by A. D. Ryan
Chompin’ at the Bit
Copyright © 2016 A.D. Ryan
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical terms, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Ryan, A.D.
Chompin’ at the Bit / A.D. Ryan
(Horse Play Series ; 02)
ISBN 978-1533462794
Text and Cover design by Angela Schmuhl
Cover Image: Shutterstock, © Kiuikson
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
While it probably doesn’t seem like it, this is always the hardest part of any book to write. Regardless, let’s get this party started …
I can never seem to thank my incredible family enough for being so freaking supportive of this hobby-turned-almost-career. You’re some of my biggest cheerleaders and are always there to listen to whatever bizarre idea my brain cooks up next. You’re all awesome, from my two tiny minions to my amazing husband, and my parents, who always encouraged me to follow my dreams—no matter how far out there and unattainable they might seem. I hope I am able to instill that same confidence and drive in my children that you so selflessly instilled in me. My siblings, you should know that you inspire me in so many ways.
Of course, I wouldn’t be here without people who actually want to read the weird ramblings that fall out of my head and wind up on my computer. So, readers, thank you all for being awesome and for hounding me continuously for new books immediately after reading the latest one. It’s that kind of pressure that drives me, and I love your enthusiasm!
Because my incredible street team and beta readers are given an exclusive first look into these books, you’re seeing them at their most raw. You see the mistakes, and you’re kind enough to mention them so I don’t look like a total knob once Marla and Tiff see them.. so thank you for being so thorough and unafraid to tell me when I’ve messed up. I’m not too good for that constructive critique, and I’m so grateful to have you all on my side!
This is now the second novel that Marla at Proofingstyle has worked on, and I’m so happy that she was able to take me on. You’re an incredible person, always professional with a quick turnaround. The attention and critique you offer is appreciated. I hope the stars continue to align and we continue to work together in the future.
And, Tiff, who’s been here since the very beginning, first as a reader, then as a beta and editor: you’re awesome. I am so grateful that you always seem to have time for me when you’re not bogged down with work.
Again, thank you all so much for everything you do. I wouldn’t be doing this without you all. You make it all worthwhile. Until next time …
Chapter 1. Road Trippin’
“Okay,” I said aloud to myself, standing over the small suitcase on my bed. “I’ve got pants, shirts, underwear, socks…” Turning around, I spotted the white garment bag hanging on my door. “My dress. Shoes … I need shoes.”
Jensen’s sister’s wedding was this weekend, and I was a mess trying to make sure I didn’t forget anything. My nerves were even more rattled knowing I was going to meet the rest of his family for the first time. His father and I go way back, considering he’s been the ranch’s vet for the last couple decades, and I recently met his mother when Jensen started working on the ranch and he had to take me to the hospital after three subsequent falls from horseback. Not my finest moment.
Throwing open my closet door, I knelt to the floor and started leafing through the countless pairs of shoes that Willow had made me buy over the years. Some had lived a good life, while others were forced to suffer an eternity in the back of my closet due to the quarter-sized blisters they caused. Evil shoes.
“Hey,” I heard Jensen exclaim behind me. “Is this your dress?”
The minute I heard the soft tick, tick, tick of the garment bag’s zipper being lowered, I shot to my feet and launched myself across the room. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?” I cried out, throwing myself between him and my dress.
Pushing his bottom lip out and batting his lashes, he pouted. “You won’t show me?” His big blue eyes locked on mine, and I found myself captivated by him just as much as I had been when we’d met a few weeks ago. Had I not been exposed to this sort of mind-fuckery in the past, I might have easily been swayed and given him whatever he wanted. But I knew better.
“Nope.” I was very assertive in my answer, and that just made him try harder. Wrapping his arms around my waist, Jensen lowered his face to mine, kissing me softly. But I held firm in my position. I knew what he was doing. Usually, he was pretty damn good at it.
This time, though, I remained firm. I didn’t return his embrace (even though I wanted to), I didn’t kiss him back (even though it killed me not to), I didn’t respond to his seduction vocally (even though it took everything in me not to).
“It’ll be bad luck,” I said.
Apparently he thought that was pretty funny, because he lifted his face and smiled. “Madi, it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride’s dress before the wedding,” he countered smugly. “I don’t recall there being anything against a man seeing his date’s dress.”
The left side of my mouth twitched with the desire to smile. Jensen and I weren’t officially a couple. We’d both agreed that this was just casual fun, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hopeful that we could one day be more. Over the weeks, my feelings for him had developed, and there was no way I could rein them in. I was lost to him.
“Date?” I inquired, keeping the hope from my voice.
Jensen cleared his throat and furrowed his brows before shaking his head. “Right. Sorry. I just … felt like that might be the easiest way to describe our arrangement.”
My heart sank, but I didn’t let him see that. Instead, I changed the topic back to a lighter one. “Well, regardless, you can’t see the dress.”
