by Cat Johnson
Jenna looked surprised at his suggestion. Hell, he was shocked as shit himself that he was actually interested, in both the woman and her book.
Slade realized this was probably the most conversation he’d exchanged with a female in years. Usually they skipped the talking part and went right from drinking to fucking, sometimes skipping the drinking portion altogether, depending on how willing she was.
Jenna reached into her bag. “I printed out what I’ve written so far. I know it’s a lot to ask, but could you take a look at it—just the bull riding stuff, and maybe some of the cowboy type stuff—and let me know if it’s accurate?”
Slade eyed the thick stack of printed pages, regretting he’d asked, as Mustang said, “Sure, we’ll read it. Let’s all three of us go on back to our trailer. The light’s better there and then we can all get comfortable while we read.”
She pursed her lips and shook her head in an excellent imitation of a schoolmarm. “I don’t think so. Besides, I don’t expect you to read it all right this minute. I can leave that with you and come back tomorrow night. Maybe we can talk again after the show is over?”
The show. Slade smothered a snort at that. “It’s not a show. In fact, it’s not a rodeo either. You keep saying that, but there’s a difference. This here is a professional bull riders’ competition. More importantly, it’s the championship.”
“Bull riding competition championship. Okay. Got it.” She nodded, writing it all down.
Slade sighed at her constant note taking. The woman was like a damn sponge.
Meanwhile, Mustang leaned back so the beer sign illuminated the printing on the ream of paper she’d laid on the table, and started flipping through it. Suddenly, he burst out laughing. “Buck Wild? You seriously named your bull rider Buck Wild?”
She narrowed her eyes at Mustang. “Yes. So? It’s a romance novel. It’s supposed to be fun. Besides, a man named Mustang probably shouldn’t be picking on my bull rider’s name.”
Mustang laughed. “All right, I’ll concede that point, but you can’t fight me on this one. The bull’s not in an enclosure. It’s a chute. Or a bucking chute. Nobody, ‘cept maybe city folk, calls it an enclosure.”
Scribbling furiously, she wrote that down. “Good! Thank you. See? This is exactly the kind of stuff I need from you. That’s perfect. Can you make comments in the margins when you find mistakes like that?”
Not remembering the last time he’d written anything besides signing paychecks at the bank or autographs in the stands, Slade had to think if they even had a pen or pencil in the trailer. He didn’t think so. They had better swipe one from the bar.
While Slade pondered their lack of writing instruments, he noticed Mustang had gotten rather quiet, engrossed in the pages. Suddenly, Mustang’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline.
“You’re skipping right to the sex scenes, aren’t you?” Jenna accused, obviously noticing Mustang’s reaction too.
Sex scenes? Slade’s ears perked up at that. Hmm. Maybe he wasn’t sorry they’d offered to read this thing.
Jenna reached to snatch the papers back, but Mustang was faster and whipped them over his head and out of her reach. “No you don’t, darlin’. This here is the interesting part. Not realistic, but interesting all the same.”
Her eyes flew open wide. “What do you mean not realistic?”
Slade wondered the same thing, dying to get his hands on those pages.
Mustang rolled his eyes, referring to the papers again. “Come on. Women don’t come that fast or that easy. Trust me, I know. He barely touches her in this and she’s all ooh, ahh, I’m coming. Give me a break.”
Coming? What the hell kind of books did this woman write? Slade had to clench his fist to stop himself from grabbing the papers from Mustang.
Jenna, the apparently naughty author, scowled. “Romance is supposed to be fantasy.”
Mustang snorted. “Oh, it’s fantasy all right. And the guy parts…” He shook his head, laughing.
Jenna crossed her arms, eyes narrowed at Mustang. “What, exactly, is wrong with the guy parts?”
Mustang waved the pages at her. “Men don’t think like this and men definitely don’t act or talk like this, especially in the middle of fucking...uh, I mean making love as you put it.”
Slade was seconds away from snatching those pages away from Mustang to see what the hell he was talking about.
