Twins for the Bull Rider (14 page)

Waves of sensation pounded in her blood. She wrapped her hand around his neck and brought his mouth to hers again, pouring all her love into it. Into him. His soft sigh of pleasure enveloped her before his strong arms did the same, drawing her in so there wasn't an inch of space between them.

Cissy vaguely registered Dominic's movements as he reached around her to sweep the bags from the bed. He toppled them onto it, removing her clothes and pausing to brush his mouth over every inch of her skin as he went.

She tugged at his jeans and he lifted his hips, assisting her in pushing them down his legs and off the bed with her toes, then rolled to his back to clasp her on top of him. Her eyes drifted closed as his calloused palms swept back up her legs, cupping her calves and the backs of her thighs. They smoothed over the curves of her bottom and drifted over the line of her spine.

Trembling, she ran her hands over his body, the sprinkling of dark hair on his chest and abdomen rasping against her fingers. She bit her lip on a rush of excitement as she moved her hand over the hard length of him, then absorbed his soft moan with her mouth. His hands stilled, curling over her shoulders and lifting her away from him.

“Please,” she whispered. She teased his lips with nips of her teeth before kissing the strong column of his throat. “Please...”

“Tell me what you like.” His hoarse voice was strained. He swept her hair back with a trembling hand, cupping her cheek and tilting her face to his. His face flushed with passion as he searched her eyes. “Just tell me and I'll give it to you. What do you want?”

Vulnerability resided in every tautened muscle of his body. The sensuous curve of his mouth firmed in determination but his long limbs shook against her. There was no mistaking the yearning in his gaze. The desperate desire to please her.

Her heart turned over and warmth pooled low in her belly. She smoothed the pads of her fingers over his strong jaw and brushed a wave of black hair from his forehead.

“Just you, Dominic,” she whispered. “I just want you.”

His body heaved on a rough exhalation. He tasted her mouth before he lowered his dark head to her breasts. A whimper of pleasure left her when he parted her thighs and explored, testing her readiness. She succumbed and dropped her head back, curling her fingers in the soft waves of his hair, relishing the gentle sweeps of his tongue and the heat of his touch.

Her hands scrambled across his broad back when he rolled to the side, retrieving protection from the nightstand. He returned quickly, donning it, then teased the soft skin at the back of her knee and lifted her thigh over his hip, bringing them face-to-face.

Her eyelids fluttered shut when he kissed her forehead and gently eased inside. His warm fingers moved into her hair and he touched his lips to hers. He tempered his movements, adjusting to each of her gasps and moans and reaching deeper. So deep, he stirred her soul.

Cissy gripped his muscular back, pleasure sweeping through her in a rush. Dominic swallowed her sigh with his mouth, his movements slowing as he was overtaken, too. Moments later, he drew her tighter to him and wrapped his hand in her hair.

Her body throbbed; her skin tingled. How she loved this man. She'd never felt so alive before. She'd never felt so at home. So cared for. So loved.

It wasn't until her heart slowed that she realized that although Dominic's body had shown the same, he'd never actually said it back.

* * *

E
VERYTHING
.

Dominic wound his fingers deeper in Cissy's hair and tucked her blond head under his chin. He shifted his hips, his heart tripping at her soft cry. The nagging thought that he should take care of things kept intruding but he couldn't make himself part from her yet.

Everything
. That was what she'd given him. Three words. That was all it had taken to bring him to his knees.

He snatched in a ragged breath, still reeling. Her soft scent coated his skin, her sweet taste lingered on his tongue and her tender touch still pulsed inside his heart. He'd never felt so complete and at peace.

Or so afraid.

She moved as if to pull away and he smoothed his palm over the soft ivory skin of her back, keeping her against him. He opened his mouth to speak but it went dry, his tongue clinging to the back of his teeth.

It wasn't the words that held him back. It was what lay on the other side of them. The expectations. Responsibilities. The risk of failure. Failing her.

He gripped her slender frame tighter. He'd be damned if he'd do that.

A good man
.

He winced. Those damn words had begun to haunt him. They taunted him, sending a shiver over his skin. He was just another man out here. He'd always known that. The only place he'd ever stood out was the arena. Where his talent and strength garnered respect and admiration. There, he was everyone's hero.

Out here, he was no one. Just another guy falling in the shadow of so many others. Nothing special.

But was that all there was? Was there no in-between? Did it have to be all or nothing?

He wasn't a saint by any stretch. Didn't even think he qualified as what Cissy termed a good man. But damned if he wasn't turning out to be a better man than he'd been. And he could be better still if it meant having Cissy and the boys to come home to.

