he found himself doing it anyway. “London Gradsky, you better not have put a single spritz of Lemon Pledge on my shotguns or so help me God I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” she said from the living room where she was sprawled out on the chaise, drinking a beer.
His eyes narrowed. Hey, wait a second. London was knocking back the special brew he’d brought back from Germany two years ago.
“Still waiting,” she said and then took a big swig.
“Where are my guns?”
“Safely locked away in their velvet lined, dehumidified gun cases I presume.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Then why’d you send me that threatening text?”
“Threatening text? When I said I was gonna help you out by cleaning up your guns? That was me being nice, asshole.”
“If that’s you bein’ nice, darlin’, I’d hate to see you when you’re bein’ nasty.”
London leapt to her feet. “You’re about to find out.”
“Bring it, cowgirl. And bring me that damn beer you stole. I haven’t had a taste of it.”
She smirked. Then she tipped the bottle up and drained it. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand and belched.
“You are the most annoying fucking woman on the planet.”
“So does that mean you missed me?” she asked softly.
Here was the moment of truth. “Yeah. I missed you like a limb.”
“Sutton.”
“London. I know we need to talk, but c’mere and gimme a kiss ’cause the last few days have sucked without you.”
He didn’t wait for her to come to him. They met halfway, and he wrapped her in his arms for several long moments, reminding himself of how well they fit together, in so many ways.
“I missed you too, bulldogger.”
Sutton twisted his hand in her hair and tipped her head back to get at that sweet, hot mouth of hers. The kiss heated up, and he paused to say, “I like how that beer tastes on you.”
“Stop talking and kiss me some more.”
He did just that. But as much as he wanted to let the passion between them expand, letting it show her how he felt about her, he needed to say the words. “London,” he murmured against her lips.
She flattened her hands on his pecs and pushed, putting distance between them. “Uh-oh. That’s your serious voice.”
“I have different voices?”
“Yep. There’s your Jesus, woman tone, which means you’re exasperated with me. There’s your Hey, sweet darlin’ rasp that means you’re about to strip me naked. Then there’s your C’mon, sweetheart taunt that means you’re teasing me. And there’s the softly spoken London, which means...I’m never exactly sure what I’m in for with that one.” She raised her gaze to his. “So if you do plan to tell me something good that’ll make me smile, weep with joy, and throw myself into your big, strong arms, let’s get through the bad stuff first.” She touched her lips to his. “There’s things we both need to get off our chests.”
He pressed a kiss onto her forehead. “Sounds fair. Kitchen or living room?”
“Living room. That way if you really piss me off I’m farther away from the knives and you have time to run.”
Yep. He so loved this woman.
London held his hand and led him to the sectional couch. After he’d settled himself in the corner, she immediately stretched out on top of him, nestling the side of her face against the center of his chest, pressing her hip between his legs. Being body to body, where he could touch her at will but wasn’t staring directly into her eyes as he made his confessions, would make those confessions come easier.
Sutton ran his hand down her arm. “Is this okay for you?”
“It’s perfect for me.” She kissed his pectoral. “Start when you’re ready.”
He reflexively tightened his hold on her hip. “You won’t take off?”
“Nope. Unless you tell me you’re part of some religious sect where they allow you to have as many wives as you want, because I don’t share well at all.”
“Me neither.” He marshaled his thoughts and decided to get the worst over first. “The reason I have no intention of ever competing as a professional steer wrestler again is because I made a deal with God that if I survived the wreck, I’d walk away from the sport for good. I’m keeping my word because in that moment I finally realized how lucky I am.” When she didn’t laugh or call him an idiot, he told her the story. “So no one knows what really went down. Not my family, not my sponsors, not the CRA.”
“How long have you been medically cleared?”
“Four months. My brothers busted me trying to work with Dial right after I’d been released. I chose to perpetuate the lie. No idea why I did. Seemed smart at the time. Then it just steamrolled. But you know better than anyone what happens to a highly trained horse when it’s allowed to run amok. Needing your help with Dial was completely sincere.”
