by Jeannie Watt
The guard blinked at her, as if debating the truthfulness of her story, so Kristen let her expression ice over just a little more. “You can check the registration. Austin Harding. Bull rider.”
The guard gave a small cough, making her wonder if he was a bull-riding fan. “That other guy had better not be staying here.”
“I’m certain he’s not.”
Kristen’s phone dinged as the security man gave her one last hard look, for good measure apparently, then continued on his way. She pulled the phone out of her purse. Austin.
‘Go to the room. I’m going to be a while.’
Kristen went to look out the tall glass windows that flanked the door. Both men were looking her way, as if fully expecting her to check on them. With a sigh, she turned toward the lobby and crossed to the elevator. Fine. She’d go to the room and worry there. Although, it appeared that Austin still had the situation well under control.
She hated the unknown. Hated unresolved situations.
Hated being told what to do.
She let herself into the room, wondering how long Austin was going to be.
Not long, it turned out. She’d barely gotten into bed when the door opened and Austin walked around the partition and turned on his bedside light. She pushed herself upright. “No black eye, I see.”
He blew out a breath and sat on his bed. “Nope.”
“Where’s…” She hesitated to call the guy his friend.
“In his room a couple of floors down.”
“How’d you get him past security?”
“Never underestimate a bull rider.” She frowned at his non-answer and he said, “Got lucky. Slipped by while he was busy dealing with someone else.”
“You depend on luck a lot, don’t you?”
“Have to. Skill can only get you so far. Circumstance and luck do the rest.”
She didn’t argue the fact. “If you don’t mind telling me, what was the deal between you two? How did you steal his job?”
Austin started prying off his boots. “He got busted down to the minor league tour. Started drinking too much. His sponsor took notice.”
“And he blamed you?”
“I got his sponsorship today.”
“Seems like he’s responsible for that.”
“He’s young. Only nineteen.”
Kristen’s mouth flattened. “All the same.”
“Bull riding is a tough gig.”
“I noticed.”
Austin stood, his hands resting loosely on his buckle. He shook his head, then headed for the bathroom as Kristen burrowed deeper into her blankets. A few minutes later he came back out and she listened as he undressed, turned off the light and then slid into bed.
“Is he going to be okay?” she asked in a low voice.
“No telling.” There was a flatness to his voice. Resignation to things he couldn’t change, but wanted to.
Kristen pulled the blanket around her a little tighter. Austin’s life, his chosen profession, was fraught with uncertainty. How on earth did he deal with it, day in and day out? But deal he did.
“Are you okay?” she asked in a low voice.
“Fine.”
He didn’t sound fine.
“Maybe you can talk to him when he’s sober.”
“Don’t think that’ll do a lot of good.”
It was hell wanting to help someone and not be able to do it. She wanted to help Austin; Austin wanted to help his fellow bull rider.
She rolled over, trying not to think about the guy lying few short feet away from her, staring up at the dark ceiling. She shifted positions a few minutes later and tried to force herself to relax.
What would happen if she made a bold move, got into his bed?
According to him, he’d kick her out again to save them from doing something they’d regret.
No…to save her. She was certain of that. It wasn’t as if she was going to break Austin Harding’s heart.
She balled her pillow up under her head even though she felt more like putting it over her head. Then maybe she wouldn’t be able to smell the warm masculine scent drifting her way, hear him moving in his bed.
“Kris?”
She froze. “Yes?” Her voice was barely audible.
“Are you okay?”
She almost said no, she wasn’t okay, but she wasn’t going to pile something else on his plate. If he’d wanted to sleep with her, he’d be in her bed right now.
“Yes. I’m fine.” If one didn’t count tension, frustration at not being able to help, and gut-level desire to feel a hard body pressed against her own.
“Then, please…for the love of all that’s holy…go to sleep.”
Chapter Nine
“New sponsor! That’s great! Now you need to land a documentary film, like your brother.”
Austin gripped the phone a little tighter. His dad had called early and Austin decided it was time to answer. “I don’t want to be the subject of a documentary, Dad.”
His brother, Ty, hadn’t been that wild about it in the beginning, but it had worked out for him.
“You’ve got to strike while the iron’s hot.”
“Yeah.” Austin pressed a hand against his forehead, wondering for the umpteenth time what his stage-mom father was going to do when both of his kids were out of the business and he could no longer be a vicarious champion.
“I know some people—”
“Dad…”
“Okay. I’ll keep my mouth shut. For now. But if you change your mind…”
“I’ll let you know. I’ve got to start working out now. Could you put Mom on?”
“Sure thing.”
“Thanks, Dad. I appreciate the support.”
After talking to his mom, he ended the call and stuffed his workout clothing into a small grip bag. He’d do his physical therapy in the gym today. Kristen had been politely friendly, yet somehow distant, this morning before going to breakfast without him when his dad called, thus setting the tone for the remainder of their time together.
He liked her.
