One Night With a Cowboy (7 page)

“Oh, my God. Emma, this is really dangerous.” She couldn’t take her eyes off the action.

“I know. What did you think it would be like?”

“I don’t know.” She didn’t have the mental capacity to defend herself to Emma.

All she could think about was that Tucker was going to be the one inside what amounted
to a metal prison with a deadly bull any minute. Meanwhile, Jace’s bull’s front legs
were still hooked over the top rail. The animal was going to get hurt. Jace could
possibly get crushed. And this was a sport?

The bull finally dropped all four feet back onto the ground again. Another cowboy
tied a string above its head to keep it from trying to jump its way out of the chute
again. But the single length of thin rope tied between the two top railings of the
chute didn’t look nearly strong enough to keep down a crazed beast. They couldn’t
expect Jace to ride this bull now. They should get him a different one. A better trained
one.

“Why aren’t they pulling Jace out of there?” she asked Emma, not that her sister would
know the answer.

“When they act up in the chute like that, it’s best to just nod and go. The less time
they spend in there, the better for both of them.” A woman stepped up next to Becca,
leaning her baby’s feet on the railing both she and Emma were pressed against in an
attempt to see better.

Becca turned to the stranger. “But can’t he request a different bull?”

“Doubtful. They have a few extra on site for re-rides, but an animal has to really
act up pretty badly in the chute for the stock manager to replace him. Jace will be
fine. I’ve seen him weather worse.”

At that, Becca’s brows rose with interest. “You know these guys?”

“Oh, sure. I’m married to one of them.”

Married.
That announcement had her throat closing to the choking point. Surely neither Jace
nor Tucker would spend the night flirting with them if they were married. And with
a new baby, too. But she hadn’t noticed this woman here before. Maybe they hadn’t
expected her to come.

She glanced at Emma to find her sister looking as shocked as she did. Becca forced
herself to be calm as she asked, “Which one is your husband?”

“Dillon McMann. He’s the one in the pink shirt.”

“Oh. Mmm, hmm. I can see him. Nice shirt.” Becca finally let herself breathe.

“I’m Cassie, by the way, and this is our daughter Cheyenne.” The girl, who looked
young enough to still be in college, if not high school, just like the rest of the
females back behind the chutes, jostled the baby. “Can you see Daddy? He’s going to
be up soon, baby girl.”

After shooting Emma a glance filled with relief, Becca drew in a long breath and tried
to slow her speeding heart, which only kicked up again as the clash of metal hitting
metal made her jump. Then Jace and the bull were out from behind the confines of the
chute and spinning into the middle of the dirt-covered arena.

The ride went so fast, Becca felt as if she’d blinked and missed it. One minute Jace
was being flung around like a ragdoll, and the next he was on the ground and running
for the fence with a bull hot on his heels.

“Way to go, Jace!” Next to her, Cassie yelled above the cheers of the crowd. It seemed
no one but Becca was disturbed that Jace was clinging to a railing six feet high while
a horned bull circled the ground below him, as if waiting for him to get down so he
could charge.

“What just happened with Jace?” Becca asked, not sure if it was a good ride or a bad
ride. “I’m Becca, by the way.”

“He covered his ride.” Cassie frowned. “You’re here with Jace tonight?”

What to say to that?

“Um, no. Well not really.” She glanced at Emma for help.

“Jace and Tucker saw how bad our seats were, so they invited us down here to watch
with them. I’m Emma, Becca’s sister.”

“Hi, there.” Cassie nodded. “So, you’re out-of-towners and first time at a rodeo?”

“Yes.” Apparently that was obvious to everyone. If she did get this job, she was probably
going to have to work to look more like she fit in.

“Good score for Jace. Eighty-six.” Cassie got a faraway look in her eyes as she listened
to the announcer’s babble, most of which went right over Becca’s head.

“Oh, that’s good.” Not that Becca would know a good score from a bad one. “So, uh,
Tucker should be up soon.”

