by Tyler, Paige
Ride ‘em Hard
Chapter One
“I can't believe you can ride like that!”
Britt Miles would have been insulted by the compliment if Shawna Barton wasn’t her best friend in the whole world. She laughed. “You don't have to sound so shocked. I do ride horses for a living, you know.”
Britt flipped her dark hair over her shoulder and looked around the restaurant for their waiter. She and Shawna had ordered almost fifteen minutes ago. The guy could have at least brought their drinks by now. But the place was packed with people in town for the rodeo, so she supposed she could cut him some slack.
“I know,” Shawna said. “But all I could think about as I watched you riding like you were born on a horse was here's the girl who used to fall off one all the time at summer camp.”
Leave it up to Shawna to bring up that embarrassing few weeks in her life. “I got better.”
“Obviously.” Shawna tucked her long, blonde hair behind her ear. “I could barely breathe watching you go around those barrels at that speed. I thought for sure you were going to hit them more than once.”
Britt grimaced. “Don't remind me. I did that in the finals in December. This was my first event back.”
Her friend’s blue eyes went wide. “You were hurt? You never told me that.”
She and Shawna had been best friends since they were eight years old, and had talked to each other on the phone or internet two or three times a week since graduating from high school. She felt bad about keeping the injury from her friend, but Shawna was a serious worrier about stuff like that.
Britt shrugged. “I didn't want to alarm you. Besides, I thought my knee was just bruised. It turned out I'd messed it up more than I'd thought, though. It took three months to rehab.”
Shawna shook her head. “As much as I appreciate you saving me the anxiety, don't ever do that again.” She eyed Britt. “But everything’s okay now, isn't it?”
Britt stuck her leg out of the booth and flexed it back and forth. “Right as rain.”
“I'm glad to hear it.” Her friend sat back in her seat with a relieved sigh. “I wouldn't have known this was your first event back after an injury. You looked great. I don't know why you didn't win.”
Britt laughed as the waiter brought their drinks—finally. He placed their iced teas down and hauled ass back to the kitchen before Britt could even thank him. Poor guy was going to be beat by the end of his shift.
She tore open a packet of sweetener and poured it in her tea. Across from her, Shawna did the same. “I didn't win because you don't get points for style in barrel racing. I rode slower than I should have, so I came in third. It's not as good as I know I can be, but for my first event back on the circuit, I'll take it. I have a lot of ground to make up since I missed so many events while I was rehabbing, and third place in the Austin Rodeo pays well.” She stirred her tea with her straw, then took a sip. “Enough about me and my horse. What's going on with you? Did you finish your last Master's course?”
It was Shawna's turn to grimace. “Not yet. I have another two weeks. I think I'll do okay, but the professor is real bastard.”
Britt grinned at hearing her friend cuss. Shawna rarely ever cussed. Heck, she didn't even say “fudge.” But if there was one thing that could get her riled up, it was the college professors in the computer engineering program she was in. It was a profession a lot of women wouldn’t even consider going into because it was such a male dominated one, but Shawna excelled there. She'd gotten a great job here in Austin writing software programs and was now going back to college at nights to get her Master’s Degree.
It was kind of funny really. Growing up together in Lufkin, Shawna had been the impulsive tomboy, riding horses and playing sports. Texas being Texas, Britt had done her share of riding, but had been a bit more girly and introspective. Now, their roles were reversed, with Shawna being a think-before-you-act kind of girl, and Britt riding like a she had a tornado by the tail.
“You'll get through it, I have no doubt,” Britt assured her. “And when you have that degree in hand, I coming back here to take you out to celebrate.”
Shawna started to say something, but just then a couple of team ropers stopped by the table to congratulate Britt for getting back on the circuit and doing so well. This was the third time since they’d sat down that a friend of hers—in this case two friends—had stopped by to say hello.
