Laughter rumbled in her throat. “What?”
“A funnel cake sprinkled with extra powdered sugar, piled high with strawberries and whipped cream.” He grinned. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
“A funnel cake at a rodeo.” She rolled her eyes. “That’s not cliché.” Now that she thought about it, the faint scent of fried pastries hung in the air, which is probably what made him think of funnel cakes.
He stepped closer causing her heart to do a couple of flips as his voice went lower. “You know you’d like it.”
The commotion, the dust at their feet, the blur of the announcer, the roar of the crowd … it all faded away until she was only aware of him, his chiseled features, the slight dimple in his right cheek when he smiled. What she’d really like was to kiss him. Her eyes widened at the renegade thought. Then again, what would it hurt? She was here at a rodeo, under an assumed name. What harm would it do to take things to the next level? She lifted her face to his. “A funnel cake’s not all I want.” Ribbons of desire swirled through her stomach as she looked at his lips.
He blinked, then laughed. “Wow, you don’t waste any time, do you? Don’t you at least want to know my name before …” he cleared his throat “… well, before …”
The comment scorched over her like the Texas sun in August. What in the heck was she doing? She drew back, mortified with herself. Horrified that she was coming across as a floozy, which she wasn’t. In fact, she’d never been this forward with a guy before. What had gotten into her? “This isn’t a good idea.”
He touched her arm, the heat of his fingertips seeping through the fabric of her shirt. “It’s not that I don’t want to kiss you. I just want to get to know you first.”
Now she really felt like a louse.
He smiled. “You know you want that funnel cake.”
His banter eased the tension. “What if I want a hamburger or nachos instead? Somewhere other than on my shirt,” she added dryly.
Amusement lit his eyes. “You’re not gonna let me forget the food thing, are you?”
She brought her lips together in a taut line. “Nope.”
“Fair enough.” He put on an exaggerated Texan drawl. “Okay, little lady, we’ll get you whatever food your little heart desires. Heck, I’ll even win a prize for you at one of the booths. Say yes,” he urged.
She got the feeling that time was standing still, waiting for her answer. “All right.”
He rewarded her with a big grin, causing her heart to do a little dance. “What’s your name, cowboy?”
“Riker.”
A good strong name. It suited him. “Riker what?”
Gary came up, slurping on his drink. He froze in his tracks, his jaw dropping. “Hey, you’re Riker Dylan.” He thrust out his hand.
Riker looked a little embarrassed as he clasped Gary’s hand. Gary pumped it up and down. “I’m a big Titans fan,” he blurted.
Emerson searched her brain. Riker Dylan … Titans.
She looked at Riker. “Is he talking about the Titans football team?”
“Yep.” A contrite smile slid over his lips like she’d found him out.
She still didn’t get it. “So, you play for the Titans?”
Gary looked at her like she’d just sprouted wings. “You don’t know who he is?”
“No.” She drew herself up to her full height, not liking being made to feel stupid.
“Riker’s the new quarterback for the Titans. Just signed a four-year, multi-million-dollar contract with them,” Gary explained.
It all came together in one swoop, raising a bubble of laughter in her chest. Of course. His conquer-the-world attitude … sculpted physique. She repeated what Gary had just said. “You’re a quarterback.”
“Yep.” His expression grew wary.
She shook her head. “Well, that explains the football fiasco earlier.” She cut her eyes at him. “Why you just had to catch that ball … at my expense.”
He winced. “I feel lousy enough about it already. Don’t rub it in.”
Her phone buzzed. Probably her mama again.
Riker looked at her pocket. “Are you gonna answer that?”
She sighed, pulling it out of her pocket. Just as she thought—Mama. She pressed the side button. “Nope. It can go to voicemail.” It was a lot to take in. Riker was a local celebrity, probably hounded by the press. If pictures or video of the two of them got out, it wouldn’t take long for the proverbial crap to hit the fan. Her mama would have a coronary, especially with Graham’s senate bid. It was one thing to blow off a little steam with some unknown guy, but quite another to start a relationship with a high-profile person. That would be downright stupid. The smart thing to do would be to walk away right now.
