Chasin' Eight: Rough Riders, Book 12 (14 page)

Chase raised his left arm. The mechanical bull kicked hard to the right and then spun to the left. Chase focused on keeping his upper body aligned. It worked. He bailed off after he heard the buzzer.

Both Cash and Colby grinned at him. But Cash whistled when Chase started to walk off the mats. “Huh-uh, McKay. One ride could be a fluke. I’ll need at least two more.”

“Sadistic bastard,” Chase mumbled under his breath as he climbed back on.

Think. Align. Focus.

He ended up riding the next two. As sore as he was, as tired as he was, he couldn’t wait to get on bulls tomorrow.

Back at the house, he shoveled in a piece of strawberry shortcake and knocked back a shot of whiskey with Cash and Colby before returning to the bunkhouse. He took another shower, needing the hot water to dull the day’s aches and pains.

Ava’s door was closed and no light spilled from the window as he walked past her side of the bunkhouse.

He wanted to tell her about the breakthrough he’d had tonight. What did it say that she was the first person he’d thought of telling?

That you’re still not focused on the main reason you’re here.

When Chase lumbered into the bunkhouse, he saw Colby sitting on the bunk across from his.

Colby glanced up from poking buttons on his cell phone. “Hang on a sec, I gotta tell Cord I fucked up and forgot to check the drainage ditch on the east side of our folks place before I left.”

Chase popped three aspirin and collapsed on his bed.

“How you holdin’ up?” Colby asked and flipped off the light.

“Been better.” He rearranged his pillow. “Did you ever hit a low spot when you were on tour?”

“Plenty of times. I can’t believe I stuck with it for as long as I did. That lifestyle takes a toll on a man. But I loved it. The competing. The traveling. Hanging with the guys. The easy women.” He chuckled. “If you’d asked me, I’da sworn the abundance of willing women was my number one reason for stayin’ on the road.”

Only a guy who’d been there could understand that appeal.

“But now? I suspect the reason I stuck it out was because I was waitin’ for a woman who didn’t want a rodeo cowboy, but me. Luckily I found her.”

“Do you miss that life on the road?”

“At first. Then not at all.”

Chase couldn’t fathom that. “Really? So if you’d met Channing two years before you did, you’da gladly given up your wild rodeo ways to set up housekeeping with her?”

“I see your opinion on marriage ain’t changed. I can’t answer that, because as much as I’d planned to quit rodeoin’ fulltime at summers end? My injury gave me no choice.” His pause weighed heavily in the room. “Just curious about what your plans are if you aren’t allowed back on tour. Or if you can’t keep up the ridin’ percentage to stay on tour. You considering the PRCA?”

“Seems I’ve had two choices in my life. Rodeo or ranch.”

“Your payout from your percentage of the ranch sure gives you more than two choices now, Chase. What about that buddy of yours? The one who offered you a stake in a bull? Any interest in breeding stock?”

“No. I’ll leave that to you and Cash.” Chase sighed and stared at the bunk above him. “Alls I ever wanted to do was ride bulls. I’ve never looked beyond that.”

“That’s an easy mindset to fall into when you’re young, on top, and believe you’ll stay there forever.”

“But?” Chase prompted.

“But bull ridin’ isn’t a forever occupation.” Colby sighed. “Look, you’ve got enough on your mind right now. We’re all damn proud of you.”

If they were all so proud of him, why did he feel like such a disappointment? Or were they proud of him for the wrong reason? “Thanks, Colby, I appreciate the advice.”

Chase was tired of Ava avoiding him. Especially when he had no idea if he’d done something to piss her off.

For the last two days she’d dutifully recorded his rides, made DVD copies and handed them to Gemma every afternoon. But as far as a one-on-one conversation between them? Not once.

Maybe she’s changed her mind about continuing this western adventure with you.

After supper, Chase tracked her down to the training paddock, her silhouette reflected as a shadow in the moonlit dirt below the mechanical bull.

Despite the ache from wrist to shoulder, Chase balanced on one arm and hopped the fence. When he stood in front of her, he said, “You gonna get in a little practice?”

She shrugged.

“Ava? You all right?”

“No.”

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Her gaze finally snapped to his. “Are you?”

“No, I’m—”

“Fine, right? Acting like it’s no big deal you got thrown on your ass half a dozen times. Or that you got stomped on by a bull at least four of those times. Oh, and that’s just
today
. That’s not counting the first two days I watched. And taped. And wanted to…”

“Wanted to what?”

