by Cat Johnson
He shook the memory away. He was a different person now. Jeez, at least he sure as hell hoped he was. Besides, he could tell Becca wasn’t that kind of a woman and he didn’t want her to be. Her careful consideration of each and every question, from moving from their seats down to the floor, to deciding whether she wanted another beer, was one of the things he liked about her.
Sure, he’d like to get naked, even get a little kinky with her, but he’d also like to wake up next to her in the morning. He hadn’t thought that about a woman since the divorce. He pushed thoughts of his ex-wife away and turned to Jace. “Let’s see how things go. Okay?”
“Okay.” His friend eyed him closer than Tuck was comfortable with. “You do know, your divorce? It was nothing you did. Brenda was always a bitch. I knew that from the first time I met her. I always thought you deserved better.”
This conversation had taken a turn for the serious. The last thing Tuck needed or wanted right now was serious, or a concession stand analysis of his failed marriage. He laughed and tried to lighten things up. “It would have been nice if you’d told me before I put the ring on her finger.”
Jace shrugged. “If you’d made me your best man instead of her brother, maybe I would have.”
“This again? It’s not like I had a choice.” Tuck rolled his eyes, not believing they were on this subject again after all these years. His own brother would have been the logical choice for best man, but as he’d said, Brenda had forced the issue.
“Correct. You didn’t, because she was a bitch.” Jace spread his hands wide. “See the logic here?”
“Yes, I do. Now help me carry these drinks.” Tuck handed two of the cups off to Jace. “And next time, open your damned mouth before I walk down the aisle. I don’t care if you’re the best man or not.”
“Next time, I’ll let you know exactly what I’m thinking. In fact, I think I’ll start right now by saying if you don’t take that pretty little thing to bed tonight, you’re going to regret it the rest of your life.”
Didn’t he know it, though he truly hated when Jace was right. Tuck picked up the last two cups and turned away from the concession stand. He scanned behind the chutes. It was easy enough to spot Becca in the crowd, even from a distance. Her gaze met his and his heart rate picked up speed.
Crap. One night wasn’t going to be enough with this girl. He knew that already and they hadn’t even gotten naked yet.
The announcer’s amplified voice coming over the sound system interrupted Tucker’s suspicions he should probably run in the opposite direction, far away from Becca, without looking back. Otherwise, there was a good chance he was going to be drowning eyeball deep in something he wasn’t sure he was ready for.
Luckily, he couldn’t think too much more about that now because it was showtime. He glanced at Jace. “Come on. We better get back.”
“I was waiting on you.” Jace frowned before he turned and led the way back to the chutes and the two women.
Tucker let out a slow breath, thinking one more time it would probably be less risky—and less painful—riding the rankest bull in the State of Oklahoma than opening himself up to a woman again.
Loud music reverberated off the walls, sending the adrenaline coursing through Tuck’s veins. He’d competed for so long, such cues as the roar of the crowd, the announcer’s echoing voice, and the pounding base of the music pumped into the arena all caused a visceral reaction. It all combined to tell his body it was time. He was like a warrior preparing for battle, every cell in his being ready, except his battle was against a bull and it would last only eight seconds.
Worse, the bull riding was the final event. He had an entire evening to sit through, feeling hyped enough to crawl out of his skin, just so he could jump on that bull and expend some of this energy.
His gaze hit on Becca, and he decided there was a much better way to get rid of some of this restlessness. The image hit him of tangling his hand in her hair, pulling her head back, and claiming her mouth with a long hard kiss.
That would certainly be nice and there was nothing he would enjoy more, but instead Tuck smiled and handed her the beer. “Here you go.”
“Thank you.” Her focus went to his cup. She smiled. “Soda pop again?”
He tipped his head. “Yes, ma’am.”
“You will drink later on, won’t you?”
