Page 43 of Rough Ride

That’s when Sophie returned and gave him a chance. Inviting him out after her shift.

Yeah, I was jealous. I’d been hoping to givethatfilly a ride since we showed up to the rodeo, and it stung to see him succeed where I had failed. But after moping around all night, Johnny was suddenly happier than a dog with two dicks. Hell, I couldn’t be mad about that.

Not to mention when he left to meet Sophie, the two groupies convinced me to stay and share a drink while listening to music. They weren’t exactlysubtle, commenting about how thetwo of them had always wanted to share a cowboy. They were practically throwing themselves at me, begging for a threesome.

A small part of me wanted to do just that. Okay, it was alargepart of me, which was rapidly growing larger thanks to all the extra blood flowing to it.

But my heart wasn’t in it tonight.

As they flirted and continued brushing against me, I wondered what was wrong with me. This was usually my favorite part of the rodeo: hooking up with random women, fulfilling their fantasy of riding a cowboy. Maybe I was growing older and wiser. Had I moved past these kinds of flings?

But when I returned to my trailer and heard what was going on in the trailer next door, I realized there was a very specific reason I didn’t care about the women I had just ghosted.

Sophie.

It was tough to go out for burgers when you had your eye on filet mignon.

And there was nothin’ in this world I wanted more than to sink my teeth into that blonde beauty.

I stretched out on the couch in my trailer and listened to the sounds coming from the campsite next door. The two of them were really going at it. I was jealous, of course… but only a little bit. Rather than wishing I was in Johnny’s position, I started fantasizing about joining them. Walking over, knocking on the door, and inviting myself in. I’d never hadthatkind of threesome before, but the not-so-subtle suggestion from the two women back at the bar had put the idea in my head.

Sophie probably wasn’t into that kind of thing, though. And I doubted Johnny wanted me, his competition, in bed with him, stealing half of Sophie’s attention.

I smiled to myself. That was all right. I was a patient man. Besides, I’d overheard Sophie and her friend Liz discussing what they were going to do on their night off tomorrow.

And I had a plan.

20

Sophie

I slipped out of bed and quietly pulled my clothes on. The trailer creaked as I shifted my weight, but Johnny wascompletelypassed out in bed, snoring softly. I glanced back at him while shimmying into my panties. The comforter covered his lower half, but his upper body was visible, one muscular arm thrown over the pillow as he slept on his side. I wanted to curl back into bed, to mold my body into his and resume snuggling.

But there was one thing I hated more than anything in the world: the awkward morning-after. It always ruined the fun of the night before, like a cold shower after a hot bath. It was easier if I left now.

Not to mention, I preferred to sleep alone. I was grumpy when I didn’t get at least seven hours.

I wrote my phone number on a notepad and then tiptoed to the door. Dusty raised his head from the dog bed on the floor, tail swishing back and forth as he watched me. “Don’t take it personally,” I whispered, bending down to pet him. “I’d cuddle withyouany day.”

He pushed his head against the back of my hand as if agreeing with me, then went back to sleep.

I slept in the next morning, and woke to a text message from an unknown number. But it wasn’t hard to figure out who the sender was.

Johnny: With riding skills like that, you should join the rodeo.

Me: Sorry, who’s this?

Johnny: Ha ha. This is the cowboy you squeezed dry. I’m downright dehydrated from all our fun.

Me: That doesn’t narrow it down very much. You’ll have to be more specific.

Johnny: I’m the man who made you come on the countertop just after midnight. Then made you come a second time with my mouth and fingers. And finally, after moving to the bed, made you come a THIRD time.

Me: Actually, I came twice in bed. They happened real fast, back-to-back. So that’s four times total.

Johnny: Ah, so you do remember me.

Me: I’ll be honest with you: it would take a concussion to make me forget last night.

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