by Mia Brown
Then the announcements started, thank goodness, so I couldn’t remain where I was just staring at her, losing my mind. It was time for me to get my head in the game and to give the same performance that I had been doing so all the time. I was on top, and I couldn’t allow Bullocalypse Now to bring me down. I needed to win.
I waited with the other riders, watching them be called out one by one. They seemed to be keeping me for the end for dramatic effect, I guess because a lot of people had come to see what I could do, but it wasn’t working well for me. I yearned to be out there, to be proving myself. I didn’t want this time for the anxiety to creep up through me. The more my stomach churned, the more I recalled my last fuck up where I barely even lasted a second on the back of the bull. It was absolutely fucking humiliating and I couldn’t go through that again. Especially not now when people knew my name. I wasn’t well known at all back then and it still crushed me.
“Eight seconds,” I murmured to myself. “I need to last eight seconds. I can do that.”
I shook my hands by my side and paced up and down. Everyone talked around me, voices washed over my head, but I did what I could to tune it all out. Eight seconds didn’t sound like the longest time, but during Bullocalypse Now, it was a life time. With an almost one hundred percent chance of being chucked off, it was forever.
“Alex.” Someone smacked me in the arm, shaking me from my thoughts. “It’s you, mate.”
“Fuck, is it?” I barely even noticed who was talking to me. “Fucking hell, okay then.”
I raced out in to the stadium to the sounds of cheers all around me. If I closed my eyes, I could only hear Emily’s which was perfect. I only wanted to know that she was watching me. I only wanted to do this for her. I lifted my hands high, playing up the crowds even if they didn’t really exist to me… but then it was time.
Everything inside of me stilled, my head really did slide in to the game at just the right moment, and I climbed on to the back of the bull. The timer hadn’t even started yet and I could already feel the intensity. This was going to be something else, a ride like no other, and it was going to take all of me to keep myself afloat. All my strength, all my mental will power, everything I had. I narrowed my eyes and planned for success.
“We can do this, buddy,” I muttered to the bull who was now my best friend. “Let’s work together.”
He made an agreeable noise, or a sound that I decided to take as agreeable anyway, and we waited. A thick tension filed the air, a heavy silence surrounded me. I focused again on Emily to calm me down…
And then it began. What followed was the craziest, hardest eight seconds of my whole damn life. It wasn’t even real, like some kind of dream… or maybe a nightmare since I was definitely going to be covered in bruises after this. But I clung on for dear life, rippling every muscle in my body. I used my training to lean when I needed to. I remained.
By the time the whistle blew again, it was as if all the air had been sucked from my body. There wasn’t a tiny scrap of me left. But as the crowd erupted, they gave me just enough power to raise my hands high. I celebrated alongside the crowd, knowing that I had at least achieved what I wanted to do. I lasted the eight seconds.
But was it enough? Now I just needed to wait for the rest of the rider to see the score board.
Time ticked passed agonizingly slow while I had to wait for the last couple of riders to complete their Bullocalypse Now challenge. It wasn’t long, neither of them lasted a long time, but I could barely handle it. Thankfully, then it was time to find out who had finished first. I really fucking needed it to be me…
“Yes!” I screamed, along with the rest of the crowd as my name flickered to life at the top of the screen. I had done it, I was fucking kicking ass! Number one in Bullocalypse Now pretty much meant that I was in the world championships. Everything that I wanted had finally come true, or it was on the way anyway.
I could win this year. I could have everything that I’d wanted forever and more.
As I cheered, the only person that I really wanted to celebrate this with raced across the stadium and she had jumped in to my arms. I wasn’t sure how she had managed to break free from the crowd, but she was here now, I had her to hold, and that was all I needed. I grabbed her and swung her high in the air, causing even more screaming and yelling from the crowds. But this wasn’t really for them, I didn’t care what they thought.
Everything that happened between me and Emily was becoming increasingly for us. It was dangerous.
“You did amazing,” she cooed as she slid down my body, her hands cupping my cheeks as she did. “Well done.”
Kissing her was the most natural thing in the world, so that was what I did. Our lips knew one another well now, the magnetic force pulled us together and never wanted to let go. There was an intense passion between us, I couldn’t resist wrapping my arms around her and holding her tight to me, like she was a part of me.
This fake relationship was the closest thing that I had ever had to true love, and I didn’t want it to end.
* * *
“Mr. Fancy, we meet again,” a reporter who I was starting to get to know well, called out to me. I thought his name was Dave, but I wasn’t one hundred percent sure. I liked him though. “You did well today.”
“Thank you very much.” I beamed brightly. “Bullocalypse Now was a highlight for me.”
“Well, everyone had high hopes for you, and you delivered. Next, the world championships?”
“Oh, I hope so.” I was growing increasingly confident, but I needed to remain modest. “I really do. But this is a tough year, isn’t it? All the other riders are doing really well too, so there are no guarantees.”
“You know, I dug up an old interview with you.” Dave narrowed his eyes curiously at me. “And the reporter said that you were cocky and arrogant… the resident bad boy, but you don’t seem that way to me.”
