Learning the Ropes (17 page)

Colt chuckled. “If I’d known having a woman around would help you grow a pair, I’d have brought someone around a long time ago.”

David dropped her hand and, as quick as lightning, pushed his father against the aluminum trailer. “This has nothing to do with her,” he spit through gritted teeth. “Don’t ever talk about her again.”

“David,” Alicia pulled at his shoulder, noticing several people taking an abnormal interest in them. “David, stop.”

David moved away from his father and Colt stood, dusting his hands on his thighs. “You should listen to your bunny. She has more good sense than you do.”

Shame flooded her, burning her cheeks, and she fought the tears filling her eyes. She turned away, refusing to let anyone see her cry, and willed the tears away. She’d been bullied most of her life. If Colt Greenly thought she cared about his opinion, he was about to find out how wrong he was. She had more class in her pinkie finger than he did in his entire body. People began to slow at the trailer, trying to watch the argument surreptitiously.

“It’s a real shame, Mr. Greenly, that these kids need to see their hero acting like such a jerk. You might not think I’m good enough for your son, but neither are you.”

She turned on the heel of her boots, trying to ignore his comment to David as she walked away.

“That girl has some spunk. She might be a bunny but that bunny’s got claws.”

“A
LI, ARE YOU
okay?” Chris wasn’t sure what happened but she seemed frazzled as she saddled Beast. “You need some help?”

She glanced back at him and he instantly saw the tears welling in her eyes. “Hey, come here.” He made his way toward her and tucked her into his arms, running his hand over the back of her hair as she started sobbing against his shirt. He moved her toward the back of the truck where she could cry without anyone noticing. “What happened? You never cry.”

“Oh, I’m just so mad.” He could hear the frustration in her voice. “That man is an ass.”

“Who?” He looked over his shoulder for David.

“Colt Greenly.”

“Ah. I have to agree with you on that one. What happened?” He stepped back, forcing some distance between them, as his body reacted to her nearness all the way to his loins. He took a deep breath and sat on the bumper of the truck and clenched his hands beside his thighs. He didn’t want her to see the fury he was barely containing. The fact that Colt made Ali cry only made Chris hate him more. “He has a tendency to speak without thinking.”

“He called me a bunny.”

Chris laughed out loud, pinching his lips together and cutting off the sound when she glared at him. “You’re really upset about
that
?” He tucked his fingers into his pockets to keep from reaching for her hands. “You’re a woman in rodeo. A lot of those older cowboys see every woman as a bunny.” He bumped the toe of her boots gently with his. “Especially the ones who could outride them.”

She cocked her head at him. “It’s not just him. I’m tired of trying to prove I’m not just the poor kid, the one who can’t quite measure up. I’m sick of people thinking I’m second best.”

“Then stop trying.”

She swiped at her cheeks and crossed her arms, staring at the ground. “Because it’s just that easy.”

He slid off the back of the truck and moved toward her, tipping her chin up. Damn, she was adorable when she looked at him all trusting and innocent. He hated himself for the need that pulsed through his veins, making him want to pull her against him and kiss that worry out of her eyes.

“Ali, you’re the only one who sees it that way. Every other person out here sees you as the competition, the one to beat.”

She looked at his chest, embarrassed. “That’s not what Colt told David. He thinks I’m not good enough for him. And there’s always Dallas and Delilah.”

“Screw Colt and those two Barbies. Why would anything they think matter to you? You need to consider the source.” Chris tipped her chin up with a finger. “You are an amazing woman, Alicia Kanani, and anyone who doesn’t see that is either stupid or jealous.”

Now was the perfect opportunity for him to say something. He had her full attention and he knew his heart was in his eyes. Could she read it, see it exposed and vulnerable? Was Sydney right about the way she felt? He saw her lips part slightly and wanted to kiss her, to taste her sweet innocence. How could she ever see herself as less worthy than someone else? He wiped away a tear glinting just below her lashes.

“Ali, I—”

“Ali, are you okay?” David hurried to where she stood with Chris by her trailer and reached for her hand. “I can’t believe my dad would say anything like that. I’m so sorry.”

