Rodeo Rancher: A Bad Boy Romance

by Lauren Wood

  He must have figured that out though, because he finally gave me a sheepish smile and apologized. “Sorry about that Cece. The fans are what keep me going and I don’t want to be rude, but it can be too much sometimes.”

  I just nodded my head and tried not to look as steamed as I was. I knew that he was right of course, but that didn’t mean that I had to like it. I didn’t like it, not at all. I wanted to be the one that had his attention, all of it. This was a night I was going to remember forever and I had plans on where I wanted it to end up. I wanted it to end up in a bed somewhere and it wasn’t going to get there if we kept on this way. There were too many beautiful women vying for his attention at once.

  When we got to the restaurant, I wasn’t sure if this was all a good idea or not. I didn’t know what to think of it all, but no one else stopped us and he made sure that we had a private table where he wouldn’t be bothered. I was starting to feel a little better about it all, but I still wasn’t sure about anything. I really did want to be with him and I had to push the feelings out of the way that were bothering me.

  “Are you okay Cecelia?”

  “Yeah, I am fine. I don’t know how you do it. I think it would drive me crazy if I had someone wanting something from me all of the time. It is like you don’t ever get to just be yourself.”

  He waved me off. “At first I used to get put off by it and sometimes I still do, but there are benefits as well.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Well if I wouldn’t have been me, would you have talked to me?”

  He was a gorgeous man, surely he could see that and he had to know what kind of a spell he had over women, over me and most that knew who he was. It was a power, no doubt about it and he seemed to do just fine with it.

  “I am sure that I would have Cliff. You are a handsome man. You know that.”

  He grinned and for a moment I thought of Dante. He had been acting strange when I saw him on the elevator. There was still the banter between us, but it wasn’t like before. Something was different and I really think that it was because of Cliff.

  “Where did you go just now?”

  “Huh?”

  Cliff smiled and shook it off. “Just looked like you were off in your own little world just then.”

  I felt my face getting red and heat going to it. “Oh, well I assure you I was just thinking about something. You reminded me of someone.”

  “Please don’t tell me that you were thinking about that guy down at the lobby, your trainer.”

  That was out of nowhere and I worried that he somehow could read my thoughts. “No, not at all. Me and Dante are just friends. He has worked for me for over a year now.”

  “And nothing?”

  “No, why?”

  “He looks at you like I do. He wants you Cecelia and I just wonder if I have competition or not.”

  “Well I am out with you Cliff, not Dante.”

  He didn’t seem quite so settled with the answer, but then the waitress came and we had to cut the conversation short. It was just as well as far as I was concerned. I didn’t want to talk about Dante. It was already weird to have let him pop in my mind and even stranger that Cliff seemed to pick up on something when there was nothing to pick up on. Dante worked for me. That was it.

  The waitress left and the conversation took another turn altogether. I liked hearing the man’s stories about his career and he seemed interested in what I had going on at the ranch. He wasn’t self-absorbed or rude. He was quite nice and down to earth. It wasn’t at all what I had expected, but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless.

  As we left the restaurant, it was clear that both of us wanted to keep it going and I invited him up for a drink. It was a classic line and it had the same indications that you would think when I offered it. I wanted him and after the state of mind I was in as of late, I needed him. That it was Cliff McGow, a man that I had fantasized about for so long, it just made it all the better. What would it be like to be with my high school crush, in real life?

  ***

  I woke up the next morning to a knock at the door. My sight were blurry and I had to close my eyes back up to get them to focus. My gaze went to the man that was next to me in the bed. It had been an interesting night and Cliff still being there made me feel kind of strange about it all. I don’t know what that meant for tomorrow or the next day, but last night was a night I was never going to forget, for many reasons.

  I heard a knock at the door again and I remembered why I was sitting up in the first place. Not really thinking too much about it, I just wrapped the sheet around me and headed to answer the door. My head was booming a bit, a direct result to the little bit extra that I had imbibed to give me the courage that I needed the night before. In the light of the morning, my head was heavy and I didn’t care near as much as I should have.

