Page 83 of Rough Ride

“You’ve spent the last two weeks pretending that you don’t like me,” I argued. “Rolling your eyes every time Johnny or Eliflirted with me, like you wereabove it all. But I’ve seen you watching me when you think I’m not looking. Glancing at my ass at the gym. Taking your time with your sets so that I have to share the rack with you. Showing up to Billy Bob’s almost every single night, and always finding your way tomybar. What are the odds of that, Sawyer? Two dozen bars in that goddamn place and youalwayscome to the one I happen to be working at? Not to mention your little stunt with the mechanical bull. Acting like you were above it all, then jumping in at the last minute to impress me. And to top it all off, you got into a fight with the biggest name at the rodeo! A huge romantic gesture! And now that it’s the next day, you’re pretending like it wasn’t a big deal. Like you wanted to punch Appleton, and weren’t being protective ofmespecifically. Well, for a man who claims he doesn’t like to play games, it sure feels like you’ve been playing one this whole fucking time.” I laughed bitterly. “I don’t know if you like me, want to fuck me, or just want to torture me.”

“I don’t want to torture you,” he gritted out.

“Like hell you don’t!” I shot back at him. “Does that mean you like me? Or want to fuck me? If so, what the hell is stopping you? Why do you insist on—”

Sawyer grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled me back into a rough kiss.

37

Sophie

Sawyer’s kiss shut me up. In fact, I felt all my anger and frustration melt away as hereallykissed me without inhibition.

It was over as soon as it began, and he used his grip on my hair to pull my mouth away from his. That passion returned to his intense gaze, along with a calm certainty. Like he had just come to a decision.

“Nothing is stopping me,” he growled. “Not anymore.”

He crushed his lips against mine again, conquering and claiming in a way that took my breath away. This was a man who had been holding himself back all this time, and now that the dam had been breached, all of his passion was flooding out.

And holyhelldid it feel good.

He never let go of my hair, and his free hand—the one that was bruised from the fight—slid alongside my neck as he held me to his face. I gasped in surprise and excitement as his tongue invaded my mouth, giving meexactlywhat I wanted but hadn’t known until that very moment.

Then he pulled my face away again and said, “Actually, there’s one thing stopping me.”

I swallowed heavily. “What’s that?”

“I spent all night in jail.” His lip curled in that smile that was so rare for the cowboy. “I’m gonna need a shower… before doing all the things Ireallywant to do to you.”

I bit my lip. “That makes two of us.”

We scrambled out of the car and practically ran inside the hotel. The woman behind the desk in the lobby greeted us, but Sawyer took my hand and pulled me along without acknowledging her. He ran past the elevators, throwing his shoulder into the door leading to the stairs, taking them two at a time until we reached the third floor.

“Your breath isn’t bad, if that’s what you’re worried about,” I said.

He led me through the hallway, then scanned his keycard at a door without responding.

“Ismybreath bad?” I asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

He shoved me into the hotel room, then prowled after me like a panther. “Your breath tastes sweet. But that’s not the part of you I intend to put my mouth on.”

Sawyer pressed me up against the wall with his body, his mouth finding that hypersensitive spot along my collarbone. I moaned and ran my hands over his back, hating the layers of clothes separating me from his skin, and the chiseled muscles I had been admiring in the gym when he wasn’t looking.

Then he grabbed my hand and led me into the bathroom, kicking off his boots while he turned the shower on. I savored the sight of his muscular butt as he peeled his jeans off, then I stripped out of my own clothes, my body too alive with desire to care about modesty. With Sawyer, I felt comfortable enough to jump right into nudity.

With Sawyer, I feltsafe.

As soon as the final items of clothing were on the floor, he pushed me into the walk-in shower. I passed underneath the wonderfully-hot water until my back touched cold tile, but then Sawyer was there to warm me from the other side with his warm, sturdy body.

For a brief moment, I couldn’t help but compare Sawyer to Chris Appleton. The man with me in the shower wasn’t flashy, and didn’t care about his appearance. He was confident, not cocky. Powerfully strong without needing to flex for the cameras.

Appleton was aluminum, but Sawyer wassteel.

All thoughts disappeared as he deepened his kiss. My hands returned to his body, exploring all that delicious muscle now that there was nothing to impede my fingertips. He bit my lower lip between his teeth, just enough to send a message without being painful, and I absolutelymelted.One hand cradled my cheek as we kissed, while the other slid down my side to cup my ass. That was the hand he’d punched Appleton with; it was hotter than the other, the blood rushing to repair the bruises. A subtle reminder of what he’d done to protect me last night. No warnings, no threats. Just action.

That described Sawyer more than anything else I could think of: action, not words.

His thigh pushed between my legs with perfect friction, and then he came alive even more than before. His hands explored my body, stroking my forbidden curves, while his mouth caressed every inch of skin back down to my neckline. Need raced through my body, electrifying every nerve ending, flaring hotter as he took one of my nipples between his teeth.

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