Another gate clanged open and she jumped once again at the sound. As one more cowboy
and bull charged out of the chute and into the arena, her gaze swept the group of
men. She was looking for one in particular and was having trouble finding him.

“Yeah, he’s climbing into the chute now.”

She had been so busy worrying and talking, she’d missed that. The cowboys were once
again all clustered around one chute, and it was impossible to make out what was happening
inside it. “This is nerve-racking. I don’t know how you can be married to one of them
and watch him do this.”

Cassie laughed. “You get used to it. It’s in their blood. Most of these guys would
rather go without food than not ride. And believe me, during the lean years when he
was hurt a lot or having a bad streak, it’s actually been a choice between paying
an entrance fee or eating that night.”

“Wow.” Becca had had no idea. And here she’d been letting them buy her and Emma drinks
and food all night. Not that she was much better off financially since her unfortunate
termination, but still. She leaned toward Emma. “We’re paying for drinks at the bar
later.”

Emma nodded. “Definitely.” She must have been listening to the conversation, too.

Sexy but poor. Becca knew that no man—not cowboys in general, or Tucker in particular—could
be totally perfect. There had to be something wrong and now she knew what. Cowboys,
and most likely Tucker as well, had no money . . . but at least he wasn’t married
to Cassie. So that was good.

Her gaze stayed on the chute where all the action was taking place. She didn’t realize
she’d clamped on to the rail until Cassie’s hand patted hers. She glanced down and
saw her own white knuckles wrapped in a death grip around the metal.

“Don’t worry. Tuck’s a veteran rider. One of the best, and this bull is nothing compared
to the one he drew last night.” For a young girl, Cassie had a very wise look in her
eyes. Or maybe it just seemed that way because Becca really wanted her to be right.

Becca nodded, trying not to overanalyze why she was so concerned over the well-being
of a man she’d only met a few hours ago. The truth was, she could barely breathe as
she watched and waited for this ride to be over.

She was about to thank Cassie and ask her more about the bull when the sound of the
gate crashing open had her attention snapping back to the chute, just as Tucker’s
bull charged into the arena.

“Go, go, go! That’s it, Tuck!” Cassie cheered the man on the bull while Becca watched
silently and wide-eyed.

Unlike Jace’s ride, which was over in the blink of an eye, this one seemed to go on
forever. Like it was happening in slow motion. The bull spun and bucked. Tucker, with
one arm held high in the air, absorbed the shock of every one of the bull’s moves
with a counteraction of his own.

The sound of a buzzer had her jumping, startled by the loud noise that broke through
her attention when she’d been solely focused on Tucker. Then she breathed a sigh of
relief. She knew enough about the sport after her tutorial to know the ride was over.

Yet Tucker was still on the bull’s back. He held on for what seemed like forever,
though it was probably only a few more seconds before he reached down and yanked the
end of the rope tied around his gloved hand. He leaped off even as the bull continued
to spin and buck away from him.

The other men in the arena scrambled. It took a while to get the bull out the gate,
but Tucker was off and out of danger. That was all Becca could focus on. She let out
a shaky breath.

The announcer’s voice reverberated through the air, and Becca looked to Cassie for
interpretation. “What did he say?”

“Eighty-seven-point-five. Decent score. It probably should have been higher, but his
bull wasn’t a great bucker. The bull score was probably low, and Tuck is such a good
rider technically, sometimes he makes it seem too easy so the judges don’t score him
as high as they should.”

“I’ll never learn all this.” Bull scores? Judges? She shook her head and sighed.

This sport was far more complicated than she’d assumed. She’d thought the rider just
got on and tried not to fall off before the buzzer. Apparently there was more to it
than that. Just like how there was much more to cowboys—and Tuck—than she’d ever imagined.

“That’s a funny thing to say.” Emma shot Becca a sideways glance. “Especially for
a person who didn’t want to come in the first place.”

