Unridden: A Studs in Spurs novel (12 page)

The two bull riders wouldn’t be riding bulls, of that Jenna was certain because they’d told her they had today off from competition so all the riders could rest up for the final round the next night. The question was what, or rather whom, would they be riding?

Never let it be said that Jenna wasn’t up for a little good old-fashioned jealousy, whether it be in her personal or her professional life.

“A few of us were talking about going out after dinner. Maybe find a townie bar, check out the local color. You up for it?”

Sad and one step away from outright pouting over thoughts of Slade and Mustang out in a bar checking out some eighteen-year-olds, Jenna shook her head. “I think I’ll be heading to bed early.”

“Oh, come on. We won’t be out late.”

Jenna took a drink of her complimentary unsweetened iced tea and grimaced at the flavor, reaching for the bowl of sweetener in the middle of the table. “But we all have that publisher’s breakfast mixer bright and early tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah, so I see. Right back here in the good old Grand Ballroom, which is where we’ll be eating dinner tonight, too.” Barb consulted the itinerary one last time, then shoved it into her bag. “I really do think it would be a shame for you to see nothing but this damn ballroom before we leave Tulsa. Don’t you wanna absorb some true Oklahoma culture? Maybe find a cowboy or two?”

At that Jenna nearly choked on her second sip of tea.

Not noticing, Barb looked around. “I wonder if one of the wait staff knows where there is a real dive. You know, the kind of bar where a pitcher of beer costs like nothing and the men all wear cowboy hats and dance to whatever country song is on the jukebox.”

Jenna bit her tongue so she didn’t accidentally spew out the fact that she knew exactly where such a bar existed. Then the jealous, possessive wheels in her head began to turn. She pictured Mustang’s cocky grin as he made some cowgirl laugh. Jenna imagined Slade’s dark intense stare focused on another woman and she couldn’t stand it anymore.

A plan began to form. Why couldn’t she just show up at the bar? It was a free country. If Slade and Mustang happened to be there, and Jenna happened to look amazing in her dress for the awards ceremony, so what?

Before she could stop herself, her lips were moving and words coming out. “Um. I heard about a bar like that.”

“Really? From who?”

“Um, from my cousin. Remember? The one that lives near here. Well, not too near, but near enough.”

“I remember. That was where you were last night instead of at the Vampire Ball after-party. It was your cousin’s daughter’s birthday or something.”

“Mmm hmm. That’s the one. Anyway, her husband told me about this bar.” Shit. Jenna better quit while she was ahead before she got caught lying. Paranoia over Lizzie stealing her cowboy source may have started this string of lies, but now Jenna felt stupid telling Barb the truth. It was plain embarrassing that she had been lying for days. It had seemed simpler to keep on doing it, until now.

“Great! Let’s go there then. This is going to be so much fun. I never get to go out at home.”

Jenna tried to mimic Barb’s glee as her own heart began to pound in anticipation of seeing Slade and Mustang again. When exactly had Jenna lost her mind over these two cowboys? She’d like to say she could peg the exact moment at sometime between her third and fourth orgasms. She sure as hell wouldn’t mind going for a few more of those tonight. Unfortunately, she feared orgasms were only a very small part of her attraction to the two men.

That thought was interrupted when Jenna’s cell phone started ringing. She glanced down at it, saw Astrid’s name on the caller ID, and hit the silent button.

Astrid would want to know what had happened last night. Jenna couldn’t admit to herself what had gone on in that trailer. How was she supposed to admit it to Astrid? Jenna was sure of only one thing. She wanted it to happen again.

With a quick text to Astrid explaining she couldn’t talk now and would call later, Jenna wove one more lie into her ever-growing web.

Chapter Twelve

With a stretch of stiff muscles, accompanied by the popping of joints and a groan, Slade rolled over in the narrow bed and squinted at the clock on the other side of the trailer.

Peering through the dim light, Slade noted Mustang still sprawled unconscious across the bigger of the trailer’s two beds. Mustang had spent the night as busy as Slade had, and in the exact same way…with Jenna in that big bed. Slade tried not to think too much about that.

