Page 50 of Austin
Chapter Ten
Austin kept aloose hold of Kristen’s fingers when he finally led her out of the hotel suite where the American Extreme Bull Riders meet and greet was still in full swing. They’d done the social thing—met sponsors and deep-pocketed fans. Answered questions, drank good liquor. And for the entire hour and a half that they were there, all Austin could think about was getting Kristen back to the hotel room.
He would let her lead this relationship, because she had the most at stake. If they got back to the room and she decided that another sexually charged romp was not what she was looking for, he could deal. But on the other hand, if she wanted a lot of good sex with a guy she could trust, he was her man.
From the way she wrapped herself around him as soon as the hotel room door closed behind them, he deduced that she hadn’t changed her mind.
And he was damned glad of it.
This time when they made love, it was hard and fast. A sprint to the finish, ending in a satisfying tie.
He waited until they caught their breath before asking, “What are your plans for the future?” He brushed a lazy finger down the side of her face. “Because I know you have a plan.”
She sighed and stared up at the ceiling. “My plan is to make a plan.”
“So nothing definite.”
“Which isn’t easy for me.” She rolled onto her side. “I’ve always had a direction, an immediate goal, a long-term goal. They built one on top of the other and it was all so damned smooth.”
“You’d never considered the possibility of being laid off?”
“Call me naïve, but no. I’d worked hard and expected to be rewarded. And then I wasn’t, so now I have to figure out how to get back on track.”
“Do you want to get back onto the same track?” he asked slowly.
“What do you mean?”
He dropped an arm over her, pulling her closer. “I mean that the plan you made for your life when you were sixteen, or eighteen, or twenty might not be right for you now. Sometimes you have to change.”
She angled her head so she could see him better. “I could say the same thing to you.”
She had a point. He’d been following the same vision since high school. “My plan is still working.”
“But for how long?”
“Until I stop winning enough money to stay on the tour…or until I incur a debilitating injury.”
Her muscles tightened beneath his palm. “That’s crazy.”
“That’s bull riding.”
“You have no intention of quitting while you’re ahead?”
“What’s the point of being ahead, if you’re going to quit?”
“Having the use of all your many body parts?”
“I can’t quit, Kristen.”
She rolled onto her side, cupping her palm against his cheek. “Why?”
“Hard to explain.”
“Try?”
“Bull riding is…” How could he articulate the deep need to do the impossible? To challenge and be challenged? He let out a breath. “Give me a little time on this.”
“If you come up with an answer, let me know. Because I’m beyond curious.” She stroked her hand along his side, down to the hollow of his hip, where it came to rest.