  It was only when I saw Dante that I started to rethink it all. He saw what I had on and had this look on his face. It wasn’t one that I was going to forget any time soon. I don’t know if I like the smoldering heat that they held because it made me feel good that he was so into me. But I did feel awkward when he wanted to come in and like Dante, he didn’t ask. The next thing I knew he was moving in past me and started to tell me about the plan for the day. I had some promoting to do and he was going to help me.

  I forgot about Cliff in bed until he made a noise in the other room and I saw Dante looking his way.

  “Sorry, I didn’t realize you had someone here.” The tone of his voice and his eyes told me that he wasn’t happy about that revelation, but I was doing nothing wrong. Why did I have to keep telling myself that? I was single and able to do what I wanted, with whom I wanted. The sheet was wrapped tighter around me, but I could still feel his eyes and wondered how much of me he could see. The fabric of the covering was thin and I felt like he could see me all with his roaming eyes.

  “Yes, well, I kind of forgot for a moment.”

  “If it was me here with you, I guarantee that you wouldn’t forget that I was here. I don’t know if you would be able to even get out of bed. I might just tie you down so you couldn’t go anywhere.”

  I sighed to myself and tried to push the thoughts that he was bringing to mind back into the far recesses where they belonged. I couldn’t think like that. It was all just too awkward when Cliff was in the other room. It was normal for us to talk this way, but after the comment that Cliff made before, I am not so sure I wanted him to see Dante here, with me in such a state.

  It got worse, considerably worse when Cliff came moseying into the entry room that we were standing in and he was completely bare. I got his attention to help him realize that I wasn’t the only one there and he didn’t even seem to mind.

  “Oh, hey Dante.” His hand went to cup the semi-hard cock swinging between his legs.

  Dante was seething. I could see it and actually feel it from where he stood next to me. It was like heat was emanating off of him at a record rate. I know that he was ready to lose it and even though he had no right or claim on me, I can’t say that I found it the worst thing in the world.

  “Go get some clothes on Cliff.” I shouldn’t have had to have said that out loud, but he seemed to realize that he was naked. Either way, he left and I tried to get my face to stop flaming before I looked up and met Dante’s gaze.

  “Sorry about that Dante. I don’t know what he was thinking.”

  Dante had a tight look on his face and I didn’t like him being upset with me, but at the same time, it wasn’t really something that I plan to happen. I didn’t want them to ever meet after the night I had with Cliff, but especially not with Cliff still in the room with me. It was embarrassing to no end and I didn’t know what to think or what to do in this situation. I really just wanted it to end somehow.

  “You shouldn’t ever apologize for a man Cecelia. You should be with one that doesn’t give you a reason.”

  I just shook my head. I didn’t need this from him. Not while I was feeling like this. “Let’s
go get some coffee. My head is killing me and the last thing I want to do is go sell the ranch.”

  “Do you want to tell your boyfriend that you are leaving?”

  I would have, if he hadn’t said it like that. After he said it like that, all I could do was nod and go on with it. I wasn’t going to give Dante the satisfaction and I didn’t like the way he grinned so big. Why did Dante love to bother me so much? It was like he was seriously happy about it all and it just drove me crazy to think about it.

  “So how was it? I can see that he didn’t live up to the hype.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  Dante just grinned and again I hated his mirth for some reason. Why was he so dang happy about everything and what did he mean that he didn’t live up to the hype? I had found Cliff more than adequate.

  “Nothing, sorry I brought it up. I am sure you two had a nice time.”

  “We did, thanks.”

  “Just seems a little small in proportion.”

  I groaned out loud. Was he seriously talking about what I think he was talking about?

  “Dante…”

  “What? It is just an observation. If you can be satisfied with just that, who am I to judge?”

