Wild Ride: BBW Western Romance (Under Open Skies Saga Book 2) (4 page)

“
Put it on his tab,
I’
m here, meeting him
.”
She did
n’
t expect this to fly, but he just nodded and walked away, leaving her to her thoughts. She downed it and then made her way straight towards him, confidence flooding her for the first time.

It could
n’
t be the Crown, it had
n’
t gone into her system yet. This was all her. She was going to rope that bull in, she knew it. He was interested, he wanted to talk to her, and he was damn sure ready to sign.

Hank had said as much, and now she was going to do something right. Something good. For her fathe
r’
s company.

Her company.

“
What took you so long
?”
he asked, smirking.

“
Had work. You know, that thing I do
,”
she shot back, her tone just a bit unprofessional. He had a way of unnerving her, but not this time. Even if she had to get a little rude.

She had to let him know who was in charge.

“
Oh, I am sure you work, sitting there in your air conditioned office, your ass on a leather chair, not bothering to get covered in the dust you make your money on, Princess
.”
His deep, gravelly, voice drove her crazy, he had a way of flirting with her. Even when he was insulting her. It was enough to make her want to scream at him and pull him in for a kiss.

A kiss that should
n’
t happen. Could
n’
t happen.

He unbalanced her again, but that only made him smile, the quick smirk coming to his lips and then off again before she even had the chance to glare at him.

“
You know what real work is
?”
he asked, no sarcasm or snark in his tone.

“I’
ve been working my whole life. I did
n’
t get anything handed to me, Hunter. I think, if you knew my father, you would know that for certain
.
”

“
I
t’
s true, one of the things I most valued about him. He was a good man. And he ran a good company
.
”

“
Why did
n’
t you sign with him when he asked
?
”

“
Because I thought I could do better, myself. For a long time. I thought more offers, better offers, would come to me. And they did
n’
t, not at first. After a while, a few did, but their terms were
n’
t fair. Your da
d’
s was, but I still want to be my own person
.
”

“
And now
?
”

“I’
ll be honest, Ms. Brooks.
I’
m not sure how I feel about your operation
.”
Hunter pulled down the bill of his cap giving her a dark, challenging stare.  Any emotion was gone, she was
n’
t Kat anymore, she was Ms. Brooks.

But that was lost on her, what she heard was his insult, the one to her fathe
r’
s legacy.

He had no right.

“
This company is flawless! My fathe
r
…
”
The air left her lungs. This was not the beginning of the business relationship she had expected. Kat worked so hard to show that she was a business woman, she played the part just right, and he saw right through her.

He saw a scared little girl. She was sure of it.

“
Your father ran a great center. Men were lucky to have his coaching expertise, his support. Since you took over, folks are
n’
t sure what to make of your company. You are
n’
t decisive enough. You like to hand the reins over to Hank so that he can make the decisions for you. Let him choose your candidates. It lacks soul. Confidence
.”
A crooked smile appeared slowly as he stared at her.

She could feel her blood pumping, her shoulders shaking. Her nostrils flaring. She wanted to scream at him. How dare he question her fathe
r’
s company? Her intentions?

But he was right.

She stopped mid-argument and righted herself. She turned to leave but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

What the hell?
! She fought the urge to punch him in his self-righteous face.

“
If you, and I do mean
you
, decide to take a chance on me, I might just let you. But it ai
n’
t gonna be so easy. You need to become involved in the everyday operation
s‘
round here, Kat
.”
His eyes softened a little with his grip on her arm
.“
I know you wanna snag me. Your dad did too, but I did
n’
t make it easy on him, and I sure as hell ai
n’
t gonna make it easy on you
.
”

He used her first name and it caught her off guard. Just a little.

“
What do you propose
?”
She asked, clearing her throat and trying not to notice that his touch was warm on her skin
.“
What do you need me to do for my business
?
”

Breathe. Just breathe.

“
What I propose is that you come to your own training center. At dawn. Tomorrow. Work with the riders already under your control. Work with me. Get your hands dirty the way your father did
.
”

“
But
I’
m not a rider, Hunter
.”
She was out of her depths and she knew it. She loved the rodeo, but her daddy kept her away from it. Kept her safe. She was just a young woman fresh out of college. She did
n’
t know anything about this world
.
“

“
No, but you probably know it just as well as any rider. Think about it. You have been knee deep in the rodeo since you were a kid. You know the ins and outs. You know the business
.
”

Hunter had a point. She was
n’
t that little girl anymore, but she still knew the rodeo. It was her home away from home. Kat looked up when she realized he was right, staggered by the proximity of him. His body was closer than she thought, she could feel the heat radiating off of him as he looked down at her. His lips were so close and so full.

