Bullwhipped (A Cowboy Romance)

by Danica Chandler

  Chapter Seven

  “Olivia, get your ass up! We’ve gotta get on the road to Killeen!”

  Oscar flicked the light on and Olivia pulled the covers over her head. She was too exhausted to even think about crawling out of bed, much less make the long drive south. She didn’t leave Cale’s room until after midnight and she probably wouldn’t have then if Sammy hadn’t showed up. They had just finished up when he got there, both of them dressed in the nick of time. Cale’s travel buddy was no idiot – he knew what had been going on. Though she loved the time with Cale, she still felt embarrassed that she had let things get as far as they had and that someone else knew about it.

  Turning over, she ignored her brother as much as possible, but when he started kicking the side of the bed, she gave up any chance at more sleep and made a beeline for the bathroom.

  “You were out late with that bull rider, weren’t you?”

  She turned the shower on to as hot as possible and undressed, looking at herself in the mirror. Holy crap, Cale had left bite marks on her breasts. Smiling, she reminisced about how awesome it had felt – pain heightened by pleasure. Stepping in the shower, she felt the soreness from the physical endeavor. There was an ache between her legs, reminding her of Cale being there. The hot water felt great on her skin and she lathered up, her mind on how incredible the night before had been. It was a great escape from the reality that would face her once her shower was over. Oscar was pissed and she wasn’t sure how much more of his lecturing she could take.

  “Still so much to learn, Livie. So much I can’t wait to do to you if you’ll let me.”

  Cale’s words echoed in her head. How could he top what he had already done to her? She couldn’t wait to find out, but had to remind herself to stay focused on her long-term plan. All this time on the rodeo circuit, all the money saved for her riding school, and now that it was so close, here came Cale to send her off on a detour. It was a good fork in the road, but she had to eventually find her way back. It was too soon to consider him being there with her, but she felt like she was falling for him. She had only ever loved one other man, and even he never got as far as Cale had.

  She thought about his green eyes, so sultry, so gorgeous against his tan complexion. And his dark hair – she could run her fingers through it all day. He seemed perfect in the midst of all of his flaws, which only added to his appeal.

  “What have I gotten myself into?” she asked out loud, rinsing the soap from her body. Whatever it was, she was enjoying every second of it.

  After her shower, she loaded up the truck and made sure Chance was situated. She spotted Cale across the parking lot, talking to a couple of other cowboys. She took a second to admire him, still awestruck at what they had been through together.

  Looking her direction, he waved, and she threw her duffel bag in the truck bed, hoping he didn’t catch on to how long she had been staring.

  “Olivia Hayes, long time no see!”

  Turning, she saw Kendra, a fellow barrel racer she hadn’t talked to in forever. “Kendra, oh my gosh, how are you?”

  “Doing really good. Let’s go grab some breakfast before everyone gets on the road. I’m assuming you’re headed to Killen like ninety percent of us are.”

  “Yeah. I don’t know if Oscar will want to wait on me. He was pretty set on getting there early.”

  “You kidding me? He’s already over at the place across the street with Jimmy and the other guys.” Jimmy was Kendra’s boyfriend and travel mate on the circuit, and Olivia had envied their relationship. She was on the way to having that with Cale if things worked out for them.

  “So much for him telling me. I swear he’s been acting weird lately.” She locked the truck, took another glance in Cale’s direction, and headed across the street with Kendra. Cale wouldn’t come if she asked, especially since Oscar was there. It was no mystery that her brother didn’t like the man and the less drama they caused, the better things would be.

  They sat at a table away from the group of men and Olivia was glad about that – she had so much on her mind and she needed a woman’s advice about it. Kendra was just the person to talk to, though Olivia wasn’t sure how much she’d disclose about what Cale and her had done.

  “So, what have you been up to?”

  Scanning the menu, Olivia ordered a cup of coffee and some water, her stomach churning at the smell of breakfast food throughout the small diner. “Just riding and saving up for my school. You?”

