Page 4 of Ride Me

“Who’s freaked out?” she snaps.

I bite back a laugh. “Clearly not you.” Stepping toward the closet, I pull out a properly sized fitted sheet and toss it her way. “Here, this one should fit. But you do know we have an entire housekeeping team who could handle this, right?”

“Thanks, but I’ve got it.” She takes the sheet and returns to wrestling with the bed.

I move to the opposite corner, giving the sheet a gentle tug to help. Priya shoots me a look but doesn’t say anything. It’s worth noting that she doesn’t stop me, either. As intense as Priya’s been, I count it as a win.

The suite is already pristine, but I stay put as Priya double-checks every inch of the space. Then, just when I think she’s done, she turns on her heel and strides out. I exhale,hopefully my girl is ready to get back to normal. Then the door flies open and she comes right back, dragging a damn vacuum behind her.

I raise an eyebrow at her, but she ignores me. Priya plugs the thing in without saying a word to me and gets to work on the already clean carpet… And that’s where I draw the line. I step over the cord and yank the plug from the wall. That gets her attention and I take the opportunity to hit her with my most charming smile.

“What are you doing?” She plants a hand on her hip.

“Come on, this is ridiculous. It’s done. I’d eat a meal off this floor.” I lean against the dresser with my arms crossed. “Walk with me down to the Buck and Whinny Stables. Callum’s over there, and he says Patty June left us a whole basket of freshbread. She usually drops it at the farm stand, but the market isn’t?—”

She shakes her head emphatically. “No, thanks. I need to?—”

But that isn’t going to work for me. I close the space between us. “To what?” I rest my hands on her shoulders and turn her toward the door. “Vacuum again? Give me a break. This isn’t the first or last time we’ve had VIPs in these suites. You’re walking with me.”

“No, I’m not.” She folds her arms tight across her chest, digging in.

But she isn’t in charge here. So I do the only thing left to do.

With zero hesitation, I scoop Priya up and throw her over my shoulder. She protests, kicking, squirming and even letting out a few choice words. But I don’t take it personally and I sure as hell don’t stop.

I stride right out of the suite, down the hall, and straight for the trail out back. My hand settles on the back of her thigh as she gives up her fight. I hardly notice because I’m in a fight of my own. It’s me against the very real, very dangerous urge to sink my teeth into that sweet ass pressing way too close to my mouth.

We make it halfway up the trail before I finally set her down, her boots hitting the gravel with a satisfying crunch. Priya straightens, staring up at me in stony silence. Her expression is half disbelief, half something I can’t quite place. Amusement, maybe? At least, that’s what I’d like to think—except for the way she folds her arms across her chest like she’s holding herself together. That doesn’t exactly screamamused.

I take a few steps ahead, relieved when I hear her footsteps following. When she finally speaks, her voice is quiet and controlled. Too controlled.Dangerouslycontrolled.

“That,” she says evenly, “is called kidnapping. People go to jail for kidnapping in the real world. Just so you know.”

I chuckle. “You can thank me when you try Patty June’s bread. Have you met her? She’s like the ranch’s mom. She knows everyone and everything for that matter. But you’re gonna love her and the bread too.” I glance at her, taking in the rigid line of her shoulders. “But why don’t you start by telling me what’s got you so wound up?” I gesture to her folded arms and her locked jaw.

Priya exhales, and for the first time, her perfectly straight posture softens. Just barely, but it happens and I count it as a win.

“I know one of the players staying here this weekend,” she says, her fingers twitching slightly before she smooths a hand over her hair. “He’s… an ex.”

Ah. There it is.

I force a chuckle, ignoring the way my jaw tightens. “So, you had some wild night with a football bro from the practice team?” The joke feels wrong even as I say it. The truth is, I don’t like the idea of Priya hooking up with anyone who isn’t me. “It’s nice to know you're human.”

“No,” she says, shaking her head. “It isn’t like that.” She hesitates, then lifts her gaze to mine. “You know Gunner Thompson, the quarterback?”

My stomach sinks.

“He’s my ex-fiancé.”

CHAPTER 4

BOWEN

She hasmy full attention now, and I stop walking. “Gunner Thompson.”

The name alone makes my stomach turn. I blink, and an image flashes in my mind—America’s sweetheart quarterback, tangled up with Priya. My gut clenches. The thought makes me sick.

More thoughts swirl in my mind. I’ve kept one eye on the Southern Knights ever since they cut my brother Fallon from their roster, but what did I read about their golden-boy quarterback? The story was everywhere. It was one of those impossible-to-escape social media sensations. But the details are hazy now, buried under a year of other scandals and distractions.

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