Britt introduced Shawna to the men, who subtly—as subtle as men could be, at least—eyed her and Shawna with interest. Britt could tell they were wondering if she was totally back in the saddle and looking to end up in one of their beds. She wasn't ashamed to admit she was known to bag herself a hot rodeo stud now and then, especially after a good night of riding. The fact that she had a friend with her simply upped the chances of both men getting laid.
But Britt wasn't looking to get lucky tonight. She rarely got a chance to spend any time with Shawna, and she wasn't going to waste it. Eventually, the guys figured out she wasn't game and headed on down the trail with a wave and a tip of their hats.
“Okay, now they were seriously cute.” Shawna followed the men and their jean-clad butts with her eyes until they disappeared into the crowd of tables before reluctantly turning her attention back to Britt. “Something tells me you know them in the biblical sense. Am I right?”
Britt shook her head. “I've danced with both of them before, even kissed them, but it never went any further than that. Not for lack of trying on their part, though. But you know the saying—so many men…”
“So little time,” Shawna finished with a laugh. “Yeah, I couldn't help noticing there are a lot of hot cowboys roaming around tonight—and that you seem to know most of them. Are all rodeo riders so cute and buff?”
Britt waited for the waiter to set their burgers down in front of both of them before answering. “Nah. Most are cuter.”
Shawna blinked in disbelief. “Are you serious?” At Britt’s nod, Shawna groaned. “I’m clearly in the wrong career field.”
“I have to admit, it's definitely one of the benefits of being a rodeo rider,” Britt said as she tore into her cheeseburger. She hadn't been very hungry when they'd ordered, but waiting almost an hour for their dinner to come had changed that. She was starving. “There are a lot of amazing men riding the circuit, and I'm happy to say I've spent time with some of them.”
Shawna looked eagerly around the crowded restaurant as she dunked a French fry in ketchup. ‘Are any of them here?”
Britt put on her best shocked expression. “Shawna Eileen Barton, are you looking for all the kinky details? I never knew you were such a bad girl.”
A blush colored her friend’s cheeks. “Let's just say that in the current academic environment in which I spend most of my time, I don't run into many buff, hunky cowboy types. So, humor me, and let me have my vicarious thrills where I can find them.”
Britt laughed. It wasn't like she and Shawna didn't share juicy tidbits about their sex lives when they talked on the phone. They'd never done it in person, though. Not that Britt was shy around her best friend. Actually, she wasn’t shy around pretty much anyone.
She scanned the restaurant. Unfortunately, none of her rodeo conquests were around.
Shawna frowned in disappointment when Britt admitted as much. “All these scrumptious guys around, and you haven't banged any of them?”
“Hey! I don't sleep with every guy on the circuit,” Britt laughed. “I do have some standards.”
Shawna looked at the surrounding tables with a shake of her head. “And if these are the ones who don't measure up, I'm definitely in the wrong career field. I'd bang any one of those three guys over there at that table in the back. They’re dreamy as hell.”
Britt herded her French fries into a big puddle of ketchup before looking over her shoulder at the table her friend had mentioned. “No, you wouldn't,” she said as she turned back around to nibble on some of those perfectly dunked fries.
“No, I wouldn't what?”
“Bang any of those three guys.”
Shawna’s perfectly arched brows drew together. “Why wouldn't I? I'm not a prude you know.”
“I know you're not. But you wouldn't be sleeping with those three because they're gay.”
Shawna's jaw dropped. She leaned out of the booth to stare openly at the three gorgeous cowboys. “No way!”
“Way. That's Tom, Mike and Brant. They're a committed…three-way couple…I'd guess you'd say. They've been together for more than two seasons.”
“Are you sure?” Shawna’s lips formed a pout. “Three guys that sexy all off the market? That's just unfair.”
Britt sighed. “I feel your pain, honey, and yes, I'm sure. On the bright side, they let me watch once while they kissed. Let me tell you, it was damn hot.”
While Britt told Shawna about her three gay, cowboy friends and the strong relationship they had, she couldn't help but mentally shake her head. Shawna might have said she’d bang any one of the three, but that wasn't exactly true.