His blood ran cold.
The boys
. Kayden and Jayden. There hadn't been a day since he met them that they hadn't looked up to him. Tugged at his hands. And his heart. What was it they saw in him? But, even worse, how the hell could he risk letting them down?

“Dominic?”

Cissy's voice prompted him to loosen his hard grip on her. She eased back to look up at him, her brow furrowed and cheeks flushed. Questions filled her eyes and hovered on the next breath she took. Questions that were too demanding. Ones he had no answers for.

“Come with me.” He cupped her face, savoring the pink heat of her skin under the brush of his thumbs.

She blinked, glancing down at his chest before asking, “You're still leaving?”

He pressed closer, deeper. “I have to. But I want you with me. Come with me to the invitational.” It was a start, at least. “To Atlanta.”

Disappointment clouded her features. “But the boys—”

“Bring them. They've never been to a competition before, have they?”

A strand of blond hair slipped over her face as she shook her head. “No, they haven't. But it's a long drive from here. They didn't enjoy the trip the first time.”

“I'll ask Logan and Pop to come.” He brushed the hair from her face and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. “It'll be a chance for us all to spend some time together. Let's just give it a try, Cissy.”

She hesitated, running her tongue over her lips and looking away. “Okay.” She looked back at him, expression wary. “We'll give it a try.”

That was all he needed. One try. Once chance to show Cissy the better side of him. The man who wasn't afraid. The one who had no trouble grabbing a challenge and wrestling it to the ground. And, God help him, he hoped she saw that man. Because he didn't know how to be any other.

Chapter Ten

“It's so loud, Aunt Cissy,” Jayden shouted.

A yank on her shirt prompted Cissy to stop midstride and look down. Jayden curled his fists into the hem of her T-shirt and shoved his head under it, burying his face in her waist and dislodging a handful of popcorn from the bucket in her hand.

Music boomed louder from the PA system and vibrated through the floor at their feet. Sporadic chatter and laughter burst around them, boisterous movement on all sides. The PBR event had hit high gear in Atlanta's Gwinnett Center.

“It's awesome,” Kayden yelled over his shoulder, stamping his feet and throwing his arms over his head from several steps in front of them.

“Slow down, Kayden.” Cissy maintained a firm grip on the bucket of popcorn in her hand and wiggled a cup of soda underneath her arm. She nudged Jayden's cowering form with her elbow. “Jayden, please. Just wait a minute until we sit down.”

“But...lo...oud,” he mumbled from underneath her shirt.

Cissy strained to make out his garbled response, stumbling over his feet and spilling another pile of popcorn. He rubbed his face against her belly and left a warm trail of slobber on her skin.

“I know it's loud, Jayden, but—”

“Aunt Cissy, there's a bull over there.” Kayden jerked to a halt and shoved his face in between the heads of a couple sitting in the aisle below them. He pointed earnestly, his arm knocking the baseball cap off the man's head.

Cissy mouthed
I'm sorry
to the man and offered an apologetic smile. “Kayden, say excuse me and get back over here.”

Kayden blinked back at her, eyebrows raised and jaw hanging open, then turned back to the couple, helping the man right his hat on his head. “'Scuze me.” He tapped the man on the shoulder. “You see the bulls?” His voice rose with his excitement. “There's a bunch of 'em over there.”

“They see the bulls, Kayden,” Cissy gritted. “Now get back over here.”

Kayden sprang back and rushed over to tap Jayden's head through the cover of her shirt.

“They got 'em out, Jayden.” He bounced in place, grabbing a handful of the material and stretching it to peek at Jayden underneath. “The bulls, you know? The bulls!”

Kayden's excited jostling dislodged the lid to the cup, and a gush of cold soda flooded Cissy's armpit. The lights snapped off, plunging them into darkness. The crowd let out a collected whoop.

“They turned out the lights, Aunt Cissy.” Kayden stated the obvious right before his hands clamped on to her arms, spilling more soda and popcorn.

Nice
.
Real nice
. Now she could add being blind to the physical handicap the boys had already given her. People lining the seats on both sides of them surged upward, dancing to the music and adding to the chaos. Something sticky on the floor clung to the bottom of her shoe, making it difficult to take a steady step.

Cissy counted to ten before groping around for Kayden's hand. Snagging it, she took a firm grip on it and lowered her head to shout, “You have to stick with me if we're going to make it to the seats. I need your help, okay?”

“Okay,” Kayden yelled back.

“Here.” She shoved the popcorn into his hand, feeling to make sure he held it with both hands. “You walk ahead of us but don't go too far. Follow the lights on the floor, okay?”

“Yes, ma'am,” Kayden returned.

Cissy relocated the half-empty soda to her hand, then tugged Jayden's head out from under her shirt. “Come on, Jayden. There's not enough room for us to walk like this. You've got to get behind me and hold my hand. You can cover your ears back up when we sit down.”