Becca scanned the cowboys again and found Tucker. He’d just bent to retrieve his bull
rope from where it had fallen to the ground. After receiving a slap on the back from
one of the bullfighters, he turned. She saw his gaze sweep the area. When it hit on
her, he grinned and began striding directly toward where she stood. With a wide smile,
she waited for him to arrive.

“Emma, save your I-told-you-so for later, please. I have a bull rider to congratulate.”

When he reached them, he initially focused on Becca, but then turned the brilliance
of his smile toward Cassie and Cheyenne. She missed the attention immediately. It
was as if someone had turned off the sun. She watched as he leaned low and gave the
baby a kiss on her blond curls.

“Look at you, getting so big. And how is Mamma doing?” He straightened up and gave
Cassie a kiss on the cheek, and Becca found herself inexplicably jealous of the attention
he was lavishing on both mother and child.

“We’re doing good, Tuck. Great ride. Perfect, as usual.” Cassie beamed up at Tucker,
and Becca’s frown got a bit deeper.

He laughed. “Not exactly, but thanks.”

“The judges were blind. You should have scored higher.”

“Nah, I could feel his spin was kind of flat and even. I dressed it up the best I
could, but I knew it wasn’t going to be a winning score on that bull. He wasn’t getting
any height in the rear with his bucks.” Even though Tucker was still mostly talking
to Cassie, he reached out and ran his hand up and down Becca’s arm before turning
his attention back to her.

They stood so close, she could absorb all the changes in him since the ride. There
was a bright, almost manic look to his eyes and a tension that radiated from every
muscle in his body. His hand trembled just a bit as he’d reached out to touch her.
If she’d seen these symptoms in a student, she would have assumed it was from drugs.
Seeing them in Tucker, she knew—he was on an adrenaline high. Suddenly she understood
the appeal of this crazy sport. Why the riders got so addicted to it. Why a young
guy like Dillon would risk life and limb and use the money he needed for food just
to ride.

“Cassie, did you meet Becca and her sister Emma? They’re from New York.” Tucker smiled
at Becca.

“I sure did.” Cassie produced a knowing smile, and Becca couldn’t help wondering how
many of Tucker’s women Cassie had stood next to during these kinds of events.

She tried to push that thought aside and be cordial. “Cassie was kind enough to explain
things to me.”

“Good. I’m glad. Sorry I couldn’t be here—” His steel blue gaze was focused on her,
chasing away any suspicions or doubts.

“Don’t be silly. You had to ride. We were fine here.”

“Good.” Tucker glanced over his shoulder to where Jace perched on the railing next
to where Dillon straddled the top of the chute, about to climb in. “I should go help.”

“Of course. Go.”

With a parting smile, Tucker ruffled Cheyenne’s hair and spun away. Becca watched
him go and then realized Cassie was watching her watch Tucker. She couldn’t help herself,
she had to know. Becca glanced at Cassie. “So, uh, Tucker. He’s uh . . .” Once she’d
started, she didn’t quite know how to finish.

“Yeah?” Cassie kept her eyes on her husband, all while jiggling the baby in her arms.

“He seems nice.” Jeez. No one would ever know Becca had a doctorate in English the
way this conversation was going.

“He is.” Cassie turned to her and smiled. “A girl could do way worse than Tucker Jenkins.”

Next to her, Emma cleared her throat. The sound had a distinct I-told-you-so tone
to it. She didn’t need her sister telling her what she already knew. If she was going
to have a fling—one night with a cowboy—she doubted she could do better than Tucker.

All that adrenaline running through him with no outlet—God, what would sex be like
with a man who literally vibrated with energy the way he was now?

Explosive. Unforgettable. The exact opposite of how sex with Jerry had been.

Becca realized that, against all common sense, she was dying to find out.

“C
an you see the end of the line yet?” Angling his head so the rodeo fan in front of
him wouldn’t hear, Tuck whispered the question to Jace.

“Anxious to get out of here, are ya?” Jace grinned.

“What do you think?” He turned away from Jace to smile at the young boy and scribble
some semblance of his signature on the program the kid had thrust toward him.

