“Yes.”
“There you go. Think you could do that?”
“Yes. No. Maybe.”
“I realize you’re not familiar with gripping things between your legs—”
“Whoa, let’s not go there, cowboy!”
“But you gotta let yourself feel what’s going on underneath you. You’re so busy anticipating, you fly off before he even gets there. The bull’s not worrying about whatever you might do next, he’s right in the moment, feeling exactly where you are, so he beats you around every corner.”
“Are you saying I should use my woman’s intuition?”
“Might as well. The bull’s going on animal instinct, and you’ve sure proved you’re not going to outthink him. Try to stay loose and move with him.”
“That’s like saying be confident.”
“Be confident.”
“Thanks a million.”
“And don’t ride like you got a steel rod welded to your spine. Relax.”
“I thought you were gonna say like I had a stick shoved up my ass.”
“I was being kind. Don’t ride like you have a stick shoved up anywhere.”
Dolly flashed him a grin. “Thanks for the uncomfortable visual.”
“Remember to keep your weight going down your legs.”
“You done with the advice yet?”
“No. You can do it.”
Without looking at him, Dolly said quietly, “I know you have faith in me. You wore that bra today because you believed I was going to make the whistle. I let you down.”
“You let yourself down, Dolls, not me. Chill back and go out there and have fun, homegirl.”
“Fun. Right. Remember, this is supposed to be fun.” Taking a deep breath, Dolly approached the mechanism as warily as if it were a real animal, and angry to boot.
Trey waited until she was settled in. “Ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Great attitude.” He fed the quarters in and started her off on the slowest speed. “This is fun, remember? You love to ride.”
Dolly took a deep breath, and he could see her give her shoulders a shake to relax. As soon as the strain disappeared from her jaw and shoulders, she started to smile when the mechanism beneath her started to rock. She lifted up slightly and moved forward, legs gripping firmly but not tense. Soon her free arm dropped down in front of her chest where it was supposed to be.
As the bull dipped down in the front, Dolly leaned back and then shifted her weight forward as the bull came up, her movements perfectly in synch with the machine. Her free hand moved with control as the bull picked up momentum.
One of three women at the bar shrieked out appreciatively, “Sexy slow ride!”
Dolly glanced their way and grinned. “Turn it up, T!”
Relieved by the growing confidence in her voice, Trey flipped the dial to the next number.
As the bull spun faster, Dolly let her pelvis roll with the movement. The huge smile on her face as she started to enjoy herself allowed Trey to relax against the rail. “You go, girl!” he called to her.
“Turn it up, turn it up!” she responded.
He did so gladly. The change in speed almost unseated her, but she made the correction and slid back to center. “You’re doing great. You made eight seconds twice over. Don’t get overtired. You got a real bull to cover tomorrow.”
Dolly nodded and swung her leg over as he’d done, waiting for a big buck to jump off onto the mat. This time a whole section of the bar stood up to applaud her. She swept her hat off and gave them a deep bow. “Thank you!”
Trey grabbed her shoulder and squeezed. “You did great. You are a bull riding
machine
!”
Completely ignoring his compliment, Dolly said thoughtfully, “You know, for the first time I actually felt what you were talking about. Maybe it’s because when I started in the men’s division, the bulls were so much bigger and stronger, I got nervous. But tonight I remembered what it felt like to actually enjoy the ride.”
“You’ve been riding rough a long time. Maybe that’s all you needed, a little confidence boost.” Trey slid into the circular booth to sit beside Alex while Dolly slid in from the other side.
Alex was beaming at Dolly, but before she could say a word, a man who had clearly had too much to drink staggered over, leaned heavily on the table, and pointed at Alex. “Beautiful! You are a beautiful, perfect, beautiful lady!”
“Thanks, but you don’t have to shout,” Alex said modestly. “I’m sure everyone here already knows it.”
He swiveled to face Trey and jabbed his finger in the air in front of his face. “You two a couple? Because it’s against the law of man and nature.”
“A couple of what?” Dolly frowned at the drunk.
After a second Trey got the drunk’s meaning and jumped up, ready to beat his ass. He was jerked down suddenly and fell hard on the seat when Alex clamped on to his belt with an iron grip.
“Get out of here, you asshole!” Trey snarled.
“No, we’re not dating. This is my honey,” Alex said, indicating Dolly with her free hand while keeping her grip on Trey’s belt.
