Page 40 of A Lot Like Love
Ryder started slicing into his steak and she watched him a while before answering. She knew she had double standards, that she couldn’t judge him for doing something that she’d so blatantly enjoyed watching the other day, but she wanted to be honest.
“I always hated the idea of rodeos, but being there on Friday…” She didn’t know what to say.
“It was a thrill. That’s what you want to say, isn’t it?”
Chloe popped another fry in her mouth. “Yeah. It was exciting and loud and fun.” She paused. “I loved it, but I hate the thought of those animals being used for our pleasure and forced to buck their hearts out for entertainment.”
“I get it, I do,” he said. “I’ve grown up on a ranch and I respect animals, but seriously? The Pro Bull Riders organization has more rules for bull welfare than they do for the riders. There’s less than a one percent chance of the bulls being badly injured at any event, they’re fed like royalty, and they’re worth a small fortune, each and every one of them. I don’t know about other countries, but we look after them on home soil, I can tell you that.”
“Really?” She didn’t doubt him, but she just hadn’t realized that they’d actually be that well looked after. “That’s not just a sales pitch?”
“Really,” Ryder said, setting down his fork and reaching for his champagne. “They’re never ridden more than once a day, and they’re rested on local ranches in between rodeos. Then, when they retire they’re put to stud, so they don’t have it half-bad if you ask me.” He held up his fork. “Better then being fattened for meat I reckon.”
“Is that the life you imagine for yourself when you retire? Put out to stud?”
His laugh was wicked. “That’s exactly the life I can imagine.”
“No playing dad to a brood of kids on the ranch? Pretty little wife walking barefoot alongside you?” She might not peg him for a settling-down type right now, but she bet he wasn’t going to be a player all his life. There was a sensitive side to him that she’d glimpsed earlier, something that told her he wasn’t going to roam forever.
“One minute you don’t want to get serious, the next we’re talking about how many kids you want to have with me?”
She scowled at his joke, knowing he was just trying to avoid answering her.
“So what’s our plan tomorrow then?” Chloe asked, slowly sipping her champagne, the bubbles tickling over her tongue before she swallowed. “Are you going to join me gambling all day?”
“Do I have a choice?”
She considered him, watching him eat. “No, actually. You can play with me a bit, then just be my eyes and ears. I’ve got more chance of running into someone I know at the smaller places than the big casinos, so I might need you as back up. And I want you to start watching for me, see if I miss any obvious tells.”
“Are you worried about running into friends or enemies?” he asked.
Chloe grimaced. “Acquaintances. Ones that my father pissed off big-time on his last few trips through town.”
“Does he owe them anything?”
“Who knows?” She set down her knife and fork, no longer so hungry as a chill ran the length of her spine. “I can’t believe I never even thought about running into him. I doubt he’d be back here, but maybe he’s back on his feet again. I don’t know and I don’t want to know.”
“Your dad?” Ryder asked.
“Yeah. If I see him, well, let’s just say things could get heated.”
“How about we cross that bridge if we get to it,” Ryder said, taking both their plates and putting them out of the way on the floor. “I have plenty of ideas about what we can do to fill in time before then.”
“Oh yeah?” Chloe giggled as he pinned down her arms, grabbing hold of the sheet between his teeth and pulling it down to reveal even more of her naked body.
“Yeah,” he growled. “Let’s deal with reality tomorrow.”
She could live with that. Ryder’s mouth fell over hers, caressed her lips, then moved down her neck, his warm mouth making her moan trailing across her skin.
“Mmmm,” she murmured as his kissed moved lower. “Don’t stop.”
“Not until you beg me to,” Ryder murmured, making his way down her body. “I could keep doing thisallnight.”
And she could take it all night. Chloe gasped as he let go of her hands and ran his fingers down her thighs, his mouth in hot pursuit. There wasn’t a bone in her body that wanted him to stop, not one.
* * *
Ryder flicked through the paper, not really reading it. The words were a blur, because all he could think about was why he was here. Chloe was a great distraction, but the reality of the stakes he was playing for now?Damn.Every time the phone rang he expected it to be Nate ready to hunt him down and kill him, and he deserved it.