“Oh really. So tell me, Mustang, since you’re so smart when it comes to men and women, what would you do differently?”
Mustang leaned forward in his chair, abandoning the pages on the table, but Slade was too intrigued in the live action now to worry much about the written stuff.
His face close to Jenna’s, Mustang kept his voice so low Slade had to lean in to hear what he said to her. “You want to know what turns a woman on, Miss Block? What’s the quickest way for a man to get her hot and wet in the panties?”
Jenna narrowed her eyes, but not before Slade noticed her look the tiniest bit shocked at the panty comment. “Do tell, since you’re such an expert.”
“It’s this.” Mustang reached out and lightly tapped her forehead. “A woman’s erogenous zone is right there, in her head. You write about touching this or kissing that, but foreplay starts in a woman’s brain. If a man can get in there, then all the rest is just a formality. Write about that, what’s inside, and don’t worry so much about who’s putting what where.”
Mustang let his finger trail slowly down the side of her face and across her lips before he broke contact and sat back in his chair again. Slade saw Jenna lean in and follow Mustang, like a compass arrow drawn to true north, before she cleared her throat and straightened up in her chair.
The man was a master at reeling them in, and for the first time since they’d been hanging out together, Slade felt a little bit jealous. Even though he knew he’d always be invited in on the action, this time, with this woman, Slade wished he’d been the one manning the fishing line instead of Mustang.
Slade watched Jenna’s throat work as she swallowed before saying, “It’s late. I better call a cab.”
Mustang shook his head, capturing and holding her gaze. “It’s not that late, darlin’.”
Jenna shook her head nervously. “I have a conference back at the hotel that starts at nine in the morning.”
Mustang leaned in close again. “Slade and I can drive you back to your hotel in plenty of time for your conference in the morning. I promise.”
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
Mustang’s face lit with a grin. “But you want to.”
It sounded more like a statement of fact than a question to Slade. It sure as hell looked like Jenna wanted to.
She swallowed hard again and without admitting anything, Jenna repeated. “I can’t.”
Mustang’s hand covered hers. “Give me one reason why not?”
Somehow the discussion had gone from book research to the subject of the three of them getting into bed or not in a blink of an eye. Slade hadn’t even noticed it happening, but something had. Somehow Jenna and Mustang were now negotiating sex. How the hell had that happened?
Jenna took a deep breath. “I’m not going to spend the night with the two of you because I’m not one of your bimbo rodeo—excuse me—bull riding groupies.”
“The groupies generally don’t ride the bulls, and they’re known as Buckle Bunnies. Might want to write that down for the book.” Mustang tapped the table near her pad while grinning at his own lame joke, before becoming serious again. “I knew you weren’t a bimbo the moment I saw you in the stands in your little black sweater, taking notes during a bull ride.”
“You noticed me?”
“Oh, yeah. Slade nearly got bucked off in the chute because I was trying to point you out to him while he was taking his wrap.”
Telling the truth to get a girl into bed, that was a new strategy for Mustang, and to Slade’s amazement it appeared to be working.
Jenna looked to Slade an
d he had to laugh as he confirmed the accuracy of Mustang’s statement. “It’s true.”
While she was digesting that, Mustang stood. “Get your stuff together, darlin’. Slade will get the bill and settle up here and then we’ll drive you back to your hotel.”
“No. I said I’d pay. And I can take a cab.” Jenna reached into her huge bag, searching for something, most likely her wallet.
“No. Ladies don’t pay. Besides, Slade’s ranked third in the world. He can afford to buy us one five-dollar pitcher of beer. And there’s no way I’m putting you in a cab alone this late when Slade has a perfectly good car sitting next door in the lot that he never gets to drive because it’s always being towed behind my trailer when we travel together.”
Jenna glanced at Slade, then went back to studying Mustang for a bit before she finally nodded. “Okay, I’d appreciate a ride to the hotel. Thank you.”