“Oh, okay. He’s okay. He’s white.”
“He? White? Why you motherfucker!” Dolly’s charge forward was stopped by Alex grabbing her belt with the other hand.
“Beautiful!” the drunk bellowed while the bouncer came up behind him and grabbed both arms.
“Sorry, ma’am.” The bouncer apologized to Alex and marched the drunk to the door, accompanied by a ripple of nervous laughter from the other patrons.
“Behave!” Alex yanked both Dolly and Trey down on the seat by their belts. “Both of you. Or the bouncer will bounce you.”
“That son of a bitch!” Trey strained against Alex’s grip, but he didn’t want to hurt her by busting loose. God forbid the consequences if he broke one of her nails. “I should kick his—”
“Let it go, T-man. He’s just a dumb drunk.” Suddenly Smoke was standing by their table. He patted Trey’s shoulder and grinned. “Taking up steer roping, Alex? You got both bulls on a leash.” That easy, confident smirk Smoke wore enraged Trey. “Looks like I rolled in just in time. You can hand this one over to me.”
Alex planted her hand on the small of Trey’s back and gave him a shove. “He’s all yours. This one’s enough for me.”
“Beautiful!” Smoke repeated enthusiastically. He sat down and wrapped an arm around Trey’s shoulders, keeping him in place. “You’re beautiful when you’re angry, my man.”
“Tell that to Dolly.” Alex still gripped Dolly’s belt.
“He thought I was a guy!” Dolly said indignantly.
“Blind drunk, then, but still just a drunk,” Smoke said. “There’s worse things in the world than whatever a drunk could say.”
“But he thought she was a white guy and that made it okay,” Trey snapped.
Smoke’s smile faded. “Hate racism, sexism, and homophobia, but don’t start fighting over it with a drunk. What’s the point? All you’ll get is a night in jail and maybe a fine.”
Trey sat back against the booth seat and tried to calm himself. “Where’d you come from?”
Smoke winked at Alex. “Thought you shook me off, huh? No such luck. What did I miss?”
“Dolly rode that mechanical bull and showed it who’s boss!” Alex pulled Dolly closer and kissed her cheek. “Don’t forget you did that, babe. Don’t let that pissant drunk spoil it for you.”
Dolly took in a deep breath. “Yeah, you’re right.” She looked at Trey and her expression softened. Then she grinned in triumph. “I rode the damn bull.”
“You did do that thing.” Trey grinned back, delighted with the joy that lit her eyes.
She leaned over Alex and pinched his cheek. “Thanks, Trey. Couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Sure you could have.” Trey was embarrassed by her gratitude.
“But I didn’t. What do you want to bet I cover my bull tomorrow in the ring?”
“If you win, do I get half your winnings?” Trey teased.
“Not a chance. I’m not that grateful.” Dolly grinned.
“But we’ll pick up the check for dinner.” Alex grabbed Trey’s hand and squeezed. “Thanks for helping my honey.”
SMOKE TEASED
him wordlessly throughout dinner. Trey tried not to react when Smoke spread his legs wide to rub against his thigh. Or when Smoke reached across him to get the salt and brushed against his chest. Or that time he pretended to drop his napkin in Trey’s lap and groped him while retrieving it. His only saving grace was that Dolly and Alex were on the dance floor at the time.
According to their wordless agreement, it was Smoke’s turn to nail him, but Trey was feeling lucky. Borne aloft by his round win and Dolly’s success on the mechanical bull, he decided to grab the bull by the horns, so to speak.
Keeping it casual, he unlocked the door and turned on the light. While he drew the curtains across the window, Smoke sailed his hat across the room, where it landed on the desk. Trey took his off and hung it on the rack on the back of the door, trying to ignore the throb of his pulse in his cock.
He was ready. When Smoke rushed him to the bed, he went along with it, except at the last minute he twisted out of Smoke’s hold, spun around so he was behind Smoke, and pushed him down onto the bed flat on his stomach.
He flopped down on top of Smoke’s back and reached forward to grab his hands and hold him still. He nibbled on the curve of Smoke’s shoulder while grinding his hard dick in the crease of Smoke’s jeans.
“This is so… not fair…,” Smoke gasped. But his hips were already flexing as he tilted his ass up to meet Trey’s lazy thrusts.
“Who won the round today?”
“One win’s not enough for you?” A low laugh shook Smoke’s body. He tried to pull his hands free, but Trey clamped down and held him still.