She took a step away from Chris and he felt a vacuum where her presence had been only moments before, as if the sun had clouded over unexpectedly. The moment to say something was gone but instead of feeling like David had saved him from disaster, he felt like he would regret this moment for the rest of his life.

“It’s not your fault, David.” She moved to finish saddling Beast.

“I don’t care what he says, Ali.” David stepped up behind her, placing his hands at her waist as Chris watched him whisper something in her ear.

Jealousy ate at him. Never in his life had he wanted to punch someone more than he did David right now. Seeing him touch Ali made him want to pummel him. He clenched his fists at his sides, wishing he’d never come over here. He didn’t want to see David comfort her, putting his arms around her. Chris was supposed to be the one she turned to.

She turned around and kissed David’s cheek, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Chris felt the muscle in his temple tick as his jaw tightened until it felt like it would break. He was supposed to be the one to console her, to make her smile that way. What had he been thinking introducing her to David? Of course they hit it off. Who wouldn’t want someone as special as Ali?

Ali’s eyes met his over David’s shoulder and she frowned, pulling away from David. “I have to get Beast ready. Wait for me after?”

“We’ll go to dinner,” he promised. “Wherever you want to go.”

Chris removed his hat and scratched his head awkwardly. He should just walk away. Anything was better than watching the two of them make plans on how to spend tonight. Images of her in his arms, lost in passion, burned in his mind. He slapped his hat back onto his head as she mounted Beast, looking over at him.

“Are you coming tonight, too, Chris?”

He shrugged. “We’ll see.”

Chris forced a lopsided, cocky grin to his lips. He didn’t want her to see the hurt he was feeling. Sydney was wrong. Chris could never let her know how he felt. It was better for her to think he didn’t care, to let her find happiness with David. “You never know what girl I might go home with tonight.”

Ali shook her head. “Once a dog, always a dog.” Her tone was teasing but it didn’t match the sadness he saw in her eyes as she rode toward the practice arena.

“You’re too late.”

Chris watched David approach where he stood at the back of her trailer as Ali rode away. “For what?”

“You had your chance with her.”

Chris faced his friend and shook his head, trying to cover what he was sure was obvious in his face. “I already told you, it’s not like that with me and Ali.”

“I know what you
said
and I believed you for a while.” David shook his head and arched a brow in disbelief. “Why didn’t you just say something? I would’ve backed off a long time ago but now . . .” David threw his hands in the air. “Now, I can’t.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Chris started to walk away when David grabbed his arm. Chris stared down at the hand gripping his bicep. “Let go of me, David.”

David dropped his hand. “Don’t lie to me. I know you too well. I’ve never seen you look at another woman the way you do her. It took me a while to figure it out. Are you in love with her?”

“You’re crazy.”

“You’re sure?”

Chris tried to ignore the pain gripping his lungs, the burning threatening to steal his ability to speak. “I’m positive.”

“Good, then back off. You’re like a brother to me, Chris, but you opened this door and I’m walking through it. Ali’s too special for me not to.”

Chris didn’t answer. He couldn’t deny David’s accusation so he did what he did best—walked away.

A
LICIA UNTIED
B
EAST
and loaded him into the trailer, eyeing the table where the rodeo secretary would be handing out checks for the winners. Finally, fate was smiling down on her. Her first place win put her over the amount she needed to place an offer on the property she wanted. Not to mention, she was meeting a great guy who was willing to fight for her honor for dinner tonight.

Just the thought of David was enough for shame to steal its way into her thoughts. She could see he wanted their relationship to move forward. It was evident in the way he reached for her hand, the appreciative looks he cast her way, but she wasn’t ready to move forward and she hated herself for holding back. She wanted to feel about him the way he did for her. She wanted to feel those electric jolts when his hand settled at her lower back, or to shiver with tingles of pleasure when he kissed her. But so far, no matter how much she wanted to, she wasn’t feeling the same way about him. She wondered if she’d ever feel that way about anyone.

