Page 78 of Hung Up
“You just couldn’t stay away, could you?”
“From you?” I grin. “Never.”
She hums, tilting her head to the side. “What part of this is keeping us a secret?”
“It’s just a dance, Sweetheart. Don’t read too much into it.”
“Just a dance, huh?” Faith bites her lip, moving her head closer to mine so our noses are almost touching. “If you say so, Pretty Boy.” She glances around before giving me a dubious expression. “I thought you cowboys were good dancers. We’re not even moving.”
I take a step back, walking her through a small box step that everyone else is doing. She catches on easily, not even having to look at her feet, and I get a sneaky suspicion that she might’ve been practicing. And if that’s true? Lord help me. I’ll really, really be in trouble.
Twirling her in a circle, she stumbles back into me with a laugh, one hand resting on my chest as she shakes her head before reconnecting our gazes. Her expression falls, her eyes flicking to my lips before she looks up. It takes everything withinme not to say fuck it and kiss her in front of all these people with the heated, hungry look she’s suddenly giving me.
Before either of us can do something we might regret, the crowd in the back starts cheering again, drawing our attention. When I focus back on Faith, she’s practically giddy. Grabbing my hand, she drags me behind her and leads me through the crowd, clearly knowing something I don’t. Once we break through and she yanks me forward, I finally understand why.
This bar has a mechanical bull.
“Okay, Pretty Boy. Show me how it’s done.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “I’m fairly certain there’s some law against actual bull riders riding mechanical bulls.”
“Or you’re just afraid that it’s going to be harder than those bulls you ride for a living.” I give her an incredulous look, which makes her shoulders fall slightly. “You’re no fun.”
“I’m plenty fun, Sweetheart.” I bend down, my lips ghosting over her ear. “Or do I need to remind you?”
I can see the blush on her cheek and the flush on her neck, goosebumps prickling over her skin as she shivers slightly. Turning her head toward mine, our noses brush against one another before she pulls back a fraction to look me in the eye. “And how would you do that, exactly?”
A large smile grows on my face, and her eyes flash in anticipation. But instead of going into very graphic detail about all the things I would do to her—like I know she wants me to—I tell her, “Ride the bull if you want to find out.”
29FAITH
BILLINGS
riding the bull and the cowboy
If there’sone thing he should know about me by now, it’s that I never back down from a challenge—especially one that promises a very, very satisfying reward.
“Promise?” My voice is sultry, a heated, desperate edge to it I’m unable to hide.
I see him visibly swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing with the movement, a raging wildfire in his gaze. “I promise.”
Sashaying away, I walk along the circle formed around the bull and make my way up to the guy standing at the controls. I give him a nod, which he returns, holding out a hand to help me climb over the inflatable edge. Everyone starts cheering as I clumsily make my way to the bull, trying my best to look at least a little bit competent as I grab the pummel and push myself up with the balls of my feet to climb on.
Once I’m seated comfortably, I look over at the guy and give him a nod before finding Jesse in the crowd. He’s got his phone out, presumably recording me, and gives me a thumbs up just as the bull starts to move. It starts slow, tilting forward andspinning in a half circle, rocking back and forth before spinning again. I recall everything I’ve seen the guys do during their rides—clench my thighs, keep one hand tightly on the pummel, one arm up in the air to help my balance. Lean the opposite way that the bull is to stay on longer, but lean into the turn so you don’t go flying off.
And everything I’ve learned pays off because even as it picks up pace, twisting faster and bucking harder, I stay on in what feels almost effortless. On the next spin, I risk a glance up, and my focus immediately falls on Jesse. His phone is now angled downwards, his attention fixed on me with his jaw open slightly, and the sight only gives me more confidence.
I’m not sure how long I stay on before it whips in a full circle and sends me tumbling off, but the crowd erupts as I hit the inflatable, bouncing slightly with laughter falling off my lips. The guy controlling the bull leans over and holds out a hand, helping me to my feet and back out of the makeshift ring. Jesse is there waiting for me, a heated look in his gaze as he grabs my hand and pulls me through the throng of people, finding a more quiet and secluded corner.
He turns us and pushes me so my back is against the wall, one hand pressed against the wall next to my head, the other on my hip, toying with the belt loop of my jeans. “You looked so goddamn sexy on that bull, baby.”
“I learned from the best.” Jesse groans, dropping his forehead to my shoulder and pressing a kiss to the side of my neck. I bite my lip, trying to keep the humor out of my voice as I say, “Kai really is a great example.”
“You’re not allowed to say another man’s name when you’ve got me feeling like this,” he breathes, a tightness in his voice as he grabs my hand and presses it against the front of his jeans. My breath stutters as I find him fully hard. “This is what you doto me, Faith. You turn me on with the simplest of fucking tasks and it’s starting to become a problem.”
The feeling is mutual. If he’s not turning me on, he’s making me swoon, and it’s becoming an issue. The range of emotions that this man makes me feel should be studied by professionals because I certainly can’t understand them. How one person can make another feel everything is beyond me.
I pull my hand away and reach for the one that’s back on my hip, slipping under his other arm to drag him down the hallway toward the back exit that I’m sure the bartenders take to get to their vehicles. We emerge into a dark alleyway that’s illuminated with only one purplish light above the door. The second the door closes behind us, I’m pushing Jesse against the wall, my hands bracing his shoulders as I crash my lips to his.