It wasn’t that Shawna was a goody-goody. It was just that she tended more toward relationships than one-night stands. Nothing wrong with that. But it was funny to think of her friend grabbing one of those hot guys, kissing them, and then telling them to take her to bed. Britt simply couldn't imagine that happening.
“Just because none of the guys you’ve slept with are here doesn’t mean I’m letting you off the hook,” Shawna said as she nibbled on a French fry. “I want to hear just how good these cowboys are in bed.”
“Well,” Britt grinned. “There was this hot stud of a bull rider by the name of Clay Winters I hooked up with at the Finals in Vegas back in December. Unfortunately, it was the night I did this,” she pointed at her knee, “so we couldn’t get as wild as either of us would have liked, but he made me forget all about the pain.”
Shawna lifted a brow. “You slept with a guy while your leg was all busted up?”
Britt laughed. “There wasn't much sleeping, but yeah, we definitely got busy. He got stepped on by a bull, so he was pretty bruised up himself, but we did okay. In fact, it was better than okay. That guy had a tongue worth begging for. I've never had a guy lick my pussy like that. I must have come like four times just from the oral.”
“Oh, my God.” Shawna set down her cheeseburger and leaned forward, her heart-shaped face rapt with attention. “How long did he go down on you?”
Talking about Clay only reminded her of the very painful fact she hadn't gotten any herself since that night, which had been more than three months ago. Just remembering how good his mouth had felt on her made her clit tingle. The guy had been seriously addicted to licking her pussy, and that was one addiction she would love to enable.
“An hour, maybe an hour and a half,” Britt said. “I think he spent so much time nibbling my pussy because we couldn’t have an honest-to-goodness headboard-rattling sex session.”
“But you did have…actual sex, too…right?”
Shawna sounded almost desperate. She mustn’t have been kidding when she said she hadn’t gotten any in a while.
“Oh yeah, we had sex.” Britt sipped her iced tea. “By that time, I couldn't even bend my leg, so doggie style, girl on top, even missionary was out. But Clay was very understanding and damn creative. He bent me over the back of the couch and did me from behind while I put most of my weight on the cushions.”
Shawna licked her lips. “Was he…you know…” She lowered her voice. “Well-endowed?”
Britt almost laughed. For all their statements of intellectual superiority over the male species, women could be as shallow as any man. They all wanted a big cock—at least Britt did. Nice to know that Shawna wasn't any different.
Britt leaned forward so she could get close to Shawna, giving her a conspiratorial look as she swept the nearby tables like a spy looking for hidden microphones.
“He was nice and long, and as thick as…well…” She reached out and wrapped her thumb and forefinger around Shawna's wrist, then moved them a bit higher up her forearm, until the tips of her fingers were a little more than an inch apart. “Yeah, that's about right. He was that thick.”
Shawna stared at Britt’s fingers, her eyes wide. “Seriously? That big?”
Britt released Shawna’s arm and went back to what was left of her burger. “Yup, that big. I've ridden horses that didn't leave me feeling that bowlegged. He knew exactly how to use that thing, too. I was a very happy woman afterward.”
“I bet you were.”
Shawna’s voice sounded so wistful it made Britt want to kick herself for oversharing. She hadn't meant to make her friend feel bad. Time to change the subject.
Britt gestured to Shawna’s burger. “Hurry up and eat or we’ll never get to the club.”
She and Shawna had been planning this night since Britt had penciled in the Austin Rodeo two months ago. Shawna had agreed to let Britt pay for dinner only if she agreed to let Shawna treat her to a night out on the town afterward.
They were headed for the door when a familiar voice stopped them.
“Britt? Is that you?”
Britt turned, almost smacking into the still closed door at the sight of Clay Winters. He looked as creamy delicious now as he had three months ago in Vegas. His arms opened and she automatically rushed in to hug him.
“I didn’t know you were here!” She pulled back to look up at him. “I didn’t see you at the rodeo.”
“You wouldn't have. I rode in the Xtreme Bull event this time.”
