“Not much lately.” He folds a muscular arm behind his head and doesn’t look at me as he visibly tries to work his breath into some kind of controlled pattern. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
“You didn’t. What were you dreaming about?”
“Who fucking knows. Bucko probably.”
My forehead crinkles in confusion.“Who?”
“The bull who ended my career,” he says flatly.
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“You have nightmares about it?”
“Sometimes. I mean, it was pretty intense. It’s more the pain I felt when I was injured and what happened afterward. Not being able to do what I once could—” His dark eyes flick to mine. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”
“It’s okay. You can, I don’t mind.”
His eyes dip to my silky pajama top and I realize a button has come undone at the neck in our scuffle and it’s dipping open with all the commotion. He’s basically getting a bird’s eye view of my cleavage. “Just give me a sec to calm my—” We both glance down then to his waist, which is just visible from the tangled covers that were pushed down and I have to do a double take as I think I see the head of his— “Fuck. Jesus Christ.” He quickly pulls the covers up, concealing the fact his cock was about to emerge out of his boxer shorts.
“Huds—”
“Don’t even.” He holds a palm up.
I giggle and he eyes me. “You think that’s funny?”
“You get a hard on thinking about Bucko?”
“I wasn’t thinking about Bucko just now.” He eyes towards my chest where I’ve made no attempt to button that top button up. “You’re exposed, sweetheart. Your hands were on me and this bad boy got carried away for a second— Look, it’s been a long night.”
I try not to laugh because that wouldn’t be kind right now, and I’m aching to see what lies beneath. From what I just saw from the tip, something pretty big and swollen. My body is also still humming and feeling lively from my recent exploration with the bullet, not that he would know that. “Yeah, it has.” I sigh, sitting back and pulling my top back to a more decent eye level. “Are you okay now?”
“I’m fine. Like I say, it happens from time to time. I get night sweats sometimes. Sorry again for grabbing you.”
“I told you, it’s fine.”
“I’d never hurt you.”
“I know that.”
He nods, satisfied with that as I edge off the bed. I stop mid-standing. “Is Bucko the tattoo on your leg?” I ask.
He seems surprised by the answer as he pulls his lip under his front teeth for a second before answering.
“You noticed that, huh?”
Yeah, among other things.“It was kinda hard not to.”
“Well, that’s the one.”
My eyes shine wide hearing that. “Really? Why would you tattoo him on your leg when you have nightmares about him ending your career and almost your life?”
“Maybe I deserved it,” he says.
I scrunch my forehead again. “What do you mean?”
“Let’s just say, you realize a lot in a time of crisis. He was only doing what was natural for him and that was to fight back. And he was the most dangerous bull in the league. I respect that a lot. More than people know.”