She traced the edge of his shirt pocket. “I know. I knew when you didn’t balk at pretending to be my boyfriend as a stipulation of me helping you that you were desperate.”
“Not the word I’d use...”
“After the first time we kissed, I knew I was in big trouble with you.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t give a damn about Stitch anymore.”
“But I thought you did and I kept pushing us into bein’ more visible as a couple—”
“When all I wanted was alone time with you, my hot man. So you believe me when I say Stitch means nothing to me? That conversation you interrupted—”
“That overly friendly hug,” he corrected with a growl.
“Was just a hug between friends. I didn’t only ask you to pretend to be my boyfriend to make Stitch jealous. I needed my ego bolstered after being dumped. I never wanted Stitch back. I guess I didn’t make that clear.”
He sighed. “How did this get so fucked up?”
“Because we both kept following our own agenda. How long did you plan to keep me training Dial?”
“Until you said he was back to normal or that you couldn’t get him there.” His hand traveled back up her arm and he brushed her hair from her shoulder. “Then I remembered why your folks agreed to sell me Dial in the first place—because you’d keep working with him to the exclusion of every other animal in their stable. So I was selfish, hoping it’d take you a long damn time to retrain him.”
“Because...?”
“Because I fell in love with you. I hoped if you had more time with me, you’d fall for me too—when I wasn’t second guessing myself that no one really fell in love in a week.” He felt her smile against his chest.
London lifted her head and looked at him reverently—and they weren’t even naked. That had to mean something, right?
“Talk to me.”
She ran her fingertips over the stubble on his cheeks. “I expected you to say you didn’t think this was real because you were my rebound man.”
“Shit. I should’ve been worrying about that too?”
She laughed. “No.” Then she sobered. “Here’s the truth. Dial is as good as he’s ever gonna get. At least under my training. I’ve been pretending that he hasn’t made much progress because I didn’t want to leave you.”
He grinned so widely it hurt, then he wondered if he might’ve pulled a muscle.
“I’ve been milking this job. But not for money. Every check you wrote me is uncashed. I also suspected you weren’t being truthful because you let me be. You weren’t gauging Dial’s progress. A guy antsy to get back on the dirt would’ve been out there every day harassing me for faster results.”
“You didn’t take my hands-off approach as that I trusted you to do the job I’d hired you for?”
“Nope.”
“Damn.”
“But I’d hoped that you were keeping me around because you were starting to feel things for me since I’d fallen in love with you.”
Sutton kissed her then, knowing he’d remember t
his moment for the rest of their lives.
“So what now?”
“You move in with me.”
“Like we’re roommates?”
“Fuck no, we won’t be roommates. And we ain’t playing house either. This is for real.”
“I can move my stuff into your room?”
“Woman, half your shit is already in my room—don’t think I didn’t notice.” He held her chin and feathered his thumb over her lips. “Dream come true having a woman like you in my bed every night.”
“A woman like me?”
“A hot, feisty, sexy cowgirl who loves me for me. Not because of the championship buckles, the fame, or the money. “
“The money is a nice bonus. But will you be in our bed with me every night? Because that’s been another thing we haven’t discussed. Your need for space.”
“Baby, it’s not about me needing space; it’s about me needing more time. For the past month I’ve been haying with my brothers, and keeping you thoroughly fucked to entice you into staying with me forever, and that wears a man out. So the only time I could study for the test I’m taking to become a range master was in the middle of the night. The only other thing that’s been constant in my life besides bulldoggin’ is my love of guns. My buddy Ramsey owns an indoor/outdoor gun range. The first week you were here he told me one of his range masters is getting deployed for a year. He asked if I’d be interested in taking the test and filling in. Then when the guy returns from deployment, he’ll find me a permanent position if I like working there. So that’s where I’ve been the past two days, taking the written test, which wasn’t fun at all, and sharpening my skills here and at the range for the firearms qualification portion, which will be the fun part.”
