool of men. Not cowboys. Her dad always warned her to stay away from them. They broke hearts.
Her mother was living proof of that.
She followed Thomas to the riders’ area. It wasn’t anything special, just a fenced in dirt patch, but it held a mystical quality about it. No matter where they were, she knew the riders retreat when she saw it. She had been to this area a thousand times as a child, always trying to find daddy right when he came out of the locker room. Hugging him for whatever win he may have claimed. Not today though.
Just focus on your target. She thought, blowing out a heavy breath.
Today she was going back to meet the potential for investment. The man who could grow her business and give her father’s name the recognition it deserved. She squared her shoulders and tried to remind herself that she was a sponsor and business was business. Her job was to continue her father’s legacy of helping good riders get the leg up they needed. Including providing the best training and equipment.
Not to melt over him like some rodeo groupie. A buckle bunny.
Thomas paved the way for her, moving through the crowd seamlessly as he waved and tipped his hat to several riders and their families. He seemed to know every single person in the business. Her dad used to be that way. He and Thomas were always working the circuit, first coaching and then sponsoring so many different acts. They were great partners.
“Ah, Luke. This here is the lady I was talkin’ to you about earlier, Jayda Rivers. Daughter of John Rivers.”
Luke tipped his cowboy hat up so that she could see his face. She couldn’t help it, she immediately began assessing him, much like her father taught her. What to look for in rider, physically. He had a set jaw, strong and chiseled, and eyes with a deep wisdom to them.
She wasn’t the only one assessing. His grey-blue eyes looked her up and down. He was probably a couple of years older than her, twenty-seven or twenty eight. At least. Thomas was right, he was still young enough that he had quite a few good years left. His stance was strong, like his grip on the bull.
She held out her hand to him, looking him straight in the eye as she waited. He assessed her for a moment, his own eyes moving over her body. Damn, he was impossible to read. What was this man thinking?
Finally he reached out and shook her hand, his grip firm, the handshake of one man to another. She could tell a lot by a man’s handshake, and this man meant business.
“I knew your father a good bit,” Luke said, nodding to her, “he was a good man. Sorry for your loss. To be honest, I’m glad to see one of his own is takin’ over the business. Not those greedy vultures like Thomas.” Ah. A smart ass. That she could handle.
“Hey, you watch your mouth, less you want me to knock out some of those fancy teeth.” Thomas punched him in his shoulder, a gesture which he returned.
“I, uh, thank you,” She felt a little off balance. It was hard accept. No matter how many times she heard someone give their condolences, the pain never went away. So she just stored it away, refusing to address it.
Back to the task at hand. It was the only way she knew how to cope.
“I haven’t seen your kind of talent in a good long while.”
A smile tugged the
corner of his mouth.
“Taught by the best.” He stayed tight-lipped as he looked her up and down, judging her.
Well who the hell was his coach?
“Luke, we talked earlier about you being willin’ to sign up under our sponsorship. Well, Ms. Rivers seems pretty intent on makin’ sure that this happens.” Thomas smiled like he just got a bite on fishing line cast out into the middle of a pond. Almost his, as long it was reeled in right.
“I am, I would be willing to speak to you about the prospect of joinin’ a sponsored program…” She barely got the words out of her mouth.
He interrupted her without so much as a polite nod, “I really gotta be heading’ out.”
He grabbed his ball cap and replaced the cowboy hat he rode with. She got a peek at raven locks before he switched them out. “I’m late for my next ‘social engagement’. Think you could swing by the dance hall tonight? It is the end of the rodeo and I should be there. We can talk then.”
“Luke.” Thomas said, tipping his hat.
“Thomas.”
She couldn’t help but notice the muscles in his body, particularly his tight ass moving back and forth in those tight cowboy jeans. Heat pounded into her cheeks, leaving her dumbfounded. This was one of those times that she was glad no one could see her blush.
“What the hell just happened?” She furrowed her brow and looked at Thomas who responded with a chuckle.
“I think you just got asked to a dance.”
“But…” She had to resist the urge to run after him and tell him what kind of opportunity he was letting slip out of his fingers.
“I know what yer thinkin’. Let him go. He’s a tough one, Jayda. You’re dad’s been tryin’ to get him to sign on for years. You have to go, you have to bag him.”
She hesitated, turning on her heel to face Thomas. “Years?”
“Yeah, about ten.” Ten years was a long time in the business. Especially for a bull rider.
It peaked her interest. “Why hasn’t he?”
Thomas chewed on his check for a moment, thinking about it. “Luke was a loose cannon for a while, and when he wanted to be signed, well, your father wasn’t ready. Then, after that, it was nothing but no. Foolish pride? Wantin’ to go it alone? I don’t know. I just know he has the talent and he is on fire now. He is finally looking to be sponsored. Don’t want to lose his talent.”
She straightened her shoulders and looked Thomas square in the eyes. “You should know by now that I don’t give up that easily.”
***
Jayda didn’t like parties. She entered the large barn to see crowds of people gathered about., standing in small groups as they talked over the music and sipping from bottles or red cups. She could see the dance floor just a little ways off and it looked like there was no shortage of people on it. Country music blared, pounding so hard she could feel it in her chest, vibrating her body across the floor. It was a lively group, excited and animated after a successful show. Rodeo folks did everything big.
She tried to take it all in, but it was overwhelming. Jayda didn’t realize that many people were involved in the rodeo on a day to day basis. She should have been, her business was exceedingly lucrative, but she never thought about it. Not really. Plus, she had never been to any of these shindigs. Her dad expressly forbid it, knowing firsthand what went on at these parties. In part, she thought it was because he was trying to protect her from being fetishized. She was a beautiful, strong, black woman, and he was aware of that, even if he was white. He often said that it was important to find someone who loved her for her, and not just because she was “exotic” or “exciting”.
