said.
The Calhouns were going wild. One of the little girls nearly escaped her father’s grip and toppled headfirst into the arena, but he hauled her back up by the waist of her pants.
Joy glanced up to see Ryder coming right for her. Her heart skidded out of control. What was he going to do? She wanted to back away but the seat hit the backs of her knees and there was no place to run, hemmed in by her father’s big body and another on her right.
Ryder’s gaze struck her and seemed to peel the clothes right off her body. If they were alone, it would have. She’d be standing here naked as a jaybird and burning for him.
She swallowed a huge lump in her throat as he veered to the side and high-fived each of his family members and the posse that was part of the Calhoun crew. Cameras got in his face but he grinned and let them record the moment.
The whole crowd seemed to fall silent, waiting for the score.
Joy didn’t know where to look—at Ryder’s handsome face or the digital numbers. She swung her gaze away from the board to see Ryder wasn’t even looking at his score. He was looking at her.
Her heart gave a violent somersault as the crowd erupted.
They tore their gazes from each other to look up at the two little numbers that would easily keep Ryder Calhoun in the top runnings of the PBR—ninety-two point five.
“Boy’s just earned himself a damn good paycheck.” Her father applauded for Ryder as if Cody and Tucker didn’t matter at all. But he excused himself to move past Joy and head down to the chutes because Cody was riding sixth.
As soon as her father’s black hat had disappeared, Ryder gave her a look. A long, smoldering demand for her attention that she couldn’t deny.
She hurried from the stands and made her way down. The minute she spotted Ryder, she was also in his arms. He yanked her flush against him, gazed into her eyes and kissed her.
Every ounce of resistance she might have still possessed faded like shadows did at dawn. And she put her arms around him and kissed him back with all the fervor in the world.
He worked his warm hand up under her hair to cradle her skull, making her feel delicate and precious and loved.
Loved? No. Lust for sure.
She pulled free and they stared at each other, chests rising and falling as if they’d sprinted a mile in the time it had taken to kiss.
“Good ride, cowboy.”
Amusement tipped the corner of his lips but he narrowed his snapping eyes. “Just good?”
“Yeah, because I’ve seen what else you can do.”
His grin widened as he hovered over her, his lips a scant inch from hers. “And what kind of score do I get for that performance?”
“I’ll need another round out of you before I can decide, but I’ll give you twenty points just for those fine chaps,” she teased, running a forefinger over his shirt buttons all the way to his waistband. The belt holding up his signature chaps emphasized his state of need.
His abs flexed under her touch and he released a throaty noise that puckered her nipples harder than ever. “You’ll get it, Princess.”
Reality jolted her. “Cody’s up soon. I can’t miss it.”
“Gonzales?” He straightened away from her.
“Yes, if I miss it, my father will know I’ve been…distracted.”
Ryder made another noise that sounded like a grunt. She clasped the sides of his leather vest and yanked him against her at the same moment she went on tiptoe. Brushing her lips over his wasn’t enough—not by a longshot.
She left him standing there and hurried to watch Cody’s ride. Her father’s shoulders were tense. “What are you doing down here?” he asked her without glancing away from his rider in the chute.
“Cheering.”
“You’ve never come down here before.” His accusatory tone reminded her of every time he’d ever told her to stay away from rodeo men. She shot a glance at Cody. Did he think she had a thing for the bull rider? Daddy was shooting for a target, all right, but his aim was
The Calhouns were going wild. One of the little girls nearly escaped her father’s grip and toppled headfirst into the arena, but he hauled her back up by the waist of her pants.
Joy glanced up to see Ryder coming right for her. Her heart skidded out of control. What was he going to do? She wanted to back away but the seat hit the backs of her knees and there was no place to run, hemmed in by her father’s big body and another on her right.
Ryder’s gaze struck her and seemed to peel the clothes right off her body. If they were alone, it would have. She’d be standing here naked as a jaybird and burning for him.
She swallowed a huge lump in her throat as he veered to the side and high-fived each of his family members and the posse that was part of the Calhoun crew. Cameras got in his face but he grinned and let them record the moment.
The whole crowd seemed to fall silent, waiting for the score.
Joy didn’t know where to look—at Ryder’s handsome face or the digital numbers. She swung her gaze away from the board to see Ryder wasn’t even looking at his score. He was looking at her.
Her heart gave a violent somersault as the crowd erupted.
They tore their gazes from each other to look up at the two little numbers that would easily keep Ryder Calhoun in the top runnings of the PBR—ninety-two point five.
“Boy’s just earned himself a damn good paycheck.” Her father applauded for Ryder as if Cody and Tucker didn’t matter at all. But he excused himself to move past Joy and head down to the chutes because Cody was riding sixth.
As soon as her father’s black hat had disappeared, Ryder gave her a look. A long, smoldering demand for her attention that she couldn’t deny.
She hurried from the stands and made her way down. The minute she spotted Ryder, she was also in his arms. He yanked her flush against him, gazed into her eyes and kissed her.
Every ounce of resistance she might have still possessed faded like shadows did at dawn. And she put her arms around him and kissed him back with all the fervor in the world.
He worked his warm hand up under her hair to cradle her skull, making her feel delicate and precious and loved.
Loved? No. Lust for sure.
She pulled free and they stared at each other, chests rising and falling as if they’d sprinted a mile in the time it had taken to kiss.
“Good ride, cowboy.”
Amusement tipped the corner of his lips but he narrowed his snapping eyes. “Just good?”
“Yeah, because I’ve seen what else you can do.”
His grin widened as he hovered over her, his lips a scant inch from hers. “And what kind of score do I get for that performance?”
“I’ll need another round out of you before I can decide, but I’ll give you twenty points just for those fine chaps,” she teased, running a forefinger over his shirt buttons all the way to his waistband. The belt holding up his signature chaps emphasized his state of need.
His abs flexed under her touch and he released a throaty noise that puckered her nipples harder than ever. “You’ll get it, Princess.”
Reality jolted her. “Cody’s up soon. I can’t miss it.”
“Gonzales?” He straightened away from her.
“Yes, if I miss it, my father will know I’ve been…distracted.”
Ryder made another noise that sounded like a grunt. She clasped the sides of his leather vest and yanked him against her at the same moment she went on tiptoe. Brushing her lips over his wasn’t enough—not by a longshot.
She left him standing there and hurried to watch Cody’s ride. Her father’s shoulders were tense. “What are you doing down here?” he asked her without glancing away from his rider in the chute.
“Cheering.”
“You’ve never come down here before.” His accusatory tone reminded her of every time he’d ever told her to stay away from rodeo men. She shot a glance at Cody. Did he think she had a thing for the bull rider? Daddy was shooting for a target, all right, but his aim was
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