Her eyes instinctively slid to where Chris leaned against the fence, flirting with two women in short, frilly skirts and half-shirts. Okay, she might feel that way about someone but why did it have to be Chris? She pressed her lips into a thin line, slamming the back gate of the trailer harder than she planned. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chris look her way but she refused to watch him slobber over two bimbos. What was wrong with him? Was he really that much of a player that he had no standards and any female was game?

She checked her brake lights before climbing into the driver’s seat and caught sight of Chris heading toward her truck in the side mirror and sighed.

“Hang on, Ali,” he called, jogging to the driver’s window.

She blew out an exasperated breath, making her hair ruffle. “What, Chris?”

“Are you pissed at me?” He looked confused and she wanted to throttle him for being so obtuse. What did she have to do, throw herself at his feet naked? She wasn’t the one sending mixed signals.

How was she supposed to explain her frustration to him without looking like an idiot? Chris had never led her on, or offered any commitment. He never claimed to be anything more than the player his reputation proclaimed him to be. She was the one stupid enough to let her heart run ahead of her good sense.

“No, I’m just going to be later for dinner.” She busied herself with her phone. “And I’m waiting for them to hurry up and get the checks ready so I can head out.”

“Congrats on the win today. Looks like we both came in the money.” He pushed his straw cowboy hat back on his head and looked at her curiously as she tapped out a text message. “You sure you’re not mad because you don’t usually ignore me.”

She turned her face toward him and rolled her eyes. “Contrary to what you think, Chris, you’re not God’s gift to rodeo and women. I’m a little preoccupied sending a message, if that’s okay with you?”

“I see.” He took a step back and she could see the hurt in his eyes before anger set in. “I was joking, Ali, but I can see I’m intruding on . . . something, so I’ll just find someone more interested in my company.”

Great, now she felt like a jerk.

“Wait, Chris.” She climbed out of the truck as he started to leave and reached for his arm. “I just . . . I can’t do this.” Alicia threw her hands in the air.

“What’s this?” He frowned and took a step closer to her. She backed up until her back was against the truck just to keep some space between them. Whenever he got close like this, the air thinned and breathing became a chore. She could feel the tension between them igniting, like a crack of lightning about to spark.

“This.” She waved her hand between them, unable to vocalize what she was feeling. How could she explain that she wanted him to kiss her, that she hadn’t stopped comparing every kiss from David to those from Chris and found David lacking? “Whatever
this
is,” she tried to clarify.

Chris moved forward, his arm curling behind her, leaning into her as the door handle pressed against her back. “You mean this?” he whispered, his voice hoarse.

Every inch of her body became ultra-sensitive. Alicia felt his warm breath against her cheek as his fingers trailed over her bare arm to the strap of her tank top and over her collarbone making her practically sizzle with longing as warmth spread across her chest and limbs. Her breath caught in her throat when his eyes met hers, his gaze hot with desire. She wanted to arch against him, beg him to touch her, to plead with him to stop tormenting her. Her limbs turned liquid and she grasped at his shoulders to hold herself upright, grateful for the solidity of the truck behind her.

“Chris,” she whispered, unable to form any other coherent words as he bent forward, his lips finding the edge of her ear and trailing down to her jaw.

“Ali, you make me forget what I’m supposed to do.” His words fell against her skin, so quietly she barely heard the tortured recrimination in his voice. “I only think about what I want to do to you.”

She didn’t know what to say, didn’t think her lips could form words anyway. Her mind was too lost in the sensation of his lips against the hollow behind her ear, sending delicious shivers of delight down her spine. His tongue grazed the curve of her ear and she bit back a soft moan of delight, trying to remain upright when her legs wanted to go liquid. He pressed against her, every part of his body fitted against hers as his hands found her waist, his thumbs grazing the side of her ribs. She couldn’t fight her body as it arched into him and she could feel his arousal.

“I can’t do this.” He pressed his face into the curve of her neck, knocking his hat backward to the ground, unnoticed. “I can’t,” he repeated.

It was like he threw a bucket of ice water onto her. She felt her heart splinter again, the way it did each time he pulled her close only to push her away. She pressed her hands against the solid wall of his chest, resisting the urge to slide them over the hard muscles, and pushed him back a step.