Texas Lonestar (Texas Heroes Book 4) (15 page)

“Next up is Lamar Boden riding Green Mile. This is a wild bull, Ladies and Gentlemen. He’s only been ridden once.”

Bull riding. His favorite part of the rodeo. There was nothing like watching those one ton beasts twist and turn. He’d never even been tempted to try. The cowboys who messed with those monsters were a special breed. As he listened to the announcer, Dallas weaved his way through the concession stands featuring everything from turkey legs to nachos. There were also booths offering hand tooled belts, purses and T-shirts. Funny, he hadn’t realized rodeos had turned into mini fairs. Scanning the crowd, he checked every face and none of them was Lennon. With renewed resolve, he bought a ticket to enter the stands. He’d find her there, for sure. All day he’d been rehearsing what to say to her. He wanted to talk about the case, but more than that – he needed to apologize for putting her in a position to lose face with her family. George was important to her and he should’ve shown more discretion. The old man went to sleep early enough that they could’ve waited. Shit. A feeling of guilt rose in his chest. He’d seduced a virgin, a woman who deserved everything. And what did he have to give in return? A tarnished past, a broken spirit and a hardened heart.

As he pushed his way through the crowd, avoiding women with babies on their hips, and congregations of rhinestone cowboys being ogled by buckle bunnies, he snorted–not at the people around him but from the eagerness that he felt to see Lennon again. Visions of her beautiful body, her sweet face, her moans of delight as he loved on her were indelibly imprinted on his mind.

Making his way to the stands, he began to climb, dodging little cowpokes and cowgirls decked out in western finery. Dallas decided to make his way to the top so he’d have an eagle-eye view. His eyesight was sharp, he’d be able to pick her out of the crowd, especially if she were walking the aisles hawking peanuts or corn dogs. Honestly, it bothered him that she had to do this. Lennon worked hard enough already.

Settling down on a bench-style bleacher, he rested his forearms on his thighs, clasped his hands and began to methodically survey the crowd. There were many pretty women, but no vibrant, dark-haired beauty with a million-dollar smile. The thought meandered through his mind how much his estimation of her had changed. At first, he’d thought her unattractive and now she was fast redefining his idea of the perfect woman.

“Six seconds. So sorry, Lonnie B. Combs! Hurry, hurry, grab your hat!”

Dallas let his eyes shift to the action in the arena. A cowboy was scrambling around trying to avoid the sharp horns of an angry bull while two clowns with a barrel cut the beast off. One of them was a large guy wearing bozo hair and full clown makeup. The other was a tiny thing, wearing form-fitting red long johns with pigtails, shooting nerf balls at the bull with a…bra? He couldn’t help but laugh, then gasp as the bull turned on the small woman. Even the long-underwear couldn’t mask her delicate curves. She turned slightly, skipping just out of the way of sharp horns and he could see she wore no white-face or clown makeup. Along with the rest of the crowd, he held his breath as the bull focused on the diminutive female. She dashed out of the way in the nick of time to grab ahold of a barrel to turn over in front of the charging animal. And when she did–the truth hit Dallas like a run-a-way freight train. Lennon! His Lennon was a fuckin’ bullfighter!

Dallas sprang to his feet, descending the stairs so quickly that his boots barely made contact with the wooden steps. With his heart in his throat, Dallas focused on getting across the pavilion to Lennon’s side. And when he got his hands on her delectable little body…she wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week.

On the other side of the arena, Lennon guzzled a cup of water. “Wow, Dinky, that was a close one.”

“Did he get you?” Dinky ran his finger over the torn material on her shoulder. “Yep, just a graze but it’s bleeding. I bet that hurts like hell. You should go over to the first aid trailer. You don’t want that to get infected. We’ve only got one more to go, and I can handle it.”

“Yea, but it’s Whiskey River and I’m not letting you take any chances.” About that time, the announcer called out the unlucky rider of the renowned bull. “We’ll do this together.”

Before Dallas could get to the opposite side and around to the gate, he heard the buzzer sound. Muttering a blue cloud of curses, he hopped up on the fence to watch Lennon scamper around waiting for the unlucky cowboy to get thrown–spurs over Stetson–over the tossing horns of the biggest black bull he’d ever seen. The sound of the man’s body hitting the ground seemed to echo, even over the gasps and shouts of the crowd.