The time displayed on the digital readout told him it was already late afternoon, but Slade couldn’t regret sleeping the day away, especially considering the reason why. He’d gladly sleep all day every day if it were because he’d been up making love to Jenna most of the night.

Damn.
Just the thought of Jenna had Slade hard again.

Really good memories of her hit him hard. Her soft sighs when he had slid into her early that morning. The feel of her beneath his hands.

Then there were the images of her that had nothing to do with sex. The way she’d giggle when Mustang made a stupid joke, or how she would listen intently to everything Slade said, as if he was the most interesting person in the world.

Shit. He had to stop himself from thinking about Jenna anymore because on top of being hard as a rock, he also really had to pee. Time to get up and take care of at least one of his current bodily needs.

Stifling another groan, Slade rose from the bed at about the pace of an eighty-year-old man, or that of a bull rider who had broken more bones over the course of his career than he could count.

On the way back from the bathroom, Slade’s stomach growled loudly and he realized he’d have to deal with that need soon too.

Mustang laughed from the bed. “Yeah, I could eat too. But, damn, I’m still tired.”

Crawling back into his own bed for just another minute or two, Slade had to agree. “Yeah. Me too. Think they’ll deliver a pizza to the trailer?”

Mustang laughed again. “Might be worth a try. I could use another hour’s sleep though. Fucking all night and half the morning sure does take a lot out of a man.”

Slade scowled. “Shut up, Mustang. I hate when you say shit like that.”

Mustang sighed. “All right, what’d I do wrong now?”

“Never mind,” Slade mumbled.

“No. Not
never mind
. You’re making a face and barely talking to me. You’re pissed.”

“It’s nothing. Go back to sleep.”

“No. Tell me what the hell is wrong or I will keep asking until you do…all day,” Mustang glanced at the clock himself, “or all night long, if I have to.”

Slade had no doubt, so he gave in. “I just don’t like you using that word when you’re talking about Jenna.”

Mustang pushed himself upright to lean back against the headboard, frowning. “What word? Fucking?”

“Yes.”

“You’re mad because I said fucking? Are you kidding me? I use that word all the time, for everything, and so do you. What’s the problem?”

“Say it as much as you want, but don’t use it for what you and I did with Jenna. All right?” The more the conversation went on, the more ridiculous Slade felt for starting it. Especially when Mustang raised a brow and stared at Slade with a look of shock on his face.

“You’re getting really weird lately.”

“Just because I don’t want you to insult Jenna? That’s not weird. Go back to sleep, Mustang.” Slade squeezed his eyes shut, wishing for quiet.

“That’s another thing. You not only remember her name, but you actually said it while you were f—having sex with her.”

Slade groaned and wished again he’d never started this. “I said her name. So what?”

“So what? You never do that. Ever. You usually can’t even remember their names and if you do, you never say them during sex.”

This conversation was going places Slade didn’t want it to go. “Shut up, Mustang.”

There was silence for a few, short, peaceful moments, then it was over when Mustang’s lips started flapping again.

“You kissed her too.”

Slade kept his mouth glued shut, hoping Mustang would take the hint and do the same. He didn’t.

“You never kiss them. And you went down on her. You never ever do that. Not in front of me, anyway.”

Shit.
Slade really didn’t want to discuss this. “What the hell, Mustang? Are you going to analyze the way I fuck now too?”

Never slow when it came to verbal sparring, Mustang shot right back, “I thought we weren’t using that word anymore, and actually, yeah, I am gonna analyze how you fuck. You faced her. You always do them from behind.”

“Jesus Christ! First of all, it’s freaking me out that you were watching me so damn close.”

“Well, don’t say it like that. I wasn’t drooling over your ass or anything. I was just watching you watching her, which you did the whole time, by the way. You never took your eyes off her face and you never do th—”

Slade cut off Mustang’s sexual recap. “Is there a point to all of this shit?”

“Yes, there is.”

“And I am sure you are about to enlighten me.” Letting out a sigh, Slade resigned himself to the fact Mustang wasn’t nearly done yet. He should have just kept his mouth shut to begin with or gone out and gotten them that damn pizza. Too late now.

From across the trailer, Mustang grinned at him. “Of course I am. The point is that you like Jenna.”

