Page 76 of Ride a Cowboy

“Holy God,” Joel yelled. His hands landed on the surface of the table, looking for something to hold him upright as he came so hard he saw stars behind his closed eyes.

For several minutes, Joel simply stood there, listening to the sound of his own breathing. Sadie didn’t move. He wondered if she’d fallen asleep. He’d check, but he didn’t have the strength to lift his eyelids.

Finally, a hundred years later, he forced himself to move.

The first thing he saw was Oakley. He expected to see his wild, uninhibited friend sitting there with a goofy, too pleased, told you so grin on his face. What Joel had not anticipated was the serious, almost dangerous expression painting Oakley’s features.

Oakley was staring at him with an intensity that shook Joel to the core. He’d seen that look before on the faces of women he’d taken to bed.

Oakley wanted him. And his friend wasn’t even trying to hide it.

Joel broke the connection first, scowling as he looked away.

Sadie lifted up on her elbows slowly as Joel withdrew. He offered a hand to help her stand.

Oakley moved as well, walking to the bar to grab a handful of napkins. He returned and carefully cleaned Sadie up.

Then Joel pulled her into his embrace.

“Are you okay?” he asked, suddenly afraid he’d hurt her.

“I…I think so.”

Joel cupped her cheek and tilted her face up so he could look at her. Her eyes were clouded with the same confusion, the same overwhelming bewilderment he felt.

“I didn’t realize it would be so…” She struggled for a word.

Oakley supplied it. “Intense. I’ve never done anything like that.”

She looked at Oakley. “I just didn’t know.”

Oakley leaned forward in the chair, resting his forearms on his thighs. “And now we do. So what’s next?”

His friend had directed the question at Sadie, but Joel knew it was his answer Oakley was waiting for. Oakley expected him to call a halt to it all, to say it was wrong, that it wouldn’t work.

And that was exactly what Joel should say. They’d played with fire, thinking it would be a lark. They had all gotten burned.

Problem was, Joel wanted to burn some more. He wouldn’t mind being consumed in it, turned to ash.

“We keep going,” Joel said. If he weren’t so exhausted, so wrung out, he would have laughed at Sadie and Oakley’s matching looks of surprise.

Then Sadie nodded. “Oh hell yeah. I want more.”

Oakley still didn’t smile. “Are you sure?” This time he didn’t pretend he was asking Sadie. His eyes were locked firmly on Joel’s.

Joel gave him one, almost imperceptible nod. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

Chapter 3

“Thanks for helping me plan all of this, Sadie, but I could have met you at the bar. You didn’t have to drive all the way out here.” Lorelie put down the pen she was using to take notes.

Sadie shrugged. “It’s not like you live a hundred miles out of town. Besides I didn’t mind. It was a good day to take my bike out for a spin.”

“I swear I’d get my own motorcycle if I didn’t think it would give my dad another heart attack.”

“I could see you riding a hog,” Sadie teased.

“I’m starting to get excited about this party. I mean it’s been a ton of work, but I think it’ll be worth it. My dad is going to love it.”

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