It was nearly killing Tuck, having to stay the extra time after the competition ended
to sign autographs for the fans with the rest of the guys. He glanced up from the
next random item he’d been signing and found Becca watching him. It ramped up his
need to be alone with her another notch. Now, he felt as if he were running at full
throttle.

“I think this might be the last few,” Jace mumbled low.

There was no use pretending Jace wasn’t just as anxious to get done with this little
duty as Tuck was. Not that they didn’t love the fans, but there were two blondes waiting
to be shown a good time, and Tuck, for one, sure as hell didn’t intend on letting
them down.

He forced his attention back to the last two fans in line, signing a T-shirt and another
program before he stood and blew out a burst of air. “That’s it. We’re done.”

“Yes, we are.” Jace capped his marker and stood, too. They both made their way from
behind the table in the fan zone and over to the women who’d patiently waited for
them for nearly an hour. “So what would you girls like to do? There’s that joint down
the road, unless you have another idea.”

Jace asked the question of the girls, but Tuck knew his own answer regarding what
he wanted to do, and it didn’t involve a bar or alcohol.

“Hmm. I’m wondering if the place nearby will be really crowded because everyone who
was here tonight will go there.” Emma pursed her lips. “I have an idea. Our hotel
is only about ten minutes away and it has a really nice bar. Do you want to go there?”

Emma’s suggestion of the hotel bar, so close to all those rooms with beds in them,
was incredibly enticing. Tucker’s attention remained on Becca as he waited for her
reaction to the idea. She swallowed before saying to her sister, “I think that’s a
good idea.”

It was all Tuck could do to stop from whooping with joy at her answer.

“Right? I thought so, too.” Emma nodded. “That way if one of us wants to leave early—you
know, because they’re tired or whatever—they can since our room is right upstairs.”

“Mmm, hmm. That’s right.” Becca wore an expression that seemed almost a mix of determination
and anxiety.

The body language she broadcasted was so loud it seemed blaring. As if she battled
within herself, and for once raw need had won out over logic. He would bet tonight’s
pay that didn’t happen often to her. That was fine with Tuck. He’d waylay any of her
leftover doubts the minute he got her alone. Which brought Tuck’s immediate thoughts
to exactly how fast could they get to the hotel and how best to get her alone once
they were there?

“I think that’s a very good idea. Jace? You in?” Tuck glanced at Jace and noticed
his brows rise.

“Sure. Sounds good to me.”

Tuck didn’t care what Emma’s motivations were for suggesting the hotel bar. It didn’t
matter whether she wanted the freedom to leave so she could be alone with Jace, or
if she was playing matchmaker for Becca and himself. As long as the results were he
and Becca, alone and sweaty, it was all good.

He turned to the girls. “How are we going to do this as far as vehicles? I’ve got
my truck here and so does Jace.”

Emma pulled a set of keys out of her purse. “How about I lead the way in our rental
car. Then Jace can follow behind me in his truck and Becca can ride with you in your
truck and bring up the rear. That way in case we get separated, she can give you directions
to the hotel.”

“Good idea.” Tuck wasn’t about to tell them he had GPS in his truck and could program
in the address of the hotel to find it. Or that he lived in this area and probably
knew every back road and business establishment there was, including whatever hotel
they’d gotten a room in.

Nope. He kept his mouth shut, sparing barely a moment of sympathy for Jace, who’d
be driving alone. Poor Jace wouldn’t get the pleasure of Emma riding in his passenger
seat, but Tuck would sure enjoy having Becca in his. Having her in his lap would be
better, but getting her in his truck was a damn good start.

“Ready to go?” He turned his attention to Becca.

After a glance at Emma, Becca nodded. “Okay.”

Tuck’s gaze dropped to her mouth as she answered. Soon, he hoped, he’d have the pleasure
of experiencing those tempting lips. He shifted the weight of his gear bag from one
hand to the other, very aware of the strip of condoms Jace had so generously stashed
in it for him.