“It’s a really exciting change and opportunity for you, Sutton! How awesome you get to do another thing that you love to make a living.”
That shit-eating grin spread across his face again. She got it. She got him in ways he didn’t have to explain. “Thanks. I planned on telling my family after I told you.”
“Will you make an official announcement about retirement from the CRA?”
“Most likely. I’ve been avoiding my PR person, so I’ll talk to her about it.”
“That leaves just one thing left to deal with.” She paused. “Dial.”
He brushed her soft cheek with his knuckles. “I asked my buddy who’s a veterinarian in Wyoming to keep his ear to the ground for anyone interested in a championship bulldogging horse. Dial needs to work, so I prefer he went to a qualified candidate. Payment, lease, whatever is all secondary to me at this point.” He paused. “Why? Do you already have someone in mind?”
“No, but I agree it’s better to wait than just shipping Dial off and cutting your losses. As long as folks in the rodeo world know you’re serious about finding the right competitor for him, you will have interest. Whether it’s the right interest? Dial is the best judge.”
“I’ll defer to my expert horsewoman. But I’ll point out you didn’t think Dial had the best judgment when he chose me.”
“You’ll still be harping on that years from now, won’t you?”
Sutton liked that London was already imagining a future for them. “Maybe. Unless you agree to keep working Dial until he’s found a new home.”
“Hell no. He’s your horse. You can put him through his paces every day. Besides, I’m officially not your horse trainer any longer.”
“Mmm. But you will keep that ridin’ crop? Cause I have a feeling you’re the type of woman who’ll need a whack every once in a while to keep things interesting.”
Epilogue
Three months later...
“I can’t thank you enough.” Stitch kept pumping Sutton’s hand as he spoke. “He’ll be in good hands. You’ll never have to worry he ain’t bein’ well taken care of.”
“That’s why we’re letting you take him,” London said sweetly. Then she laughed. “Well, not take, exactly.”
Stitch nodded, his gaze zipping to his horse trailer as if he couldn’t believe what it held. Then he met Sutton’s eyes again. “You’re really okay with payments starting in January?”
“This year is a loss for me, at least professionally”—he sent London a wicked smile—”on the personal front, it’s been a bang-up year.” London melted when he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “I’ve no problem waiting until you’re starting a new season.”
“That’s just...awesome, man. Thanks.” Stitch smiled at London, his gaze zeroing in on the big sapphire ring on her left hand. “I heard you two got engaged. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” London said, sneaking a peek at the ring Sutton had given her just one short week ago. In typical Sutton fashion, his proposal had been a little offbeat; he’d tied the ring at the end of a fancy ribbon and looped it around the barrel of her new shotgun, begging her to make an honest man of him.
“Have you set the date?”
London said, “No” the same time Sutton said, “Soon.”
“Good luck.” Then Stitch climbed in his rig and drove off.
Sutton kissed her temple. “Whoda thunk, huh? That Dial would take to Stitch and vice versa?”
“Stitch is a good guy.”
“Just not the guy for you,” Sutton said with a growl.
God, she loved that possessive tone. She loved that the shy man wasn’t shy at all about showing her every day, in so many different ways, how much he loved her and how happy she made him.
And she was more than happy to return the favor. To be the woman he could count on to love him through the good times and bad.
He draped his arm over her shoulder. “What’s on the agenda tonight?”
“We could pick up and clean the shell casings for the new line of bullet jewelry I’ve started.”
“Pass. I get enough shell casing clean-up duties at my day job. What’s my other option?”
“Hanging out in front of the fireplace. Playing cards.”
His eyes lit up. “Strip poker?”
“No, you cheat.”
“Me?” he said innocently. “I’m ‘The Saint,’ remember? I don’t cheat.”
“Ain’t no one calling you that anymore, bulldogger.”
“Thank God.” He pulled her closer and his lips grazed the top of her ear. “To be honest, I don’t care what we do just as long as I’m with you.”
She sighed. “I’m so crazy in love with you.”
“Same goes, sweetheart.”
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