Mustang grinned at Slade. “Come on. I’ll come up to the bar with you so you can pay the check.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Slade mumbled, not that he cared about paying for the pitcher. What bothered him was that Mustang had not only made progress, which for some reason made Slade jealous, but now Mustang was suddenly giving in and giving up on closing the deal when he’d seemed so close. Mustang never gave in until he’d gotten the girl, but tonight, that was exactly what he seemed to be doing.
When they’d reached the bar, Slade turned to Mustang. “What the hell were you thinking over there? I’ve never seen you give up on a woman that easily. How come you’re not ordering her some fruity drink and getting her drunk and then back to the trailer?”
“Because this one’s special. It’s going to take a different lure to reel her in.”
Yeah, she was special and different, and that’s exactly why Slade didn’t want to risk letting her get away. “Do you really think we’ve got a snowball’s chance in hell of ever seeing her again if you let her go now?”
“It’s our only chance. I’m telling you, she’s not coming back to the trailer tonight and if we push too hard, I guarantee you we’ll never see her again. She’ll be all scared and hide from us until she leaves Tulsa.” Mustang hooked the heel of one boot on the brass bar rail and leaned in, lowering his voice. “She’s interested now. We wait until tomorrow, let the idea settle in, and she’s all ours, for as long as she’s here in town.”
Slade considered that, remembering with envy the expression on Jenna’s face when Mustang had touched her. “Yeah, maybe. But she’s not interested in both of us.”
Mustang grinned. “Oh, yeah she is. In both of us.”
“You’re doing all the talking and she’s barely even looked at me.”
“That’s the thing. She’s avoiding looking at you too hard and every time she does, she blushes. Haven’t you noticed? You make her nervous.” Mustang laughed at that.
Nervous. Great. “That’s a good thing?”
“With women it is. And may I say I haven’t seen you this interested in a woman in months, maybe a year even.”
“I’m not…” Mustang raised a brow skeptically and Slade stopped, mid-denial. “All right. I’m interested. I’ll admit it.”
The one time Slade actually cared if they got the girl or not, they were willingly driving her home before anything happened. “You sure about taking her back to the hotel now?”
Mustang nodded. “Yup. Positive.”
“You think she might invite us up to her room?” Hope sprung eternal inside a horny cowboy.
“If she does, we say no,” Mustang ordered.
“Say no? What? Are you crazy? Why?”
“Look. We have her book.” Mustang held up the handful of pages he’d grabbed off the table. “She needs us before she can finish this. More importantly, she knows she damn well can’t do it without us. She’s not going anywhere. Believe me, tomorrow night she’ll be there in the arena again begging us to give her some more of our valuable time.”
“So now we’re playing hard to get?”
“Yup.” Mustang grinned.
“This plan of yours better work.” Slade adjusted his jeans slightly, realizing he’d started to get hard just thinking about Jenna begging them for anything.
Mustang slapped him on the back. “It’s good to have you back in action, my friend.”
Slade rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t fuck this one up. Okay?”
“I won’t. Don’t you worry. I want her as much as you do.” Mustang blew out a breath and glanced back at their table. “Damn, she’s hot, and those new chaps you’re gonna buy me will be a nice bonus too.”
Slade followed his friend’s gaze to where Jenna sat alone, waiting for them and taking in the crowd with what he suspected was her usual curiosity. They both stood there like idiots staring at the women neither of them would have that night until Mustang finally blew out a loud breath.
“Damn. Let’s go before I change my mind and order that fruity drink. And I’m gonna need the bathroom first when we get back.” Mustang adjusted himself within his jeans, shaking his head. “It’s been a long time since I’ve willingly rubbed one out on my own after a competition.”
Slade’s thoughts exactly, yet he couldn’t say he was disappointed he’d be right-handing it tonight instead of going at some nameless, brainless girl. Once you’d set your sights on a prize-winning thoroughbred, just any filly wouldn’t do.
Slade pushed a five and two singles toward the waitress to cover the pitcher and her tip. “I’ll get the car. You keep those two bull riders who are eyeing Jenna off of her and don’t do anything stupid to scare her away before I get back.”