Okay, so maybe Tuck wanted to do much more than just kiss Becca. At least he would
be prepared. Fine motto—be prepared. It could make for a very good night.

He took Becca’s hand in his, loving how she looked surprised once again at the action,
but didn’t pull away.

“Let’s go.” With a smile and her hand captive in his, he led the way toward the parking
lot. Tucker pushed through the door and held it wide for Becca next to him. “So, was
your first rodeo what you thought it would be like?”

“Actually, it was much more than I expected.” The tone of her voice and the heat in
her gaze as she looked at him had Tuck warming to the core.

“I’m glad.” He blew out a slow breath to steady himself.

How far away was that damn truck of his? He was having trouble remembering where he’d
parked. It seemed like a lifetime ago he’d pulled into the parking lot thinking tonight
would be like any other event. That he’d hopefully win some cash and not end up on
the wrong end of the bull. He certainly hadn’t expected this.

Spotting the truck finally, Tucker squeezed Becca’s hand tighter. He steered them
in the right direction. Though any place they ended up together would be just fine
with him, he knew her sister and his friend would be waiting at the exit of the parking
lot for them. As tempting as making a break for it to be alone with her was, it wouldn’t
likely happen for a little bit yet.

Meanwhile, she was being awfully quiet again. He glanced at her as they reached the
passenger side of his truck. One push of a button on his key fob, and the door locks
released with a click. He opened the door for her. “This is it.”

She glanced at the truck and then back at him. “It’s big.”

“The bigger the better, I always say.” He grinned wide.

“Oh, really.” Her brows rose, and he didn’t miss the smile that tugged at the corners
of her mouth.

Admittedly the truck was high, but he was never opposed to helping a lady up with
a boost. Especially a lady he couldn’t wait to get his hands on.

Damn. How long before they could be alone?

“Up you go.” He stepped forward and wrapped his fingers around her waist and lifted.

She let out an adorable little squeak that had his heart, and parts lower, clenching,
before she grabbed the handle inside and pulled herself into the seat. She looked
good up there. He could get used to having a cute little thing like her in his big
good ol’ boy truck. Lucky for him she was flying away tomorrow, so he and his scarred
heart wouldn’t be tempted to keep her around and risk further damage.

After making sure she was tucked safely inside, Tuck slammed her door and strode around
the truck to the driver’s side. He dumped his gear bag behind his seat and was once
again reminded of what it contained. He’d obviously been without a woman for too long;
the condoms he’d gotten from Jace, and the possibility of being alone with Becca to
use them, were all he could think about.

Jace had been right about Tuck’s total lack of female companionship lately. Tuck was
paying for that drought now. Just being close to this pretty blonde was making him
feel like a high school kid hoping to get lucky after the prom.

Whatever. Too late to do anything about it now. He’d just have to try to enjoy the
anticipation. But whatever was making his hands shake as he shoved the key into the
ignition did not make him like his sudden bout of schoolboy nerves one bit. He glanced
at Becca, hoping she hadn’t noticed.

He backed the truck out of the space and maneuvered his way down the row and toward
the exit. Tucker spotted Jace’s truck waiting and pulled behind him. He flashed his
lights to let his friend know he was there and then glanced at Becca. “So, what did
you think of the bull riding?”

“I think it’s dangerous and you, and all the other guys, are possibly a little bit
crazy.” She laughed.

“All right.” He laughed, too, but didn’t deny it. She could very well be right. “Did
you like any of it?”

“Yes, when I wasn’t worried to death for you.”

“Aw. That’s kinda nice to hear.” He glanced at her before he had to drag his attention
away and concentrate on pulling out into the road behind Jace. “It’s been a while
since I’ve had anyone to worry about me.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“Well, Jace cares. Maybe. But I’ve found he’s more likely to smack me in my cracked
ribs than show me any sympathy for getting stomped on. No one else though.”

“I’m sure there are plenty of females who come watch you ride and worry about you.”
There was a definite edge to her tone that hadn’t been there before.

