Today, she vowed to have a good time regardless of the location. She would do it for Stacy, if not herself.
“So, tell me about the guy.” Danielle smiled at Stacy.
Stacy squealed and babbled about her boyfriend until they reached the rodeo grounds. Danielle listened intently to her sappy stories while maintaining a smile. She did feel a pang of jealousy. Stacy was exuberant and full of life because of the guy she was dating. How wonderful that would be to feel like that, Danielle thought, but she never let her emotions reach her face. Today was about being there for Stacy, like she had always been for her.
“I’m so excited,” Stacy said, and bounced in the seat. “I haven’t seen Will all week.”
“Wow, why not? The drive isn’t long,” Danielle questioned as she parked her truck.
“Oh, they had some business for the ranch to take care of.” Stacy shrugged and bounded out of the truck.
Danielle got out and caught up with Stacy. “Hey, are you going to leave me behind or what?”
“Sorry, girl, I need to find my man,” Stacy squealed as she looped her arm around Danielle’s and pulled her along.
Danielle couldn’t help but smile. Stacy looked so excited and angelic with her blue eyes. Danielle had coveted those blue eyes ever since they were kids. She felt unfortunate to have wound up with brown ones. To her, they seemed so blah. They seemed to hold no excitement, no wonderment. That was yet another thing she couldn’t change about herself.
Stacy jabbed Danielle in the ribs. “Oh, look. There he is. God, don’t you love the way he looks in those jeans?”
“Whom are you talking about? I see a lot of guys wearing jeans.” Danielle laughed and glanced around.
“Here he comes. I get wet just watching him walk,” Stacy added as she squeezed Danielle’s arm.
“Gawd. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” Danielle quipped but was not at all shocked by Stacy’s comment. “I swear, one of these days, I’m going to record everything you say and send it to Aunt Jenny. Wouldn’t she be shocked to hear her baby girl?”
“Don’t be a prude, Danielle, and don’t act like there has never been a man that has made you feel that way,” Stacy added and picked up her pace. “If there has been, you should tell me. I love sex talk.”
Yes, there has been, just one. I hope to never see him again.
“Hi, babe,” Will said and smiled as Stacy jumped into his arms, wrapped her legs around his waist, and planted a kiss on him.
Danielle blushed. Stacy was a walking hormone, and worse, she had not a care in the world concerning public displays of affection. Oh, well, the guy was good looking and seemed as completely into Stacy as she was him. They made a cute couple, really. Still, it was disheartening somewhat to watch their display, a major reminder to Danielle that she was alone.
Stacy abruptly ended her kissing session to introduce Danielle.
Will grinned and shook her hand. “Nice to finally meet you. Stacy has told me so much about you.” The expression in his eyes was genuine when he spoke. They were a nice shade of blue, just like what’s his name’s.
Danielle’s face got hot. “I can only imagine.”
“Would y’all like a beer or soda?” Will asked.
“Sure, beer. That would be great,” Danielle and Stacy said at the same time.
Will laughed. “You two really are like sisters, aren’t you?”
They giggled as Will walked away. Danielle spaced off while Stacy babbled. She remembered how much she’d loved coming to rodeos years back, before what’s his name. Although she didn’t dare ride a horse or anything without brakes and a gas pedal, she enjoyed the fact some were brave enough to try.
Bull riding had been her favorite, especially when what’s his name rode. Damn, he’d looked so awesome, she thought to herself. Those leather chaps with fringe were well worn and wrapped around his thick, muscular legs. His pride and joy was prominently framed in the center. The man had rugged good looks combined with blue eyes that were a chick magnet. Danielle’s favorite part was his sensual mouth. It was perfect for kissing. He’d had a way with that mouth when he smiled that made tingles run up her spine and her panties dampen in pure animalistic want and carnal desire. All the things she wanted to do to him with her tongue. There were places along the planes of his body she wanted to kiss and lick.
“Danielle…Hello, anyone home?” Stacy snapped her fingers in front of Danielle’s face.
Danielle blinked and came to attention.