  I just shook my head. Cliff had been adequate, but I had thought the same thing when I had seen it first as well. He was just such a big guy, but that didn’t matter. That sort of thing didn’t matter to me. This is what I told myself anyways.

  “Well I had a great time for your information.”

  “I am sure you did Cece, but if I had a night with you, I would make sure that you couldn’t walk afterwards.”

  I shivered from his words and ignored his gaze for the rest of the time. I mean really, what the heck was I supposed to say to that? Dante just loved to get me hot and bothered and this time as no exception. He was really good at it.

  Chapter 5

  Dante

  When we got back to the hotel, Cliff was gone and he left Cece a note. I didn’t get to see what it said, but it made her smile and it made me scowl. She didn’t dwell on it too long though, deciding that it was time to get down to the grounds. I had work to do and she wanted to mingle and get the name of the ranch out there. She wanted to expand and had big dreams. I was just along for the ride now.

  Cece got in the shower while I got the truck cleaned out and detached the trailer. I hadn’t had time to really think about Cliff or anything else. When I went back upstairs she was dressed in another light skirt, this time a sun dress and again I was racked with another emotion altogether. I felt myself getting hard and it didn’t bother me anymore, none of it did. I could still move on with my plan. All I really wanted was to get her alone and let her see what we had, what could be. Now that I knew there was competition that still shouldn’t be a problem.

  “You look great Cece, really good. Why don’t you ever wear anything like that back home?”

  “Can you imagine me riding a horse and throwing bales of hay in this? I am sure that would get some kind of reaction, I just don’t think it would be the kind that I wanted. The hands are already almost useless.”

  “Yeah, that would make every man there useless. You are right.”

  I shook my head and tried to get the image of her on the back of Thunder out of my head. Her black hair was just to her shoulders now, but it used to be much longer. I could still see it streaming behind her and it didn’t help my current situation at all.

  “Dante, you are on it today. I am sure you don’t mean it, but it is sure nice to hear.” The smile on her was one that transformed her whole face and I didn’t like to think about what had changed her. Cliff couldn’t be that good.

  “You are beautiful Cece. I have been telling you this for a while now. Nothing has changed. You are still just as beautiful as always, but when you wear those little dresses, it is on a whole other level. You have to know what you do to men.”

  “I am sure you are exaggerating a bit there Dante. I have never been the prettiest girl, but I guess I do clean up okay.”

  I wondered why she didn’t have the same cockiness as many other women that looked a lot like her did. It was just part and parcel I suppose. She had always been an enigma, but it didn’t make much sense to me. She held the power and didn’t even know it.

  “Yes you do. I am going to have to keep my eye on you at the rodeo tonight.”

  “Afterwards I am going out with Cliff. He has to ride tonight, so I hope it all goes well.”

  I could have cared less how her little boyfriend did tonight. A part of me likes to think about what would happen if he just fell off and got trampled. I am sure he would be okay, but he wouldn’t be in my way anymore.

  “Well that is just peachy.”

  She giggled at me and I wanted to throttle her. Doesn’t she get that the last thing I want to think about is another man’s hands on hers? Was she really that dense to the fact that I wanted her, badly and I would do anything to have her? It was like Cece didn’t even know who I was sometimes.

  “Come on Dante, let’s not pretend like you care. It will kill that bad boy image of yours.”

  “If it meant I could have you, it would all be worth it.”

  She waved me off and it killed me a little inside. The last thing that I needed or wanted was for her to look at me like this or to say such things. How had one night ruined it all? It was depressing and I decided that I was going to get through it the only way I knew how, in between some beauty’s thighs. If I couldn’t have Cece, still, then I would have to make do with what I could find there.

