by Cat Johnson
His position sucked and his form didn’t feel much better. As Renegade went into a fast spin, Skeeter felt the inertia force him off center, but his rope was still in his hand and his ass mostly still on the bull and that was good enough.
He didn’t know how long the ride lasted. It seemed eternal, almost slow motion, until Slade shouted, “That’s eight!”
The celebration would have to wait. Skeeter still had to get off this spinning two-thousand-pound whirlygig. Yanking the tail of his rope, he freed his hand and dove off the bull on the outside of the spin. It wasn’t hard. He was already leaning that direction anyway.
True to form, the moment Renegade felt the rider was gone he stopped dead. He turned his head, then his body, obviously looking for the out gate. The move seemed creepily human and deceivingly docile. As if Skeeter could go up, pat him on the head and say thanks, good ride. He knew better than that, but it was still nice to not have to run for his life and dive over the rails the way he’d had to with a few bulls who weren’t more interested in leaving than showing the rider who was boss.
One of the guys opened the out gate. Skeeter wasn’t even sure who it was, he was so pumped up on adrenaline. Renegade heard the metal hinges squeak, spied the opening and trotted out. That’s when Skeeter let himself celebrate. He tore off his helmet and flung it at the ground, punching both fists into the air with a shout.
Riley was there, hopping over the rail and landing right in front of him, looking as excited as he was. “You did it.”
“I did it.” In his excitement, he didn’t remember to pull out his mouthguard until after he’d spoken.
The enormity of it hit him and the happiness began to bubble out. It seemed there was only one outlet for this much joy. Riley.
Skeeter reeled her in with one arm, hauling her tight against him, and crashed his mouth into hers. She reached up to catch her hat as the force of his kiss nearly knocked it off, but besides that she didn’t do anything except kiss him back.
The shouts of the guys brought Skeeter out of the daze the combination of the ride and Riley’s kiss had put him in. He pulled back. “Can we continue this later? In private.”
She let out a short laugh. “I sure hope so.”
“Good.” He released his hold on her and turned to get his rope and a high five from Garret.
“Amazing ride, Skeets.”
Skeeter laughed. “Another second and I would have been in the dirt.”
“Don’t matter. All you need is eight.”
And he’d made it. It wasn’t an official arena and there were no judges, but he’d still done it. Skeeter turned to find Slade. “You sure it was eight?”
He held up the timer in his hand. “Kid, it was over eight.”
Skeeter grinned so wide his face started to hurt. “Now I just need to do that in competition.”
“When’s the next touring pro event?” Mustang asked.
“Arkansas. This weekend.”
“I’m bringing the bulls for the event,” Riley added.
Skeeter noticed how things had changed. Less than a week ago, that day of the funeral, Riley had said she needed to call and cancel Arkansas. Not anymore. That fact felt as good, if not better, than his riding Renegade.
Mustang knocked his hat back a notch. “It looks like we’re taking a road trip to Arkansas.”
“Really?” Riley smiled. “I sure wouldn’t mind having the help.”
“You guys would really come?” Skeeter asked.
“Sure.” Mustang grinned. “What else do we have to do? We’ll help with the stock and then maybe we’ll even sign up to ride.”
“That sounds like a plan to me.” Riley’s smile beamed.
It warmed Skeeter’s heart. “All right. Sounds good to me.”
It was a pretty fantastic day all around.
Chapter Fifteen
Riley turned off the water in the kitchen sink and leaned a bit closer to Skeeter. She looked past him toward the kitchen table where everyone else sat talking before her attention moved back to the cowboy in front of her.
“You never told me what Slade said when you talked to him.” She kept her voice low so the parties in question didn’t hear her talking about them.
Dishtowel in his hand, he wiped the last plate in the drying rack and put it on top of the stack of dinner dishes next to him. “Nothing to tell. He listened, said thank you and then changed the subject.”
“Hmm.” Not exactly good news. Riley didn’t know what to make of Slade’s evasiveness. The one thing she did know was that Skeeter, acting all domestic by offering to help with the dishes, made her want to jump him. If not right there in the kitchen, then later when everyone else had gone to bed. “All right, next question.”
“Okay.” He folded the towel and leaned back against the counter, waiting for her.
“What was that kiss in the practice ring today?”
A smile tipped up the corners of his mouth. “I couldn’t help myself. You know what adrenaline does to a bull rider.”
“So it was just adrenaline then?”
“Nope. Definitely not. I always want to kiss you. It was the adrenaline that wiped out my good sense and made me do it in front of everyone. You mad?”
“No. But you’re right. Everybody saw.” She glanced at her houseguests one more time.
Not a one of them seemed to be interested in the fact she and Skeeter were whispering in the kitchen. Maybe they’d simply accepted it. Or they’d seen it all along and Riley and Skeeter hadn’t been fooling anyone by pretending they were nothing more than friends in public while kissing each other senseless those couple of times in private.
“You mind that they saw?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts about the exact subject that occupied her—the others.
“Nope. You mind?”
He shook his head. “Not one little bit.”
“All right, then. I guess you and I are…” What were they?
“A couple?”