“You obviously didn’t hear a word I said,” Stacy snapped.
“Sorry, sweetie, what’s that?” Danielle asked, regaining her wits. She had to get what’s his name out of her head.
“I said he’s a god in bed,” Stacy blurted out. “We hump like rabbits. I’m getting horny just talking about him.”
Danielle burst out laughing. “You’re right. I did miss that.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “So, are you ready for my smartass comment now?” She raised a brow with a grin.
“I’ll pass.” Stacy giggled.
“Really, I think it’s great you are so into him. I think he’s really into you as well. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you glow quite as much around anyone else,” Danielle noted.
“Ah, really? You’re so sweet,” Stacy gushed and batted her lashes.
“Two beers, for two gorgeous ladies,” Will said as he walked up and handed them the bottles.
“Thanks, sweetie.” Stacy smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
Danielle said her thanks and turned her attention to the arena. The opening ceremony was beginning. Besides, she was going to have a sugar-sweet attack if she watched those two any longer.
The procession of horses flooded the arena while the Stars and Stripes were flown and “The Star-Spangled Banner” played. Danielle listened to the sweet musings of Will and Stacy behind her but tried to drown it out with her beer.
She overheard Will say that J.C. would be here soon. Great, must be the brother. She was going to kill Stacy, well, not kill her, but punish her anyway. Why is that name familiar?
When the song ended, Danielle politely excused herself for round two. She weaved through all the people and got in line. I can get through today. I’ll do it with a smile. Breathe, stupid, breathe.
Danielle was nervous and antsy for reasons she couldn’t define. Was she excited at the prospect of meeting someone? Nah, couldn’t be, she told herself. She was irritated and fighting off bad memories that wouldn’t go away. They needed to be buried and forgotten. How long would she allow what’s his name to inflict pain on her heart? Wasn’t four years enough already?
With a fresh beer in hand, Danielle returned to arena to hold the fence up again. Stacy and Will were still being cute. Their faces were close together while whispering to one another, and smiles lit both their faces. Ugh. Sugar shock. She turned her attention to the rodeo clowns and her back to the cute and cuddly pair.
“Hey, J.C., where have you been? You ride in fifteen minutes,” Will shouted out.
Danielle listened but never turned. What kind of name was J.C. anyway? Gosh, familiar. She sipped her beer and kept her eyes in front of her. She didn’t want anything to do with him or any other bull rider, period.
“Oh, I don’t get too worked up anymore,” J.C. smugly stated.
Oh, he doesn’t get worked up. Jackass. Danielle bet he had a cocky grin on his face, a belt buckle the size of a dinner plate, and his name on the back of his belt. Ya know...he might forget his name or something. She rolled her eyes and took another long swig of her beer.
“Hello there, Stacy, you’re more beautiful than the last time I saw ya. Are you keeping my little brother out of trouble?” Danielle overheard J.C. ask.
“Sweetie, he’s surrounded by trouble today. Between me and my sister, he doesn’t stand a chance,” Stacy said with enthusiasm.
Danielle smiled listening to Stacy talk but kept her eyes straight forward.
“Sister? I didn’t know y
ou had a sister,” J.C. replied with confusion in his voice.
“Well, not actual sisters, we’re really cousins but just as close as two sisters could ever hope to be,” Stacy said.
Danielle figured that was her cue to introduce herself. Great. When she turned and said hello, she instantly froze, and her voice cracked. She blinked, sure her eyes were playing tricks on her. Her arm fell, and she dropped her beer causing foam to shoot straight up.
J.C. stiffened, and his jaw dropped open. He was at a loss for words. He couldn’t believe it was her. He hadn’t seen her in years.
It was Danielle all right, and damn, she looked hot. So hot, in fact, he went rigid in his jeans. “Wow, hi, Danielle,” was all he could manage.
Danielle stood in utter shock. It was John, but they called him J.C.? Since when? “Hello,” she managed but didn’t smile. The beer she dropped lay in a muddy mess at her feet.
Will and Stacy stood in shock and amazement.
