Page 58 of Rough Ride

Jesus fucking Christ, those leggings. I considered myself a strong man, but when she started doing squats a few feet away? I couldn’t stop myself from stealing a glance. No man was that strong.

I’d spent the rest of the day fantasizing about what I wanted to do to her. Pulling down those leggings, bending her over the bench, and filling her from behind. Bottoming out inside of her, giving every single fucking inch I had. Taking hold of her blonde ponytail and squeezing possessively, arching her back and making her twist to look back at me with those sky-colored eyes Johnny kept going on about.

Fuck me. I had it bad. Sophie was like a drug, and I couldn’t stop thinking about my next hit.

Which was ironic since I hadn’t evenhadher yet.

I saw the way she and Johnny interacted tonight, though. A quiet word together by the edge of the ring. A casual arm slipped around a waist. They shared a new familiarity that hadn’t been there two days ago.

And it made me want her more than ever.

I could have won that date. Whiplash Willie was a bitch to ride, but I had a sense for how it worked. I could have smashed the all-time record, landed on my feet, and taken Sophie out to dinner. I would have gotten what I wanted while simultaneously shoving my victory in Johnny and Elijah’s faces.

I had a secret of my own, though. I knew something that most men didn’t.

If you made a woman wait for something she wanted? It only made her want it more.

It was obvious. Common goddamn sense. It’s why all the best chefs delayed their meals just a little bit. If you made them wait, made their mouth water just a little bit longer, then that first bite they sank their teeth into would taste so much better.

But most men charged forward whenever they got a chance.

Not me.

I knew that I wanted Sophie. I knew that she wanted me too, even if she didn’t want to admit it to herself. And most importantly: I knew that the longer I made her wait, the better it would be when I finally surrendered to the erotic fantasies that were tormenting my dreams.

And when I did finally have her? When I held her down on the bed, fucking her with every ounce of passion I had, until she wasbeggingme to make her come again?

She would know what it’s like to be with arealman.

26

Sophie

I stared after Sawyer as he left the room. There had been a look in his eyes that took my breath away. For a few seconds while our gazes were locked together, I could imagine ourbodieslocked together too, free of clothes and excuses and inhibition. That was a look which promised a night of eye-watering, toe-curlingpassion.

Realizing I was holding my breath, I exhaled. That man had climbed onto Whiplash Willie, quietly asserted his dominance, then walked away like he didn’t care.

I had never been more turned on in my life.

And that factinfuriatedme.

“I guess I’m the low man on the totem pole tonight,” Johnny said behind me. When I turned around, he gave me a wry smirk. “Better luck next time, I guess. Enjoy your date with Elijah, Sky Eyes.”

Something twisted in my chest as he walked away. Every single cowboy I knew had brought their A-game tonight, and I couldn’t even go home with him.

“Now that we’re alone,” Eli said, leaning closer. “When do I get to take you out on that date?”

God, I was horny. It felt like my skin was vibrating with erotic energy. And Elihadlooked impressive up on the mechanical bull, even if he was less skilled than Sawyer.

“I get off at two,” I found myself saying.

And hopefully getting off again by three, I thought to myself with a smile.

Eli smiled like he could read my mind. “Won’t be much of a date if we start that late.”

“Nope,” I agreed, pushing into his personal space, my arm brushing against his. “You’d probably have to take me straight home.”

It was rare for me to be thatforwardwith a guy, practically begging him to have sex with me with little-to-no pretense. I wasn’t used to putting myself out there like that, especially not with someone I barely knew.

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