Hmm, she’d warmed up a bit while he’d been away. What had done that? Was the beer kicking in? Or perhaps it had been a heart-to-heart with her sister, who seemed to be all for their spending time together later. Either way, something had swayed Becca toward him. Gone was the slight hesitation before her every sentence. Instead was a bold flirty city girl he’d definitely be happy to get to know a lot better, not that he hadn’t been into her already. Now that she’d gone and added another layer to her complexity, she was even more tempting.
Maybe that kiss wasn’t out of the question after all . . . a bit later.
“I surely will. As soon as my feet hit the dirt after my ride, I will gladly join you in a drink.”
“Your feet, or your face. Either one.” Jace grinned wide.
Tuck shot his supposed friend a less than happy glance. “Thank you for your confidence.”
Jace’s eyes crinkled in the corners with his smile. “You’re very welcome.”
He turned back to see Becca smiling.
“I look forward to it.”
Tucker raised his cup to her in a toast. “As do I. So, let me tell you what’s going to happen tonight.”
Her brows rose. “All right.”
Her smirk told him she was thinking about something besides rodeo. He laughed and shook his head. “In the events, I mean.” They could discuss the post-competition activity later. He’d look forward to that. “It moves pretty quick. You can’t keep the animals cooling their heels in the pens or the chutes for too long.”
“Of course.” She nodded knowingly, but he suspected she’d probably never owned anything bigger than a goldfish. Or maybe one of those little dogs fancy women carried around in their purses. That was fine. He was a very good teacher. He’d certainly enjoy their lessons.
With that image in mind, Tuck continued. “The action pretty much alternates between the two ends of the arena. The bucking chutes are at this end and the ropers’ boxes are at the other end. So you’re gonna see bareback bronc riding here, then tie-down and team roping down there. Then saddle broncs at our end and steer wrestling at the other end. There’s a break so they can set up the barrel racing for the women—I’ll explain it to you when we get to it. Then there’s an event for the kids. Mutton bustin’.”
“Mutton? Like people eat?” Her eyes opened wide, making him smile.
“Yup. Sheep. The little kids—like five or six years old— ride those and try to hang on. Then the maintenance crew drags the arena and the bull riding closes the event.”
“They save the best for last, huh?” Becca’s lips looked too damned tempting when she smirked all vixenlike. It would be very easy to bend down and take a taste.
Tuck swallowed hard. He certainly hoped there would be one more event at the end of the night. A private one between him and Becca. “They certainly do.”
“I look forward to the end, then.”
So did he. So did he.
“So, right now there will be some exhibition riding. The barrel racers will ride in with the colors. Once the flag is brought out there will be a prayer and the singing of the national anthem. Then there will be some riders in the ring, warming up the horses, both the rough stock and the trained stock . . .” He paused when he realized Becca likely didn’t know the difference. “I’m sorry. Am I going too fast for you?”
“No. Don’t worry. You’re definitely not going too fast.” Becca took another swallow of beer, but her eyes stayed on him.
Tuck drew in a deep breath, deciding to cut her off for a while after this drink. He wanted her. Hell, yeah. But he wanted her because she wanted him, not because he’d gotten h
er drunk.
That thought gave him pause. It was just another thing that had changed in him since a year ago. Back then he’d be pouring shots into a girl if it meant it would get her out of her pants quicker. Sure, he’d had to step quick to avoid getting puke on his boots once or twice after that, but what did he care? He was quick on his feet, and quick to get in and out.
That was back then.
Not anymore, and definitely not tonight. Tonight, with Becca, he intended to take his time. And he wanted her to be acutely aware of every single second of it. He glanced at the clock on the scoreboard. It was dinnertime, and judging by the way one beer had loosened her tongue considerably, he was betting she hadn’t eaten. “Hey, you girls want to try one of our Oklahoma delicacies?”
Again Becca’s brows rose. “Sure. What did you have in mind?”
He smiled. They’d get to that later. “The arena specialty. Foot-long corn dogs. Ever have one before?”
“Foot-long, huh? Impressive.” Emma laughed. “And no, I can’t say I’ve ever had a corn dog.”
