Page 61 of Eight Seconds to Ride

“I fucking love it,” I reply honestly. “You’re doing so fucking good. Use your other hand too. Rock into your grip a little.”

The lack of blinds, and the morning light spilling into the room, his naked body is on full display, it’s a fucking sight to be seen. His arm and ab muscles constrict with each stroke. His full, pink lip tucked tightly between his teeth. Thick, dark brows pinch together as he concentrates on doing exactly as I ask. His chest rises and falls with each heavy breath. Each exhaled moan. His dusty rose nipples are pebbled and begging for me to play with them, so I do.

I take each one between my thumb and index finger, tweaking them, tugging on them, and am rewarded with the most erotic sounds coming from Sterling.

My hips move of their own accord, grinding up into his hand. “Fuck, yes. That feels so fucking good.”

Sterling’s eyes meet mine, the lust infused in his gaze staggering. His jaw goes lax, his grip tightening around us, and suddenly, we’re both rutting up into them. Both chasing the high. The release. Every thought about last night, or any night leading up to then, gone. Vanished out of my mind. The only thing I’m focused on is how fucking good his rough hands feel around me. Around us. The way his cheeks, his neck, his chest, are all flushed. The way his body glistens with sweat, as I know he’s getting closer. The way his breathing gets quicker, his noises get a little louder, a little more broken. The way I’m getting close too, watching him fall apart on top of me.

There’s something about Sterling that just does it for me. His innocence, yes, but there’s something else. Something that was there long before I found out about that. Something about him that drives me wild in the very best way.

“I’m… I’m so close,” he moans.

A burning, tingling ache rips through my groin. I’m teetering right on the edge of explosion, and when Sterling throws his head back, the tendons in his neck straining, as he cries out, spilling onto my stomach, I lose it. I follow behind him, my cock pulsing as I empty my balls, my release joining his, mixing together. “Oh, fuck…” My entire body vibrates with pleasure as Sterling milks every last drop out of me.

By the time we’re finished, I feel wrung dry. Like I could pass the fuck back out and sleep for an eternity.

Sterling lets go of our softening dicks, running two fingers through the mess on my stomach. His lip kicks up into a sated grin that has no business being that sexy as he lifts the fingers coated in our cum to my mouth. He shamelessly pushes past my lips, dragging along my tongue. I close and suck, our combinedtaste exploding in my mouth, easily becoming one of my favorite flavors I’ve ever experienced.

Groaning, he mutters, “Damn, that’s hot.”

The eye contact is heady, making my dick twitch all over again. Sterling’s the first one to break it, climbing off my lap in search of a towel. He hands it to me before finding his boxers and putting them back on. After I clean up the mess we made, I do the same, knowing I need to head out, feeling weird about the fact that I don’t want to.

“I should probably get going,” I tell him once I finish getting dressed.

He smiles. “I’d offer to cook you breakfast or something, but my folks are inside and that’s not a conversation I’m really wanting to have first thing in the morning.”

“Nah, I get it. It’s cool. Thanks again for last night.”

“Anytime.”

We both stand there, neither of us seeming to know what to do next. Should I kiss him goodbye? It’s not something we’ve done in the past, but after last night and this morning…it feels different.

Surprising me, as if he can read my thoughts, Sterling closes the distance, pressing his lips to mine. The kiss is gentle and soft, a quick brush of his tongue against mine, and it’s over before it even really begins, but it stuns me, nonetheless.

“Bye, Shooter,” Sterling drawls, a sly smirk on his lips as I turn away from him and leave his room, feeling flustered and turned on all over again.

How does he do that to me?

29

Sterling Addams

Stampede Days is a week-long event here in Copper Lake. It’s a huge deal, and people from all over Wyoming—and even surrounding states—flock in for the celebration. Not only is it an age-old tradition, but it’s also a huge weekend for our region in the PRCA. The event is a multi-day rodeo event, in addition to all the other events that take place.

Today is day one of the event, and it’s also day one of five back-to-back rodeo nights. Excitement is buzzing beneath my skin as I get ready. Not only is this my first ever Stampede Days that I’m competing in, but it’s also the first time my parents will get to see me in action since going pro. Sure, they’ve watched all the rodeos that they could find online, but it’s a way different experience knowing they’re in the audience. I expected to be more nervous than I am.

After Shooter left this morning, I went downstairs into the main house, where my mom was already cooking breakfast. We all ate together before I went and helped Conrad outside with the ranch work. Once we were done with that, I took a showerbefore heading into town to show my parents around the arena. They lived here for many years before we moved to Texas, but it’s changed quite a bit since we left. It was cool getting to show them my new stomping grounds.

I’m finishing my pre-rodeo ritual, heading into the arena, my heart pounding in my chest. I’m up next, and my blood is pumping with anticipation. Sometimes, I still can’t believe I’m here, doing this. Living my freaking dreams. More than once today, my mind’s drifted back to everything Shooter said last night. Every confession, every shred of pain that passed through his eyes. But mostly, to him saying he isn’t sure if this is something he wants to do anymore.

That statement, above all, shocked me the most. Shooter is the embodiment of rodeo. Of bronc riding. It’s in his blood, and he wears it like a second skin. He’s so naturally talented, and anybody within a fifty-mile radius of him can see how much he loves the sport.

Or at least, that’s what it looks like from the outside.

Seeing a deeper, hidden-away side of him last night was eye opening. It solidified my feelings about him after Daisy vaguely clued me in about their dad. He truly isn’tjustthe cocky persona he lets the world see. There’s so much more there.

Jumping into the chute and sliding onto the top of the bronc, I situate my positioning and make sure my ropes are tight and sturdy. Something I’ve learned in the years I’ve been practicing this sport—something that wasveryhard for me to grasp in the beginning—is how much of a difference posture can make in your ride. If you don’t keep your core completely tight, or if your shoulders are even a hair too forward, your whole performance will be off. It’s so easy to get bucked off if you aren’t zoned in and aware of what your body is doing the whole time.

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