Getting Ahead (9 page)

“What’s your hurry?”

“I thought this is what you came in here for?” She ran her fingers along his balls and grinned as he fought to find the words to express himself.

“Oh, it definitely is, but I thought we might take a little more time to get there.” He took her hand and stepped out of the shower, rubbing a towel over his body, then tied it around his waist. As she stepped out, he offered her a hand and wrapped her tightly in the second towel. Rubbing her shoulders, he led her down the hall toward his bedroom.

Once in the room, she shed her towel and jumped between the sheets, beckoning him to crawl in beside her. He obeyed, folding the sheet back to expose her entire body. As soon as he was close, she guided his cock toward her opening again. This time, he allowed her to bring her folds to the head of his cock but wouldn’t give her enough room to take him inside.

“Why are you doing this to me?” She moaned, tilting her head back.

He took hold of the moment and began planting light kisses along the edge of her neck, trailing from her earlobe to her shoulder. “Just enjoy it.”

She took his advice and slid the tip of his cock along her clitoris and hood. Thanks to her arousal, it glided easily along her freshly cleaned skin. Using the rocking motion of her hips, she steered his erection over her sensitive parts until she was sure she would come if he waited another minute. “Now,” she pleaded, running her fingers through his thick hair.

For a moment, he fumbled in the drawer next to the bed, then his hand reappeared holding the foil wrapper. He moved off her for a second while he rolled on the condom. As soon as he moved back, she took control and directed him inside her.

The minute he slid in, his hips slammed against hers, pushing so deep inside she cried out. Digging her nails into his ass, she begged him to fuck her harder. All the while, he kept his hands on her breasts, cupping them gently as he fondled her sensitive nipples.

It only took a moment for her nerves to be completely overwhelmed. Between all the foreplay and the deep penetration, she couldn’t restrain herself. She closed her eyes and clenched her muscles around his cock, trying to keep herself grounded a little longer. The effort was pointless. Seconds later, he reached down and used his thumb to gently stroke her clit. Two short movements were all it took to send her body over the edge. She shook as her muscles contracted again and again.

As she started to relax, he drove into her harder, speeding up until he stiffened, then collapsed on top of her.

When he returned from taking care of the condom, she cuddled up next to him, thankful for his comforting touch.

***

Amber shot up in bed, her skin drenched with sweat. Colt mumbled something, and she told him to go back to sleep. As soon as her breathing returned to normal, she laid down next him, allowing his arm to fall to her side. The nightmares were back. Terrifying images of her fall filled her mind with the doubt she thought she’d finally managed to put aside. How long would she have to live with this?

The answer was obvious. As long as she wanted to compete, she would have to contend with the fears her recent accident brought to light. Now, lying in his arms, feeling for the first time what it would be like to live life on the other side, like everyone else in the world, she wondered if she wouldn’t like this better. It lacked some of the thrill and adventure of competition, but at least she’d always know what tomorrow would bring. A man, returning home after a hard day on the ranch to eat dinner, cuddle, then sweep her off to the bedroom for a night filled with passion.

He snored lightly, and she couldn’t help but smile. This had never been her dream. From the time she was little, all she ever wanted was to take home first place at the National Finals Rodeo. After thousands of hours of practice, she was so close. Could she really walk away from all that work just for a chance at a normal life? What about the millions of fans she talked to who would give up normalcy in an instant for a chance to be in her boots?

Her eyes refused to stay open any longer. Problems were for morning. Right now, she wanted to enjoy sleeping next to his warm body, knowing he’d still be there in the morning.

Chapter Six

“Don’t you have an interview this morning?” He hated to risk her leaving his side but feared their late-night session might mean she’d miss her appointment with the press.

“They’re supposed to be here at noon.” Amber rolled over and rested her head on his chest. “I hate having to do these sorts of things, but my manager thinks it is a good idea for people to see me up and smiling. I’m not really sure why I’m supposed to care what they think.”

“You want the crowd on your side before you get out there. That way, everyone is rooting for you.”

“You seem to know an awful lot about this sort of thing.” She lowered his gaze at him.

If ever there was an opening in the conversation for him to inform her about his past, this was it. There would be hell to pay if she found out about his rodeo past from someone else, but letting her in meant risking everything they’d both worked so hard for. The time to tell her was after she kicked ass at Frontier Days, not during the most stressful time of her life.

He kept his mouth shut, allowing her to dress and head out to get a few practice runs in before her interview. She didn’t need any help getting herself together for the reporters. Having watched her a few times before, he knew she’d been coached a time or two on how to deal with even the worst of the lot. The only thing he needed to worry about was whether they were going to spot him.

***

“Seems like she is holding her own against them.” Tyler, Colt’s favorite ranch hand and friend, joined Colt next to the barn.

Colt had been standing there, watching the reporters set up for her interview. She’d insisted he didn’t need to be there, but he wanted to be close by for moral support. “She’s been through the circus a couple times before.”

“Well, I’ve seen them eat some pretty talented people alive before. She seems unusually calm and collected. You must be some teacher.”