“Hide,” she said softly.

“Why?”

“So I didn’t have to watch you getting hurt over and over. Record you getting hurt over and over.”

Chase wasn’t expecting that. He climbed on the mechanical bull, so they faced each other, knee-to-knee with their legs draped over the sides. “All this fuss is about me? Really?”

Ava nodded, but still wouldn’t look at him. “In my head I knew climbing on a bull was dangerous, but seeing it firsthand scared the living piss out of me, Chase McKay.”

Such sweet honesty bowled him over.

“The last bull today that threw you into the gate? I was really glad you were wearing a helmet.”

“Me too. I’m getting used to the damn thing. But I still got my bell rung pretty good.”

“Were you scared?”

“To be honest, I don’t remember.”

“Don’t brush my concerns aside, Chase. You almost—”

“Almost don’t count in bull ridin’, Hollywood. Staying on eight seconds is the only thing that does count.”

“Watching you sometimes…? God. A couple rides seemed like eight hours.”

Chase murmured, “Seems that way to me too sometimes.”

Ava’s eyes were filled with frustration. “Why do you do this?”

“Why do you walk onto a fake set and pretend to be somebody you’re not?” he volleyed back.

“Not the same thing.”

“Yes, it is. We both take risks in our jobs, they’re just different types of risks. We’re both professionals.”

“But—”

“Ava. Stop.” Even as Chase’s conscience warned
No no no
, his body urged him closer with
Yes yes yes
. He slipped his hand around the back of her neck and angled his head until their lips were barely an inch apart. Kissing her jaw, her chin. Soft, teasing smooches. Dragging out the innocent kisses until the heat kicked in.

When Ava opened her mouth, and the warm flesh of her lips skimmed across his, he lost his mind. His intention to gift her with the most sensual kiss in the history of the world vanished.

Chase inhaled her, keeping her in place as he feasted on her mouth. When her hands inched up his arms, he made a low-pitched warning sound and her fingers curled into his biceps.

He drank in the taste of her. Feeding her hot kisses. Wet kisses. Sliding his tongue deeper to explore her mouth, then retreating to gently smooch her kiss-plumped lips.

During one of those tender, fleeting kisses, she murmured, “Chase?”

He recognized the question in her voice, it was the same one running through his mind:
What the hell are you doing?
Twining silky strands of her hair around his fingers, he rested his forehead to hers, breathing raggedly. “Dammit, Hollywood. I’m sorry.”

“Are you really?”

“No.”

They stayed like that for several blissful minutes, even when Chase knew he should pull away.

“Are you having second thoughts about hitting the rodeo trail with me? Especially since I just gave you the mother of all mixed signals by layin’ a big, wet kiss on you?”

“My second thoughts had nothing to do with that.” Ava pressed her lips to his. “Besides, one little kiss isn’t gonna scare me off. You and me? We’re friends. Pals. Buddies. Road warriors. Road dogs. We’ll probably be prancing around each other naked by the time our adventure is up. Prancing around totally nude and we won’t even bat an eyelash.”

Not a snowball’s chance in hell of that happening if Ava was nekkid. Chase tipped her face up to gaze into her eyes. “You’ll be all right watching me compete?”

“I think so. It’s gotten better.”

“That’s because my ass didn’t hit the dirt as often,” he said dryly. Chase slid off the bull and held out his hand to help her down. “You comin’ back to the bunkhouse?”

“In a bit. It’s so beautiful here. Almost like I’m on a movie set and it isn’t real. I want to drink it in.”

“Not worried a mountain lion will sneak up behind you and carry you off?”

Was the wind playing tricks on him? Or did he hear her mutter, “I wish
you’d
sneak up behind me and carry me off.”

Chase said, “Pardon?”

“I said I’ll be fine. Good night, Sundance.”

“Night, Hollywood.”

Ava stretched out on the mechanical bull and stargazed. So peaceful. The profusion of stars reinforced that feeling of insignificance.

Seemed to be a theme in her life.

She’d almost told Chase she was leaving for LA as soon as possible. Ever since his breakthrough on the bulls, she’d been waiting for him to tell her, in that charming cowboy way, that he wouldn’t need her help videotaping his rides. Maybe it was high schoolish that she’d intended to give him the brush off first.