Wow. Yeah, she could handle that. Riley nodded. “A couple.”
His grin widened. “I guess that means I can do this then.”
Skeeter reached out. As he leaned closer, her heart started to pound fast and furious until it vibrated her from the inside. She knew what he was about to do even before he reached her, and that was fine with her.
Of course, privacy would be nice, but this was even more special. This outright public display of affection meant he wanted everyone to know he wanted her to be his girl. There was no adrenaline clouding his judgment now.
He pressed his lips to hers and she dragged in a ragged breath through her nose.
All they’d done was kiss, and not even the real deep kind of kissing, but just that was enough to have her falling for him. Wanting—craving—more.
“Uh, hey, Skeets.” Slade’s raised voice had Skeeter pulling back from Riley’s mouth. “When you two are done in there with whatever it is you’re doing, which doesn’t look like the dishes to me, can you come on over here? I got something to say.”
“Guess we’re needed over there.” Skeeter smiled, his hand still cradling the back of her head beneath her braid. He kneaded her neck and made her want to sink into his touch.
She swallowed hard, wishing it was bedtime and she could crawl into Skeeter’s lap and kiss him the way she’d been thinking of doing for days now. “Yeah.”
He dropped his hand and took a step back, turning on the heel of one boot to face Slade and the rest at the table. “We’re coming.”
Slade folded his arms and looked amused as Skeeter and Riley made their way to the table. She guessed they deserved a bit of teasing. They had been kissing in the kitchen in full view of everyone.
When they’d taken their seats, Slade drew in a breath big enough to visibly inflate his chest. He stood, spun Jenna and her chair to face him and dropped to one knee.
Riley covered her mouth with her hand and glanced at Skeeter. He caught her gaze and she saw in his wide-eyed expression he w
as thinking the same thing she was. Slade was about to propose. Right there in front of them all. In light of that, one short kiss in front of the sink didn’t seem that out of place at all.
“Jenna.” Slade laughed and shook his head. “Damn. I had it all worked out what I wanted to say and now—”
She reached down and laid her hand over his. That silent support seemed to be enough to knock Slade out of his stupor.
“I was fixin’ to do this at the airport, but something made me think maybe I should do it sooner. Here and now, while I still have a few days with you before you fly away from me again for what I hope will be the last time.” He reached into his pocket. Riley could have heard a pin drop as every person in the room sat still as statues, waiting.
“Jenna, I want you to be my wife.”
Still silent, Jenna nodded. Slade let her hand go long enough for her to brush the tears from her eyes before he slipped a diamond ring onto her finger.
It was as if everyone let out a collective sigh of relief after holding their breath waiting for her answer. A few of the guys whooped, some clapped. Sage stood and hugged Jenna, wiping her own eyes.
Mustang stood too and shook Slade’s hand. “You could have told me you were planning this.”
Slade shook his head. “We share enough, man. I needed something to be just mine and hers. And don’t think I didn’t hear you two going at it last night when you thought we were asleep.”
Sage slapped Mustang’s arm. “I told you they’d hear.”
Mustang frowned. “He’ll get over it. Serves him right for keeping something this big from his best friend.”
Riley found her throat was tight. Skeeter leaned in. “I guess your plan worked.”
“Shh. Don’t tell anybody.” She didn’t want to take anything away from Jenna’s moment. Still, Riley couldn’t stop the smile even as her eyes got a little misty.
“Dude, we need to celebrate.” Garret slapped Slade on the back.
“Oh, I plan on it.” Slade leveled his gaze at Mustang. “You two can occupy yourselves elsewhere for an hour or so tonight, right?”
“Slade.” Jenna’s brow wrinkled before she glanced down at her ring and laughed. “All right. I wouldn’t mind some time alone with you tonight.”
“Is that so?” Slade eyed the ring on her hand before he hauled Jenna against him and planted a quick, hard kiss on her mouth. “Worth every penny, that thing was.”
“Y’all celebrate however you want, but I’m gonna have a brew.” Aaron stood and headed for the cooler full of beer and ice he’d put on the front porch the moment he’d arrived.
“I can get behind that plan. Grab me one,” Chase called as Aaron pushed through the screen door.
“You got it.” Aaron paused in the doorway. “Anybody else?”
The celebration went on until Riley realized it was way later than she thought. Slade and Jenna took their leave, while Mustang and Sage stayed. If that was to continue the party, or more likely to give the newly engaged couple the privacy they’d all joked about, Riley didn’t know. All she could be sure of was that morning would come too early tomorrow.
She stood. “I think I’m gonna head to bed.”
Skeeter stood as well. “Yeah, we should all call it a night. Let Riley get some sleep.”
Chase gathered up the empty bottles in one hand. “Remember, we’re running in the morning.”
“No, way.” Aaron’s mouth dropped open. “Chase, come on.”
“Nope. I told you way back when we first talked about this thing that you could drink all you wanted at night but you had better be up and ready to go in the morning for our workout.”
“He did say that.” Mustang laughed as Aaron scowled deeper.
“How about we make it an hour later? That help any?” Chase asked.
“Not much. No.” Aaron continued to pout.