More than he should, but their time together was limited. She was working to break free, as she’d called it, and to be more flexible—hell, she’d practically propositioned him—but she was still Kristen Alexander. Overachiever with a mission in life, and she’d be back at that mission after making peace with her family. She’d probably end up being vice president of a bank or something, and he would… He didn’t know. He had money in the bank and no idea what he was going to do for a career once he was done riding bulls.
Something would shake out, and until then, he’d focus on winning this tour.
The other bull riders would be drifting into town today and tomorrow. There were sponsor parties and pre-functions to attend, and he and a couple other riders had a signing at a big western store on Friday before the prelims. If all went well in the prelims, he’d ride again on Saturday and on the following day he’d drive Kristen to Marietta.
Two weeks later he’d be in Portland, once again traveling alone. He really should hook up with someone and share a ride, since it didn’t look like his usual travel partner, who, along with Braden, had been demoted to the minors, was going to be back on the main tour any time soon.
Or maybe he’d continue his solo act. It felt comfortable.
Although he was beginning to think that comfort was overrated. He couldn’t say it was easy having Kristen sharing a room with him—but it was interesting. And he was having a hard time shoving her out of his brain when he needed to focus on other things.
He was going to have to work harder at that—for both their sakes.
*
Kristen was beginning to think that Austin was avoiding her. She’d left the room that morning when he’d taken the call from his father, and found it empty when she came back forty minutes later. It was still empty when she stopped by after spending a couple hours taking in the sights, and when she returned later that afternoon, she found a note propped against the tele
vision saying that he was out with some bull riders who’d just got into town. Possibly the same crew he’d been with at the Silver Bow.
“Be back late,” the note read. “Charge your dinner to the room.”
The last bit sounded like an order. Austin might be a take-charge kind of guy, but that didn’t mean he needed to take charge of her, or direct her activities when he wasn’t there. She’d pay for dinner herself, thank you very much.
Kristen took the elevator down to the lobby and spent some time perusing the magazines and books in the lobby gift shop before buying a box of microwave popcorn and a Diet Coke. She’d just put her charge card back in her purse when someone behind her said, “Excuse me.”
She turned to see the young bull rider who had called Austin an asshole the previous evening standing behind her. He pulled his hat off, his face going red as he said, “I was, uh, hoping to see you before I left. I want to apologize for the scene I caused.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t know what else to say, other than maybe he shouldn’t drink so much.
He gave her a jerky nod, then abruptly turned and walked away, clamping his hat back on his head as he left the gift shop.
What would it be like to be nineteen and have your dream on the skids? Bull riders did not have long careers for obvious reasons. Some guys lasted longer than others, competing into their thirties, but for the most part, that didn’t happen.
It hadn’t happened to Braden.
Which made her wonder what was going to happen to Austin. He was twenty-six—old in this game. He didn’t seem all that concerned about life after bull riding. She’d been guilty of the opposite—she’d spent so much time plotting and planning the future that she hadn’t enjoyed the moment she was in. The only mistake she’d made was in thinking her job was secure and not socking away enough money for the future. And again, Austin was the opposite. He had money socked away, but she couldn’t help believing that he probably would have been just as satisfied with his life if he didn’t.
She headed for the elevators, glad that the young bull rider had gone the opposite direction—hopefully steering clear of the security guy. The door to the elevator that had taken her and Austin on the wild ride the day before opened and Kristen stepped back to let the people move past her.
“Hey,” one of them said coming to a stop next to her. “I know you.”
Her stomach fell as she met the eyes of the Brazilian bull rider who’d been with Austin that night at the Silver Bow. The one who’d taken such great interest in her costume. The upper part of it anyway.
She felt the frozen deer-in-the-headlight feeling coming on and did her best to stave it off with a weak smile. “Yes. I remember.”
“That was a helluva trick you pulled on Austin,” the bull rider said, pushing his hat back. His dark eyes were dancing with amusement. “He fell for it.”
“For a while anyway,” the other guy, whom Kristen also recognized from the casino, said. “He figured it out pretty fast, but damn, girl. Good one.”
Kristen found that her smile was becoming more genuine at the bull riders’ earnest congratulations. “I regretted it afterward.”
“Austin needs shit like that.” The Brazilian extended a hand. “Gustavo Santos. Gus.”
The other bull rider also leaned in for a handshake. “Josh McIntosh.”
“Kristen Alexander.”
“Salt Lake City is a long way from Reno,” Gus said.
“I’m on my way home to Montana.”
He gestured with his head in the direction of the bar. “You want to join us for a quick drink?”
Her first instinct, as always, was to say no and escape, but she was trying to do things differently, so why not? A quick drink. It wasn’t like her microwave popcorn would go bad, and she was curious about these guys. More bad boys of the cowboy world. “Sure.”
“We’re not keeping you from anything?” Josh asked as they started across the lobby.
“Not a thing.”