“We got trouble, Dinky.” Whiskey River stood pawing, sides heaving. There was no smoke coming from his nostrils, but Lennon fully expected it. “I’ll get his attention and you haul that poor guy outta here.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Dallas stood frozen with his heart in his throat as he watched Lennon taunt the big bull, teasing him by hitting him with balls, tossing her little bra at the bull. Talk about waving a flag! The mad animal shook his head at Lennon and charged. Seeing her fragile little body just inches in front of those huge horns and pounding hooves tore his guts up. Before he knew what was what, his feet moved of their own accord, and Dallas found himself bounding over the fence and out into the midst of the chaos.

Lennon’s heart was pounding, her lungs burned and she wondered if today would be the day her luck ran out. This bull was seriously intent on making hash out of her if he got the opportunity. Zigzagging just out of reach of his horns, she gauged how far she had to lure him so Dinky and others could safely remove the injured cowboy from the arena. Lennon could almost feel the animal’s hot breath on her neck. She turned her head to see where he was and how much longer she had to play bait before trying to save herself.

Wham!

One moment Lennon was on her own two feet and the next she was in the air–but not on the end of a bull’s horn. Two strong arms were wrapped around her and she could hear an angry male voice commanding the beast to “BACK THE FUCK OFF!”

Dallas.

The bull seemed as surprised as Lennon and the on-looking crowd. The announcer had been giving a blow-by-blow account of the actions in front of him until Dallas had let loose with the desperate profanity. Now, the man manning the mic was stammering and stuttering, turning on music to cover up any further blue language that the crazy man on the field might shout.

“Dallas?” Lennon clung to him. “Thank-you. What are you doing here?” She was too stunned to think straight.

Dallas was angry. He was scared shitless. He was ready to kick-ass and take names. “What in God’s name did you think you were doing?” He didn’t stop at the gate. He ignored anyone who ran up to see if Lennon needed anything. He stalked off the rodeo ground with her in his arms.

“This is what I do to make extra money,” she offered tentatively, realizing he probably didn’t approve of her second job. “It’s okay, I know what I’m doing. I’ve done it lots of times.”

“Do you think the fact that you’ve done this a lot of times makes me feel any better?” The pressure rising in his chest threatened to squeeze his heart in two. “Whoever allowed you to put your life on the line like that should be skinned alive.”

Lennon would’ve been blind if she couldn’t see how upset he was–she just didn’t know why. “No one allowed me. I make my own decisions. I used to be in drama club. A friend helped me get into this.”

“Some friend,” Dallas said through gritted teeth. “What were you thinking?” he shouted this time. “That’s no job for a woman, especially one no bigger than a minute like you!”

Lennon tried to look around. “My truck is not over here.”

“You’re going with me now. We’ll get your truck later.” With no further explanation, he made a beeline for his vehicle, then balanced her on his thigh while he opened the door.

“I’m not the only female who does this, there’s another woman in Texas who used to be a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader.”

He sat her down, then proceeded to fasten her seatbelt. “Is that also supposed to make me feel better? She couldn’t be more feminine than you.”

Lennon thought about smiling, but she was still too upset. She wasn’t as upset as Dallas, however. She wasn’t afraid of him either…she just didn’t get why he was so angry. Once he was seated next to her, she added. “Thanks, I’ve never been accused of being feminine. I didn’t think most people realized I was a girl.”

Dallas cut his eyes at her. “I’ve noticed. I’ve been buried balls deep inside of you–remember?”

Lennon could tell he was still mad, for his tone was almost accusing. “I’m all right, Dallas. Really. All I got was these scratches?”

Dallas was trying to back his truck out of a tight spot, but he took the time to look. “Damn, I’ve got a first aid kit in the back. As soon as we find a room, I’ll tend to it for you.”

“A room?” They were only a few hours away from the ranch. “I don’t have a room. I wasn’t intending to stay the night. What do we need a room for?”

For a moment, Dallas remained silent, then he just laid it out. “I need to talk to you and I need to make love to you–and it won’t necessarily be in that order.

The thrill that shot through Lennon stole any protest she might make. “Oh.” When Dallas took a mind to do something, he didn’t sway. In less than eight minutes, he’d found a nearby motel, checked in and carried her and the first aid kit into the room. “I can walk.”

