Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
“Give him here.” Cowboy took hold of Pepper, checked his saddle and attached the bronc rein to the halter.
“Give him about three and a half fingers,” I said, referring to how much rein Pepper worked best with.
Cowboy smiled. “Was going to anyway, cher. Told you, I’m fucking good at this.”
I turned my head to the other side of the ring and saw Hush had pulled up on my poppa’s bike. He was leaning over the handlebars, watching his best friend like a hawk. I lost my breath when he met my eyes for a second. It was only for a second, and then he quickly focused on Cowboy again.
Clara and I led Pepper inside the chute, and Cowboy slid onto the horse. Clara ran to the chute gate and waited for my command. Pepper’s nostrils flared, his hooves padding in excitement on the dirt. Cowboy tightened his one-handed grip on the rein and positioned his feet.
“You sure you’re up for this?” I sought reassurance, having a momentary doubt. I knew Aubin Breaux could ride. Hell, he was the best around as a teen, but I wasn’t sure if “Cowboy” from the Hangmen still had what it took to stay on this stallion. And Pepper was a champion horse in the making.
“Open the damn gate, cher,” Cowboy shouted, as he threw me a typical laid-back wink and grin.
I looked at Clara. “You heard the man.”
Clara threw the gate open, and Pepper launched into action. The bronc kicked like a motherfucker, and my heart seemed to stop in my chest. I’d fucked up. I straddled the fence, ready to run for Pepper if he threw Cowboy. But my eyes widened and a smile spread on my lips as Cowboy threw a hand in the air and rode the stallion like he’d never stopped competing.
Clara nudged me, and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “He’s damn good, girl!”
After staying on far longer than the eight seconds that was needed, Cowboy kicked his leg off the saddle and jumped to the ground, running clear of the stallion. Pepper took off, circling the ring, eventually calming down and coming to a stop. Clara crossed the ring to get him.
I jumped from the fence and ran at Cowboy, who was strutting back, arms wide and a cocky smirk on his beautiful face. I didn’t even think through my next action. One minute I was running across the dirt, adrenaline from Cowboy’s ride surging through my veins. The next I was launching into his arms. “That was amazing!” I felt Cowboy’s arms wrap around my waist . . . and I quickly became hyper-aware of the fact that he was holding me.
He must have felt me tense; he slowly lowered me to the ground. I dropped my arms, but he refused to let go.
“Fuck, cher,” he said, voice husky as he spoke directly into my ear. “If I’d known this was how to get you in my fucking arms, I’d have ridden for you the minute I arrived.”
Laughing nervously, shocked at the lack of unease I felt in his embrace, I tilted my head back to find his blue eyes locked on me. “That was pretty fucking incredible, Cowboy,” I said and ran my hands down to his wide chest. I watched as my palms flattened on his hard pecs. I couldn’t take my eyes off my hands. I was touching him . . . I was touching him. It had been so damn long. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to touch another man like this after Juan, after what I found out . . . after what he did . . .
Cowboy growled low, causing me to look up, pulling me from my spiraling dark thoughts. “You feel fucking good wrapped around me, cher,” he whispered. I immediately dropped my hands.
“Can you go again?” I tried to calm the hell down. Confused didn’t even cover it right now. I hadn’t thought about men in a romantic way for years. The quickening of my pulse and the racing of my heart told me that had all changed.
It was Cowboy. His smiles. His kind heart.
And it was Hush. The mysterious closed-off man that I yearned to unlock.
“Always,” he said, and I stepped back from him. Cowboy let me go. Just as I was about to turn toward the chute, I glanced over my shoulder and found a set of ice-blue eyes staring back at me. I held Hush’s gaze, trying to decipher what the hell that fierce look meant. But a hand slipped into mine, causing me to break away.
“Let’s go,” Cowboy said, following the path of my attention. Hush looked at Cowboy, some unspoken conversation happening between them before my very eyes. Cowboy broke the connection first and led me back to the chute. “I wanna go again.” When I glanced back, I expected Hush to be gone. But he remained, watching.