“This is all her. I only help with the horse riding. Dealing with the media was never one of my strong points.” He remembered all the awkward moments he’d spent standing in front of the cameras, desperate not to say anything incriminating. Hopping on a wild horse didn’t bother him, but talking into a microphone made his stomach churn.

“From what I remember, you were never too much trouble,” Tyler said.

Tyler could say that because he saw the little clips they actually ran on TV. When he had ridden, his manager always made sure he was well-prepped to answer any questions that might incriminate him. “That’s only because you always loved me.”

“I also remember how modest you were.” Tyler’s comment was dripping with sarcasm.

Colt punched his friend in the arm. “I have a healthy ego.”

Tyler coughed a couple times, but didn’t respond. All the cameras were arranged, and the anxious crews finally started filming.

“What has gotten you through the last few weeks of training?” a reporter asked, shoving a microphone into her face.

“It’s been tough, but I have a strong work ethic, and this time is no different.” She stood tall, her shoulders back, chest out. It was the stance she always took when she pretended to be more confident than she really was.

Colt couldn’t help but laugh a little. That strong work ethic of hers meant an entire day of sitting and drawing circles in the dirt.

“What’s your secret to overcoming the fear of falling after your accident?” A different correspondent reached over the top of the herd.

“Every rider knows that injuries are part of the game. I’ve fallen a hundred times before, and I’m sure I’ll fall a bunch more times before my career is over. What’s important is that you get back up and start riding again.” She smiled a lot, focusing her attention on the cameras and ignoring the people asking the questions. It was obvious she’d had professional training in dealing with interviews.

“What has been your inspiration through all this?” A tall man in the back forced his way to the front, causing a small amount of grumbling from the rest of the group.

“Well, obviously my passion is always the thing that has been my driving force. Of course, I’d like to win, too.” She flipped one of her braids over her shoulder and gave them a big grin.

Colt rolled his eyes.

Tyler put his finger in his mouth and pretended to choke. “Man, she’ll do anything for a little attention.”

Colt couldn’t disagree, but he also knew she played into exactly what everyone expected from her. If she wanted to be more than a nameless rider, she needed to have a brand. All the big stars had one, some little thing they did that everyone knew. Hers apparently was flirting. Not that he blamed her; she was pretty damn good at it.

“Why here? Don’t you belong to a club where you can train?”

“I needed a quiet place where I can focus on my training and not be distracted by all the little things around me.”

For a moment, he thought he saw her start to glance in his direction. He knew their relationship diverted her attention from training. All the hours they’d spent in bed was time not used for practice. He hoped the time she trained was worth it, that her sessions were more productive because of him.

“Is there any other reason you are here?”

Suddenly light-headed, he placed a hand against the barn wall. Something was wrong, but he couldn’t figure out what.

“Like what?”

“Rumor has it former pro bronc rider Colton Riley has been helping you train.”

Oh God.
He’d always meant tell her, but the timing hadn’t seemed right. If she hadn’t recognized him, then there was no point in pushing things. He liked that she was interested in Colt the ranch hand, not just Colton, the ex-rodeo star. Explaining his past to her would only serve to complicate things.

“I’ve always trained on my own, and I’ve continued that pattern.” Her eyes briefly fluttered toward him, but he couldn’t quite make out what she was thinking.

“On her own, huh? I thought maybe she’d admit that you’d been helping her,” Tyler said.

“She doesn’t know who I am.” He hated to admit he felt a little betrayed by the fact that she insisted she’d managed everything on her own. Sure, she was the one actually riding, but he’d done more than simply standing off to the side eating popcorn.

“Well, she’ll figure it out after this.”

That’s exactly what he was afraid of.

“So, if Colton isn’t helping you, is he a love interest? We have pictures of the two of you spending time and riding together.”

“I don’t know who you’ve been talking to, but I haven’t even met Colton Riley.”

“Maybe she won’t figure it out after all. Not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. Good thing she’s pretty.” Tyler punched his arm.

Colt wanted to defend her, but at the moment, all he could do was stand there, mouth open, desperately trying to figure out how to respond to her.

The reporter reached into a file she was holding, pulled out a piece of paper, and held it out.

Amber took it and stared at it for a moment. When she looked up, her expression remained even. All the training she’d been through to deal with the media had clearly paid off. If she were upset, no one there would be able to see it. “That’s enough questions for today. I have a lot to get done before Friday. I’ll be happy to answer any of your questions after I win.” She handed the piece of paper back to the reporter and walked away. When she reached Colt, she paused for a moment, not moving, not speaking. He tried to think of something—anything—to say, but nothing came to mind. Finally, she shook her head and walked off.

“Guess she solved the mystery after all.”

“Tyler?” Colt started back toward his quarters.

“What?”

“Sometimes you are a real jerk.” He needed to find her. He had no idea what he’d say when he did, but anything had to be better than whatever was going through her head.

***

“Amber?” His voice resonated from outside the stables. All she wanted was to get on her horse and ride as far away as possible. With only one day until Frontier Days started, she needed to concentrate on some final training. All this crap, the relationship stuff, was exactly what she’d been trying to ignore for a long time. It made things complicated. She went back to grooming Black Lightning, focusing her attention on his mane.