But he hadn’t rescinded his offer. Instead, he’d kissed her.

Had he ever kissed her.

Ava remembered how his hot breath drifted across her cheek. A non-kiss, a tease, but one that raised goose bumps down the entire left side of her body. She’d withheld a shiver, suspecting he’d take her reaction the wrong way.

And she might’ve succeeded in pretending his peck was just a friendly gesture if he hadn’t kept inching those clever lips down her jawline. If he hadn’t made that nearly imperceptible growling noise in the back of his throat. If he hadn’t tenderly smooched the tip of her chin on his way to tenderly smooching her mouth. Once. Twice. The third kiss lingered. No hint of tongue, just a gentle press of lips on lips. Somehow his left hand had curled around her neck. Somehow, her hands ended up clamped onto his biceps.

Ava expected he’d keep the kiss slow and easy. So when Chase kissed the living shit out of her, she understood she didn’t know this Chase at all. The Chase who trapped her face in his big hands. The Chase who ably slipped his tongue past her teeth and fried her circuits with a kiss that stirred something inside her she’d never felt with any man.

Lust with an edge of danger. Lust that had no boundaries.

Just as Ava was about to lose herself in the sensation of surrender, Chase broke the kiss.

And then he’d apologized.

So yeah, she’d had that girlish sense of glee when he admitted he wasn’t sorry. She could work with that.

A clement breeze wafted over her. The warmth of the leather soaked into her back and she was lulled into total relaxation. She sighed and closed her eyes.

“Ava,” he whispered, “Come on.”

“What?” She scrambled up and looked at him.

“Scoot over.” Using the stirrup, Chase vaulted onto the back of the mechanical bull.

Ava watched him get situated; it wasn’t much different than when he readied himself to ride a real bull. He offered his hand and hauled her closer, laughing at her shriek of surprise as he draped her thighs over the top of his.

“I’ve been dying to do this,” Chase murmured, and that sinful mouth lowered to her neck, bestowing hot, sucking kisses that set her blood on fire. His tongue traced her collarbone from her shoulder to her throat. “Put your hands on me, Ava.”

Chase nearly purred when she thrust her hands through is hair. He nuzzled her cleavage while he unbuttoned her blouse and flicked open her bra so her breasts tumbled free. A low groan of male pleasure vibrated through her body as he sucked her nipples with single-minded devotion.

“So sexy.” Chase scattered kisses up to her ear. “You ready to take a real risk?”

Head muzzy from his kisses, she mumbled, “Sure.”

“Good. Hold on to me. I’m gonna turn the machine on slow.”

“What? Oh no.”

“Oh yes.” The back end of mechanical bull lifted, sending Ava sliding forward. Her whole body tensed as her weight rested on Chase fully.

“See, that’s why I’m on the bottom.”

The bull spun to the left and she closed her eyes.

“Look at me.”

Ava blinked at him. Then Chase’s mouth was on hers. His hands were on her. His body moved with the rhythm of the bull, and he urged hers to do the same.

She fell into him, giving herself over to his gracefulness, his athleticism and his sensuality.

“That’s it,” he muttered against her lips. “Relax, baby, trust me.”

The constant swoop of her stomach faded, mostly because Chase distracted her. And what sweet, hot distraction it was. His rough fingertips stroking the inside of her thighs. His blistering kisses. His sexy growl against her skin. The pressure of her clit pressing into the hard muscle of his abdomen with the bull’s every downward drop.

His hot breath flowed over her ear, sending a shiver of anticipation through her when he whispered, “Are you wet for me, Ava Rose?”

“You kiss me once and I’m ready for you.”

The bucking stopped. “Scoot back for a sec.” Keeping his fiery blue eyes on hers, Chase unbuttoned his jeans, unzipped and pulled his cock out. He reached around to bring her back onto his lap. “You ride me. I’ll ride the bull.” He lifted her and all that male hardness filled her in one deep plunge.

After Chase turned the bull back on, he reconnected to the rhythm of sex. Feeling his muscles flow in accord with the machine brought another level of appreciation for his riding abilities.

The spinning apparatus added another dimension. When the bull slanted forward, she shifted her hips side to side, trying to create friction on her clit. Even as she impaled herself on Chase’s cock fully, it wasn’t enough.

“Chase. I’m close. I need…”