Getting Ahead (8 page)

“No risk, no gain.” The words sounded forced. They’d been a mantra since her teenage years, but it wasn’t until recently she truly understood what they meant.

“You can think of it that way. So what do you want to do? Are you going to go to Cheyenne and give it everything you got, or are you going to be that girl who fell that no one remembers in a few years?”

She bit her lip. There was never a question of what she would do. If she was going to run away, she’d have done it months ago. Now, she’d called the media and announced her upcoming competition. She’d asserted to anyone who would listen that this was still her year. It’d been stupid, especially when she hadn’t yet managed to even run the course once. “I’m going to do it, but—”

“But nothing.” He sat up, forcing her to reposition herself on his lap.

“I was going to say that I could use a little help.” The words made her feel more exposed than her naked body. Asking for help was something she never got used to. Barrel racing was an individual event. She could have friends but at the end of the day, they were her competition. The only person she could ever trust was herself. Anyone else could lead her astray...

“In that case, I’d be happy to help you.” A smile stretched across his face.

She crossed her arms, moved off his lap, and started collecting her clothes. There were parts of her life she preferred to keep to herself. In rodeo, she kept her private life hidden. No friends, no family, and definitely no boyfriends. They made things complicated and distracted her from her goal at hand. It always made sense relationships worked the other way as well. After the obligatory early interventions from her parents, she’d managed to keep her riding to herself. Her world, her rules, her decisions. So far, the system had brought her success. If she changed that now, it could have terrible consequences. Then again, so far his help was the only thing getting her past the wall she’d built up. If she planned to compete, she supposed she needed his help, but was she willing to admit it? “I didn’t say I would get it from you.”

“Look around, I’m the only one here.” He stood up and grabbed her arm.

Damn him and his good points. “In that case, I guess you’ll do.” She let him wrap his arms around her, tilting her head back so he could kiss her lips.

“Gee, thanks.” He playfully rolled his eyes.

Smiling, she gently punched his shoulder.

“You have to do what I say, though. None of your whining and no excuses.”

“I don’t have any excuses.” She pretended to pout, sticking her bottom lip out as far as it would go.

“Please, you are a walking excuse.” He took a step back and looked her up and down.

“Am not!”

“We’ll see about that. In the meantime, get yourself out there and start saddling up. You have a lot of work to do and not much time. Don’t think I’m going to go easy on you just because you slept with me.” He leaned down and picked up her panties, rubbing them between his fingers before tossing them to her.

She chuckled. “Same goes for you.”

He reached out and grabbed her, pulling her close as he tickled her midsection. Flailing her body, she shrieked and tried to get free.

“You know, people can probably hear you.” He covered her mouth with his hand.

“If they heard that, what else might they have listened in on?” She leapt away and started pulling on her clothes.

“Do you have to do that?” He sounded annoyed.

“What?” She was almost afraid to ask. Maybe she’d done something wrong.

“Get dressed.”

Relieved, she shook her head. “I can’t ride naked.”

“I don’t mind.” He looked her up and down again.

She rolled her eyes at him. As much as she appreciated the help, she wasn’t convinced that he wasn’t simply a distraction. An unnecessary one at that. After all, she’d spent nearly her whole life training on her own. The discipline she’d developed was what set her apart from her early competitors. Not every ten-year-old would give up nightly television for a little practice time. With a little focus, she could manage to get herself back on track. Sure, he seemed helpful, and he was better in bed than she could ever have imagined. That was all well and good, but fun was something she could have when her trophy case was full.

“Get moving already.” He slapped her ass, pulling her from her thoughts. Whatever he had in store for her, it better be helpful. She only had a week to get ready.

Chapter Five

“Just take it slow.” They’d spent the previous day working until it was too dark to see the barrels. In that short time, she’d made more progress than he’d thought possible. Once she’d gotten over her initial fear, her fighting spirit seemed to win over.

“That won’t win me anything.” She paused for a moment, then took off toward the first barrel again.

It was easy to see why she was the best. He sure as hell didn’t train that hard when he competed. She never let up. Each time she made a run, she’d pause long enough for him to tell her the time. Usually she shook her head, leaned into Black Lightning, and insisted they could do better. Her horse agreed, because seconds later, they’d be off, beating her previous time. The intensity in her eyes made his heart pound in his chest.

At first, he’d been her cheerleader, convincing her that her runs would get faster and turns tighter the longer she worked. He walked her through visualizations of making perfect runs and encouraged her not to give up. Once she really got started, though, he turned into the timekeeper. A reason he stayed away from women in competition. There was a spot for him in her heart as long as she was broken and struggling to get by, but the minute she was back on top, he simply slipped away. It’d happened before, and he wasn’t about to let it happen again. He wouldn’t spend his nights waiting for her to call, wondering what she was doing and whether she’d found someone else. When she left the ranch to go to the competition, things between them would be over. The thought tied his stomach in knots. Losing her would be one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do.

“How fast was I that time?” She smiled as Black Lightning slowed to a stop.

Shading the stopwatch with his hand, he checked the numbers. “I’m not sure you need to know.”

“It was bad, wasn’t it? I knew I came out of that second turn a little too late.” Her smile faded. “Just tell me.”