I smiled though gritted teeth. I really did hate it when reporters brought up my past. It made it so hard for me to remember who I was these days. “Maybe I was. But every ‘bad boy’ has to grow up some time.”
“And that’s what’s happened, is it? You’ve grown up?” Dave’s eyes twinkled. “Who can we thank for that?”
“Oh, I think everyone knows.” My chest heated up with the intense warmth that only she could give me. “My wonderful girlfriend, Emily. My good luck charm. I have her to thank for everything right now.”
“So, things must be going really well for you then? You and the beautiful model?”
I nodded, and it was genuine. God it was so confusing. I really did feel like things were going well between me and Emily, even if it wasn’t real. I had no freaking idea what was going to be the end result.
“Oh yes, everything is amazing. I didn’t know that I would manage to find someone like Emily. She really has blown me away.” Uh oh, was I gushing? Why could I stop? “She’s so sweet, so loving, so amazing.”
“Ah, and here she is right now.” I turned to see who Dave was pointing at. Emily, the girl who made the whole room shine. “The beautiful Emily Mason. Do you mind if I talk to her for a while?”
“No, not at all.” I stepped to one side. “Talk away. I’ll just wait over here.”
I watched Emily deal with Dave with ease, using her natural charm to win him over. She had a really nice charisma that I wasn’t even sure she was aware of. She sucked people in, and they couldn’t help but like her. I found myself imagining her back home with Kenzie and Jeff, fitting in easily. They would love her, she would be one of the gang in an instant… if only that could happen. If only we really did have a shot at a future. That would be perfect.
Twenty-Two
Emily (a month later, mid October)
The morning coffee was delicious, just what I needed to get through the chilly October morning. I’d grown used to the Southern heat and the sun shine with all the rodeo activities, so I had a feeling that this winter wasn’t going to be an easy one for me, especially
since I was going to be spending a lot of it in a bikini. Some of that would be in hot places for sure, but I was going to need to be a lot stronger for Antarctica. Now that would be cold.
“Good morning, Emily,” Alex shook me from my thoughts in a sing song tone of voice. “How are you?”
“I’m good thank you, if not a little cold. How are you feeling this morning?”
“I’m great.” He grabbed himself a mug and poured the coffee in to it. He had well and truly made himself at home while staying here over the last few months, but that was fair because we were here a lot. “Yesterday was great.”
I grinned and nodded. I actually managed to organize a volunteer activity that I didn’t mind us being pictured at, a trash pick up to clean the city, which had worked out incredibly well for the both of us. A lot of the press were interested in what we were doing, so a lot of people would be talking about us today. That would make Alex look like the nicer person he wanted the public to see him as, the person I truly believed that he was, and we did a lot of flirting while picking up trash, so it would make me seem edgier as well… not that I was too worried about my reputation, people were definitely no longer looking at me like I was a virgin.
“I think we can get more activities like that done… in between our busy schedules.”
“Yeah, things are pretty wild for you at the moment, Emily.” He took the seat in front of me. “You are so busy. Over the last month I haven’t seen you much at all. I’m sure it’s only going to get worse.”
I smiled thinly. I hadn’t yet told me about the Redness shoots yet because I wasn’t sure how badly he would take it. Or how well since we were supposed to be done by then. If he didn’t care, then it would freak me the hell out because I was such a damn internal mess over the same thing. I had to tell him eventually though…
“Yeah, probably so.” I nodded happily. “My manager said the work is rolling in.”
“Good, good. And people are definitely looking at me differently. I really think that I am going to have the sponsorship deals I want coming my way. I can’t wait to see what I have offered to me.”
He rubbed his hands together gleefully, making me laugh. I loved seeing him happy like this. It made my heart sing with joy as well. He was always gorgeous, but even more so with a grin.
“So, how come we always come to Chicago anyway?” he surprised me by asking. “How come we never go to my home town? You know, there are plenty of volunteering opportunities there too. In fact, I do believe you owe me a trip to the children’s hospital there. You promised me, didn’t you? Do you remember that?”
Guilt flooded me. I just hadn’t thought about it to be honest. “Oh well, there is just a lot more press here, isn’t there? No major media institutions hang out in small Wyoming towns, do they?”
“What?” He cocked an eyebrow, looking insulted. “You’re a small town girl yourself.”
“I know, which is why I know. But that doesn’t mean we can’t go, does it? Maybe we should organize a trip.”
“You’d come?” His eyes lit up with so much excitement I felt bad for not suggesting it before.
“Sure, why not? It could be a lot of fun. And I suppose it doesn’t always have to be for the major media, does it? Or any media at all. We can just do it for a bit of a break from all of this.”
As soon as I said that, I wasn’t convinced that it was the best idea. Anything that we did to deepen our friendship, to become more of a bond was dangerous. My feelings towards Alex were making me uncomfortable anyway, I didn’t want to make it worse. I was already in way over my head here…
“I would like that. And you know, if you come to my home town then I should treat you to something cool. Is there something that you have always wanted to do that you never got to before?”
“Erm…” I tapped my chin thoughtfully. “I don’t know. What sort of thing do you mean?”
