"Have you?" My voice comes out breathier than I intended.
"Mmm." His free hand traces along my jaw, thumb brushing across my lower lip with devastating precision. "Thinking about how good you looked this morning. Thinking about how you taste. Thinking about all the things I want to do to you once this damn rodeo is over."
Heat shoots straight through me, pooling between my thighs like liquid fire. "Colt."
"What, baby?" His thumb presses against my lip, and I can't help but part them slightly. "You want to know what I've been thinking about?"
I nod, not trusting my voice.
"I've been thinking about getting you alone somewhere quiet. Somewhere I can take my time with you." His voice drops to a rough whisper that makes my knees weak. "Somewhere I can make you scream my name so loud the whole county knows who you belong to."
"Dr. Mercer!" A voice calls from across the holding area. "We need you to check the backup bull!"
Colt's jaw tightens with frustration, but he doesn't immediately step away. Instead, he leans down until his mouth is right beside my ear, his breath hot against my skin.
"Hold that thought, shortie," he murmurs.
Then he's gone, leaving me pressed against the fence post with my heart hammering and my skin on fire. I press my thighs together, trying to ease the ache he's left behind, and realize I'm in serious trouble if this is how I react to just one of them.
The bull riding event goes off without a hitch, which means I can check that item off my mental list. Next up is barrel racing, and after that, the main event: Beau's prize bulls against some of the best riders in the state.
I make my way toward the area where the bulls are being prepared, my boots clicking against the hard-packed dirt. The sun is starting to sink toward the mountains, painting everything in golden light that makes the whole scene look like something from a western movie.
That's where I find Beau, standing beside a massive black bull that looks like it could level a building. He's in full rancher mode: worn jeans that fit him like a second skin, boots, a black cowboy hat pulled low over his eyes, and a shirt that stretches across his broad shoulders.
When he sees me approaching, he says something to the handler and walks over to meet me with that controlled grace that's pure predator.
"Everything running smoothly?" he asks, his voice carrying that low, controlled tone that always makes my stomach flip.
"Like clockwork," I tell him, proud of how steady I sound. "Your bulls look incredible."
"They should. They're the best breeding stock in three counties." He moves closer, and suddenly I'm very aware of how much bigger he is than me. How solid and warm and completely male. "But I'm not thinking about the bulls right now."
"No?" My pulse jumps like a startled rabbit. "What are you thinking about?"
Instead of answering with words, he reaches out and traces one finger along the edge of my shirt where it's tied at my waist. The touch is light, barely there, but it sets every nerve ending on fire.
"I'm thinking about how this shirt is driving me crazy." he says quietly, his voice rough as gravel. "I really would like to untie this little knot."
His finger hooks under the tied fabric, tugging gently, and I swear I can feel that small touch everywhere.
"Beau," I breathe.
"Do you know what you do to me, sunshine?" His other hand comes up to cup my cheek, thumb stroking across my skin with devastating tenderness. "Do you have any idea how hard it's been to stay focused on work when all I want is to get my hands on you?"
I lean into his touch, my eyes fluttering closed. The combination of his gentle touch and the heat in his voice is making me dizzy. "Tell me."
His thumb traces my lower lip, and where Colt was playful, Beau is intense. Reverent. Worshipful. "I've been thinking about pulling you behind one of these barns and showing you exactly how much I've missed you."
"We're in public," I whisper, though I don't pull away. Can't pull away.
"I know." His hand tightens on my cheek, possessive and gentle at the same time. "That's the only thing keeping me from doing it."
The arena announcer's voice booms across the grounds again, calling for the next event, and Beau's jaw tightens with visible frustration.
"I have to go," he says, but he doesn't move.
"I know."
