Unridden: A Studs in Spurs novel (9 page)

“I’m here with Slade Bower, currently third in the standings worldwide and second in points this championship on this, day two of the competition in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Slade, what is your strategy for tonight? Do you go into the night with the goal of catching the guys ahead of you?”

At this point in his career Slade could answer these questions in his sleep. He stood close to the female reporter so the cameraman could get them both in the frame. “Nope. I don’t think about the other guys. When I leave that chute it’s a competition between the bull and me. I’m just taking it one bull at a time.”

“You heard it, folks. One bull at a time. Well, it sure seems to be working for you. Good luck tonight, Slade.”

He tipped his hat. “Thank you, ma’am.”

After finishing his interview with the reporter, Slade headed to get ready behind the chutes…and then he saw her. Right up there in the first row, seated almost next to the number one ranked bull rider’s wife, was Jenna.

Slade smelled Mustang’s hand in that and shook his head. He should have thought to leave a ticket for Jenna at the box office himself.
Shit.
And why the fuck did it bother him that it was Mustang who had arranged for her seat and not him?

Then Mustang, the little do-gooder himself, appeared.

“Hey. Did you see where I got Jenna a seat?”

Slade scowled. “Yeah, I did.”

“What’s the matter with you? I thought you’d be happy I got her such a great seat. The arena was sold out except for the VIP block and a few seats in the back section.”

“You didn’t tell me you left her a ticket.”

Mustang shrugged. “Sorry, it slipped my mind. Why don’t you go talk to her?”

“Why don’t you?” Suddenly, Slade felt cranky.

Mustang frowned at him. “Because I already did.”

That figured
.
“How the fuck am I supposed to concentrate in the chute knowing she’s sitting that close, right behind me, taking her little notes?”

Mustang let out a noise of disgust. “Oh, come on. You know you could tune out a hurricane when you ride.”

Normally that might be true, but last night Slade had spent hours reading Jenna’s book in his bed, then spent the remaining hours until dawn picturing her in that bed with him.

He had finally fallen asleep and slept late into the day, but his concentration still felt off, even after he’d dealt with the raging hard-on he’d woken up with. Lack of concentration was the last thing he wanted before getting on two thousand pounds of pissed off bovine.

“What’s up with you today? I thought you liked her.”

“I do.” That was the problem.

“Then you should be happy. Jenna showed up, just like I told you she would. All we have to do now is ride a couple of bulls,” Mustang elbowed Slade in the ribs and joked, “and then we get to ride her.”

Slade scowled in disgust and Mustang threw his hands up in the air.

“What the hell, Slade? We get to do our two favorite things in the world, ride and fuck, both in one night, and you got that face on you again.”

Slade narrowed his gaze at Mustang. “You shouldn’t say shit like that.”

“Like what?”

“How we get to
ride her
or
fuck her
. Dammit, Mustang. Jenna’s a lady. She hears you saying shit like that, and it’s all over.”

Mustang’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. “I know that, Slade, but she can’t hear us from all the way over there.”

“Just quit talking like that. Okay?”

“All right. I apologize.”

He accepted the apology with a nod, then pointedly ignored Jenna in the stands and focused on the rookie rider in the chute. “I’m gonna go help the kid with his rope.”

“Okay, Slade.”

Slade felt Mustang still staring at him as he walked away.

———

“That was absolutely incredible! Slade, when that bull kept changing direction and you stayed on him anyway. And, Mustang, I almost died when you jumped off and your bull came after you and tried to ram you in the butt with his horns.”

Mustang grinned at Jenna. She’d been chattering about the competition the entire walk from the arena to the bar. “Don’t worry, darlin’. The bullfighters were right there to save my ass. It’s all good.”

Jenna continued to shake her head. “Still. Jeez. If I’m this excited just from watching you, what you guys feel after a ride must be amazing.”

Mustang’s eyes met Slade’s knowingly as he laughed at how true that statement was. The adrenaline rush was addictive, and stuck with you well after the ride. Though they usually took advantage of the pent up energy by sinking immediately into the first girl, or two, they could find, both cowboys had forgone that immediate post-ride sexual release for two nights in a row now. The reason was sitting, flushed, excited, and incredibly tempting at the table with them.

