From RODEO HEAT
Grace took off her cowboy hat, ran her fingers through her hair to fluff it out and placed the hat back on her head for the fourth time, then looked at her watch again. Nine thirty-one. Thirty seconds later than the last time she’d sneaked a peek. The wide roadway between the back of the arena and the barns was filled with the ebb and flow of the crowd and the chaos of shouting voices. She felt like a fish out of water, flopping around seeking a familiar environment.
She’d just about decided to see if someone at the main gate could call a cab for her when the door opened and Ben strode out. He was still dressed in the brown twill pants and embroidered Western shirt he’d worn for his events and the aroma of animal and dust still clung to him but to Grace it was a heady perfume.
“Sorry.” He closed his fingers over her elbow and started leading her toward a parking lot at the end of the roadway. “Sometimes it’s hard to break away. Everyone wants to talk.”
“I can understand why.” She settled the strap of her purse more securely on her shoulder. “You won both of your events. Everyone wants to congratulate a winner.”
“So what did you think of my ride?”
She gave him a small grin. “Not bad. Not bad at all.”
She had, in fact, loved it. The air was charged with excitement as the bull riders came out of the chute, each massive animal doing his best to dislodge his rider. Adrenaline surged through her as if she herself was mounted on the furious animal and her heart pounded in cadence with the screams of the crowd. Leather, animal and sweat tickled her nose like a potent aphrodisiac and impossibly, she found her crotch soaked even more as her feminine juices released in response to the stimulation. Who knew that blistering hot cowboys and the ambience of the rodeo would elicit a greater sexual response from her than the few men she’d spent time with in recent years?
“So which event was your favorite?” he asked.
“I liked the calf roping but I thought my heart would stop when I saw you on that bull. God, Ben. It was like being on there with you.”
His chuckle held little amusement. “I think my heart was beating right along there with yours. Might be time for me to find a less dangerous line of work.” He steered her to a black dual cab pickup, dug his keys out of his pocket and pressed the remote to open the door. “Here we are. Watch your step. It’s a long way up.”
When his hand rested on her hip to guide her into the cab, Grace thought the heat would burn the imprint of it into her skin.
Does he feel this as intensely as I do?
Don’t go there, Grace. At the very most you’re just a good time for one night to him. And that’s about all you can handle. Have dinner, some drinks. Maybe let him coax you into bed. And don’t make a fool of yourself.
She buckled her seat belt and leaned back in the embrace of the leather seat. The truck was a reflection of him—big, dark, weathered, with the same intensity that beckoned to hidden desires. The leather was butter-soft wherever she touched it and the engine purred like a well-fed cat.
“I’m guessing Melanie had some snappy little comments to make when you told her not to wait for you,” he commented, as he headed the big truck toward the exit gate.
“Actually, I think she was just as happy to get rid of me. I don’t doubt that she and Ross have their own plans.” She pinched the top of her purse with her fingers and a self-conscious laugh whooshed up from her throat. “Anyway, she thinks I need to loosen up a little.”
“I’m sure she does. No offense, Grace and nothing about you.”
Grace slid a glance at him. “You don’t like her, do you.” A statement, not a question.
“Let’s just say I think Melanie’s a little too old to be acting like she’s twenty and playing musical beds.”
“Oh.” So what does that say about me?
Ben reached a hand over and squeezed her thigh. “That has absolutely nothing to do with you, darlin’. I just don’t like Melanie’s style and let’s leave it at that.”
Grace chose her words carefully. “I suppose you get a lot of older women throwing themselves at you. Rodeo hounds, you know.”
Ben’s hand on her thigh tightened reflexively. “Actually, they’re called buckle bunnies and if you think I’m lumping you in with everyone else you can forget that right now.” They were stopped at a traffic light and he turned his head to look at her. “The thing is, Grace, what attracted me to you is the fact you’re so different from the usual women I…run into.”
“I guess that’s a good thing?” The butterflies she’d been fighting since the afternoon had decided to take full flight in her stomach. Why couldn’t she get a grip on her nerves?
“You bet it is, sugar. “You just bet it is.”