Garret shook his head as he looped his arm around Silver’s neck. “All right. I guess I’ll see you at six.”
“Good night, all.” Silver shot her brother a look over her shoulder as Garret steered her toward the den. “Better stop bitching and get some sleep, Aaron.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
With the party good and broken up, Riley flipped off the kitchen light and went to turn off the living room lamp as well. When she turned back, she realized the room had cleared. Almost. Skeeter was still there and closer to her than she’d realized.
“Finally, we’re alone.” Skeeter wrapped his arms around her waist.
“I thought you’d gone upstairs with Chase and Aaron.”
“Not without a good-night kiss first.” He stepped closer until she was against him.
The porch light she’d left on so Sage and Mustang would be able to see to walk to the trailer washed the floor beneath the window with a soft glow. There, in the darkness, Skeeter kissed her. Really kissed her.
He cupped her face with his hands and angled his head before he parted her lips. She squeezed her eyes tighter and opened to him, meeting his tongue. His thigh moved between hers, as if he needed to be closer but couldn’t figure out how. She understood the feeling.
The hard length inside his jeans pressed against her, waking something deep inside her. A yearning fluttered to life. Something that wouldn’t be satisfied with just kissing.
Skeeter pulled back. “I hate to say this, but I should get upstairs before they notice.”
Disappointment nearly made her ask him to stay, but he was right. The guys would know what they were doing if Skeeter didn’t go upstairs. “Okay. Good night.”
“Good night,” he repeated but didn’t move until he let out a frustrated groan and dropped his hands from her. “I gotta go or I won’t be able to make myself leave.”
She smiled as he strode toward the stairs, looking determined and regretful at the same time. She watched and waited, hoping he’d turn back around. Finally, when she heard his boots hit the top step and start across the floor of the attic, she went to her own room.
One day, maybe soon, he wouldn’t make himself say good night and head upstairs. That thought caused a twisting low in her belly as she stripped off her clothes and glanced in the bedroom mirror. She looked at her reflection as she ran her hands over her belly, imagining how it would feel if it were his hands instead.
She wanted that. Whenever that day came, she was ready.
Chapter Sixteen
Skeeter lay in bed listening to the air conditioner chugging along but as late as it was sleep wouldn’t come. Not after that taste of Riley. He should have known one kiss wouldn’t be enough. Not when it was a kiss like that.
He rolled over and punched the pillow, but it wasn’t to blame for his lack of sleep. His raging hard-on was, but that wasn’t anything he could deal with here and now with Aaron and Chase sleeping just feet from him. He was just considering if he could sneak downstairs and take care of things in the bathroom without anyone hearing when his phone lit up.
Reaching for it he saw a text from Riley. You awake?
She couldn’t sleep either. That was a good sign. Even better that she was texting him. Skeeter punched in a reply. Yes.
Are Garret and Chase asleep?
His heart rate sped as he put in the three letters that could mean so much to his immediate future. Yes.
Come downstairs.
The only thing keeping him from flinging back the sheet and sprinting down the stairs was the fear of waking his roommates. Skeeter moved slow and easy until he was past the creaky bottom step, then he let himself walk faster, all the way to Riley’s door. It was open and she stood waiting for him in the doorway.
His breath left him as he pushed through the opening and gathered her to him. She pushed the door closed. He heard the click as he leaned in to take her mouth.
“I couldn’t sleep.” She said it in the short time her mouth was free of his between kisses.
“Me either.” Skeeter moved to pull the soft fleshy lobe of her ear between his teeth and felt her shudder
. He moved to her neck and felt her pulse pounding.
She was in an oversized T-shirt. He ran his hands over the soft, worn cotton warmed from her body, all the way down to cup the cheeks of her ass. He was wearing nothing but a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. There was no way she’d miss feeling his erection through the thin fabric.
Riley was a virgin. He didn’t quite know what to do with that fact. Yeah, his girlfriend in high school had been too but that was years ago. Lately, his encounters had been with girls who had a lot more experience than him. Girls like Tammy.
Skeeter had no clue what Riley wanted. But damn, he knew what he wanted. She felt so right. Kissing her, holding her. It was so good. More with her would be absolutely amazing. For the first time, he felt totally and completely ready—and also unsure of what to do next.
As she ran her hands down his back and grabbed his butt, he made a decision. He’d let her set the pace. She’d decide what happened between them and when. But good Lord, he was going to have to learn to control this need she caused inside him.
She moved a step back and reached for his hand. He laced his fingers through hers. Watching him the entire way, she pulled him toward the bed. He could swear he felt her hand shake. Or maybe it was his hand shaking in hers.
There was a nightlight plugged into the outlet low on the wall by the door. Skeeter imagined it had probably been there since Riley was a little girl. Back when Butch would come and tuck her in before bed. Maybe even check for monsters under the bed.
That thought squelched the immediate sense of urgency that Skeeter’s hard-on had been broadcasting to the rest of him. They were not going to have sex tonight. No matter what. He had no protection, and she sure as hell was not ready for this less than a week after her father’s death. More than that, Skeeter wanted their relationship to be good and solid. Something built on a foundation that would last.