A beer sounded really good at the moment, anything to numb the pain in his shoulder and the desire in his groin so he could sleep.
Fifteen minutes later found him strolling through the doors to the bar at the hotel. A sea of cowboy hats filled the area as he looked from one face to the other, trying to find someone he recognized. Several of the other bull riders leaned on the bar, sipping beers, so he headed in that direction.
The long mahogany sported a brass rail along the bottom, to rest your boots on as you sat at the bar. Rows of bottles graced the back bar with a huge mirror hanging there reflecting the hundreds of people talking and laughing. Everything from Jack Daniels to Wild Turkey could be had for a price. Levi wasn’t in the mood for the hard stuff. A beer would do.
“Hey, Levi.” A pretty blonde woman wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled him into a hug. “Busy tonight?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Oh, boo. I was hoping you would be available.”
“Sorry, babe. With this shoulder, I’m out of commission for a couple of weeks.”
“I bet your tongue still works, and I know mine does.”
His dick didn’t even twitch at the invitation on her lips or in her eyes. “Maybe some other time.”
“Okay. Hey, if one of your friends might be interested, send them my way.”
“Sure.” Buckle bunny to the core. Hopping from one bed to another depending on who is biting tonight.
He walked up to the bar, signaling for a drink from the bartender.
“What would you like?”
“Bud, please.”
“Sure. Bottle or draft?”
“Bottle is fine.”
“Coming right up.”
When the bartender brought back the bottle, Levi nodded in thanks, turned his back to the bar, and glanced around the room. A few of his fellow riders knew he was gay, but the majority of the fans and other riders on the circuit didn’t know and he preferred it that way. His sexuality didn’t have anything to do with the way he rode bulls. He would be judged though, he knew, and even a few of the riders would avoid him like the plague, so he kept quiet and did most of his playing at home in between stops on the circuit. It made for long spells of no sex, much to his dismay.
His gaze came to rest on the man sitting alone at a corner table. Curt. Damn, the man for being so gorgeous.
A woman approached and slid into the spot next to him. Curt drank his beer as the woman talked. She was very animated in her conversation, talking with her hands and laughing at whatever she was saying. Curt seemed disinterested, continuing to check out the huge television over the woman’s shoulder to the left.
Levi could almost see the wheels turning in Curt’s head to the tune of what might be going through his own should he be interested in women. Yeah. Uh-huh. Nice. Score! He tipped the bottle of beer to his lips, draining the last of the liquid from the brown glass before he signaled for the waitress to bring him another. The woman leaned in, burying her nose in Curt’s neck. Curt smiled.
Maybe he did do women.
My loss.
Curt got a hand on the girl’s shoulder and pushed her back with a frown.
Okay. Maybe not?
It looked as if Curt was reprimanding her. The woman frowned, got up and stomped away. Curt’s gaze went back to the television. He knew the other man was a rabid sports fan so it didn’t surprise him that Curt’s attention was on the ESPN sports report.
Levi drank the rest of his beer before turning back to get another one from the bar. He wasn’t sure he wanted to approach Curt tonight or not. After his fantasy in the shower, he might not be able to control himself around the guy. Nah. Tonight would be one of those nights he went to bed alone and woke up alone…again.
* * * *
Curt watched Levi from the corner of his eye as he tried to keep his focus on the sports program playing on the television. He wondered if his friend was in a lot of pain. He didn’t appear to be, but he knew Levi well enough that, like any other rider, they hid their pain well. If Doc thought they were in too rough of a condition to ride, he made it well known they would be doing it against his advice.
He drained his beer and signaled for the waitress to bring him another. Tonight he wasn’t in the mood for company of any sort. Thus, the reason he’d blown off the brunette who’d sat down with him. Not that she wasn’t pretty or anything, but tonight he didn’t feel up to entertaining.
His ride this weekend earned him a little cash. The big winner was Levi. He’d taken home the first prize for the week. If I’m going to make finals, I need to get my shit together and ride.
