Getting Ahead (7 page)

“I work hard to make sure I’m respected by all the staff here. I put in lots of hard hours, and I stick to any rule I create for them. It’s the only fair thing. If they caught me in here, with you, doing that, well, it wouldn’t look very good. It may seem stupid, but I have a reputation to maintain.”

That was something she understood. Her whole life was about ensuring her public image stayed untarnished. Often, it meant suppressing her emotions or restraining her impulses. It sucked, but it was better than being the center of a rumor. “I guess I understand.”

“It still doesn’t excuse the way I reacted. I should’ve trusted you and told you the problem right away instead of acting weird about it.” He moved closer toward her. “I’m hoping you’ll give me a chance to redeem myself.”

She looked up at him, studying his face. “I might be willing to do that.”

“What can I do to turn your maybe into a yes?”

She ran her toe through the dirt. “Help me make a run.”

“You actually want me to assist with your training? I thought I wasn’t worthy.”

“You may not know a damn thing about barrel racing, but you do seem to know a thing or two about riding. I’m hoping to use that to my advantage.” She needed a kick in the ass to get her going again, and he’d already proven he was capable of just that.

“Okay, but you have to do everything I say. No arguing.”

The thought of surrendering to his every command made her body ache. If he were half as commanding in the bedroom as he was out here, she wouldn’t be able to control herself. “Deal.”

He stepped aside and motioned for her to lead the way. Black Lightning was still standing by the fence, obviously bored by the whole situation. She climbed into the saddle and steered him back around to the starting point.

“You need to close your eyes and go for it.”

Amber’s heart pounded. It sounded so easy when he said it.

“Imagine the best ride you ever had and try to repeat it.”

She knew exactly what to focus on. Last year, the first event of the season, and she’d come out on top. Every step and every turn was perfect. There was a rhythm that they’d found that she wasn’t sure they’d ever have again.

“Your horse knows what to do.”

She leaned in, rubbing his neck for a minute. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself and took off.

The whole time, she braced for the fall. With each turn, her chest and throat tightened, expecting to be flying through the air. The whole thing took less than thirty seconds, but it seemed to last forever. When they finally made it to the end of the straightaway and Black Lightning slowed, she finally allowed her body to relax. Every muscle hurt from being clenched so long, but she didn’t care. The whole run reminded her how much she enjoyed the thrill. It was nowhere near her fastest time. Her pockets, the space between the horse and the barrel, were far larger than they should have been. It might not have been good enough to put her in the top of an amateur event, but it was enough to remind her of the ecstasy she felt when she competed.

***

They barely made it inside the door. The instant the door closed, he pressed his body against hers, covering her mouth with his. At first, his kiss was forceful, his tongue commanding her lips to allow it entrance. As she gave way, his touch became lighter, more sensuous. His hands gripped her hips, steering her across the room to the couch. The minute she’d gotten off Black Lightning, they’d made a mad dash for his quarters. Between the built-up sexual tension and the thrill of actually riding again, her body was ready for anything.

Grasping at his buttons, she pulled apart the shirt, revealing his chest. She ran the tips of her fingers over his skin and hair, breathing in deeply and trying to control herself. Already, her body ached to have his cock inside her. She could feel it pressing into her thigh, and all she could think of was getting his pants off and being able to explore his body more thoroughly.

He didn’t let her, though. Instead, he kept his hips just out of her reach, forcing her to focus her attention on his upper body. Rubbing her hands over his muscular chest, she could feel his heart beating nearly as fast as her own. Panting, she tried to keep her mind clear, but it clouded with thoughts of his body, emerging from the water, dripping and completely naked. Her knees felt weak and flimsy as she leaned against the edge of the couch. No longer able to handle her own weight, she placed a hand on the arm and fell back onto the cushions, pulling him down on top of her.

For a brief moment, he seemed shocked, his eyes big and mouth wide open, but he recovered quickly, pressing his hands against her cheeks and capturing her mouth with his. Once again, she reached for his belt, and he allowed her to remove the buckle and access the button and zipper. As she did, he started fumbling with the buttons on her shirt. Lacking the dexterity to deal with all the little clasps, he yanked the two sides apart, sending buttons clattering to the floor.

“I’ll get you a new one later.” His low voice hummed against her ear. Reaching his hand down, he clasped one of her breasts in his hand, then fondled it. She thanked God she’d worn one of her nicer bras today. As he released his grip, his fingers traced along the edge of the cup, brushing the lace. A shiver went through her body as his thumb slid beneath the fabric and rubbed against her hard nipple.

Sitting up a little, she pushed him back enough she could shrug off her shirt. He watched, mouth slightly open as she unfastened and removed her bra, baring the chest she’d tried so hard to hide before.

Placing his hand behind her head, he led her back down to the couch. He brushed his hand over her breast. Every hair on her body stood on end, excited by the promise of more. He bent down and flicked his tongue against one of her nipples. As she gasped, he took it into his mouth until it was harder than she’d thought possible.

Spurred on by his actions, she reached down, stuck her hand between his jeans and boxers, and wrapped her fingers around his cock. For a moment, she stayed still, taking in the whole moment. As he moved to her other nipple and repeated the action, she frantically worked to gain better access to his erection.

Mumbling something she couldn’t understand, he pulled away and tugged at his pants and underwear until they were out of the way. As he moved back into position, his dick fell against her stomach, some of his pre-cum spilling onto her skin. She reached down and wrapped her fingers tightly around his girth and began rubbing along his length.