  “Same thing. I guess we’ve been hitting different rodeos. I haven’t seen you or Oscar around much. You said he’s been acting weird?”

  Nodding, Olivia folded the menu and sat it aside. “Yeah, but there’s more to it. Can I tell you something, judgment free?”

  “You got it.”

  Looking toward the table where Oscar and Jimmy were, Olivia turned back to Kendra. “I’ve sort of been seeing a bull rider.”

  “Sort of?” Her friend cocked her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

  “This is why I need you not to judge me. It’s all been backwards. I went out one night and went back to his hotel with him.”

  Kendra arched her eyebrow and sipped on her coffee. “Did you… did you sleep with him?”

  Olivia shook her head yes.

  “Well I’ll be, my little friend is all grown up!” Laughing, Kendra patted her on the hand. “Tell me more.”

  “After that, I felt so ashamed. I didn’t even know him.”

  “You’re human, Olivia. We have urges and desires. And he’s a bull rider. I can only imagine how he laid the charm on you.”

  “When I found out who he was, I sort of put this wall up. I didn’t want to go through heartbreak. I was already devastated at what I had done. But something kept pulling me back. I kept telling myself he was only after me for one thing, but when he kept asking me out and pursuing me, my instincts said otherwise. I’d heard about his reputation and that fogged up my view on who he really was.”

  “Who is this knight in shining armor?” Kendra asked, leaning forward.

  “I’m sure you’ve heard of him. He’s hitting it big right now. Cale Warren.”

  Kendra’s eyes widened and she almost knocked her coffee over. “Cale Warren?”

  “You seem surprised. What gives?”

  “That’s Jimmy’s cousin. How many times have you been out with him?”

  Olivia’s heart skipped a beat, but now she could see the family resemblance. “A few times. Why are you so surprised?”

  “I don’t really know him that well. He keeps to himself. Sort of quiet. But yeah, I’ve heard about him too. Jimmy’s told me some about him – says his dad is a real asshole about his riding. Cale won the high school bull riding championships his senior year and all his dad could say was that it didn’t matter and that the true test was if he could become world champion in the professional circuit. Can you believe that?”

  Kendra’s words hit Olivia hard. “All he’s ever told me is that his dad was a bull rider too.” No wonder his mood had changed when they talked about family. She felt bad for him.

  “I know Jimmy doesn’t go around Cale’s dad, and it’s his uncle for crying out loud. Like I said, I don’t know much and I probably shouldn’t tell you all this, but Jimmy’s witnessed his dad really laying into him. That might explain some things about him. But he is treating you right?”

  “Yeah. He’s been the perfect gentleman.”

  “Good. If I hear otherwise, I’ll get Jimmy to beat his ass.”

  “He’ll have to get in line. Oscar has already claimed dibs.” Smiling, Olivia tried to not harp on the details Kendra had just told her. All she wanted to do was pull him in for a tight hug and never let him go.

  After breakfast, Olivia went to finish packing up, still able to dodge her brother and his sideways glances at her. He wasn’t stupid – he knew what she had been up to the night before. The guilt of having sex with Cale was fading. As Kendra had said, she was an adult. A healthy sex life
was one thing she had been missing.

  Cale was still with Sammy and the other cowboy, but didn’t seem focused on the conversation. After chatting with Kendra, she really couldn’t keep away from him and walked across the parking lot, ignoring the fact that Oscar could see her. Cale stood up as she approached.

  “Oliv…”

  She didn’t give him a chance to finish her name and pulled him in for a deep kiss, her tongue delving deep into his mouth. She held onto the front of his shirt, gripping the fabric tight, hindering his chance to pull away. He didn’t even try and he kissed her back, brushing his fingers through her hair. Sammy was laughing in the background and spouting off something annoying, but she blocked it out, her tunnel vision on Cale and nothing else.

  Olivia broke the kiss first, looking up into his eyes. “Text me your room number when you get to Killeen.”

  “I can do that,” Cale replied.

