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  There was no way CeCe was letting Aaron out of her clutches, even if he had been at all interested in Jill. But it was sure nice to watch and fantasize. Aaron Jordan would definitely give Jill something to think about when she was lying alone in bed tonight.

  “I’m going to the ladies’ room.” CeCe’s announcement broke into Jill’s fantasy.

  She glanced down again. Aaron had already donned his safety vest and was currently climbing the rails of one of the chutes loaded with a bull. “But Aaron’s about to ride.”

  “I won’t be long.” CeCe dismissed Jill’s concern with the flick of one wrist.

  “All right.”

  A better person might have told CeCe that if she left now, she was going to miss Aaron’s ride no matter how quick she was. A good employee might even have offered to go with her boss.

  Jill wasn’t that person. She let CeCe go and then turned back to watch the action.

  She was just in time to see the bull in Aaron’s chute hop up and almost get his front legs over the rail. She gasped as Aaron hovered, straddling the rails above the unruly animal.

  Aaron climbed back to one side as another rider appeared with a rope. He looped it so it spanned the front and back rails, forming a barrier, however flimsy, above the bull’s neck. The animal hopped again, but the cowboy held the rope firm.

  Amazingly, the rope worked. The bull bumped the rope above him and that little bit of resistance made him settle back onto all four feet.

  Aaron moved to climb onto the animal’s back again. Jill held her breath, willing the bull to behave. The chute was a dangerous place. Deep and narrow. Small and confined. Basically not much more than a topless metal cage containing well over a thousand pounds of bucking bull and one human a tenth of its size.

  As the man in the chute next to Aaron’s took off into the arena for his own ride, Aaron began to wrap his rope around his gloved hand. A few seconds later, the other rider was in the dirt well before the buzzer.

  Things moved fast in this sport. As soon as the bucked-off rider and his bull were clear of the arena, it would be Aaron’s turn to ride. And unless CeCe was back from the bathroom, she was going to miss it.

  That was CeCe’s own fault. Jill had warned her.

  She didn’t think more about it as she watched. Other people stood nearby, but Jill didn’t take much note. Her sole focus was the man and the bull in the chute when Aaron nodded and the gate swung open wide.

  Aaron’s bull launched out of the chute. The animal’s front end dropped low while his rear feet left the ground, reaching heights well over the heads of the bull fighters nearby. Aaron’s bull was the polar opposite of the flat bucker his friend had ridden in the other section. If Aaron could hang on, he’d get a hell of a score, and so far, he was.

  He rocked against the bull’s motion. He somehow managed to maintain his seat after each dip while at the same time fight the centrifugal force of the bull’s fast spin. The bull worked to dislodge him, yet still their movements meshed, like a dance between man and beast.

  Jill couldn’t take her eyes off the amazing sight, but time moved on and the eight-second buzzer sounded. Aaron reached down for the rope and Jill let herself breathe again when it released.

  He flipped a leg over the bull’s head and jumped off on the outside of the spin. Landing hard, he fell to his knees while the bull continued to buck deathly close. Aaron tucked his head beneath his arms, making himself a smaller target.

  The bull’s hooves struck the ground on either side of him. Bull fighters worked the whole time to distract the bull and draw it away from the downed rider. The moment the bull turned, Aaron scrambled away on all fours. Finally, he stood upright and ran for the rails.

  He was dirty but grinning when the announcer said, “Ninety-point-two-five for Aaron Jordan. That puts him in second place.”

  Confetti shot through the air as a cheer exploded from the crowd. One bull fighter high-fived Aaron before slapping him on the back with his other hand.

  “What happened?” CeCe’s voice behind her had Jill turning.

  “Aaron got a ninety-point ride.”

  “Ninety out of what? One hundred? Is that good?”

  The confetti littering the dirt and still hanging in the air should have answered CeCe’s question, but Jill nodded. “Yes. It’s very good. He’s in second place.”

  “Oh. Well, that’s wonderful.”