“Like a show you want t see, a game you want to go to, a place you want to visit…”
“Oh well, I haven’t ever been to the Circus of Heavenly Movement.”
“What’s that?” He had clearly never heard of it judging by his confused expression.
“It’s a really high-end, fancy aerialist and acrobatic troupe that perform these really cool dream like stories. I remember seeing a poster when I was a kid, but we never got to do anything then.” I glowered for a second, remembering how little I was ever allowed to do because my mother had better things to spend her cash on. “Now, every time I see one of the posters advertising it, I think I should do it, but I can’t ever find anyone who wants to come. I don’t think it’s the sort of thing I can go to by myself.”
“Then it’s decided!” He banged his hand down on the table decisively. “We will go. Me and you. If I win the championships, then that’s where I will take you. It sounds really cool, I think I would like it.”
“You?” I gave him a disbelieving look. “Is that your sort of thing? I can’t imagine it.”
He pressed his hand to his chest in mock horror. “How could you be so judgmental? I might love it! Plus, after six months of being stuck as my fake girlfriend, it’s the least that I can do!”
I didn’t feel stuck, to me it seemed like he must be the one stuck with me. Which made me ask the next question: “Hey, Alex, have you stuck to our promise? Erm, you know the one about having sex with no one else?”
As soon as the words were out there, I wanted to take them back. To reel them back in and act like I never said anything at all. It was stupid to care. Clearly, even if he hadn’t been sticking to his word, it wasn’t affecting the way that the press saw our relationship. They thought we were the sweet hearts at the moment.
So, why did I care? Why did I really feel like it was a serious issue?
“No, actually, I haven’t,” he admitted, making my heart sing more than it should. “I promised and I haven’t. Are you shocked?” He laughed at my expression. “You look shocked. But even if I have been tempted, I haven’t.”
“You’ve been tempted though?” I wasn’t sure why that was important.
“Well, I mean…” He shrugged in a blasé manner. “Six months is a long time for a guy like me. But luckily for you, your company is good enough.” He shot me a wink. “And making out with you is fun.”
Something about the twinkling look in his eyes drew me to him. The idea that making out with someone who he knew was never going to sleep with him, was enough intrigued me. I wanted to do more for him, to thank him for being such an amazing patient person… plus a part of me wanted to take things one step further anyway. I couldn’t explore everything with Alex, my decision had already been made on that front, but I could explore some new things. It had been playing on my mind for a while now, and I couldn’t resist my fantasies coming true.
I sat on his lap, much to his surprise, and pressed my lips against his. My hands rested against his chest as we made out, so I could feel the intense hammering of his heart as it hammered against his chest. He didn’t even know what was about to come which made it even more thrilling for me. Having all this power, holding on to the control, I loved it. Alex Fancy was a guy who held all the sexual power… but not with me.
My hands slipped slowly down his chest, the excitement growing in the pit of my stomach, the closer to him I got. I ached, my core throbbed, I couldn’t wait to hold him between my finger tips… admittedly, I was a little scared as well, but I wasn’t going to let Alex see that side of me. I wanted to be a goddess.
“What are you…?” he gasped as I teased the waist band of his jeans. “Emily, I didn’t think…”
In that moment, I wanted to rip my panties off and straddle him. The need to have him so badly was crazy intense. I wanted to forget all my values, to just have him before I lost the chance to ever be near him again, but there were a lot of implications there and I didn’t want to regret my decision, so in the end I sent him a wink and stuck to my plan.
“I just want to thank you,” I whispered huskily.
“For being such a good sport.”
Before he could say anything else, I took the next brave step and dipped my hand in to his trousers to wrap my hand around his cock. He was thick and warm between my fingers, throbbing with about as much need as I was. A gasp flew passed my lips, I couldn’t stop it from coming. Touching him turned me on even more. A heady lust bulleted through me, sending my head spinning with excitement. I could hardly control myself.
“Oh fuck, Emily. What are you doing to me?” He tossed his head back, his eyes falling closed with lust. “You feel… fucking hell… you have no idea how good you feel right now. Your hands… you’re fingers… fucking hell.”
I wanted to say the same to him. Every stroke of his cock was perfect. It made every fantasy of him deep inside me that much more real. I kissed him as I picked up the pace, knowing that I needed to make it even more real. Every time I dreamt about us in bed together, we were kissing like there was no tomorrow, and I didn’t want this to be any different. I sped up as the intensity at my core got too much, the butterflies flapping like crazy down there, wanting him. I could tell from every grunt and groan that even though I didn’t really know what I was doing, it felt good.
The more that he liked it, the hotter I got. The more I wanted to fuck him already. Luckily, before it could even get to that moment, he lost his mind and exploded all over me, soaking my hand. He clung to me for a few moments, panting hard against my side, and I held him close to me smiling to myself, loving every inch of him against me.
That moment was purely for him, nothing for me at all, yet I got a lot of satisfaction from it. I felt stronger, blissful, more connected to him because of it. Even more so when he pulled back and I noticed the dazed but happy look on his face. He barely looked like he was even in the world now, which was incredible. I made that happen.
Twenty-Three
Alex (a few days later, mid October)