He hurt all over. His body telling him he needed a break. With only a few weeks left to qualify, he couldn’t afford to stop. None of the riders could if they wanted to be in the finals. Vegas was coming up fast and furious.
Man, he wanted to go home for some rest. Texas called to him. The family place called to him. A break sounded wonderful and he knew his parents would like to see him. The finals screamed his name this year though. The ranch could wait. He had a good foreman and friend watching the place for him while he did his thing.
His heart felt heavy. Someday he wanted a partner, a spouse to run the place with him, but he knew that would be a long time coming. His preference in sexual partners made it difficult to settle down. He didn’t want just one, he had a mind for two.
Curt didn’t know Levi’s sexual preferences, but he had an idea. They’ve never discussed it like so many men do on the circuit, but he’d also never seen Levi with a woman. Not that he couldn’t be married or something and just didn’t pickup buckle bunnies on a regular basis. Curt was almost sure Levi liked cock, funny thing was, so did he. He liked both actually. Pussy was nice on occasion too. There weren’t too many women who got off seeing two guys together though. Any woman like that would be special, he knew. Oh well, he would know when the time was right if there was to be a woman in the mix. Right now, he wanted a nice tight asshole to plunder.
His gaze swung to Levi again as his friend leaned against the bar. Levi glanced his way and did the chin tip thing guys do as he raised his beer in salute. Curt waved him over. If nothing else, they could share a beer or two and go their separate ways at the end of the night, never knowing which way things might work should they actually discuss their sexual preferences in detail.
Levi pushed off the bar and sauntered toward him, his hips doing a slow shift as he walked. The man was built and ready for a ride if Curt knew anything at all. Tall at about six foot, broad in the shoulders and lean in the hips, he had the perfect body for a bull rider. His dark hair hung barely below his ears and his green eyes made Curt think of new sprouts. He wasn’t sure what Levi’s nationality was if anything other than white. His features didn’t support any specific nationality like American Indian, African American or anything besides good old Caucasian.
Levi was good. He’d been on the circuit quite a few years, longer than Curt had been by just a few though. Curt joined the professional tour about five years past now and Levi had been one of the best even then. This year Levi had a chance at the world finals and so did Curt. They both were hoping for a string of good rides to keep them in the running for the title.
“What’s up?” Levi ask, coming to a stop next to the table.
“Not much. You?”
“Nothing here either.” Levi tipped his chin up. “Did you want me to join you?”
“Yeah. I figured you looked lonely over there all by yourself. I’m just sitting here chilling until my body unwinds from the adrenaline rush. Drinking a beer. Checking out the pickings in the bar. You know.”
“Yep.” Levi brought his beer to his lips, taking a couple of long swallows.
Curt swallowed hard as he watched the other man’s Adams apple bob with each sip. His groin tightened uncomfortably behind the fly of his jeans. Thank God, the table is hiding my hard-on.
“You did awesome today on the back of that final bull. Great ride.”
Levi set hi
s beer on the table. “Thanks. You got a good score on yours too.”
“Not good enough to beat you though.”
Levi smiled, showing off a gorgeous grin. Curt had the insane urge to bite Levi’s lower lip. The growl rumbling in his chest almost came out between his lips, but he managed to suppress it before he gave himself away. He wasn’t sure he wanted to reveal his attraction to the other man, just yet. He’d have to be careful. Gay action on the circuit could ruin a man’s career if it ever got out. The other guys might be a bit weirded out if they found out one of their riding buddies was gay or bi-sexual as in his case.
“Are you going home between weekends?” Levi asked, sipping his beer again.
“No. You?”
“After this weekend coming up, yeah. Home isn’t too far away from where we’ll be.”
“Where are you from?”
“Oklahoma. You?”
“Texas. Amarillo.”
“Well hell. I’m from a little town north of Oklahoma City. Near Stillwater called Mystique.”