His smile returned, and he leaned in close again. “You’ll have to give me a very good reason why not. And the bad luck thing is bullshit.”
Truthfully, the only reason I had was that I didn’t want him to see my dress until I was in it. It was something Willow and I had discussed earlier in the week when I called and told her we would be in town Friday night. Then, before she even got the chance to ask, I booked myself in for hair and makeup at the spa on Saturday morning. She was more than a little pleased—I was actually surprised I could hear anything afterward, given the decibel she managed to reach.
I shook my head adamantly, trying to get him to believe the absurdity of my claim. “Mmmm …” I hummed with mock-skepticism. “No, I’m pretty sure it applies to the best man’s plus-one, too.” I avoided the word “date” in hopes of bypassing another almost-breakdown from him. I was having way too much fun with him for it to end now.
Not surprisingly, Jensen wasn’t buying it. Suddenly, he picked me up, shifted to the side and moved me out of his way before snatching my dress.
“Jensen Davis,” I warned, holding my pointer finger at him as I stalked toward him. “Don’t make me kick your ass.”
The room was filled with his laughter as he took two steps back. “I’d like to see you try.”
Waiting until he looked as though he wasn’t expecting it, I lunged forward and threw myself against his chest, reaching over his shoulders for my dress. My attempts were futile, howeve
r as he was much taller and stronger than I was.
That was when I realized that if he could play dirty and use his sexy smolder, then so could I.
“Fine,” I said softly, sliding down his body slowly, reveling in silent triumph when his body relaxed. Just a smidge. Smiling, I let my hand trail down his chest until it stopped at his abdomen and traced the line of his belt. His eyes locked on mine, and I looped my finger into his belt and started to release it.
Tilting my head up, we continued to stare at one another, and I moved minutely until our lips connected gently. Our kiss remained soft and tender as I slowly worked his belt free before moving onto the button on his jeans. It didn’t take long before I was acting on desire and not distraction.
“Mmmf,” Jensen mumbled, taking the hand that wasn’t holding my dress and wrapping it around my wrist to stop me.
I sighed in defeat; this wasn’t the first time he had denied us any major physical contact in the last five days. As the days went on, and the realization of him seeing his ex-fiancée again continued to weigh heavy on his mind, he withdrew. He assured me numerous times that nothing between us had changed, and he was always very open and honest about what he was feeling, but the truth of the matter was, I missed him—I missed us.
True, our relationship, if that’s what it was, didn’t start off like most. My dad had given him a job in an attempt to help him out after he’d fallen on hard times, and it made the most sense for him to live on the ranch, so he became my new roommate. The biggest problem with that was that I had recently gotten out of a particularly scary situation, and Jensen offered me a reprieve from that. He was a distraction, which was both good and bad.
Eventually, we couldn’t fight our attraction to one another anymore, and we allowed ourselves to just give in. We still hadn’t had sex, both of us agreeing that it would be best to take things slow and be responsible, but that didn’t mean we hadn’t been intimate in other ways. Our relationship had been progressing by leaps and bounds every day, but then it all came to a screeching halt.
On Monday, we fooled around a little, Tuesday a little less, and Wednesday and Thursday we snuggled on the couch and shared a few chaste kisses before retiring to bed. It felt as though the fire between us had begun to fizzle before it had even had a proper chance to ignite.
Biting my lip hard to keep my chin from quivering as rejection needled at me, I nodded in understanding having been through a couple days of this already. Jensen re-hung my dress on the door, his eyes registering nothing but his deepest apologies. “I’m sorry. It’s not you.”
His words were meant to comfort, but they didn’t. Offering him a smile I knew lacked the reassurance he sought, I cradled his face in my hand and tried to push my own insecurities aside. “I know. You don’t have to explain. I know seeing her is going to be hard on you.” I paused for a beat, taking in his pained expression. “I just … I want you to know that I’m here for you. No matter what.”
Jensen pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. “Thank you.”
With the air in the room suddenly bogged down with sadness and doubt that suffocated me, I decided to lighten the mood with a little humor. So, after wrapping my arms around his waist, I spoke. “And if she messes with you, I’ll probably kick her ass.”
I felt some of the weight in the room lift as Jensen genuinely chuckled, releasing me and holding my face in his hands delicately. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
“I do,” I quipped. He laughed again, his eyes sparkling more than I’d seen all week. “There you are. Welcome back.”
Taking my hand in his, he led me to my bed and pulled me down onto his lap as he sat. “I’m sorry if I’ve been a total ass all week. Even just the thought of seeing her again gets under my skin.” Dropping his eyes to our entwined hands, he brought them up and pressed his lips to the tips of my fingers. “Whatever it is about seeing her again that’s got me feeling all sorts of fucked up … just know that it’s not because I want her back.”
“You need closure,” I whispered softly, moving my right hand and running it through his hair. “Seeing her and confronting her will bring you that after how the two of you ended things. Everything’s going to be okay.”