  ***

  The rodeo went off without a hitch. The horses looked great and my job was done for the time being. I tried to stay around Cece, but after Cliff sauntered over for the second time with a look that told me he had won, it was the last thing that I wanted to do. I didn’t want to be around her while she gushed over such a man. I had my eyes on someone else and even though it wasn’t what I wanted, it was going to have to be what I needed. There was no way that I was going to be able to wait anymore, not knowing that she was in the man’s arms and he was in her bed.

  Carla was a cute little blonde that I met at the refreshment stands and she was instantly on my arm. The woman didn’t seem to mind what would happen in the future. She was just smiling away and when her hand went to my knee, all I could do was give her what it was that she wanted. It was the same thing that I wanted, so there was no sense in waiting any more than I had to. After a short discussion of where we should go, I just found a quiet spot where I had put the horses later that night and I pulled her into my arms. She wasn’t at all what I wanted, but when I closed my eyes and kissed her, it didn’t matter. What mattered was the physical relief that she was going to give me. I needed it badly after my heart and emotions were played with by Cece.

  It didn’t take long to convince Carla to go find a quiet corner with me so we could do more than talk. I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to touch and to feel. That was all I was worried about at this moment. It had been a long trip and going out last night hadn’t helped all that much.

  Carla was hot and wore the cutest little skirt. She was already letting me touch her legs and move my hand up the material to the soft skin beneath it all. She was perfect and she was submissive. She was everything that Cece wasn’t.

  We made our way to the horse area and the smell of fresh hay filled my nose. I don’t know why it gave me comfort, but it did. All I could think about was what I was going to do next and the relief that it was going to give me.

  Carla had her hands on me quickly and the more she grabbed the hardness in my jeans, the more desperate I became to find a little corner somewhere that I could have her in all of the ways that I wanted her. Before I could get us out of the main viewing area though, she was moving to her knees and working on getting my hard length out of my pants.

  She looked up at me with clear blue eyes and smiled in such a way. The eyes were familiar, but I ignored the sight that popped into my head and instea
d pushed her face down so that she was level with my cock. I wanted to feel her lips wrapped around me and I groaned when she finally had me released and popped into her mouth.

  “Fuck that feels good.”

  She mumbled something that I didn’t understand, but I liked the way it made my balls feel. The vibration was a turn on, even as her hungry mouth started to gobble me up. I closed my eyes to the pleasure and let her slowly move up and down on me. It wasn’t enough to get me off, but it was enough to get me going. The suction was good and when I started to push in and picked up the pace, she relaxed her throat enough for me to move even deeper down her throat.

  I growled and yanked my piece away when I realized how close I was getting to coming. I didn’t want to come like this. I wanted to feel her tightness wrapped around me and I wanted to pound some of the frustrations out that I had at the moment.

  Turning her around, I pulled her panties down to her knees and spread her legs a little bit to feel if she was as wet as I was ready. It didn’t take long to realize that she was ready and I wanted inside of her. Her tight little hole was inviting as fuck and when I pressed in, I was greeted with tightness that even the condom couldn’t distract from. Bending her down further, her round ass popped up and I was able to press in quicker, hitting bottom there, just like I had in her throat.

  “Damn you feel good.” I couldn’t remember her name and I wanted her to be someone else, even though I knew that she wasn’t. Pulling a handful of her hair back, I started to pound into her as fast as I could. My eyes were closed and I held one hip so that I could pull her back to me over and over again.

  Carla was wet and slippery, her pleasure oozing out around my stiff cock as I plowed into her. It was more than I could handle and I was quickly at the cusp of coming. Even a stranger, I wasn’t willing to leave her unfinished, so I moved to give her a reach around, rubbing on her clit quickly to pull her closer to the edge.

  She made a sound like she was hurting and then she whimpered my name as I felt her thighs tighten up, as well as her stomach as she came. It was about time as far as I was concerned. I shouldn’t have let her suck me off like she did. It killed my ability to send her into oblivion. But this wasn’t a woman I would see again. She would remember me, hopefully fondly, but it wasn’t like she was someone I actually wanted. She was a vessel for me to get off.