He grabbed at her belt, his fingers working until her pants were completely undone and he could slide them over her hips. She waited, hoping he’d take off her underwear too so he could touch her clit and slip his fingers inside her. He didn’t. Instead, his hands slowly made their way up her inner thigh. As he neared the top, she held her breath expectantly. He smiled, then ran his fingers up her other thigh. Tilting her head back, she moaned. “Please.” Using her feet, she managed to maneuver her jeans until they slid off entirely.

“Not yet,” he whispered, his warm breath flowing across her folds. Colt got up and reached into the drawer of his nightstand and rifled around until he found a condom. He turned away, and she heard the rip of the wrapper. Her pulse racing, she waited impatiently for him to return.

The minute he got back on top of her, her hands began to wander, cupping his balls, rolling them gently across her fingers. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so wet or her body had ached so much to be touched. Finally, as she thought she couldn’t wait any longer, he pushed her panties aside and slid one of his fingers inside her. He met her loud moan with his mouth, his tongue sliding between her teeth.

Lost in the moment, she continued to run her hands along his body, exploring every inch of him. If possible, his cock felt harder than before. A second finger entered her, joining his first as he thrust them in and out. Her whole body warmed to his touch. Sensations she’d never felt before swept over her body. He pulled his fingers away, yanked her underwear off, and lay on top of her, the tip of his cock pressing against her pussy. From above her, he grinned, gently dotting kisses along her neck. She raised her hips to him, begging to be taken. He reacted quickly, retracting his hips.

“Colt, you are infuriating.” The words were breathy, and she barely managed to spit them out before laughing.

“Trust me, it’ll be worth it.”

She shook her head at him but instinctively knew he was right. Again, she raised her hips to him, but he denied her. On her third attempt, he finally gave in, pushing himself between her folds. She hadn’t expected him, and her whole body responded to the sudden fullness that she experienced. Burying her face, she muffled her moans by kissing his shoulders.

Amber’s legs started to shake as he drove her closer to orgasm. Digging her nails into his ass, she tried to keep herself grounded longer, but his deep thrusts made her efforts futile. She tilted her hips closer to him, and when he thrust into her again, she came. Muscles clenching tight around him, she kept a firm grip on his body as she rode the waves of ecstasy pulsing through her body.

Beneath her, Colt made a few more short thrusts before his muscles tensed and he came inside her. After a minute, he rolled off her, leaving one hand resting across her stomach. For a few moments, neither of them spoke. As their breathing returned to normal, he got off the bed.

“Be right back.” His feet padded against the floor as he hurried out of the room.

It’d been a while since she’d had sex, but it certainly had never been that good before. Though all her partners were random one-night stands she met while on the circuit. Most of the time, there was a lot of alcohol and very little foreplay. For the first time, she’d actually been relaxed enough to enjoy herself. The only thing she regretted was that she hadn’t gotten the chance to more thoroughly enjoy his body. In her hurried state, she’d never really taken her time and enjoyed all the intricacies of the male body. Of course, with the men she usually attracted, she didn’t want to.

He reentered the room and climbed back into bed, tucking an arm beneath her. She moved in close and rested her head against his chest. She could hear his heart beating. Sighing, she wrapped her legs around his body, afraid he might leave her there alone.

“I saw your fall. It was pretty brutal.” His voice was soft and comforting, but the words made her mouth go dry.

She closed her eyes tightly. The way he’d acted before, she’d thought maybe he was the one person in the world who didn’t already know about that. “I guess.” With everyone else, she always figured they were imagining her fall in their head or judging her, wondering if she could really come back from such a painful blow. With him, she could be at least pretend to be the old Amber. Or she could before now.

“You guess?” He lifted his head off the pillow and put a hand on her shoulder. “I grew up going to rodeos and living on ranches with some of the toughest men alive. I’ve seen some nasty falls over the years and some burly men reduced to tears. That was one of the worst ones I’ve ever witnessed.”

She’d never actually been able to watch the tape. Living through it once was enough. Any time she closed her eyes, she could watch the whole event unfold in her head over and over again until it made her sick. One of the therapists her family forced her to see thought it would be a good idea for her to watch since her imagination might distort the true events. In her opinion, the sooner she could put the whole thing out of her mind, the better. “It hurt. A lot.”

He pulled her close to him and ran his fingers through her hair. “I’m not just talking about the physical injuries. It does something to a person, having to lie there in the dirt, waiting for help to arrive, being carried out of the arena on a stretcher. Guys tell me the scariest part is the sound the crowd makes when it happens. The combined shock of hundreds, even thousands of people, as they all watch you hit the ground. I don’t think that is the worst part, though.”

She turned her head and raised her eyebrow at him. What did this cowboy think he knew about falling at competition?

“To me, the worst part would be having to watch it again and again on TV and on the Internet. Seeing it replayed, sometimes in slow motion, and every time knowing exactly how it is going to end, but hoping that maybe, just maybe, this time things will be different.”

She swallowed hard. Even though she had never watched it on TV, she got a front-row seat every night while sleeping. Everything she’d been feeling, all the emotions she hadn’t been able to put into words, somehow he’d managed to tie them all up into a nice package. One that she actually felt comfortable accepting.

“You aren’t afraid of falling again. You’re afraid of being embarrassed, of going through the news interviews and months of rehab. There is a choice for you to make. You can’t be a professional barrel racer if you are afraid to get out there and do the best you can. There is every chance in the world that you’ll get out there and end up flat on your back, but there is also every chance that you’ll wind up winning.”