“Yea, you can dodge a deadly bull too–doesn’t mean you need to.”

Lennon had no experience with the type of concern Dallas was showering on her. He sat her down, helped her take off the crazy costume, then tenderly ministered to her wound. She couldn’t help but see his hands were shaking. What did this mean? If she didn’t know better, Lennon would say he was acting like a man in love. “I’m sorry if I upset you.”

Dallas took deep breaths, trying to fight off the panic. He kept picturing Lennon’s small body crumpled on the ground, stomped bloody by a one-ton bull, bleeding from being gored to death. There was no use saying that he wasn’t upset. He was, and now–he didn’t know what to say. “Okay, that’s got it.” He affixed the tape over the medicated gauze he’d placed over the angry scrape.

Lennon sat there in her bra, the red long-johns pooled at her waist. “Thank you.” He’d said they were going to make love. Had he changed his mind? “Dallas?”

Dallas put the first aid kit back together. His breathing was evening out; his fingers had quit shaking. Trying to explain how he felt would be hard, he didn’t know if he could do it. Well, if he couldn’t communicate to her with words–he knew another way. His cock was hard and he needed to reaffirm life–celebrate the fact that they were both alive and well. “I need you, Lennon. I need to be inside of you more than I need to breathe.”

“I’m here. I didn’t mean to upset you, I’m just used to taking care of myself,” she whispered, perplexed by his stance. He looked tense enough to break.

Whipping around, he stalked up to her, lifting her face with a finger beneath her chin. “It’s my fuckin’ job to protect you. I’ve felt your body quiver at my touch. For the duration of our time together–you are mine! Clear?”

His impassioned words surprised her. Lennon wanted to ask how long the duration would be, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to know. “I’m very grateful to you.”

Even after she’d agreed, he wasn’t through. “I’m a Ranger, Lennon, a damn Texas Ranger.”

“I know.” Her tone soft, she reached out to touch his hand, seeking to calm him. She didn’t understand it, she didn’t know what it meant–but she mattered to him and Lennon wanted to enjoy that miracle as long as it lasted. “Do you want to make love to me now?”

Dallas swallowed hard.

Before he could answer, she stood, turning her back to him. After slipping off her boots, she pulled the comedic long-johns down and off.

Behind her, Dallas audibly growled. “You are so damn sexy, Lennon.”

This wasn’t the first time he’d flattered her and Lennon knew no more what to do with the compliment now that she had the first time he’d given her one. The idea that she could entice a man with any part of her was almost unbelievable–and yet, Dallas held nothing back. He said incredible things to her and his praise made her brave. Lifting her hair, she pulled it forward, then unhooked her bra, taking it off and tossing the garment over her shoulder. Again, she heard him growl. Hooking her thumbs in her panties, she wiggled her bottom as enticingly as she could, teasing him as best she knew how. This time, she heard him groan as he tore the clothes from his body. She could hear them hitting the floor. Lennon smiled to herself. Pleasing him was addictive.

Coming up right behind her, he replaced her hands with his own. “I love the way you’re made. I could play with your body, take pleasure it in for the rest of my life and never get enough.” Going to his knees, he eased her panties down with his teeth.

Lennon tensed, not sure what he was about to do. Soon she was shivering, for every inch he revealed, he gave her a nibble, a lick, or a bite. “Dallas…” she whimpered as his long thick fingers found a very sensitive spot deep within her. She tried to be still, but she couldn’t. What he was doing just felt too good.

“I need you so.” He held her tight, removing his hand to wrap it around her waist. After kissing her in the small of her back, he pulled her down with him. “Touch me, Lennon.”

They were now kneeling face to face. He was magnificently naked, his manhood swollen with desire. She placed a hand on each shoulder and began to massage, her eyes closing in pleasure. Touching him was a tactile delight. “I’m here,” she whispered. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be.” With lips and fingers, she kissed and petted every inch of him she could reach. He closed his eyes as if in appreciation of her touch. “I love to feel you,” she spoke between kisses. Dallas had a chest to die for. Having learned from his example, she paid special attention to his pecs and nipples–tonguing the soft brown discs. Low moans of arousal told her she was doing something right.