“We are practically neighbors.”
“Yep.” Curt brought the beer bottle to his lips for a long drink before sitting it back down on the table top. “Do you have a place there?”
“Yeah. Some land I run horses on, breed cattle, and hope to raise some bucking bulls soon.”
“You raise horses, but you ride bulls?”
Levi grinned as he swirled the dregs of his beer around in the bottom of the bottle. “Sure do. I love horses. I do have a couple of bulls too, but I don’t do much with them except practice rides.”
“Hell, I thought every bull rider wanted to raise bucking bulls.”
“Do you?”
“Nope. I would like to raise beef cattle someday when I retire from bull riding.”
“Do you have a place to call home?”
“Not really. I have a small place on my parent’s property when I’m there. Being on the road so much, there isn’t much reason to have a place.”
“My parents have a place near mine. I grew up in the same neighborhood I have my ranch on now. I bought my place from an old family friend when they decided to retire from ranching, travel the country in their motorhome, you know.”
“What’s it like?”
“Five hundred acres of prime grazing land. Nice little three bedroom ranch house with a porch goin’ all the way around. A big red barn in the distance.”
The faraway look in Levi’s eyes told Curt he loved his place almost as much as bull riding, which would be a tremendous amount because Levi loved bull riding. “Sounds like a great place.”
“It is. I’d show you a picture, but I don’t have anything on me. My phone is charging in my room.”
“Too bad. I would love to have seen it.”
“Maybe at our next stop I can show you some of the shots I have. It’s a great place.”
“That would be great, Levi.”
Levi signaled the waitress over and ordered two more beers. “So. Anyone catch your attention tonight?”
“Not really.”
“I saw the chick comin’ onto you pretty strong a little bit ago.”
“Yeah, not my type.”
“What is your type?”
Chapter Two
Curt drank the last of his beer before shoving the bottle into the middle of the table. “Oh, I don’t know. I like a lot of different types. I’m not sure I have just one.”
“Come on. What do you prefer then? Blondes, brunette, red-head? Tall, short, skinny, curvy?”
“I like them all.”
“Hmm.”
The waitress arrived with their beers, Levi paid for this round. He would get the next one. “How about you? You got a preference?”
Levi’s gaze shifted around before coming back to Curt as he leaned in and rested his elbows on the table. “I can’t say that I do.”
“See. You’re in the same boat I am.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“I’m just not in the mood for pussy tonight.”
Levi’s eyebrow shot up over his left eye. “Oh?”
“Nope.”
“I couldn’t anyway with this bum shoulder. It makes it really hard to get horny when you’re hurting.”
The furrowing of Levi’s eyebrows told him he was in more pain than he was willing to admit probably. “Are you in a lot of pain?”
“Not so much now, but if I tried getting laid tonight, I’d probably be doubled over in the corner.” Levi leaned back in his chair, lifting it so he balanced only on the back legs. “Why aren’t you in the mood tonight?”
“Just not, I guess.” Shrugging, he glanced at the television, noting the scores he watched regularly. His gaze rested back on Levi a minute later. They were dancing around each other, sparring so to speak, neither of them willing to admit they wanted more than pussy tonight. Oh well, he’d survive. He didn’t want to pressure his friend into something he didn’t want or couldn’t do. It wasn’t right. If they were meant to have sex, they would—eventually.
The bar seemed to be getting louder as people continued filing in. It was Saturday night, after all. The crowd didn’t surprise him a bit. Lights blinked in a strange pattern on the various beer signs hanging in different area of the bar. The group of bull riders hung out in several groups, many looking to hook up with a buckle bunny to warm their beds for the night. The long mahogany bar was the spot where most of them hung out in rows and rows of Wranglers lined up in a fine display of cowboy ass. There were cowboy hats galore in the place, everything from Stetson to straw graced the heads of most of the men and even some of the women. You could tell the wannabes from the real riders by the dirt clinging to their boots.