“Yeah, it is pretty amazing,” Mustang agreed. As the cocktail waitress arrived, he asked Jenna, “What ya’ drinking tonight, darlin’?”

“Um, vodka and cranberry?”

“I knew she wasn’t really a beer drinker,” Slade mumbled so low only Mustang heard him.

He ignored Slade’s crankiness and turned to the waitress. “A vodka cranberry for the lady. I’ll have whatever domestic beer you’ve got in a bottle, and Slade?”

“Whisky, straight up, beer chaser.”

“Okay.” Mustang raised a brow at Slade’s order, then turned back to the waitress. “That will do us for a while. Thank you, darlin’.”

Jenna reached into her giant bag and dropped a credit card on the waitress’ tray. “Could you make sure whatever the tab comes to at the end of the night goes on that card?”

“No. I’ll pay.” Mustang reached for his wallet when Jenna shook her head and spoke directly to the waitress. “Put it on my card, please.”

“Sure thing. I’ll be right back with the drinks and your card.”

Mustang’s mouth twisted at having the woman he was interested in buying his drinks. He enjoyed making him pay since Slade had been beating him in the standings all year long, but Jenna was a different story. “You don’t need to do that, darlin’.”

“And you don’t need to help me with my book, but you are,” she countered.

At that cue, Slade pulled the stack of rolled up pages out of his back jeans pocket and Jenna’s eyes lit up at the sight. “Did either of you get a chance to read it?”

Slade raised a brow at that question. “Of course we did. We promised we would, didn’t we?”

“I know. But I thought maybe you might be too busy. So? What did you think?”

She bit her lip and Mustang found he had trouble dragging his gaze away from her mouth. “It’s good.”

Jenna rolled her eyes. “Stop. Don’t tell me it’s good. Tell me what’s wrong with it so I can make it better.”

Slade pushed the papers closer to her. “There are a few things you might want to change. Terminology mostly. I made notes in the margins for you.”

“You did? Thank you, Slade.” Jenna stared at Slade, looking surprised, before she turned back to Mustang. “What did you think? And don’t say it was good again.”

Mustang shrugged. “I agree with what Slade wrote. He grabbed it and read it first.”
Because at the time I was busy jerking off into the trailer’s toilet while picturing you naked.

Jenna flipped through the pages as the drinks arrived. Mustang noted she grabbed the straw while reading and had sucked down half the drink without even noticing. He considered catching the waitress’ eye and ordering her another when she looked up and said, “I can’t thank you enough for doing this for me. You both are going into the dedication.”

Across from Mustang, Slade downed the whisky and shook his head. “No need for that. Really.”

“Yeah, it was nothing, darlin’,” Mustang added.

Grabbing his beer to wash down the shot, Slade nodded. “Actually, it was a pretty good read.”

Both Jenna and Mustang looked at Slade after that shocking comment, then Jenna turned that piercing gaze of hers on Mustang expectantly and he had no choice but to say something. The truth was, he was far more interested in her than her book.

“Um, I liked it too.”

She frowned at his answer. “You’re a rotten liar, Mustang.”

“Now, that is a terrible thing to say to a man.” Grinning, Mustang rose from his seat. “Come on, darlin’. I like this song. Let’s dance.”

Mustang grabbed her hand, pulling her from the chair as she squealed. “But I can’t dance to country music.”

“Sure you can. Just follow me.” Mustang held Jenna close against him and, with his leg braced between hers, steered her around the dance floor.

She soon got the rhythm of his motion and stopped looking so frightened, which wasn’t such a good thing because now she decided to question him. “So you really didn’t like my book. I can tell.”

Mustang opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off. “Really, it’s okay. Bull riding cowboys aren’t exactly my target market so you’re not supposed to like it. But I’d still like to know what you thought was wrong with it. Maybe I can fix it.”

With a sinking feeling that if he said anything other than he loved her book it would mean he’d be alone with his hand again tonight, he went for it anyway. Honesty always was the best policy...well, not always but he couldn’t come up with a believable lie right now with Jenna pressed up against him. “All right. Here’s the thing. The story is okay.”

“Just okay?”

He nodded, watching her face as he watched his chances with her fade away. He scrambled to get them back. “Yeah, but as you said, I’m not your market, right?”