  True to his promise to CeCe, it wasn’t more than a couple of minutes before Aaron was climbing the stairs to the VIP seating. That should make CeCe happy at least. Aaron looked pretty happy as well. His wide smile showed how pleased he was with his ride.

  Jill couldn’t help her own smile. A ninety-point ride was always exciting, but actually knowing the guy who’d made it, even a little bit, made it even more so. “Aaron, that ride was amazing.”

  He dipped his head. “Thanks.”

  CeCe donned a brilliant smile. “Yes. Ninety points. Just amazing.”

  Jill drew back as her lying boss mimicked the compliment. CeCe hadn’t even seen the ride, but Aaron didn’t know that.

  “Thank you so much.” He accepted the compliment before he leaned down to smack both legs of his jeans. A cloud of dust rose into the air. CeCe took a giant step back, away from Aaron. He cringed. “Sorry.”

  “Quite all right.” For the first time that night, it looked as if she wasn’t trying to be pressed up close against him.

  Aaron must have noticed how CeCe still kept her distance. “I’d change into clean jeans, but if the leaderboard holds, I’ll be in the short go.”

  CeCe raised her eyebrows, and Jill knew she had no clue what Aaron meant as she said, “Of course.”

  Aaron might as well have been speaking Mandarin.

  “You’re in second place and there’s only a handful of riders left to ride. You’ll make the short go.” Jill’s comment brought Aaron’s attention around to her.

  “Yeah. I think you’re right. I just don’t wanna jinx it.” Aaron grinned, which elicited a deep scowl from CeCe. That let Jill know she’d better keep any further commentary to herself.

  Chapter Seven

  “And Camo Cowboy bucks off Aaron Jordan at four-point-nine seconds.” Aaron heard the words reverberate through the arena.

  With the wind knocked out of him from hitting the ground so hard, he didn’t need the announcer’s amplified recap bouncing off the walls to know he’d bucked off early. He doubted any of the spectators needed that info either. They’d all heard that eight second buzzer sound while he lay on the ground, gasping.

  But that’s what the announcers got paid the big bucks for. He supposed they had to do their job and state the obvious, even if it did make the buck off feel worse than it already did.

  Thank God, the bull fighters got the bull out of the arena fast, because Aaron wasn’t sure he had it in him to scramble out of the animal’s way had it chosen to come after him.

  “You okay?”

  Aaron squinted up into the lights and saw Wade Long, one of the bull fighters who’d saved his ass. “Yup. Just taking a little breather.”

  “That’s what they all say.” Wade laughed and extended his hand. Aaron took it, grunting as the man hauled him off the ground.

  His ribs hurt. He was covered in dirt from head to toe, and all he wanted to do was have a few drinks with the boys and forget about the short go. That’s what he wanted to do. What he was required to do was go check in with Ms. Cole Shock Absorbers and see what she wanted to do.

  Drawing in a breath that only made his ribcage hurt worse, Aaron grabbed the bull rope Wade handed him and hobbled his way toward the out gate.

  It would be very nice to head directly back to the rider room and escape the cameramen intent on photographing his defeat, but he couldn’t really do that either. Tom Parsons probably wouldn’t like it. CeCe definitely would
n’t. Of that, Aaron was certain.

  Weary, dirty and not up for playing host any longer, he climbed the stairs to the VIP seating.

  “Hey, handsome.” CeCe flashed him a brilliant smile, looking awfully upbeat considering he’d just wrecked. “So that’s it, right? You’re all done for the night?”

  “Yup.”

  “So…what now?” CeCe’s voice dropped suggestively low, as did her lids as she eyed him.

  Thanks to his buck off in the short go, Aaron hadn’t taken first place, so he didn’t have to go down and smile for the cameras. The Brazilian who’d won was down there now doing exactly that. But Aaron had placed in the top three for the night, and that was pretty damn good in his opinion.

  “I gotta sign autographs for the fans, but after that I’m done.” Though not really done, since Tom expected Aaron to do whatever CeCe wanted.

  She flashed him a smile of the whitest teeth he’d ever seen. “Good. Go sign your autographs and hurry back.”