Thankfully, he complied. Cissy kept a firm grip on Jayden and grappled her way down the aisle behind Kayden. She kept track of his progress by trailing his shoes as they gleamed in the spotlights twirling about the stadium.

“Over here, Cissy.”

Pop's deep call couldn't have been more welcome. Cissy barely made out his waving profile a few seats down. She reached out and bumped Kayden on the back with her wrist.

“There's Pop, see? Up on the left.”

“I see—”

Heavy metal banged through the speakers, causing all three of them to jump. Flames flashed from the dirt floor of the arena, spilling flickers of light into the stands and escalating the crowd's cheers. A giant PBR emblem, on fire, glowed below them. Fireworks and strobe lighting exploded on either side, smoke billowing out among the sparks.

“You see that, Aunt Cissy?” Kayden stood mesmerized, his small form now highlighted in the glow of the pyrotechnics.

“Yeah,” she said.

Cissy halted and attempted to get her bearings. An announcer blared on the PA system, introducing the riders. Each bull rider sauntered out in turn from the curtained entrance.

“Where's Mr. Dominic?” Jayden piped from behind, gripping her waistband.

“I don't know. He'll be out soon,” she shouted back. “Let's get our seats so we can see him.”

Cissy reached Kayden and gave him a nudge, then picked her way carefully down the remainder of the aisle. Soon they were standing in front of their seats beside Pop, the boys gazing at the spectacle below.

“Quite a sight, isn't it?” Pop yelled over the racket.

“Yeah.” Cissy exaggerated her nod over the boys' heads, then faced the scene before them.

She swallowed hard and sifted through the men moving across the arena, straining for a glimpse of Dominic. It was exciting. She couldn't help but admit that. But Jayden had been right. It was also loud, fast and overwhelming. And, most disconcerting, it all seemed so distant. As if it were occurring in another place and time. Apart from the real world.

And she didn't even want to think about what could happen during a ride. Her nerves were shot as it was. She shuddered and sought comfort in attending to the boys.

Cissy wrapped her arm around Jayden's shoulders and leaned down to press a kiss to his cheek. “Are you okay now?”

Jayden looked up, smiling big and scooting forward in his seat. “Yep. I want to see Mr. Dominic.”

Cissy sighed. So did she. And at the moment, he seemed a million miles beyond their reach.

The announcer continued to barrel out names and titles but paused several minutes later. “And in top position, grown here at home, current world champion, Dominic Slade.”

The seat behind Cissy's legs almost lifted with the crowd's cheering surge.

“There he is,” Kayden hollered, exchanging excited glances with Jayden.

Cissy followed the point of Kayden's finger to the back edge of the arena. Dominic emerged among the flashing strobe lights and puffs of smoke, striding to the center of the ring. A black vest and chaps hugged his muscular frame. With his black Stetson, he rose a head above the rest of the men, striking and formidable.

“That's Mr. Dominic, Pop,” Jayden shouted, bouncing in the aisle.

Pop's proud countenance beamed even brighter. “I know, buddy.”

Dominic stepped to the front of the line of cowboys, removed his hat and waved it to the crowd. The cheers grew louder. Stomping was added to the mix, rattling the stands under their feet. A chant began to chain around the stadium.

“Stomp and roll. Stomp and roll. Stomp and roll.”

Cissy leaned over Kayden to call out to Pop, “What do they mean?”

“He always lands feetfirst.” He cupped his hand around his mouth and leaned closer. “Rides till his eight are up then jumps off. Rolls outta the way.”

“Every time?”

“Mostly.” Pop frowned for a moment. “There's always those times, you know?” He turned and issued a comforting wink. “But he's careful. Respects the animal.”

Cissy's stomach churned. Dominic had turned to the opposite side of the ring, whirling his hat over his head before placing it back and exiting with the other riders.

She inhaled deeply and fidgeted in her seat. The cup of soda in her hand dented beneath her tight clutch. Fat drops of cold condensation and soda streamed down her wrist, sending a shiver through her bones.

“Cissy.” Pop's hand landed on her knee. “He's always careful. You can't expect more than that in this sport.”

She nodded, managing a small smile. Sure. It was no secret the sport was dangerous. But it was one thing knowing it and another actually witnessing it. Cissy gnawed on the inside of her cheek. Especially, if you knew—and loved—the rider.

“Pop, when's Mr. Dominic's ride?” Kayden settled back in his seat and munched a mouthful of popcorn.

“Not for a while,” Pop said. “Logan texted, said he was later in the lineup.”