“How do you think the Titan’s will stack up this coming season?” Gary asked. “Is it hard to come together as a team? I’m sure it’s hard for you, personally, to live up to the Kincaid Dynasty.”
“We train hard and do the best we can. But at the end of the day, I guess we’ll just have to see how it goes.” Riker’s smile was friendly, but she could see the tension around his eyes. He didn’t like being put on the spot about football. Interesting that she could sense this when she knew so little about him. He turned to face her. “How about that funnel cake?”
Her mind started in on her … It’s not too late to turn away and go back to your life. Sure, you fight and squabble with Mama, but deep down, you always believed that you’d eventually cave. She got the feeling that after one night with Riker Dylan she’d never be the same again. Heck, who was she kidding? Her course had already been altered—had been from the moment he tossed the nacho cheese and coke all over her. She put on a serious expression. “I’ll go with you under one condition.”
The lines around his mouth deepened. “What’s that?”
“That we get strawberries and whipped cream.”
He relaxed, grinning from ear to ear. “I think we can manage that.”
“Oh, and just so you know, I’m gonna hold you to winning me the most ginormous prize here. So, you’d better sharpen your skills.”
“You’ve got it.” He motioned with his head. “Let’s get your horse put into the trailer so we can go.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Gary said quickly. He looked at Riker. “Nice to meet you. Good luck on the upcoming season.”
“Thanks. Nice meeting you too,” Riker said.
Emerson could tell from Riker’s puzzled look that he was trying to decide how Gary fit into the equation—what his association was with her.
“Gary’s a family friend,” she explained. “I get him to come with me to rodeos to help with the horse.”
“Oh, makes sense.” He wiggled his eyebrows, challenge sparkling in his eyes. “So, Starr Andrews. You ready for the time of your life?”
She laughed, a feeling of exuberance overtaking her. Even the night air around them sizzled with excitement. “Bring it on!”
6
“Are you sure the monkey prize is in one of those balloons?” Riker leveled a hard look at the gangly teenager running the balloon dart carnival booth. True to his word, he was determined to win the mother of all prizes for Starr. Of course, she got to choose it. He assumed she’d go for the life-sized pink teddy bear, but she wanted the ridiculous-looking monkey with the big eyes, long tail, holding a banana.
“Yeah, man, it’s there. You just haven’t hit it yet.” The guy looked at Starr, chuckling in amusement like they were sharing an inside joke.
Starr also laughed.
Riker shook his head, giving her a sideways glance. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” He’d already spent thirty bucks and had only managed to pop a handful of balloons. The game was obviously rigged. He’d read about this, how the balloons at carnival booths were under inflated, the darts too lightweight, the tips dull. Still, he figured if he threw them hard enough, he’d pop the balloons with relative ease. Not so … unfortunately.
“Yep, sure am,” Starr
said. “Maybe your aim’s off because of all that funnel cake you ate.”
“I had plenty of help,” he teased. “A few times there, I thought you were gonna jab me with your fork, trying to get all the bites for yourself.”
Her lips went down. “Hey,” she protested, but her eyes were shining with laughter. “I can’t help it if I was hungry. I’m sure I burned enough calories racing around those barrels to make up for it.”
He grinned. “Well, your horse did, anyway.”
Her jaw dropped in mock astonishment as she looked at the teenager. “Did you hear that?”
The guy nodded. “Sure did.” He looked at Riker. “You’re in trouble now, dude.”
“Yes, I am,” Riker agreed. The truth was, he admired Starr for not being afraid to eat in front of him. He hated it when girls picked at their food, like they were afraid to consume more than a few pieces of lettuce for fear of gaining an ounce.
“It’s okay, I’ll make him pay for it later,” Starr quipped, then locked eyes with Riker. Time seemed to slow as they savored the moment.