“
I, uh, yeah. That sounds good
.”
She could have said anything to get away from him and out of there. She just wanted to be let go so she could run as far as possible.

But he did
n’
t let her go. He pulled her closer, bent down and kissed her softly. She surrendered to him without any fight whatsoever. Her lips molded to his just as her soft curves pressed against him. He deepened that kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth, filling her as he gripped her with both hands, even tighter.

The effect was surprising, a surge of want flooded her senses and her body. She could feel the sticky wetness building between her thighs. An effect he caused. Business. Not personal. Was
n’
t that they deal they struck?

Get a hold of yourself.

Kat pressed against his chest, separating herself from the burly cowboy, she was determined not to let him get the best of her. She took in one ragged breath, then another. Willing away her feelings.

“
Is that all, Mr. Daniels
?”
She tried to turn on her cold business tone but faltered, her voice shaking instead. Using his last name made her feel less formal, and more silly.

This man knew exactly how to rock her.

“
For now, Ms. Brooks
.”
He released her, taking a step away from her, the crooked smile right back on his face.

“
For now
.
”

Kat took a sip of her gas station coffee, just glad something was open and waiting for her at this ungodly hour. Five A.M. was not her choice time to be up, but if it was when the riders got started in training, she would be there. She never broke a promise.

So Kat was here. At the rodeo training facilities, waiting on a man that she barely knew, trying to convince him to sign with her.

Because Hank said he was important.

She walked over to the first corral that presented itself on her property. Her father had achieved his dream: a facility for every aspect of rodeo and equestrian on the property. Quite the operation. It was a theoretical nirvana for cowboys and cowgirls. A series of different pastures, holding pens and corrals as well as trails and courses, dotted the hundreds of acres. Each one set aside for a specific sport.

It was all encompassing, and it had been a strategy that a lot of people advised against. But he had a dream, to create something that could house many different peopl
e’
s training. Especially because a bull rider may also compete in a variety of sports in the rodeo and a barrel rider may also work the equestrian circuit. Amateurs were not like professionals. They did
n’
t always get to specialize and this facility accommodated them all.

Those who were
n’
t sponsored were charged fair rates for the use of the training animals, and the land, and those who were got either discounted or included rates. It was the business that was
n’
t supposed to work, but it did, and it worked well.

She did
n’
t exactly know where everything was, despite having seen it on the maps and visiting the facility once or twice.  It was to be expected. The tours were long and winding and she could never quite get her balance. She never expected to have to take over so soon, but then again, you do
n’
t get to choose cancer, it chooses you.

This early in the morning she knew she would find someone working a horse in the training area. They always were. Each and every time she came here. And this was as far as she ever got on her own. Hank took care of almost every aspect of the business, so she had
n’
t needed to venture that far in six months.

Hunter was right. Kat had been hiding from the business. She let Hank do all the work and it showed. Not because he was a bad person, but because he was only one man, trying to run a small business. Her father, Hank, and a couple of silent partners ran the entire establishment, from the ranches, all the way to the training grounds.

The business lacked heart, something it used to be bursting with. And it seemed empty. Her father used to come in almost every day, even if just for a half hour, to see the boys. Form a relationship.

As Kat approached the corral she could see that, sure enough, there was a man on the horse putting her through her paces. It was
n’
t even dawn yet, and the light was just beginning to peek through, the dark sky only subtly lightened. No sun in sight. But Kat could see the horse and the rider with the help of a spotlight and the wisps of a new day.

The mar
e’
s legs were fluid in a movement as she pulled them up high, kicking and prancing before placing them down again, in an intricate pattern. It was like he was making her dance for him.

She had seen horses dance before, rodeos and some shows specialized in dancing mares. But this, this took her breath away and she stood there mesmerized as he worked the beautiful palomino. She could
n’
t see the ma
n’
s face under his hat but he was clearly very in tune with his animal. The mar
e’
s powerful muscles bulged, gleaming in the morning light as she danced. She never slowed down for a second, despite the fact that Kat could see signs of her age. This was no young horse. She was smart, strong, capable and a veteran. It was possibly the most breathtaking thing she had ever seen.

