Collision (11 page)

Brady watched him go. “That man never stops moving. He makes
me nervous.”

“So what usually happens during these opening ceremonies?”

He ordered her a bottle of water and then turned to her,
shrugging. “There’s that stage in the middle of the arena, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So I go and stand there. Sometimes there are other riders,
sometimes not. They play music, I try to look intimidating, the announcer talks,
that’s about it. Usually takes about ten minutes, start to finish. No biggie,
really.” They made their way back through the crowd, stopping to chat with
different sponsors and other VIPs along the way. By the time they reached
Conner again Marco was nowhere to be seen.

They chatted for a little while, but were interrupted
shortly thereafter by an aide from the tour telling her and Brady they were
needed for the opening ceremonies. They said their goodbyes and followed the
perky young aide to the stage, where she began to move them into position.

“Okay, Brady, you’re an old pro at this. Just do what you
usually do—the crossed arms, hat-down-over-your-eyes thing. Leah, if you could
stand with your back to Brady’s and also cross your arms. Hey, you’re wearing a
black Stetson too. That’s perfect!” She stood back to regard the two of them
once she’d moved them to her satisfaction. “Oh, that looks awesome. Okay, we’ll
be starting in about two or three minutes. You can relax for now. We’ll give
you a countdown to live.”

They waited for the signal and got back into position when
it came a few moments later. Over the loudspeakers Leah heard, “Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to the National Bull Riders Tour.” The music started and the announcer got
on the PA system. “Are you ready to see some world-champion bull ridin’?” The
crowd screamed and clapped and Leah felt a little chill creep up her spine. She
recognized it as the adrenaline that coursed through her before she competed,
and she welcomed it.

Unfortunately, the feeling didn’t last long as the announcer
continued. “Tonight we have a special guest in the house. In addition to the
reigning ‘Rodeo King’, Brady Parrish, we’re pleased to introduce ‘Ice Queen’,
Leah Fitzpatrick, Olympic gold medal winning, World and United States National
Champion figure skater.” As soon as she heard the nickname used yet again she
blew out a loud breath.

The crowd clapped and she felt Brady turn a little toward
her. “Ignore it,” he said out of the side of his mouth. “It’ll be over soon
enough.” She knew she had no one to blame but herself for the nickname—she’d
knowingly cultivated it, but that had been when she’d been younger. Now having
it shoved in her face all the time was really getting on her nerves. She could
deal with it when she was on her own turf, it was just part of who she was, but
she felt like a different person out here. Being constantly reminded of how
people in the figure skating world saw her was a real downer.

Thankfully the opening ceremony ended shortly thereafter and
she was able to relax since she was done with her duties until later on. Conner
and Brady weren’t riding for a couple of hours, so they all went back to the
Airstream and sat around until the boys had to leave again to prepare their
equipment. Leah went to the area on the concourse where she’d be signing
autographs and was heartened when there was a huge line and no one mentioned
her nickname. Later, she and Jessica made their way to the friends and family
seating area, where Leah used the ticket Brady had given her. She’d taken to
using his rather than even checking to see if the NBT had left her one.

When they were settled Jessica turned to her. “So, how are
things going with Brady?”

“Fine.” Leah liked her a lot but wasn’t sure how much she
should say. She wasn’t used to having girlfriends she could gab to. How much
information was Jessica looking for?

“He really likes you, you know. I haven’t known him too
long, but Conner has, and he says he’s never seen Brady like this. Crap, I
probably shouldn’t have told you that.”

Leah let out a nervous chuckle. “I won’t tell.”

“But seriously, I hope you guys are planning to keep seeing
each other once the tour is over. It would be a shame to just turn your backs
on each other. I would know. I tried to do that when the tour fired me, but
Conner wouldn’t let me. He chased me most of the way across Texas, in fact.”
Jessica smiled, her gaze unfocused as she no doubt recollected that time, and
Leah couldn’t stop the twinge of jealousy that rooted itself in her gut. “Anyway,
you can make it work if you want it bad enough. I don’t travel with the guys
all the time. It’s too expensive since I’m not working right now. But Conner
and I manage. It’s all about compromise.”

“Compromise,” Leah murmured. She hadn’t had to do much of
that in her life recently. Did she want to now? What would that mean for her
career?