  “Good. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

  She walked back to her truck, feeling the sharp stares from everyone who had witnessed the public display of affection. Her brother’s gaze could burn a hole through her, but she didn’t care. Climbing in the passenger side of the Silverado, she kept her eyes trained on Cale until they merged onto the highway and were out of sight. It was already a long drive, but would prove to be excruciating with her ever waking thoughts on Cale and how she wanted nothing more than to make him feel the best he ever had.

  ***

  “You’re gonna have to drive,” Cale said, tossing Sammy the keys.

  “Got your mind on something else?” Sammy asked, turning the key and bringing the diesel engine to life. “After a kiss like that, I can only imagine. I bet she gave you a damn good ride last night.”

  “Just drive,” Cale spat back, resting his head on the window.

  “She’s gotta be good if you come back for more from her.”

  Gritting his teeth, Cale slammed his hand against the dashboard. “Shut your damn mouth. How about a little respect for the lady, for once? Can you do that?”

  Sammy scoffed and put the truck in gear. “I know what you’re so moody about. You know your dad is gonna show up in Killeen. You always get so dark and brooding when you know he’ll be there for your ride.”

  Cale hadn’t even given his dad a second thought. Olivia had rocked his world and it hadn’t even occurred to him that he’d be there. He lived near Killeen and never missed that rodeo. Balling his fists, he clenched his jaw to avoid saying anything else he’d regret. He let Sammy’s comment linger and focused on the road. He wanted to get to Killeen to see Olivia, but he wanted it to take time to prepare for his father.

  The kiss in the parking lot was heavy on his mind. There was a fire inside Olivia he was witnessing for the first time. Had he awakened that in her? He felt a sense of pride for it, but also guilt mixed in. She was so sweet and innocent – could he really own up to corrupting her? There was so much he still wanted to do with her – things he’d love to teach her and though she didn’t realize it, she was teaching him so much at the same time. The emotion behind it all was so new and something he could get used to. He was jumping on Sammy for things he usually said that never got under Cale’s skin quite as bad as it had when referring to Olivia. That had to mean something.

  As soon as they checked into their motel, as requested, he texted Olivia the room number. He splurged and got a separate room from Sammy, partly because he was annoyed with him, and partly because he wanted privacy with Olivia. Lying back on the bed, he stared up at the ceiling, thinking about what the next few days would bring. He could go back to his hometown and see old friends but it didn’t feel like an appealing choice. His dad would probably try to get him to go back to the ranch to do a few things for him, and though he’d love to tell his dad to shove it, he’d do as asked.

  A light knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts and he opened the door, his smile fading when he saw his dad on the other side.

  “Dad?”

  “Cale.” He pushed through the threshold, looking around the small room. “How many times have I told you that you can stay at home for this rodeo?”

  “Sammy and I split the cost. If I stayed at home he’d have to foot the bill himself.” It was somewhat true.

  “Sammy. Oh right, your road partner. He still not making eight?”

  “He’s doing fine.”

  “Fine,” his dad repeated, shaking his head. “How about you? I’ve been tracking the standings.”

  Cale leaned against the wall and folded his arms over his chest. “If you’ve been tracking the standings then you know how I’m doing.”

  “I saw you fell off in the last round at Denton.” He clicked his tongue against his teeth and paced. “You almost had a perfect run.”

  “Yes sir.” Cale wanted to snap back, but his father had a power over him. Anything quick that came to mind got stomped out immediately. It didn’t matter if he had a perfect run. His dad would still have something negative to say about it.

  “Killeen’s a bigger rodeo, Cale. You need to…”

  Before he could finish, someone else knocked. Shit, that had to be Olivia. He opened the door just enough to where his dad couldn’t see her. He wasn’t ready for her to feel the wrath of his negativity.

  “Hey Livie,” he whispered.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah.” How could he send her away without being an ass? He had been expecting her.

  “Who is that?” his father asked, pulling the door open wider.