  “I’ll do my best.” He turned toward the stairs but noted that Jill was concentrating on her cell phone and pointedly ignoring that her boss’s hand had been on his ass for the entire conversation.

  What a fucked-up situation. Lucky for him, the cameras were more interested in the winner of the event than in what Aaron was doing with CeCe Cole. Hell. Aaron didn’t know himself what he was doing with CeCe.

  He headed down to the dirt where riders were lining up along the rails. He walked to the spot next to Skeeter and saw the black marker in his friend’s hand.

  Aaron let out a breath. “Crap. I got nothing to write with.”

  Some fans came armed with their own pens and permanent markers. Some didn’t, which is why Aaron always remembered to grab his own—which was in his gear bag in the rider room, right where he’d forgotten it because CeCe had him so distracted.

  “I got a spare.” Skeeter pulled one out of his back pocket and handed it to Aaron.

  “Thanks.” Aaron let out a sigh.

  Skeeter waved away the thanks. “No problem. Any time, bro.”

  No problem for Skeeter. He wasn’t the one who was so distracted he’d forget his head if it wasn’t attached.

  That was the end of the conversation and Aaron’s reprimanding himself as the fans lined the rails and the riders started signing.

  About fifteen minutes later, after they’d reached the last fan and signed the last souvenir, Skeeter capped his marker. “That’s it then.”

  “Yup.” Aaron handed the marker in his hand back to Skeeter. “Thanks for that.”

  Skeeter took it and shoved both in his back pocket. “Anytime. So, Riley and I just gotta get the bulls settled for the night and then we’ll meet you guys at the bar.”

  “I don’t know if I can go.”

  A frown furrowed Skeeter’s brow. “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t think my babysitting duty is done yet, and I don’t want Tom Parsons pissed at me for ditching the sponsors.”

  Skeeter cringed. “That sucks.”

  “Yeah.” Aaron nodded, though he had mixed feelings. He could go out with the guys any night. It wasn’t everyday he could do something like this for the head of the association. If he did it well, it could maybe help his career. It sure couldn’t hurt to have Tom owe him a favor.

  Of course, Aaron might not feel so fortunate if it ended up that what CeCe wanted was to get sweaty with him. Glancing up, he saw her smiling down at him with the same hungry expression he’d seen all night whenever she looked at him.

  Sleeping with the sponsor seemed like a really bad idea. But from what little he knew of CeCe after spending the past few hours with her, refusing her could be much worse.

  CeCe Cole didn’t strike him as the kind of woman who liked to be told no.

  Garret ambled over with Chase behind him. “You ready to go?”

  “Not sure I can. I gotta see what CeCe’s doing now.” Aaron repeated the excuse, but Garret didn’t give him the same reaction as Skeeter.

  Instead, his brother-in-law grinned. “All right. Have fun.”

  “Thanks.” Anxious to get away before there were any more questions or comments from the guys, Aaron made a break for it. He took the stairs fast, which put him in front of CeCe in a matter of seconds. He glanced around and noticed she was alone. “Where’s Jill?”

  CeCe took a step forward until they were almost touching. She was tall. In her heels, and with her standing so close, she was eyelevel with him.

  “I sent her back to the hotel. She has work to do, and I want you all to myself.” CeCe ran a single perfectly manicured nail down his arm, sending a shiver through him.

  Aaron swallowed hard. “Oh. Okay.”

  “So are you ready to go?”

  “Uh, yup.” Ready to go where was the question uppermost in Aaron’s mind, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask it. Judging by the hungry look she leveled on him, he had a feeling he knew what she wanted to do when they got there. “I just have to get my gear bag from the rider room. I gotta grab my truck keys.”

  “Leave your truck here. We’re taking my limo.”

  Her limo. The night got a little more surreal. Apparently, Aaron didn’t need to know where they were headed since he wasn’t driving. He also would be stuck wherever she brought him since he wouldn’t have a vehicle, but he wasn’t about to argue.

  “A’ight.” Aaron swept his arm before them. “Ladies first.”