As Conner’s turn came, both women refocused on the event.
Conner rode his bull, the centrifugal force throwing him around on the animal’s
back, but he stayed on, getting a score of eighty-seven, and shortly thereafter
it was Brady’s turn. He struggled a little bit and got jostled as the bull went
welly—turning in fast, tight circles and leaning into the dirt, but he too just
barely managed to stay on. His bull had a higher ranking than Conner’s, so
despite his technical problems he scored an eighty-eight point five.

The competition, including the draft for the bulls for the
final night of the competition, was over by nine that evening, and the four of
them headed out to eat. Conner and Jessica decided to go out to a bar with some
of the other riders, but Leah and Brady went back to Leah’s hotel room. She’d
decided after thinking over what Jessica had said that even though she wanted
to concentrate on her skating once the tour was over, there was no reason she
couldn’t enjoy Brady while she was here, be a little crazy. Leah intended to
enjoy herself, since she knew as soon as she got back home it would be all
business.

In the cab, Brady turned to her. “I can’t wait to get you
back to the room. I’ve been thinking about you all day. I want you so freaking
bad.” He paused and let out a loud breath. “Has anyone ever had your ass
before?”

“No,” she stammered, her gaze darting to the front of the
cab. The driver was listening to some sort of god-awful country tune on the
radio and totally ignoring them, thankfully.

He bit off a curse. “Let me have it. Let me be the first,”
he demanded through a locked jaw. Her chest rose and fell with harsh breaths.
She nodded, finding herself unable to say no to this man who had so much power
over her. All she knew was that she’d do anything he wanted right now, even
things she never would’ve considered. What did that say about her?

A little while later in her hotel room, Brady sucked her
breast into his mouth, pressing it between his tongue and the roof of his
mouth. Her breath came in deep, uneven surges as she writhed like a cat. “I
want you, Leah. All of you. Will you let me?”

She looked at Brady and knew she was ready to take the next
step with him. It just felt right. Leah really only had one question. “Will it
hurt?”

“I’ll go slow and prepare you first. If it hurts and you
want me to slow down or stop I will, of course. I would never hurt you,
darlin’.” He ran the tip of his tongue over her bottom lip and waited for her
answer.

“Okay.” She offered a tentative smile and he sent her a
dazzling one in return. She wanted to do this for herself as much as for him.
Brady made her feel alive and as if she belonged and she’d be forever grateful
for that.

“I want you to relax for me, all right, sugar?” He sat up
and rooted in the drawer of the nightstand. Turning her onto her stomach, he
propped her pelvis up on a pillow, bending her legs. She watched as he lubed up
three fingers. Lying on his back between her spread legs, he put his mouth on
her clit and very slowly began to insert his index finger into her ass. It slid
in pretty easily as it had before, but one finger was a big difference from
having his penis there and she shuddered. Brady lapped at her pussy and clit,
cooing little things to her about how beautiful she was and how much he wanted
her and she began to relax little by little. As if he sensed that, Brady moved
his finger in and out of her in a steady motion.

Pulling back a bit, he began to insert a second finger and
Leah tensed up a little at the invasion. “Relax, sweetheart, and push back.
Breathe, baby,” he urged her, and she felt her channel open for him. Sinking
both fingers in, he attached his mouth to her clit and applied light suction
before scissoring his fingers back and forth to stretch her. He thrust in and
out a little harder and faster, and then added the third finger, stroking her
back soothingly with his other hand while he continued to suckle her clit. She
was amazed that it didn’t hurt more. In fact, it felt kind of good. No one had
ever asked this of her, but she also knew she wouldn’t have said yes to anyone
but Brady.

After taking some more time to stretch her, he pulled away
from her clit. “You doing okay, darlin’?”

“Yeah, but I…”

“What, sugar?”

“I…want something, but I don’t know what. I feel…” He let
her process the emotion. She couldn’t quite put a name to it. “Impatient, I
guess.” She turned her head and looked down her body at him.

“I think that means you’re ready for me.”

She nodded. “I want you. I want it.”

“It?” He raised an eyebrow. Grabbing the towel he’d laid
nearby, he quickly wiped off his fingers and then donned the condom.

“You know what I mean.”

“I’ll let it go this time.” She turned toward the headboard
again and he poised the head of his cock at her entrance. Sliding his hands
down her back, he told her, “I’m gonna go real nice and slow. If you need me to
slow down more, just tell me. I wanna make this feel good for you.”