“I’ve never had one before, either, foot-long or other.”
The expression on Becca’s face was so devilish and inviting, Tuck had to yank his gaze away before he did something he shouldn’t, like take her in back and show her something else that was long. Not twelve inches, but long enough for his purposes.
Jace shook his head. “Oh, you girls don’t know what you’re missing.”
He swallowed hard. “I’ll go get us a few.”
“Thank you.” Emma smiled at both him and Jace, but it was Becca who kept drawing his attention.
“My pleasure.” Tuck shot a glance at Jace that told him to follow and then headed up the stairs one more time.
“What’s up?” Jace matched his stride. “I’ve seen you buy girls drinks, but you’re not usually one to feed them.”
“She’s getting drunk.” Or at least her sudden easy flirtatiousness led him to believe she was.
“Yeah.” Jace nodded. “What’s the problem? That’s a good thing.”
Tuck frowned. “You can be a pig sometimes. You know that? Anyway, I figured they could both use some food in their stomachs.”
Jace shook his head.
“What now?” Tuck was getting pretty annoyed at Jace’s judgmental head shaking tonight.
“You’re different. That’s all. It’s not bad, just different. I’m trying to figure out what changed. Is it you just getting older? Or is it this woman?”
“It’s me trying to be a decent guy and show two out-of-towners some hospitality. Stop reading into things.” He certainly hoped it wasn’t this woman who had him suddenly acting like a gentleman, because she was flying away tomorrow.
Chapter Six
Becca watched Tucker bend at the waist. Mmm, mmm. He was sure built nice. From the top of his felt hat to the tips of his worn leather boots. Those leather chaps he’d just slung around his hips weren’t too bad, either.
He reached back to buckle the chap straps first around one jean-clad thigh, and then the other. And she’d thought the rodeo would be boring. Ha! She could watch Tucker do this all day. Buckle and unbuckle. Bend and stand.
She let out a sigh filled with pure contentment. “All right, Em. I’ll admit it. Cowboys are hot.”
Next to her, Emma laughed. “Oh, yeah.”
“Go ahead and say it.” Becca shot a sideways glance at her sister.
“Say what?”
“Another I-told-you-so. I know you want to.”
“Nope.” Emma shook her head.
That was a surprise. “Really? Why not?”
“Because I’m happy to see you happy.” Her sister smiled in her direction. “Becs, I’m really glad we did this together.”
“Oh, sure. Me, too. All New Yorkers should attend at least one rodeo in their lives,” she teased.
One of Emma’s brows rose sharply. “Don’t think I didn’t hear that sarcasm. And I meant the whole trip, silly. No matter what happens tomorrow with your interview and the job, I’m still glad we came.”
Becca smiled. “Me, too. And thank you.”
This hadn’t exactly been on her bucket list of things to do before she died, but nevertheless she was very glad she’d done it. Her attention went back to Tucker again as he bent to get something out of his bag and the chaps acted as a frame for his very nice rear asset.
“For what?” Emma frowned.
“For making me come here to the rodeo even though I didn’t want to. For being a little sneak and applying for the job even though that was still very wrong of you. For all of it.”
Thanks to Emma’s meddling, Becca wouldn’t have to live with regrets. She wouldn’t have to wonder what if? And if nothing else, at least they’d have good stories for the folks back home about their whirlwind Oklahoma adventure.
“Don’t be silly. No thanks necessary. My favorite thing is making you do things you don’t want to.” Emma grinned.
“Yes, I know.” As sincere as her thanks had been, she still couldn’t help laughing at the truth of what Emma had said. That was the kind of relationship they had, and as annoying as her sister could be sometimes, Becca didn’t think she’d want it any other way.
“Love you, Bec.”
“Love you, too, Em.”
“So, I’d like to make a proposal. More of a pact, actually.” Emma glanced at her sister before turning back to watch the two cowboys again.
Becca’s brows rose. “All right. What’s your proposal?”