Jensen cupped my jaw, his fingers moving back until they twisted into my hair. Slowly, he pulled my face to his and kissed me. This kiss was different compared to the past few days; it was more reminiscent of the ones from before his anxiety started to kick in. Simultaneously, our mouths opened in a mutual effort to deepen the kiss, and my body twisted toward his as I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. Desire washed over me, starting in my midsection and quickly blossoming, spreading outward until it completely engulfed me.
“Condoms,” Jensen managed to say between frenzied kisses.
Keeping my left arm around his neck and resting my forehead against his, I moved my right hand to tuck the hair that had curtained our faces behind my ear and nodded. “Yeah,” I whispered, my heart fluttering as I came to the conclusion that we were finally going to make love. Shifting slightly, I made a move for my night stand where I had put the condoms I bought earlier in the week—just in case—but Jensen stopped me, causing my drumming heart to slow and plummet.
Sensing my distress, his eyes found mine again as he kissed me softly. “Pack them.” Relief swept over me as I realized he wasn’t saying “no,” just “not right now.” I nodded slowly as my hope returned.
“I just don’t want our first time to be rushed, and we have to leave soon if we’re going to make it to the rehearsal dinner on time.” Jensen seemed happy when I understood and smiled brightly before turning toward my clock. When he saw the time, he frowned. “We should get loaded up so we can hit the road.”
Within fifteen minutes, we met in the hall where he took my bag to put it in my dad’s truck while I grabbed my dress and followed him out. I locked up and turned to the truck to see Dad standing next to it.
“Hey, Dad,” I said as I went to the passenger side. Jensen closed the back before rushing over to me and taking my dress from me, laying it flat on the backseat so it wouldn’t get rumpled.
“You kids got everything?” Dad inquired.
Jensen nodded. “Sure do. You sure you don’t mind us using your truck?”
“Absolutely. I won’t need it, and it’s definitely more reliable that that rust-bucket Madi refuses to part with.”
I pouted. “It was Grandpa’s truck. I love that thing.”
Jensen laughed. “No you don’t.”
“Sure I do,” I argued before releasing an exasperated breath. “We should be back Sunday night sometime. We’ll both have our phones in case you need to get a hold of us.”
“Nonsense.” Dad shook his head and laughed. “You two have fun and don’t even worry about things here. We can handle everything.”
After hugging my dad, I got into the car while he and Jensen talked for a minute. They said their goodbyes and I waved at Dad before he started back for the barn.
“Ready?” Jensen asked, closing his door and fastening his seatbelt.
“Yeah,” I said. “You?”
Smiling wide, Jensen took my hand in his and kissed the back of it. “I have been looking forward to getting away with you all damn week. I am more than ready to let the weekend begin.”
Chapter 2. Fun & Games
Jensen let me pick the music, and we fell into a comfortable silence for the first part of our drive. About twenty minutes after hitting the highway, I glanced to my left to see Jensen’s brow was furrowed in concentration. It would seem the closer we got to the city, the more stressed out he was becoming.
“Hey,” I whispered, laying my head back on the seat and reaching over to place my hand over his on the gearshift. “Penny for your thoughts?”
Jensen smiled, but it wasn’t his usual smile that made my knees weak. There was an edge of nervousness surrounding it. “I’m, uh, just thinking about tomorrow.”
“Kaylie?” I inquired carefully
.
Sucking in a deep breath, he shrugged. “Among other things.”
“Will she be there tonight?” I had to admit, I was curious to see the woman who had betrayed Jensen in his hour of need. A part of me wanted to rub it in her face that her loss could be my incredible gain, but an even larger part of me wished that Jensen would be able to let her know that he was happier without her and was capable of moving on. Then maybe he could get the closure he needed.
“Um, I actually don’t know. Lilah said she’d be flying out sometime this afternoon, so it might not be until later. I would be more than okay without having to see her tonight.” He turned to me, his eyebrows knit together. “Would you mind if we changed the subject? I just … I don’t want to spend the entire drive talking about her?”
Squeezing his hand, I offered him a warm smile. “Definitely. What do you want to talk about?”
Jensen chuckled, his smile appearing a little more genuine and the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly. “You decide.”
Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth, I tried to think of something to talk about. “Oh! I know!” I exclaimed, slipping my Chucks off and bringing my legs up onto the seat and crossing them. “How about a road trip game?”
I giggled when Jensen grew skeptical, cocking an eyebrow as he glanced briefly at me. “What kind of road trip game?”
“Ummm, truth or dare?” I suggested.
His laughter was infectious as it filled the car. “That’s not exactly a car game,” he pointed out. “Plus, how would we do the dares?”
I shrugged. “I guess it would depend on the dare.”
As he stared at the road ahead of him, he contemplated my game choice. “You’re sure you wouldn’t rather play the license plate game or twenty questions? Hell, I’d even go for some eye-spy.”