“You should know better.” Trey felt a little breathless himself. “One win enough for you?”
“Never, but I… concede for tonight…. Let me up….”
“Why should I?”
“Can’t fuck me through my jeans.” Smoke chuckled again. “Although you’re doing a fine job trying to wear a hole in them.”
Reluctantly Trey released Smoke’s hands and stood up. “Get stripped.”
Smoke rolled onto his back, his cock straining the crotch of his jeans.
Trey grinned and nodded at it. “I can help you with that.”
“I’m counting on that.” Smoke rolled off the bed, his smile as cocky as ever. “Like what you see?”
Damn him. He knew how beautiful he was. Trey’s dick was kicking at his zipper, trying to make a break for freedom. “I’d like to see more before I commit myself.”
“Don’t want to buy a pig in a poke, eh?” Smoke made a show of stripping for him. Nothing obvious like the strutting and grinding he’d done in the ring. When he unbuttoned his shirt, he let it hang open, and trailed his fingers over the ridges of his abdomen all the way down to his waistband.
Trey unbuttoned his own shirt and mirrored Smoke’s movements, even though his cock was pleading for attention.
Smoke opened his jeans and reached inside to grab his cock, caressing it with his long fingers, with that little smile still playing over his lips.
Trey got his own jeans open and kicked off his boots. The heels were worn from him taking them off that way, but who cared, it was the quickest method. When he stepped out of his jeans, his cock slapped up against his stomach. Both sides of his open shirt framed his shaft as he stroked it lightly with his thumb and two fingers.
Finally Smoke broke eye contact and dropped his gaze to watch Trey’s hand slide up and down on his own cock. Smoke licked his lips.
Trey didn’t move. He had a sense that whoever took the first step forward lost, and tonight it wasn’t going to be him. He wanted to make Smoke lose that air of detachment, wipe that cocky grin off his face. Smoke seemed unaware that he was even moving as he stepped forward. Trey reached over to hook a finger through a belt loop and pulled Smoke closer.
One more step and Smoke sank to his knees, his mouth hot against the head of Trey’s cock. Then the sweep of hot, wet tongue sent shivers down Trey’s legs. His knees started to quiver. He reached out with his free hand to caress the back of Smoke’s head and pull him closer.
Smoke opened his mouth and closed his eyes. The heat of Smoke’s tongue exploring his cock overwhelmed Trey. The feeling of Smoke’s hands gripping his hips, holding him firmly in place as he deep-throated him, made Trey fight the urge to drive his cock relentlessly down Smoke’s throat.
To his surprise, a whimper of need bubbled up, and Trey choked it down. He tried to pull back, but although Smoke wouldn’t let him go, his tongue and lips were gentle, as if he also didn’t want Trey to come just yet. Then Smoke did something spectacular with his tongue that had Trey gasping for air and fighting for control. Trey didn’t want to come too soon either. He pulled away, swallowing hard at the loss, and struggled out of his shirt.
His voice was rough with lust. “Get on the bed. Get on your knees for me.”
Smoke looked up at him, his eyes almost amber in the single light, his pupils huge and dark. “Oh yeah, babe,” he breathed.
Trey pulled him to his feet. Smoke stripped quickly and went for a condom. He handed it to Trey, watching Trey’s trembling fingers as he ripped the packet open. Trey rolled on the condom with care, afraid to touch himself for fear of pulling the trigger too soon.
Smoke tossed the bottle of lube onto the mattress. Then he crawled onto the bed and bent over, waiting for Trey with his ass high and his head resting on his hands, his slim, muscular body elegant and taut with anticipation.
Trey followed him, his erection swaying as he walked. The globes of Smoke’s ass were perfectly round, hard from years of riding, and yet soft as velvet when he kneaded them. He slid his hands all over Smoke’s ass and thighs before licking his way down the valley between Smoke’s buttocks.
Smoke let out a low moan, full of need and desire, and thrust his ass back for more.
Trey stood up and grabbed his cock, rubbing it over Smoke’s hole. His stomach jumped with butterflies, even though it shouldn’t after three years of this.
“Aw, damn,” Smoke groaned softly. “Just stick it in already.”
“Thought you liked foreplay.”
“That what you’re calling it?” The roughness of Smoke’s voice belied his casual snark. “And here I thought you were teasing me.”
“Lube yourself up for me.” Trey tossed the bottle on the bed.