“So I like her. Big deal. You do too.” Slade punched his pillow into place and faced the wall hoping it would shut Mustang up and end this conversation once and for all.

“Sure I like her. Jenna’s great. That’s not the point. I mean you
like
-like her.”

“Like-like her!” Slade rolled over and lifted himself up on one elbow to stare at Mustang in the other bed. “What, are you in fifth grade?”

“You’re the one acting like you are some middle-schooler with a crush. You’re so quiet you barely even talk to her, but you’re always staring at her.” As Slade flopped back onto the mattress with a huff, Mustang continued. “And what the hell was with all the shots of whisky last night? You know what happens to you when you—”

“Mustang, enough!” Slade growled.

“Admit to me you like her and I’ll shut up.”

“I seriously doubt that.” How the hell could Slade admit to Mustang what he couldn’t even admit to himself? “Just go back to sleep.”

Mustang laughed. “Okay, Romeo.”

Then thankfully, there was quiet, except for the incredibly loud thoughts careening through Slade’s head and the echo of Mustang’s observation.

You like Jenna.

Yeah, Slade realized, he did, and his only thought after admitting that to himself was,
Shit
.

Chapter Thirteen

As the taxi pulled up in front of the now familiar bar and the four authors crammed inside threw money at the driver, Jenna began to fully realize her error in suggesting they come here.

What if Slade and Mustang were inside? They would most likely come right over and each plant a huge kiss on her right in front of her friends. Then what? She’d have to explain to her author buddies that she’d had a little cowboy threesome fantasy for herself the night before. No way could she do that. She would just have to get to them first and tell them to play it cool and pretend they’d just met her.

As Jenna slid out of the cab and pulled the hem of her dress down, she realized that scenario was the best case. The worst case, and far more likely, would be that by this late hour the two cowboys were already deeply engrossed in picking up another woman in that bar.

So there Jenna stood, staring at the door, too frightened to open it, afraid to face what might be inside.

She nearly spun around and ran after the cab until Barb opened the door and Ann and Megan, the other two authors behind her, pretty much bodily carried her through the entrance. Everyone in their party, except Jenna, had a new found enthusiasm to get inside. They now knew there would be cowboys inside after Barb read aloud the message on the flashing arena sign across the street about the bull riding competition.

Inside, Jenna’s companions were not disappointed by the sea of wall-to-wall cowboy hats. Apparently a day off from competition meant every bull rider in the event had nothing else to do but come to the bar. Heart lodged firmly in her throat, Jenna quickly scanned the room and breathed a sigh of mixed relief and disappointment. Dozens of eyes looked in their direction, but the two pairs she sought specifically weren’t there.

Jenna considered the reason why Slade and Mustang were conspicuously absent. Obviously they’d already selected a tasty tidbit from the Buckle Bunny buffet and were enjoying her back in the trailer.

Jenna felt her heart squeeze even as Barb tugged her hand, pulling her through the crowd toward a table which, while in her self-pity reverie, Jenna hadn’t noticed their two companions claim in the far corner. The same table she had shared with Slade and Mustang that first night.

The neon blue beer sign still hung where it had, except now it illuminated four city girls rather than the two bull riders who’d made love to her barely twenty-four hours before. That thought caused a twisting of desire low in Jenna’s belly, while at the same time she felt nauseated as she again wondered who they were with now.

A cocktail waitress appeared, the same one who had served them the night before. Jenna bit her lip, praying the woman wouldn’t mention her presence for three nights in a row now, or the fact she’d left with the same two cowboys both nights.

“How about a pitcher of beer, ladies?”

Nods of assent followed Barb’s suggestion.

“What do you have on tap? Anything brewed locally?” Barb asked.

That question got a raised eyebrow from the waitress. “We’ve got Bud on tap. That’s it.”

“Okay. Bud it is then, and four glasses.”

Jenna smiled to herself, knowing from experience they’d be getting four plastic cups, not glasses. She may be out of place here, but at least she had some experience under her belt. The other three were total fish out of water.

“Look at all the cute cowboys!” Ann looked around wide-eyed.

“Yeah, and they’re all about the same age as my son,” Megan commented.