Well, that was a relief. At least she had some time to calm her nerves and prepare for the onslaught of tension ahead. Cissy eased back in her seat as well, straightening the straw on the drink with shaky fingers.

“Aunt Cissy?”

She stopped, the straw touching her mouth, and looked down at Jayden.

He scrunched up his face and whispered, “I gotta pee.”

One hour, two bathroom trips and four hot dogs later, they all stared anxiously at the cowboys milling around the bull pens. Cissy tensed. Dominic was due up any minute.

She could just make out his profile as he straddled the bull, Chaos, in the chute below. As Dominic maneuvered into position, the announcer peppered the audience with tidbits on the bull's quirks. Unpredictable rolls, jaw-breaking kicks and four-foot leaps into the air were hallmarks of the burly, black-haired beast.

Cissy's heart hammered. Every ride up to this point had been a violent, bone-jarring spectacle. Each bull jumped higher than the one before and each rider slammed harder into the dirt. At times, it was gut-wrenching to watch.

“Mr. Dominic still has his cowboy hat on.” Jayden frowned up at Pop. “Where's his helmet?”

“He's old school, buddy.” Pop's gaze remained on Dominic. “Says he rides better without it.” He shrugged. “Been that way since he was a kid.”

“Bet he don't even need it,” Kayden boasted, lifting his chin.

“They all need it,” Cissy muttered. She tried to still the nervous bounce of her legs. “Only three have managed to make it so far. What are Dominic's odds?”

Pop sat up straighter, his chest lifting. “Real good.”

Cissy's teeth began to chatter. “Do you think he'll stay on?” she asked.

“My boy doesn't just stay on, Cissy.” His eyes remained on Dominic, the admiration in his voice unmistakable. “He's gonna make that bull dance.”

The announcer blared in once more, drawing the crowd's attention to Dominic's chute. A few shifts and settling movements and Dominic tipped his head. The gate clanged open.

Chaos barreled out of the chute, hind legs thrusting into the air to fling Dominic back against his haunches only to yank him forward on the return. The bull's tail whipped in all directions. Chaos kicked his hooves, spraying up clumps of dirt. The bull jerked its head and snot slung from its nose.

The hellish assault continued, the two seconds that followed suspended and drawn out. Then something changed.

Dominic dipped to the side, leaning with the bull's bend, then rose up, his brawny arm stretching above him in a graceful arc. Chaos snapped back, dragging Dominic back down, but the momentum was met with accepted ease. The bull and Dominic still rose and fell with fury but the actions were fluid and in tandem.

The crowd roared louder with each buck of the bull. Cissy's muscles tightened to the point of pain. She forced her head to the side but was unable to tear her eyes from Dominic.

Time passed in moments. Moments of violent elegance she'd never expected to find played out on the dirt floor below them. Dominic's and the bull's strength were at their height, meeting somewhere in the middle in mutual respect and culminating in a savage ballet. It was breathtaking and heroic. Overwhelming yet empowering.

A buzzer sounded, signaling the end of eight seconds. The fluid motions ceased. The relentless bucking returned. Dominic scrambled to unleash his hand from the rope.

Cissy jumped from her seat, her throat closing. “He can't get loose—”

“He'll get it.” Pop was on his feet, too. His voice shook. “Just hold on.”

Fractions of a second seemed like an eternity as Dominic finally managed to wrangle his hand free. Dominic bolted from the bull's back just as it heaved, slamming to his feet in a crouch and rolling off to the side.

Cissy relaxed, her body sagging. The boys' squeals raked across her fragile nerves.

“He did it!” Kayden grabbed on to Pop's legs and jumped in excitement. “Mr. Dominic did it.”

Surprisingly, a laugh burst from Cissy's mouth and a smile stretched her cheeks. Dominic had indeed done it. He'd outshone every other rider. Stood taller than any other man.

Dominic jogged to the side rail as the bullfighters enticed Chaos out of the arena. The crowd thundered in approval and he waved his hat once again. Kayden and Jayden yanked on Cissy's legs, jostling her frame. Their excited shouts and praises merged with those of the crowd.

Cissy cheered with them, her chest swelling much the same way as Pop's had before. Her heart squeezed, fit to burst. It was all she could do to keep her legs still when Dominic turned to stride out of the arena. Her eyes clung to him, every muscle in her body straining to go with him. To follow.

A heavy weight settled over her. Cissy stopped shouting, her energy bottoming out. Was this what Crystal had felt with Jason? Had she watched him perform, fallen for him all over again and been so driven to stay at his side that she was ready to follow wherever he led?

Crystal had loved Jason. She'd declared it a thousand times over the years. And she'd never once hesitated to rush after him when he'd swept through town. There was no question—when Crystal had followed, she'd been happy with Jason.

But at what cost?