She thought he was being old fashioned, but it was an unfortunate truth that she learned the hard way while living with her mother.
He wanted to keep his daughter as far away from what he called ‘the dark side of the rodeo’ as he possibly could. She rolled her eyes when she was fifteen, thinking he was being too strict. But as she watched the women and men dancing together, she was no longer so sure about her assessment. The way they pressed together, their bodies close and their legs moving to the music, the looks in their eyes… it was deliciously sinful. She fought the urge to throw herself into the mix, abandoning all pretense of business and acting like the twenty-five year old she was, deep down inside.
As she was about to go and find herself a partner she felt a gentle touch on her arm. Luke looked at her from underneath his ragged ball cap, a smile on his face.
“I take it you have never been to one of these dances before?” His mouth quirked up into a handsome smirk. The kind that made her want to roll her eyes.
“I was never in the rodeo, remember.”
He handed her a beer bottle and looked out over the crowd. “Neither have most of these kids. Maybe they want to, maybe they have family who is. Figured you might want something to drink first.”
“First?”
“Thought we could have a drink, maybe a dance. Then discuss terms.” Luke took a large swing of his beer and then winked at her. Actually winked.
She wanted to tell him no just to be spiteful, but that hard jawline and those strong muscles were more than she could resist.
Jayda took a big swig of her beer and set it down on the table, “What the hell, why not?”
Luke pulled her out onto the dance floor, taking her up in his arms and spinning her around in a fast paced two step.
Moving around the dance floor with the tall cowboy felt as natural to her as walking. She didn’t need to worry about stepping on toes or having to lead. He was strong and confident as he led her across the floor, in a sea of people also following the same steps. She could have closed her eyes and just moved along with him. But then she’d miss studying every inch of him. Her eyes were locked on his as they moved around the room. And each moment she had to fight not to let those eyes wander down his entire body.
“You’re pretty good.” He whispered in her ear, bending down and breaking eye contact. His voice was the kind of thick deep baritone that made her want to melt into a puddle. “Not many women can dance like you can.”
Keep it together, this is business.
“Taught by the best.” She answered. Damn, he had a way of getting under her skin, but she refused to let her emotions overwhelm her.
“I’m sure you were, honey.”
Shake it off.
“How did you learn his moves?” She had the upper hand and she was going to use it.
“I watched. A lot.” Was that a smirk?
“I watch a lot of medical shows, doesn’t mean I can preform open heart surgery.” That bit just a little too hard.
He stumbled, then let her go, turning to walk away.
So she did the only thing she could think of, she grabbed his arm.
“I’m sorry. I, I didn’t mean to, can we do this over?”
Jayda narrowed her eyes. This one certainly wasn’t going to be easy to land. So she tried a different approach. Letting her body relax she switched into a more amicable version of herself.
“I guess we can try.”
“So, how did you learn my dad’s moves?”
“I watched him, tried to copy him. He said I had natural talent.”
“Sounds like him. He always knew how to speak the truth.” She said, her tone flattering but not completely obvious. “I’ve seen you ride. That kind of talent is… natural.”
“What about you? Where did you learn your moves?” Luke’s brow drew in as he tried to assess her new attitude. “You seem like a natural, yourself.”
“I watched. A lot.” She grinned at him, repeating his mysterious line, her voice dipping down just a little, creating a husky tone. “But most of his charisma was natural. Afraid I didn't inherit that.”
“We ain’t in agreement there.” His eyes looked right though her, and it took all her willpower not to swoon.
When straightforwardness doesn’t work, kill them with kindness. Or in her case, sex appeal.
Ja
yda moved in closer to Luke, her body slowing with the change from a fast paced song to a ballad. The guitar quieted and she could hear the soft saw of a fiddle. It was the kind of music she loved, complex but gentle.
Complex, like Luke. She wasn’t about to give up, and he seemed to be enjoying himself. His body close to hers was enough to make her lose her breath. She pushed the feelings down, reminding herself that this was business. But they would not be quenched. She could feel the distinct tingle between her legs. The characteristic twitch of her mound confirmed her arousal, making it all the harder to pay attention to anything but his musky scent and his brawny muscles.
Just breathe, girl.
She felt his hand splay out across her back, inching her yet closer to him. His warmth radiated against her as she welcomed the push, her body now against his. She could feel his ever delicious muscles. Even the bulging one in his pants.
She almost forgot to move when he touched her, lightly brushing up against her belly. Teasing her with his touch. She wasn’t the one in control anymore, and he knew it. She could tell by the smirk on his face.
He bent down towards her, his lips just barely touching the soft skin on her ear. “What’s your angle? Because I am pretty sure you have my attention.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” She knew her nose was scrunched when she asked that, but she really was confused.
“You came to talk business, Jayda. Not pleasure. But if you want to mix the two, I am sure I can oblige.” He reached up into her hair and threaded his fingers through her dark chestnut locks.
“Business. I came to talk business.”
“I can respect that.” Luke looked her over, his eyes focusing on her, but it wasn’t sexual, it was the opposite. He sneered at her the same way a rider would sneer at an ornery bull. She was an advisory.
“I already pay for your services, for your facility, and your coaches. What would make me want to take you up as a sponsor?” Thane asked, “besides flirt at me if I don’t do what you want.”
“Well, all those things would be provided at little or no cost to you, depending on which package you select, and the number of outside sponsors we are able to pull in…” She had been rehearsing this speech since she first took over the business, but it wasn’t coming out as smoothly as it had in the past. Everything about him made her confused.
The Rider's Dangerous Embrace (An Interracial Bad Boy Romance Story) Page 3