Man, Riker really liked this woman! Magnetic green eyes, peaches and cream complexion, bright auburn hair shadowed with deep red, tumbling over her proud shoulders. She really was a siren. From the moment he’d met her, she was all he could think about. He’d persuaded her to spend the evening with him. Now he needed to prove his worth and win the stupid monkey! He took in a deep breath, flicking his wrists, his mind going into the usual pep-talk mode. He was Riker Dylan, starting quarterback for the Texas Titans. This silly dart game wasn’t going to get the best of him. “All right. Here we go.” He reared back and threw the dart. It hit a balloon but the tip didn’t penetrate it. Frustration pinged over him as the dart fell to the ground.
The kid leaned against the counter, folding his arms, a sly grin sliding over his lips. “You know, I could video this and make a fortune.”
Starr laughed. “Yes, you could.”
“Don’t you dare,” Riker warned, pointing at the kid. He’d picked this booth because it was off to the side of the main carnival area. Luckily, they had the booth all to themselves. The last thing Riker wanted was an audience.
He held up a hand. “Don’t worry, man. It’s all good.” He shook his head, amusement flashing over his face. “That was your last dart. Would you like to buy more?”
He slapped down another five. The kid gave him three more darts.
Starr cocked an eyebrow. “Maybe you should let me give it a go.”
“And have you show me up? I don’t think so.” Riker picked up the dart and took aim. This one hit its mark, making a loud, satisfying pop. He raised his fists. “Yeah!” Starr gave him a high five.
“Fingers crossed that it’s the monkey,” she said.
The kid bent down and picked up the paper, then shook his head. “This one is for the pom poms.”
“Are you kidding me?” Riker growled. At this rate, they’d be here all night.
Starr shrugged, her tone going playful. “You know, I suppose I could live without the monkey, if push came to shove. I mean, I don’t know how I’d do it … but if I must …”
Riker steeled his jaw, picking up another dart. “Oh, no. You’re getting the monkey.”
Fifty dollars and thirty minutes later, Riker finally won the monkey. It gave him a sense of pride when he handed the silly looking thing to Starr.
She hugged it tightly. “It’s really soft.” She handed it to him. “Wanna hug it?” A bemused smile tipped the corners of her lips. “After all, you paid a fortune for it.”
He laughed. “No thanks.” His eyes held hers, a sensuous flame flickering between them. “I’d rather hold you.” It was fun to watch as a dusty-rose flush came over her cheekbones. She was a fascinating paradox. One minute, she was overt with her affections and the next, she was acting shy. Earlier, when she hinted that she wanted to kiss him, he’d been taken off guard. Sure he could’ve won the wager with Trisha instantly, but it was never about the bet. He didn’t want this to be a one-time thing, but rather something to savor. He couldn’t remember the last time, if ever, that he’d been this enamored with a woman. Especially one he’d just met. “What should we do next?” He stepped closer, draping his arm around her shoulders. “Do you want to go back to the arena and watch more of the events?”
“Nah. It’s kind of nice to be away from the crowd.”
“I agree.” He wanted to know everything about her. More than anything, he didn’t want this night to end. His mind rambled through the options. “We could ride the Ferris Wheel.”
“Yeah,” she said hesitantly, “but the line is a mile long.”
He stopped, turning to face her. “All right, Starr Andrews. What do you wanna do?” He reached for her cowboy hat and placed it on his head.
She chuckled in surprise. “Doesn’t look half bad on you, although I’d recommend another color.” She touched her hair. “Without the hat my hair looks like crap though.”
He pursed his lips, surveying her. She was exquisite, even with flat hair. “I wouldn’t exactly say you look like crap.”
Her eyes rounded. “Hey.” When she shoved him, he caught her wrist and pulled her into his arms, the monkey stuffed between them. He ran his hand across her back, then leaned in and started swaying.
“We could dance,” he murmured in her ear.
“There’s no music.” She looked up at him, her eyes sparking with mischief. “You could always sing to me.”
