Bullwhipped (A Cowboy Romance) (11 page)

He pretended to go for her arms, but tied the hide around each ankle and around the bed frame, making it next to impossible to move her legs.

“Are you uncomfortable?” he asked, reaching into the ice bucket.

“No.”

Kneeling, he put a piece of ice between his lips and ran it down her chest, brushing over her nipples and down to her stomach, leaving a trail of water against her. It was cold and she whimpered when he went back up to her breasts, bringing her nipples to full attention from the freezing temperature. It melted completely and he took another piece in his lips, this time sliding between her legs, tracing the ice in her folds and against her clit. Her ass rose off of the bed but the restraints stayed strong, keeping her legs spread for him to do whatever he wanted with her.

“You must be scorching down there. That piece didn’t last long.” He repeated the gesture, as another piece of ice moved up and down her body. Who would have thought it could be so seductive, but it had her nerves on high alert, enjoying the sensual feeling of his mouth trailing against her, especially between her legs.

“Mmm, Cale…” she moaned, shocked when his mouth dipped and his tongue flicked deep inside her. “Ahh,” she hissed, reaching down to push his face against her as his tongue worked its magic. It was basic instinct to wrap her thighs around his head, but she couldn’t.

“Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it Livie?” he asked, his breath warm against her thigh. Before she could answer, he positioned himself against her, rubbing his length on her. “You want this, don’t you?”

She nodded but was unable to get her voice to work.

“Convince me that you want it, Livie.” He held it right at her opening, inserting just the tip before taking it out again, teasing her.

She raised her hips up to meet him. “I want you, Cale. Make love to me, Cale.”

She lifted up again, proving it was a harder workout than anything she had ever done. Finally, he plunged deep, cupping her ass and keeping it lifted off of the mattress. Unable to move, she lay back and enjoyed every second of his movement. He groaned on top of her, finally allowing her midsection to fall back into the soft covers, never pulling out of her. He kneaded both of her breasts, providing him leverage as he thrust so fast that Olivia almost lost all contact with reality. His hips slammed into hers and his sweat dripped over her. Looking deep into her eyes, he didn’t take them off of her as their bodies worked as one, fitting together like a puzzle.

“Cale,” she moaned, fearing that the person in the next room could hear them.

“Livie,” he replied back, only louder as the bed creaked.

He finished for a second time, filling her with his seed, and she felt him twitch as her walls collapsed around him. Falling, he rested on his elbows, keeping his weight off of her. He buried his face in her chest as each of them tried to catch their breath.

“Holy shit, Livie. I don’t even know what to say.”

She ran her fingers through his thick hair, the skin on skin contact still providing her with heightened pleasure. “Then don’t say anything. Let’s just forget the world for a while.”

Rolling beside her, he untied her legs and hugged her from behind. “I’m glad you’re staying with me tonight.”

“Me too.”

They both lay still and Cale’s breathing grew deep. Glancing at him over her shoulder, she saw that he had fallen asleep, his body relaxed, a small smile on his lips. She had never seen him so content – there was always something that kept his brow furrowed, but tonight, all of that had faded, providing a boyish look. She studied him, admiring his thick eyelashes that every woman would envy, his animated eyebrows, and his out of control hair that spiked in every direction. He was perfect and at that moment, Olivia had felt a new love for the man who had his strong arms wrapped around her. Was it natural to care so much for a person that it made her heart want to burst?

“I love you so much, Cale,” she whispered.

“Love you too, Livie,” he muttered, half asleep.

Where had Cale Warren been all her life? She was glad she had finally found him.

Olivia sat in the stands, making sure to keep a good distance from Cale’s dad. She wasn’t sure if he’d even recognize her or say anything to her, but she didn’t want to take that chance. Cale was up to ride next and her heart raced like she was the one about to climb on the wild animal. Taking a deep breath, she waved when he looked up at her, seconds from climbing in the chute.

“Your boy is up,” one of Olivia’s friends said, grabbing her hand.

She didn’t take her eyes off of him. Would she ever get used to this? It was terrifying watching him do his thing, but at the same time, she was so proud of his achievements. It took guts to do what he did. Sitting up when they announced his name, she wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans when the gate swung open, releasing the bull.

Cale held his balance as his arm flew in the air. For a moment, it looked certain that he had maintained the upper hand and would make eight, but the bull turned, tossing Cale’s body off. Instead of falling to the ground as usual, he seemed to be hung up in the rope that once worked as a handle for him to hold on to. The bull didn’t let up, continuing to buck as Cale fought to break loose from the rope. He fell underneath the bull, getting kicked several times as other cowboys ran up to assist him.

Olivia tried to look away, but it was like a bad wreck. It felt like someone had punched her in the stomach, and when he finally broke free of the rope, he fell to the dirt, lying motionless as the bull inflicted one last head butt against him. The crowd gasped, and everything fell silent as they finally diverted the animal out of the arena. Paramedics carted in a gurney and their equipment, kneeling beside Cale. He still wasn’t responding to them, his arms sprawled out to his side.