  Ducking his head, Cale took a deep breath. “Dad, this is Olivia. Olivia, this is my father, Dean Warren.”

  Olivia extended her hand for him to shake, but he just stared at her. “Olivia.” His voice was stern. “Just what you need, Cale, a distraction like this. Buckle bunnies aren’t going to help you make world champion. You can’t withhold from sex long enough to keep your edge, can you?”

  Cale gripped the doorknob as a whole new level of anger hit him. He’d never called his old man out, but at that second, he could have easily beaten the hell out of him. “She’s not a buckle bunny. She’s my girlfriend, and if you have a problem with that you can leave!”

  “I don’t think you need to talk to me that way.”

  “Just go, Dad. I’ll come by the house tomorrow.”

  “This isn’t over, Son.” He prodded his index finger into Cale’s shoulder as he walked past, completely ignoring Olivia as he made his exit.

  Cale slammed the door behind him and took a few steps back, avoiding Olivia’s eyes. He was embarrassed that she had seen how his father was. Walking to the window, he slid open the curtain and stared out at the view of the swimming pool.

  “Cale, are you okay?”

  He didn’t answer her. What was there to say?

  “Cale, talk to me.”

  “You should probably go,” he replied, though it was the opposite of what he really wanted. “Unless you want to be with a man just like that.”

  “What do you mean?” She reached out and her hand skimmed his forearm.

  “Since I was a kid, all I ever wanted to be was like my dad. Up before the sun, working the farm and didn’t get home until long after the sun went down. He can outwork any cowboy any day of the week. Hell of a bull rider too. If I can do half of what he did when he was riding, I’d be set.”

  “Cale, I’m not sure why you’re so mad.”

  He raked his hand through his hair. He wasn’t sure why he was so mad either, but the emotions were pouring out. “You should probably go. He’s going to be watching me at this rodeo. He demands perfection. I need to stay focused.” Why was he saying that? He didn’t want her to leave, but he also wanted to make his father happy.

  Olivia turned to go as a few tears trickled down her cheek. “I’m in room six if you change your mind. You’re a good bull rider and I don’t care what your dad says. I don’t care what he thinks of me.”

  Cale didn’t acknowledge her as she left. Staring out at
the pool again, he closed his eyes. He had no right to take it out on her. She didn’t deserve it, and he was an ass just like his father for letting it happen. Hurrying out the door, he ran up behind Olivia before she got back to her room.

  “Livie, I’m sorry.”

  She didn’t turn around at first and her shoulders slumped. “You’re not your father, Cale. I don’t even know him and I know you’re better than that.”

  “I should’ve never talked to you that way.”

  She faced him, her eyes red from her tears. It broke his heart to see her crying, and he reached out and wiped her cheek with his thumb.

  “I’ve heard about how your father is. I’m sorry you have to deal with that.”

  “He means well, but I don’t want to talk about that right now. Let’s get out of here. Wanna go for a ride with me?” He knew exactly where he wanted to take her where they could have complete privacy away from the rest of the world.

  “Where do you wanna go?”

  The sun was setting in the distance, which made it even better. Reaching in his pocket, he pulled his truck keys out. “I’m from the area. I know of a good spot that you’ll see when we get there. Let’s just start this over with and pretend all that shit with my dad didn’t happen, okay?”

  “Okay, Cale. Let’s go.”

  Olivia was seeing a whole new side to Cale. She couldn’t blame him for being so emotional about his dad and what he had said about her. The words did sting, but she wasn’t going to let it bother her. Cale had called her his girlfriend. That alone made everything else disappear.

  She was excited when she climbed into his truck. Reaching out, he pulled her to the middle seat, his smoldering gaze playful. “The closer you are, the better.”

  He rested his hand on her thigh and looked back to his driving. They were headed down a dirt road lined with trees on each side. She didn’t know he was from the area, but it was even more insight into the man he was. Her breath caught in her throat when he moved his hand up her leg. His fingers stroked her above her jeans and she spread her legs, only for him to push her thighs back together as he slid between them.