“Just do it, Brady,” she commanded. Leah was more than ready
for this.

He pushed just the tip in and Leah took a deep, fortifying
breath as he continued to press in. “Relax and push back against me, darlin’.”
She did and the head of his cock slid past the tight ring of muscle. “Fuck,” he
bit out.

“Are you all right?”

“You’re tight. You’re clutching my dick so good, baby. Are
you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

He pushed in an inch more and then withdrew the same length,
massaging her lower back and ass with his hands. When she pushed back again he
sank in the rest of the way and groaned from deep in his chest. He stopped
moving while still deep inside her and gripped her hips. “Still okay?”

“Yes, Brady,” she panted. “Move. Oh God, move.” She began to
wonder if she’d ever be the same after leaving Brady. So-called “normal” sex
seemed boring in comparison to the things she’d done with Brady. Leah wished
they had more time together—she was sure Brady had a lot more tricks up his
sleeve. Forcing herself to shut down those gloomy thoughts, she concentrated on
the sharp sensations arrowing through her.

Brady slid out almost all the way and then slowly pushed
back in. Leah could tell he was trying to keep his thrusting under tight
control and knew how hard that must be for him if it felt half as good for him
as it did for her.

“I need more. Fuck me harder.”

“Are you sure?” He practically croaked the words.

“Yes. Just do it. If it’s too much I’ll tell you. I need
you, Brady.”

“Fuck, I need you too.” He began to thrust faster. Reaching
around her, he found her clit and rolled it between his thumb and forefinger,
wrenching a cry from her. “Come for me, baby.” He put down a hand to steady
himself, then, keeping his thumb on her clit, he plunged two fingers into her
pussy.

She stiffened and felt her butt contract around his cock. As
she began to shudder with her climax he let out a coarse shout and gasped for
air. She’d never felt anything like this—it was a whole-body climax. They fell
together, with him still buried inside her, and struggled to catch their
breath.

“Damn, sugar,” he said, his voice husky with emotion and
Leah had no brain cells to dissect why that was.

“Damn yourself,” she mumbled.

Brady rose, taking his considerable weight off her and
withdrew slowly. “Be right back.” She was dozing happily when she felt
something between her legs and jumped. “What are you doing? I was almost
asleep!” She rolled over and stared at him.

“Cleaning you up.”

She felt a hot blush creep onto her face. “You don’t have to
do that.”

“Yes, I do. You’re bound to be a little sore come tomorrow,
but this might make it a little better.”

“Well, then I can do it.” She put out her hand for the
washcloth, but he wouldn’t give it up.

“Let me do this for you. Just lie back and enjoy it.” He
touched his lips to hers. “I kinda like taking care of you. Is that a crime?”

“No, of course not.”

“Good.” He moved back and dabbed at her again. “Just relax.
I’ve got you.”

That’s what I’m afraid of…

Finished with washing her, Brady threw the washcloth into
the bathroom before climbing into bed and pulling her snug against him. Kissing
her temple, he whispered, “Sleep, darlin’.”

* * * * *

Leah awakened the next morning to a warm, wet suction on her
breast. Looking down, she saw Brady staring back up at her. “Good morning.”

“Mornin’, sugar. Couldn’t help myself. Your pretty little
rosy nipple was peeking out at me from over the covers.”

“A likely story…”

“So what’s on your schedule for today?”

She smiled. “Nothing. I guess they decided to give me a day
off.”

“Cool. You gonna stay here then, or do you wanna come with
me and hang out with the guys?”

“Would you mind?”

“Of course not. I love having you with me.” He gave her
breast another kiss and sat up. “But I gotta meet Conner in a bit for a workout
first. Wanna join us for lunch afterward before we go over to the arena?”

“Sounds great. But can we go somewhere I can get a salad?
I’m starting to feel like a porker and this can’t be good. I haven’t been able
to weigh myself in days.”

“You look pretty fucking awesome to me, but sure, we can
find a healthy place. I need to eat better than I have been too.”

Brady left and Leah took some time to relax. After finishing
a few sets of ankle exercises she took a shower and then called James, since
she’d promised to keep in touch with him every couple of days.

“Hey, James. How are you?”

“Fine. How are you?”

“Great, actually.”

“Yeah? You sound different.”

“Do I? I guess I’m just, I don’t know, happy.” She bit her
lip, trying to decide how much she wanted to confess. She’d come to the
realization that James really was her only friend and she was a fool to keep
him at arm’s length. “I met someone.”