“Oh my God…” Olivia whispered, hurrying down the steps. She didn’t even check to see if his dad was on his way, nor did she care. Jumping over the railings, she approached the group and Sammy quickly intervened, keeping her away from Cale.

“Let me see him!” Olivia yelled, pulling out of his grasp.

“They’re working on him, Olivia.”

“What’s wrong? What happened?” She felt the tears well up in the corners of her eyes and though she was trying to hide it, her voice shook. She tried to look over Sammy’s shoulder, but he was taller.

“I’m not sure yet. We need to stay back and let the medics do their job.”

“Was he at least awake?”

Sammy hesitated as if he knew something but didn’t want to tell her. “I’m… I’m not sure, Olivia.”

“Hey, they’re taking him to the hospital. Feel free to follow them there,” a cowboy said, tossing Sammy some keys.

“Ride with me, Olivia.”

She followed him to Cale’s truck, everything a blur as he sped out onto the road, keeping close to the ambulance. Was this really happening? It was so quick and felt like a dream. Resting her head back, she saw Cale all over the truck. It smelled like him, it had some of his clothes tossed in the back seat, and most of all, she thought about sitting in the middle seat right beside him, playfully flirting with him as he drove her out to the ranch just a few nights ago. Instead, Sammy was there, and though he was trying hard to keep his emotions in check, Olivia could tell he was tense by the way he gripped the steering wheel. She didn’t know him well, but he was a good friend to Cale.

“He’s going to be okay, Olivia.”

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, closing her eyes. She couldn’t stand watching the ambulance in front of them, knowing Cale was in the back with God knows what kind of injuries.

“Yeah,” she replied.

“He’s been through a lot. He’s tough.” It was as if Sammy was trying to convince himself.

The drive to the hospital was quick, and she didn’t even wait for Sammy, running behind the paramedics as they wheeled him in. She still didn’t have a good vantage point on if he was awake or not, and just as she neared him, a male nurse stepped in front of her as they took him through the swinging doors.

“Please, I need to get back there,” she pleaded, at her wit’s end.

“They’re working on him. There’s a waiting room right around the corner. You can wait there and we’ll come get the family once we know more.”

“How long will it be?” Olivia asked, knowing it was a dumb question.

“I can’t answer that. Go to the waiting room. The doctor will be out as soon as we know something.”

Tears streamed down her face and Sammy took her arm, gently guiding her to an area with chairs, a TV and a coffee machine next to some magazines. There were several other people there, each of them eyeing her, whispering about the scene she had just caused at the nurse’s station. Ignoring them, she sat in a chair that faced a window, burying her head in her hands, allowing the tears to fall.

Sammy wrapped his arm around her shoulders, slipping her a tissue. “He’s been hurt before. This isn’t the first time a bull got the best of him.”

She flashed him a quick glance and wiped her face clean. “That supposed to make me feel better?”

He cringed at her comeback. “No, of course not. I’m sorry.”

Shaking her head, she leaned back in the chair and raked her hand through her hair. “No, I’m sorry. You don’t deserve that. I just…” she stood up and paced. “I just want to know
something. Anything.”

“I didn’t get a good glance at him, but I think he was unconscious when he fell from the bull.” Sammy looked up at her. “Sit down. Your pacing is making me a nervous wreck.”

“Where the hell is his dad?” Olivia didn’t care for the man, but the fact that he wasn’t there for his son made her hate him even more. “I know they have a rocky relationship, but he was at the rodeo. He saw what happened. Shouldn’t a father be there for his kid?” So many emotions poured out and she told herself to get a handle on them, but she was angry. Cale didn’t deserve any of this.

“You took the words right out of my mouth,” Sammy said, looking around the room. “If he shows up, it’s not for support. It’s to berate him for falling off, so honestly, it’s probably best he’s not here anyway.”

Olivia finally sat down again. “You’re a really good friend to him, you know that right?”

Sammy ducked his head and laughed. “I think I drive him crazy.”

“No, not at all. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”

“Yeah?” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “I think he really loves you too, Olivia.”

She exhaled a deep breath. “What makes you so certain?”

“He’s never been like this with any other woman. I’ve known Cale forever and this is definitely a marathon and not a sprint when it comes to time spent with a girl. Just the mention of you changes his attitude. And when he watches you ride – it’s like watching a kid on Christmas morning. He never cared for barrel racing before, but he’s told me that he admires how well you handle that horse of yours.”

Olivia felt more moisture well up in her eyes, and she blinked back any chance of the tears falling. She felt proud to hear it from Sammy. “I love him too, Sammy. I hope he’s okay.”

He pulled her in for a side hug, allowing her to cry on his shoulder, each of them sitting in the busy waiting room, their patience wearing thin. She blocked out the blaring TV, the loud baby crying in the corner, and the kids playing with toys on the floor. Though she didn’t know Sammy well, she felt safe from his comfort.

He broke the hug and stood up. “I’m going to get some coffee. You want any? Anything from the vending machine?”

“No, thanks. I don’t think my stomach can take it.”