“Great, we all know each other,” Will chimed in. “Danielle, I’ll go fetch you another beer, darlin’.”
Will grabbed Stacy’s arm and tugged her along with him. Stacy started to protest, but Will put his index finger on his lips as they walked away.
J.C. and Danielle stood motionless, staring blankly at one another.
Danielle had a thousand thoughts and emotions running through her head all at once. She felt woozy and steadied herself on the metal pipe fence. “So, Mr. J.C. Evans, rider extraordinaire, I see that bus missed you.”
J.C. laughed, and his eyes sparkled in the sun just like Danielle remembered. He smiled, and then he lightly licked his lips before speaking again.
Oh, no, not the tongue-moistening-his-lips trick.
“Nice to see you, too.” J.C. smiled and allowed his eyes to travel up and down Danielle’s body. She was just as beautiful as ever but now older, sexier, and damn chestier than when she’d been in high school.
The wind lightly whipped her long blonde hair into her face, and J.C. fought the urge to tuck it behind her ear. He smelled her sweet honeysuckle shampoo. It was the same brand she’d used years ago. He had never forgotten that erotic smell.
J.C. looked into her deep brown eyes. He had to smile because he saw murder in them, but he couldn’t blame her. He’d been a jackass the last time they’d talked. Her lush and pouty lips had no hint of a smile. He could make her smile with a kiss instantly if he thought he could get close enough to her. Right now, he needed to stand his ground. What he’d said four years ago was unforgivable but for her own good.
“I can’t say the same,” Danielle stated sternly and looked away from him. She couldn’t bear to look into his brilliant blue eyes. Those eyes were what drew her to him in the first place.
Stacy and Will returned and handed a fresh beer to Danielle, who gladly accepted it.
Stacy tried to lighten the mood. “You made a party foul by dropping that beer.”
Danielle just smiled. The bottle had a good use left in it, for instance, smacking alongside J.C.’s head. Then she giggled at the thought, and Stacy cocked an eyebrow in confusion but said nothing.
J.C. decided to break the ice. “So, gorgeous, it looks like me and you are set up for the night.”
He smiled and winked at Danielle then raked his gaze over her body again. His cock throbbed, and he wanted nothing more than to explore with it, slide it between her legs, and hear her gasp. He wanted to feel her tight pussy open and accept him. He also wanted to hear her wail out his name when he stretched her to accommodate his circumference.
“Take a long walk off a short cliff, you pompous ass,” Danielle said, blasting him, her eyes flashing with fire.
“Baby, baby, don’t hate,” J.C. said, laying on the charm extra thick. Truth was he was hoping to wear her down with his charm. Something was amiss today, though, because it wasn’t working thus far. Most women couldn’t resist his smile…until now. She was going to be a tough one, he supposed. It would definitely make the game much more enjoyable.
“I’d rather go pee in one of those stinky porta-potties than look at you,” Danielle said then turned to Stacy. “I’ll be back.”
When Danielle faded into the crowd, Will smacked J.C. “Why do you have to be such an ass, bro?”
J.C. smiled smugly. “I give as well as I receive.” He took a long drink out of his bottle of water, trying to suppress a smile. He had always hoped to see her again. His feelings for her were as strong as the night he’d walked away from her. And he had cursed himself the last few years since. Now his cock twitched painfully, reminding him that, yeah, he was a complete dumbass.
Not many days had gone by that he hadn’t thought of her, wondered how she was while pushing the notion back that she might be involved with someone. The truth was it was a gut punch blow to think of her in another man’s arms, a knife twisting in his gut to think that another man might have her in his bed loving every inch of her perfect body…exploring, touching, entering…Damn it. Each time he cursed himself and tried to make himself believe that, indeed, he had done the right thing.
But still, the nagging in his gut had been hard to ignore so many times. He wished for a do-over. A chance to admit he was a selfish bastard for not wanting her to spread her wings and fly because he considered bedding her that night and not letting her go. He had considered looking her up a few times but changed his mind. He had nothing to offer but lonely nights and a bad reputation. Damn it all to hell, he thought, as he rubbed his chin while Danielle disappeared farther into the crowd.
