“You back on track?” one of her fellow contestants and friends asked while she and her horse waited in the hole.
Lina sat up straight in the saddle, her smile never faltering. “Back in the running, Viv. Good luck, Paige!” she called cheerily to the next rider at the gate.
But Paige, who was on deck, shot her a bitchy glare before turning her attention back to the arena while her trainer helped hold her horse steady. Lina only shrugged, turning her smile on me. I couldn’t help my lips from tugging at the corners. God, she was beautiful. One brow raised in question, probably wondering why I was staring at her like a fool. She shook her head as if she didn’t want to know, a soft laugh escaping her throat.
“How’d I do, cowboy?” Her mouth settled into a flirty smirk while her eyes turned playful.
“You burned the breeze,” I told her.
“Oh.” She laughed. “You’re good.” Then she shook her head again.
“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.
She continued to shake her head while she chuckled. “Don’t start flirting with me now, cowboy. Not unless you intend to do something about it.”
It was my turn to shake my head with laughter. She wasn’t wrong. I wanted to fucking do something about it. It had taken everything in me not to kiss her the other night when she came back from her date. When she more than begged me to kiss her. I cleared my throat to keep the words from spewing out.
“Okay, sweetheart.” I heaved a sigh. “Let’s get you and Mushu?—”
“You were incredible out there!” Kale yelled as he and Christian strode toward us. Their chaps flapped in the wind as they walked, their numbers pinned on their vests, ready for their event.
“Thanks!” Lina called back, dismounting. “Don’t get bucked off!”
“Don’t plan to,” Christian said as they met up with us.
“Good because we’re going to turn up tonight.” Lina handed the reins over to me while she hugged her friends. “Break a leg, guys!”
They parted ways while they headed to the chutes, and we walked Mushu away from the arena.
“Where are we going to get drinks?” I asked, since the fairgrounds only had a beer garden that closed at ten.
Her head swiveled to look at me, her gaze narrowing. “What we’renotgoing to do is manage my social calendar.”
“I heard you, Lina, but I’m here to do a job.”
Both of our smiles faltered, and I cringed inwardly at how harsh my words sounded. Fuck, I was an asshole. But how could I tell her I didn’t want to just be here because I was being paid to protect her? She was the one who had to remind me that was the only reason I was here in the first place. There was no way in hell she actually wanted me here with her. She couldn’t stand me.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” she said under her breath as she stormed off, leaving Mushu and me to follow behind.
“Fuck you!”she said, grabbing her drink out of my hand.
Well, that didn’t take long. I was just waiting for her to curse me out. Especially with the way the night was going. She was in rare form.
The dive bar in town was seedy and full of cigarette smoke. Christian and Kale were surrounded by women who flocked to them as soon as they walked in. The buckle bunnies all shot Lina scathing looks as she easily pulled the guys’ attention away from them. I couldn’t help my own spike of jealousy blazing through my chest while I watched her laugh and flirt with every man in her vicinity. Even the good ol’ boys sipping their beer bottles at the bar turned on the charm for her.
Neon lights cut through the haze, making her look like a sexy demon, bathing her in a red glow. The stereo speakers were so loud, you could barely hear anyone talk. Everyone had to lean in to yell into each other’s ears, and the way she was leaning toward every man who bought her a drink had me on fucking edge. Was I a jealous man? For Lina, I was all sorts of things. Jealousy was at the top of that list. If I had to watch one more jackass offer to buy her a drink, I was going to end up knocking someone on their ass.
“You’re drunk,” I told her.
“So fucking what,” she shouted in my ear, her hot breath sending shivers down my spine. “Just do yourjoband leave me alone. My stalker isn’t even here.”
Oh, so that was what this was about. “I’m not leaving you alone, Lina.”
“You can do your job from ten feet that way.” She gestured to the entrance with her drink in her hand. The whiskey and soda sloshed over her fingers and dripped onto our boots.
I frowned. “Maybe we should call it a night.”
She pulled away to shake her head, like an obstinate child. “Too late for you, old man?”