“Pretty girl like you?” Gus asked going into such exaggerated lady’s-man mode that Kristen had to laugh. She was still smiling when they navigated around a marble column and ran smack into Austin, who was also heading for the bar.
The look on his face when he saw her with his friends was almost comical, and then his expression cleared and his jaw muscles tightened.
“Austin, look—we found your friend. The one with the rattlesnake,” Gus said as if Austin would need a hint as to who she was.
“Yeah.” He shifted his attention to Kristen. “I was up in the room looking for you a few minutes ago.” He was wearing a freshly ironed and starched shirt, so yes, he probably had been.
“I was down here.” She held up the plastic bag. “Dinner.”
“I thought you were going to charge dinner to the room. Like a real dinner.”
“Changed my mind.”
The two bull riders exchanged looks, then burst out laughing. “You two?”
“I’m taking her home,” Austin said, his voice clearly indicating that he wasn’t in the mood to take any crap off them.
Josh reached out and patted Austin on the shoulder. “I guess you guys made up.”
“Guess it’s none of your business,” Austin countered pleasantly, but there was an edge to his voice.
“We were going to have a quick drink before your function,” Kristen said.
He turned back to her and there was something in his expression that she couldn’t quite read. “I was trying to find you to see if you wanted to go to the function.”
“Am I invited?”
“You will be.”
Well, wasn’t that a surprise? Kristen took in the bull riders’ polished boots, starched shirts, shiny trophy buckles, then calmly met Austin’s gaze. “I don’t have anything to wear. I packed light, remember.”
“Maybe we could go upstairs and look.”
“Or you could have a drink with us,” Gustavo said with a crooked grin. The guy was definitely not shy.
Kristen looked at the trio of bull riders and shook her head. Part of her wanted to go have her damned drink and the other part wanted to go to the room and have a few things out with Austin.
“Maybe another time,” she said to Gus, who winced as if he’d been hit.
“You bet,” Josh said.
“Maybe we can hook up tomorrow,” Gus suggested. “After the prelims. You can have a drink with the winner.”
“I’ll give her your number,” Austin said, taking Kristen’s elbow in a light grasp and steering her toward the elevators.
“What was that about?” Kristen asked through her teeth as they walked back across the lobby. She took a sideways step when they stopped so that his hand dropped away.
“We can talk in the room.”
They caught the elevator they’d kissed in, but this time it took them straight to their floor with no side trips. Good. She had things to say to him and didn’t need to be distracted. As soon as they got to the room, Austin went to her closet and opened the door. Kristen closed it again and his gaze jerked up in surprise.
“Do you really want me to go to this function? Or were you just trying to pry me loose from your friends?”
“I know my friends,” he said darkly.
“That isn’t an answer.” She drew in a breath and asked the question that had been bouncing around in her mind since Austin interrupted her trip to the bar. “What business is it of yours who I hang with?”
“I didn’t think you needed to end up in Gustavo’s bed.”
She gave a short laugh. Really? “And maybe that’s not your call.”
His gaze dropped to the carpet and he ran a hand over the back of his neck before looking back up at her. “I know it’s not my call.”
“Thank you,” she said with exaggerated politeness.
“But be warned—Gustavo will treat you like any buckle bunny on the tour.”
“Maybe that’s what I’m looking for.”
His eyes went dark.
“You sure about that?”
She took a step forward and tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. Anger made it so much easier to say what she thought. It always had. “I’m sure that I can do what I want, see who I want. You aren’t in charge of my…scars.”
“You don’t even know him.”
“Well, the guy I know isn’t interested.”
“Kris…have you ever had a one-night stand?”
Her gaze slid down to his mouth, which was set in a flat line as he waited for her answer. “What do you think?”
“I think no.”
There was an intensity in his expression that made it impossible to look away.
“Don’t start with Gus.”
He stepped back and shoved a hand through his hair before giving her an accusing look. “I’m trying to do the right thing here.”
“I wasn’t thinking along those lines either.” Not much anyway. “But something changed. Somebody kissed me. Got me thinking. Got all those high school fantasies roused up again.” One corner of her mouth tightened ruefully. “Good ones, too.”
He sat down on her bed, his jaw muscles tightening as he stared past her, his expression intense. Too intense.
Needing to regroup, Kristen turned to the closet, pulled the door open. “Do you still want me to go to this function with you?”
The door swung shut, startling her, since she hadn’t heard Austin move. She turned to find him only inches away from her, his jaw muscles still so tight that she could see the pulse beating there.
“Do you want a one-night stand, Kris?”
“I…” The answer died on her lips. Any doubts about whether he was attracted to her evaporated in the sizzling heat of his gaze. She swallowed, managed to force a single word out. “Yes.”
He brought his hand up and lightly stroked his fingers down the side of her face, sending a shiver through her.
“Last chance for sanity.”
“Not taking it.”
“You’re sure?” His voice was low, almost a growl. Rather than answer, Kristen touched his face, holding his gaze as she ran her thumb across his firm lower lip.