“Whatever happens tonight, there’ll be no judgment on my part. No walk of shame in the morning. In fact, I hope I don’t see you again until breakfast before your interview tomorrow. I want you to have a good time. I want you to get the thoughts of that bastard Jerry and what he did to you knocked so far out of your system you can’t even remember what he looks like. And if riding that cowboy all night long is the best way to do it, then that’s exactly what I want you to do. Okay?”
Her heart beat faster at the thought of what Emma was suggesting. Two city girls out at the rodeo with a couple of cowboys they’d just met was one thing. But Emma telling her to spend the whole night with one of them was quite another. She was still having trouble wrapping her head around what an entire night with Tucker might be like, but parts lower, female parts long ignored, were warming to the idea nicely.
Finally, she gave in to it all. Her sister. Her desire. Tucker. “Okay.”
Emma smiled wide. “Good.”
The fact she was giving Emma the satisfaction of being right about everything—from applying for the position at OSU, to coming to the rodeo, to a night with a cowboy—proved how woozy Tucker’s mere presence made her. The two beers she’d had over the course of the last couple of hours probably helped with that a little, too, but she was far from drunk. Well, maybe she was a bit intoxicated, but on cowboy pheromones, not alcohol.
Her gaze fixed again on the men. They’d moved on to working with what she now knew after her private rodeo tutorial with Tucker were their bull ropes.
Next to her, Emma let out a sigh. “I don’t know what it is about cowboys that makes them so irresistible. It must be all the leather.”
“Could be.” Becca couldn’t exactly put her finger on the allure, either.
Maybe it was the leather. Or the easy way they said ma’am and darlin’. That hint of a drawl in Tucker’s voice reminded her every time she heard it that she wasn’t in New York anymore. Since she had particularly bad memories for one particular New York man, as well as a certain New York college that had let her go, that was a good thing.
Of course, it could be the jeans and boots and the swagger, which seemed to come as a package deal on all the cowboys. But most likely it was the sheer amount of attention Tucker paid to her, as if she were the only woman in the room when that was far from the case. Except for the few times they’d gone to get food or drink, or take a bathroom break, the two cowboys hadn’t left their sides for the whole night, until now when the
y had to prepare for their rides.
She’d gotten the promised explanation on all the night’s competitions, but it was the details about the bull riding, Tucker’s event, she’d listened to most intently. It wasn’t hard listening to Tucker speak. She let the soothing warmth of his voice wash over her. She had memorized every detail as if there would be a quiz later. Except for that one part when she’d gotten distracted watching Tucker’s mouth, but that wasn’t her fault. When a man that attractive licks his lips, a girl’s got to look. And imagine . . .
He straightened now and said something to Jace, who was getting ready next to him. When Tucker glanced in Becca’s direction and saw her watching, he smiled and winked. That one move, just a wink, made her knees go weak. She swallowed hard and knew with complete certainty, she was going to do it—she was going to spend the night with him.
“Em, should we have some sort of signal?”
“What kind of signal?” Emma asked.
“If I want you to, you know, leave us alone.” Becca couldn’t believe that suggestion had just come out of her own mouth. Or that she was planning on doing this. Then the practical side of her took over. “But wait, that’ll leave you alone for the night in a strange place—”
Emma held up one hand to stop her. “Oh, no. Don’t you dare back out of doing this because of me. Don’t worry about me. I’m the older sister and I can take care of myself. You worry about yourself, but you’re right. We do need a plan and some signals.”
“Agreed. So what should they be?” Becca could plan out an entire semester’s lessons, but it seemed tonight she was incapable of coming up with a simple strategy to signal her sister when it was time for her to be alone with the cowboy. She was so far out of her comfort zone, it wasn’t even funny.
“Relax. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated.” Emma shook her head. “Jeez, you have been off the market for too long.”
She let out a snort. “Tell me about it.”
“How about if you want to be alone with Tucker, you say you have to go to the ladies’ room and of course, I’ll go with you,” Emma suggested.
