Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
“It’s hot.”
“I’ll tell you what’s hot, the one with the shaved head and full lips.” She bit her tongue. “Have you ever seen eyes that blue before? I swear, I walked past him yesterday, met his eyes, and nearly melted on the spot. If you don’t like him—”
“Leave off Hush, Clara,” I warned, the words leaving my mouth before I’d even had a chance to realize I’d uttered them.
Clara began to smile. She shrugged. “Then I’m good with the blond. I love a Stetson on a guy.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Clara, you’re gonna stay away from both of them, right? Neither is up for grabs.”
Clara’s mouth froze open, and then she covered it with a hand. “Oh shit, Sia. You’re in deep shit. You like both of them.”
“No . . .It’s not . . .” I lamely tried to argue.
“You do!” she exclaimed, her voice much louder than before. “Hell, girlfriend, I see why you do, but liking them will just make things beyond complicated—”
“Liking who?”
My head snapped around to the entrance of the barn. Cowboy stood against the door, arms folded and eyes bright. Clara looked at me, then back at him, eyes comically wide. I swallowed. “Just some guy I met at a bar a while ago.”
Cowboy’s eyebrows pulled down. Then he strode toward me, slow, measured, and seemingly completely pissed.
“I gotta go,” I heard Clara say from behind me. I didn’t once look away from Cowboy. Didn’t even move as he opened the stall door and came inside, stopping mere inches from me.
“You got a man, cher? You wanting some douchebag from a bar?” he said, and I saw something I had never seen in his gaze before—jealousy . . . and a hint of anger. Those feelings looked strange on Cowboy. He was the epitome of the laid-back southern man.
“No,” I whispered. Cowboy lifted his hand and ran it gently down my arm. My skin bumped in its wake.
“Then who were you talking about, darlin’?” My eyes closed and I sucked in a breath. “Cher?”
His hand ran up and down, up and down, until I couldn’t take it anymore and I blurted, “You.” My eyes flew open.
A slow, satisfied grin pulled on his mouth. He stepped closer. So close that my breasts scraped the hard planes of his chest. I tipped my head back to look up at him. He brushed a strand of hair off my face. “Just me?” he whispered, his deep timbre traveling through my body faster than lightning.
“No,” I relented and watched his smile widen. I knew I was losing my mind. What woman lusted after two men? Then again, what two men sought out women together? The same woman, no jealousy or competition?
None of this was fucking sane . . . yet I couldn’t seem to help myself.
Or bring myself to care.
Cowboy leaned down and brushed a kiss across my cheek. “That’s real good,” he drawled then backed away, leaving me breathless, a walking bag of Jell-O. “I’ve come to watch you train.” He bit his lip exaggeratedly and moaned. “Can’t get enough of seeing you fly around those barrels, cher. Fuck, I think it’s become one of my favorite sights in life.”
Forcing myself to keep my shit together, I took hold of Sandy’s reins and led her from the stall. As we passed the new stallion I was gonna train to be an up-and-coming bronc competitor, I said, “Pepper here needs training today. He’s a bronc. You up for the challenge?” Cowboy had yet to show me his talents, but as soon as Clara picked Pepper up yesterday, I knew I’d soon get my chance to see him in action.
Cowboy’s face lit up. “You wanna see me ride?” I nodded. “Then count me the fuck in.” He stretched his arms and cricked his head. “It’ll be good to get a hard workout.”
Cowboy sat on the fence of the training ring while I practiced hurtling around the barrels. The sun burned hot on my neck as the hours passed, as I pushed Sandy, cutting in and out of the barrels, galloping to the finish line. “Seventeen seconds,” Cowboy shouted as we crossed the line for the hundredth time. I pulled Sandy to a halt. Not the best times I’d ever had, but it was enough for today.
I walked Sandy past Cowboy. His arms were bare, his thin plaid shirt torn off at the sleeves. “Ready to sweat?”
Cowboy lifted his Stetson, combed through his hair with his fingers, and asked, “Are we talking about saddle-broncing Pepper here? Because I really fucking hope we’re talking about something different.”
I rolled my eyes. “Do you ever think of anything else?”
“Around you?” He smiled. A real fucking wide smile. “Not a damn chance.”
“I’ll meet you at the chute.” I handed Sandy to Clara, who gave me a knowing wink. Shaking my head, I led Pepper out of the stall. Cowboy was waiting for me. I brought Pepper to a halt and nodded to the shed. “Chaps and bronc reins in there.” Cowboy went inside. When he came back out, he was wearing the black leather chaps and a denim shirt that covered his arms and chest, and he held the bronc rein in his hands.