  She was leading him around like a puppy on a leash anyway. He figured he should at least pretend something about tonight was his idea, and at the same time be a gentleman by letting her go ahead.

  “Thank you.” CeCe treated him to another sultry smile and started down the stairs.

  At the bottom, Aaron noticed Garret watching them. His brother-in-law flashed a thumbs up. Aaron rolled his eyes. He needed to get her into the limo before Garret did anything to embarrass him.

  With a hand on the small of her back, he led CeCe down the hallway, pausing just outside the dressing room. “I’ll be back in a sec. Stay right here.”

  “Why? Are there a bunch of naked cowboys inside?” She leaned around him, trying to see inside.

  “Could be.” He nodded. “And a whole lot of cussing not fit for a lady.”

  She leaned in close to his ear. “Later, I’ll show you how many cuss words I know and how much of a lady I am…or am not.”

  “Oh.” He swallowed hard. “Um, I’ll be right back.”

  Aaron escaped through the doorway to the sound of CeCe’s laughter. He crossed the crowded room and made a beeline for the bench where he’d left his bag, avoiding eye contact with anyone. He didn’t need any riders asking questions any more than he wanted to have to provide answers.

  One quick glance told him Garret, Skeeter and Chase weren’t in the room. They were probably huddled together somewhere discussing him. He couldn’t worry about them now. He had far bigger things to worry about. Such as how he was going with CeCe in her limo probably to her hotel where she was going to prove to him she wasn’t a lady.

  Shit.

  Bag in hand, Aaron headed out the door and found CeCe right where he’d left her.

  “Ready?” she asked.

  Not even close.

  He held up his bag. “Yup.”

  “Good. The limo is out front waiting.”

  Out front where the fans exited the building. There was no way they wouldn’t see Aaron getting into CeCe’s limo.

  Perhaps that was the point. She wanted to be seen leaving with him. He should be grateful, not worried. Of all the riders, CeCe Cole had chosen to be seen leaving with him.

  More than a few men they passed took a second look as CeCe strutted by. He shot her a sideways glance and saw the sexy pout on her lips. She had to walk in front of him to get through the door and his gaze dropped to the sway of h
er hips as she walked. There was no doubt about it. CeCe Cole was an attractive woman.

  Maybe it was about time Aaron stopped thinking so damn hard and just enjoyed this night.

  Easier said than done.

  Chapter Eight

  The limo driver opened the door and CeCe paused to address him. “The hotel. And put up the privacy shield.”

  She slid in, leaving Aaron on the sidewalk with his pulse racing.

  At least now he knew where they were going. He ducked into the car behind her. After tossing his bag on the opposite seat, he settled next to CeCe.

  The driver slammed the door. Seconds later, the privacy shield rose. So did Aaron’s heart rate.

  CeCe stretched one long leg over his and leaned closer, running her hand up his chest. “Don’t be nervous, sweetie.”

  “I’m not nervous.” The high pitch of his reply didn’t sound very convincing to him. He could only imagine what it sounded like to her.

  She leaned closer. “I can feel your heart pounding through your shirt. You’re not a virgin, are you?”

  “No. Of course not.” He couldn’t be insulted by the question since he was acting like one.

  “Good.” That was the last thing she said before her mouth covered his.

  While locked at the lips, she moved to straddle him, and any lingering doubt he’d been irrationally holding on to fled. There was no longer any question that CeCe wanted much more from him than a tour of the arena.

  She reached for his belt, undoing the buckle surprisingly fast considering she was working blind while she kissed him. She made short work of the button on his fly and then went for his zipper.

  As she eased it down, Aaron’s mind whirled. Sex in a limo with the tour’s biggest sponsor. It was crazy.

  Even so, he was hard as a rock, a fact CeCe didn’t miss as she slipped her hand inside his underwear. “Mmm. Nice.”

  “CeCe, we can’t do this here.”

  “Why not?” She grasped his length.

  Aaron sucked in a breath as she pulled him free of his underwear. He couldn’t think with her stroking him. He stilled her hand with his and forced his mind back to the situation at hand.