Jenna agreed with a nod. “Right. What else?”

She’d stopped moving at all now, standing glued to the hardwood right there in the middle of the dance floor.

“Nothing. It was fine…good.”

“Mustang, tell me.” Her voice sounded a lot like his mama’s did when she was unhappy with him. The sad part was, even that didn’t smother his desire to take her right then and there.

Shit.
“All right. The sex scenes...”

Jenna let out a groan.

“I’m so sorry, darlin’. Really, the sex scenes are fine. Like you said, I’m not your usual reader.”

“No, Mustang. You’re right. Even the reviewers agree with you.” Jenna sighed. “I think I’m in the wrong profession.”

Mustang grabbed her face in both hands and made her look at him. “No. Listen. You’re really a good writer. I really did like it.”

“Except for the story and the sex scenes,” she added with a scowl.

Mustang felt like shit. He’d single handedly destroyed this woman’s self-confidence, not to mention his and Slade’s chances with her for that night. Slade was going to kill him. Glancing over at the table, Mustang realized Slade’s eyes had never left them. “Come on. Let’s go sit down and get you another drink.”

“Sure, why not. It’s my birthday and my career is going down the toilet. I might as well get drunk.” She walked away from him and toward where Slade still sat watching them.

“It’s your birthday?”

“Yup, and don’t ask how old I am because I don’t want to talk about it.” Jenna sat and, ditching the straw, downed the remainder of her drink in one big gulp. As she flagged down the waitress, Slade shot Mustang a look that pretty clearly asked
what the hell just happened
?

He’d fucked up royally. That’s what had happened.

Mustang shook his head and sent a warning glance to Slade to be quiet, then turned back to Jenna. “Why don’t you want to talk about your birthday? You’re what, like twenty-five?”

Jenna laughed bitterly. “Yeah. That’s right. Twenty-five today.”

When the waitress arrived, Jenna looked from Slade to Mustang. “You two still have something to drink back in your trailer?”

The bottle of beer stopped halfway to Slade’s mouth at that question.

Mustang raised a brow. “Yeah, we do.”

“Okay.” Jenna looked up at the waitress. “Can you please close out that tab? We’re leaving.”

“Sure. Let me just go get your receipt.”

“I’ll come up with you.” Grabbing her bag, Jenna stood and looked down at them. “Be right back.”

“Sure, darlin’.” Mustang nodded, Jenna left with the waitress, and Slade jumped on him.

“What the hell happened out there on that dance floor?”

“I’m not quite sure.” Mustang shook his head. He had done everything wrong and somehow she’d still suggested they go back to the trailer. Not about to question their good luck, Mustang downed the last of his beer. As Jenna returned, he said, “Let’s go.”

Before she changes her mind.

Chapter Nine

Jenna’s heart pounded as she climbed the steps up into what proved to be nothing at all like she pictured a trailer would look. It was more like a huge, luxury RV, with a kitchenette, two beds, one large, one smaller, with another loft area up above. There was even a toilet and a small shower.

“Wow. This is nice.” Jenna had trouble diverting her eyes away from the large bed.

Her heart pounded. She was nervous, very nervous, and making conversation seemed the best way to postpone the inevitable—that being her and two cowboys she barely knew together in that big bed. But the moment she’d suggested they come back to the trailer, her decision had been made. After seeing the looks on both of their faces, she was pretty sure they knew it too.

There was no turning back now. Not that she wanted to. The internal
do I or don’t I
debate was done—she only hoped her bravado lasted long enough for her to actually go through with it without passing out from nerves.

“I like to try to stay at hotels during the competitions, but they were all booked,” Mustang explained apologetically. “On top of the bull riding finals, there’s some huge romance convention in town, or so I was told.”

As Mustang grinned pointedly at her, Jenna bit her lip and cringed. “Yeah, that would be the one I’m at. Sorry about that.”

Mustang laughed. “Don’t be. It’s not your fault. Besides, Slade actually likes the trailer better anyway.”

Jenna glanced at Slade, who was watching her and Mustang closely while not saying much, or actually, anything, as usual. “I don’t blame him for liking it. It’s a nice trailer.”

“Exactly how many trailers have you been in, darlin’?” Mustang asked, brow raised in challenge.