Xtreme Bull was a one-day bull riding competition that took place as a completely separate event from the traditional pro circuit rodeo. She hadn't even watched any of it—no wonder she hadn't seen Clay.
His big hands slid down her arms to rest on her waist. Just being this close to him made very naughty thoughts pop into her head. “When I heard you were here competing, I damn near scoured the city trying to find you. Can’t believe I finally ran into you.”
Britt blinked. He'd come looking for her? Okay, she’d admit it. That made her feel good. Hell, it made her feel more than good. It made her want to fist bump someone. But then she realized she was blocking the door—and starting to drool a little. Not to mention completely ignoring Shawna. What was it about Clay that made her forget herself? Oh yeah, probably his chiseled good looks, rock-hard body and sinfully sexy voice.
She put her hand on his shoulder and turned him toward Shawna. “Forgive me for forgetting my manners. Shawna, this is Clay Winters. Remember, the bull rider I mentioned to you? Clay, this is Shawna Barton, my best friend.”
Shawna’s eyes went wide as recognition dawned on her. “Clay…?” She stuck out her hand, her face coloring. “The bull rider. Of course! It’s nice to meet you in person.”
As she shook his hand, her eyes dropped to that place right below his belt buckle. Britt’s lips twitched. Shawna, you naughty girl. Clay was trying his best to ignore the fact that Shawna's eyes were locked on the bulge in his jeans, but the damn girl was making it difficult. She wasn't simply looking, she was flat out staring.
Britt cleared her throat and shuffled Clay and Shawna out of the way of the door before someone walked through and ran over them.
“Since you two were heading out, I won’t keep you,” Clay said. “I just wanted to ask you how your leg is doing. Considering you’re racing, I reckon that means you’re all patched up?”
Britt almost laughed. What he really wanted to know was whether they could have sex again. While she wouldn't have minded a repeat performance with Clay, it wasn't going to happen tonight. Ditching her friend was out of the question.
“Completely recovered. No problems on a horse at all.” Britt glanced at her friend. “Shawna and I are going to a club she knows so I can check it out on the dance floor. Just to make sure I'm one-hundred percent recovered.”
Clay gave Shawna an appraising look, taking in her long, blonde hair and the smattering of freckles across her nose in a way that
might have made Britt jealous if she and Shawna weren’t like sisters.
“You from around here?” he asked.
Shawna nodded.
Clay grinned. “Me, too. Grew up not more than ten miles from here. Where are you taking Britt?”
“The Cowboy Club.”
“No kidding. That place is one of my old hangouts.” He gave Britt a questioning look. “You two interested in some company? I'm up for a little partying myself.”
Britt just bet he was. But she didn't want Shawna feeling like a third wheel, which would happen if he came along. She opened her mouth to tell him they'd have to get together again at another rodeo in another city, but behind him, Shawna was nodding her head up and down so fast she looked like one of those silly Bobblehead dolls.
Clay must have wondered what Britt found so fascinating because he turned to see what it was. Shawna immediately stopped bobbing her head and smiled at Clay as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. The moment he turned back to Britt, she started nodding again, this time mouthing the word, yes.
So Shawna wanted to party with Clay, huh? Okay with her.
“Sounds good.” Britt grinned. “Let's go have some fun.”
Chapter Two
Shawna had almost fainted when Britt introduced the gorgeous man who’d stopped them on the way out of the restaurant as Clay Winters. The very same Clay Winters Britt had told her about only minutes earlier. The one with a cock as thick as her forearm and a tongue that apparently had no “off” button.
Britt had been understating things when she’d said Clay was attractive. Lots of men were attractive. With that dark hair, those soulful brown eyes and the most sensuously kissable lips she’d ever seen, he was so handsome he could be model. For cowboy body wash, maybe. Oh hell, she'd buy anything he was selling—he was that damn hot. And his voice was smooth as honey. She could close her eyes and just imagine what it would be like to hear that voice cooing in her ear as she fell asleep on his chest after a night of glorious sex.