He winced. “I don’t think you’d like that very much.” People walked around them. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed they were giving them curious looks. That’s the part about fame that Riker hated, strangers interested in his every move. Or maybe they were looking at him because he was wearing a turquoise hat.
“Oh, so the quarterback doesn’t sing?”
“Only in the shower. And even that’s pathetic.” He looked down at the monkey, frowning. “You know the old saying—two’s company and three’s a crowd?”
“Hey now, don’t be bagging on the monkey.”
“At this point, I’d rather have a monkey on my back than a monkey between us.”
She rewarded him with warm laughter that floated gently into the night air. He liked how she appreciated his jokes. Liked that she was easy to talk to. Liked how everything seemed more rich and brilliant with her at his side.
The announcer’s voice blared in the distance, followed by applause. Suddenly, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. “How would you like to go for a ride?”
Interest flashed in her eyes. “What sort of a ride?”
“On my bike.”
“You have a bike? That’s impressive. What kind?”
“Do you know about motorcycles?”
“A little.”
Just when he thought she couldn’t impress him any more than she already had, he learned something else about her that took it to the next level. “It’s a Harley CVO Road Glide.”
“With a V-Twin Engine?”
He didn’t try to stop the large grin from spilling over his lips. “Yeah.”
“Twenty-one-inch front wheel?”
“Yep. Wow. You do know your bikes.” Heck, she probably knew more about it than he did. He’d wanted something fast and sleek and the Road Glide fit the bill.
“What color?”
“Black.” As far as Riker was concerned, Black was the only acceptable color for a bike.
“So, you game?” He held his breath, waiting for her to respond. He caught the mixed emotions on her face, could tell she was weighing his offer. “Where are we going?”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “You’ll see.”
“Can I have my hat back now?”
His stomach clutched. Did that mean she was calling it a night? She lifted it off his head and placed it on hers. “There.”
While his mind was running through all the possible persuasion techniques he could use if she turned him down, she broke into a large smile. “All right, Rike
r Dylan. I’m game.”
He jerked slightly. “Really?”
She laughed. “Don’t look so surprised. Really.”
The thrill of her acceptance buzzed through him like a dozen touchdowns as he took hold of her hand before she could change her mind. “Let’s go.”
When they reached his bike, Emerson held up the monkey. “What do we do with this?”
Riker quirked a smile. “We could always tie it to the handlebars.”
She pursed her lips. “Yeah … or I could just put it in my car.” Her BMW was parked only a handful of spaces away. A part of her was reluctant to draw attention to it because she didn’t want to raise any questions about why she was driving such an expensive car—questions that would lead to her real name. However, there was no way she could ride the bike with the monkey, and as juvenile as it was, she wanted to keep the monkey as a memento of the evening. Also, Riker would see her car when he dropped her off here after the bike ride, so it was a moot point.
“Where’s your car?”
She motioned with her head. “Just over there.”
“Oh, good. Maybe you should put your hat in there too.”
“Why?”
He got on the bike. “So you can wear a helmet.”
Her eyebrow shot up, a smile tugging at her lips. “Should I be worried about your driving?”
“Not in the slightest. But it’s always good to be safe.”
Speaking of safe, was it wise to go off with a guy she’d only just met? Her mama would pitch a hissy fit if she found out. Well, she could just add this infraction to the list because Emerson was going. Her entire body swirled with the excitement of being near Riker Dylan, and there was no way she was turning him down.
“Do you want me to go with you to your car?”
“No, that’s okay. I’ll be back in a jiffy.” Before he could protest, she jogged over to her BMW, hit the clicker, and threw the monkey in the backseat. When she got back to him, he crooked a smile. “Nice car.”
“Thanks,” she said casually. She thought he might ask more questions and was relieved when he handed her a helmet instead. She put it on her head, then realized he didn’t have one. Of course, he’d given her his. “I feel bad taking your helmet.”
The Hometown Groom Page 4