Mustang grinned so wide, Slade had to stop mid step toward the door. “What are you grinning at?”
“You know her name.”
Yeah, Slade had noticed that himself but was trying not to think about it too much. He shook his head and didn’t comment. “I’ll meet you outside with the car.”
Chapter Seven
“Happy birthday!” Astrid’s bright, cheery voice came through the cell phone, loud and clear.
“Thanks, Astrid.” Jenna stifled a groan. Between a full conference agenda and those two tempting cowboys she couldn’t seem to get out of her mind, she’d managed to forget about her thirty-fifth birthday. Until now.
“What are you going to do to celebrate? Ooo and before I forget, did you go to the rodeo yet?”
Jenna laughed. “The answer to those two questions are one in the same. I was there last night, and I’m going back tonight, but it isn’t a rodeo. It’s a bull riding competition.”
“What’s the difference?”
“I’m not exactly sure but it seems to mean quite a bit to the two hot bull riders I had drinks with last night. The same two I’ll be meeting tonight to discuss my book research.”
“You’re meeting two hot cowboys for drinks tonight?”
“To discuss my book,” Jenna reminded Astrid, trying to convince herself of that, just as she had all night long and half that day, as her mind kept wandering back to the two.
“I am so jealous. I knew I should have come with you.” She could almost hear Astrid’s pouting through the phone.
“I told you that you could come with me. I have a room all to myself.” With a big king-sized bed that would probably accommodate Jenna plus two cowboys. She averted her gaze from the expansive mattress and shook that vision from her mind.
“You know I couldn’t take a week off work. But darn it, it would have been perfect. One hot cowboy for you and one for me. Damn, damn, damn! Now I’m pissy. When do you leave for the rodeo?”
Knowing it would be no use, Jenna didn’t bother correcting Astrid about the rodeo/bull riding terminology again. “Now. I just called the cab so I’m about to head into the elevator in a minute and wait downstairs in the lobby.”
She heard Astrid emit an annoyed sigh. “I want a phone call tomorrow telling me everything. Promise, okay?”
“I promise.” Jenna hung up with Astrid and conside
red the conversation for a moment.
If Astrid had been there, which man would Jenna have been willing to give her? The funny and cute sandy-haired Mustang with that larger than life personality, those big dreamy blue eyes, and the supposedly even bigger… She felt her face heat just thinking about how he’d gotten to her by using just one finger and a few words. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of what else that one finger could do to her, not to mention the supposedly super sized rest of him.
Then there was Slade, so sexy, dark and mysterious, hiding behind a wall by letting his friend do most of the talking, all while keeping himself at an emotional arm’s length. He made her want to peel back his many layers, as well as his clothes, sure what was underneath (in both cases) would be well worth the trouble. It would be if the way he made her blush and sent a flutter straight to her core whenever she looked at him was any indication.
Jenna easily pictured breaking down Slade’s walls and him finally letting himself go as they tumbled into bed together. But she could also imagine Mustang braced above her while staring into her eyes as she got lost in his ever present smile.
It would be an impossible choice, but judging by the way Mustang kept inviting her back to their trailer so the three of them could all get comfortable, she obviously wouldn’t need to make a choice if she didn’t want to. As she had lay in bed the night before, hot and bothered and picturing the two cowboys, there had been many scenarios running through her head where she didn’t choose. Her sleep had been crappy but her fantasies had been pretty damned good.
Normal, average, borderline boring suburban women didn’t have a ménage a trois with cowboys they barely knew and would never see again. Did they? On the other hand, she was thirty-five and single, and very capable of making her own decisions.
Swallowing hard, Jenna tried to ignore, not for the first time that day, the dampness soaking her panties. She glanced at her flushed reflection in the room’s full-length mirror, second guessing leaving her hair down for the evening, or more accurately, why she’d left it loose. She’d wanted to look sexier for the two cowboys who were only supposed to help her with the bull riding facts. Little had she known they’d be inspiring her sexual fantasies instead.