“If you insist. Thirteen point four.”

She bit her lip. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, then her eyes lit up. “You’re joking?”

Holding his expression still during that moment had nearly killed him, and now he grinned as widely as she did. “I would never kid you about something like this.”

Amber slid off of her horse, ran over, and threw her arms around him. “That’s my fastest time.”

“I know.” The feel of her body pressed against his reawakened the emotions he’d suppressed. He’d done this before. Each time a relationship ended poorly, he’d spend a week on the couch with nothing but a bottle of scotch to keep him company. Colt had sworn off dating and had been able to stick to his guns for the last several years, but something about her broke his resolve. The more he knew about her, the more he wanted to learn. He doubted she’d feel the same when she found out he hadn’t been entirely honest with her.

“I don’t mean today. I mean ever.”

“I know.” He’d done some poking around on the Internet. Her past competition times were easily available. He wrapped his arms around her back. She’d only been out of his reach for a few hours, but having her back close to him felt right. She fit perfectly against his chest, her chin resting on his shoulder. If only things could stay this way forever.

“We should celebrate?” She pulled back, her face glowing.

“You don’t want to practice anymore?” She’d been pushing so hard, he’d figured they’d be out there all night, him holding a flashlight as she tried to make her runs. It’d mean spending early morning hours catching up on his chores, something he usually hated. This time, it didn’t seem like such a sacrifice.

“I’d rather spend a little time with you.” She turned her head back toward the barrels. “Plus, I think Black Lightning could use a bit of a break. I have a press conference in the morning, then a little more practice.” She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. “Then it is time to head down to Cheyenne.”

He couldn’t believe how quickly the time had gone by. At first, he believed there would be more than enough time to do all the things he wanted and to tell her his secrets. Now, time was running out, and he hadn’t done any of those things. The longer he waited, the harder it would be. “If you insist. How about some dinner?”

She nodded enthusiastically and started to walk off to put her horse away. She stopped and turned back. “Just think, soon I’ll be back on top.” A smile lit up her face before she turned around and continued toward the stables.

He had thought about it, a lot. She’d be on top, and he’d still be the washed-up cowboy she’d once slept with in the middle of nowhere.

***

Good God, was she sore. She stepped into the shower and let the hot water melt the stress from her muscles. She’d forgotten the feeling of riding for hours on end. At least it was better than the pain from falling. It would all be worth it if she could place in the upcoming rodeo. Then the world and her competitors would know that one little mistake wasn’t enough to keep her down. Of course, she’d still be playing with piles of dirt if it wasn’t for Colt.

Anytime her mind wandered to him, a warmth spread through her body. Not only did he satisfy her every sexual need, he pushed her to be the person she used to be. Maybe even a better version of that person. There simply was no way to thank him for everything he’d done for her.

Now that she was getting ready to leave the safety of the ranch, their relationship wouldn’t be as easily protected. Here, she could spend all day training, him by her side, and all night satisfying his every want. Out there, she traveled more than she was home, attended functions, prepped for press conferences, and generally didn’t have control of her own life. Even before, all those things made it difficult for her to keep her life together. The delicate house of cards she’d built might not bear the weight of an added relationship.

She slowly washed her hair and lathered up her entire body. He’d made her a simple dinner consisting of burgers and potato chips. Nothing special, but she’d been starving and gobbled down every bite. These next couple of days might be her last chance to really spend time with him. After that, she would be forced to walk away, possibly forever. It was too much to ask him to wait until she was done chasing her dream. Still, being with Colt awakened feelings she hadn’t known she had. No matter whom she was with, her mind almost always stayed focused on riding. While her dates talked about the latest celebrity scandals or political opponents, she ran the course in her mind. When she was with Colt, things were different. She actually enjoyed their conversations, whether or not they were talking about competition. For the first time, she could see herself having a life outside the arena. Though she wasn’t clear exactly what that might mean.

“You almost done in there?” The bathroom door creaked open.

How long had she been in there? Probably longer than she was willing to admit. “Almost.”

The edge of the shower curtain pulled open, and Colt stuck his head in. “Need help?” A sly look crossed his face.

“What exactly do you think you would help me with?” She wanted to see him work for it.

He pushed the curtain back a little more, revealing his naked body, his cock already hard. “I could lather your back for you.”

“That’s all?”

He glanced down at his erection, then back at her. “It’s a start.” He stepped over the edge and into the tub, grabbing the bar on the wall to steady himself. The water beaded off his body, drawing attention to all the muscles she loved so much.

Her pussy ached as she stared at him. Never before had a man brought out such an intense desire to have sex. Every time she was around him, her body seemed to take control and her mind turned to nothing but mush. She hated how much power he had over her but loved the intense feelings it brought.

Pressing one hand against her cheek, he met her lips, his kiss soft and tender, as though they had all the time in the world to get to the fun stuff. If their time was limited, she was going to be sure she took advantage of every last second.

She wrapped her arm around his neck and guided his head farther forward, intensifying their kiss. He rested his body against hers, his erection pressing into her thigh, demanding her attention. Taking hold of his hand, she guided him toward her pussy, holding the tip of his fingertips against her sex.