“You gotta eat something, Olivia.”

“I will. Just give me a bit.”

She looked over her shoulder, her heart skipping a beat when she saw him walk through the sliding doors. There was no mistaking him – he held too much of a striking resemblance to Cale, though angrier. He pushed through a group of people and stood at the nurse’s station, his finger pointing toward the area where they had taken Cale. Joining Sammy at the coffee bar, she tried to keep her cool.

“Don’t be alarmed and don’t look just yet, but Cale’s dad is here.”

Sammy finished pouring some creamer in his cup and slowly turned to look. “Holy shit.”

“Will he come over here?”

“Probably. He’s never been real nice to me either, but he’ll think I have answers and he’ll press me for them. Just let me do the talking. Does he know you?”

“I’ve been introduced, but he was focused on other things. I doubt he’ll remember me,” Olivia said, taking a breath when he rounded the corner to the waiting room. “I think he saw you.”

Sammy remained calm and they both sat down, pretending they hadn’t seen him. He sipped on his coffee, both of them anticipating Dean Warren’s wrath.

“Sammy.” He stood in front of them, towering over them like a bully on a playground. “They ain’t telling me shit. What’s going on with Cale?”

Like you care,
Olivia thought, but she took Sammy’s advice and bit her tongue.

“You know what I know, Mr. Warren.”

“You were down there with him. What did you see?”

Sammy blew on his coffee. “What you did. He got hung up and fell underneath. The rest is history.”

Dean sat down adjacent to them and took his cowboy hat off. “That’s bullshit, Sammy. When can we see him?”

“When the doctor comes out and tells us what happened.”

Sammy had patience. Olivia was on the verge of mouthing off to the man. There was a difference in being concerned and just being there for show, and Dean Warren’s agitation was more about the fact that his son had fallen off and not because he was seriously injured. She wasn’t sure how long she could hold it in.

“I need a cigarette,” Dean said, pulling a red package from his shirt pocket.

He went outside, leaving them alone. It was a chance for Olivia to be alone with him and away from the crowd of the waiting room. Taking the chance, she stood up, trying to play it cool with Sammy.

“I’m gonna get some fresh air. If the doctor comes, please get me.”

She didn’t give him a chance to intervene, nor did she know if he was even on to her plan. Walking through the automatic doors, she saw Dean leaning against the brick wall to her right, puffing on a Marlboro.

“I’m not sure if you remember me, Mr. Warren, but…”

“Of course I do. You’re the ball and chain distracting Cale from riding.”

His words stung, but she had to stand her ground. She had to do this for Cale. “With all due respect,
Dean,
Cale is an adult. He can see or do whatever he wants.” It felt wrong calling him Mr. Warren. He didn’t deserve it.

The older man eyed her, his mouth set in a hard line. Had he not been so jaded, he’d look like a carbon copy of an older version of Cale. “Women ain’t nothing but trouble. His mother pulled me from rodeo right when I was on top of the game, and now here you are, doing it to my boy. He’s just like me, it seems.”

“No, he’s not like you at all.”

Dean laughed and exhaled a straight line of smoke from his nose and mouth. “No? And tell me miss buckle bunny, how long have you known him? I don’t think it’s been long enough to make a fair assessment of who Cale is.”

“I’ve known him a lot longer than you, and I’ve already got a damn good opinion of who you are, Dean. Cale is loving and caring. He’s got a heart. From what I’ve seen, there’s a hole where yours should be. We all know you’re not here because you are worried about your son.”

He extinguished the butt of the cigarette on the ground. “Why am I here then?”

“You want any chance you can have to belittle him. Nothing is ever good enough, is it? He’s in the top of the standings right now and…” she threw her hand in the air, biting her lip. She couldn’t let Dean see her cry. He’d pounce right on the chance to use that against her. Controlling herself, she continued, “Be proud that he’s even doing what he does. Not everyone can do this.” She took a deep breath. “And now he’s laid up here in the hospital. I can’t do this with you right now. I can’t even look at you with all the evil that just pours out of you.” She got closer to him, keeping her voice low. “How could you
ever
lay your hands on your kid? Cale is a beautiful person. You don’t even know the man he has become, even after everything you put him through as a kid, he is twice the man you’ll ever be, Dean.”

Her words must have hit him hard, because he didn’t have a quick response to it. She had no idea where it had all come from. Her anger made her do crazy things, but it felt good to get it all off of her chest. Would there be repercussions because of it? She would be ready if so.

“You love Cale, don’t you?” He tapped another cigarette out, but didn’t light it.

“I do. And the man I love is inside in a hospital bed. The last thing I want is to fight with his family, but you leave me no choice but to completely despise you until you give me a reason not to. He’s your son, Dean. Try to resolve whatever issue you have with him. Salvage what little relationship you have left if he makes it through whatever is going on.”

Turning on her heel, she went back inside. She didn’t want to miss the doctor, and most of all, she had nothing left to say to Dean Warren. It would make a dent or it wouldn’t, but at least she let her feelings be known to the one person Cale couldn’t stand up to.