But it at Ellora's Cave www.jasminejade.com
Visit me at www.desireeholt.com
Grace took off her cowboy hat, ran her fingers through her hair to fluff it out and placed the hat back on her head for the fourth time, then looked at her watch again. Nine thirty-one. Thirty seconds later than the last time she’d sneaked a peek. The wide roadway between the back of the arena and the barns was filled with the ebb and flow of the crowd and the chaos of shouting voices. She felt like a fish out of water, flopping around seeking a familiar environment.
She’d just about decided to see if someone at the main gate could call a cab for her when the door opened and Ben strode out. He was still dressed in the brown twill pants and embroidered Western shirt he’d worn for his events and the aroma of animal and dust still clung to him but to Grace it was a heady perfume.
“Sorry.” He closed his fingers over her elbow and started leading her toward a parking lot at the end of the roadway. “Sometimes it’s hard to break away. Everyone wants to talk.”
“I can understand why.” She settled the strap of her purse more securely on her shoulder. “You won both of your events. Everyone wants to congratulate a winner.”
“So what did you think of my ride?”
She gave him a small grin. “Not bad. Not bad at all.”
She had, in fact, loved it. The air was charged with excitement as the bull riders came out of the chute, each massive animal doing his best to dislodge his rider. Adrenaline surged through her as if she herself was mounted on the furious animal and her heart pounded in cadence with the screams of the crowd. Leather, animal and sweat tickled her nose like a potent aphrodisiac and impossibly, she found her crotch soaked even more as her feminine juices released in response to the stimulation. Who knew that blistering hot cowboys and the ambience of the rodeo would elicit a greater sexual response from her than the few men she’d spent time with in recent years?
“So which event was your favorite?” he asked.
“I liked the calf roping but I thought my heart would stop when I saw you on that bull. God, Ben. It was like being on there with you.”
His chuckle held little amusement. “I think my heart was beating right along there with yours. Might be time for me to find a less dangerous line of work.” He steered her to a black dual cab pickup, dug his keys out of his pocket and pressed the remote to open the door. “Here we are. Watch your step. It’s a long way up.”
When his hand rested on her hip to guide her into the cab, Grace thought the heat would burn the imprint of it into her skin.
Does he feel this as intensely as I do?
Don’t go there, Grace. At the very most you’re just a good time for one night to him. And that’s about all you can handle. Have dinner, some drinks. Maybe let him coax you into bed. And don’t make a fool of yourself.
She buckled her seat belt and leaned back in the embrace of the leather seat. The truck was a reflection of him—big, dark, weathered, with the same intensity that beckoned to hidden desires. The leather was butter-soft wherever she touched it and the engine purred like a well-fed cat.
“I’m guessing Melanie had some snappy little comments to make when you told her not to wait for you,” he commented, as he headed the big truck toward the exit gate.
“Actually, I think she was just as happy to get rid of me. I don’t doubt that she and Ross have their own plans.” She pinched the top of her purse with her fingers and a self-conscious laugh whooshed up from her throat. “Anyway, she thinks I need to loosen up a little.”
“I’m sure she does. No offense, Grace and nothing about you.”
Grace slid a glance at him. “You don’t like her, do you.” A statement, not a question.
“Let’s just say I think Melanie’s a little too old to be acting like she’s twenty and playing musical beds.”
“Oh.” So what does that say about me?
Ben reached a hand over and squeezed her thigh. “That has absolutely nothing to do with you, darlin’. I just don’t like Melanie’s style and let’s leave it at that.”
Grace chose her words carefully. “I suppose you get a lot of older women throwing themselves at you. Rodeo hounds, you know.”
Ben’s hand on her thigh tightened reflexively. “Actually, they’re called buckle bunnies and if you think I’m lumping you in with everyone else you can forget that right now.” They were stopped at a traffic light and he turned his head to look at her. “The thing is, Grace, what attracted me to you is the fact you’re so different from the usual women I…run into.”
“I guess that’s a good thing?” The butterflies she’d been fighting since the afternoon had decided to take full flight in her stomach. Why couldn’t she get a grip on her nerves?
“You bet it is, sugar. “You just bet it is.”
But it at Ellora's Cave www.jasminejade.com
Visit me at www.desireeholt.com
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