He finally spotted her, slowing his horse down to a stop. Standing there. Looking at her the way she had looked up at him. She still could
n’
t see his face, but someone had to talk soon or this would get weird. Kat fidgeted and then cleared her throat.

“
Good morning
,”
she shouted, pulling herself out of the sight like it was just a day dream
.“
You happen to know how to point me in the direction of the bull rider
s’
training facility
?
”

The rider rode over to the boundary of the fence and tipped his hat up, revealing his face.

Hunter.

She bit back a surge of irritation and arousal, both of which coursed through her, appearing suddenly. Together. Kat cursed under her breath.

“
Morni
n’
. Yo
u’
re early. I was
n’
t sure yo
u’
d show. So I thought I would wait at the entrance and let O
l’
Sigil out. Let me put her away and we can go up together
.”
Hunter hopped down off the horse and then led her away.

Kat knew that horse. Sigi
l’
s Pride had been one of her da
d’s“
show horse
s”
for his appearances in parades. No wonder her dancing took Ka
t’
s breath away. The horse was nearly 18 years old. Not a geriatric, but pretty close to retirement age.

“
Just wait here.
I’
ll be right bac
k”
Hunter hopped down off his horse and then led her away.

Kat waited there for him, kicking her boots in the dirt like she did when she was a kid, waiting for her father. Dust flew up and coated the air, shimmering in the first morning light. She was nervous. It was what she did when she was nervous. This man kept her on edge.

Hunter walked out of the bar, his hands in his pockets and a gleam in his eye. She had never seen a man that looked so determined. So focused on any one thing. But he was. She saw it when he was in the ring, riding that bull and she saw it now. His focus was aimed at her. It almost made her run straight into his arms. 

Cool it.
She grounded her feet and just waited.

He looked her up and down in her casual jeans and her green t-shirt. She knew she looked a little too casual, but it was a training facility. She was just going to get dirty. She hoped.

“
Damn Kat. You sure can play dress up. What is it today? A regular girl
?”
His grin was slow, just like the way his eyes wandered up and down her body. Pausing as he reached certain curves
.“
I think I like it even better than business woman
.
”

She narrowed her eyes
,“
We ca
n’
t all be born as perfect as you. Some of us have to try
.
”

“I’
m far from perfect and you know it.
I’
m just myself, Kat. Plain and simple
.”
He dripped snark as he said it, and it renewed her fantasy of smacking him.

“
I doubt anything is simple with you
.”
Certainly not the way you make me feel
.

He walked a step closer. She could smell him. Sweat, horse, and musk. It was intoxicating. Her gaze met his and she had to fight to tear her eyes away.

“
You are just going to have to find out
.
”

“
W
e’
ll see. So where is this training ground
?”
She asked again, trying to change the subject.

It worked.

“
This is your property. Why do
n’
t you know
?
”

“
I do.
I’
ve been here a few times. With dad. Have
n’
t gotten further than the equestrian center. Sinc
e
…
”
She cleared her throat, tears welling up in her eyes.

She tried to look away so that he did
n’
t see, but it was too late.  He spotted the glassy look and the water that followed, she could tell by the look in his eyes.

When she looked back she could see a new look. Comprehension. Compassion. At least his solid, severe stare was gone.

“I’
m sorry. I.. I did
n’
t think
.”
He stuttered. Actually stuttered, his jaw slack as he looked at her. He knew he crossed a line.

She cleared her throat and leveled her stare at him. She had the advantage and she knew it. For the moment.

“
Bull ride
r’
s pen? Please
?”
She pursed her lips and waited. Business. She needed to keep it business or she was going to lose it.

“
Uh yeah, sure. My truc
k’
s next to the barn. Come on.
I’
ll take you
.”
He buried his hands back in his pockets and put his head down, making his way in a straight line.

She must have really gotten to his confidence. But rather than feeling powerful, she just felt bad. So many people treated her with kid gloves after her father passed. For the first time, in long time, someone had finally called her out for what she was. Entitled. Spoiled. A princess. And she liked it.

Kat contemplated the tall, handsome cowboy as she walked over to his truck. Opening the passenge
r’
s side door she slid in, her body sliding across the vinyl and in place. She set her jaw and looked at him with those same pursed lips.

“
Are we going or what
?
”

“
Yes, my lady. Whatever you command, Princess
.”
He bowed low before her, in mocking servitude and then hopped in his own side. His joking arrogance was back, acting like it never missed a beat.

Good.