"Why, because they'd be reading over your shoulder?" he asked, following me. "I mean, I'm good with it."
So I spun to face him. "What the fuck are you doing, Jake?"
He stepped in close enough to hold me where I was. "I am flirting, cowgirl. It usually works better when you flirt back, because if you don't, I'll take that hint loud and clear."
"Oh, I see." And I shifted enough to pass my rope over. "Right-handed, please?"
"Can do," the man told me.
And I looked back up at Jake. "Gonna put your dick in my face again?"
Jake just closed his eyes and groaned. "Yeah, you are definitely J.D.'s rookie, because you are not playing fair, girl." Then he rolled his head down, those concrete grey eyes finding mine. "And I think I like it."
My heart decided this was a good time to have its own rodeo.
Chapter 59
Like A Prayerwas a solid white bull with dark around his eyes and no other markings. He also didn't have a hump, but I could work with that. While the chute attendants worked my rope around him, Jake stepped over to the other side, waiting for the tail to pull.
I worried about checking my gear. My helmet was on. My vest was secure. My chaps, spurs, and everything else were as good as it was going to get. In other words, I was fucking ready for this.
But just as I moved to get into my chute, a girl screamed out, "Go Cody!" at the top of her lungs.
I paused, looked over to J.D.'s family, then waved. Immediately, both Maria and Isabella waved back enthusiastically. Ok, that felt good. It was the last push I needed to get my mind where it belonged.
"Ready when you are," Jake said. "Break's almost over, so Wes should be riding any minute."
In other words, I needed to hurry my ass up. Moving into the chute, I balanced over the bull's back and leaned in. The rosin on my glove gripped against the stuff I'd smeared on my ropeearlier. Again, then again, I pulled, waiting to see it stringing out. But when it took longer than I liked, I added a little force.
Jake tipped. "Easy, cowgirl," he taunted. "Stroke it, don't yank it."
"I like it hard," I shot back - and did it again.
This time, he was ready for me, but the little smirk toying on his mouth? Yeah, I liked that. Fuck, I actually liked him. Maybe it was lust. Maybe it was simply having permission and encouragement from my boyfriends. I didn't honestly know, but right now I wasnotgoing to worry about it.
I shifted my focus to the handle as the chute behind me rocked. I could hear yelling and cursing, which meant the bull had just fucked up Wes's wrap. Good, that was a few more seconds for me. Again, then again, I worked over the handle, then moved back to the tail of my rope, needing to keep that warm.
Wes's chute opened with a bang hard enough to shake mine. Daring to glance back, I saw dust and motion, which meant he was out. I had eight seconds, maybe twice that, and then it'd be my turn.
"Listen to the song," Jake reminded me, but his voice was softer.
It made me look up. "Please tell me it's not a love song for my ride?"
"Not a love song," he promised. "More of an anthem."
"I can do anthems," I decided.
Then, "You're a go!" the chute attendant snapped.
I shoved my hand into the handle, gestured for Jake to pull a bit more, then made my wrap quickly. I didn't know shit about this bull except that he was related to Preacher's Son - which was useless to me. In other words, I was riding blind, but Tanner was out there to save me, so it was time to be a little wild.
I wrapped the bull rope around my hand one more time, then tucked it into my fingers.
"You good?" Jake asked.
"Get the fuck out of my way," I told him.
"Waiting on you," the gateman said.