He took a swallow of his beer, glancing across the table at Levi while he wondered what made the man tick. He’d known Levi for several years, but he didn’t know him the way he wanted to. The inkling of which way Levi swung was a rumor going around the riders, but no one knew for sure. Levi kept that part of his life to himself.
“What?” Levi asked.
“I’m just trying to figure you out.”
Levi shrugged as he took another swig from the beer in his hand. “Nothing much to know. I’m a bull rider. We have hard heads, a stubborn streak a mile wide, we love hard when we fall, and we don’t like being told no.”
Curt chuckled at Levi’s description. It fit the two of them to a T. “Are you going to rest that shoulder?”
“Can’t. I have to keep my points up to qualify for the world finals. You know that.”
“I know. I thought I’d ask, is all.”
“I appreciate it.”
“You need surgery.”
“Yeah, eventually. I’ll just have Doc tape it up good before the next several rides. Finals aren’t too far away and then I can have surgery when we are finished riding.”
“Where are you standing right now?” Curt asked, even though he knew exactly where Levi sat in the standings. He’d been keeping a close eye on his friend for several weeks.
“Thirty-five so I’m in as long as I hold my points. You?”
“Thirty-six. I need some good rides in the next three weeks to get in.”
“Vegas is a fun town. Lots to do.”
“Definitely.”
Levi peeled the label off his bottle slowly, concentrating on making sure it didn’t rip. Music thumped from the speakers, almost giving Curt a headache along with his blue balls. His body was beginning to feel every jerk the bull made, and the hard landing he’d taken tonight, right into the dirt. Ibuprofen would be on the menu before he hit the sack.
“So, you ever been in love?” Levi asked, his gaze intent on Curt’s.
“Nope. You?”
“Nope.”
Two ladies wandered over to their table. “Mind if we join you, gentlemen?”
Levi looked at him. He shrugged, indicating he didn’t care one way or another. This might make for interesting conversation later. “Please, sit down.”
�
�My name is Marie and this is Sondra.” The blonde indicated herself before pointing to her friend.
They were like night and day, one being light haired and the other being dark haired. He didn’t care. He wasn’t picky when it came to a woman.
“Nice to meet you, ladies.” Levi tipped his hat. “Would you like a drink?”
“That would be great,” Sondra answered as Levi signaled for the waitress.
Once their order had been taken, the women started asking questions about both of them. “Are you two some of the bull riders in town for the rodeo this weekend?”
“Yes, ma’am, but it’s not a rodeo, it’s the bull riders association event.”
Maria’s eyebrows furrowed. “What’s the difference?”
“Our event is only bull riding. Rodeos have all different events like calf roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, and bronc riding.”
“I still don’t get it.” Sondra frowned before taking a drink of her beer.
“We get on bulls, ride for eight seconds, and then get off. The other events don’t happen at a bull riding association events,” Curt answered.
“Were you ladies at the event tonight?”
“No,” Maria replied. “We heard about it, but we both had to work late so we couldn’t go. We wanted to though, you know, to meet the riders and stuff.”
“Where do you ladies work?” he asked, trying to keep the conversation going even though Levi didn’t seem the least bit interested in the two women.
“At the hospital. We are both nurses on the cardiac floor.”
“Most of the riders are here at the bar. You could meet almost everyone if you went around the room.” Levi took a drink of his beer, draining the bottle in a couple of gulps.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I’m Levi Bond.” He pointed to Curt. “This is Curt Walsh.”
“It’s nice to meet you both.” Sondra looked Levi straight in the face. “Are you two up for a little rodeo action tonight?”
“No thanks,” Levi was quick to answer. “I hurt my shoulder tonight. I’m out for the count for a couple of weeks.”
The two women looked shocked before they turned their attention to him. “What about you, handsome? A little ménage action maybe?”
Falling Hard Page 2
