Page 45 of Tangled Up With You

And I couldn’t help but wonder if Connor had been keeping a secret that could potentially get him seriously hurt... or worse.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Connor

Adrenaline was still pumping through my entire body after that ride, and all I could think about was getting to Ivy. I hadn’t felt this good after a ride, this exhilarated, in years. It almost felt like it used to when I was younger. When I still loved rodeoing more than anything. When I’d had an incredible ride and the high stuck around for hours afterward.

Back then, the rodeo grounds were the only place I could imagine being, basking in the accolades of the people who’d come to watch me. I thrived on the back slaps and congratulations. On the buckles and the purse, knowing I’d taken home more money in those eight seconds than some people did at their jobs for months. Back then the sponsors used to chase after me, kissing my ass for a chance to work with me. It was good to be Connor Bennett, the best bull rider on the circuit.

This was the closest I’d come to feeling the high of the old days, and she was the only reason. I knew she’d been in the stands watching me, and the need to impress her had beenthe driving force that had been missing for longer than I could remember.

I sat up on that fence earlier and scanned the crowd until I spotted her beautiful face. I memorized where she sat with our friends so I could find her again after the buzzer sounded, and when I spotted her on her feet yelling and whistling for me, my dick stood at attention, beating against my fly in time with my heartbeat as if to saymine, mine, mine. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had someone in the stands shouting for me, cheering me on the way she had. My parents tried to come to any rodeo I was at in Texas if it was close enough to Cloverleaf, but that was different. Not even Amber cheered for me with as much enthusiasm as my wild butterfly.

Amber had been too busy acting like she was some kind of fucking celebrity, the queen of the circuit or some shit, using my name for clout. She had loved me when my reputation had gotten her what she wanted. Same with Dusty. As long as he could brag about his young protégé, I was his favorite person. A streak of bad luck years back had changed their tune fast.

After that, I’d learned to block out the noise. Even when I found my footing again, I dulled the crowd. I did what I came to do, and I left. Sure, I put on a show that nothing had changed, that I was still the same old fun-loving, good time guy, but it wasn’t the truth anymore. Hadn’t been for a long time.

“Great ride, man.”

“Hell of a good time watchin’ you up there.”

“You blew Grimes out of the water.”

I gave my thanks to the other bull riders who stuck around to congratulate me as I wound my way through the crowd with one destination in mind. I needed to get to her.

I cleared the hallway that led down to the locker rooms and stepped out into the sunshine. It took no time at all to the find that beautiful rose-gold hair and the smiling sapphire eyes thatwent with it. She stood off to the side, leaning against the fence with our friends. I wanted to run right for her, scoop her up, and plant my lips against hers. But I couldn’t do that. At least not yet. I was still playing her game. Pretending to be friends. Like I didn’t want more.

Like I didn’t want fuckingeverything.

“Hey,” I said as I got closer, calling my crew’s attention. Zach smiled, offering me a back-slapping hug. Raylan slapped my hand before yanking me in for a shoulder clap. Lennix and Rae hugged me in congratulations, all of them incredibly excited for me. It felt good to win this one with all of them here to see it, but I was most excited for Ivy’s reaction.

“That was incredible!” she squeaked, lifting on her tiptoes with her hands balled in front of her before she launched herself at me for a full-body hug. “Oh my God, that was so cool! Seeing you in person like that? You were amazing up there!” Her eyes glittered as she pulled back to look at me, and I made sure to keep my hands on her hips to keep her close for a few more seconds, not ready to let her go or break contact yet.

I smiled big, putting those dimples on display because I knew how much she liked them. I was fighting dirty, and I didn’t feel the slightest bit bad for it. I fully intended to use every tool and weapon in my arsenal to win her back. If the past few weeks had taught me anything, it was that Ivy was it for me. I was never meant to be with Amber, not for the long run, because this wild redhead was supposed to be my endgame. I realized it when I watched my friends together and discovered that I watched Ivy with the look on my face that Zach wore whenever he looked at Rae.

“Thanks, butterfly,” I said softly, the pads of my fingers pressing deeper into her hips.Christ, I wanted to kiss her.

She looked gorgeous today. Just like every day. She was dressed for a rodeo in bootcut jeans that hugged her ass toperfection, and a burnt orange tee with the image of a cowboy riding a horse with a lasso above his head printed on the front. She’d been complaining about her tits for weeks, bitching about how much bigger they were getting, and damn if they didn’t make my mouth water with the way they stretched out that shirt. Her boots were cute but functional, made for walking so her feet wouldn’t end up aching by the end of the night. She could have been wearing a burlap sack and she still would have been the most gorgeous woman here.

“You hungry, sweetheart? I thought I might take you around to some of my favorite booths.”

Her eyes rounded as she exclaimed, “Yes, I’mstarving.”

Lennix’s mouth dropped open. “How is that possible? You’ve had a funnel cake, a bag of popcorn, a liter soda, and three fried Oreos all since we got here. Not to mention the turkey leg you were gnawing on like a freaking cavewoman.”

I laughed as Ivy shot her friend a scowl. I’d noticed my woman’s appetite had really picked up the past couple weeks. She’d gone from barely being able to keep anything down to eating me under the table. And what the hell did it say about me that I found the idea of watching her eat a whole damn turkey leg sexy?

She’d put back on the weight she lost from all those weeks of being sick, but other than that—and her boobs, of course—her body still wasn’t showing any outward changes. I found myself excited for the day when she finally started to show so I could finally see signs of my baby that she was carrying. I wanted to watch her belly expand as my baby grew inside her. Christ, just thinking about seeing her like that made me hard. Who the hell would have guessed that I’d have a breeding kink?

I cast Zach a silent look, my shoulders sagging with relief when he read what I was trying to communicate.

“It’s getting late. I got a new gelding arriving at the ranch early tomorrow, so I think we’re gonna hit the road.”

I didn’t miss the way Ivy’s face fell, and it made me want to crow with victory. “Oh. Okay.”

“You can ride home with me if you want to stick around a little longer,” I told her. When I found out our crew was coming with her today to watch me ride, I’d ask Zach to make sure she didn’t drive herself. First, because I’d recently discovered Ivy was a terrible driver. And second, because it would give me an hour alone with her on the ride back to Hope Valley.

As quickly as her face had fallen, she perked right back up. “Yeah, okay. Let’s do it.”

---