Inside the small, cramped and, yes, stinky space, Danielle tried to catch her breath but fought the urge. “Yuck, breathe…no, don’t breathe, germs, damn germs.” Out of all the people she could have seen today…why him?
Danielle’s head slumped against the side of the john’s wall, and she pounded her fist against the green plastic in irritation. “Damn it, damn it, damn it.”
From the other potty next door, a woman yelled, “Occupied.”
“Sorry.” Danielle yelled back. She closed her eyes with her head still against the wall and began to rationalize with herself. She could either stay holed up in this stinking shit hole or she could put on her big-girl panties, lift her head high, and pretend he meant nothing to her. Pretending she didn’t care would be easier said than done. After seeing him for those few seconds, her heart thundered in her chest while her stomach quivered. What was worse was how her panties instantly became wet. Her clit tingled, wanting nothing more than to have J.C. slide his fingers over it. She wanted to feel his tongue pleasure her in ways she always knew he could. The agony gripped her. Not only did her heart hurt, but now her body screamed and begged for his touch. How could she pull this off?
He’s just a guy…just a guy…a jerk of a guy that you care nothing about…remember? You will look him in the eye and smile and act like he is nothing. He is inconsequential. Yes. I can do this. I won’t let him see how he destroyed me. I won’t allow my body to affect my judgment.
Danielle straightened her hair and dabbed a stray tear from her eye. She began to take a deep breath and decided against it. With a click, she opened the sliding lock and stepped back out into the sunshine. Thank heavens, fresh air.
Stacy rushed to her. “Are you all right?”
Danielle offered a sunny smile. She was fine although her heart hurt like hell. On the brighter side, she hoped that maybe, just maybe, she could finally put out the torch for J.C. she couldn’t seem to put down.
Today, she asserted, she was on a mission to find all the reasons she could to hate him and completely snuff out the flame for good. Yes, this was a positive, she told herself. This day was a long time coming, and today, they would play by her rules.
“I’m fine, no worries,” Danielle said, and downed the remaining beer in her bottle, hoping the alcohol would appease the nerve endings that were driving her wild.
“Fine, really? I’m not convinced. What’s the story anyway? How do you know J.C.?” Stacy quizzed.
Danielle started walking toward the beer stand with Stacy hot on her heels. Questions, she didn’t want to answer questions. She knew it was inevitable. Stacy had more persistence than a pissed-off badger.
“Well, are you going to tell me?” Stacy barked at her from behind as she tried to keep up with Danielle’s long strides.
Danielle stopped at the back of the line and looked at Stacy. She let out a long sigh. “Long story, really...Let’s just say four years ago, before I left for college, he ripped out my heart and stomped on it, okay? End of story.”
“Four years ago? Were you two dating? And why didn’t I know? I thought you told me everything. How come I didn’t know?” Stacy babbled.
“We weren’t…we weren’t dating,” Danielle whispered, feeling like an idiot. Damn, here she was answering questions. Yeah, she felt like a real dumbass now. If she couldn’t fool Stacy or dodge her questions, how could she fool J.C.? Acting had never been her strong point. Her mother could always tell if she was lying by the pitch of her voice and the way her eyes moved when she spoke. Yep, she was as transparent as clear glass.
Stacy furled her eyebrows in confusion. “So let me get this straight, you weren’t dating, but he managed to break your heart?”
Danielle sighed. “Yes, I know it sounds stupid, but yes.” She kept looking forward to the slow-moving line and avoiding eye contact with Stacy.
“I’m sorry. Would you like to go home?” Stacy asked as she walked in front of Danielle and looked into her brown eyes threatening to burst into tears.
“No,” Danielle blurted out. “No, I came here to be with you. It was just a major shock seeing him again. Let me get my act together. I’m fine.” She quickly threw on a bright smile.
Danielle couldn’t allow J.C. to run her off anyway. She would stay just to spite him. Maybe she would show him exactly what he’d sloughed off so easily.
Eight Seconds (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 3