“You did? How the hell did you meet someone out there on
tour?”

Leah struggled with how much she should say, but if word
ever got out about her relationship with Brady her manager should definitely
not be in the dark about it. It struck her again how sad it was that she had no
friends save the one she paid to manage her career. He didn’t have much of a
choice.

“It’s Brady.”

“You’re dating the bull rider?” He sounded incredulous, and
Leah couldn’t blame him. A couple of weeks ago if someone had told her she
would have anything to do with a bull rider she would’ve laughed in their face.

Just goes to show what a snob I was…

“Well, I don’t know if you could call it ‘dating’. I don’t
know what you’d call it. A fling? An affair?”

James made a sound like he was choking. “An affair?”

Leah laughed. “Are you going to repeat everything I say?”

“If you keep spouting these outrageous things I just might.
An affair…” He snorted. “Are you telling me this because you’re about to do
something scandalous? Or already have? That would be a first.”

“No, nothing like that. Well, that’s not entirely true.”

She heard James’ intake of breath across the phone line.
“What did you do? Do you need me to come to where you are? Where
are
you, anyway?”

“Calm down, James,” Leah replied, smiling as she shook her
head. She could picture him in his ultra-modern apartment, perched on his white
leather sofa mopping his brow with an Armani handkerchief as he tried to figure
out what she’d done. The thought made her chuckle. “I meant that I figured you
should know about it just in case it gets out in public for some reason. We’ve
been pretty discreet, but you never know…” She glanced at the clock. “I have to
go. I’m meeting Brady and another rider for lunch and I still haven’t done my
hair or gotten dressed.”

“Thanks for calling, Leah,” James said, his voice soft. “And
thanks for confiding in me.”

“I just thought you should know. I’ll call again in a day or
two.”

She hung up with James and hurried through getting ready. By
the time she’d blown her hair dry Brady was calling to tell her they were at a
restaurant down the street. Grabbing her key and purse, she ran out the door.

* * * * *

Brady couldn’t wait to get on the bull tonight. There were
some days when all he wanted was to go up against that bull; to show who was
best. Leah had hung out all day, and he was surprised at the change in her.
Where a few weeks ago she’d been quiet and standoffish, now she smiled and
talked to people. She was still reserved—that was her nature, but nowhere near
how she’d been when he’d first met her. He was pleased to see how far she’d
come in such a short time and hoped some of it was due to his influence.

By the time it was finally his turn he was hopped up and
rarin’ to go. He’d drawn a difficult bull, but he needed the points to keep his
narrow rankings lead. As the beast shot out of the chute, though, his body
jackknifed forward and then back so far he nearly rammed the back of his head
into the bull’s flank. His free arm swung around wildly and he wasn’t able to
do anything to gain extra points with the judges. He managed to hang on for the
full eight seconds, though, and after a not-so-graceful dismount, jumped onto
the rail and turned around to see his score. Eighty-three. That would put him
in fifth place; enough to win a little money and get him a few points, but not
good enough overall.

They left that night to get to the next event, located in
San Antonio, Texas. Brady’s dad called while they were on the road.

“Looks like we’ll be able to make it for the whole event
after all,” he told Brady. “Your mother was able to get out of the Founders’
Day planning meeting and she rescheduled everything else.”

“That’s great, Dad. It’ll be really nice to see you guys,”
Brady answered, touched that his parents would be able to watch him ride. He’d
resigned himself to only seeing them for one day and this was a welcome
surprise. He missed his family when he was on the road so much.

“Will Leah still be on tour with you?”

“Yeah, for about a week more.” Glancing over at Leah, he saw
her raise an eyebrow and decided to tease her a little. “She can’t wait to meet
you.”

“The feeling’s mutual. I don’t remember the last time you
brought a young woman home.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Brady replied, laughing. “Call me once your
travel plans are set and we’ll figure out when we can get together.” He hung up
and grinned at Leah. “That was my folks. They’re going to the event tomorrow
since it’s only a few hours away from home.”

“And I take it you’ve told them about me?”

“Yep.” He studied her expression, not sure what to make of
it. “Does that bother you?”

Leah blinked at him. “No, I’m just a little surprised.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.” Leah shrugged. “I know you’re close to your
family, but I didn’t expect you’d be the type to tell them about every affair
you have.”