Hmm, was this her way of fishing for information about his dating life? He didn’t
mind her little expedition one bit. It could only mean she was interested herself.
But she needn’t have bothered since he had no social life lately. “There hasn’t been
a woman to worry about me for a long time. Not since I split with my ex. She hated
my riding. So, of course, I used to ride every chance I got to prove a point. Still
do now that she’s gone. Pretty immature, huh?”

Tuck didn’t know what made him tell her all that. He never talked about his ex-wife
to other women. Hell, he didn’t even like speaking of her to his best friends. But
somehow he’d felt compelled to tell Becca. Thankfully, Jace put on his blinker to
make a turn and Tucker had to keep his attention on following him and Emma instead
of obsessing over his out-of-character confession.

“No. I don’t think so. I’ve got one of those, too—an ex who didn’t like half the things
I did. But I didn’t spend my time riding bulls to prove a point. I mostly sit on my
sofa with a pint of ice cream since we broke up. That’s going to have to stop, though.
I’m afraid I’m starting to get fat.”

Tucker risked taking his eyes off the road to glance at Becca. The I’m getting fat
statement to get a compliment out of a man was a typical female ploy, but it made
him happy she liked him enough to want compliments from him. He’d gladly give her
assurance she was perfect just the way she was. “You’re not fat.”

She screwed up her lips into a pretty pout. “My jeans are getting tight.”

“Women should have curves.” And Tuck couldn’t think of a better way to show those
curves off than in tight jeans with a nice heeled cowboy boot that raised her ass
up just a bit, like Becca’s was tonight.

“I guess the curve theory goes along with your bigger is always better theory.” She
raised one brow and glanced at him.

“Sometimes. It’s all about proportions, you see.” He grinned. “But all kidding aside,
you look good to me.”

“Thank you.” It was dark out, but in the dim light of the truck he was sure he saw
her blush. God, he loved that about her.

“You’re very welcome.” As Tuck focused back on the road ahead, Jace cleared a traffic
light on yellow. It turned red in front of them. He slowed and then brought the truck
to a stop. He glanced at Becca. “It’s okay if we lose them. I think I know how to
get there.”

“It’s right up here anyway.” She shot him a sideways look. “So you know how you said
you haven’t had a woman worry about you in a long time?”

“Yeah.” Where was this going? Tuck was more than interested to find out.

“Well, I, uh, wanted you to know I haven’t been out on a date in literally years—not
that this is a date or anything.” She scrambled to add the last part so fast, Tuck
had to hide his smile. “I haven’t been out or alone with any man except for Jerry,
my dickhead ex—in a long while. Which is probably why I’m so bad at it. Being alone
with a man, I mean.” She sighed, frustration radiating off her.

“Becca, you’re not bad at it. Trust me.” He smiled.

She got flustered so easily. As uncharacteristic as it was for him, Tuck happened
to find that an unbelievably charming trait in her. It was damn nice compared to the
women he was used to being around.

He accelerated as the light turned green and considered what Becca had told him. If
they were keeping track of official dates, he hadn’t been on one for years, either.
Not since when he was dating Brenda before they were married. Since the divorce .
. . Well, he couldn’t call what he’d done to get back on his feet
dating
by any stretch of the imagination. All out angry, rebound, revenge fucking, yes,
but definitely not dating.

He was contemplating whether he needed to respond further to her dating confession
when she said, “It’s right up here.”

Seeing the glowing neon sign of the hotel, Tuck steered into the parking lot and parked
in a spot in the far corner. He wasn’t keen on putting his fairly new truck in danger
of getting dinged by squeezing into a spot too near the entrance. He didn’t need someone
in an SUV full of kids and suitcases opening their doors and crashing into his paint
job. But more important, he wanted a minute alone to say something to Becca and he
didn’t want to risk Emma or Jace walking over, knocking on the window, and interrupting
them. Hopefully the other couple would go on in and get a table in the bar and give
him and Becca some privacy.